Family's acrobatic boat show

Editor's note: MainSail is CNN's monthly sailing show, exploring the sport of sailing, luxury travel and the latest in design and technology.

(CNN) -- From the top of a 14-meter mast, Delphine Lechifflart expertly rolls down a length of white ribbon, her taut body pirouetting mid-air, before easing into the arms of her lover.

The two French acrobats continue to twirl and swoop, their flying silhouettes growing darker as the sun lowers in the sky behind them.

It's a sumptuous image that hushes the crowd who stand gathered, not under a circus big top, but on the banks of a jetty.

This, of course is no ordinary acrobatic show, but one performed entirely on a lurching 12-meter yacht in harbors across the world.

"They use the whole boat like it's one big gymnastics apparatus," said Dwight Jones, manager at Seattle's Elliott Bay Marina, which recently hosted the enchanting La Loupiote show.

"You couldn't ask for a more dramatic stage -- people can watch from the shore or take their own dinghy and see it from the water."

Read: Graffiti artists turned abandoned luxury liner into giant, psychedelic canvas

A family affair

For acrobat couple Lechifflart, 42, and Franck Rabilier, 44, their distinctive yellow yacht is not simply a stage -- it's also the floating home they share with two daughters; Loeva, 13, and Ondja, five.

"The eldest has done some shows with us, playing a puppet, but the youngest is still too small," said Rabilier.

"We're home-schooling them and at the beginning of each year they go back to France to do their exams."

Read: Hollywood ships and silver submarines -- The World's top five boatels

Since setting sail from Brittany in north west France in 2004, the free-spirited family has traveled from port to port across the globe, performing their remarkable show and surviving on donations alone.

"They just pass a hat around at the end," Jones explained. "People can't believe they're seeing this fantastic performance for free -- it really generates a sense of generosity."

Show time

From rolling down the top of the mast, to balancing on the boom, and tiptoeing along the railing, the agile acrobats leap across every inch of the boat in two very different 20-minute routines.

The first is a slapstick Laurel and Hardy-style comedy, featuring two bumbling sailors racing around the yacht to a lolloping piano soundtrack.

As the sun sets, the couple perform their second, more romantic show, in which two lovers tenderly cavort mid-air to rousing classical music.

Read: Love boats and sexy submarines -- 7 riverside retreats

"In the romantic show, there's an orange-pinkish light behind them while they're doing this beautiful ballet in the rigging," Jones said.

"They perform the whole thing without a safety net. It's like nothing you've ever seen before -- people were coming back day-after-day to see them."

Setting sail

The daring duo began taking circus lessons while university students in Paris, and in 1999 set up their own acrobatic company called La Loupiote -- meaning "small light" in old French.

They performed in theaters and on the streets, but had dreams of taking the show on the road -- or more accurately, the high seas.

"We both sailed with our parents when we were young," Lechifflart explained. "That was our dream -- to travel the world by boat."

Read: Dangling on the edge -- Life of daredevil photographer

In 2000 they bought a half-built yacht and spent the next four years getting it into seaworthy shape.

Once on the water, the pair spent a year experimenting and refining their unique aquatic-based act.

"The first time we tried it, I had a lot of bruises," Lechifflart said. "It's so much more complicated than working on land."

"You have to work with the weather, the wind, the waves -- the boat is constantly moving."

Circusnavigation

The family's nomadic lifestyle has taken them across Europe, America, and now New Zealand, where they'll be performing over the next month.

And after that, who knows? The carefree couple tend to sail the high-seas in whichever direction they wish, surviving on around $800 a month.

"They're not living high on the hog, as they say, but they're loving what they're doing," Jones said.

"Their perspective on life is different from people working nine to five -- they don't know where they're going the next day and you've got to respect that."

And so, like the circus wagons of old, the family of acrobats will point their "small light" towards the horizon in search of the next high-flying adventure.

Via: Family's acrobatic boat show

Oceans: Environmental victim or savior?

Editor's note: Explorer, social entrepreneur and environmental advocate, Philippe Cousteau is a special correspondent for CNN International. He is also the co-founder and president of the leading environmental education nonprofit EarthEcho International.

(CNN) -- My grandfather Jacques Cousteau and my father Philippe dedicated their lives to revealing the ocean's wonders and helping us understand our connection to this vast expanse of water. Their work inspired generations and filled people with awe.

Times have changed and so have circumstances and perceptions about the ocean. In recent years, the focus has been on the very serious challenges the ocean faces and the impact these challenges are already having on our daily lives.

The effects of climate change, pollution and overfishing should be making headlines because the ocean and all of us -- and I literally mean all humankind -- who depend on its resources are facing the very real prospect of the catastrophic collapse of ocean ecosystems if we continue on our current course.

Watch: Going Green: Oceans on Friday March 29 at 15:30 GMT

Despite the challenges our ocean faces, I believe it's time to recapture the sense of wonder and inspiration my grandfather and father felt when they gazed on its surface. In fact, the ocean can and should be a source of hope and solutions for a brighter future.

Before you accuse of me of eschewing cold hard reality for a world view through rose-colored glasses, hear me out. What I'm proposing is that we step back and look at the potential a healthy ocean has to provide us with a prosperous and sustainable future.

Just take a moment to think about what the ocean does for us on a daily basis: it produces half of the world's oxygen; it provides more than one billion people with their primary source of protein; its natural eco-systems like coral reefs, mangroves and wetlands provide protection against coastal erosion and natural disasters such as tsunamis; it regulates our climate; and a healthy ocean fuels sustainable businesses and a strong economy in industries such as seafood, tourism, pharmaceuticals and shipping.

Read/Watch: 'The most imaginative person I've ever met'

That's really only the beginning. Check out Ocean Conservancy's "Why the Ocean Matters" feature if you want to be truly amazed. My point is the answers to many of our greatest environmental and social challenges literally surrounds us.

For the ocean to continue to do what's it's done for millions of years and serve the needs of a rapidly expanding human population, it needs to be healthy. Biodiversity, coral reefs, wetlands and trash-free seas aren't just terms on a page they are environmental imperatives that dictate the future of the planet.

We have the know-how and resources to conserve and restore the aquatic and marine systems that keep the ocean and us healthy. As my grandfather once said, "The technology that we use to abuse the planet is the same technology that can help us to heal it."

Read: Robots probe sea's hidden depths

Big technology like renewable energy, carbon sequestration and advances in aquaculture certainly have a major role in restoring the ocean and the planet to a healthy balance, but in many cases it's a matter of giving nature the space and time to do what it needs to do with a helping hand from all of us.

Regulations that help replenish and protect fish stocks, restoration and conservation projects to protect and nurture natural barriers like reefs and wetlands, and reforestation efforts are all things that can have a huge impact on ocean health with no rocket science necessary.

Take fisheries for example, with two billion people joining us on this planet over the next 40 years, there will be a huge need for more sources of protein. If these needed protein sources were to come primarily from livestock there is the very real potential for catastrophic pollution of water and land, not to mention the exponential increase in carbon emissions.

Read: Overfished and under-protected

But, by some estimates, simply managing fisheries better could feed up to one billion of those people and remember, seafood is 7-10 times more efficient as a source of protein than land-based meat sources ... if managed properly.

If you are thinking this all sounds like the future of the ocean is in the hands of policymakers and big industry, please think again. Every hour of every day each of us have the opportunity to make choices with impact, from what we eat and the things we buy to the examples we set for our children and friends.

The good news is technology and future-focused groups are providing us with some great tools and resources to get inspired and make smart decisions. For example: the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch pocket guide and Ocean Conservancy's Rippl app or EarthEcho's Water Planet Challenge.

We can make sure the ocean continues to provide inspiration, wonder and solutions for generations, however, it all comes down to personal and collective will. Ask yourself this question: When you look upon the ocean 10 years from now, do you want to see a sad reminder of what could have been; or do you want to be filled with awe and inspired by a sense of endless possibilities?

The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of Philippe Cousteau

Via: Oceans: Environmental victim or savior?

St. Petersburg: Best sights in the city

(CNN) -- Sometimes referred to as the Paris of the East, St. Petersburg showcases a spectacular history from czarist Russia to the present day.

Established in 1703 by Czar Peter the Great, St. Petersburg lives up to its reputation as Russia's cultural capital, with spectacular palaces, churches and museums.

Scroll through the gallery for highlights.

Tourist information: www.saint-petersburg.com

Via: St. Petersburg: Best sights in the city

Online fury after airport feline fatality

(CNN) -- Preeti Varma was inconsolable after seeing her pet cat crushed to death at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport as the creature was loaded onto a flight to Singapore.

"You see a crowd forming round her but she is given no medical aid and no one does anything," Varma says of the March 23 incident.

Her grief soon turned to rage among tens of thousands of online pet lovers worldwide.

The day after Varma's cat, James Dean, died, a friend published online an open letter to Jet Airways, the international airline that had been carrying the cat.

The letter demanded a full explanation and apology from the privately owned Indian airline and blasted its "insensitive" handling of the tragedy and pet travel procedures.

The blog post spread quickly across social media sites and within 24 hours had 20,000 hits from across the world.

Hundreds of furious animal lovers also unleashed Twitter fury at Jet Airways, forcing the airline to issue two public statements on Facebook.

Varma, 26, a brand strategist, paid Rs 4,500 (US$83) to fly her rescued Indian street cat called James Dean on her flight.

She got engaged last August and moved to Singapore six months ago to be with her fianc but left her pet with friends in New Delhi while she sorted out the paperwork and quarantine.

After check-in, Varma was asked to remove James Dean from the cage so it could be X-rayed. The cat immediately escaped Varma's grip and scuttled under the machine.

Half an hour later Varma got her cat back inside the IATA-approved cage. She added an extra wire on top, double checked it was locked and handed her to the staff.

But her biggest nightmare came while waiting at the gate to board her 8.55 a.m. flight. Jet Airways staff approached her and informed her: "The cage is empty. The cat is no more."

Shocked, she broke down in tears and refused to board the flight demanding to see her one-year-old kitty.

After having her Duty Free bottle of gin confiscated, she was escorted back to check-in where she was handed her beloved cat's corpse in its cage.

Jet Airways staff then tried to escort her out of the airport but she demanded to see the CCTV footage.

After waiting for two hours, she watched in horror as footage showed her cat jumping out of a luggage trolley onto the tarmac and being run over by a trolley coming in the opposite direction.

"She squirms a bit and then dies. Three airline staff stand around and they motion to a garbage man to pick her," Varma says, speaking from Singapore. " He picks her up with newspaper by the neck and drops her into the cage."

More than 300 people have since signed a petition calling for better training of Jet Airways staff on handling pets and better infrastructure for pet travel.

A Jet Airways spokesperson tells CNN.com: "On close inspection of the container, it was observed that the wire mesh in the front of the container was bent outwards and pushed out of the main frame.

"It is inferred that the pet forced itself out of the container by pushing the wire mesh and thereby creating a gap for it to come free."

Varma insists negligence by Jet Airways caused the death of her cat.

"I think either the cage was thrown so violently onto the trolley that it snapped open, or someone let her out. There is no way my cat could have pushed the cage open by herself," she says.

Varma now wants Jet Airways to apologize not just for the incident but the "insensitive way" she claims she was treated, being left alone shaking and crying for hours.

She also wants the airline to tell her what steps they are taking to improve pet travel safety.

"I don't want any compensation. They should make a donation to an animal organization," she adds. "They should have a vet present at the airport and an animal handler to accompany the pet to the aircraft."

The Jet Airways spokesperson says the airline has embarked on a global review of other airport and airline procedures.

The spokesperson said: "We sincerely regret the accidental demise of James Dean, pet cat of Ms. Preeti Varma. All our staff are fully conversant and trained in the process of handling household pets and necessary infrastructure is available at the airports to deal with such movements of pets.

"If the actions of any members of our team came across as insensitive we would like to assure that this was unintentional and to apologize to Ms. Varma."

International Pet Travel Consultant Anupama Vinayak, who runs pet relocation service Furry Flyers in India, which flies 40-50 pets in and out of India each month, said she had never heard of an incident like this.

But she added: "Pet travel is still in a very nascent stage in India. Airlines are trying to put their best foot forward but there still is a lot of room for improvement because India itself is not a very pet-friendly country," she said.

Via: Online fury after airport feline fatality

Apology for forbidden pyramid pics

(CNN) -- Was it the ultimate adventure or an audacious act of disrespect that should be punished by law?

An Internet sensation was touched off this week by Russian photographer Vadim Makhorov and a group of his friends -- the group ignored regulations prohibiting the public from climbing on the Pyramids at Giza, Egypt, and came away with spectacular photos.

The images from Makhorov and another photographer, Vitaliy Raskalov, were taken on top of the Pyramids from positions that avoided detection by guards. The photos have incited reactions ranging from envy and awe to indignation and concern for the preservation of the ancient wonders.

In an email to CNN, Makhorov now explains his reasons for flaunting the regulations, and issues an apology to Egypt and the world.

Vadim Makhorov's email to CNN

"I've always been drawn to Egypt. For as long as I can remember my dream was to get to the top of the Great Pyramid of Giza.

"When my friends and I arrived in Cairo the first thing we decided to do was to go and see the pyramids. We got there in the evening, just in time to witness the laser show.

"No words can express the fascination I felt when seeing my childhood dream come alive. Probably this very feeling made us climb onto the top of the Pyramid and see the the panorama of the whole complex, the desert and Cairo itself.

"It was already pitch black and nobody paid us any attention. We started climbing as fast and as soundless as we could. You have to be quite strong and agile to climb onto a meter-high block covered with dust.

"It was exhausting, but the thought that we were going to witness something spectacular pushed us forward.

"It took us around 20 minutes to get to the top. We were taken breathless by the view.

"What we saw from up there was the seventh wonder of the world. We tried to capture the beauty of the scenery in the photos, so that the others could also see this magnificent panorama.

"We, of course, were not the first who dared to climb the pyramid.

"The pyramid's peak was filled with different inscriptions in many languages, some of them being hundreds years old.

"After enjoying the view for some time we started the descent. It turned out to be harder then climbing up. We were very lucky not to get [caught]. We would have been in serious trouble if we did.

"That's why I would like to apologize for this ascension. We didn't want to insult anyone. We were just following the dream."

Via: Apology for forbidden pyramid pics

A rare look at life in North Korea

Editor's note: Olaf Schuelke is a self-taught German documentary photographer based in Singapore. These are his images and observations formed during a tour of North Korea in 2012. You can see more photos of Schuelke's North Korea trip on his website.

(CNN) -- It was an experience like no other.

As my train from Beijing slowly traversed over an old iron bridge, I looked at the murky river below. A man stood waist-deep in the water casting a net.

On one side of the river, China. On the other, the world's most isolated country -- North Korea.

Soon, the first North Korean buildings appeared along with a small, abandoned fairground hidden in the shadow of some houses.

READ: Five things to know about North's threats

The train made a sudden stop. People flooded a station platform.

We'd stopped at Shinuju Cheongnyeon Station across the bridge that links Shinuju with the Chinese border city of Dandong.

A group of North Korean border officials in neat uniforms boarded the train, collecting passports from passengers.

Three hours later, the train got moving again.

Green fields surrounded by hills (mountains make up more than 70% of North Korea) appeared on both sides of the track. An enchanting landscape unfolded.

READ: North Korea touts its human rights credentials

Valleys and flat areas were filled endless fields of rich crops. It made me think about the country's reported chronic food shortages.

Finally, 24 hours after leaving Beijing, the train arrived in Pyongyang, the North Korean capital and home to more than 3 million people.

A group of North Korean guards and minders were waiting -- all foreign visitors and tour groups must be accompanied by guards, who are referred to as "guides" or "officials."

I was given a brief introduction on how to behave, and informed of other restrictions and guidelines.

The North Koreans impose strict rules on what visitors are allowed to photograph, who they can talk to and where they can walk. For instance, it's seen as an insult to crop out hands, feet or head when taking photos of statues or pictures of government leaders or officials.

The guards also act as human shields between foreign visitors and the North Korean people. They followed me almost everywhere I went.

It was under these restrictions that I visited the country for a total of nine days in the summer of 2012.

While there, I found that capturing mundane scenes from people's daily lives on camera suddenly become extraordinary.

I'm told that candid pictures of normal people are usually restricted by the government.

I photographed all sorts of scenes: pedestrians in Pyongyang, topless men playing volleyball, a group of women who sweep the streets and commuters riding on the back of a truck.

This was often as close as I got to the locals -- any direct contact with the North Korean people is virtually impossible. As well as fear and reservation, and the intimidating scrutiny of the guides, most North Koreans cannot understand English.

Chatty guards

The guards were a different story. One of them, Mr. Kim, talked. A lot.

He told me about his years in the North Korean Army, where he became a major. For his loyalty, he said was rewarded with trips to Eastern Europe.

Once, while on a stopover in then East Berlin, he told me he'd visited the city's famed Alexanderplatz.

For some North Koreans, the most exotic vacation possible is closer to home -- the coastal town of Wonsan, about 200 kilometers to the east of the capital.

Here, North Koreans looked to be enjoying a laid back summer holiday at the beach.

Minus a few obvious differences, it could have been a scene from another part of Asia. Everyone looked relaxed and happy. People were swimming, sunbathing and playing ball games.

Small sail boats that had the North Korean flag printed on their sails were available for hire. The stretch of beach I visited was fenced in and Westerners were allowed to walk around freely within that perimeter.

This was the closest I could get to ordinary North Korean people and it was in sharp contrast to the poorer, harsher views of rural life I got during the trip east.

Back in Pyongyang, before my departure, there were signs of outside influences slowly emerging.

There was the city's first hamburger shop, which the locals refer to as McDonald's. Two Italian restaurants had also recently opened.

One of those, a pizza restaurant, was the venue for my last night in the country.

Inside, a woman with a microphone stood engulfed in cigarette smoke. She sang one Italian classic hit after another -- with almost no accent.

As in other parts of Asia, karaoke is a way of life in North Korea, usually existing hand in hand with cigarettes and alcohol.

Three young women in tight skirts were running the kitchen, sweating while working with a brand new pizza oven.

Most customers were tourists like me, business people or embassy staff -- the price for a pizza is too high for most North Koreans.

Like other North Koreans I'd met or photographed, I felt from the staff a distinctive curiosity, tinged with a shyness of not knowing how to react to the increasing numbers of visiting foreigners.

They all seemed genuinely friendly, polite and well educated.

For me, North Koreans seem to be no different than any other people.

For details on how to visit North Korea, including restrictions on entering the country, refer to our guide: How to travel to North Korea

Also on CNN:

DMZ: Road trip to the world's most heavily armed border

Gallery: The unseen faces of Pyongyang

Via: A rare look at life in North Korea

First-class vs. business: Worth it?

(CNN) -- If you want to fly nonstop first class from Tokyo to London and want the privacy afforded by a suite, be prepared to pay as much as US$27,000 on All Nippon Airways or Japan Air Lines. Or just slum it in ANA business class for $9,000 and change.

If you don't mind less privacy, for a mere $4,900, you can fly the same route nonstop business class on Virgin Atlantic and still be plenty pampered.

If you still insist on first class but don't mind one stop, you can fly China Southern Airlines for $11,465.

Amazing first-class air cabins

Price differences between first- and business-class fares can be dramatic, but what do passengers in first class get for the additional money?

More importantly, for those in a position to make the call, is first class worth all the extra cha-ching?

Differences you don't see

Tokyo-London has by far the highest first-class fares found on three major routes recently spot-checked by CNN.

But fluctuating pricing for flying first class with "open suites" or business class with lie-flat beds varies widely depending on whether you're flying nonstop or one-stop and the amount of pampering you want both in the air and on the ground.

The highly traveled New York-Frankfurt route is typical.

If you're flying first class from Frankfurt on your way to the Big Apple, there are many perks beyond what you get on the airplane.

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Lufthansa offers first-class passengers a dedicated lounge at Frankfurt, along with a full dinner before boarding a late-night flight, if customers prefer sleep to onboard meals.

The lounge also offers beds, showers, office space, special security screening and chauffeured limousines directly to the aircraft, allowing passengers to avoid bumping elbows with mere mortals who buy business-class or coach tickets.

You're out of luck if you're boarding in any other Lufthansa city, however. Only in Frankfurt do first-class travelers enjoy such ground perks.

Once onboard, it might be tough to discern the differences between first and business, beyond the obvious: a suite and more space versus a lie-flat seat. The food is plentiful and the booze is free.

Don Buckenburg, Lufthansa's managing director for sales, North America, says that many airlines offer a suite of enclosed space with a door, creating a passenger's "own little cabin."

"When we developed first class, we asked customers, and our customers like open space, but they also like privacy," says Buckenburg. "You have a seat, but a wall that separates you. You press a button, and a wall comes up."

The retractable wall allows couples or fellow travelers to decide whether to be connected or separated.

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Buckenburg says the first-class value differential over business class is space, privacy, a larger, longer and wider seat and additional crew per passenger in first class.

In addition, according to Buckenburg, flight attendants are specially trained to serve first class, knowing how to "read" the passenger differently and knowing the wine and menus with precision.

For good measure, "We're one of the last airlines to serve caviar," Buckenburg says.

First class may become obsolete

Buckenburg acknowledges not all markets can support first class, and in those, Lufthansa offers only business and coach service.

Mary Kirby, editor of the Airline Passenger Experience (APEX) magazine and blog, believes the first-class value proposition not only is diminishing, but also that the class will disappear in five years.

The trend toward lie-flat seats in business class, along with amenities that are similar to first, diminish the value of first, she says.

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Lufthansa's Buckenburg disagrees. There remains a passenger segment that wants the privacy of suites.

He says CEOs, financiers and Hollywood types are among those who will pay for first class for the onboard experience and the privileges of airport services reserved for them.

"Lufthansa has invested quite a bit of money in keeping a first-class product because a lot of airlines are moving out of first-class where there is not enough traffic to warrant it," says Buckenburg. "There is still a market segment willing to pay for first class. The demand is still there, but not everywhere."

United Airlines remains a hybrid.

Legacy United has largely favored the first, business and economy (and recently introduced Premium Economy) model. Merger partner Continental Airlines favored two-class business and economy.

The long and short of "premium economy"

The legacy Continental aircraft continue to have just two classes. Legacy United's Boeing 747s are three class. About half the merged fleet's Boeing 777s are three class and the others are two class.

"It is less about our perspective on the values than the customers who buy it," says United spokesman Rahsaan Johnson. "There are customers who appreciate and value all the attributes of GlobalFirst (United's name for first-class). Ultimately the pricing is a function of the demand and value that customers have for that service.

"In a nutshell, there are customers who choose to pay for this additional privacy and additional space and additional luxury and the higher level of personalized service."

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But United also says that not all very long-haul routes merit first-class service.

"The value proposition for the lie-flat in first has been significantly diminished," says APEX's Kirby. "It's the reason a lot of airlines are going to a single-class premium service. It's why you see Lufthansa pulling out of first in some markets, and even Emirates Airlines is thinking of going all-business on the A380."

Blurring the line between first and business

Virgin Atlantic began operations in 2003 and never has offered first class.

Instead, its business class is named Upper Class, a first-class product at business-class prices, says spokeswoman Anna Catchpole.

"The Upper Class suite has been designed to be separately both the most comfortable bed and the most comfortable seat in the air," Catchpole says. "Instead of extending from a seat into a bed, Virgin Atlantic's seat provides the passenger with a luxury leather armchair to relax on which then flips over into a separate bed with a mattress to sleep on."

In a throwback to the early days of Boeing 747 service, Virgin offers a bar area in Upper Class, all for prices far below first-class on other carriers.

Virgin's Upper Class passengers also benefit from ground amenities at select airports. At London Heathrow Airport, Upper Class passengers have access to a limo and a dedicated security channel a short walk from the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse.

"Upper Class passengers and Flying Club Gold members making their own way to the airport can check in at the Upper Class check-in, in Zone A of the main terminal, before taking a priority lift straight to the dedicated security channel," says Catchpole. "Upper Class customers ... can now check in 40 minutes prior to their scheduled departure time at the latest, and whiz through the dedicated security channel straight to the gate."

As for the ultimate question -- Is first class worth it? -- the market seems to be reacting the way it usually does to luxury products and premium services: yes, it's worth it, if you can afford it and if those products and services are perceived as being unique.

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With the growing affordability of private and corporate jets, however, as well as with budget tightening and improvements in business-class comfort, more high-end travelers are likely to put business before the ultimate pleasure.

Via: First-class vs. business: Worth it?

Caribbean fry up unites locals, tourists

(CNN) -- Some of the best food on the Turks and Caicos island of Providenciales is served up by small, local vendors -- Froggies on Da Beach, Blue Hills Native Cuisine, Uncle Dough's, Hole in the Wall and Middle Caicos Caf are popular options.

Visitors to the Caribbean vacation island, however, tend to stay close to resorts, preferring to nurse poolside glasses of rum punch during their stays.

Not that there's anything wrong with that -- resorts around the famed white sands of central Grace Bay are terrific.

It's just that many visitors leave the island having missed out on a gathering of the best local tastes in town, just a short cab ride away.

Local party

Launched in January, the island's Thursday night Fish Fry is a weekly party that aims to get tourists mingling with locals. It takes place in a part of Providenciales (often called "Provo") that most tourists don't readily frequent.

Island specialties such as jerk chicken, conch fritters, just-caught fish and an array of fresh seafood are cooked on the spot by the types of smaller vendors most tourists wouldn't typically come across. The rum punch, too, is mixed in a way locals swear can't be replicated by any hotel bar.

A steel band punctuates the rhythm of a Junkanoo, a Bahamian-style dance and music parade.

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"Our goal is to get people out of their Grace Bay resorts and get them to experience our local food, culture and music," says local tourist board representative David Fenimore, the brains behind the Fish Fry.

Reaching across the divide

Turks and Caicos is known for white sand beaches, turquoise waters, spectacular snorkeling and diving, and a heavy tilt toward high-end travelers. There's a distinct separation here between locals and tourists, who tend to stick on or close to their resorts.

So it's important, Fenimore says, to try and tip the scales the other way, "since the trickle down doesn't necessarily happen the way it should."

Longtime Providenciales resident Hazel Greenwood recalls a time when Grace Bay was nothing more than a raw stretch of beach, when expats (many of whom never left the island and became Turks and Caicos residents) and locals all knew each other and would often hang out together.

"Tourists are not really aware of where we have come from to get to where we are, and it has been hard, but I'd say that what's important here is that everyone does things together and we like to keep it that way," says Greenwood, whose engineer husband put in the lights for the runway at Providenciales' airport in 1983 and later wired up Club Med, the first luxury resort on Provo.

Colorful characters

At the Thursday fish fry, visitors can meet Provo personalities such as Melbourne Smith, creator of Henry the Conch, a Turks and Caicos mascot whose goal is to raise awareness of the cultural and ecological importance of conch to island.

Another regular is the charismatic Alicia Wilson, who goes by the nickname "Beautiful" and is the creator of potent cocktails.

Judging by the crowds lining up at stands like Blue Hills Native Cuisine, where owner Bertha Mae Forbes busily fries up vast quantities of fresh snapper, the word may be spreading faster than Fenimore expects.

"We're just using lime, some salt and a little bit of pepper," says Forbes' daughter, Marjorie Dorsett of her mother's fish as it sizzles in hot oil.

"It's plain, way-back kind of seasoning, but I can tell you that you're not going to find the same taste in the big hotels."

Tourists seem to be loving the local taste.

"It's a fantastic party -- a great occasion for locals, expats and tourists to get together, and I'm definitely coming again," says Robyn Matravers, a visitor from Toronto.

The Turks and Caicos Fish Fry takes place every Thursday from 5:30-9:30 p.m. at Bight Park, Lower Bight Road, Providenciales. A US$10-per-person taxi ride from any Grace Bay resort, it's a family friendly event.

Via: Caribbean fry up unites locals, tourists

Do sexy cabin crew sell more seats?

(CNN) -- Images of bikini-clad women in Thailand posing suggestively in an online ad for a local airline inflamed passions -- both positive and negative -- earlier this year.

Domestic low-cost carrier Nok Air stood at the center of the frenzy. The airline had employed the provocatively clothed women to attract more attention in a Facebook publicity move.

It worked.

"I kind of expected it to be fairly controversial, but at the end of the day more people ended up liking it than hating it," says Patee Sarasin, Nok Air's chief executive officer.

"When it debuted on Facebook, we had over 200,000 likes. I'm happy."

The campaign proved to be a social media success -- it also brought into focus the different ways international airlines use the attractiveness of cabin crews to brand and market their product.

Though acknowledging that "beautiful does not equate to being a good flight attendant," Ji Yang Xiong, director of China's Foreign Airlines Service Corporation, notes a difference in aesthetics when comparing airlines from the East and West.

"Maybe Asian airlines emphasize looks just a bit more when compared to European or Middle Eastern airlines," says Xiong. "European airlines don't have any requirement on looks. They mostly focus on personality and having the right attitude for the job and a service-oriented mindset."

Legal issues: Grounded at 30?

While some Asia-based airlines openly embrace glamour in the cabin, most U.S. and European airlines long ago altered such strategies to reflect shifting social standards and more severe legal restrictions.

"It's one thing to be able to help people out of an emergency exit door, it's another to say they must weigh less than 130 pounds, as Pan Am and others might have done in times gone by," says Kenneth Quinn, partner and head of aviation practice at the Washington, D.C.-based law firm Pillsbury Winthrop.

"Most governments have enacted laws and other protective measures against gender and age discrimination, as well as fitness discrimination," says Quinn. "But Asian countries have less precise formulas in their labor laws that permit airlines to impose age and appearance limitations upon flight crews."

In addition, says Quinn, governmental bodies in Asia are generally less committed to regulatory oversight in this area.

"They try to leave it to the airlines and unions and work forces to deal with any problems," he says. "Certainly weight and appearance limitations tend to be not strictly enforced."

"Laws covering employment and particularly discrimination tend to be less rigid in Asia," agrees Tom Ballantyne, aviation expert and chief correspondent for Hong Kong-based "Orient Aviation" magazine.

"A British Airways or a Qantas in Western society would never get away with promoting the sort of image that, for instance, Singapore has always done with its Singapore Girls."

Nok Air has no flight attendants over the age of 30, says CEO Sarasin. While laws in the West protect against discrimination, "it is kosher here in Asia to push youth and beauty," he says.

How a Thai budget carrier keeps its flight attendants young and hot

The lifespan of a Nok Air flight attendant is short, according to Sarasin.

They typically take to the skies from graduation around the age of 23, stay in the company for three years -- maybe another two if they're "really, really good" -- then can move to non-cabin crew departments or get help with being placed with other airlines.

"We keep them young -- not because we're sexist -- but because our customers prefer younger crews," says Sarasin. While "everyone is unionized in the United States, we are much more open. That's what gives Asia the magic. We've been radical from day one, differentiating our marketing. If we don't, we die."

How to reject propositions and other flight attendant training tips

Profits: No link between beauty, bottom line?

The jury is still out on whether sex sells more seats.

"I've never seen any evidence that directly links the beauty of flight attendants to the bottom line," says Ballantyne. "Certainly it is true that many airlines in Asia-Pacific, especially low-cost operators, base part of their brand image on young, attractive flight attendants. How that translates to additional passenger numbers I'm not sure."

"I'd say it's impossible to put a monetary value to the contribution of the Singapore Girl to Singapore Airlines' success over the years," agrees Nicholas Ionides, spokesman for legacy carrier Singapore Airlines, referring to the well known imagery of the company's female flight attendants -- conceived in 1972 -- wearing distinctive "sarong kabaya" uniforms.

Thai airline's calendar too sexy for the government

Nok Air's Sarasin himself hedges on whether his company's Facebook stunt helped pull in more profits.

"It's hard to measure if it boosts sales or not," he says. "Load factor (the number of seats sold for flights) has always been in the 80 to 90 % range. But it did bring Nok Air into the limelight in terms of brand awareness."

If anything, the charismatic CEO believes the added publicity brought a change to the passenger mix.

Before the photo shoot, international travelers made up 10 percent of the passenger manifest. After the shoot, the percentage jumped to 18 percent based on passport checks.

With Nok Air set to make its first international flight -- to Yangon, Myanmar, in the third quarter of 2013 -- Sarasin says: "It's good timing."

Sexy flight attendant uniforms of the past

Offensive: Is "sexy" a bad word?

Thailand's Ministry of Culture received complaints from local organizations and critics who were shocked by Nok Air's sexy photo shoot, according to local Thai media.

One fear was that the photo shoot might propagate Thailand's image as a destination for sex travel -- but the Ministry of Culture says no laws were broken.

"The Ministry of Culture didn't call me. In fact, I received no call from any government agency," points out Sarasin. "We were all careful not to expose the women to be too naked."

Contacted by CNN, the Ministry of Culture says it's no longer commenting on the matter.

While sex appeal is the blatant strategy for Thailand's Nok Air, further north "sexy" is a bad word in the Korean airline industry -- which is not the same as saying that Korean carriers don't value what might politely be called "attractiveness."

"Projecting any sort of sexy image in a flight attendant interview would be hugely risky here," says Mi-kyung Chung, a former flight attendant who now teaches at the Airline News Center (ANC) flight attendant academy in Gangnam, Seoul.

This might come as news to flight attendants on South Korea's Asiana Airlines, whose union has been in a long-running conversation with the airline about ending its skirts-only dress code and relaxing strict guidelines for hairstyles and makeup. In February, the airline said it would adopt a trousers option on its next uniform renewal.

Asiana cabin crews say "no" to skirts

With a "few thousand students" -- mostly women -- ANC is considered the largest flight attendant academy in the country. The school charges $1,440 for an all-inclusive package in which students can take classes for as many months -- or years -- as they need.

Despite Korean Air's obvious use of old fashioned sex appeal in its widely distributed "For life on a whole new scale" series of advertisements, professionals insist that sex isn't the primary appeal.

Instead of sexy, "bright, clean and sophisticated" is the look that's most sought after in the recruitment process for Korean airlines, according to Jinah Lee, a flight attendant turned ANC lecturer.

Korean airlines have been setting the standard for flight attendants for almost a decade now, says Eunice Kim, head of BCCA flight attendant academy in Shinchon, South Korea, which specializes in foreign airline recruitment.

She admits that looks are part of the package.

"Recruiters for the foreign airlines I work with often tell me that Korean flight attendants are much more good looking and better to work with compared to flight attendants from other countries," says Kim.

She says the BCCA's 2,200 students include many foreign-educated young women, "NYU grads," PhDs and graduates from the top universities in Korea.

According to Kim, a number of foreign students come to South Korea to study at the academy. Some, she says, even undergo cosmetic surgery during their stay in the hopes of being recruited by foreign airlines.

When asked about the demand for Korean flight attendants at foreign airlines, Kim cites "high education rates ... good teeth, complexion, height and positive outlook" as attributes.

In addition, Korean flight attendants embrace the service mentality more completely, says the BCCA head.

"Personally, I think it comes from the conservative Confucian background, where women were expected to do a lot of the service in the household," says Kim.

9 easy ways to make a flight attendant go insane

Attitude trumps looks

The sentiment is similar in China, where the Foreign Airlines Service Corporation (FASCO) recruits Chinese flight attendants for foreign airlines, such as Emirates Airlines and Qatar Airways.

At the end of 2012, FASCO helped about 1,200 Chinese nationals find flight attendant jobs around the world, according to director Ji Yang Xiong. In 1996, when the company first began recruitment services, just "a few hundred" candidates applied.

While airplane safety, meal service and customer hospitality are taught, physical fitness is also emphasized.

"Aerobics classes are held in both aviation schools and in training centers in order to keep the aspiring flight attendants in shape, to refine their figure and posture and to strengthen their body," says Xiong.

Some candidates even learn kung-fu and yoga "so that they are ready to face stressful situations."

Training and attitude might well go farther than a mere attractive image in explaining the success earned by Asian flight attendants.

"American service standards generally have dropped vastly below Asian service standards in many industries, and most particularly in hotel and leisure and travel communities," says aviation law expert and frequent traveler Quinn.

This may seem self evident to certain frequent fliers, says Quinn, but for those flying on an Asian carrier for the first time, the difference can be a surprise.

"What tends to be lost in the debate over this is that it's not a crime to insist upon high standards of service and courtesy and professionalism in flight crews," says Quinn. "For the U.S. businessperson who spends a lot of time in Asia -- I'm just back from Tokyo this week -- the contrast between U.S. service standards and Asian carrier service standards could not be more stark.

"It's a quantum leap in service standards as soon as you hit Tokyo and go beyond, whether you're on a Japanese carrier or Singapore Airlines or an airline from Hong Kong or Thailand. They're all vastly superior in the service level.

"U.S. carriers are trying to catch up, but they've got a long way to go."

C.Y. Xu in Beijing contributed to this article.

Via: Do sexy cabin crew sell more seats?

Earliest ever cherry blossoms in Tokyo

(CNN) -- Japan's prettiest national pastime of hanami, or cherry blossom viewing, has got off to its earliest start ever.

The Japan Meteorological Agency announced the beginning of cherry blossom, or 'sakura,' season over the weekend.

The declaration came after the agency's designated index tree at Tokyo's Yasukuni Shrine showed the first flowers in bloom on Saturday, the Daily Yomiuri reported.

That's 10 days earlier than average and 15 days earlier than last year -- and due to unusually warm weather.

Visitors contemplating a quick trip to see the sakura should take note: the best time to see the blooming cherry trees should be next weekend, when the flowers are expected to be at their full glory.

5 blooming great flower festivals

Via: Earliest ever cherry blossoms in Tokyo

Do sexy flight attendants sell more seats?

(CNN) -- Images of bikini-clad women in Thailand posing suggestively in an online ad for a local airline inflamed passions -- both positive and negative -- earlier this year.

Domestic low-cost carrier Nok Air stood at the center of the frenzy. The airline had employed the provocatively clothed women to attract more attention in a Facebook publicity move.

It worked.

"I kind of expected it to be fairly controversial, but at the end of the day more people ended up liking it than hating it," says Patee Sarasin, Nok Air's chief executive officer.

"When it debuted on Facebook, we had over 200,000 likes. I'm happy."

The campaign proved to be a social media success -- it also brought into focus the different ways international airlines use the attractiveness of cabin crews to brand and market their product.

Though acknowledging that "beautiful does not equate to being a good flight attendant," Ji Yang Xiong, director of China's Foreign Airlines Service Corporation, notes a difference in aesthetics when comparing airlines from the East and West.

"Maybe Asian airlines emphasize looks just a bit more when compared to European or Middle Eastern airlines," says Xiong. "European airlines don't have any requirement on looks. They mostly focus on personality and having the right attitude for the job and a service-oriented mindset."

Legal issues: Grounded at 30?

While some Asia-based airlines openly embrace glamour in the cabin, most U.S. and European airlines long ago altered such strategies to reflect shifting social standards and more severe legal restrictions.

"It's one thing to be able to help people out of an emergency exit door, it's another to say they must weigh less than 130 pounds, as Pan Am and others might have done in times gone by," says Kenneth Quinn, partner and head of aviation practice at the Washington, D.C.-based law firm Pillsbury Winthrop.

"Most governments have enacted laws and other protective measures against gender and age discrimination, as well as fitness discrimination," says Quinn. "But Asian countries have less precise formulas in their labor laws that permit airlines to impose age and appearance limitations upon flight crews."

In addition, says Quinn, governmental bodies in Asia are generally less committed to regulatory oversight in this area.

"They try to leave it to the airlines and unions and work forces to deal with any problems," he says. "Certainly weight and appearance limitations tend to be not strictly enforced."

"Laws covering employment and particularly discrimination tend to be less rigid in Asia," agrees Tom Ballantyne, aviation expert and chief correspondent for Hong Kong-based "Orient Aviation" magazine.

"A British Airways or a Qantas in Western society would never get away with promoting the sort of image that, for instance, Singapore has always done with its Singapore Girls."

Nok Air has no flight attendants over the age of 30, says CEO Sarasin. While laws in the West protect against discrimination, "it is kosher here in Asia to push youth and beauty," he says.

How a Thai budget carrier keeps its flight attendants young and hot

The lifespan of a Nok Air flight attendant is short, according to Sarasin.

They typically take to the skies from graduation around the age of 23, stay in the company for three years -- maybe another two if they're "really, really good" -- then can move to non-cabin crew departments or get help with being placed with other airlines.

"We keep them young -- not because we're sexist -- but because our customers prefer younger crews," says Sarasin. While "everyone is unionized in the United States, we are much more open. That's what gives Asia the magic. We've been radical from day one, differentiating our marketing. If we don't, we die."

How to reject propositions and other flight attendant training tips

Profits: No link between beauty, bottom line?

The jury is still out on whether sex sells more seats.

"I've never seen any evidence that directly links the beauty of flight attendants to the bottom line," says Ballantyne. "Certainly it is true that many airlines in Asia-Pacific, especially low-cost operators, base part of their brand image on young, attractive flight attendants. How that translates to additional passenger numbers I'm not sure."

"I'd say it's impossible to put a monetary value to the contribution of the Singapore Girl to Singapore Airlines' success over the years," agrees Nicholas Ionides, spokesman for legacy carrier Singapore Airlines, referring to the well known imagery of the company's female flight attendants -- conceived in 1972 -- wearing distinctive "sarong kabaya" uniforms.

Thai airline's calendar too sexy for the government

Nok Air's Sarasin himself hedges on whether his company's Facebook stunt helped pull in more profits.

"It's hard to measure if it boosts sales or not," he says. "Load factor (the number of seats sold for flights) has always been in the 80 to 90 % range. But it did bring Nok Air into the limelight in terms of brand awareness."

If anything, the charismatic CEO believes the added publicity brought a change to the passenger mix.

Before the photo shoot, international travelers made up 10 percent of the passenger manifest. After the shoot, the percentage jumped to 18 percent based on passport checks.

With Nok Air set to make its first international flight -- to Yangon, Myanmar, in the third quarter of 2013 -- Sarasin says: "It's good timing."

Sexy flight attendant uniforms of the past

Offensive: Is "sexy" a bad word?

Thailand's Ministry of Culture received complaints from local organizations and critics who were shocked by Nok Air's sexy photo shoot, according to local Thai media.

One fear was that the photo shoot might propagate Thailand's image as a destination for sex travel -- but the Ministry of Culture says no laws were broken.

"The Ministry of Culture didn't call me. In fact, I received no call from any government agency," points out Sarasin. "We were all careful not to expose the women to be too naked."

Contacted by CNN, the Ministry of Culture says it's no longer commenting on the matter.

While sex appeal is the blatant strategy for Thailand's Nok Air, further north "sexy" is a bad word in the Korean airline industry -- which is not the same as saying that Korean carriers don't value what might politely be called "attractiveness."

"Projecting any sort of sexy image in a flight attendant interview would be hugely risky here," says Mi-kyung Chung, a former flight attendant who now teaches at the Airline News Center (ANC) flight attendant academy in Gangnam, Seoul.

This might come as news to flight attendants on South Korea's Asiana Airlines, whose union has been in a long-running conversation with the airline about ending its skirts-only dress code and relaxing strict guidelines for hairstyles and makeup. In February, the airline said it would adopt a trousers option on its next uniform renewal.

Asiana cabin crews say "no" to skirts

With a "few thousand students" -- mostly women -- ANC is considered the largest flight attendant academy in the country. The school charges $1,440 for an all-inclusive package in which students can take classes for as many months -- or years -- as they need.

Despite Korean Air's obvious use of old fashioned sex appeal in its widely distributed "For life on a whole new scale" series of advertisements, professionals insist that sex isn't the primary appeal.

Instead of sexy, "bright, clean and sophisticated" is the look that's most sought after in the recruitment process for Korean airlines, according to Jinah Lee, a flight attendant turned ANC lecturer.

Korean airlines have been setting the standard for flight attendants for almost a decade now, says Eunice Kim, head of BCCA flight attendant academy in Shinchon, South Korea, which specializes in foreign airline recruitment.

She admits that looks are part of the package.

"Recruiters for the foreign airlines I work with often tell me that Korean flight attendants are much more good looking and better to work with compared to flight attendants from other countries," says Kim.

She says the BCCA's 2,200 students include many foreign-educated young women, "NYU grads," PhDs and graduates from the top universities in Korea.

According to Kim, a number of foreign students come to South Korea to study at the academy. Some, she says, even undergo cosmetic surgery during their stay in the hopes of being recruited by foreign airlines.

When asked about the demand for Korean flight attendants at foreign airlines, Kim cites "high education rates ... good teeth, complexion, height and positive outlook" as attributes.

In addition, Korean flight attendants embrace the service mentality more completely, says the BCCA head.

"Personally, I think it comes from the conservative Confucian background, where women were expected to do a lot of the service in the household," says Kim.

9 easy ways to make a flight attendant go insane

Attitude trumps looks

The sentiment is similar in China, where the Foreign Airlines Service Corporation (FASCO) recruits Chinese flight attendants for foreign airlines, such as Emirates Airlines and Qatar Airways.

At the end of 2012, FASCO helped about 1,200 Chinese nationals find flight attendant jobs around the world, according to director Ji Yang Xiong. In 1996, when the company first began recruitment services, just "a few hundred" candidates applied.

While airplane safety, meal service and customer hospitality are taught, physical fitness is also emphasized.

"Aerobics classes are held in both aviation schools and in training centers in order to keep the aspiring flight attendants in shape, to refine their figure and posture and to strengthen their body," says Xiong.

Some candidates even learn kung-fu and yoga "so that they are ready to face stressful situations."

Training and attitude might well go farther than a mere attractive image in explaining the success earned by Asian flight attendants.

"American service standards generally have dropped vastly below Asian service standards in many industries, and most particularly in hotel and leisure and travel communities," says aviation law expert and frequent traveler Quinn.

This may seem self evident to certain frequent fliers, says Quinn, but for those flying on an Asian carrier for the first time, the difference can be a surprise.

"What tends to be lost in the debate over this is that it's not a crime to insist upon high standards of service and courtesy and professionalism in flight crews," says Quinn. "For the U.S. businessperson who spends a lot of time in Asia -- I'm just back from Tokyo this week -- the contrast between U.S. service standards and Asian carrier service standards could not be more stark.

"It's a quantum leap in service standards as soon as you hit Tokyo and go beyond, whether you're on a Japanese carrier or Singapore Airlines or an airline from Hong Kong or Thailand. They're all vastly superior in the service level.

"U.S. carriers are trying to catch up, but they've got a long way to go."

C.Y. Xu in Beijing contributed to this article.

Via: Do sexy flight attendants sell more seats?

Top architect Ito's unusual buildings

(CNN) -- Seoul-born, 71-year-old Japanese architect Toyo Ito is this year's recipient of the industry's most coveted prize.

On Monday, the architect was announced the 2013 Pritzker Architecture Prize winner, joining past Pritzker Laureates that include Frank Gehry, Tadao Ando and Rem Koolhaas.

"As I did not expect it, I felt really grateful and honored to be awarded the prize," Ito told CNN.

In addition to his abstract, beautiful buildings, the Tokyo-based architect is also known for his extensive work on communal centers as part of the reconstruction in Japan following the 2011 tsunami.

Ito, whose family ran a miso (bean paste) factory following his father's early death when Ito was 12, has said he wasn't interested in architecture as a youth. He began taking an interest while attending the University of Tokyo.

Throughout his career, Ito's designs have been unusual, vivid and minimalistic -- from the aluminum house he designed for his sister to the Sendai Mediatheque in Miyagi, Japan, which he describes as his professional highlight.

20 of the world's most iconic skyscrapers

The Pritzker committee jury raved about his lifework of defying standard distinctions. It will officially bestow its award at a ceremony in Boston on May 29.

Together with the 40 employees of his namesake firm, Toyo Ito & Associates, the architect is currently working on projects in Taiwan, Singapore and Japan.

"I travel 50 to 60 times per year for work," says Ito. "I love any place where I work."

At Princeton in 2009, he lectured on the development of the grid system in architecture, pointing out that while the system allows for rapid construction, "it also made the world's cities homogenous" and that "it made the people living and working there homogenous, too."

His design aesthetic is "modifying the grid slightly" so buildings can have closer relationships to their environment.

"Not fixing my style, I keep extending the possibilities of architecture," he told CNN. "In other words, I would like to unbridle architecture from various restrictions and give it more freedom."

The photo gallery above illustrates how Ito is changing and influencing landscapes of cities around the world.

Where to see the buildings (numbered per the gallery above)

1. Sendai Mediatheque, 2-1 Kasugamachi, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan; +82 22 713 3171; open daily 9 a.m.-10 p.m., closed every fourth Thursday; www.smt.jp

3. Matsumoto Performing Arts Centre, Fukashi, Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture, Japan; +81 263 33 3800; www.mpac.jp

7. Tama Art University Library (Hachioji campus), 2-1723 Yarimizu,Hachioji,Tokyo; +81 42 676 8611; open daily 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; www.tamabi.ac.jp

8. Za-Koenji Public Theatre, 2-1-2 Koenji-Kita, Suginami-ku, Tokyo; +81 3 3223 7300; za-koenji.jp

9. Main Stadium for 2009 World Games, No. 100, Shyn Blvd, Zuoying District, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan;+886 7 582 9000; open daily 8:30 a.m.-6 p.m.; www.nssac.gov.tw

10. Toyo Ito Museum of Architecture, 2418 Urado, Omishima-machi, Imabari, Ehime, Japan; +81 897 74 7220; open Tuesday-Friday 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; www.tima-imabari.jp

Via: Top architect Ito's unusual buildings

New private jet eyes sky supremacy

(CNN) -- Bombardier is not a name many associate with commercial flight. The Canadian plane manufacturer, which for years has based its business on its smaller, regional jets, has not traditionally been in a position to challenge the likes of Airbus and Boeing when it comes to providing larger carriers.

All of that could to change, however, as the company is scheduled to test fly its first C-series jet this June.

Bombardier is banking a lot on their new planes, which cost them $3.4 billion to produce. The sizable investment seems paltry, however, when compared to the size of the market they hope to penetrate: aircraft that seat 100 to 150 make up a $2 trillion industry.

Bombardier is hoping to scoop up half of that. With their C-series priced considerably below their competition (the $61 million price tag is 30% cheaper than what Airbus and Boeing charge for similar models), they stand a pretty good chance.

"It's an aggressive world. We've got to differentiate ourselves with the right product," notes Mike Arcamone, the president of Bombardier Commercial Aircraft.

The company claims the new planes will not only burn 20% less fuel, but will also have 25% fewer operating cost than their rivals'. They've already pulled in over 350 orders, with Korean Air, airBaltic and Luxair first in line to add the planes to their fleet.

First, however, the new planes need to undergo certification, a process that is expected to be much more stringent in light of the recent problems of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

Robert Dewer, the vice president and general manager of Bombardier's C-series, insists they aren't jumping the gun.

"It's actually a thin line where you have to support the flight test plan as fast as you can, give yourself the flexibility to introduce any changes that may arise, and at the same time be ready to ramp up the production aircraft as soon as possible," he says.

Moreover, he expects the new planes will pass with flying colors.

"We already have a very rigorous process. We throttle (each plane) more than any aircraft will see in its entire history. We pull (the wings) up, pull them down, add weight to them and take them right to the point of breaking."

The planes, he says, must be 150% stronger than the worst forces they could face during a flight.

Furthermore, when presented with the opportunity to use a lithium battery back in 2011, Bombardier instead opted for something more conventional.

"We studied (the battery) quite extensively," says Dewer. "We decided in the end that the technology was really not mature for us. It was a risk versus reward (scenario), and there was a lot of perceived risk."

The company has also introduced a couple of features that will make flying easier and safer for pilots, most notably the screen area in the flight deck is more than double the surface area than on other aircraft.

"The advantage of that is that you can have more information available to the pilot directly, without having to cascade menus," explains Dewer. "You always want to lower the pilot's workload so that he can really manage the aircraft well."

It's too early to tell if Bombardier's gamble on the new series will pay off, but Arcamone is optimistic about their chances.

"We've just started to fight," he says. "We said we were going to have about 300 firm orders when the aircraft goes into service. We are well on our way to achieving that objective."

Via: New private jet eyes sky supremacy

Winner: Tour architect's unusual designs

(CNN) -- Seoul-born, 71-year-old Japanese Toyo Ito is this year's recipient of architecture's most coveted prize.

On Monday, the architect was announced the 2013 Pritzker Architecture Prize winner, joining past Pritzker Laureates that include Frank Gehry, Tadao Ando and Rem Koolhaas.

"As I did not expect it, I felt really grateful and honored to be awarded the prize," Ito told CNN.

In addition to his abstract, beautiful buildings, the Tokyo-based architect is also known for his extensive work on communal centers as part of the reconstruction in Japan following the 2011 tsunami.

Ito, whose family ran a miso (bean paste) factory following his father's early death when Ito was 12, has said he wasn't interested in architecture as a youth. He began taking an interest while attending the University of Tokyo.

Throughout his career, Ito's designs have been unusual, vivid and minimalistic -- from the aluminum house he designed for his sister to the Sendai Mediatheque in Miyagi, Japan, which he describes as his professional highlight.

20 of the world's most iconic skyscrapers

The Pritzker committee jury raved about his lifework of defying standard distinctions. It will officially bestow its award at a ceremony in Boston on May 29.

Together with the 40 employees of his namesake firm, Toyo Ito & Associates, the architect is currently working on projects in Taiwan, Singapore and Japan.

"I travel 50 to 60 times per year for work," says Ito. "I love any place where I work."

At Princeton in 2009, he lectured on the development of the grid system in architecture, pointing out that while the system allows for rapid construction, "it also made the world's cities homogenous" and that "it made the people living and working there homogenous, too."

His design aesthetic is "modifying the grid slightly" so buildings can have closer relationships to their environment.

"Not fixing my style, I keep extending the possibilities of architecture," he told CNN. "In other words, I would like to unbridle architecture from various restrictions and give it more freedom."

The photo gallery above illustrates how Ito is changing and influencing landscapes of cities around the world.

Where to see the buildings (numbered per the gallery above)

1. Sendai Mediatheque, 2-1 Kasugamachi, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan; +82 22 713 3171; open daily 9 a.m.-10 p.m., closed every fourth Thursday; www.smt.jp

3. Matsumoto Performing Arts Centre, Fukashi, Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture, Japan; +81 263 33 3800; www.mpac.jp

7. Tama Art University Library (Hachioji campus), 2-1723 Yarimizu,Hachioji,Tokyo; +81 42 676 8611; open daily 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; www.tamabi.ac.jp

8. Za-Koenji Public Theatre, 2-1-2 Koenji-Kita, Suginami-ku, Tokyo; +81 3 3223 7300; za-koenji.jp

9. Main Stadium for 2009 World Games, No. 100, Shyn Blvd, Zuoying District, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan;+886 7 582 9000; open daily 8:30 a.m.-6 p.m.; www.nssac.gov.tw

10. Toyo Ito Museum of Architecture, 2418 Urado, Omishima-machi, Imabari, Ehime, Japan; +81 897 74 7220; open Tuesday-Friday 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; www.tima-imabari.jp

Via: Winner: Tour architect's unusual designs

America's 11 new sandwich heroes

(CNN) -- If you were one for overstatement, you could say that the successes of the American melting pot are best exemplified in the humble sandwich.

For generations of immigrants to the United States, one way to make their new home more palatable was to bring with them tastes of the old country.

Just look at the inspirations for the all-American hamburger and hot dog in the German cities of Hamburg and Frankfurt.

Eggplant Parmesan arrived with Italian immigrants.

The first corned beef started coming over from Ireland in the 1600s, while two centuries later, Jewish Romanians introduced pastrami to their new world.

Now, all these once foreign tastes are considered staples of the American sandwich diet.

But times are changing, not just demographically, but also hoagie-logically.

The dominance of the BLT and grilled cheese is being challenged by a wave of newcomers to the States. But which one will eventually take its place in America's sandwich pantheon?

You might not be able to find all the following sandwiches at your local deli, but keep an eye out for them on menus; they're a taste of what's to come in American sandwiches.

Montreal smoked meat

Origin: Montreal

Bread: rye

Filling: cured and smoked beef brisket

Toppings: mustard

What separates Montreal-style smoked meat and oft-compared pastrami is the cut of beef (brisket for smoked meat, navel for pastrami) and the spices that go into the original brine -- reportedly more cracked peppercorns and coriander for the Montreal meat, as well as less sugar.

What results is meat that many people say tastes sweeter, more peppery and less spicy than smokier pastrami.

If proof is needed of its flavor, look to Mile End Meats, which brought the Montreal smoked meat to arguably the most pastrami-centric city in the world, New York, in 2010.

Not only has Mile End Meats survived, but the deli and its take on Canadian fare is now a local favorite.

Mile End Delicatessen, 97A Hoyt St.; Brooklyn, NY; 718-852-7510; www.mileenddeli.com

Torta

Origin: Mexico

Bread: bolillo

Filling: carne asada, shredded chicken, chorizo, ham, among others

Toppings: cheese, avocado, salsa, refried beans, eggs, among others

Those who believe that Mexican cuisine begins and ends with the tortilla obviously haven't had the pleasure of eating a torta.

Typically served on a crusty football-shaped bolillo roll, the sandwich can be a platform for any number of Mexican favorite ingredients, from carne asada to pork belly, with traditional toppings such as lettuce, tomato and avocado.

In Phoenix, Los Reyes de la Torta offers 27 kinds of enormous torta, including the Especial, with ham, pork sirloin, breaded beef and melted cheese on a roll, completed by tomato, onions, jalapeo and avocado.

It's also home to the King Carlos V, a monumental five-pound torta whose ingredients are too numerous to mention, even on the restaurant's online menu.

Los Reyes de la Torta, 9230 N. Seventh St.; Phoenix; 602-870-2967; http://losreyesdelatortaaz.com/

Bulgogi cheesesteak

Origin: Philadelphia, by way of Korea

Bread: Italian bread

Filling: Korean-style marinated beef

Toppings: cheese, green peppers, onion, sweet chili oil

While Philadelphia is home to the Liberty Bell and First Continental Congress, it says something that its most famous export might be the cheesesteak.

Having started as a food truck, Koja Grille has introduced a distinctive Korean touch to the City of Brotherly Love's signature sandwich.

While there are many similarities between the two sandwiches -- both use Italian bread, melted cheese, onions and peppers -- the bulgogi cheesesteak replaces the traditional chopped steak filling with bulgogi.

A Korean-style beef typically marinated in a mixture of spices and vegetables, bulgogi brings an entirely new complexity to the sandwich. Customers can also order a spicier version of the cheesesteak flavored with sweet chili oil.

Koja Grille, 10-A, 1600 N. Broad St., Philadelphia; 215-763-5652;

www.kojagrille.com

Smrrebrd

Origin: Denmark

Bread: rye

Filling: pickled herring, seafood, liver pat, cold cuts, among others

Toppings: butter, cucumber, tomato, hard-boiled egg, remoulade, cheese

Smrrebrd translates from Danish as "spread bread" or "butter bread." For these open-faced sandwiches originally made for hard-toiling 19th-century Danish factory workers, the traditional base consists of sweet butter on dark rye bread, but what goes on top can vary greatly.

A typical combination might include smoked salmon fish cakes with dill and remoulade, a condiment like mild tartar sauce with a bit of a sour kick.

Aamanns-Copenhagen has earned some rave reviews by bringing the traditional Danish sandwich to New York with a modern twist. Its smrrebrd menu options include pork pt with parsley, aquavit, hazelnuts, pickled apples, celery and watercress, and cured salmon with dill, pickled onions, endive and rye bread crumbs.

Aamanns-Copenhagen: 13 Laight St., New York; 212-925-1313; www.aamanns-copenhagen.com

Pambazo

Origin: Mexico

Bread: bolillo or baguette

Filling: steak, chicken, chorizo, pork skin

Topping: pinto beans, potatoes, carrot, lettuce, crema

The Mexican pambazo jumps in the deep end when it comes to sauce. Rather than just serving the sandwich on the typical dry bread, the pambazo is first dipped in a red guajillo pepper sauce.

While it might raise the difficulty level in eating the sandwich (some recommend eating it with a knife and fork), it also adds flavor and a bit of heat.

Siete Luminarias in St. Louis has been serving pambazos since the restaurant opened in January 2012. Typically topped with lettuce, pico de gallo and sour cream, fillings might include chorizo, carne asada, chicken or carnitas, a Mexican-style long-braised pork.

Siete Luminarias, 2818 Cherokee St., St. Louis; 314-932-1333; sieteluminariasstl.weebly.com

Bnh M

Origin: Vietnam

Bread: baguette

Filling: ham, steamed pork, barbecue pork, barbecue chicken, fried eggs, tofu

Toppings: cucumber, cilantro, pickled carrots, pickled daikon radish, mayonnaise, jalapeo

The Vietnamese bnh m is a perfect testament to balance.

Arriving in a crispy, fresh baguette, the inspired topping mix of pickled carrots and daikon, cucumber, cilantro, mayonnaise and jalapeo isn't overwhelmed by the fillings, which can include everything from sweet barbecue pork to tofu to sardines.

Seattle's Saigon Vietnam Deli serves 13 variations of the bnh m, including steamed red pork, barbecue chicken and tofu.

Note: it may be a little difficult to identify the restaurant; it's one of three "Saigon delis" within a two-block area.

Saigon Vietnam Deli, 1200 S. Jackson St., Seattle; 206-328-2357; http://saigonvietnamdeli.com

Chacarero

Origin: Chile

Bread: marraqueta

Filling: thin-sliced beef, chicken

Toppings: tomato, mayonnaise, avocado, chiles, green beans

It has been said that just as New York has pastrami on rye and Chicago has the Italian beef, Santiago, Chile, has the chacarero.

If you like green bean casserole during the holidays, you're going to love this sandwich.

Served on marraqueta, a crusty Chilean bread with a distinctive split down the middle, the chacarero features thin-sliced beef or chicken topped with tomatoes, mayonnaise, mashed avocado and a pile of green beans.

San Antonio Bakery 2 in Astoria, Queens, offers the chacarero in addition to traditional pastries and a Chilean-style hot dog.

San Antonio Bakery 2, 36-20 Astoria Boulevard; Astoria, NY; 718-777-8733

Tonkatsu

Origin: Japan

Bread: white

Filling: fried pork cutlet

Toppings: tonkatsu sauce, cabbage, Asian-style slaw, mayonnaise

Don't be put off by the white bread, because the Japanese tonkatsu sandwich is anything but mundane.

Of course, how could you go wrong with a pork cutlet that's been coated with flaky panko breadcrumbs and deep fried?

Known as "katsu sando" in Japan, the sandwich is typically served with shredded cabbage and tonkatsu sauce, a fruity Worcestershire-type condiment.

San Francisco's Nojo offers an updated version with fried pork served on crust-less slices of pain de mie, with Asian-style slaw and spicy ponzu (citrus sauce) mayonnaise.

Nojo, 231 Franklin St., San Francisco; 415-896-4587; www.nojosf.com

Chivito

Origin: Uruguay

Bread: Portugese roll or kaiser

Filling: steak, ham, bacon

Toppings: onion, mayonnaise, lettuce, tomato, mozzarella cheese, olives, hard-boiled egg, lettuce

Known informally as the national dish of Uruguay, the chivito is almost like a South American version of the precariously layered Dagwood sandwich.

However it's described, it can't be seen as an example of culinary restraint.

For example, Tabar in Brooklyn offers a Chivito Completo on its menu with grass-fed filet mignon, mozzarella, black forest ham, fried organic egg, caramelized onions, roasted red peppers, Spanish olives, butter lettuce, vine tomato and aioli.

And, yes, it comes with fries on the side.

Tabar, 221 S. First St.; Brooklyn, NY, 347-335-0187; www.tabarenyc.com

Cemita

Origin: Mexico

Bread: cemita

Filling: breaded pork chop, carne asada, marinated pork

Toppings: avocado, adobo chipotle peppers, Oaxacan cheese, papalo, refried beans

Served on a large, crusty egg bun covered in sesame seeds, the cemita originally comes from the Mexican state of Puebla.

Standard toppings include a spread of avocado, chipotle peppers, Oaxacan cheese and, if in season, papalo, an herb with a taste somewhere between cilantro and arugula.

The cemita can be filled with everything from al pastor (marinated pork) to pata, also known as cow foot.

Variations at Cemitas Puebla, a family-owned restaurant in Chicago, include the Milanesa, with a thinly pounded, deep-fried pork loin cutlet that's similar in style to a very thin chicken fried steak.

Cemitas Puebla, 3619 W. North Ave.; Chicago; 773-772-8435; www.cemitaspuebla.com

Bocadillo

Origin: Spain

Bread: Spanish

Filling: dry-cured ham, chorizo, tuna, and potato omelet, among others

Toppings: tomato, olive oil, manchego cheese

In Spain, the bocadillo is seen as a snack, not a full lunch, and is typically found in cafs and tapas bars. What makes this sandwich work is its simplicity.

A typical bocadillo might be made with a few ultra-thin slices of air-cured ham, such as jamn serrano or jamn ibrico, on Spanish bread that has been moistened with a sliced tomato.

New York's Despaa Tapas Cafe has a bocadillo tradicional on its menu and 14 other varieties, including chorizo, olive oil and manchego cheese, as well as a vegetarian option with white asparagus, olives and piquillo peppers.

Despaa: 408 Broome St.; New York; 212-219-5050; www.despananyc.com

Ravenous or unsated by our selection? Let us know your sandwich suggestions.

Via: America's 11 new sandwich heroes

Bourdain: Human race 'essentially good'

World-renowned chef, best-selling author and Emmy winning television personality Anthony Bourdain is the host of "Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown," CNN's new showcase for coverage of food and travel. The series is shot entirely on location. "Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown" premieres Sunday, April 14, at 9 p.m. ET

(CNN) -- Before I set out to travel this world, 12 years ago, I used to believe that the human race as a whole was basically a few steps above wolves.

That given the slightest change in circumstances, we would all, sooner or later, tear each other to shreds. That we were, at root, self-interested, cowardly, envious and potentially dangerous in groups. I have since come to believe -- after many meals with many different people in many, many different places -- that though there is no shortage of people who would do us harm, we are essentially good.

That the world is, in fact, filled with mostly good and decent people who are simply doing the best they can. Everybody, it turns out, is proud of their food (when they have it). They enjoy sharing it with others (if they can). They love their children. They like a good joke. Sitting at the table has allowed me a privileged perspective and access that others, looking principally for "the story," do not, I believe, always get.

People feel free, with a goofy American guy who has expressed interest only in their food and what they do for fun, to tell stories about themselves -- to let their guard down, to be and to reveal, on occasion, their truest selves.

I am not a journalist. I am not a foreign correspondent. I am, at best, an essayist and enthusiast. An amateur. I hope to show you what people are like at the table, at home, in their businesses, at play. And when and if, later, you read about or see the places I've been on the news, you'll have a better idea of who, exactly, lives there.

"Parts Unknown" is supposed to be about food, culture and travel -- as seen through the prism of food. We will learn along with you. When we look at familiar locations, we hope to look at them from a lesser-known perspective, examine aspects unfamiliar to most.

People, wherever they live, are not statistics. They are not abstractions.

Bad things happen to good people all the time. When they do, hopefully, you'll have a better idea who, and what, on a human scale, is involved.

I'm not saying that sitting down with people and sharing a plate is the answer to world peace. Not by a long shot.

But it can't hurt.

Anthony Bourdain
Hotel El Minzah, Tangier

Via: Bourdain: Human race 'essentially good'

Arrests in Swiss tourist gang rape

New Delhi (CNN) -- Six men have been arrested following the gang-rape and robbery of a Swiss tourist in central India and are due to appear in court Monday, police officials said.

The Swiss woman and her husband were on a cycling tour across India and had set up camp near a forest in Datia district last week when a group of men allegedly assaulted them, beating the husband and raping the wife, according to police.

The case has focused fresh attention on sexual assaults in India following the gang-rape of a 23-year-old woman in New Delhi in December, which provoked outrage across the country and abroad.

READ: Trial begins in New Delhi rape case

The men accused of attacking the Swiss couple last week are members of a local tribe who live near where the couple were camping, said D.K. Arya, deputy inspector general of police.

Investigators have recovered valuables stolen from couple during the attack, police said Monday, including a laptop computer, a mobile phone and 10,000 rupees ($185).

The woman, who was briefly hospitalized after the attack, alleges that four of the men raped her, according to Inspector-General S.M. Afzal. The other two men arrested by police are suspected of involvement in robbing the couple, he said.

READ: 5 men confess to gang-raping Swiss tourist in India

Afzal said the six suspects had confessed. But confessions in custody are not admissible as evidence in Indian courts.

Police have sent blood samples from the men for DNA testing.

The couple, who had been staying at a guesthouse in Datia district during the investigation, are in New Delhi at the moment, according to Afzal. Police have asked them to return to Datia for a possible identification of the accused men, he said.

READ: Germaine Greer: Guilt poisons women

Recovering at Swiss Embassy

Linus von Castelmur, the Swiss ambassador to India, said in a statement Monday that the couple were currently recovering at the embassy in New Delhi but had "expressed their readiness to fully cooperate in the ongoing investigation and identification process."

They plan to stay in India for the time being, he said.

The case comes at a time in India when there are calls for stricter laws on sexual assault and changes in cultural attitudes toward women.

READ: India can learn respect for women

The December gang-rape on the New Dehli bus spurred protests in India, where most women have stories of sexual harassment and abuse on public transportation or on the streets, according to the Indian Council on Global Relations.

The victim of that attack later died in a Singapore hospital.

READ: Doctor: Young woman gang-raped in India dies

Police charged five men with murder, rape and kidnapping in the case. Last week, one of the accused died in custody.

Police said the accused man, Ram Singh, hanged himself in a jail cell, but his lawyer and parents claim he was murdered.

READ: Autopsy complete on India rape suspect

Via: Arrests in Swiss tourist gang rape

Irish chef's picks for St. Paddy's fun

(CNN) -- Sometimes called the Rachael Ray of Ireland, chef Clodagh McKenna says her favorite memories of St. Patrick's Day come from her childhood home in Cork.

"It was very much a family day," says McKenna, host of the PBS show "Clodagh's Irish Food Trails." "All the kids would make their own badges with fresh shamrocks and Irish flags. We'd go to Mass, have my mother's Guinness stew or spring lamb and go to see the parade. It was a tiny little parade, very simple."

At the parade's end, marchers would hand out pieces of gum to the children running behind them. "It was very innocent and pure back then. We were very proud of our country."

Since those childhood days, McKenna has found herself celebrating all over the world on St. Patrick's Day, and she's often surprised to find some version of her country's celebration everywhere she's traveled.

"I think it's because there is a joie de vivre that Irish people have," says McKenna, who is on tour in the United States for her latest book, "Clodagh's Kitchen Diaries."

"We are really good at laughing, and we're very relaxed in our own skin. We don't have to be anybody we're not. Maybe other people enjoy those traits."

Here are some of McKenna's favorite spots to celebrate St. Patrick's Day this Sunday -- and she wouldn't mind visiting these places any time of year:

Dublin, Ireland: Dublin is where McKenna makes her home now. One of her favorite spots is Johnnie Fox's pub, in the Dublin Mountains about 30 minutes from the city center. It's always jammed with people enjoying "the really fun Irish dancing and great food."

On the holiday, "it's madness," she says. "I like having people over for lunch and then going there after." Reservations are recommended any time of year.

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First-time visitors to Dublin should also head to the Guinness Storehouse, the top tourist attraction in Ireland, she says. "I love going there. There's a twisted stairway going all the way up to the top; you see all the history of Guinness. When you're going up, you can see Guinness wasn't just a drink, it was Dublin.

"At the top is the very best bar in the city, where I've had the best Guinness I've ever tasted in my life and a whole view of Dublin city."

Galway, Ireland: A thatched cottage about 15 minutes outside Galway, Moran's Oyster Cottage serves local oysters and other seafood to rave reviews. The 250-year-old family-run business is operated by the seventh generation of Morans. (The liquor license dates back to the 1700s, and the pub survived changes in the local fishing industry by adding seafood to its menu in the 1960s.)

"They serve the best oysters in Ireland, and in England, too," McKenna says. "The music sessions there are really, really, really fantastic. They have fresh oysters, Guinness pies and the atmosphere -- it feels like you're a time warp. In the summertime, they have tables outside right on the water."

New York: Just 18 with a few college credits to her name, McKenna left Ireland to finish her college education at New York University. She remembers once brunching at a restaurant at Grand Central Station and heading outside to watch the city's raucous parade.

In the Big Apple over the holiday this year to promote her new book, McKenna will join New York restaurateur Danny Meyer in hosting a pop-up restaurant at the Whitney Museum on Saturday night.

Monaco: The tiny principality's ties to Ireland come through the late Princess Grace, whose grandfather lived in County Mayo.

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McKenna has visited Monaco several times and recommends the St. Patrick's Day evening harp concert organized by the Princess Grace Irish Library. Prince Albert II will then light the palace facade in green, followed by musicians playing Irish music for a public audience.

Savannah, Georgia: Clodagh hasn't made it yet to this Southern U.S. city for St. Patrick's Day, but her sister-in-law, Erin McKenna, has told her it's the best place in the world for the festivities. And since an estimated 250,000 people poured into the streets of Savannah for last year's St. Patrick's Day celebration, it seems many revelers agree.

Beer taps and fountains run green in this city known for historic mansions and Southern chef Paula Deen. This Saturday's parade, the 189th annual event in Savannah, will feature more than 350 units, including several U.S. military divisions, the Irish Air Corps Pipes and Drums from Dublin and the Budweiser Clydesdales.

Celebrate wherever you are: While studying at NYU, a young Clodagh had a Brazilian friend offer the perfect spring break option, a house in Miami Beach. She didn't take St. Patrick's Day into consideration and certainly didn't expect to find Ireland taking over the Ocean Drive scene in South Beach.

"All along the strip, the bars were all turned into Irish dancing pubs on the night of St. Patrick's. I had so much fun teaching a lot of (people) how to Irish dance.

"That's when I realized St. Patrick's Day is actually celebrated everywhere."

Ireland's writers return home for inspiration

Via: Irish chef's picks for St. Paddy's fun