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‘I had no idea who Ed Sheeran was. I gave him a head massage’

10

Feb

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Lifestyle

‘I had no idea who Ed Sheeran was. I gave him a head massage’

A Sandeep encounters anywhere between 60 and 70 heads each day (except on Tuesday) at the 85-year-old Kerala Hair Dressers in Pondy Bazar. But on February 4, he received a call requiring secrecy and an international popstar.“I had no idea who Ed Sheeran was. We said ‘hi’ to each other and began the massage. I gave it to three others,” he says. In the video on Ed Sheeran HQ on Instagram, the artiste who is in India for his +–=÷× Tour (pronounced The Mathematics Tour), can be seen jokingly saying, “This is abuse”.“I usually do not use the kind of force…

High-end health clubs allegedly conceal an exploitative work culture in Thiruvananthapuram

10

Feb

By The Press Editor

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Lifestyle

High-end health clubs allegedly conceal an exploitative work culture in Thiruvananthapuram

A fitness trainer at a gymnasium in Thiruvananthapuram. | Photo Credit: Nirmal Harindran Thiruvananthapuram’s rapidly growing network of upscale health clubs is emerging as a youngster’s mecca for employment. Hundreds of youth from struggling working-class families with an affinity for bodybuilding are becoming certified physical trainers to cash in on the fitness fad. Most seem driven by the desire to break free from the fettering grind of a ten-to-five job to pursue their studies and passion for fitness while supplementing the family income. Nevertheless, Justice Alexander Thomas, chairperson of the State Human Rights Commission (SHRC), recently heard that the stylishly…

Ireland-based Malayali musicians Reyan and Melvin on their struggles

09

Feb

By The Press Editor

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Lifestyle

Ireland-based Malayali musicians Reyan and Melvin on their struggles

Reyan and Melvin, who grew up in Ireland, have known each other since childhood. They attended the same school in Dublin, travelled on the same bus home, and went to the same church. With their shared roots in Kerala, Melvin jokes, “We just couldn’t avoid each other.” However, despite their many shared experiences, it was music that ultimately brought them together.As teenagers, the duo would have jamming sessions inside the bus, returning home from school. “We would say we should do ‘something’ one day, practising how to sing or rap. We kept at it, not knowing whether anything would work,” says…

Chennai | Raj Ganpath on consistency, the big picture, and fitness as functionality for the common person

09

Feb

By The Press Editor

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Lifestyle

Chennai | Raj Ganpath on consistency, the big picture, and fitness as functionality for the common person

Raj Ganpath | Photo Credit: Johan Sathyadas In the introduction to his debut book, Simple, Not Easy, Raj Ganpath says that the book is an unusual mix of science, reason and positivity meant to provide clarity and inspiration. There is a consistent reference to the word ‘simple’ all through his book. It makes sense if you have worked out with Raj at The Quad, a Chennai-based new age functional fitness bootcamp he co-founded in 2011. Or if you have seen him on Instagram where he posts short videos every single day about strength training, lifestyle changes, nutrition, fitness myths and…

Natural stones set to sparkle at STONA 2025 in Bengaluru

09

Feb

By The Press Editor

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Lifestyle

Natural stones set to sparkle at STONA 2025 in Bengaluru

Sculptors from across India showcasing their range of stone, granite and marble ware and idols at Shilpagram at a previous edition of STONA exhibition. | Photo Credit: special arragement The country’s bi-annual international stone fair is all set to open its doors to the public in the second week of February, where Indian and international participants will showcase their unique products and creations in natural stone.STONA 2025, to be hosted at the Bengaluru International Exhibition Centre between February 12 and 15, will witness a range of attractions, including live demonstrations and a display of works by award-winning sculptors from across…

09

Feb

By The Press Editor

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Lifestyle

Things to do in Indonesia’s West Java

Flying from Singapore to Kertajati is an experience: from the aircraft’s window, one can see the Indonesian sea dotted with numerous islands. The breathtaking non-metro destinations of West Java now witness an enhanced flow of tourists thanks to the newly-added Embraer flights from Scoot, the affordable carrier of Singapore Airlines. From September last year, Scoot’s carriers are being scheduled twice a week from Singapore to Kertajati in Greater Bandung. The demand for Scoot flights from India is robust due to an increase in demand for leisure holidays to Southeast Asia. Scoot operates over 40 weekly flights from six cities in…

Chowrangee is Hyderabad’s new arts and culture platform

09

Feb

By The Press Editor

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Entertainment, Lifestyle

Chowrangee is Hyderabad’s new arts and culture platform

Sounak Chattopadhyay and Arpita Chatterjee | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement Hyderabad’s cultural scene receives a boost with Chowrangee, a new-age platform for arts and culture. The group’s inaugural event, Raag-o-Rang, features Hindustani vocalist Sounak Chattopadhyay and theatre practitioner Arpita Chatterjee portraying Gauhar Jaan in a multilingual solo musical.Love for two cities Arpita Chatterjee | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement A group of music and theatre enthusiasts with a deep appreciation for Hyderabad and a strong connection with Kolkata have come together to create Chowrangee, according to the platform’s president, Santanu Paul, founder of TalentSprint, an EdTech firm based in the city.…

Over 90% of corporate employees aged below 25 experience signs of anxiety: Report

09

Feb

By The Press Editor

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Lifestyle

Over 90% of corporate employees aged below 25 experience signs of anxiety: Report

Data from over 83,000 counselling sessions, 12,000 elective screenings, and over 42,000 assessments conducted between January and November 2024 were analysed. | Photo Credit: Illustration for representation only A pan-India report on key trends and challenges around workplace mental health has found that over 90% of corporate employees under the age of 25 reported experiencing symptoms of anxiety, compared to 67% of those over the age of 45, in 2024..The ‘State of Emotional Well-being Report 2024’ has been brought out by 1to1help, an employee assistance programme provider, for the second consecutive year. Data from over 83,000 counselling sessions, 12,000 elective…

Art meets craft at this art quilt exhibition in Chennai

09

Feb

By The Press Editor

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Lifestyle

Art meets craft at this art quilt exhibition in Chennai

Tina Katwal and Varsha Sundararajan | Photo Credit: Sangita Rajan At The Square Inch, a quilting studio in Chennai, various art quilt pieces are laid out depicting vibrant imagery — from soaring birds, lush tropical foliage to flowers. Each quilt square is in shades of purple, yellow, red, blue and green, and tells a different story. The quilt exhibition curated by Quilt India Foundation (QIF) is a theme-based competition hosted in the city annually. This year, with entries from 105 quilters around the world, the theme is Birds of Paradise. Each quilter has interpreted the theme in their own way. “Every participant…

09

Feb

By The Press Editor

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Lifestyle

What makes Chennai’s children read?

For parents who want their children to start reading more and for children wanting to delve into a different range of genres, where does one start? Amidst constant discussion about screen time, books, and how to strike a healthy balance between the two, the city of Chennai is currently home to a host of interesting initiatives that facilitate a love for reading and losing oneself in the magical world of words.At the Goethe Institut in December last year, a gaggle of children watched on in delight as children’s author and illustrator Ashok Rajagopalan enacted scenes from his much loved book, Gajapati…