Wanna have a cup of coffee

These days the determined couples are seeking in new-age cafeterias such as Barista, Café Coffee Day, Costa Coffee, Café Rico and Café Earth! While Hyderabad has relished the taste of its Irani chai, it has welcomed the coffee culture with open hands too. In fact, these coffee shops have become second home to young couples and teenagers.

Café Coffee Day and Barista are the most well-known ones in the city simply because you can find an outlet at every alternate bend or corner. These coffee shops flaunt their casual ambience to the best, be it in their furniture, the décor, and the clothes of the staff or even the menu.
Café Rico also allows you a board game over some grub and coffee. Carrom, snakes and ladders, chess, ludo, spell 'o' word and more are all available here. So a great place to spend a couple of hours with friends or for any lovebirds.

Sweet Nirvana, which offers a truly luxurious option to sit back and relax in its green and serene ambience. The music here is not loud and jarring like in the other coffee shops. Worth a visit for a romantic date.
Mocha is surely something different to try; every room in this kitsch coffee shop has a theme and is an experience in itself. The dimly lit smoking lounge where the sheesha is brought in is contemporary in its décor and suave in its feel.

Another interesting coffee shop, Café Earth, serves pizzas, wraps, sandwiches and burgers apart from coffee and smoothies and fruit juices.
Café Latte is for the cine lovers. With several technicolor posters of golden oldies from both Hollywood and Bollywood making for kitsch wall-art, this place also has an awesome amphitheatre with super-comfortable seats where you can have your own private movie screening with friends.
At one time believed to be casual hangouts for the family, these so-called cafes have become one of the most wanted dating spots for couples to come, sit, relax and get cozy or a café culture has re-defined the very concept of dating in the city.

Hyderabad catches up with FIFA World Cup

While South Africa will play host to the FIFA World Cup 2010, soccer fans in Hyderabad will not be left behind either. As the football fever is setting in with FIFA World Cup; various brands are all set to give leverage on the occasion.

From discounts to special merchandise, one can make most of the football mania. Star hotels are to arrange live screenings for its clients along with free snacks and beverages. Hyderabadis have a huge variety of exclusive World Cup offers to make the most of it.

Hypercity brings the World Cup collection with a wide range of apparels for boys and girls with jerseys of the various FIFA teams. Accessories like sweatbands, studs, key chains, stockings, etc are also being sold like hot cakes. FIFA World Cup 2010 merchandise at Hypercity is a colorful and exciting collection for all footie fans and priced between Rs 49-Rs 399 for the accessories, Rs 249-Rs 399 for the apparel range and Rs 99-Rs 349 for footballs. So rush to Hypercity and choose merchandise that describes your way of cheering your favourite teams of the FIFA World Cup.

Ista Hyderabad brings 'KICK OFF' - FIFA World Cup 2010. Enjoy live screening of World's biggest sporting extravaganza - FIFA World Cup 2010 matches at Ista Hyderabad. The screening begins from June 11 and will end on July 11. Ista Hyderabad is screening live all the matches from 7:30 pm onwards. The Live Screening is available at Rs 699 plus taxes with unlimited snacks and beer. One can also enjoy the games from the comforts of their homes.

Choose the perfect camp for your kid

Choosing a summer camp can seem like a daunting task. There are literally thousands to choose from, and even when the programs appear similar, each camp has its own personality. Summer camps have a significant impact on a child's life. It is important for parents to learn how to make an informed decision when choosing a camp. Many issues must be considered before locating the perfect camp. Careful planning will ensure that your child's summer camp is enjoyable and memorable. Keep the below points before enrolling your child’s name in any summer camp.


List the goals and activities you and your child want to gain from summer camp. There is a wide range of camps available, such as athletic camps, religious camps, academic camps, adventure camps and fantasy camps to name a few. Start with an evaluation of your child's needs and your family's requirements.

Create a short list of only 4 or 5 camps that meet these criteria. Look for reasons to exclude each camp from your short list. Request brochures’s from each of the selected camps and speak to their staff. Visit the camp if at all possible.

Involve your child in choosing the camp. Determine the needs of your child. All children are different and all have different needs to consider. The camp you choose needs to be age appropriate and should meet the physical, emotional and mental needs of your child.


Verify who sponsors the camp. Camps are run by a variety of organizations. Camps run by municipalities or by agencies tend to be lower-cost. Private camps tend to fill-up early and are usually more expensive but may offer more number of activities.

Find out the cost of the camp. By planning ahead, many camps offer ways to assist parents with the cost of the camp. There are also many camps available that are free if the child or family meets certain requirements.

If your child has medical issues such as asthma or seizures make sure there are medical personnel at the camp who can properly care for your child in case of an emergency. Find out what their medical emergency policy is and what hospital would be used if an emergency took place.

Nearest summer camp from your place:

Kids Gurukul

8-2-547/M Dharam Mansion Compund, Near Meridian School, Road No 7 Opp Krishnama House, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad

Kalanidhi Institute Of Music

10-1-726, Opp; Shenoy Nursing Home, 10 Line No 7, West Marredpally, Hyderabad

Tricias Chocolates

115 Gordhanpuri Garden, Near Rsi Army Club, Rsi Army Club, Yapral, Hyderabad

Satnav Pre Schools Pvt Ltd

203, Lake Shore Towers, Opp Reliance Foot Print, Raj Bhavan Rd, Somajiguda, Hyderabad

Magical Minds

Plot No 4, Lane Next To Yoko Sizzlers, Ubi Colony, Road No-3, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad

Siri Math AcademyG4, Sarada Gopalan Apartments,, Himayat Nagar, Hyderabad

Vibgyor Kids

Beside Lane To Eshwarya Silk Showroom, Raj Bhavan Road, Somajiguda, Hyderabad

Colors Kidz Play School

Plot No: 157 MIG I Opp Plot No 139, Malayasia Town Ship, 9th Phase, Kphb Colony, Hyderabad

Kidzee

4-822/1, Diagonally Opp To Pargon Apartments, Street No 1, Barkatpura., Hyderabad.

-Anubha K. Singh

Drop the Degrees with Ice creams

The mercury's rising and to top it up, the power cuts and the massive Current bills! There's nothing you can't cool down with an Ice cream though. Though one really doesn’t need an excuse to lick from a cup of frozen dessert, yet one is bound to say that Hyderabad’s warm climate makes it less of an indulgence and more of a necessity to cool off with an ice cream.

Here are the top places where you can get this season's chill pill.

Move N Pick: To really appreciate their flavoured ice creams and sundaes, you need to dig between the layers. The pistachio comes all the way from Italy, vanilla from Madagascar and chocolate from Switzerland. So much for a scoop!

Ice & Jelly: A lush lawn, a choice of fruity flavors to sink your teeth into and good summer discounts, Ice & Jelly is a treat to both the eyes and tongue. Try their Hazelnut Quest or Plain Raspberry and stay tuned for their seasonal Alfonso flavor.

Temptations: Is just what its name implies. This otherwise sundae-specialty joint offers 100 per cent vegetarian natural ice creams, sugar-free ice creams, American-style soda pops and milk shakes. Temptations have every imaginable “frozen temptation” you’ll love submitting to.

Famous / Shah Ice Cream: This famous joint serves up season's best like sitafal, chikoo and juicy mango for as low as Rs.12 per serving. Great reward for all that sweat that will go into getting to Mozamjahi Market.

Baskin 31 Robbins: Sundaes and ice creams in thirty-one flavours are equally palatable. Drop by at any of their kiosks that dot the shopping malls for your share of the lick.

Melting Moments: Claim-to-fame are natural ice creams, made with fresh fruits, and not fruit concentrate. Dig into their almond, date or apricot concoctions and get hooked for life.

Amoré Gelato: Super thick and delightfully creamy, Gelato is Italy's gift to us. Try their Passion Fruit Yoghurt or Blueberry Cheesecake gelato. With no preservatives and added sugar, this is probably the only thing on an Italian menu that won't force you onto a treadmill instantly.

Cream Stone: This franchise brought back the much loved sorbetto or slushy. So order up your brain freezes and top it with blue berry. Also try their Fruit Exotica and the ultra chocolaty Willy Wonkie that are all time favorites here.


Other worthy mentions:

Exotica Sinspot - GVK One
Naturals - Sri Nagar Colony
Ohri's Havmor - Basheer Bagh & Banjara Hills (Try their Bullseye or Awful)
How about a quick bite of sandwiches rounded off with ice cream? Ice Station at Banjara Hills helps you do just that. Keen on the pizza–ice-cream combo? Check out Softy House at Abids. Finally, surprise your guests with pan-flavoured ice creams from Rasranjan’s takeaway counters at Secunderabad, Bogulkunta and Jubilee Hills.


Hurry … Eat before it melts!

-Anubha K. Singh

Soaring mercury coupled with constant power cuts

Soaring mercury coupled with constant power cuts has put residents in the city to hardships. Residents who are already facing a tough time with Hyderabad experiencing a maximum of 41.5 degree Celsius to 42.5 degrees Celsius the season’s highest temperature are also worried over the sudden power cuts in different spells in many parts of the city that is continuing throughout the day and even in night sometimes in various localities.


The local Meteorological office has forecast that the heat wave conditions would prevail over Telangana and isolated parts of Rayalaseema during the next two to three days. Besides, mainly dry weather is likely to prevail over Coastal Andhra, Telangana and Rayalaseema regions. The Met officials warned that the mercury would increase a couple of degrees further with maximum temperature likely to hover around 43 degrees Celsius in coming days.

Many parts of the state are in the grip of a heat wave with day temperatures shooting up rapidly in the last few days. Heat wave conditions are prevailing in Adilabad, Karimnagar Mahbubnagar, Krishna and other districts apart from Hyderabad. After gap of 10 years, Hyderabad has been experiencing the highest day temperature of around 42.5 degrees Celsius for the last few days.


The mercury continuing to soar and with no respite from the heat in sight and adding woes to it is the constant power cuts but one good news is many schools are revisiting their academic calendar, making changes to protect children from the harsh sun.


Delhi Public School, Gachibowli, has reduced school timings by an hour and the management has announced vacations would start a week in advance, from April 17 as against April 24 citing "summer’’ as the reason. "The normal school timing is 8 am to 3 pm but now it has been changed to 7.45 am to 1.30 pm.

Schools designated as SSC exam venues have been asked by the state government not to run afternoon classes because of the sweltering conditions. In addition, almost all CBSE schools in the city have either cut short school timings or have announced an early vacation.


The temperature was six to seven degrees above normal in most districts of Telangana this week. Already, heat wave warnings have been issued by the Met department across Hyderabad, Adilabad, Mahbubnagar, Karimnagar and Nizamabad..



A weather bulletin put out by the Indian Meteorological Department has cautioned people from moving around in the scorching sun between 12 noon and 3 pm as temperatures are likely to remain high.

In Hyderabad, the mercury touched 42.8ºC on April 30, 2000, but it has never crossed 41.6ºC in the intervening eight years in the corresponding month.

Weathermen also blamed the failure of monsoon in 2009 for high temperature in April. Normally, mercury touches around 41-42ºC only in May.

But this year, the summer has peaked in mid-April itself. With the lack of sufficient moisture in the atmosphere, temperatures have gone up in Hyderabad and other parts of the state.

-Anubha K. Singh

Simply Thai for You.......

Thai Food Festival at Novotel Hyderabad Convention Centre, Master Chefs from Bangkok create Thai Food Magic



The ongoing Thai Food festival at The Square Novatel has something for everyone in your family. Chefs Worawit and Satit from Bangkok are being flown to Hyderabad to serve the authentic delicacies of Thai every evening. The festival has elements of Thai music, subtle décor and beautiful display of carved fruit.


As it is always said that Thai food is incomplete without Satays, and to ensure that the veggies don’t miss the taste and authenticity of Satays the chefs had ensured special signature veg satays like Mushroom, Panner and Tofu satay.


The other dishes that can be tried are Tom Kha Thai, sliced beef with spicy vegetables, crispy fried assorted vegetables, Thai-rice noodles pan fried with fish sauce, sugar, lime juice or tamarind pulp, chopped peanuts, and egg combined with chicken, seafood, or tofu. Khao phat kai - fried rice with chicken. Veg Red and Green curry, Thai styled spring rolls. Authentic Thai desserts are a specialty and beside the use of coconut and coconut milk, it also uses eggs in abundance.


The festival is not only showcasing an array of authentic and sumptuous Thai cuisine but is also featuring elements of Thai culture, giving Hyderabad a unique Thai experience.
Chefs will jazz up menu daily for dinner. The festival is featuring a lavish Thai buffet comprising salads, soups, Thai curries, desserts and also live cooking Thai stations. The Thai food buffet is priced at Rs. 950 plus taxes per person.


According to Master Chef Worawit Ngoenngam, “Thai cuisine has been gaining popularity worldwide. It is considered among the world's most delicious, with a unique blend of tastes consisting of hot, sour, sweet, and always highlighted with natural and healthy herbs. We wish to bring out the best of this cuisine during the festival at Novotel to give Hyderabad the real taste of Thai.”

To name a few dishes from the menu-Lab Moo, Boiled Prawn w/Chilli Paste Lemongrass; Plah Tao Hu Deef Fried Bean Curd With Herb & Chilli Paste; Tom Yam Goong; Hot&Sour Spicy Prawn Soup w/ Lemon Grass; Khao Phad Poo Fried Rice w/Crab Meat; Hed Phad Nam Plik Phow Spicy Deep Fried Corn Cake; Satays in veg and non veg; Red and green Thai curries; Lychee Loy Kaew Lychee in Syrub; Assorted Thai Mixed Fruit; Assorted Thai Sweet



-Anubha K. Singh

Jab Miya Biwi Raazi to kya karega Qaazi

In another dramatic turn, tennis star Sania Mirza married Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik at a five-star hotel around 1 pm as per Muslim customs on April 12, ahead of the earlier announced date of April 15. Sania-Shoaib's hi-profile wedding is the latest buzz in both India and Pakistan. After plethora of debates, finally, the wedding bells rang in Hyderabad.

Sania, wearing her mother's red wedding saree, emerged from her Jubille Hills bungalow an hour before the wedding, and got into a black Mercedes, with mediapersons falling over each other to take a shot. She was accompanied by her sister Anam, parents Naseem and Imran and friend and Bollywood actress Rakshanda Khan. The convoy reached hotel Taj Deccan which is opposite Taj Krishna, and Sania was taken through an underground passage to the venue. The nikah was performed in the presence of a select gathering comprising only the family members and friends of the newly-wed couple.

The reason why this marriage took place prior to its scheduled time is believed to be the protests by some NGOs and other political parties, who didn't breathe easy since the time Sania-Shoaib wedding news was in the air.

A Sunni Ulema board had issued a fatwa on April 11, raising objection against the proximity of the yet-to-be-married Sania with Shoaib as the groom was staying in the Mirza's home in Hyderabad. However, the families steered clear of possible legal hurdles before going ahead with the ceremony by seeking necessary counsel.
All papers were in place before the arrival of the bride and groom, and the ceremony was over within five minutes. The Qutbah was read by the head Qazi. Shoaib agreed to Rs 61 lakh as meher amount to Sania at the time of the nikaah.

The marriage ceremony was a very simple affair. Sania's family members and Shoaib's close relatives, including his sisters and brothers-in-law, attended the function. Some of the basic rites and rituals that are performed prior to the nikaah like mehendi and sangeet ceremony could not take place because of the constant threats that both the families were facing. However, there is no ritual of mehendi among Muslims but some families have started having it in the last few years.

The Sania-Shoiab marriage is not less than a bollywood flick with so many twists and turns ending with a happily married tag. Bollywood could have scripted this, sporting superstars in love, getting married across the Indo-Pak border. A wedding in Hyderabad, a reception in Lahore, a home in Dubai, a great story indeed.

—Anubha K.Singh