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Hong Kong Book Fair: David Tang interviews AA Gill, Nicholas Coleridge
Japan savors its 'Nadeshiko' World Cup heroes
Soul-soothing trips, swimming stroke invented, smokeless bars in Tokyo
Gallery: Chinese bee-man is most attractive
10 trips to soothe your soul
Bangkok's best Thai massages
最佳孟買必逛的商店
New swimming stroke 'invented' in China
Tokyo's best smoke-free drinking spots
5 omakase restaurants in Singapore

Hong Kong Book Fair: David Tang interviews AA Gill, Nicholas Coleridge

Posted: 18 Jul 2011 03:14 AM PDT

Sir David Tang, of Shanghai Tang and The China Club fame, is moderating the "How and What and Why do Writers Write?" forum at the Hong Kong Book Fair.

The speakers are an impressive group of headliners from the British literary circle: food critic and essayist, AA Gill; intrepid food writer and son to the Duchess of Cornwall, Tom Parker Bowles; novelist and VP of Condé Naste International, Nicholas Coleridge, as well as respected historian Dr. David Starkey.

The forum, to be held on July 22 at 6 p.m., will only last two hours. Hardly enough time for us to get enough of this gang of eloquent opinionators. Luckily, Tang has interviewed each of them as a precursor to the event, going some way to satiate our appetite for their talents in discourse.

Japan savors its 'Nadeshiko' World Cup heroes

Posted: 18 Jul 2011 01:22 AM PDT

"Stunning, amazing, unbelievable." That's how Japanese players and fans alike described Japan's victory over the United States in the women's World Cup soccer final on penalty kicks after a two-all tie.

It was one of the most dramatic victories in Japanese sports history, and it showed the world the resilience of Japan's people, especially its women, after one of the worst natural disasters in history.

While 50,000 spectators packed a sold-out stadium in Frankfurt, Germany, fans crammed into sports bars in Tokyo all night, while many in homes across Japan rose at 3:45 a.m. to watch the historic match live on TV.

Soul-soothing trips, swimming stroke invented, smokeless bars in Tokyo

Posted: 18 Jul 2011 12:24 AM PDT

Gallery: Chinese bee-man is most attractive

Posted: 17 Jul 2011 09:10 PM PDT

An apiarist in Yunnan province allows 26 kilos of bees to swarm over his whole body

In what must be one of the world's most curious activities, two men in Yunan province have gone head-to-head to see who is most attractive to bees.

Lu Kongjiang and Wang Dalin, both beekeepers, each stood on a set of scales in shorts and swimming goggles, together with a queen bee, and waited for the buzz to build.

Wang Dalin eventually took home the spoils, having attracted 26.9 kilos of bees in one hour.

The world record for the heaviest mantle of bees is held by Vipin Seth, from India, who was able to hold 61.4 kilos of bees in March 2009, according to Guinness World Records.

10 trips to soothe your soul

Posted: 17 Jul 2011 07:16 PM PDT

If it's inner peace, rejuvenation and enlightenment you're after –- together with a new passport stamp -– take to the road for these spiritually uplifting experiences.

They promise to bear fruit long after you return home.

1. Amarnath Cave Trek: Kashmir, India

This annual pilgrimage takes place every summer -- depending on the political situation -- high in the mountains of Kashmir.

Thousands of devotees walk to the Amarnath Cave to see the Shiva-lingam, a miraculous phallic-shaped manifestation of the Hindu God Lord Shiva (formed by an ice stalagmite). As legend has it, Shiva came here to share the secret of eternity with his bride Parvati.

Bangkok's best Thai massages

Posted: 17 Jul 2011 06:56 PM PDT

Traditional Thai massages in Bangkok run the gamut from 180-baht-an-hour back rubs on Khao San Road to deluxe pampering at a posh hotel spa that can burn a hole some 20 times bigger in your pocket.

Somewhere in between, a host of stand-alone spas in the capital offer worthy treatments in soothing surroundings that leave plenty of change for the taxi fare home.

More on CNNGo: Thai massage, the lazy man's yoga

最佳孟買必逛的商店

Posted: 17 Jul 2011 05:00 PM PDT

在孟買逛街，每個人的目標一致：找圍巾、涼鞋與精神上的滿足。雖然追求的都是一樣，可是沒有人希望自己像其他人得到一樣的手信，去一樣的地方。我們需要一些更獨特的選擇。

從標誌性的到原創的手工製品，以下孟買必逛商店裡的十大手信：

Bombay Electric: 新奇的 Pashmina 羊絨圍巾

羊絨圍巾是很受歡迎的手信，送給男生或女生作手信都適合。可是，你大概會擔心碰到黑店，苦惱羊絨成分的真偽。

來到孟買，就別在慢慢尋寶碰運氣，直接看真好的吧！

Bombay Electric 的 Anupamaa 羊絨圍巾是我們的最愛，滿佈色彩繽紛的紮染圖案（約10,500盧布，即 1,835 港元），絕對貨真價實。

想要低調一點的款式，就要在 Bombay Electric 眾多的圍巾架上挑選。

祝你好運，披肩一件比一件纖細柔軟，一件比一件好看，只會愈來愈難下決定。

我們可以給你一些精選建議包括 Kashmir Loom 的彩虹間條 pashmina、Women Weave 的手造 khadi 圍巾、以及帶別緻暗紋又特別柔軟的 Pashmina （約8,000-12,000盧布，即1,400 - 2,100 港元）。

Bombay Electric, 1 Reay House, Best Marg, Colaba; +91 (0) 22 2287 6276

New swimming stroke 'invented' in China

Posted: 17 Jul 2011 02:57 PM PDT

Gao Jinlong arrives for the interview by moped, typical transportation for the thrifty Shanghainese.

Wearing glasses, striped blue shirt and black trousers, he looks a little chubby for an amateur swimmer.

"I don't swim anymore," Gao admits. "It's costly to swim in Shanghai. Besides, my own stroke can be stolen by the others if I swim in public pools too often."

(Editor's note: The 14th FINA World Championships is running in Shanghai from July 16-31. Check out the 5 best events to catch at the two-week long competition.)

Tokyo's best smoke-free drinking spots

Posted: 17 Jul 2011 02:55 PM PDT

Tokyo is known for its thriving bar scene -- its eclectic, stimulating, incredibly smoky bar scene.

After all, a country where the government owns a 50 percent stake in the largest cigarette supplier (Japan Tobacco) will always be thus.

But, there's a small and growing number of establishments that let you get your drink on without taking a chaser of carcinogen-loaded smoke. Better yet, many specialize in quality brews that wouldn't disgrace a German bierkeller.

5 omakase restaurants in Singapore

Posted: 17 Jul 2011 02:55 PM PDT

When you say omakase, or "it's up to you", in a Japanese restaurant, you are, in essence, entrusting the entire dinner experience to the chef.

The chef then deftly crafts a series of courses -- usually comprising sushi, sashimi, grilled and/or simmered dishes -- using the freshest Japanese ingredients he has in store.

But while Japanese-sourced ingredients were prized in the past, many Singaporeans have shied from these in the wake of recent events.

With strict checks in place on imports from the disaster-hit Kanto region, Japanese restaurants were left scrambling to source ingredients from alternative venues, both in and outside Japan.