After the comedian mocked the network for falling to fifth place in February, he and the entertainment chief apparently exchanged a series of tense emails.
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05/26/2013
Jay Leno Angers NBC's Robert Greenblatt With Ratings Jabs (Report)
After the comedian mocked the network for falling to fifth place in February, he and the entertainment chief apparently exchanged a series of tense emails.
Healthy Beijing: A wellness guide to the city
Despite legendary pollution, Beijing offers access to nature, healthy restaurants and eco-friendly retreats
Beijing has historic attractions, a vibrant culture and, of course, delicious Chinese food. But with its notorious pollution and regular food scandals, it's not a city one equates with health and wellness.
But maintaining a healthy lifestyle while visiting Beijing isn't as challenging as you might think.
Here's an insider list of nature-friendly spots, wholesome restaurants, organic stores and green escapes in and around Beijing.
iReport assignment: What are your favorite spots in Beijing?
Where to go
Zhaomiao (Luminous) Temple in the Fragrant Hills.Xiangshan
With a name that translates to "Fragrant Hills," this imperial garden is named after the scent wafting off its "Incense Burning Peak."
It's not just incense scenting the park.
There's the perfume of the pine-cypress forest, maple trees, smoke trees and persimmon trees, all of which can be taken in on a hike in the hills. Visitors can also rent a bike to cycle the 20 kilometers up the hill.
Xiangshan is a popular spot for photos, especially in autumn when trees and leaves burn bright with golden and red hues.
To throw some culture into the mix there's Shuangqing Villa, once the residence of Mao Zedong, and the Temple of Azure Clouds, located just outside the north gate of Fragrant Hills Park.
Xiangshan, 40 Maimai Jie, West Mountain, Haidian District, Beijing; April 1-June 30, 6 a.m.-6:30 p.m.; July 1-August 31, 6 a.m.-7 p.m.; September 1-March 31, 6 a.m.-6 p.m.; +86 (10) 6259 1155
Chaoyang Park
Locals looking for a quick outdoor hit head for Chaoyang Park, which hosted beach volleyball action during the 2008 Olympic Games.
A family spot, this park has several basketball courts and soccer pitches, a lake with boat rentals and a few rides for the kids.
Chaoyang Park, 1 Nongzhan Nan Lu, Chaoyang district, Beijing; open daily, 6 a.m.-10 p.m.; +86 (10) 6506 5409
More on CNN: 72 hours in Beijing
Beijing Botanical Garden
Not the typical image of Beijing that comes to mind. Not far from Fragrant Hills, the Beijing Botanical Garden has 6,000 species of plants, including 2,000 varieties of trees and bushes, 1,620 varieties of tropical and subtropical plants, 500 species of flowers and 1,900 kinds of fruit trees and water plants.
Not green enough for you? The garden also has an extensive collection of orchids, medicinal plants, aromatic plants and succulents.
Highlights include the 100,000-square-meter peony garden, rain forest house, desert garden house and Wofosi Temple, home to a five-meter-long reclining Buddha.
Beijing Botanical Garden, Wofosi Road, Xiangshan, Haidian District, Beijing; outdoor gardens open daily, 7 a.m.-5 p.m.; +86 (10) 6259 1283 (Chinese language)
Where to eat
Saveur de Corée: Korean Patio Gourmet
While on what we can only assume was an excellent Chinese adventure, Keanu Reeves popped into Saveur de Coree for a grilled Wagyu fillet. Saveur de Coree serves natural yet tasty spins on Korean classics. All dishes are MSG free and made with a range of organic ingredients.
Vegetarian options include vegan bibimbap and dairy-free, tofu-based chocolate mousse.
An open-air garden, inspired by traditional Korean courtyards, adds charm to the simple venue.
Saveur de Coree, 20 Ju Er Hutong, Dongcheng District (Near Nanluogu Xiang's north end); open Monday-Friday, 11:30 a.m.-3 pm, 6-10:30 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday, 11:30 a.m.-10:30 p.m.; +86 (10) 6401 6083
The Orchard
The Orchard is a European-inspired restaurant in a stunning Shunyi setting.
The venue includes two smaller dining rooms for private parties, and a large, open room that overlooks a small lake with a covered bridge and orchard.
The menu features homegrown pesticide-free herbs and veggies, semi- to fully organic fruits and vegan or vegetarian meals upon request.
Transportation back to the city center is a challenge if you don't plan ahead, but the scenery makes it worth the trip.
Hegezhuang Village, Cuigezhuang Town, Shunyi district, Beijing; open Tuesday-Saturday, noon-2:30 p.m., 6-9 p.m.; Sunday, noon-3 p.m., 6-9 p.m.;+86 (10) 6433 6270
The Rug
Snug as a bug at The Rug. (We couldn't resist.) The Rug is a charming cafe across from the south gate of Chaoyang Park. It's one of the first restaurants in Beijing to work directly with local farmers.
The Rug is particularly good for breakfast or weekend brunch, with a selection of pancakes, egg dishes, sandwiches and fresh juices.
The bagels aren't authentic -- better choices include a fantastic eggs Benedict or 100% organic yogurt from Green Yard (the only approved organic fresh milk brand in Beijing).
The venue is well-lit with floor-to-ceiling windows and is family friendly, with a playroom for kids.
The Rug, 1/F, Building 4, Chaoyang Gongyuan Nan Lu, Lishuijiayuan Xiaoqu (opposite Chaoyang Park south gate), Chaoyang district, Beijing; open daily, 7:30 a.m.-11 p.m.; +86 (10) 8550 2722
Where to shop
Organic farm on Beijing outskirts. After food safety scandals, interest in organic produce is growing.
Lohao City
Lohao City is Beijing?s first organic health food store. It serves a variety of products, including tofu, dairy-free chocolate, bread, vegetables and fruits in eight Beijing locations.
The store stocks organic goods specially made for pregnant and nursing women and babies, as well as natural vitamins and supplements.
Lohao City, 608 Pinnacle Plaza, Tianzhu, Shunyi District; open daily 8am-9pm; +86 (10) 8046 6242
Green Cow Organic Farm
Green Cow Organic Farm was originally founded by Lejen Chen as a way of sourcing organic produce for her cafe.
Today it's a fully functioning closed-system organic farm with corn, wheat and soybean fed chickens, cows, pigs and a wide range of pesticides, herbicides and GMO free vegetables.
A member of the Model Farm Project, the Green Cow Organic Farm follows organic growing standards set by the Soil Association based in the UK.
While tourists aren't likely to be in the market for fresh veggies on vacation, it's a great place to learn about Beijing's efforts to produce clean, safe food.
The farm also hosts regular events, including the fall Green Cow Harvest Festival.
Green Cow Organic Farm, Donggezhuan, Houshayu Zhen, 30 minutes from downtown Beijing and 10 minutes north of the new International Exhibition Center; +86 (10) 8046 4301
More on CNN: The man bringing cheese to Beijing
Where to unwind
The Mutianyu area of the Great Wall is about 70 kilometers northeast of Beijing and one of the best-preserved sections.
Brickyard Eco Retreat at Mutianyu Great Wall
The Brickyard is a private eco-retreat at the Mutianyu Great Wall, about an hour's drive out of central Beijing. It was built on the remains of a glazed tile factory with locally sourced materials such as native fieldstone, slate, gravel, brick and fruitwoods.
The eco-resort neither serves nor sells plastic bottles and recycles fiber, glass and plastic waste. The garden offers a great view of the Great Wall and surrounding mountains.
Set right in the garden, the spa offers relaxing treatments as well as a sauna and icy plunge facilities.
The Brickyard also offers seasonal Sunday morning yoga sessions right on the Great Wall.
Brickyard Eco Retreat at Mutianyu Great Wall, Beigou Village, Huairou District; +86 (10) 6162 6506
Commune by the Great Wall
Winner of the 2002 Biennale di Venezia special prize and praised by Business Week as a "New Architectural Wonder of China," the Commune by the Great Wall is a private collection of contemporary architecture designed by 12 Asian architects.
This SOHO China development gives its guests a chance to be completely immersed in the green mountains surrounding the Great Wall without lacking the luxury comforts of a five-star hotel including a swimming pool, lounge and restaurant.
The Commune has its own private passage to the Badaling section of the Great Wall, which is ideal for long hikes.
Commune by the Great Wall, Great Wall Exit No. 53 at Shuiguan G6 Jingzang Highway; +86 (10) 8118 1888
More on CNN: Beijing hotels: 9 fantastic new places to crash
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05/25/2013
Think your flip-flops have been through hell? Try a pair of Gandys
Created by orphans of the 2004 Asian tsunami, Gandys flip-flops aim to do more than sit around on the beach
If there?s a single iconic travel fashion accessory, it?s flip-flops.
The universal footwear is worn the world over by backpackers, package tourists, beach bums and wealthy vacationers alike.
It?s a multi-billion dollar industry.
For British brothers Rob and Paul Forkan, flip-flops also represent a memory, a legacy, a way of life and the avenue toward a dream of establishing a successful business, as well as a network of orphanages.
In 2012, the entrepreneurial pair launched Gandys, a brand of colorful flip-flops they hope to make a household name around the world.
But theirs is no ordinary company start-up or socially conscious marketing pitch.
Gandys was launched only after a tragic and compelling tale that made world travelers and, eventually, orphans of the brothers themselves.
Gandys is their way of paying tribute to that story.
Unconventional upbringing
The Forkan family together before the 2004 Asian tsunami. The brothers grew up on the road.
Their parents, Kevin and Sandra Forkan, owned a successful fashion/social enterprise in the UK. Tired of the business and wanting a more meaningful life, the Forkans sold their home in 1999 and took up a lifestyle of travel, working on charity projects in developing countries.
Four of their six children came along, including Rob and Paul, while the two older siblings remained in the UK.
The family?s journey began in India, where the Forkans set up base for four years, raising money for local causes and volunteering in orphanages.
For the children, conventional schooling wasn?t an option.
?We went to school for four or five months, then we were meant to be home schooled, but that probably only happened for one afternoon in four or five years,? says Paul Forkan. ?We learned by going to museums and visiting history sites rather than reading about them from books.?
For Paul and his siblings, India is where their fondest family memories were made.
2004 tsunami
After India, the Forkan family went to Sri Lanka.
In 2004, the Boxing Day Tsunami hit Sri Lanka, engulfing the seaside resort where the Forkans were staying. The tsunami killed hundreds of thousands in Asia ?- among them were parents Kevin and Sandra Forkan. Their children, Rob, Paul, Matty and Rosie, just 17, 15, 12 and eight years old respectively, became orphans in a flash of water that ripped open the doors of the resort and barreled into the rooms.
With no belongings, food or money, the children hiked some 200 kilometers (124 miles) over the course of a week to Colombo where, with the support of the British Embassy, they made it back to the UK to live with an older sister.
?We were lucky that after traveling around so much as children, we always saw situations that were a lot worse (than ours),? says Paul, reflecting on his past inside the London headquarters of Gandys.
?I think if we were just there for a two-week holiday it would have been a lot harder. But as children, we were volunteering at orphanages and we?d seen a lot of bad stuff, so we were a lot tougher than most people would normally be.
?It was bad in the first 12 months, but we just got on with life. We did things that we enjoyed, like playing sports and going away at the weekend. Obviously we miss (our parents) still. You just have to keep yourself as busy as possible and focus on the good stuff.?
Business inspiration
From a business that started in the bedroom of a shared flat in Brixton, Gandys is forecast to turn over more than £1million ($1.51 million) by 2014. Moving on from their harrowing experience took time, but the brothers were resilient.
Waking up in the UK one morning after a long day at a festival, Rob blurted out that he had a dry mouth, ?like Ghandi?s flip-flops.? In that instant, the idea for a footwear business was born.
Rob shared his inspiration with Paul, who was working and traveling in Australia at the time.
?Rob flew out for my 21st birthday,? says Paul. ?He told me about the idea and then he wouldn?t shut up about it.
?When he came to me, it was just an idea. But he said, ?let?s do this.? So I came back and we went from there.?
Keen to avoid offense to the famous political family, the brothers named their business Gandys, rather than Ghandi?s.
Next, they designed their own colorful flip-flops, put together prototypes and found an investor in self-made millionaire Dominic List.
London isn?t the most obvious place to base a flip-flop start-up and Paul concedes that at one point wearing Gandys year-round left him with ?a horrendous cold.?
Like much else in their life, the Gandys journey has been difficult, but a spirit of perseverance has gotten the brothers through the tough spots.
?There?s are times when you?re like, ?Jesus this is tough, this is hard,? but being a good entrepreneur means that when you come up against a big brick wall, you find ways to go round it,? says Paul.
?I actually had a lot of mates that laughed at me. It?s only in the last couple months, when we launched in places like Topshop and a few celebrities have been seen wearing Gandys, that people have started saying, ?Yeah, we can see you guys being like Havaianas.? We never really thought about coming up against Havaianas as a big brand, we just did it.?
From a business that started in the bedroom of a shared flat in Brixton, Gandys is forecast to turn over more than £1million ($1.51 million) by 2014. The flip-flops are sold in more than 30 shops and boutiques around England.
?We want to be famous for flip-flops,? says Paul. ?We want to be a household name around the world for flip-flops. ?
A social enterprise
Paul (L) and Rob Forkan with disadvantaged kids in India. The brothers donate 10% of Gandys profits to a charity assisting children in Goa. As part of the company?s ?For Orphans, By Orphans? initiative, the brothers are setting up their own foundation, which will open Gandys orphanages around the world.
The project will kick off in India, and is due to be unveiled in 2014 before the tenth anniversary of the Asian tsunami.
In the meantime, the brothers donate 10% of profits from Gandys to Mango Tree Goa, a UK-based charity that helps disadvantaged children in Goa, India. In one year of operating Gandys, the brothers say they?ve donated enough money to Mango Tree Goa to provide school supplies for 100 children and fund a teacher for a year.
?We want to help children in particular because we were very lucky to be able to come back to a Western country and be taken in,? says Paul. ?If something happens (to children) in a non-Western country, there?s not the support there, so we want to help people where there?s no support.?
Gandys flip-flops are currently available only in the UK, but they?re due to launch in the United States later this year.
Paul is aware of his rapidly expanding business obligations, but says being an entrepreneur isn?t so different from being a traveler.
?The good thing about being an entrepreneur is that it?s like backpacking,? he says. ?When you?re backpacking and you don?t know where to go or you get lost, you?ve always got people to ask. It?s the same in business. There are always people who will give you advice and you can trade ideas.?
At its core, Gandys is a travel brand rooted in the brothers? childhood.
The flip-flop is reminiscent of their traveling days; the Gandys stamp on the sole represents the stamps in their passports; the foundation they?re setting up is in memory of their parents.
As with every great trip, every step the Forkans take feels like a meaningful one.
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