From Samrat Reddy's drunken monkey to the lights of Beirut - your weekend fix

Drunken Monkey Founder and CEO Samrat Reddy says he loves sports as it can teach people the value of hard work and the ability to handle wins and losses. Be it basketball, which has helped him develop focus, or scuba diving that helps him relax, the founder of the smoothie empire has found a sweet spot to regroup outside work.

Nandini Vaidyanathan is a startup mentor, author, teacher, columnist, climber and trekker. She is also Chairman and Managing Director of CARMa Ventures, and author of Start up, Stand up. She joins YS Weekender in an interview on the challenges and opportunities of entrepreneurship, the role of mentors, and investment approaches.

As Director at Azure Hospitality, Rahul Khanna has played an intrinsic part in founding Mamagoto, Sly Granny besides several other projects. He is a student of Ecole Hôtelière De Lausanne, Switzerland, and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in International hospitality management. Having worked with Mandarin Oriental and Jumeirah in London, Hong Kong and Dubai, he is an expert on knowledge of the conceptualising of design-oriented food and beverage outlets. He speaks about his greatest loves, regrets, heroes and more in response to our Proust questionnaire.

The Turks love their meats, spices, and cheeses, but the olive is at the heart of Turkish cuisine. A culinary journey through the delightful foods of Turkey shows why they are so popular now. Classic Turkish cooking is characterised by a light hand with the spice jar, buttressed by time-tested methods of grilling food over charcoal. While we pride ourselves on our tandoors, it is probably fair to say that Turkish barbecuing methods have a far wider reach by leaving an indelible impression on culinary techniques from Tokyo to Manhattan.

We need emotional intelligence because it determines our ability to work with ourselves and others and, therefore, our chances of success. The emotionally intelligent put in conscious effort to resist becoming a slave to one’s emotions. They instead try to achieve a balanced state of mind. Some of us might need a minute, others might need a day or a week - but it’s the pause that allows swirling thoughts to align and make good decisions. Check out some of the important strategies of emotionally intelligent people.

Beirut is a modern, bustling city which has risen from the ravages of war, time and time again. A short trip offers a satisfying smorgasbord for the tourist wanting to pack in as much as he can in a matter of few days. Beirut’s cultural cohesion attracts and enthralls anyone who wants to enjoy a blend of old architecture and new influences. There is also the sun, the sea, the sand and the beauty of the mountains to enjoy. There’s history too, and a culture that is still thankfully, undiluted by the wave of modernism that’s fast sweeping through this beautiful city.

Now get the Daily Capsule in your inbox. Subscribe to our newsletter today!