Ravi and jessica Gounder - wedding

The Gold Coast wedding of high profile couple Ravi Gounder & Jessica Gounder (formerly Brown) over the weekend definately set tongues wagging.

The private ceremony held on a prestigious Gold Coast property caused a stir amongst local residents resulting in the paparazzi taking photographs for the local rag.

The two nights of ceremonies went without a hitch, seeing family and friends celebrating their Indian wedding on Friday the 24th of September, followed by a fairytale white wedding on Saturday on the 25th of September.

Guests were treated to traditional and heartfelt contributions from all quarters of the family. Many describing the Indian wedding as a theatrical event that kept everyone engaged for the entire evening – from coconut cracking, through to fire starting.

“This has been the best celebration of two people coming together I have ever seen” one guest was heard musing.

The team at My Life My News wishes the happy couple every success and hope to hear the pitter patter of little feet in the not too distant future.

Ravi and Jessica Gounder - Gold Coast Indian Wedding

Gumtree Yoga

WHAT: Online community website Gumtree.com.au is staging the Gumtree Community Yoga Class 2010 – a FREE outdoor yoga class in Sydney which for the past two years has attracted more than 1000 participants.

WHEN: Thursday 1st April 2010, 6.30am-8am (the Thursday before the Easter long weekend). Registrations open at 6.30am. The class will commence at 7am sharp. The yoga session runs for one hour with optional 20-minute meditation at the end (an 8.20am finish for those choosing to meditate). Please note that sunrise over the sea is at 7.07am.

WHERE: Bondi Beach Pavilion (instructors will stand on the corso in front of the Pavilion while participants pose on yoga mats on the beach).
WHO: Gumtree Community Yoga Class 2010 is FREE. Everyone is welcome to register and take part – from all members of the Sydney community to tourists and international visitors. Also confirmed are lifeguards from Bondi Rescue and celebrity designer, Annalise Braakensiek.

WHY: Committed to helping people find new activities and connect with others in their local area, Gumtree.com.au is staging this yoga event for the third year to remind Australians about the health and wellbeing benefits people experience while engaging with their community. This FREE Gumtree Community Yoga Class 2010 is also in keeping with the FREE online classifieds advertising offered by Gumtree.com.au.

WHY SHOULD YOU COME: The soothing sounds of the ocean and sight of hundreds of people saluting the sun will make for a blissful morning. And set the scene for a relaxing Easter long weekend. Whether new to yoga or a long-time devotee, this class is for everyone so take your spot among hundreds of people in synchronised yoga poses on Sydney’s iconic Bondi Beach.

HOW TO REGISTER: Simply email your full name and mobile phone number to yoga@gumtree.com.au or visit http://info.gumtree.com.au/Yoga/2010/Yoga_2010.html for further information. Online registrations close Wednesday 31st March 2010 at 4pm. Unregistered participants are also welcome on the day.

March into Marivale

Merivale CEO, Justin Hemmes, said: “Inspired by the success of our first March Into Merivale, we have had a lot of fun creating the 50 plus events for this year’s event and have extended it to two months to accommodate them all. Sydneysiders are buzzing again with the Merivale magic of our venues, chefs and their teams.”

Following on from last year’s festival favourite, the $33 lunch and dinner offer is back with bigger, better and even tastier menus to keep any belly satisfied.

Restaurants est., sushi e, Ash Street Cellar, Mad Cow, Uccello, Teppanyaki, Lotus and Bistro CBD return with the $33 dining offer of a main meal with a glass of wine or beer available at dinner or lunch. For the first time, three Merivale pubs, Royal George, Slip Inn and CBD, will be joining in the fun with their own meal deals and offering two main meals and two glasses of wine or beer for only $33 at dinner or lunch.

Tasty plates on offer include Ginger and kombu steamed baby barramundi and triple dim sim with Asian salsa from ivy’s Teppanyaki; Bistro CBD serves up a mouth-watering Pork belly saltimbocca, baby leeks, kipflers and crispy sage; Ucello guests can enjoy linguine with yamba prawns, chestnut mushrooms and cherry tomato in a light arrabbiata sauce; and Ash St Cellar will satisfy with marinated cornfed Chicken breast with green beans, radicchio and toasted almonds.

The $33 lunch is served between 12 and 2pm and dinner between 6 and 8pm from 15 February to 16 April 2010 *. Menus change fortnightly and pre-booking is essential to ensure a place.

For March Into Merivale 2010, the Merivale head chefs have revealed their “super-human” abilities yet again in a creative photo shoot for the campaign and have also exposed what inspired them to become chefs.

To view the full menus and to explore the other events offered at March into Merivale visit www.marchintomerivale.com or call (02) 9240 3000 to make a booking.

* Lotus dinner only, Uccello and Teppanyaki closed on Mondays.

Featuring three signature dishes from each of the city’s top restaurants and chefs, plus wineries, producers, outdoor dining and live music, Taste of Sydney is the ultimate all-in-one dining experience.

Watch your favourite chefs in action at the Australian Gourmet Traveller Taste Kitchen, polish your palate with guest wine experts at the Taste Wine with Gourmet Traveller Wine Thearte, or browse your way through hundreds of top end boutique authentic produce at the Producer’s Market.

Taste of Sydney Venue

This greatly anticipated event will showcase the very best of the culinary scene and provide an un-missable opportunity to explore breathtaking cuisine, discover new delicacies and plan your entire social calendar of dining out.

For more information visit http://www.tasteofsydney.com.au, Ticketek for ticketing enquiries 132 849, or Brand Events Australia 02 9331 7507

EVENT DETAILS

Venue: Sydney Centennial Park

Session Dates and Times: Thursday 11th March
5.30pm-9.30pm
Friday 12th & Saturday 13th March
12.00pm-4.00pm or 5.30pm – 9.30pm
Sunday 14th March
12.00pm-5.00pm

Cost: General Entry: $27.50
Child (age 6-17): $15
Premium: $55 (pre-purchased)
VIP: $120

As part of the Sunshine Coast Art Prize, Caloundra is hosting Art in the Park from 8am to 1pm, on Sunday 4 October 2009. The event in Felicity Park links the prestigious Sunshine Coast Art Prize exhibition at Caloundra Regional Gallery with the popular Bulcock Street markets with over 100 stalls.

Nourish your soul and tantalize your mind with this opportunity to combine a visit to the gallery with browsing among the original Australian art and craft displayed at Art in the Park.

The Sunshine Coast Art Prize exhibition features the 39 finalists and the winning piece Law by Maleny artist Peter Hudson. The free exhibition is open 10-4pm at 22 Omrah Ave, Caloundra.

For all the latest information about the prize visit www.scap.org.au. For great deals on accommodation visit www.caloundratourism.com.au or phone 1800 700 899 to speak to a friendly local.

A must-do school holiday experience, Sydney Children’s Festival brings out the artist in every child. Admission to the Festival is free and runs from Monday 5 to Saturday 17 October. With oodles of free activities, workshops, exhibitions and some ticketed events, the Festival is geared to engage the senses, stimulate the imagination and ignite every child’s passion for creative arts.

Following a hugely successful debut in 2008, where over 10,000 children and their families joined the fun and creativity; the two-week October Festival commences with an Opening Concert and Party on Saturday 3 October, followed by Circus inspired week one from Monday 5-10 and Storytelling themed week two from Monday 12-17.

Sydney Children's Festival

The Festival is CarriageWorks’ inspired vision to deliver exceptional creative performing and visual arts activities for children in Sydney. The 2009 Sydney Children’s Festival is set to deliver on this promise. A full festival program will be revealed in late August on the Festival’s website www.sydneychildrensfestival.com. Sign up for regular alerts to keep ahead of program of activities and special events.

KEY FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS

· Opening Party (Sat 03.08.09, 2:30pm-7pm) with specially assembled Sydney Children’s Festival Choir & Kids Dance Party
· World Premiere of A Mazing giant labyrinth full with peculiar things to poke, prod, play with and peek through! From the makers of last year’s sell-out show The Petting Zoo.
· 46 Circus Acts in 45 Minutes – CIRCA’s international smash hit, for children and their families.
· Imaginary Theatre’s Tashi, performances based on popular kids books by Anna Fienberg.
· Legs on the Wall workshops by world famous Australian physical theatre company
· Kids Community Garden Project, hosted by renowned sustainability teacher and horticulturalist, Lizzie Rose
· Traditional Indigenous music program with free interactive activities.
· Giant public mural project and visual arts workshop program
· Circus drop-in room for kids to learn acrobatic tricks, hula ‘til their heart’s content and run wild with circus mayhem

Festival Opening Party kicks off at 2:30pm with an exciting family concert starring the Sydney Children’s Festival Choir – exclusively assembled to perform new music by choral masters Carl Pannuzzo and Penny Larkins; live music from young Indigenous Australian folk/jazz duo Microwave Jenny; and many other special guests.

Sydney Children's Festival

Crazy circus inspired Week one kicks off on Monday 5 October, with CIRCA’s 46 Circus Acts in 46 Minutes, where the impossible happens! An international runaway hit and breathtaking, heart stopping show, intrepid acrobats battle the clock as they bend, fly, juggle and balance with dazzling skill. Set to upbeat music, this is circus without the boring bits!

Week two brings alive the magic of storytelling, with popular tales told through mesmerising stage performances. Headlining with Imaginary Theatre’s Tashi, a magical adaptations of Anna Fienberg’s vibrant stories about a boy’s awesome adventures, designed especially for 4 – 10 year olds, a world of pirates, princesses, demons and giants unfolds.

Running throughout the Festival, highlights also include: Erth’s Amazing Room! Where kids can leave their adult friends at the door and enter the most amazing room ever: a 30 minute maze for the senses, inhabited by artists, performers and surprise guests. Each day of the Festival, indigenous artists or elders welcome kids into The Yarnin’ Circle to engage in a good old fashioned chin-wag; swap and share legends, parables and personal experiences; play games, tell jokes, and hear Dreaming stories.

CarriageWorks inventive Living Library introduces ‘books’ as real people with remarkable tales to tell; and Storytelling Corner has loads of inspiring and renowned children’s authors reading extracts from their books.

The Real Thing – a giant kaleidoscope that explodes into a multiplied world of weird, warped and beautiful shapes, colours and patterns, allows kids to watch in awe as they discover optical illusion. And the magical Wishing Tree – a very special tree that needs children’s hopes and wishes to grow, starts with a leafy bed of treasures to fold, decorate and hang; and blossoms throughout the Festival into a beautiful sky high canopy across the CarriageWorks foyer.

While Gardening Workshops show kids the basics of tending a garden, growing edible herbs and plants, getting friendly with a beanstalk, making portraits of cheeky garden creatures, and special secrets to encourage butterflies, frogs and lizards to hang out at their place.

Circus Zoo Drop in Room, Circus Skills Workshops and Legs on the Wall Acrobatics Workshops will get kids bodies moving with daredevil fun and games. The Taste Trail, for all junior foodies and their adult friends, presents an adventure across tables and taste buds, around the Eveleigh Farmers Markets with Master Chef Tom Kime, ending with a delicious healthy lunch! And aspiring artist can be challenged and inspired by Bess O’Malley’s (Program Manager at Pine Street Creative Arts Centre) unique series of Visual Arts Workshops.

Located conveniently in the old Eveleigh Rail Yards on Wilson Street, Redfern; CarriageWorks is just a hop, skip and a jump from Redfern Station, and is easy to access by bus as well. With free onsite parking onsite at 229 Wilson Street, opposite Queen Street, and free activities running all day, the Sydney Children’s Festival is the best holiday fun for kids going this October.

Sydney Children’s Festival 2009| Festival Information

FESTIVAL DATES 5 – 17 October
OPENING PARTY Saturday 3 October
OPENING TIMES 10am – 4pm, Monday – Saturday. Closed Sundays.
ADMISSION Admission into the Festival is free. Events are free or ticketed via www.ticketmaster.com.au
VENUE Carriageworks, 245 Wilson Street, Eveleigh, NSW, 2015
(Nearest Train: Redfern or Macdonaldtown)
MORE INFO www.sydneychildrensfestival.com | www.carriageworks.com.au | 02 8571 9099

Editors Notes: Check out the website to keep up-to-date with new free activities, workshops and performances. www.sydneychildrensfestival.com

After the triumph of national event SLAM Beach Volleyball, which will be celebrating its 10th year this summer, Live Love Australia, the organiser behind these sporting successes, has initiated a similar competition format but for all the touch rugby and indie electro rock fans out there.

Summer Touch

The festival kicks off with DJs and team registration mid morning. Then rally your team for an exhilarating day of wacky and wild beach touch competitions before the music takes over at the Vodka Cruiser beach party. As well as top DJs spinning the decks there will be epic performances from some of Australia’s biggest up & coming talents, with the likes of Bag Raiders and Miami Horror providing organic, edgy & raw sounds for you to party until sunset.

Attracting a sporty, fit & fashionable cool crowd Summer Touch Festival embodies everything we love about our nation; sport, beaches, bevies & great music. Part beach party, part touch competition and part music festival, Summer Touch will be taking Australia by storm in its debut year. Just make sure you’re one of the first to be part of what will become an annual world class event, and let Summer Touch Festival rock your world this summer!

To register your team, purchase tickets to the festival and after party, details of national tour dates, or more information on Summer Touch visit: www.summertouch.com.au

PS: This is a national event – except, well ACT – they ain’t got no beaches!

Kids and their adult friends can sing their hearts out and have fun learning new music, composed and curated especially for the Festival by talented composers and choir masters Carl Pannuzzo and Penny Larkins. Everyone from beginners to advanced choral performers are welcome.

Rehearsals are on Sat 19 and 26 September for three hours leading up to the opening of Sydney Children’s Festival and include a unique singing workshop hosted by Carl and Penny. On Saturday 3 October, the Choir will perform on stage at the Sydney Children’s Festival Opening Party.

To be part of the Festival Choir email Kyra Bartley on producing@carriageworks.com.au or call 02 8571 9099 or 02 8571 9070.

The second annual Sydney Children’s Festival at CarriageWorks will amaze, awe and inspire children from 5 – 12 years old, and their families this October, over the school holidays. The Festival commences with an Opening Concert and Party on Saturday 3 October, followed by Circus inspired week one from Monday 5-10 and Storytelling themed week two from Monday 12-17. The festival is 95% free! With some ticketed events and workshops.

A full festival program is available on the Festival website www.sydneychildrensfestival.com where you can also sign up for regular alerts to keep ahead of program of activities and special events.

From the world premiere of Erth’s A Mazing giant labyrinth, to CIRCA’s international smash hit 46 Circus Acts in 45 Minutes and Imaginary Theatre’s mesmerising performances of children’s literary hit Tashi; Sydney Children’s Festival is a must-do school holiday experience.

With oodles of free activities, workshops, exhibitions and some ticketed events, the Festival is geared to engage the senses, stimulate the imagination and ignite every child’s passion for creative arts.

Kids can get their face on film, get hip with a hula hoop, be swept up in a story, fly, fall, or learn to flip… and make a mess in the mass of art and craft found in every corner of CarriageWorks.

Sydney Children’s Festival 2009| Festival Information

FESTIVAL DATES 5 – 17 October
OPENING PARTY Saturday 3 October
OPENING TIMES 10am – 4pm, Monday – Saturday. Closed Sundays.
ADMISSION Admission into the Festival is free.
Events are free or ticketed via www.ticketmaster.com.au

VENUE Carriageworks, 245 Wilson Street, Eveleigh, NSW, 2015
(Nearest Train: Redfern or Macdonaldtown)
MORE INFO
www.sydneychildrensfestival.com
www.carriageworks.com.au
02 8571 9099

Glenn comes direct from his sell out show at the Edinburgh Fringe to perform live and exclusively at the Comedy Store – Entertainment Quarter, Sydney, for two weeks only (September 29 to October 10).

Nominated Best Headliner at UK comedy bible Chortle’s awards in 2008, and Best International Stand up at this year’s New Zealand Comedy Awards – his surname is a sheep-derived product after all; Glenn got his lucky break in 1994 when he won $10,000 on a scratchy.

Combined with another lucky break – insurance money from a car crash which fortunately didn’t kill him; funded a move to Europe, where Glenn developed his craft on the iconic UK comedy scene to now emerge as a comedy tour de force.

Presenting Sydney audiences with the best of his latest Edinburgh gigs, Glenn’s show promises to be a night of the highest-calibre stand-up, consisting of personal life scenarios, obscure observations and everyman gags us Aussies can relate to.

Glenn is for the comedy goer who needs to have a bloody good laugh at the state of the world today, and his ability to approach the BIG ISSUES with playful nonchalance, is the key to his cheeky charm.

For a night of pure comic quality, see this prolific international comedy performer grab the mic live and exclusively in Sydney at the Comedy Store; home to Australia’s finest home-grown and international comedy acts. With The Comedy Store’s legendary School Night Specials – Tight Arse Tuesdays just $10; Happy Hour Wednesday with $3 drinks from 6- 8pm and a $15 show; and Triple Treat Thursday – $20 ticket, pizza and a free drink – there’s no reason to miss the best value night with the most laughs in Sydney.

With a maximum $30 ticket price on weekends, The Comedy Store is Sydney’s only stand-up venue featuring a constant showcase of exclusive and high profile international comic talent – with new acts every two weeks. Check out The Comedy Store website at www.comedystore.com.au for the most up to date line-ups and listings, special announcements; or to book a show.

WHERE: Comedy Store Sydney
The Entertainment Quarter – Moore Park
(Formerly Fox Studios)

WHEN: Tues 29 Sept to Sat 10 Oct
8:30pm (Bar opens 7pm & 6pm on Wed) Two hour show
BOOKINGS: Box Office P: 02 9357 1419,
W: www.comedystore.com.au

PRICES – SCHOOL NIGHT SPECIALS:

Tight Ass Tuesday – Tickets $10
Happy Hour Wednesday – 6- 8pm $3 Drinks, $15 show
Triple Treat Thursday – $20 ticket, pizza and a free drink!
PRICES – WEEKENDS: Fri & Sat $30 (ticket inclusive)

OTHER INFORMATION Persons under 18 years must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Vani-T is the celebrities’ choice for red carpet glamour, loved and used by Australian and international celebrities. The Vani-T Room is the first concept store in Australia and is located in Marion Westfield.

To celebrate Vani-T Room’s first birthday on 19 September 2009 between 11am and 1pm, customers will be offered:

· 20% off storewide (all September)
· The opportunity to WIN a $500 Vani-T Gift Card
· The opportunity to MEET Vani-T founder and CEO Tania Walsh
· FREE cupcakes and champagne
· FREE gift

The Vani-T Room received the Westfield Design Award for “Best kiosk for the quarter nationally”.

For your nearest stockist contact 1300 780 340 or visit www.vani-t.com