Latest news with #TheFish
Metro
05-07-2025
- Automotive
- Metro
I tried a 'hybrid holiday' and discovered the secret to work-life balance
My life in the city is non-stop. I spend my days travelling across London on heaving Tubes, working in an office, then rushing through crowded streets to meet friends. I wouldn't change it for the world, but sometimes, I want to escape. The only problem is, I don't drive. Maybe I shouldn't admit this, but I didn't even turn up to my driving theory test last month. I'm not alone; nearly half of London households don't have a car. So when I want a break in the UK, I must pack myself onto a train, pay a fortune for taxis, or endure the clunky process of renting a car (that someone else will have to drive). For all of that hassle, I'd never even think to bank the annual leave and work on that hard-earned staycation instead. That's where Turo comes in. It's an app that lets you rent cars directly from local hosts. A bit like Airbnb, but for vehicles. Fuel your wanderlust with our curated newsletter of travel deals, guides and inspiration. Sign up here. On your phone, you tailor your search, scroll, and pick a model that suits your price range. There's everything from Ford Fiestas to a Porsche 911, and your ride is delivered straight to your door. Then it's just you, the open road, and the kind of car that makes even the M25 feel glamorous. After being invited to test it out, I found myself on my first hybrid holiday. Not a full digital detox, just space, fresh air, and a change of scenery. It's part remote work, part mini-break, and I didn't need to use my limited leave to get out of the city for a night or two. My partner and I checked the weather forecast, saw glorious sunshine, and booked a convertible BMW Z4 for two days that would normally be around £300 in total. Compact enough for narrow country roads, but still stylish enough to make the trip feel like something special, the host arrived with the keys days later. We did a quick walk around, checked the app, and off we went. I'd recommend checking your host's reviews and previous bookings to make this experience as smooth as possible. Our destination was a cosy hut in the woods, buried in the Cotswolds countryside at The Fish hotel in Broadway. With a promise of strong WiFi, good food, a private hot tub and a log burner, it ticked all the boxes: peaceful, remote, and perfect for working during the day and unwinding in the evenings. If you're doing a hybrid holiday, you need to make the most of the time you aren't working. We made sure to make the journey part fun, cruising with the roof off and stopping for lunch at The Boxing Hare, a renowned pub in the famous Cotswolds town of Chipping Norton. After a breezy check-in at the hotel, where rooms start from £350 a night, I logged on to work for a couple of hours. For working from home, the Hilly Huts are perfectly set-up to spend hours huddled over your laptop. The fridge was filled with snacks and drinks, there was a tea station brimming with options, along with a coffee machine for that caffeine fix. And if that wasn't enough, the hut was installed with a buzzer to ring for more refreshments. Equally, if you're someone who needs a change of scenery, across the grounds are communal areas and food stalls with plenty of seating to work from. Staff were incredibly accommodating and made our stay as comfortable as possible. I've never 'worked from home' in such luxury; the only problem was feeling sorry for my poor colleagues who had to endure my Zoom background whilst they sat at their usual desk. After I signed off at the end of the day, it was time for a well-earned dip in the hot tub, with drinks brought directly to our garden. Having had time to switch off and relax, we got ready for dinner at Hook. It's a seafood restaurant on-site of the hotel, promising a laid-back but luxurious vibe. For those that don't like seafood, there are other options for meat-eaters and vegetarians, but for me, The standout dish was a tuna tartare with wasabi and a ponzu dressing. What followed was the best sleep I've had in ages. Needing to wake up ready to log on at 8 am the next day, I barely needed an alarm clock. Instead, an open blind let the countryside sun stream in, starting my day in the most relaxed way possible. Armed with my laptop, I worked for the day on the veranda. We can all relate to the issue of working outside with no charging ports, so you will have to shuffle around to charge your devices indoors with plug sockets in relative short supply. It may not be as accessible as your monitors and keyboards at home, but we returned to London feeling so refreshed before the weekend had even started. We're in this weird in-between space right now, where offices are open, but remote work is still the norm for many of us. And while I love the flexibility, working from home can get monotonous. That's why I'm convinced hybrid holidays are the future. You don't need to block off a full week or use up all your annual leave, but just refresh your routine by working somewhere else. More Trending And Turo makes it so easy. Whilst owning a car suits a lot of people, for those who rarely need them, it's better value, better for the environment, and way less stress. It's fine to love your bustling city life but also admit you need to recharge. When we're building careers, we don't always want to fully unplug to experience a new environment. My eyes have been opened to the hybrid holidays and honestly? It's the best kind of work-life balance I can imagine. Choose the car based on your destination. For narrow country roads, I loved having something small and agile. But for a coastal road trip or wild camping weekend, I'd be looking at an SUV. Read the host reviews. Like Airbnb, you can check feedback and see if hosts are communicative and accommodating. Look for places with good WiFi and phone signal. If you're working from home, you don't need the stress of losing a connection mid-meeting. Pack light but smart. Small cars require small cases. Comfy clothes for working, walking boots for exploring, and a good portable charger are a must. Give yourself breathing room. Don't try to do it all. Even just changing your work surroundings makes a big difference. Anna Staddon was a guest of Turo and The Fish Hotel. MORE: Crying at work is embarrassing — but it can reveal your biggest strength MORE: I hate the beach, but a £13 trip to one of the UK's 'worst seaside towns' changed my mind MORE: I spent 96 hours in Canada's 'forgotten province' — one of its last untouched gems
The Wire
30-04-2025
- Politics
- The Wire
The Many Meanings of Vietnam
And it's one, two, three, what are we fighting for? Don't ask me I don't give a damn Next stop is Vietnam. And it's five, six, seven, open up the pearly gates, Well there ain't no time to wonder why, Whoopie! We're all gonna die! I-feel-like-I'm-fixin'-to-die-Rag , Country Joe and The Fish It was a warm April 30 in 1975. We were busy finishing our term papers and preparing for the semester examinations. A ringing slogan swept through Periyar Hostel on Jawaharlal Nehru University campus. 'Saigon has fallen!' For several days before that, we were closely monitoring events in Vietnam. It was clear that the war was in its final stages and sooner rather than later, Ho Chi Minh's Viet Cong would overtake Saigon. The classic visual of stranded Americans and their local dependents clambering on to the last helicopter to leave the United States embassy campus in Saigon captured the moment. Coca-Cola and a march to the North Vietnam embassy Within minutes, hundreds of students and faculty gathered on campus and braving April's mid-day heat, marched all the way to Prithviraj Road where the government of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, popularly referred to as North Vietnam, had its embassy. As we marched on we chanted the globally famous cheer that had been heard for years on campuses around the world – 'Ho Ho Ho Chi Minh/ We Shall Fight, We Shall Win' and one that had become famous in Bengal – 'Amar Naam, Tomar Naam/ Viet Nam, Viet Nam'. On entering the embassy compound we were welcomed by diplomats in suit and tie holding bottles of chilled Coca-Cola. Two years later, in 1977, George Fernandes, the socialist industries minister in the Morarji Desai government, was to ban that American soft drink in India. But Vietnam's victorious communists couldn't care less. They had defeated the world's most powerful army. So what's the problem cooling off with a Coke! My generation's familiarity with war was defined by India's victory in Bangladesh. We were still too young in 1962 and 1965. Our patriotism was shaped by the glorious victory of 1971. In my home city of Hyderabad, the Indian Army displayed American made Patton tanks seized from the Pakistan army in 1965. An assortment of guns and equipment were put on display at festive fairs where everyone celebrated the heroism of the armed forces. It was, therefore, a culture shock in those days to read all about the resistance to draft and the anti-war campaigns on American campuses. The US tested all its latest weaponry in Vietnam, killing ill-equipped peasants with napalm and more, but few around the world accepted the logic of American engagement. As in Afghanistan more recently, so too in Vietnam the US had to make a hasty and ignominious exit. What the Vietnam war left behind was a rich repertoire of music, literature and cinema, depicting the futility and brutality of war. 'Make Love, Not War' was a slogan seen on campuses across the world as young people became familiar with the anti-war songs of Bob Dylan, Joan Baez and Pete Seeger. Dylan's 'Masters of War' was brutal: 'Come you masters of war/ You that build the big guns/ You that build the death planes/ You that build all the bombs/ You that hide behind walls/ You that hind behind desks/ I just want you to know/ I can see through your masks' . Seeger's 'Bring The Home' became an instant hit. From Graham Greene's The Quiet American to Francis Ford Coppola's Apocalypse Now, literature and cinema too contributed to this counter culture of peace. After pushing the Americans out in 1975, Vietnam gave a drubbing to China's Peoples' Liberation Army (PLA) in 1979, making it the only country in the world to have pushed both superpowers back. What is equally amazing about Vietnam is the manner in which it has risen, phoenix-like, from the devastation of war to become an economic success story within less than half a century. With a national income (GDP) per capita of around $4800 in 2024, Vietnam has overtaken India (per capita GDP of about $2800) as an industrial economy. Vietnam's economic success story Vietnam's economic success story has been widely written about. The ease with which Vietnam has integrated with the world outside, as a member of the Association of South-east Asian Nations (ASEAN) and as an economic partner of both the US and China draws attention to the essential pragmatism of an industrious and brave people. What is also impressive about the Vietnamese is the ease with which they now relate to this past. Ho Chi Minh City, as Saigon is now called, is a city at ease with itself. A war museum, with all the distressing memories it brings, sits comfortably next to delightful restaurants, cafes, bistros, patisseries and boulangeries. French delegates at a conference I attended last year were full of praise for the quality of Vietnamese cuisine – both the local cuisine as well as French cuisine. Both Hanoi and Saigon are a tourist's delight. Vietnam's ability to combine the hard power of military and economic success with the soft power of remaining a bridge between Asia and the West is a unique achievement. Fifty years on, Vietnam is today powering ahead because it has not allowed the burden and the animosities of the past to define its present and constrain its future. Even as we contemplate the cost of conflict at home in India, it is important to realise that there are no short cuts to development and security. The most important lesson that Vietnam has learnt from its own history of conflict is to focus one's energies at home, always prepared for the worst but investing in building the future through pragmatic relationships with friend and foe. Sanjaya Baru is an author, former newspaper editor and former adviser to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
Yahoo
31-01-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The Fish 104.7 is going off the air. Today is the last day you can listen
Listeners can turn their radio to The Fish 104.7 in Atlanta for one last time on Friday. The Christian music station is set to go off the air on Saturday after Salem Media Group sold several stations to Educational Media Foundation to settle a long-term debt. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] With the Fish shutting down, The Kevin and Taylor Show, which began back in 2000, announced that their last show would be Friday. 'We are so incredibly honored that we had the privilege of bringing you 'Good, Clean, Fun' and doing life with you for 24 years. So many times at radio events, we would meet those of you who grew up listening, and now you have children of your own. That's so rare in radio, and we are so grateful! Every day you inspired us with the stories of your lives, to love God and love people better,' the hosts wrote in a statement after the sale was announced. The station's new owners currently operate K-LOVE, which you can currently hear on 106.7 frequency. It's unclear if K-LOVE will also transmit on the 104.7 frequency. However, EMF interim CEO Tom Stultz says the stations they purchased from Salem Media Group will 'keep Christian music flowing' and 'help us deliver on our mission to reach more people with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.' TRENDING STORIES: Widespread rain, thunderstorms as cold front moves through today Massive water main break shuts down Peachtree Road in Buckhead GA school district closing buildings to deep clean after 'excessive' norovirus, flu absences [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
