In ship shape

So, it's the new year, and not much seems to have changed for me... seems like an extension of a montage of time. But, hey, it's now 2018 officially, and we need to relook certain goals in the context of a re-imagined beginning of a new era. Yasmin Karachiwala is a fitness trainer for Bollywood stars - the ones who set benchmarks for us to get all motivated. While we may wonder and aspire, Yasmin knows the ropes: she's the one who actually gets the shape-shifting going. In our cover feature this time, we speak to the woman about her experiences with fitness, and what it takes to be on the top of the game. Maybe your new year goals - and mine - can be aligned with what Yasmin has to say about sticking to a plan.
The Sajan brothers - Rizwan and Anis - of the Danube Group are always in the news in this part of the world. Taking a break from business, the duo speak to us about how they click together as a winning team. Unlike many other siblings who have major fallouts in family-run businesses, these two are brothers-in-arms, who have survived the long haul... and how. In another feature, author Emma Donoghue, of Room fame, chips in with her observations on how being boxed in - whether inside a room or a mindscape - is something we need to break out of. What's it like to be super tall? Seattle-based Matt Rody is 6 feet 7 inches tall, and he's invariably getting a barrage of inane questions thrown at him; also, he has to deal with sweeping assumptions everyone around makes: like, why is he not a great basketball player given his height? I'm not talented enough, he offers, but that's not a reasonable explanation it turns out. Find out more hilarious stuff Matt has to encounter on a daily basis.
Travel takes us to the lush Coorg district in Karnataka, India; discover why it's a sanctuary for your senses. Bollywood does a flashback to the top spinners of the year that's gone by. Kitchen Classics has a tryst with oats; yes, don't pull a face - oats can be delicious and very chic, and value-add to an array of dishes... so quit thinking of it as a dull cereal only meant to be gulped down at breakfast time. Our Beauty section brings you the best products for the ultimate skin care routine. All this and much more...

Enjoy reading WKND and have a great weekend.
sushmita@khaleejtimes.com