India has a love-spiritual relationship with snakes, somewhat different to the Chinese who just eat them. Both feared and revered, they are often to be seen at markets, touted by Charmers who will play a melody to get the snake to ‘dance’. In reality, the snake moves in relation to the swaying of the snake charmer, but that doesn’t hide the fact that the Indian Cobra used is one of the most deadly snakes on earth. It is the most dangerous of the Big Four, the four snake species responsible for most fatal snakebites in India for which a single polyvalent antivenom has been created. Like other cobras, Naja.naja is famous for its threat display involving raising the front part of its body and spreading its hood.
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It’s always good to back in Bombay, and on this occasion I thought I’d share a few of the evening sights that those familiar with the area will recognize, and those not may feel somehow exotic. The Apollo Bunder was the principal pier for embarkation and disembarkation of passengers and goods in Bombay in the late 19th century. Immense activity was to be witnessed in the Pier in the months of April and May of each year, when thousands of docras of cotton, (pressed bales were yet to come) used to be landed. Today it has been renamed, however no-one uses the Maharastran alternative. It is still “Apollo Bunder”. The basic area is the sea front that extends from the Gateway to India north for about 2km. It encompasses the Taj Hotel, which is on the waterfront, and in my photo essay I have included streets and lanes just one block behind. I took my time in taking this tour, but it would be possible to circumnavigate it in 20 minutes. But why would you want to? Here then, is the trip. All these photos were taken within 100 yards of each other. :

Apollo Bunder is home to prime residential property. A 150sqm apartment in this building is about USD5million.

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Much of this winter I’ve been in Mongolia, attending various Government related meetings and dealing with personal issues. The Mongolian Government has relaxed the regulations for investing in mining projects, and I’m also purchasing an apartment in Ulaan Baatar. My Mongolia Expat magazine will also be re-launched in Spring. But what is there to do in a country so frigid it regularly dips below minus 40 and its lakes freeze six feet solid ?

Plenty actually. I’m OK with the cold – I know when it’s minus 20 or below because my moustache freezes. Minus 40 is a bit severe however, and water based moisturizers are not a good idea. But decent thermal underwear, hat, gloves and of course natural Mongolian cashmere – the best in the world – will generally keep you as warm as toast. Plus the Gers are set up to be roasting inside. In fact mine was so hot I had to open the door to let some of the heat out! But here’s a few snaps of what a Mongolian – Siberian – winter looks like.   

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With Coco Chanel being the subject matter of a number of recent films, and Russia being very much on the up and coming cultural radar under Valery Gergiev’s guidance, it is no surprise to learn that Chanel has reintroduced a famous scent from their past – 1927’s Cuir de Russe. Legend has it that Cuir de Russie was born when a Cossack warrior rubbed birch fat into his fine leather boots on the Russian steppes. Whoever did it first, it is certain that tanneries of the area cured skins in such a way, and the scent produced inspired perfumers in France. It is a very physical fragrance, evoking warriors riding in wide open spaces.

Guerlain produced a Cuir de Russie fragrance in 1875, and Creed created one for Errol Flynn in 1938. Chanel created hers in 1924, and it is still highly regarded today. Luca Turin, the fragrance biophysicist, describes it as ‘a striking hologram of luxury bygone: its scent like running the hand over the pearl grey banquette of an Isotta Frashini while forests of birch silently pass by.’ In the early twentieth century Paris was heavily influenced by Russian culture. Many Russians emigrated to the city after the 1917 revolution and their culture became very fashionable.

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Has to be at the Algonquin, where the hotel has a resident , prize winning cat named Matilda. It’s a major attraction in managing to keep a jetlagged 13 year old quiet for a while. Last minute shopping was conducted on 5th Avenue of course, with Bergdorf Goodman, Saks and Juicy Couture all successfully raided. The picture is a way too early Christmas morning in the hotel lounge with a huge assorted wrapping bonanza, a special bright red Christmas bow tie lovingly given to me by the family dog, Charles, and various left overs from Christmas stockings (Santa was generous; everything from models of New York taxis to Chanel’s new Cuir de Russie fragrance, tins of Obama candies and Lady Gaga remix CD’s amongst much, much more…) For presents, I was given two rare out of print books, one a compendium of Dorothy Parker stories (she used to stay at the Algonquin) and the other a 1920’s biography of Nijinsky (see previous thread about Les Ballets Russe).

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Having been watching an excellent documentary on the life of Stravinsky this past weekend, I was taken (and surprised) by how much of his work was theatrically inspired. Indeed, the man wrote many ballets, and with leading choreographers of the time – Diaghilev, Nijinsky and so on. Stravinsky’s music, often when listened to on its own, can appear jagged, discordant and overly sonic. Not for nothing was there a riot at the 1913 premiere at the Theatre des Champs Elysee of his “Rite of Spring” – a ballet featuring primitive rhythms; the story of a spring maiden who dances herself to death. However, when paired together with dance, his ballets especially take on a marvelous quality of grace, humor and incredible sophistication. Stravinsky’s biography lead to researching the primary foil for his ballet compositions – Les Ballets Russe.

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The sixth race of the Kings Cup proved a step too far for China Briefing as the high winds caused problems for crew and control, and a ‘safety first’ conservative racing attitude was adopted to get the yacht through the tough conditions. With winds to 30 knots, and the yacht only insured to go out in up to 25 knot winds, the smaller size of China Briefing’s Jeanneau 32 was no match for the larger, more powerful boats, some of them up to 18 feet longer and with considerably larger and more powerful sails. The yacht finished 12th, still a credible performance given several entrants were unable to finish and retired. The result means the China Briefing team finished eight overall, dropping down two places from sixth on the final day. Over 110 yachts competed, including teams from Coca-Cola, Bentley, IFC Bank, Neil Pryde, and Monte Cristo.  

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Photo: China Briefing, in far center, showing larger competitors a clean pair of heels

China Briefing scored another fifth place finish in the fifth race of the six race Kings Cup yacht racing series in Phuket today, leaving them in with a shout of honors going into the final race tomorrow. With strong gusts of up to 30 knots in the morning, the yacht got off to its now customary flying start until the larger yachts with bigger sails and more power began to take command. Under exciting conditions, not for the faint hearted, two yachts lost masts in heavy gusts, including the perennial favorite, the Thai Royal Navy whose mast broke off about two meters about deck and was left trailing in the sea. Another Sunsail 35 lost its mast completely. A multihull participant turned over and sank as the conditions proved too much for several competitors. China Briefing stayed with the larger boats – some of them 18 feet longer than China Briefing’s Jeanneau 32 – for the duration of the race with spinnaker flying in the return leg of the event which saw a long course out to Ko Aeo Island from Kata Bay and return. To give a measure of the wind conditions, China Briefing finished in less than half the time the similar race took them on day one.

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China Briefing is off to a flying start in race one, day three (far right)  

Today we had two races, and on both occasions the China Briefing yacht got off to exceptional starts, way ahead of the pack and the far larger boats. With better winds, and a shorter course, the conditions featured us much better and the crew were far more disciplined and working far better together as a team.  

In race one we placed fifth, and in race two, fourth (just missing out on a third place trophy by two minutes). China Briefing is now placed sixth overall from 110 entrants. 

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The second days racing here in Phuket proved tough, frustrating and a mixture of sweet and sour as the days course, taking us well south of the island, ground to a halt in dead air around lunchtime. Until that time, China Briefing had been well positioned under an overcast sky and a receding tide, punching far above our weight as our Jeanneau 32 overtook larger and more powerful boats, including some of the first day winners. However, that all came to a halt for close to two hours just as the yacht had rounded the farthest point and had spinnaker up set for a 14 mile long stretch to the finish.   

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