The Turanor under sail... or rather, under sol. Reuters/Darrin Zammit Lupi
While the prospect of solar-powered drones flying above our heads steals the headlines, there’s an eco-friendly seafaring monster that’s quietly breaking records.
Last
week, The Turanor Planet Solar, a giant catamaran covered in solar
panels, pulled into London after completing a three-month journey along
the Atlantic’s warm Gulf Stream. A team of scientists, led by University
of Geneva climatologist Martin Beniston, used the boat to examine water
and air samples as part of climate-change research. ”The fact that the
boat doesn’t create any pollutants means what we measure is as natural
as possible,” Beniston told CNN.
The
Turanor, which is exclusively powered by the sun, has already chalked
up several feats. On May 4, 2012, it completed a 584-day, 37,000-mile
(60,000 km) circumnavigation. And earlier this year, the boat made the
fastest solar-powered crossing of the Atlantic, cruising from Spain to
the West Indies in a mere 22 days, shattering its own previous record by
four days.
The
boat is the brainchild of environmentally conscious adventurer Raphael
Domjam, and was designed by New Zealand nautical architecture firm
LOMOcean Design and built by German shipyard Knierim Yachtbaut.
Completed in 2010, it measures 35 meters (115 feet) in length
(catamarans over 100 feet long are referred to as
“super” or “mega” catamarans), 23 meters in width, and weighs a
whopping 95 tonnes (105 tons). It’s equipped with more than 800 solar
panels, each of which can support the weight of a human, and which
charge gargantuan lithium-ion batteries that are hidden inside the
boat’s twin hulls and power its two electric motors. When fully charged,
the batteries can run the engines for 72 hours without sun.
Unfortunately,
that’s still too short a time to make the boat commercially practical.
It’s also too big and slow. But for when you need an emissions-free
ride, it has its uses.
When at sea, the Turanor’s solar panels extend over the side of the ship and cover roughly 5,500 square feet.Reuters/Benoit Tessier
The solar panels, unlike most others, can support the weight of a human, or up to roughly 180 pounds per square meter.Reuters/Gerardo Garcia
Immo Stroher, an entrepreneur in the field of renewable energies, owns the Turanor.Reuters/Gerardo Garcia
The
name, Turanor, means “power of the sun,” and derives from Elvish, a
language created by J.R.R. Tolkien for his trilogy The Lord of the
Rings.Reuters/Christian Charisius
Despite the boat’s enormous size, there’s only space onboard for nine crew members, who sleep in the ship’s six rooms.Reuters/Christian Charisius
It’s a rare occasion, and a grand entrance when the Turanor pulls into port.
It may be big and slow, but the Turanor is also a bold demonstration of how ships might function down the road.Reuters/Eric Gaillard
There's a lot of puff built into the world's tallest buildings. AP Photo/Shiva Menon/Solent News/Rex Features
Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat
It
turns out that most of the world’s tallest buildings are doing the
architectural equivalent of wearing platform shoes. That is, they’re
scraping skies courtesy of dozens—sometimes hundreds—of meters of
“vanity height,” says a new report (pdf) by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH), first spotted by io9.
That’s the term CTBUH uses to describe the distance between the highest
floor occupied and the top of the building. Here are some of the
report’s most startling facts:
61% of the world’s supertall buildings need vanity height to qualify
It
turns out that 61% of the world’s “supertall” buildings—those over 300
meters (984 feet)—wouldn’t be so super if not for their vanity height.
China’s 390-meter CITIC Plaza, in Guangzhou, is the tallest building to
be knocked off the list if vanity height is discounted. (It would shrink
to 296 meters.)
Who’s the vainest of them all?
With
a vanity height of 39% of its total, the Burj al Arab in Dubai is the
vainest of the supertall buildings. On the other hand, Dubai also has
the least vain supertall building; a mere 1% of the tower known as The
Index counts as vanity height (it lacks a spire).
If you broaden the search to buildings that are simply tall, Moscow’s Ukraina Hotel is the vainest of them all; 42% of its 206 meters comes from vanity space.
Vain sisters: the New York Times Tower on the left, Bank of America Tower on the right.Reuters/Gary Hershorn
New York City is really vain
When
One World Trade Center is completed in 2014, New York City will have
three of the “tallest 10 Vanity Heights,” says CTBUH. Bank of America
Tower has 36% vanity height, while the New York Times Tower has 31%.
Just shy of 30% of One World Trade Center is slated to be unoccupied.
So is the UAE
The
United Arab Emirates’ 19 supertall buildings have, on average, vanity
heights of 19%, followed by China’s average of 14% for its 24 buildings.
And while only 42% of China’s 24 supertalls wouldn’t qualify as
supertall without their vanity heights, 68% of UAE’s 19 wouldn’t.
Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat
But even without its vanity height, the Burj Khalifa still wins
As
CTBUH points out, if the vanity height portion of the Dubai’s Burj
Khalifa, the tallest building in the world, were a standalone building
in Europe, at 244 meters it would be the continent’s 11th-tallest
building. But even if you’re counting height based solely on the highest
occupied floor, the Burj Khalifa would still win:
Big Brother is scrutinizing every fleeting word. Reuters/Carlos Barria
Details
of a new law issued by China’s supreme court are bound to make loose
talkers on Sina Weibo and other social media platforms think twice
before speaking freely. The law says that any libelous posts or messages
will be considered “severe” breaches of the law
if they are visited or clicked on more than 5,000 times or forwarded
(or “retweeted,” in Western parlance) more than 500 times. Those found
guilty could face up to three years in jail, reports Reuters, citing Chinese state media.
As
if that weren’t alarming enough, the threshold for being charged with
this crime includes offenses as vague and subjective as “damaging the
national image” and “causing adverse international effects.”
The law is the latest attempt to crack down on “black PR firms,” companies that make money from removing unflattering information from
the internet. Among other things, black PR firms often target
companies, spreading gossip or misinformation about them, and then
approaching them for payment in exchange for removing the smear
campaign. It’s a big business; as TechinAsia pointed out recently, the
Sina Weibo accounts controlled by a huge black PR firm that was just
busted had a total audience of 220 million followers.
As
Caixin reports, since the campaign against “rumor-mongering” and
“spreading false information” picked up in June, Shanghai police have
opened more than 380 cases, while Henan police have investigated a
whopping 463 cases, making 131 arrests. And it’s not just Sina Weibo; TechinAsia reports that police are also watching Tencent’s WeChat, which is organized mainly around private circles of friends.
But for every big black PR firm bust, authorities also seem to be ensnaring a lot of innocent users of social media.
For example, in late August, a women in Anhui province posted on Sina Weibo that 16 people died in a car accident that had just taken place, when the death toll was only 10. Local police placed her under “administrative detention”
for five days as punishment for “spreading rumors.” In another case, a
20-year-old Anhui woman was imprisoned for posting the comment “I heard
there was a murder in Louzhuang—is there anyone who knows what actually
happened?” on a Baidu discussion board. The post, which was clicked on
1,000 times, counted as “disrupting social order” (link in Chinese).
In late August, a Weibo user stoked online discussion with a post saying that the “five heroes of Langya Mountain”—martyrs in the war against the Japanese who are a source of Communist Party pride—had
actually been army deserters who oppressed the local villagers of
Langya, and that the latter eventually gave them up to the Japanese.
This, determined the local police, “created unhealthy social effects”
(link in Chinese). Authorities arrested and held the Weibo user under
administrative detention for seven days. Something similar happened with
four people who “defamed” the Party mascot, Lei Feng.
The
new clarifications have big implications for harmless online
chatter. If the posts of an amateur historian or inquisitive citizen
garner enough attention, the author could face three years in prison.
New Delhi, Sep 10 : Around 5000 students from different parts of the state gathered at the National Students Union of India (NSUI) ground in Central Secretariat to celebrate the Fresher's Meet held under the theme of "peace and unity".
The event was organized by NSUI and students from the Northeast here on August 31 with the aim of bringing people together, across barriers of race and language.
During the event, the culture of the region, especially its dances, were on display. It included the Adi tribe cultural dance from Arunachal Pradesh, harvest dance from Nagaland and Sattriya dance from Assam.
One of the highlights of the event was the bamboo dance performed by young Mizo boys and girls in colorful traditional attires.
National President of NSUI Rohit Chaudhary said that such programs promote cultural diversity and a sense of belonging-ness towards India.
"Wherever the program is organize like this, people from different parts come together so that they can better understand each other and they can better know the culture and open their mind so that they will feel that we are part of India," he said.
During the event, a blues rock band from Meghalaya "Soulmates", and famous Assamese singer Papon enthralled the audience with their performance. Soulmates is one of the most famous bands in Asia. The band's vocalist Tipriti Kharbangar and guitarist Rudy Wallang performed original songs to a charged up crowd.
"I am so glad to perform here in the capital. On this occasion all the seven sisters from Northeast have come together here with the rest of other people so I am very happy," Soulmates vocalist Tipriti Kharbangar said.
Angaraag Mahanta, an Assamese singer, popularly known as Papon also enthralled the audience. The audience had a great time listening to his hit songs like "Kyon" from the movie Barfi, and the recent 'Sun le re' from Madras Cafe.
"There is lots of talented in Northeast. If we work with big heart, focus on our work so I think all of them are really beautiful. There is so much good, positive and energetic in upcoming youngster and I am really hopeful that I think they are superstar," Assamese singer Papon said.
Such initiatives not only promote unity but also help people understand the culture and traditions of the Northeast better.
Phynjoplang and Rida Khrim are best of friends. Brought up in an orphanage in Meghalaya, they share each other's dreams and vision. Born with speech and hearing impairment, Phynjoplang, 14, is very happy that Khrim, his interpreter and "best pal", is accompanying him to the UN to talk about inclusive education for both disabled and abled children.
When Phynjoplang stands in front of hundreds of world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly on Sep 24, Khrim, a 20-year-old tribal woman who also suffers from mild physical disability, will convey his ideas of making the world a better place to live in.
"There should not be any discrimination. I will demand inclusive education for all at the UN," Phynjoplang conveyed through Khrim in sign language to IANS.
The two friends will join nine other children for an exciting journey to New York where they will put forward their demands on behalf of India's millions of children for proper healthcare, safe drinking water, well-equipped schools and protection from abuse and neglect.
The 11 children will begin their 10-day journey to New York on Sep 17. Spearheaded by a child advocacy group 'Nine is Mine', these children are hopeful that their demands will be included in the agenda of the Millenium Development Goals of 2015.
"I am nervous and excited too. For the first time I will stand before the leaders of the world and demand a better future for children. It is a tremendous feeling," Phynjoplang added, as Khrim nodded in response.
"I demand better education for the diabled children. Why shouldn't they study with abled children? Why this discrimination?" Khrim asked.
Another participant, Poonam Kumari, 13, will raise her voice for ending child marriage based on her own struggles and experience.
"I ran away from my home two years back because my parents were planning to get me married. If I hadn't run away I would be living a miserable life just like my two sisters," Poonam Kumari, who is from Bihar said
Though only two children of the group can understand English, they are determined to make their voices heard from an international platform. For most of them this is the first visit abroad and that too to the UN.
Harita Kumari from Tamil Nadu can only speak in her native language, while Nayan Sarki from Kalimpong, a hill station in West Bengal, can only talk in Nepali. But both know what they have to say in front of the world audience.
While Harita wants equal rights for the girl child, Nayan is keen that India eradicates hunger.
Anees from Shillong in Meghalaya wants India to end child labour, especially for those working in the mines in Jaintia hills in the northeast.
"You should go and see the condition in which these kids live in the mines. Most of them are trafficked and forced into this kind of job which is very dangerous," Anees, 15, told IANS.
Similarly, for Surbhi and Risabh from Delhi, their demands are for equality and an adequate platform for the many deprived children.
For 14-year-old Swarna Laxmi, who is blind, it will be her second chance to speak at the UN this year.
"In March, I talked about violence against women and children. This time my voice is for equal opportunity for the children with disability," she said with pride reflecting in her voice.
As all of them are minors, Rekha Kumari, 20, has taken the responsibility to act as the convenor and look after the group members too.
Though she has an artificial leg and walks with the help of crutches, Rekha said she has nothing to complain about in life.
"My demand is simple. I want good healthcare for the underprivileged section of society. What I have gone through, others should not face the same," she said.
Rekha said she lost her leg after a doctor in a Delhi hospital injected her with wrong medicines when she was just two years old.
"My leg had to be amputated. I use an artificial leg, but need the support of crutches to move around," she said.
"We just want the world leaders to know how the underprivileged children live. We demand a better life, a life that gives us equal opportunity and privileges," she said.
(Shradha Chettri can be contacted at shradha.c@ians.in)
Rising temperatures and decreasing rainfall now hamper one of the largest tea-growing regions in the world.
By Bijoyeta Das
Assam's average temperature now reaches up to 50 degrees Celsius in non-shaded areas [Reuters]
Guwahati, India - He sniffs, slurps his tea, swirls and spits a jet of orangish liquid into the tumbler.
"Malty, hard," says Parag Hatibaruah, a professional tea-taster. "But
not as strong, brisk and creamy as it was once," he adds, shaking his
head dismissively. Rows of teacups and packs of dried leaves are lined
up neatly in the well-lit tasting room.
Assam tea used to be more pungent and full-bodied and looked like
tomato soup, he says, but the unwelcome transformation started 10 years
ago. "Even the sheen of tealeaves is lost."
Along with waning taste, the industry is grappling with diminishing
production and reduced prices. High hills and abundant rainfall made
Assam state in India's northeast the largest tea-producing region in the
world. Now experts say the "ideal climate" has changed - soaring
temperatures and fickle rain are choking the once-flourishing plantation
industry.
India produces one-third of world's tea and about 850 gardens in Assam produce 51
percent of it. Assam tea is famous for its orthodox and CTC (crush,
tear, curl) variety of black teas, which are sold as breakfast teas.
"You can't make good tea out of bad leaves, but you can produce bad tea out of good leaves," Hatibaruah says.
Evidence of change
As global temperatures inch upward, all tea-producing belts are being affected, says RM Bhagat, deputy director of the Tea Research Association, based in Tocklai. "But the degree of impact varies regionally, depending on distance from equator and other local conditions."
The Tocklai tea experimental station has been recording daily weather
and tea production data for more than 100 years. "We have found that
the minimum temperature has risen by 1.5 degree centigrade, and the
annual rainfall has reduced by 200 millimetres," he says.
The region is battered with erratic rainfall and frequent bouts of
floods and droughts. Winter rainfall has become scarce, and distribution
is fluctuating. Bhagat says tea trees in Assam previously would be high
yielding until 40-45 years of age, but now decline at 30-35.
"Only time will say whether the tea trees will adapt or not, but the
industry has to gear up," he says. He recommends increasing shaded
areas, alternative water systems, and using organic manure. The
association is also testing clones that are resistant to climate change,
he adds.
Weather plays spoilsport
"Assam always had sub-tropical climate, but now it has become fully
tropical - affecting production," explains Prafulla Bordoloi, a tea
scientist
In Assam, the usual ambient temperature used to be below 35 degrees
Celsius. But now the range has shot up to 38 to 40 degrees C in shaded
areas, and upwards of 50 degrees C in non-shaded spots.
Photosynthesis
slows at 35 degrees C, and beyond 39 degrees C food production stops.
After 48 degrees C, tealeaves stop breathing and are destroyed, he says.
"Often one-third of the gardens have no shade."
Prolong dry spells disturbs the flushing pattern. Along with stunted
growth, increased dampness has led to an upsurge in pests. "Minor pests
have become major pests. There is a spike in bugs such as the tea
mosquito," Bordoloi says.
Regulation of pesticide use and environmental concerns complicate the problem. "Planters are faced with hard choices," he adds.
Production fluctuates
In 2010, Assam produced 480 million kilograms of tealeaves and 588
million kg in 2012. But this increase was attributed to an expansion in
the area of production.
"Tea production from organised or corporate sector is stagnant, but
that of small growers and bought leaf sector is increasing rapidly,"
says S Patra, joint secretary of Indian Tea Association, based in Kolkata. He says Assam tea faces "stiff competition" from Sri Lanka and Kenya.
Small tea growers contribute about 30 percent of total tea production in Assam, says Aswwini Baruah, president of Assam Small Tea Growers Association.
"Small tea growers don't have the resources to deal with climate
change, but our tea trees are young, so our production is increasing,
and we have not suffered loss," he says.
Apart from the change in climate, there are other factors affecting
quality and plummeting prices, says Surajit Phukan, director of Eastern
Tea Brokers Association. An increase in migration of labourers to
high-paying sectors has resulted in a shortage of tealeave pluckers.
Random and excessive use of pesticides and fertilisers has dented
Assam's tea reputation on the international market.
Further, more factories are opting to process purchased leaves so the overall quantity of good Assam tea declines.
"It's a catch-22 situation for the planter - you need purchased
leaves to reduce costs, and you need to make better teas to earn good
prices," Phukan says.
During the 1980s, the Assam tea industry shifted its focus from
quality to quantity to cater to the growing global demand for tea, he
says. "Many high yielding clones were used, but flavour was lost."
Phukan says it is a challenging time for the tea industry.
This story has been written under the aegis of the CSE Media Fellowships
Acquiring a Russian bride on the internet is harder than you
think – and the men trying to do it a good deal more sincere. Jeremy
Wilson reports.
By Jeremy Wilson
If you are a big fan of the Porsche 911 and dream of one
day buying one, there are plenty of places online that allow you to
mingle with fellow dreamers and lucky owners. You can discuss models,
prices, editions and become part of the 911 community – a far more
rewarding experience than the old fashion practice of gazing at a
catalogue.
But car enthusiasts aren’t the only people with forums on the
internet. If you’re partial to women from Eastern Europe and dream of
one day marrying one, possibly for a modest fee, there’s a thriving
online community waiting for you, too.
One of these sites is the Russian Ukrainian Adventures discussion
forum, which claims to be the busiest information and discussion forum
on the internet about Russian women. It’s the starting place for many
hymeneal adventures. The site was started by Stuart Smith, an English
man married to a Russian woman.
He describes his reasoning for acquiring a Russian bride
succinctly. “I was fed up with my local overweight feminists… Slim,
white, educated, non-feminist women were to be found in the FSU.
“Men want women who look, smell, dress and act like a woman.
Increasingly, they must go abroad to find them. Gender roles have become
blurred in Western society. Men want women who are feminine, not
feminist.”
Men want women who look, smell, dress and act like a woman. Increasingly, they must go abroad to find them.
The perception of Former Soviet Union Women being both “not feminist”
and “open to foreign relationships” are the core reasons many members
give for their bridal search, but not the only ones. Donhollio from
Canada described the reason for his search like this: ”Because all the
local hotties I had I let them slip by me.
“And now they aren’t so hot, or they got married…. I can go to the FSU and maintain my level of girl that I once had here.”
It’s an opinion shared by another site member called
1msmoby. ”Realised I could still find an attractive, intelligent, well
educated ( and sexy !) woman in her late thirties / early forties –
whose kids were nearly grown up …a lady who was ready to marry, again.”
Others, like user tolstoy55, simply have a type. ”I continue to find
the the Russian-type woman – native or an immigrant – to be quite
adorable.”
And some men, like Locally57, are convinced looking East is the best
way of finding true love. “I have gone through a bad divorce… What I am
seeking is a souls mate [sic]. It appears by all I have read and those
that I have met, that Ukrainian ladies are true romantics, so am I.”
Definitely not mail order
Users of the forum are keen to point at that they are not
participating in the “mail order bride” business, a label with which the
media use “unfairly”. In a discussion on the subject, a user called
fireeater from Canada suggested a rebrand.
“To me this term [mail order bride] is antiquated, International
Dating is more appropriate today. You have local internet dating today
in so many forms, international dating is just as extension of that.”
Paul, a member from the US, was also keen to banish the term. “Why do
so many agencies need to use the term/phrase? I know, I know,… because a
bunch of desperate guys like sitting at home and typing ‘mail order
brides’ into search engines, who wants to be associated with them?”
It is almost certainly for this reason that site is called “Russian
Ukrainian Adventures” instead of a variation on the insulting term “mail
order brides”.
Scams
Scams and the apparent Russian bride scam industry are a frequent
topic of conversation on the site, with members such as commongander
from the USA soliciting opinions on the validity of relationships they
are pursuing.
“I joined Dream Marriage a year ago, and have been talking to one
girl for almost that entire time… Anna is 23, finishes her Master’s
Degree in Psychology in November and also owns a salon/spa. I am 43, an
industrial electrician and divorced…
“I have given her flowers and a webcam via Dream Marriage, but she
has never asked me for money or a gift. I do not think that she is in
any way dishonest or trying to scam me.”
This immediately rang alarm bells for seasoned pro Stuart, the site
owner. “Her age, coupled with a twenty year age gap, and a very long
communication period that involves no direct contact would tell most
here that this is going nowhere fast.”
Another member, Mikeav8r from the US also gave a warning. “Move off
the site and go to a free site or pay for membership only site.
“Avoid the PPL and PPM (Pay per letter and Pay per minute) sites as
they are jam-packed with fraud. Start over now before it is too
emotionally and financially draining and it places a bitter taste in
your mouth so you can give this FSU adventure a fair shot.”
The fear of being taken advantage of is constant, and users such as
shakespear frequently implore wet behind the ears members to exercise
caution when pursuing the best “bang for buck”.
Clearly the Ukraine possesses the highest “bang for your buck” in finding an economically disadvantaged “blonde” lady
“Ukraine. While Iceland may have suffered the worst financial
collapse of the global recession, Ukraine has also received a dubious
honor: It had the priciest sovereign credit-default swaps for the first
quarter of the year…
“Is it any wonder why western men are flocking to Ukraine? Clearly it
possesses the highest “bang for your buck” in finding an economically
disadvantaged “blonde” lady willing to trade her youth and beauty in
exchange for the potential of a better life in the west.
“But is she REALLY doing it because she loves you? Or are you setting yourself up to be yet another Day 731 failure statistic?”
Sex
Another frequent topic of conversation on the site is sex. As one
popular thread puts it: “Intimacy at a first visit, yes or no?” The
thread was started by Randy who had a delicate question.
“I met a Ukrainian lady and we have hit it off exceptionally well
with emails for 4 months. I will be visiting her in another month and
staying with her. I am 60 she is 48. I have read many times that sex
discussions are taboo to these women so I have not mentioned it.
My question is when I get there what should I do? I do not want to
offend her by not showing interest if she is expecting me to and I don’t
want to offend her by showing interest to early in our relationship.”
Members are always keen to help and Randy was given fifty five pages
of advice. The best of which probably came from a user called
mendeleyev, who suggested Randy and his love interest take a personality
test and compare notes.
“Here is a new idea – both of you go to POF.com and take the
extensive free POF chemistry “personality” tests
http://www.plentyoffish.com/poftest.aspx and relationship needs tests –
there is an extensive section about physical needs and desires and once
you both take the full tests – you could compare notes as a reasonably
discreet ice breaker and might discover some things about each other
that you may wish to ‘explore’ further”
Age differences
Unsurprisingly, the topic of age difference is frequently brought up
in the forums and lively debate is had on the thorny issue of
appropriate age gaps. Men who have been successful in acquiring a
younger bride such as DonA often seek to reassure those worried about
large age differences.
“A couple of years ago Yulia [twenty-five years DonA’s junior] and I
were having a discussion about her Mom and how her Mom needed to change
the way she was doing some things. Yulia said to me that I needed to
understand that her Mom is a lot older then me and it would be difficult
for her to change things at her age.
“I told her ;Yulia your mother is only 7 years older then me :o Yulia, while bug eyed said…oh yeah I forgot about that
Women in my age group do not do a dang thing for me. Why go with someone who you aren’t attracted too?”
Jinx, another user, is more cautious and offers some sage advice based on his experience.
“Nataly and I have a 17 year age difference, she is 23 and I am 39.
The only problem I have with this kind of gap is that she is of course
at a different time in her life right now, figuring out what she wants
to do with her life, going to University, looking for a good job…all the
kind of stuff you do in your early 20′s…
“it’s also a very emotional time in your life, if you guys can
remember back that far :P Remember when everything was such a big deal?
When it seemed like the world would end because you didn’t get the job
you wanted, or your car broke down?
“Dating a younger woman takes LOTS of patience and understanding, and
part of the reason these women date us old guys is because we have been
through it all, and can help with our infinite wisdom! ;D Russian women
do like their men to be “like wall” and to be their rock during these
emotional times, this is where our experience and wisdom comes in, and
why these type of relationships work so well.”
Money
Finding a Russian bride isn’t cheap and many users join the site in
order to learn more about the financial outlay involved. As member
JimSavage put it bluntly: “How Much Can You Expect To Spend Pursuing
This Endeavor”
He was not short-changed by the amount of advice given. shakespear, a
veteran of over 20 trips to Russia, was the first to warn of
under-calculating. “Many people underestimate the cost of getting
started in this process or seem reluctant to commit even small amounts
of money in order to build their own personal learning curve.”
Like many others, Larry urged JimSavage to rationalise the outlay
involved by considering how much money is required to obtain a Western
wife. “It’s true that this search is not inexpensive. But then neither
is dating in my country. My annualized dating expenses when I dated here
totalled more half of my annualized FSU search expenses.
“I’m pushing $20,000 in my two-year search and I’m still not
finished. Well, I’m fairly sure I’ve finished searching but she is not
here in the US yet, so I will incur more expenses for my next visits to
her and later her one-way trip here.”
AvHdB from the Netherlands recommended not viewing the outlay in
monetary terms. “The expense can be seen in all sorts of ways. But one
way is what is a pearl of great value worth?”
Stirring words, but perhaps not enough to soften the news of how much
the process could end up costing: Turboguy from the USA made clear the
damage done to his bank balance. “I was probably on the high end of
expenses and trips and did about 25 trips stretching over around 15
years. I figure somewhere between $125,000 and $150,000.”
Communication
Communicating with women, let alone foreign women, can be tricky and
members often ask for advice on how to broach topics with
tact. rhayes026 was seeking guidance on a particularly delicate
matter: “Hello again everyone. A woman has contacted me and seems
genuinely interested. I like her profile a lot. But she is overweight by
10-15 kg.
“I would like to know how to politely ask her if she will go to the
gym with me to lose weight (I could lose 10kg myself)… Would it insult
her if I mention this?”
Wild Orchid, an Eastern European woman who has happily married to an
Australian was quick to warn rhayes026 of the dangers. “I would be very
insulted especially if it was coming from a man with extra weight. I
would be more acceptable to the request from some one very slim.”
Stirlitz, a Ukraine based guide/marriage-agent also weighed in with
advice borne of experience. “Why not find another woman. There are
plenty of thin ones.”
Deep and meaningful
Surprisingly, topics on the site can be deeply philosophical, such as
the thread “Tiger Woods And What Lessons He Can Teach To All Men
Seeking A Bride In The FSU”. Here’s an extended quote.
“Some years ago, I had a wise friend who told me, “No matter how
beautiful the woman, I’ll show you a man who is tired of having sex with
her.”
“Such appears to be the case with world-class golfer Tiger Woods.
He’s married to one of the former top fashion models in the world, Elin
Nordegren, yet he was compelled for some reason to have an affair with
with cocktail waitress Jaimee Grubbs and possibly with sleazy night club
promoter Rachel Uchitel.
“What can the western man seeking a bride in the FSU learn from this tragedy? Plenty!
“When courting in the FSU, MOST MEN will have the opportunity to
socialize, date and have sex with quite probably, the most physically
beautiful women they’ve ever been exposed to in their lifetimes. During
the courtship process, it’s easy to get carried away with the short-term
gratification you get by having sex with the most physically attractive
woman you’ve been with in your entire life.
“However you need to remember that this is not the foundation you
want to build a relationship upon. Successful marriages are built upon
the solid foundation of emotional commitment, common goals and mutual
trust and support. Beauty fades as the years roll by, but the traits
listed above become stronger with the passage of time.”
Hidden treasure
For men new to the game, the forums offer many strategies for
maximising the chance of a successful outcome that they might never have
thought of. For instance, shakespear is big proponent of targeting
single mothers.
In the FSU any unmarried lady over 33-35 is in serious trouble finding a husband.
“In my opinion, men who are REALLY serious would do well to look in
Russia, specifically women in the 25-35 age group with one child. These
women are very unlikely to remarry in their own country and they are
seeking a nice man to provide them emotional support, love,
companionship and a solid father-figure for their child. Did I forget to
mention the majority are very attractive as well?”
Another user, mendeleyev from Russia confirms the theory. “Call me
crazy but this is the safest strategy for a man over age 39. My Dad
always said that the way to a woman’s heart is to love her children.
“In the FSU any unmarried lady over 33-35 is in serious trouble
finding a husband. Society discounts her prospects and local men
understand this fact. As there are many beautiful single ladies over
their mid 30s the chances for success for a typical Western male is
really quite good.”
And as TomT points out a child is a useful bulwark against getting
ripped off. “It is the epitome of foolishness to avoid women who have
the best possible reason for wanting a stable relationship: a child.”
Love wins the day
The world of “international dating” is a complex one and often
attracts negative commentary. The industry has even been accused of
being “a softer version of human trafficking”. But perhaps it’s unfair
to judge the male and female parties taking consensual part in it.
The men might be looking for younger, better-looking women with
“traditional values”. The women might be influenced by factors other
than the men’s exotic western charms. Nevertheless, most of the men on
the forum seem sincere in wanting to find love. If by studying their
options, and spending time and money, they can find a bride and make her
happy, one has to ask: why judge?
New Delhi, Sep 9 : The church looks the other way as a fledgling wine industry finds tipplers and profits in Mizoram
Drunk on wine at 2 pm, young men staggered and stumbled down a winding road that led up to a field where many more strutted about with dark brown bottles. Three men sat on their haunches in a semi-circle on the meadow, gulping quickly from paper cups labeled "Mizoram Grape Festival 2013", each sold at the nearby stall for Rs 5. You could also buy a 650 ml bottle of Zo Wine for Rs 120, or pay Rs 10 more for a 750 ml bottle of Zawlaidi, which translates into "Love Potion"; both are variants of red wine.
Zote village and the hills surrounding Champhai town in Mizoram had not seen such a happening event in a while. In a state where the consumption and sale of alcohol is outlawed, the last "grape festival" had taken place eight years ago. Scores of policemen watched as the crowds hooted and cheered a fashion show on stage; those in exceptionally high spirits ran around with arms flailing; and at the parking area, a group of men played music and danced, confident that no one would be rounded up after a breathalyser test. They were celebrating the one festival that allowed them to drink in a dry state.
Drinking was not always prohibited in Mizo society. Till the advent of Christianity, animistic rituals, social and religious ceremonies and military triumphs were solemnised and celebrated with local rice beer. "Zu, Lushai beer … (alcohol prepared from rice, and sometimes fruits) was never a daily item of diet for the ordinary home, it rather having the mark of a real festa. The chiefs and more well-to-do people would drink it daily, usually to excess, but amid a very natural conviviality," wrote Major AG McCall, the former superintendent of Lushai Hills (as Mizoram was then called), in 1949.
It was only in the mid-1990s that liquor was banned after sustained lobbying by the church and voluntary organisations. It was partly influenced by Christian missionaries' teachings that alcoholism is a "sin" and the violence sparked by drinking sessions at home and outside. Its success was preceded by years of patrolling by community-level volunteers determined to maintain order in neighbourhoods — even now, volunteers keep vigil through long winter nights and reprimand drunkards on the streets, sometimes with violence. Recently, bootleggers, drug-dealers and foreigners (Myanmarese) were forcefully evicted from neighbourhoods and villages. In the first half of this year alone, 53,658 bottles and cans of Indian Made Foreign Liquor, beer and imported alcohol, and 20,295.52 litres of country liquor were seized by the state's excise and narcotics department, with 1,175 cases registered under the Mizoram Liquor Total Prohibition act of 1995. Hospitals in the state are flooded with liver patients addicted to spurious alcohol.
Forbidden alcohol might be, unavailable it is not. Last month, Mizoram governor Vakkom Purushothaman told journalists at a tea hosted at his residence that "Mizoram was the wettest dry state". Rare trips to neighbouring Assam and even across the border to Myanmar are highly coveted for most, and at airports in Guwahati and Kolkata, you can hear Mizo students and travelers ask each other with a knowing smirk, "Engzah nge I hawn? (How many are you taking home?)"
In Rangvamual and Phunchawng, two villages near Aizawl known across the state as liquor dens, young men almost daily parked their motorcycles and cars next to thatched huts and wooden homes to drink country liquor or something costlier, creating traffic jams on a national highway running between the state's lone airport and its capital city. But earlier this year, the central committee of the Young Mizo Association, which has been awarded for its work in controlling drug supply, "cleaned up" the area and forcefully evicted over 160 families it believed were involved in bootlegging and drug trafficking, most of them illegal migrants from Myanmar.
Ironically, it was while the state government was mulling the 1995 prohibition law that the seeds of a future indigenous liquor industry were being planted by a farmer bogged by crop failures. "We had no luck with the vegetables we planted on our land or with our animals, so in 1994 I went to Champhai and got some grape seeds. In 1996, we harvested two quintals, and two years later seven quintals of the fruit. We tried selling grapes at the market in Aizawl but there wasn't much demand, so we began making wine. It became a hit, everyone started doing it," said farmer R Thanzama, now 79.
The pioneering vineyard owner's village, Hnahlan, became a home-grown brewery with most of the 600-odd families planting grape seeds on their farms, and brewing their wines in Sintex barrels. In acknowledgement of the popularity, the horticulture department organised the first grape festival in 2005. It was attended by hundreds, who spent the nights at local homes or slept on the meadows. Armed forces personnel stationed nearby sneaked off their base and drank wine hiding in villagers' living rooms.
A decade later, two grape growers' societies were formed and wineries established at both Hnahlan and Champhai using loans extended via the Mizoram Rural Bank. The Hnahlan brewery began formal production of Zawlaidi wine in 2009, with Champhai's winery following suit the next year.
The then-ruling Mizo National Front, whose chief Zoramthanga represented Champhai, evidently caught a whiff of the brew and, in 2008, passed new rules to allow the manufacture and sale of wine from grapes, in what is now known as "the silent amendment". The name was because of the powerful church's decision to not protest against it, although it did later successfully demand that the alcohol content be restricted to 11 per cent from the earlier 14 per cent. The wine industry is now worth approximately Rs 420 lakh, and a source of livelihood for many. For a state whose debt is 13 times its resources, this is not an insignificant figure.
Wine is not Mizoram's most popular form of the contraband; it is not found at social gatherings apart from the occasional government-organized festival, where it is actively promoted. But it is consumed religiously by young men and women out for a night's revels. This year, when production is less than normal, a bottle can fetch up to Rs 180 in the market at Aizawl.
But the public mood is largely against alcoholism, and the church keeps a close watch on the wine industry, strictly making sure indigenous wine is the only alcohol sold. Little wonder, then, that grape growers employ strange arguments to defend their livelihood. Local church elder and "adviser" to Hnahlan Wine Grower's Society, V Lalthlamuana, sat holding a cup of local wine one evening this weekend and declared, "Grapes and wine are mentioned throughout the Old and New Testaments, they are inherent parts of the scriptures," before proceeding to gulp down his cup's contents.
