Successfully surpassing immense human challenges often acts as a springboard for further exploration into the abyss. Launching the first man into space inevitably lead to NASA’s successful attempts to place a man on the moon. In 700 BC, work began on the Great Wall of China; this year a Chinese firm built a 57 storey building in just 19 days. However, it is extremely rare to stumble across a challenge that consistently remains a formidable test of humans capabilities. Competitively racing, flat-out, on the edge of your seat for 24-hours remains a staggering assessment of endurance and determination. Welcome to Le Mans.

The race originated from the town Le Mans (North-West France) in 1923 and has remained a huge event on the racing calendar ever since. Despite a modern era of carbon-fibre brakes, grippy tyres and various driver-aids the race is still equally regarded as an endurance test for the vehicle. 18 of the 55 cars that started the 2015 event failed to finish. Unlike Formula One, Le Mans cars are remarkably similar to those used everyday on the road. Therefore, that connection between the spectator and the driver is considerably stronger than in other categories of racing.

‘The Le Mans Start’

Le Mans is also renowned for its standing start. Used up until 1970, competitors would see the flag drop signalling the start of the race but before hundreds of horsepower could be utilised racing drivers would have to run from the start-finish straight into their vehicles. Obviously, with safety concerns the famous ‘Le Mans’ start was eventually stopped.

The mixture of the grid is yet another unique feature of Le Mans. Where else in the world would you find a motor race containing huge manufacturers, professional racing teams and amateurs? In 2007, BBC presenters Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May took part in the 24-hour endurance race broadcasting that amateur element to millions of viewers across the globe. Their involvement resulted in shredded tyres, a high-speed accident and various mechanical disasters providing that humorous element that runs parallel with the competitiveness.

Le Mans: Over the Years

Similar to the immense challenges facing the drivers, the race has consistently prevailed in the face of adversity. Years before F1, Le Mans addressed the issue of safety. In the 1955 Le Mans race, 80 spectators were tragically killed when a vehicle crashed into the crowd. The introduction of safety measures failed to weaken the personal challenge as whilst the race became safer, the cars also became much faster.

The oil crisis in the early 1970’s, caused Le Mans’ organisers to emphasize fuel economy limiting the amount of fuel each car was allowed. The decision actually forced teams to spend less time in the garage and resulted in some important technological discoveries in fuel sources.

To curb the rise of huge manufacturers and prevent the event turning into a commercial show-piece, Le Mans introduced a cost-cap in 2011. Similarly, the future of Le Mans appears one of continued realism. Organisers claim their main objective for 2017 is the ability for teams to acquire a better car for a lower budget.

Le Mans’ regulations may have changed but despite nearly a century of technological development, the iconic race remains a stubborn test of both a human’s and vehicle’s resolve.

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This week posts by a practicing lawyer are taking Instagram by storm. Serge Najjar, a Lebanese photographer with a PhD in finance law, takes photographs on Instagram to look as though they are incredible works of art, when in fact they are nothing but quotidian life in Lebanon. Najjar discovered photography only four years ago when his mother enrolled himself and his brother in an art class her friend was teaching. The class needed another two students for it to go ahead and so she offered. “It’s very typical of the Lebanese mother, very present in her children’s lives. I was 37!” Najjar said but admitted he felt he had an inherent ability to “sense when an art piece is good.” Straight away he became obsessed with architecture and said he wanted his photographs to draw on constructivism, Parisienne avant-garde and MC Escher.

When the Lebanese photographer started posting on Instagram, the pictures caught the attention of one of the curators of Instagram who has used it online ever since. On a typical day he rises at 5am and drives to nondescript places to take pictures. He admitted he has to convince security guards he is not a spy as tensions rise in the Middle East.

Najjar wants the aim of his photographs to show that art is not about what you see but how you see it.

He admitted that architecture is not exciting in Lebanon but that he still wants his work to challenge his viewer’s assumptions and make interesting buildings look like art through Instagram. He said he wants to “examine the thin line between ugly and the beautiful; between ordinary and extraordinary, chaos and order and reality and abstraction.” When asked about the use of people in his photography, he said that it added “scale and warmth to the architecture” while hiding the context of the buildings helped emphasise the abstract qualities.

Instagram photographer posts Lebanese Architecture, made interesting by filtering.

Follow Serge Najjar on Instagram here.

Instagram: In April 2015 Serge Najjar posted this popular minimalism building.

Instagram: A man in full flight over floating buildings.

Instagram: The man on the move through floating buildings proved to be one of the popular photographs on Serge Najjar’s Instagram account.

Instagram: The hiding man on Instagram, Najjar shows the effects of shadowing and shading.  The contrast in this photography is simply amazing. He allows the light to lead you  

Instagram: Serge Najjar gets his viewers on Instagram to think about his photography, you do more than glance at his pictures.

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Any ‘trekkie’ fans who would like to witness the gigantic spaceship for real? Now you know where to go. A Chinese millionaire has come up with an office block in the shape of Star Trek’s USS Enterprise in the south-eastern Chinese city of Changle.

Chinese company NetDragon Websoft’s founder, 43-year-old Liu Dejian, has spent a whopping $133.6 million to build this 260-meter long, 100-meter wide structure, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Google Maps provides an aerial view of this massive architectural wonder.

The building was “inspired by the USS Enterprise NCC-1701-E” from the ‘Star Trek’ movies in the late 1990s and early 2000s, The Daily Mail reported. However, the internet is flooded with discussions among trekkies about which spaceship from the Star Trek series does it resemble.

Mr Liu, 43, founded NetDragon Websoft, Inc in 1999 and the firm has experienced rapid growth in the online game development industry. Despite a degree in Chemistry, Mr Liu has always been fascinated by technology and whilst at university created a unique website for the marketing of softwares. It appears this passion for technology has filtered from his professional career into his personal life with an obsession for Star Trek. It is certainly one of the most unique buildings in Asia; a structure few architects could possibly imagine.

Star Trek as a franchise can boast a following few can rival. Even during the 1970’s, conventions held in the United States received remarkable attendance figures and in the 1990’s an estimated 2 million people religiously watched Star Trek every week. China, with it’s up and down relationship with the West, has only caught on to ‘trekkie’ mania during the current generation. Surely, Mr Liu has just staked a claim to be the biggest Star Trek fan ever; a claim that should prove difficult to match!

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People craving for limelight are many but those relinquishing it are few. And those leaving the glamour world to go down the path of spirituality are even fewer. But Barkha Madan is a natural actress who has embraced the life of a Buddhist monk and has decided to live an anonymous life far away from the public eye.

Barkha Madan was a very popular TV personality and known face in the Bollywood industry before a couple of years ago she decided to become a Buddhist nun. Captivated by the Dalai Lama’s charm, Barkha moved to the small Himalayan city of Kathmandu in 2012.  With her decision, Barkha claims to have become the first woman outside the Himalayan region to become a Buddhist nun. Barkha is also the first Indian actress to have given up her acting career to become a Buddhist monk.

Barkha Madan: The Bollywood Sensation

Now Barkha is back, to promote her last movie “Surkhaab” in India. Her movie received numerous accolades in the US and Canada in 2012. The movie, however, after an 18 months wait is all set to release in India.

In the movie, Barkha plays the role of a judo champion who goes away to Canada to find a decent job. The movie also deals with the theme of globalization, immigration, human trafficking and women empowerment.

Barkha has also left behind a promising modelling career, which saw her making to the Miss India finalist list in 1994. This is the same year Aishwarya Rai and Sushmita Sen bagged their respective titles. Barkha Madan’s Bollywood breakthrough transpired in 1996 alongside superstar Akshaya Kumar in the movie “Khiladiyon Ke Khiladi”.

With her new name Gyalten Samten, she leads the life of a devoted monk dedicated to the service of society. She spends her time meditating at Dharmasala or caring for the HIV positive children, reported Topyaps.com.

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They say that in many ways, Russian women are very different from women of other countries—and I’m not talking about a Russian woman’s priorities, values or mannerisms. There is a special vibe about them and I’m sure you can easily spot another Russian woman anywhere you go. But what do we know about Russian women as mothers? Is it true that they wear heels even till the last minute of their pregnancy?

On April 22^nd, Daunt Books (London’s leading travel and literature bookshop) based in Fulham will launch “Motherhood, Russian-Style”, a new book from Tanja Maier. An investment banker in the past, now mother of three, Tanja tells her story and shares her experiences (including being a single mother) during her life in USA, England, Austria and Russia.

A light-hearted, easy to read book is perfect for someone who would like to discover more about strange (strange for non-Russians) and sometimes funny traditions, stereotypes and signs which only Russian mothers and fathers understand. N.B I’m saying “strange” because I’m Russian myself and my English boyfriend finds our ways of thinking or beliefs slightly weird and/or old-fashioned. Smile.

Let me give you few examples: when you are pregnant, let’s say in Moscow, even frightening sales assistants become kind and friendly which, trust me, is very rare in Russia! You are not allowed to carry heavy stuff, men on the tube let you have their seats and, in general, everyone around is more understanding. On the other hand, in England and USA, pregnancy isn’t an illness and the mother (to be), no matter how many months left, is like any other woman any other day, following the same daily routine at work and at home. Maybe the princess is coming out of me but big no to that!

Here is another interesting fact: a Russian mother (to be) never cuts or colour her hair during her pregnancy and will spend a lot of time and money to find the best clinic. After the baby is born, a Russian mother will never show it outside family during its first 40 days. Does that sound strange to you?! Maybe. But Russians follow this tradition irrespective of age or circumstance.

And no matter how tired or busy a Russian mother is, she always wears high heels! This unusual fact was noticed by Pamela Druckerman, author of “French children don’t throw food” during her visit to Moscow. There is no secret, women from Russia and ex USSR countries particularly look after themselves and a mother is no exception.

Maybe in the future, I should buy this book for my boyfriend so he could get understanding and would be prepared for the Russian motherhood in style!

If you aren’t able to join the “Motherhood, Russian-style” presentation on 22^nd April, there will be a champagne brunch next day at Fortnum & Masons.

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Controversy Surrounds Istanbul Film Festival

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Laura Bispuri’s – Sworn Virgin – In a powerful display of Albanian culture and sexual identity; Hana searches for equal status as men and swears her eternal virginity to the old law of Kanun. Whilst her rebellion grants the film’s protagonist equal status as men she must cope with an entirety without love. The jury were particularly impressed with Laura’s ability to take the audience on a journey of emotional discovery.

The jury also gave a special mention to The Coffin in the Mountain by Xin Yukun. The film intrigues as a black comedy which primarily focuses on the hardships of rural Chinese life. The Jury prize however went to Darhad Erdenibulag and Emyrap Richard’s Mongolian version of Franz Kafka’s ‘The Castle’ simply titled K. Both directors only began their professional careers in 2012, and the reason behind their Hong Kong success was down to pair successfully re-creating the same level of wit as the original masterpiece.

With little surprise, the prestigious documentary award went to I am the people directed by Anna Roussilloun. The documentary was a definitive piece which tackled history’s greatest difficulty; the fact that it’s story is written by the victor. Interviewing villages on how Egypt’s political changes have impacted their lives, the viewer learns of how life has scarcely changed in Northern Africa despite the removal of several dictators.

The SIGNIS award (arguably the award of greatest significance), was designed to reward excellence from the film industry’s professionals. Li Ruijun, a successful writer, editor, producer and director stole the show with River Road. The spectacle unveils Northern China’s breathtaking scenery whilst delving into a remarkable relationship between two brothers who belong to the forgotten Yugur minority.

As one of Hong Kong’s leading cultural events, spectators are already focussing on next year’s event; the Festival’s fortieth anniversary.

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A wonderful taster for the summer season ahead, visitors to this exclusive event will be treated to displays from the world’s largest leading superyacht and luxury yacht builders & brokers, yacht charter agents, yacht & interior designers, private jet manufacturers, jet charter agents, luxury car manufacturers and distributors and a whole host of luxury goods and service companies. With design, fine art, beautiful timepieces, the latest audio visual equipment; an exclusive VIP lounge; fashion shows; Thames-side champagne bars and an exclusive On-Water Show at St Katharine Docks, The London Yacht, Jet & Prestige Car Show will be a wonderful event to be enjoyed by everyone, where friends and clients can be entertained and contacts can be made.

http://londonyachtjetandprestigecarshow.com

Old Billingsgate

& St Katharine Docks 

8-10 April 2015

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In this film she raised important issues like the cause of safety, security and protection of girl child and women in our society. This stands out as stark contrast when compared with present scenario, where women safety issue became a pertinent question to everyone of us. So to present audiences the similarity between ‘reel’ and ‘real’ world it is important for Bollywood to come forward with such path breaking films. Some eminent panelist and experts considered Rani as ‘Best Representation of the Cause of Safety, Security and Protection of Women and Girl Child’ at a ceremony arranged by the Institute for Gender Justice at India Habitat Centre, in order to mark the celebration of International Women’s Day.

Sreerupa Mitra Chaudhury, chairperson, National Institute for Gender Justice said that Rani Mukerji epitomized the role of police to curb crime against women especially trafficking of girl child for commercial sexual exploitation. This came in wake of much hyped commodification of women by different mediums. So this notion gets challenged by her in form of excellent artistic performance. “It is really heartening to see that not only has the film been loved by audiences worldwide but it has transcended the realm of filmmaking and become something that inspires the people who have been tirelessly working for years for the cause of child trafficking and are the real heroes. I feel humbled to meet these people and I’m glad that I’m able to contribute in a small way. This award is special as it recognizes my contribution to cinema in a different manner,” said Rani Mukerji in her statement to one of the leading newspaper.

Previously also she got rave reviews and critically acclaimed for her immortalized roles depicting social issues in “Raja Ki Aayegi Baraat”, “Mehendi” and “No One Killed Jessica”

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Since retirement, a nomination to the Upper House of India’s parliament and a Bharat Ratna (Most coveted civilian honour in India) has followed. Clearly, the Sachin Tendulkar legend is far from complete.

Sachin Tendulkar will forever remain a hero in the eyes of all Indians for his 24 year career with the national side and playing a pivotal role in the 2011 World Cup victory. Now at the slightly senior age of 41, Sachin has been asked to perform at a slightly slower pace by award-winning British director James Erskine.

The most successful sports-players maintain a career in their chosen sport usually through management or media roles. However, there are the odd few who achieve such legendary status they are worshipped religiously and create a lasting legacy. Michael Jordan, Muhammed Ali, and Zinedine Zidane to name a few. Sachin Tendulkar, is about to stake his rightful place at this impressive table.

With an eagerly anticipating audience, Mumbai-based production house 200NotOut confirmed “Shooting for the film has been going on for the past year and we aim to continue filming through the year, we are aiming to release it by the end of this year or early next year.”

The Sachin Tendulkar film has been well planned and the content is particularly chosen for his global fan base. Importantly the film, which is still yet to receive a title, centres around the star’s personal life as opposed to his cricket performances which most Indians can recall from international folklore.

Remembering the excitement surrounding the 2013 release of ‘Rush’ amongst Formula One fans, the Sachin Tendulkar film is sure to be immense success in a cricket-driven nation of 1.3 Billion people.

When asked about the cricket icon’s acting skills, Mr Ananthan replied “he is not acting, he’s just playing himself.”

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