Whisky sours. Curries richer than an Arabian Prince. Champagne headaches. Bread. Whether it’s economy or business, if there’s one thing air travel isn’t known for; it’s fresh, healthy food.

Singapore Airlines is hoping to change that, yesterday announcing the launch of specially curated wellness dishes on selected SIA flights from September 2019, as part of a collaboration with COMO Shambhala aimed at enhancing customers’ (particularly pointy end travellers’) holistic well-being and travel experience.

So, what’s on the menu? Business and first-class passengers can look forward to some “healthy and flavourful dishes,” each carefully tailored “to nourish the body and alleviate travel-induced stresses such as fatigue.” Ingredients will also be rich in antioxidants and micronutrients (think: kiwi, yoghurt, beetroot and strawberries), and come together in immune-boosting dishes.

The aim? To promote good digestion and circulation for a more comfortable journey, and to help customers feel refreshed even after a long flight.

While economy passengers will be able to pre-order from a secondary wellness-menu on all routes departing Singapore, it’s first and business class customers who will enjoy the specialty menu (that will be in place for the month of 2019 only) that has been curated on selected flights departing Singapore to Hong Kong, Frankfurt, London, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney.

“We are excited to unveil the fruits of our partnership with COMO Shambhala, tapping on their award-winning expertise in holistic wellness and nutritious cuisine for our in-flight meals,” said Singapore Airlines Senior Vice President Customer Experience, Mr Yeoh Phee Teik.

“The introduction of these new wellness offerings underlines our commitment to the constant enhancement of our products and services to bring customers more enjoyable in-flight experiences.”

Daniel Moran, Vice President Culinary at the COMO Group adds: “This has been a fascinating project for us and we have carefully curated a menu that reflects our COMO Shambhala brand ethos and approach to food – to inspire the palate with memorable flavours. We are certain that Singapore Airlines’ valued customers will enjoy this gastronomical well-being in the air.”

The introduction of this health focussed cuisine joins SIA’s growing roster of wellness offerings that aim to enhance customers’ comfort and well-being.

In addition to the wellness dishes, SIA’s partnership with COMO Shambhala includes wellness articles designed to help travellers learn and practice well-being, to be launched concurrently with the wellness dishes from September the 1st 2019.

Whether this will counteract the stress of The Great Economy Crunch (or business class champagne headaches) remains to be seen. But hey: at least they’re trying.

Anyway, if you tire of the inflight entertainment, these articles will cover a range of topics such as meditation, breathing techniques for relaxation, and body exercises suitable for periods of prolonged inactivity.

These changes come in the context of a proud history and buzzing present: Singapore Airlines has serviced Australia since 1967, and currently operates 137 weekly flights from six Australian cities to Singapore.

Along with its recent new business class rollout, these changes also come after Singapore Airlines was dethroned as the world’s best airline in the Skytrax rankings earlier this year.

So, is Singapore Airlines making a play to reclaim its title? Or are the changes just part of its promise to provide customers with industry-leading cabin products, a network that provides optimal connectivity through Singapore and beyond, and the highest standards of service excellence?

Who knows; either way clean eaters will surely welcome them. And if you’re one of them, fear not: we’ve left the full two menus below.

COMO Shambhala In-flight Wellness Menu (For September 2019)

Available on First Class and Business Class on selected flights departing Singapore to Hong Kong, Frankfurt, London, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney.

Cold Breakfast Meal

Tropical Fruit Bircher Muesli

A cold cereal of rolled oats, natural Greek yoghurt, dried raisin and cranberry with fresh mango, strawberries and pumpkin seeds.

Hot Breakfast Meal

Spiced Buckwheat and Pumpkin Pancakes: Wholesome buckwheat and pumpkin pancakes with vanilla bean coconut yogurt, toasted pumpkins seeds and maple strawberry and orange.

Soup

Sweetcorn and Young Coconut Soup: A bright velvety blend of sweet corn, young coconut and lemongrass with fire-roasted red pepper salsa, pumpkin seeds and fresh coriander.

Appetiser

Silken Chicken Salad: Shredded poached chicken breast and crunchy vegetable and fresh herb slaw with roasted sesame, miso and honey dressing.

Main Course

Coconut Poached Fish: Delicately poached fish with sweet potato, cauliflower and green peas in a rich tomato and coconut garam masala sauce.

Dessert

Dark Chocolate and Ginger Cake: A decadent cake of bittersweet chocolate, crystalized ginger and fine-grained polenta cake with citrus-scented rhubarb and crème fraiche.

Wellness Beverage

COMO Shambhala Ginger Tea: A vibrant and earthy cold-pressed extraction of fresh beetroot, carrot, tart green apple, turmeric and ginger.

COMO Shambhala Wellness Menu on Book the Cook (September 2019 to February 2020)

Available for pre-ordering for First Class, Business Class, and Premium Economy customers on all routes departing Singapore.

First Class

Red Rice and Fish Porridge: A hearty and savory bowl of red rice, poached fish, wakame, kale and miso porridge topped with fresh ginger and coriander leaves.

Puy Lentil, Zuchinni and Ricotta Lasagne: Warm, colorful layers of zucchini, red pepper, braised puy lentils, and creamy ricotta in a roasted tomato and red pepper marinara.

Spiced Buckwheat and Pumpkin Pancakes: Wholesome buckwheat and pumpkin pancakes with vanilla bean coconut yogurt, toasted pumpkins seeds and maple strawberry and orange.

Coconut and Chia Pudding: Vanilla-scented white chia seeds soaked in creamy coconut milk with fresh kiwi and strawberries steeped in hibiscus flower tea

Business Class

Red Rice and Fish Porridge: A hearty and savory bowl of red rice, poached fish, wakame, kale and miso porridge topped with fresh ginger and coriander leaves.

Puy Lentil, Zuchinni and Ricotta Lasagne: Warm, colorful layers of zucchini, red pepper, braised puy lentils, and creamy ricotta in a roasted tomato and red pepper marinara.

Spiced Buckwheat and Pumpkin Pancakes: Wholesome buckwheat and pumpkin pancakes with vanilla bean coconut yogurt, toasted pumpkins seeds and maple strawberry and orange.

Coconut and Chia Pudding: Vanilla-scented white chia seeds soaked in creamy coconut milk with fresh strawberries steeped in hibiscus flower tea

Premium Economy

Spiced Buckwheat and Pumpkin Pancakes: Wholesome buckwheat and pumpkin pancakes with vanilla bean coconut yogurt, toasted pumpkins seeds and maple strawberry and orange.

Coconut and Chia Pudding: Vanilla-scented white chia seeds soaked in creamy coconut milk with fresh strawberries steeped in hibiscus flower tea

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The post Singapore Airlines Is Now Launching 'Wellness Cuisine' For Pointy End Passengers appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Skipped your best friend’s wedding in favour of some ‘me’ time with FIFA 20? Forget about it because you’ll be more successful in life for it.

Whilst many people fear the concept of being lonely or growing old alone, one researcher suggests that it might not be such a bad thing after all.

In an analysis by Dr. Elyakim Kislev for Psychology Today, the author of Happy Singlehood: The Rising Acceptance and Celebration of Solo Living, highlighted with evidence how those with these fears are usually more afraid of the unknown and behave as if it’s the worst thing to ever happen.

In addition to this, a PEW study from 2009 revealed that there was a notable difference between how loneliness was perceived between 18-year-olds and 64-year-olds.

“The expectation among young people to be lonely in old age stands at 29 percent, while only 17 percent actually experience loneliness in old age,” according to the report.

This led researchers to the notion on why people get married and more specifically, those who get married in fear of ending up alone. Previous studies from the University of Toronto have shown that 40 percent of subjects feared not having a long-term companion whilst another 11 percent feared growing old alone.

It’s this insecurity which often leads people to marrying early and settling for partners who are of lower quality across the areas of emotional capacity, intellectual compatibility and of course, physical appearance.

But where does the whole success in life aspect come in?

Nikola Tesla who laid the foundation for how we use electricity today once famously said:

“The mind is sharper and keener in seclusion and uninterrupted solitude. Originality thrives in seclusion free of outside influences beating upon us to cripple the creative mind. Be alone — that is the secret of invention: be alone, that is when ideas are born.”

Needless to say, Tesla was never married.

Even the ancient Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu had something to say about flying solo, and this was during the 6th century.

“Ordinary men hate solitude. But the Master makes use of it, embracing his aloneness, realising he is one with the whole universe.”

Kind of deep but on a more pragmatic front, Professors Richard Arum and Josipa Roksa found in a study of more than 2,300 undergraduates across 24 institutions that 45 percent of subjects showed no significant improvement in a range of skills for their first two years of study.

They attributed this lack of cognitive performance to factors such as socialising and constantly being surrounded by people who distracted them from their studies.

Whether or not embracing the lonely life is beneficial to your health is still to be confirmed, especially at a time where people’s self perceptions are so fragile thanks to social media.

For now at least, Dr. Kislev believes it’s possible to achieve a high level of well-being by developing the ability to enjoy “me time”.

“Often, this results in feelings of empowerment, relaxation, and self-knowledge, not loneliness,” he says.

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The post Why Being Anti-Social Could Make You More Successful In Life, According To Researchers appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Forget boarding pass Instagram stories and wine sipping Boomerangs. Inflatable pink flamingos are the new symbol of European summer. Not only that but this innocent ‘prop that pops’ also exposes a kink in Australian tourists’ relationship with Europe.

The Pink Flamingo’s prevalence everywhere from Santorini to Barcelona exposes the myth many Australians have constructed in their heads that everything is ‘classy’ in Europe.

But we’ll get to that. First: context. When Australian travellers and tourists get back from their various European pilgrimages, common talking points include: how “classy” everything is, how “well-travelled” Old World citizens are and how open minded everyone is – “over there.”

This is most painfully apparent in the summer months when droves make their various French Riviera, Amalfi Coast, Mykonos, Santorini and Capri pilgrimages.

Inspired by articles like “Paradise Beach Photo Exposes Greek Freedom Aussies Can’t Handle” and “Revealed: The Secret To Spain’s Nightlife Success,” these sunburnt sojourners return with tales that would have you think they just got back from ancient Babylon.

However, while they generalise 741.4 million people as casually as they sip their pumpkin spice lattes, there is some truth to their observations.

Europe is more liberal than Australia and America (at least socially). There are less megaphone wielding lifeguards. No one will dob you in for drinking on the beach. There are fewer nightlife laws.

But the most embarrassing stereotype many of us still believe is wrong, and a scroll through the Instagram hashtag ‘pink flamingo’ reveals why.

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What is it? The idea that going to the beach is a classier affair in Europe – a notion which may appear complementary but is actually a fetishisation of 38,000km of coastline, which holds 741.4 million people to unrealistic swimwear (and inflatable animal) standards.

Meanwhile, the truth is, as the proliferation of ‘basic’ pink flamingo beach shots – from Spain’s El Palmar to Greece’s Sigri – shows, European beaches are not inherently ‘classier’ than Australian or American ones.

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What’s more, despite their reputation for being photogenic-as-hell, as numerous professional photographers and travel writers (see Traveller’s recent piece: “‘Like Sydney in Winter’: Why You Shouldn’t Be Jealous Of Your Friend’s European Holiday”) have pointed out, European beaches in summer aren’t all that different from Sydney – or even Maine – in winter.

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This could pass as an Italian beach scene if it had some more umbrellas. Ogunquit, Maine. _ . . . . . . . . .. _ #maine #ogunquit #ogunquitmaine #ogunquitbeach #visitmaine #vacationland #newengland #mare #beach #slimaarons #fujifilm #fuji_xseries #fujifilmitalia #passionpassport #mytinyatlas #traveldeeper #suitcasetravels #heremag #vscocam

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What’s more: while huge crowds may make for cool aerial photos, dealing with that many people soon becomes tiresome.

Oh and even though cold pebbles and black sand make your umbrellas ‘pop’ for photos (see: Ischia), in terms of comfort they don’t hold a towel to Australia’s soft, yellow sand.

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The post The Awkward Truth About Australian Tourists' Relationship With Europe appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

It's an odd time of year at the moment where the days are hot and the nights can be chilly as hell. Commoners like to call it transitional season, we like to call it a good excuse to wear awesome pieces like this Chore Overshirt from Everlane, one of the most ethical online retailers at the mome...

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In the professional world of sporting dominated by watches from Audemars Piguets, Patek Philippes and Rolexes, Kyle Kuzma has gone and done something controversial — sacrilege even, according to some.In his most recent visit to Australia Kuzma was spotted rocking Louis Vuitton’s Tambour luxury smartwatch (third image slide below) which made for a very refreshing look on this 24-year-old NBA player for the Los Angeles Lakers.It certainly goes against the grain of his more senior colleagues like LeBron James who usually opts for $100,000 AP Royal Oaks, Ben Simmons who was recently spotted with a ‘Root Beer’ Rolex and Anthony Davis in his $300,000 Richard Mille stunner.

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The Louis Vuitton Vuitton Tambour is a bonafide smartwatch and it was only this year that the second edition was unveiled with flashy new features like a personal travel assistant and black PVD case. You can read more about the full specs here, but for now we just wanted to highlight how surprisingly well the digital watch styles with Kuzma.Set in a bright yellow strap, it certainly looks more upmarket than your average Apple Watch but still retains that playful aesthetic. You can take a closer look at Louis Vuitton’s new Tambour Horizon on their site.The Lakers star paired the watch with black pinstripe trousers, a black t-shirt tucked in and white dad sneakers from Nike for a very cool yet smart look. There was also a double belt loop thing going on which we can’t quite figure but looks the part nonetheless.If fashion-forward smartwatches are the future of the NBA’s flex game then we’re definitely excited to see what comes next. Until then we’ll happily sit on the sidelines watching the commentary between the purveyors of old and new world timekeeping.

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The post Kyle Kuzma Shows Off A Watch That No Other NBA Player Is Rocking appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

I was fumbling for my phone for the fifth time in five minutes last week when I finally snapped: “I’d rather be gunned down by a motorbike than rewind this podcast again.”

$30 headphone problems.

Anyway, not coincidentally, I arrived at work the next day wearing a pair of wireless Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 – their newest, most expensive model to date.

Since then I have enjoyed an auditory awakening of 168 hours (seven days). However, considering they cost AU$599.95 (US$399) that almost goes without saying.

So, instead of giving you a blow by blow of my ear-gasms, I thought I’d share some of the more interesting things I’ve learned wearing top-end wireless headphones for a week.

Commuting is no longer a waste of time

I used to listen to music between my office and the train station, as obnoxious motorcyclists and oversized trucks conspired to make it impossible to follow a podcast.

Now, thanks to Bose’s patented eight microphone system (six work to cancel external noise, two work to dramatically improve voice pick up), the worlds of self-help and self-promotion are now at my full disposal.

Also of note: you can stand next to a construction site, or even a train, and be on a call with someone, and they won’t know any better (this goes for the pub too, we presume…).

Station announcements no longer stress me out

Used to be that I had to tuck my takeaway coffee under one armpit and shoulder my carry-all (before physically lifting my headphones off my ears) to hear how Sydney Transport had f*ked up this time. Now I just have to toggle the noise-cancelling settings up or down.

My relationships are better

You may think this a stretch, but whether it’s clients, workmates, friends or family: everyone appreciates a background-noise free phone call. With Bose’s Noise Cancelling Headphones 700, that’s exactly what you get.

And while I don’t pretend to understand all the intricacies of their world-first voice interface (which not only blocks external sound from your ears, but blocks external sound from entering your mic – and thus the ears of the person you are calling) the results spoke for themselves.

My expectations are higher

When my friend offered me his ~normal~ headphones the other day I realised: I’m ruined for life.

I feel like batman

With great headphones comes great responsibility (don’t lose’em).

I still can’t figure out how to turn them off

Despite attending a press event where every feature of the headphones was explained in detail, I am something of a troglodyte (hence my reliance on corded headphones all the way up until August 2019) and still managed to activate Google Assistant rather than switching them off for the first three days I owned them.

The battery is insane

Despite (initially) not being able to turn them off at will (they seem to eventually turn off automatically when you stop using them), even for manual-averse users like myself who waste more power than the average American household, the battery life on these things is insane (up to 20 hours).

The voice assistant is awesome

Alexa, Siri and Google Assistant all work well – and are activated easily.

They have integrated voluptuousness with durability – & low-key style

They say the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 were built to last, and although I’ve only had them a week, I can see why. Oh, and if Apple’s Airpods are sleek sex sticks, Bose’s new 700’s – which have fewer visible screws, seams and joints than the industry standard (and weight distribution for all-day comfort) – are a voluptuous (drop-dead classy) waterbed.

They aren’t the best option for the gym, but they get the job done

Although Bose’s wireless Soundsport headphones are the best option for the gym, I found the (larger) Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 worked fine for everything except stretching exercises where you have to lie on the ground on your side.

They are super easy to store

The Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 fold flat with one twist of the earcups and store neatly in a thin tapered hardcase that slides more easily into bags, backpacks, and seat-pockets. And no pesky cables to contend with (naturally).

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The post 168 Hours Testing Bose's Latest & Most Expensive Headphones; Here's What I Discovered appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

If your idea of the perfect holiday involves loitering around prehistoric lizards, picturesque pink sanded beaches and crystal clear waters, then you could be out of luck.The Indonesian government is planning to close Komodo Island to the public from January 2020. The move comes as a bid by the Southeast Asian country to conserve the rare Komodo dragons that inhabit the small island that sits far east of the capital Jakarta.

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Pink Beach, Indonesia. . . @pirantinviaggio . . #pinkbeach #travel #wanderlust #beach #summer #indonesia

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The audacious plan will also see the relocation of 2,000 villagers off the island, essentially relegating the land back to the world’s largest living lizard species. Whilst the tourist ban hasn’t been formalised yet, Indonesian authorities are currently in talks with community leaders on how best to relocate residents who call the island home and have local businesses supported by tourism.Josef Nae Soi, Deputy Governor of the province of East Nusa Tenggara, explained that the drastic measure was proposed in a bid to reduce the risk of poaching whilst allowing the dragons’s preferred food source — deer, buffalo and wild boar — to recover in numbers.It’s not all bad news though with Soi adding that the island could reopen to the public after a year, but only as a premium tourist destination.Villagers who have called the island home for generations are obviously opposed to such sweeping changes. Rizaldian Syahputra who is employed as a wildlife guide for the Komodo National Park said that his passion has long been about nature and conservation, but the planned island closure will be detrimental to the residents’ way of life.“The closure is definitely something that makes us unhappy,” he said.“If we really have to do it, I hope we can find a middle ground on the solution, not closing the whole island but just a certain area.”The Komodo Island has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1991 and is home to roughly 1,700 Komodo dragons. The smaller surrounding islands are home to a further 1,400 of the giant lizards and will remain open to the public.The planned closure of Komodo Island joins a list of other iconic tourist destinations which have been shut down due to the effects of human interaction. Mount Everest Base Camp reported mounting piles of rubbish this year and saw the Chinese government imposing a climbing permit for explorers wanting to climb it.Maya Bay in Thailand which was made famous by Leonardo DiCaprio in ‘The Beach’ was also closed to tourist from last year until 2021. The government did this to allow the area’s coral reefs to recover from years of tourist impact.

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The post Travellers Could Soon Be Banned From Visiting This Exotic Island For Good appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image="232154" img_size="medium" onclick="custom_link" link="https://drop.com/buy/mondaine-desk-clock"][vc_column_text]With the arrival of iPhones, the need for a watch or a clock has never been less. 'But I have an iPhone that has a clock in it', I hear you say i...

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If you say a more serious “cya” to your friends, you may have a more profound travel experience.

Twenty years ago, losing touch with your friends was an inevitable part of travelling. Now you can send your best mate hourly updates from the Amalfi coast, make your friends jealous with a Trolltunga pic and Facetime your partner – all in the same day.

However, this might not be as great as it seems: study after study shows the benefits of disconnecting – especially when travelling – and numerous professional backpackers have found ‘losing touch’ can be a feature – not a bug – of long term travel.

That’s not to say you should delete your Facebook and tell your mum you never liked her chicken casserole. Everyone has different circumstances. But, if you find the courage to say a serious adios to your mates, you may have a more engaged globetrotting experience.

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The first reason why is you’ll get to know yourself better. Think about it. An average day at home will go like this: wake, work, Netflix repeat.

The one common theme: keeping that pesky internal monologue at bay. Even though people have been doing this for millennia, we’re now at a point where it is possible to avoid thinking all day. In 2022, if you’re not listening to a podcast or music, you’re probably working, working out, sleeping, or watching TV.

Other than those mad bastards who go to community ice baths or have the mental fortitude to stick to a meditation routine, most of us, these days, lack those slots in the day when our pre-smartphone ancestors had no choice but to just be (or be bored).

RELATED: What I Discovered Freezing My A** Off In ‘Cold Water Therapy’

Us? We take no chances. Headphones are now as essential at the gym as sneakers. Cooking is accompanied by music. No commute is complete without a podcast. Youtube suggestions soothe us to sleep.

Not to mention the panic of forgetting your headphones on an hour-long bus trip…

How does this link to ‘losing touch’ when you travel? Well, unless you’re someone that can have their Instagram and eat it too; if you stay in the loop while away you’ll find yourself messaging old friends when you could be making new ones; feeling homesick when you could be getting out there and taking photos rather than making memories (as cringe as that sounds).

RELATED: This ‘Snobbish’ Trait Instantly Outs You As An Unenlightened Traveller

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This neglect will become apparent when you get back, but as Nomadic Matt, one of the world’s foremost travel bloggers once wrote, “Travel expedites the process of separation and exposes the quality of your friendships.”

“Being away frays the weak bonds you attempt to maintain while strengthening the ones that will withstand the distance of time and space.”

Anyway: just food for thought and….don’t blame us if you get back and you have no friends.

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