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Showing posts from February, 2016

Book Review - Thirsty Dragon

In her book,  Thirsty Dragon , Suzanne Mustacich tells the overlapping stories of an interesting group of players as they join China on its 20 year journey into the world of wine.  This well-documented saga of China's race to build the infrastructure needed to become one of the superpowers of the wine world collides with Bordeaux's need for buyers in 2009. China's willingness to speculate on wine as an investment combined with their gift giving culture leads to mini-skirted translators  facilitating sales  in Bordeaux and millions of dollars of classified growths sitting in Chinese warehouses.  The tale continues with high level corruption in the Chinese government, counterfeiting and fraud. A brief lesson on the economy and the wine regions of China add more background to this story of the "largest government funded drinks tab in history."  An interesting and well-researched read for any winelover that should be enjoyed with a generous pour of Bordeaux.

My Experience at the Texas Yoga Conference

I thoroughly enjoyed attending a portion of the seventh annual  Texas Yoga Conference  held  at the India House this weekend. Though it is a three day event, I was only able to go on the first day. I bought my Friday-only pass on line for $112.78 and set my schedule with their very handy online service. I wanted a balance of lectures, workshops and asana practices to fill my day. I also needed some continuing education hours for Yoga Alliance so I was happy to see the variety of options available to me. There were at least three choices during each time period. I arrived early for the 8:15AM  Design for Human Health  lecture with Environmental Psychologist,  Dr. Dak Kopec . I am planning on remodeling my master bathroom this spring so I was very interested to hear his thoughts. He spoke about how humans are spending more time inside now than ever and the important role that interior architecture can play on a person's health. He discussed concepts of Feng shui, the ancient art

Red Wine is for Lovers

As originally seen in the February 2016 edition of Galveston Monthly Magazine

Chamak is a Sweet New Shop in Sugar Land

Sarah Ali was working hard to get her new shop ready for the Grand Opening when I stopped by the new Moroccan themed establishment tucked away down Highway 6 in Sugar Land’s Highlands Square. In this small storefront I found an enthusiastic woman excited about her diverse interests and her store’s unique offerings. Upon entering Chamak , you find custom blended organic mineral cosmetics on one side of the store and a glass case housing an array of confections on the other side. You aren’t sure whether you have entered the workspace of an artist or a mad scientist. After tasting the chocolates, you realize that she may be a bit of both. Sarah’s chocolates feature the exotic Indian-Pakistani and South Korean flavors of her own mother’s cooking which originally inspired the love of the culinary arts in her. Her gourmet confections are handcrafted from high quality chocolate which she sources from multiple origins and then pairs with a variety of delectable south Asian and Medit