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Hello,

Trouble continues to brew at big tech companies but this time, the impact was felt closer home. 

Google’s India arm laid off 453 employees across various departments. Twitter, on the other hand, closed down two out of its three offices in India, asking employees to work from home.

Meanwhile, if you ever felt lazy for oversleeping in the winter, science is here to help. New research suggests that while humans do not hibernate, we may need more sleep during colder months.

ICYMI: How chicken became part of the culinary world because of one clerical error.

After all, who doesn’t like a bit of food history to start the weekend, right?

In today’s newsletter, we will talk about 

• Ruhee Dosani: Grooving with the stars
• Vietnam: A budget-friendly getaway
• Dining in the Amazon (at Mumbai)

Here’s your trivia for today: When is World Vada Paav Day celebrated?

Interview

Ruhee Dosani: Grooving with the stars

Ruhee Dosani has been on cloud nine ever since actor and singer Diljit Dosanjh reposted her reels. Now, the content creator has over two million followers on Instagram, and has collaborated with Priyanka Chopra, Madhuri Dixit, Janhvi Kapoor, Kartik Aryan, and Aamir Khan.

Claim to fame:

• Ruhee began making videos during the lockdown at her home in the US and is influenced by Bollywood.
• Famous as ‘Punjab di kudi’, she grooved to Hindi and Bhojpuri songs with her pals in her initial videos.
• All of her videos have the signature Ruhee Dosani avatar—her trademark black hat, long braids, and cool shades.

Top Deals of the Week

Startup: InsuranceDekho

Amount: $150M

Round: Series A

Startup: PhonePe

Amount: $100M

Round: Equity

Startup: Garuda Aerospace

Amount: $22M

Round: Series A

Travel

Vietnam: A budget-friendly getaway

From bustling cities to rivers, beaches, and mountains—Vietnam has a lot to offer, and is slowly emerging as a quick and cheap travel destination. Direct flights, a hassle-free visa process, and a myriad range of activities make it the perfect international destination for Indians.

Must-visit places:

• A UNESCO world heritage site, Halong Bay is known for its emerald waters and limestone islands.
• Known as the lantern city of Vietnam, Hoi An is a melting pot of cultures and boasts of French colonial buildings and traditional Vietnamese pagodas.
• Ninh Binh’s magical riverine landscape, tall mountains, and lush-green surroundings make it a real gem.

Food and wine

Dining in the Amazon (at Mumbai)

Inspired by the South American forest, Amazonia in Mumbai’s BKC offers diners a continental palette among floor-to-ceiling plants, fringed lamps, tropical trees, a huge giraffe, and other animals and birds.

Exotic taste:

• The 120-seater restaurant offers the sights and sounds of the real jungle with fringed lights and vines hanging down from the ceiling.
• The menu is divided into Thai, Japanese, Korean, Thai, and Italian. Thai entrée Yum Mamuang and Japanese pancake Okonomiyaki are must-haves.
• Amazonia offers an entire list of ramen bowls—from yakisoba to curry udon, spicy miso ramen, and soy-based shoyu.

News & updates

• Not up to mark: Facebook parent Meta gave thousands of employees subpar ratings in a recently concluded round of performance reviews, a signal that more job cuts may be on the way. The company also cut a bonus metric, one of several steps taken after Zuckerberg declared 2023 a “year of efficiency”. 
• Money matters: Global cryptocurrency exchange Binance had secret access to a bank account belonging to its purportedly independent US partner and transferred large sums of money from the account to a trading firm managed by CEO Changpeng Zhao, banking records and company messages show.
• An about-turn: Tesla is recalling 362,758 vehicles manufactured between 2016 and 2023 after US authorities said its automated-driving technology could increase the risk of a crash. Tesla is expected to fix the issue through an over-the-air software update by April 15.

When is World Vada Paav Day celebrated?

Answer: August 23 

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