Latest news with #TheAlchemist
New Indian Express
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- New Indian Express
Cinema Without Borders: Prosaic verses—Un Poeta
Soto pushes in some amusing moments. Like the mention of The Alchemist leading onto an intellectual argument about Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Paulo Coelho or how Oscar's mother keeps telling him to not take her car. But he still does. There is the universally appealing philosophical discussion on poetry itself, about having the sensitivity to discover poetry in unusual places and trying to seek poetry in everything, even the most banal words. But the most compelling is the portrayal of Oscar's self-pride. I am a poet, he retorts at the offer of a new job, declining it for writing a book instead. But then where is the money in books? This fundamental query sits at the heart of poetic darkness so to speak. The standout aspect is how the screenplay moves on the father-daughter relationship dynamic. Oscar has been estranged from his wife and daughter Daniella, offers to help her with college education but only to borrow five bucks from her, in turn. A young, underprivileged teenager, Yurlady, fills two major gaps in his life. At one level she is a proxy daughter figure. At another, her talent in penning verses is reminiscent of his own early glory days. She is an unexpected ally. It brings joy and sunshine to his bleak existence as he seeks self-fulfilment in her success. Mentoring her gives him a sense of purpose. But in being her guide to the world of poetry he also takes her to zones and spaces she is not meant to venture into, at her age.
The Sun
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
The 17 best bars and restaurants with stunning panoramic views across the UK this summer – is one near you?
FROM the bright lights of Liverpool, to London landmarks and waterfront locations, these bars and restaurants have some of the best views in the country. Whether a hearty meal is what you're after, or a summer cocktail, Design My Night has revealed the places to book if you want one with a view. 7 7 Cocktails taste better than if there's a view to marvel over, which is why The Alchemist is a popular spot in Leeds. The bar is tucked away on the second floor of Leeds ' Trinity shopping centre, and is considered an unorthodox cocktail bar. Outside you can sip on an Espresso Martini and take in the city sights from the heated terrace. There's also a winning pocket-friendly food menu inspired by worldwide cuisines if you get peckish. The Aviary Rooftop Bar and Restaurant is one of the most sought-after destinations in the heart of London. It's described as the 'ultimate rooftop experience' where you can take in views over the London skyline. Up on the 10th floor there's lots of comfy seating and even luxe igloos. There are specially crafted cocktails as well as a huge list of spirits including 27 types of gin. For anyone who fancies the views and a meal, if you book a Sunday roast for 90 minutes, you can get bottomless red wine for £30pp. In Newcastle, you'll find The Botanist, a rooftop haven for anyone who loves vintage interior and quirky cocktails. The UK's best beach bar – with DJ sets, sunset views and signature cocktails 7 7 Head up to the rooftop that has a domed glass ceiling or outside on the terrace. You can try The Plant Pot cocktail recommended by the bartender with bourbon, amaretto, kiwi puree and honey. If that hasn't persuaded you yet, the Botanist offers Happy Hour from Monday to Friday 4pm - 7pm . During this time you can get any 2 Cocktails for £15.95. All pints are £4.95 and get a bottle of house wine or fizz for £15.95. Over on the outskirts of Liverpool is the stunning Lakehouse. Its location on Crosby Coastal Park means you get beautiful views over the water from the terrace. Whether you head out after a long day at work, or meet up with friends, it's recommended you sit outside and take in the views at sunset. They don't just offer tasty drinks, there's lots of dishes too like shakshuka and homemade American buttermilk pancakes. One very popular seaside location is the Palm Court Restaurant on Brighton Palace Pier. It's location on the promenade means it's suspended above the water and has panoramic seaside views. Of course it offers champion fish, from cod and chips to a scampi basket, and you can head there after taking on the slots in the arcade. The Chaophraya in Edinburgh has views of Edinburgh Castle and Firth of Forth and golden hour is simply unmatched on the rooftop. It's a contemporary Thai restaurant where you can enjoy a sharing set menu and cocktails like a Chiang Mai Old Fashioned and 1942 Martini. 7 One visitor wrote on Tripadvisor: "Wonderful food in beautiful surroundings with amazing views over the city." Another added: "The view with the sunset was priceless! We will be back when we have another trip to Edinburgh!" Bristol is home to one of the top places to eat with a view in the UK - Riverstation The restaurant sits on the waterfront and has a balcony and terrace that you can enjoy in the warm weather. The inside is equally lovely with warm interior and huge windows so you can still enjoy the landscape from the inside. Another riverfront location is in London at Vicinity. It's right across from Tower Bridge so you can see it in all its glory around a fire pit. As one of the most affordable London restaurants with a view, it's got a menu starring stone-baked pizzas and burgers as well as an extensive cocktail menu. You'll find the Windows Restaurant in the Carlton George Hotel in Glasgow, where you can enjoy some of the best views in Scotland. It's in the heart of the city so you can stare out at the historic landmarks. The restaurant offers everything from breakfast, lunch, dinner and afternoon tea. 7 The Alchemist in Manchester also has incredible views and you can even get a cherry fog bubble cocktail to go with them. Make sure to head out onto the terrace to take some great pictures of the city which lights up in the evenings. Liverpool's Gino D'Acampo was brought to you by the celebrity chef himself. It's one of the best Italian restaurants in the city and has a 360 Sky Bar. If you go between 3-6pm on Sunday to Thursday, you'll hit Happy Hour. A short drive from Bristol is what's been called 'punter's paradise', aka, The Windmill Inn, in Portishead. It dishes out homemade food and has incredible views of the coast whether you're inside or out. If you don't just want great views, but also want a party, Wagtail Rooftop Bar and Restaurant is for you. Inside the art deco building is plush seating and fancy food that really feels like you're a VIP. And thanks to its late-night license, it also has resident a DJ and evening parties. In Manchester is 20 Stories, which is a bar that is literally 20 storeys high. The high-style destination is at the top of Spinningfields and has sweeping views which you can take in on the large outdoor terrace that's covered in natural greenery. Over in Bath is the Square Grill House & Piano Bar which has views o the impressive Bath Abbey, and inside it's decorated with plenty of flowers and foliage. There are lots of dishes from Italian pasta to whole lobsters and as for drinks there's an extensive wine menu. This bar is all in the name, which is Panoramic 34. It's in Liverpool and has incredible sights at every turn from the city to River Mersey. It offers indulgent afternoon tea, top-quality wine and has great food in the fine dining restaurant. 7
The Hindu
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Bookgasm and The Lit People make reading fun in Hyderabad
While most of the city is settling in for a lazy lunch on a Sunday afternoon, a bunch of strangers-turned-book-lovers are gathered at a cosy café — hungry for conversation, not food. This is Bookgasm, a six-month-old book club by Bengaluru-based Oopar Club, a physical social network. But it is not your usual book club. It is part of a larger effort to build communities around shared interests — whether it is reading, music, dance or sport, and turn solitary hobbies into something more social. Sagar Agarwal, who started Bookgasm, says it came from a simple thought: 'People would show up with their own books and read quietly.' As an avid reader himself, he realised that the real joy came not just from reading, but from sharing perspectives. 'You take away one thing from a book, someone else sees it completely differently, and that is the fun bit.' So Bookgasm was set up to spark proper, structured conversation. Each session is themed, with curated excerpts from a couple of books — modern or classic, fiction or non-fiction. For example, one session explored the idea of enlightenment through Osho's Krishna and Coelho's The Alchemist. 'Both books tackled the same idea but from completely different cultural standpoints,' says Sagar. The format is open, inclusive and lightly moderated to keep things flowing. Around 25 people usually show up to each session, held every other Sunday at 12.30pm in cafés (details avaliable on their app) around Hyderabad and Bengaluru. While Bookgasm now has over 500 members, the vibe remains intimate and laidback. 'At Oopar, we are not just building spaces for conversation, we are building connection,' says Sagar. Bookgasm has become a place where strangers turn into mates, where reading is not just solitary but social. Bookgasm is hosted every alternate Sunday at 12:30pm across cafés and restaurants. With an experiential approach Imagine this: an author drops in for a book club session to share behind-the-scenes stories, a sketch artist teaches you how to draw Manga, or a history professor joins to bust a few myths. That is The Lit People for you — a four-month-old book club that is not just about reading, but about experience-led, thoughtful engagement. Founded by book lovers Kalpana Sinha and Unnati Ved, The Lit People is trying to break the mould of typical book clubs. Before launching in February, the duo spent time researching existing clubs in the city — understanding what worked, what did not, and how they could offer something more layered and meaningful. They also introduced a membership model to keep the sessions intentional and engaging. There are two options — an annual plan for ₹7,650 or a two-book, two-event starter for ₹2,295. 'We didn't want it to be just another free-for-all where no one reads the book. The idea is to keep it structured and respectful of everyone's time,' says Unnati, who left a finance job in 2017 to start Eager Kids, a creative reading club for children and teens. At Eager Kids, young readers do not just read books, they also participate in activities based on the book's themes. Unnati wanted adults to experience this, too. So when she casually mentioned the idea at a party hosted by Kalpana — her senior from Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies (NMIMS) Mumbai — the spark caught fire. And it is not just aimed at seasoned readers. 'We want to include people who want to read but are not sure how to begin,' says Kalpana. Their very first event, based on Dear Mrs Bird, featured a surprise guest: author AJ Pearce herself, who joined virtually. Fifty readers at the Centre for Organisation and Development were treated to a lively, interactive session. The venues shift depending on the book's theme, and food is always part of the experience, making it equal parts literary and social. To keep the momentum going, Unnati sends daily insights and trivia via WhatsApp to help readers connect more deeply with the book. For their Circe session on May 18, she sent an image of an ancient scroll that had readers guessing the chapters connected to the Greek myth. Next up? A session with history professor Anindita Mukhopadhyay, who will be myth-busting as the group dives into Circe. The Lit People meet on the third Saturday of every month.
Tatler Asia
13-05-2025
- Tatler Asia
10 books about travel that will spark your wanderlust
2. 'Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail' by Cheryl Strayed Above 'Wild From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail' by Cheryl Strayed (Photo: Vintage) Cheryl Strayed's memoir is more than a tale of hiking boots and blisters. Traversing over a thousand miles of the Pacific Crest Trail alone, she unpacks grief, failure and the slow, healing rhythm of putting one foot in front of the other. Wild stands out among books about travel for its raw honesty—this is not a romanticised journey, but one that earns its transformation mile by gruelling mile. 3. 'The Alchemist' by Paulo Coelho Above 'The Alchemist' by Paulo Coelho (Photo: HarperOne) Paulo Coelho's philosophical tale of a young Andalusian shepherd who dreams of treasure in the Egyptian pyramids has become a global touchstone for spiritual seekers. Along the way, Santiago meets desert dwellers, merchants and mystics. While some roll their eyes at its aphorisms, it remains an enduring reminder that the most compelling books about travel are often the ones that take you inward as much as outward. 4. 'The Lost City of Z' by David Grann Above 'The Lost City of Z' by David Grann (Photo: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group) A gripping blend of biography and historical adventure, this non-fiction narrative follows British explorer Percy Fawcett's obsessive quest for a mythical city in the Amazon. David Grann interweaves Fawcett's journals with his own trek into the jungle, revealing the line between ambition and madness. For fans of perilous expeditions, this is one of those books about travel that reads like a fever dream. 5. 'A Year in Provence' by Peter Mayle Above 'A Year in Provence' by Peter Mayle (Photo: Vintage) Peter Mayle's memoir of buying a farmhouse in Provence is less about adventure and more about immersion. With dry humour and a keen eye for detail, he chronicles the region's eccentric locals, seasonal rituals and culinary pleasures. The book doesn't shy away from the bureaucratic and logistical headaches of relocation, making it a grounded yet charming addition to any collection of books about travel. 6. 'A Cook's Tour' by Anthony Bourdain Above 'A Cook's Tour' by Anthony Bourdain (Photo: Bloomsbury Publishing) Long before he became a global icon, Anthony Bourdain wrote A Cook's Tour —a globe-spanning, sharp-tongued food memoir that proves cuisine is one of the most intimate ways to know a place. From the markets of Vietnam to a Russian military base, his prose is as raw and unsentimental as the meals he describes. It's one of the few books about travel that reads with the bite of noir fiction. 7. 'The God of Small Things' by Arundhati Roy Above 'The God of Small Things' by Arundhati Roy (Photo: Random House Trade Paperbacks) While not a travelogue, Arundhati Roy's Booker Prize-winning novel is steeped in place. Set in Kerala, India, it offers a lush, tragic portrait of childhood, caste and forbidden love. The setting is inseparable from the narrative, described with such sensuality and specificity that readers unfamiliar with the region will feel they've been dropped into its monsoon-soaked heart. This is a literary reminder that some books about travel don't involve a plane ticket. 8. 'Under the Tuscan Sun' by Frances Mayes Above 'Under the Tuscan Sun' by Frances Mayes (Photo: Bantam) Frances Mayes' memoir of restoring an abandoned villa in Tuscany walks a fine line between reverie and reality. Her love of Italian food, landscape and architecture spills across the pages, but so do her frustrations with Italian bureaucracy and renovation woes. Less about travel and more about building a life abroad, it remains a favourite among readers seeking books about travel that blend aspiration with authenticity. 9. 'Into the Wild' by Jon Krakauer Above 'Into the Wild' by Jon Krakauer (Photo: Anchor Books) Christopher McCandless' fatal journey into the Alaskan wilderness has become mythologised—equal parts cautionary tale and manifesto. Jon Krakauer's investigation raises questions about freedom, recklessness and the modern craving for solitude. As far as books about travel go, it's one of the most haunting, probing not only what it means to venture far from home, but why some people feel they must. 10. 'Eat, Pray, Love' by Elizabeth Gilbert Above 'Eat, Pray, Love' by Elizabeth Gilbert (Photo: Riverhead Books) Often imitated, occasionally derided and widely beloved, Elizabeth Gilbert's memoir traces her post-divorce pilgrimage through Italy, India and Bali. Though it sparked a wave of self-discovery tourism, the book itself is self-aware, funny and emotionally intelligent. It's a reminder that books about travel can serve as both map and mirror, showing not just where we might go, but who we might become along the way.
Time of India
05-05-2025
- General
- Time of India
Western Self-Help Books and Their Unseen Hindu Roots
Today a great many self-help books by western authors are in wide circulation working as soup for the soul. Books like ' The Secret ' by Rhonda Byrne, ' The Alchemist ' by Paulo Cehlo, ' You Can Heal Your Life ' by Louise Hay, 'Power of Subconscious Mind' by Joseph Murphy, 'Millionaire's Secret' by Mark Fisher, sold millions of copies and shaped the thoughts and actions of countless people across the globe. Beneath most of these self-help books, beneath the voices of these authors and their words, lies the silent wisdom of Hindu philosophy . For example, at the heart of the book 'The Secret' is something called ' Law of Attraction ,' which means your thoughts and feelings act as a "magnet". People experience and come across circumstances that dominate them. While this may appear something new and fascinating, this idea is inspired from Bhagavad Gita (Chapter 17, Verse 3): "All that we are, arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts, we make the world." by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Serdang: Beautiful New Senior Apartments with Two Bedrooms - Check Them Out! Senior Living Apartments | Search Ads Search Now In this book, Byrne Gautam Budhha is quoted as saying: 'All that we are is the result of what we have thought.' The same idea finds echo in (Dhammapada Verse 1 & 2): A person is made of their faith. Whatever one believes, that they become." In 'The Millionaire's Secret' Mark Fisher a character is in distress because he lost money. Then he started repeating the mantra, 'Be at peace and know that I am God.' Then something strange began to happen.' The idea that a human being is God–"Tat Tvam Asi" (You are That) comes from Chandogya Upanishad (6.8.7)– and this is something alien to the Abrahamic religion. At one place the author Fisher suggests to the character: 'completing each day what they must accomplish not caring about rewards for their actions even though they may apply themselves heart and soul…' This is lifted straight from Bhagavad Gita. Similarly, 'The Alchemist' by Paulo Coelho is sprinkled with Hindu philosophical thought. It says: 'The boy reached through to the Soul of the World, and saw that it was part of the Soul of God. And he saw that the Soul of God was his own soul.' This comes from The Gita (v 10.8): 'I am the source of all spiritual and material worlds. Everything emanates from Me. The wise, knowing this, worship Me with love and devotion.' In much the same vein, the essence of the message 'You Can Heal Yourself' is aligned with the philosophical ideas of Hinduism. Louise Hay says, 'You have the power to heal your life, and you need to know that. We think so often that we are helpless, but we're not. We always have the power of our minds…Claim and consciously use your power.' This has been told centuries ago in Ashtanga Hridayam: "The body is a product of the mind. When the mind is disturbed, disease manifests. When the mind is calm and positive, the body remains healthy." Yoga Vasistha (6.1.36) says, "The mind alone is the cause of bondage and liberation. A disturbed mind causes illness, while a calm mind brings health and peace." One thought which is now common among the self help-guru is that we all are connected, we are one. This idea appears very strange as to how we are connected and how we harm ourselves when we injure others. Now let us dive into Hindu scriptures. Brihadaranyaka Upanishad (1.4.8) says "He who loves himself should not harm others, for the Self in all is the same." In the book 'The Celestine Prophecy' James Redfield says, 'The universe is energy, energy that responds to our expectations.' We find an exact parallel to this in Yoga Vasistha (2.3.19), "Everything in the universe is vibrating consciousness, appearing as matter." The same book (Yoga Vasistha 5.13.14) says, "The universe is like a mirror, reflecting back the thoughts and expectations of the mind." Thus we turn to self-help books for guidance, unaware that many basic premises have been borrowed from the Hindu scriptures written millennia ago. While these books give us strength to face the challenges of the daily world, if we take time to delve into Hindu philosophical works, we would come across an ocean of wisdom that transcends time. Authored by: Asif Jalal - IPS Officer (Himachal Pradesh Cadre) 'Some people were always intolerant, Hindus are not': Javed Akhtar says Hinduism gave India democracy
