Y7 HUMANITIES 2018 V-Day Special
What is Love?
Is there really a such thing?
Men and Sports
There may be some science behind his love for the game.
Single on V-Day?
We have got the perfect plans for you!
Intreview with Sports Sweetheart Cristiano Ronaldo
In This Issue • • • • • • • •
Why Men Love Sports What is Love Origins of Valentine’s Day What Is Love V Day Recipes Spread the Love V Day Singleton Ideas V day Vacation Spots
•
Cristiano Ronoldo – Football’s Sweeteheart
Contributions written by Y7 Staff and Y7 Humanities Staff. All copyright belongs to HSF Media Inc. and any reproduction, print or copying is strictly prohibited. All queries should be directed to : HSF MEDIA INC. 300 CADMAN PLAZA WEST, FLOOR 12 BROOKLYN, NY 11201 Senior Staff Contacts President, Dr. Hassan A Farhat VP April Khan CCO Dinah Rashid CAD Saood Mukhtar
Why Men Love Sports By Johan Minevich
Some love their partners and some-- love Sports?
Gender politics and science have never gotten along very well. The patriarchal system was—and in some cultures still is—based on the premise that women are more mercurial, less deliberative and physically less sturdy than men. Those are perfectly easy beliefs to hold—at least until you subject them to the least bit of intellectual scrutiny or real-world testing, at which point they fall apart completely.
In the 1970s, the script flipped, with the fashionable thinking being that gender differences are artificial constructs. Give little girls footballs or model rockets and little boys baby dolls or princess toys and they’d play perfectly happily with them as long as someone didn’t tell them otherwise.
But this too was mostly rubbish, as any parent who has raised both a boy and a girl can tell you—and as scientists confirm. The more closely they study brain structure, prenatal hormone exposure and more, the more they confirm that boys and girls are born fundamentally, behaviorally different.
The question gets a little murkier when it comes to one of the great dividing lines between the sexes: sports. On the one hand, both interest and participation in organized sports is still a predominantly male thing. On the other hand, when any culture makes the effort to level the playing field of opportunity, female participation rises dramatically. In 1972, before the enactment of Title IX, the landmark law that ensured gender equality in educational opportunities, only 7% of high school athletes were girls. Today it’s 42%.
Still, according to a thoughtful new study published in the journal Evolutionary Behavioral Sciences, the hard hand of evolution plays at least as much of a role in sports interest and participation as policy does—and quite possibly a greater one. And that, like it or not, tips the balance in favor of males.
The research, led by psychologist Robert Deaner of Grand Valley State University in Michigan, was more of a deep analysis of decades worth of other research, which is often the best way to get a high-altitude view of any social science. Deaner and his colleagues began by looking at the basic numbers.
One 2014 survey of 37 countries, for example, found that in every one, men were likelier to play some kind of sport than women. In a few countries, the difference was not statistically significant, but when the question was narrowed to specify competitive sports like basketball and exclude non-competitive ones like running, the men blew the doors off the numbers, besting women by nearly four-fold. A 2013 study conducted by Deaner and a colleague not involved in the current work found that males were twice as likely as females to be involved or interested in sports across 50 different countries or cultures.
The non-evolutionary explanations for the imbalance are familiar and numerous. Homemakers, goes one argument, who are still predominantly female, have less free time for sports than men do. In fact, however, research shows that both genders have about the same amount of free hours, but if the women are going to devote some of them to physical activity it’s likelier to be fitness training like yoga or Pilates or gym workouts. There is also the argument that even in a Title IX world, there still fewer well-organized sports leagues for girls than there are for boys. That may be true, but if the innate interest in sports were really the same across genders, the great leveler of sports in childhood—pick-up games that kids organize themselves—would be played more or less equally by all kids. But here the boys hold a ten-to-one edge.
As for the overwhelming gender disparity in sports spectatorship, the familiar non-evolutionary explanation is that there simply aren’t enough professional teams and leagues featuring female players to attract female spectators. But experience—if admittedly limited—doesn’t show that. The quality of play is first-rate in the 20-year-old Women’s National Basketball Association, but the league remains very much a ward of the much larger men’s NBA, with far smaller audiences
and far less public interest as a whole.
Women’s professional soccer is taking off around the world, but it’s men who make up most of the viewership, not women. In Germany, the male share of the audience for women’s soccer is actually greater than it is for men’s, 64% to 58%.
So if it’s evolution that’s behind the gender divide—and Deaner and his colleagues take pains to say it’s not only evolution—what exactly are the survival advantages of playing a sport? And what in the world could be the advantage of simply sitting around and watching other people play.
Much of the answer is based on the phenomenon known as the spectator lek. Principally found in birds, but also in some species of insect and mammal, a lek involves males gathering in a single place and displaying their plumage, size or overall fitness, sometimes by engaging in mock—or not-so-mock—combat, while other members of the species observe. For females, the value of watching the displays is straightforward, since it helps them select the mates who have the fittest genes and can best compete for resources. For male spectators, it has equal, if different, value, allowing “nonparticipating males [to] monitor the performances so they can evaluate potential competitors and allies,” the researchers write.
The precise nature of athletic activities is important too, since so many of them—running, tackling, throwing projectiles, advancing across terrain (or even around a diamond)—are useful in warfare. This all serves to refine skills, reinforce alliances and intimidate potential rivals.
Social status matters too, and sports reliably confers it, enhancing both power and mating options for the participant. That’s a dividend exploited far more by male athletes than female. It is the rare women’s sports star who travels with a posse, spends extravagantly on the plumage that is bling or beds a partner in every city in which she plays. It’s too much to say it’s the rare male sports star who doesn’t do those things, but it’s certainly more common among the lads.
The function of sports as a kind of mortal combat for men is evident even in the way they approach a less directly competitive sport like marathon running, in which all but a tiny handful of
participants are not actually contending to win. Overall, three times more males finish the race within 125% of the record time for their gender than females do for theirs, which suggests that the men were more focused on running to win than the women were. That’s a strategy that often backfires, since men were also three times likelier to slow significantly throughout the race, suggesting that their competitive impulses got out ahead of their abilities, whereas women tend to maintain a smarter, steadier pace.
None of this means that socialization, gender bias and all of the other cultural variables are not at work in the largely male world of sport. “An evolutionary approach is fully compatible with socialization playing a large role,” the researchers write, and so it is. Play has always been a big part of the life of all humans, and sports can be a big part of play. But that doesn’t mean the genders don’t still do it in many different ways—and for many different reasons.
What What is Valentines Valentine’sDay? Day?
Y7 Staff Pick
The history of Valentine’s Day–and the story of its patron saint–is shrouded in mystery. We do know that February has long been celebrated as a month of romance, and that St. Valentine’s Day, as we know it today, contains vestiges of both Christian and ancient Roman tradition. But who was Saint Valentine, and how did he become associated with this ancient rite? Did You Know? Approximately 150 million Valentine’s Day cards are exchanged annually, making Valentine’s Day the second most popular card-sending holiday after Christmas! The Catholic Church recognizes at least three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus, all of whom were martyred. One legend contends that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men. Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine’s actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death. Other stories suggest that Valentine may have been killed for attempting to help Christians escape harsh Roman prisons, where they were often beaten and tortured. According to one legend, an imprisoned Valentine actually sent the first “valentine” greeting himself after he fell in love with a young girl–possibly his jailor’s daughter–who visited him during his confinement. Before his death, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter signed “From your Valentine,” an expression that is still in use today. ORIGINS OF VALENTINE’S DAY: A PAGAN FESTIVAL IN FEBRUARY While some believe that Valentine’s Day is celebrated in the middle of February to commemorate the anniversary of Valentine’s death or burial–which probably occurred around A.D. 270–others claim that the Christian church may have decided to place St. Valentine’s feast day in the middle of February in an effort to “Christianize” the pagan celebration of Lupercalia. Celebrated at the ides of February, or February 15, Lupercalia was a fertility festival dedicated to Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture, as well as to the Roman founders Romulus and Remus. To begin the festival, members of the Luperci, an order of Roman priests, would gather at a sacred cave where the infants Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome, were believed to have been cared for by a she-wolf or lupa. The priests would sacrifice a goat, for fertility, and a dog, for purification. They would then strip the goat’s hide into strips, dip them into the sacrificial blood and take to the streets, gently slapping both women and crop fields with the goat hide. Far from being fearful, Roman women welcomed the touch of the hides because it was believed to make them more
fertile in the coming year. Later in the day, according to legend, all the young women in the city would place their names in a big urn. The city’s bachelors would each choose a name and become paired for the year with his chosen woman. These matches often ended in marriage. VALENTINE’S DAY: A DAY OF ROMANCE Lupercalia survived the initial rise of Christianity and but was outlawed—as it was deemed “un-Christian”–at the end of the 5th century, when Pope Gelasius declared February 14 St. Valentine’s Day. It was not until much later, however, that the day became definitively associated with love. During the Middle Ages, it was commonly believed in France and England that February 14 was the beginning of birds’ mating season, which added to the idea that the middle of Valentine’s Day should be a day for romance. Valentine greetings were popular as far back as the Middle Ages, though written Valentine’s didn’t begin to appear until after 1400. The oldest known valentine still in existence today was a poem written in 1415 by Charles, Duke of Orleans, to his wife while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London following his capture at the Battle of Agincourt. (The greeting is now part of the manuscript collection of the British Library in London, England.) Several years later, it is believed that King Henry V hired a writer named John Lydgate to compose a valentine note to Catherine of Valois. TYPICAL VALENTINE’S DAY GREETINGS In addition to the United States, Valentine’s Day is celebrated in Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, France and Australia. In Great Britain, Valentine’s Day began to be popularly celebrated around the 17th century. By the middle of the 18th, it was common for friends and lovers of all social classes to exchange small tokens of affection or handwritten notes, and by 1900 printed cards began to replace written letters due to improvements in printing technology. Ready-made cards were an easy way for people to express their emotions in a time when direct expression of one’s feelings was discouraged. Cheaper postage rates also contributed to an increase in the popularity of sending Valentine’s Day greetings. Americans probably began exchanging hand-made valentines in the early 1700s. In the 1840s, Esther A. Howland began selling the first mass-produced valentines in America. Howland, known as the “Mother of the Valentine,” made elaborate creations with real lace, ribbons and colorful pictures known as “scrap.” Today, according to the Greeting Card Association, an estimated 1 billion Valentine’s Day cards are sent each year, making Valentine’s Day the second largest card-sending holiday of the year. (An estimated 2.6 billion cards are sent for Christmas.) Women purchase approximately 85 percent of all valentines.
Love is a force of nature. However much we may want to, we can not command, demand, or take away love, any more than we can command the moon and the stars and the wind and the rain to come and go according to our whims. We may have some limited ability to change the weather, but we do so at the risk of upsetting an ecological balance we don’t fully understand. Similarly, we can stage a seduction or mount a courtship, but the result is more likely to be infatuation, or two illusions dancing together, than love. Love is bigger than you are. You can invite love, but you cannot dictate how, when, and where love expresses itself. You can choose to surrender to love or not, but in the end, love strikes like lightning: unpredictable and irrefutable. You can even find yourself loving people you don’t like at all. Love does not come with conditions, stipulations, addenda, or codes. Like the sun, love radiates independently of our fears and desires. Love is inherently free. It cannot be bought, sold, or traded. You cannot make someone love you, nor can you prevent it — not for any amount of money. Love cannot be imprisoned, nor can it be legislated. Love is not a substance, not a commodity, not even a marketable power source. Love has no territory, no borders, no quantifiable mass or energy output. One can buy sex partners and even marriage partners. Marriage is a matter for the law, for rules and courts and property rights. In the past, the marriage price, or dowry, and in the present, alimony and the pre-nuptial agreement, make it clear that marriage is all about contracts. But as we all know, marriages, whether arranged or not, may have little to do with love. Sexual stimulation and gratification, whether by way of fingers, mouths, objects, fantasy play, whips and chains, or just plain intercourse, can certainly be bought and sold, not to mention used to sell other things. Whether sex should be for sale is another question entirely, but love itself cannot be sold. One can buy loyalty, companionship, attention, and perhaps even compassion, but love itself cannot be bought. An orgasm can be bought, but love cannot. It comes, or not, by grace, of its own will and in its own timing, subject to no human›s planning. Love cannot be turned on as a reward. It cannot be turned off as a punishment. Only something else pretending to be love can be used as a lure, as a hook, for bait and switch, imitated, insinuated, but the real deal can never be delivered if it doesn’t spring freely from the heart. This doesn’t mean that love allows destructive and abusive behaviors to go unchecked. Love speaks out for justice and protests when harm is being done. Love points out the consequences of hurting oneself or others. Love allows room for anger, grief, or pain to be expressed and released. But love does not threaten to withhold itself if it doesn’t get what it wants. Love does not say, directly or indirectly, “If you are a bad boy, Mommy won’t love you any more.” Love does not say, “Daddy’s little girl doesn’t do that.” Love does not say, “If you want to be loved, you must be nice,” or “Do what I want,” or “Never love anyone else,” or “Promise you’ll never leave me.” Love cares what becomes of you, because love knows that we are all interconnected. Love is inherently compassionate and empathic. Love knows that the “other” is also oneself. This is the true nature of love, and love itself can not be manipulated or restrained. Love honors the sovereignty of each soul. Love is its own law.
WHAT IS LOVE? Y7 Staff Pick
5 – Ingredient Fudge
For the Last Minute Valentine Ingredients • 1-1/2 teaspoons plus 1 tablespoon butter, divided •
2 cups (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
•
1 package (11-1/2 ounces) milk chocolate chips
•
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
•
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions 1. Line a 9-in. square pan with foil; grease foil with 1-1/2 teaspoons butter. 2. In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt chocolate chips and remaining butter, stirring after 1 minute and every 30 seconds thereafter. Stir in milk and vanilla. Spread into prepared pan. Refrigerate until firm. 3. Using foil, lift fudge out of pan. Remove foil; cut fudge into 1-in. squares. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Yield: about 2-1/3 pounds (81 pieces). Recipe Note To make Pie-Spice Sugar: Mix 1-1/2 teaspoons confectioners› sugar, 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice and 1/4 teaspoon baking cocoa. Dust fudge with sugar mixture just before serving. Nutritional Facts 1 piece: 59 calories, 3g fat (2g saturated fat), 3mg cholesterol, 12mg sodium, 8g carbohydrate (7g sugars, 0 fiber), 1g protein.
Cranberry Kissed Chocolate Silk Ingredients •
1 cup cranberry juice
•
1/8 teaspoon salt
•
4 large eggs, beaten
•
1 cup milk chocolate chips
•
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
•
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
•
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries, thawed
•
1/3 cup sugar
•
3/4 cup sweetened whipped cream
•
3 tablespoons sliced almonds, toasted
Directions 1. Place cranberry juice and salt in a small heavy saucepan; bring just to a boil. Remove from heat. In a small bowl, slowly whisk hot juice into eggs; return all to pan. Cook over low heat 2-3 minutes or until mixture thickens and a thermometer reads 170°, stirring constantly. 2. Place egg mixture, chocolate chips and vanilla in a blender; let stand 2 minutes. Cover and process until smooth. Pour into six dessert dishes. Refrigerate at least 4 hours, covering when completely cooled. 3. Place cranberries in a small food processor; pulse until finely chopped. Transfer to a small bowl; toss with sugar. Top each serving with cranberries, whipped cream and almonds. Yield: 6 servings. Editor’s Note: To toast nuts, bake in a shallow pan in a 350° oven for 5-10 minutes or cook in a skillet over low heat until lightly browned, stirring occasionally. Nutritional Facts 1 serving: 473 calories, 27g fat (15g saturated fat), 151mg cholesterol, 129mg sodium, 54g carbohydrate (47g sugars, 4g fiber), 9g protein.
Solo-tine’s Day – How a Single Can Give Love on Valentine’s Day Just because you’re single doesn’t mean Valentine’s Day is just another day on the calendar. You have love to give, and here are a few suggestions on how to spread it around: Love for community If you love children, why not volunteer with your local Girl or Boy Scout troop? If you love animals, volunteer at a nearby animal shelter. For help finding organizations to partner with, go to volunteermatch.com. Love for friends Don’t forget that your friends are your *other* significant others. Spend some time with them -- especially if they are mending broken hearts this time of year. And if you’re both single, go out for a night on the town. Love for nature According to the Environmental Protection Agency, we spend about 90% of our time indoors, where exposure to pollutants is “2 to 5 times higher than typical outdoor concentrations.” As a result, it’s probably a good time to develop a love for hiking, canoeing, gardening, picnicking, tree planting or any other outdoors activity. Love for pets If you really want to pamper your pooch, you could spring for a relaxing time at a pet spa. Also, don’t let dietary restrictions prevent a pet from exercising its sweet tooth. While human sweets are bad for them, some bakeries for pets sell delicacies for dogs.
Do You This Valentine’s – Here’s How! Jessie Paige
For those in love, Valentine’s Day is a time to reflect on your relationship and remember all the reasons why you love each other. However, if you find yourself alone come February 14, you probably view the holiday a bit differently. But just because you don’t have someone special to share it with, doesn’t mean that the day itself can’t be special. Here are 20 awesome things to do when you’re single on Valentine’s Day: 1. Have a movie marathon featuring your celebrity crush. Are you really into Leonardo DiCaprio? Or Eva Mendes? Collect all of your favorite actor’s movies and spend Valentine’s Day with your true (on-screen) love. 2. Babysit for a couple that never gets a night out. Know someone who would love to take a night off from parent duties to spend some quality time with their partner? Offer to watch their kids for the night since you don’t have any plans. They’ll probably even pay you. 3. Treat yourself by signing up for a single’s subscription box. Thanks to Birchbox, subscription boxes of all sorts have been coming out of the wood works. Recently singles everywhere have been raving about boxes like Singles Swag that deliver books, beauty products, and snacks to your doorstep. 4. Go on a shopping spree and take advantage of the holiday sales. Take the money you would have spent on dinner and chocolates and put it towards a new wardrobe. Plus, tons of stores usually have sales that you can save on! 5. Do a Secret Santa-like Valentine exchange with your other single friends. Put everyone’s name into a hat and have flowers delivered, chocolates bought, or a dinner planned for your pick.
6. Pamper yourself at a spa. Take advantage of all the “me-time” you’re getting by indulging in a massage or manipedi. 7. Gather your friends and play Tinder roulette. Hook up your phone to a TV and broadcast your Tinder page to the whole room. Take turns swiping on each of your profiles and maybe you’ll find a date for next year’s Valentine’s Day. 8. Laugh it up. Laughing gives you endorphins, which, as Elle Woods taught us, makes you happy. So hit up a comedy club or watch some stand up on Netflix. 9. Celebrate Galentine’s Day. Get the gang together to do something fun as a group. Whether it’s going to brunch or watching the famous “Parks and Rec” episode that started it all, it’ll give you a chance to spend quality time with people you care about. 10. Go on a vacation. This might be the first or last Valentine’s Day that you don’t have commitments or plans. Take the spare time you have to go somewhere you’ve always wanted to. Be sure to avoid these places though, because they’re a hot spot for couples. 11. Take the day to unplug. If you tend to get annoyed by all the happy couples on Valentine’s Day, then take the day off from social media. You’ll finally know what it feels like to be unplugged and it could help you put your phone down more if you’re one of those people who feels addicted to it. 12. Take a note from Jessica Biel’s character in “Valentine’s Day” and throw an anti-Valentine’s day party. Maybe you’re single by choice or maybe you’re just happily waiting for the right person, but that doesn’t make Valentine’s Day any less awkward and awful. Be honest with how you feel about it and surround yourself with people who think it’s
just as cheesy and annoying as you do. Ban anything pink, red, or covered in hearts and bash February 14 as much as you want. 13. Do something your ex hated. Did your ex hate eating Indian food even though you loved it? Or did they roll their eyes every time you turned on country music? Did they ask you not to wear six-inch heels? If there was ever anything that you did less of in your last relationship, then spend your entire day doing it! Eat the Indian food and blast the country music and rock those stilettos. 14. Take a class. If there’s a class you’ve been dying to try, see if there are any spots available on Valentine’s Day. Lots of people will have plans for the night so it’ll be the perfect time to take that spin class you’ve never been able to get a spot in. 15. Veg out. Order all the junk food. Watch all the Netflix. Do all the chilling. And maybe you’ll forget that it was even a holiday to begin with. 16. Grab a friend and fake your way through couple’s deals. Discounted dinner for two? Half off a couple’s massage? These employees don’t need to know that you’re not actually dating. 17. Buy your favorite things and relish the fact that you don’t have to share them. Buy your favorite wine, candy, or meal, and keep it all to yourself. You won’t have to give up a single one of your fries, or a drop of your wine. Enjoy the fact that it’s all for you. 18. Change up your look. Maybe you’ve been wanting to chop all your hair off, or try a brand-new color. Get ready for a night out by switching up your hairstyle. 19. Go to a museum. Take the time to go to that art exhibit you’ve been wanting to check out for months. 20. Go on a date. Yes, Valentine’s Day is a high-pressure night for a first date — which is why it could be extra entertaining. Do something that’s not romantic and focus on having fun.
Best V-Day Travel Destinations! Y7 Staff Picks
From helicopter tours and air hot balloon rides, to choclate truffles and spa treatments, here are dozens of ways to celebrate Valentine’s Day this year.
Anguilla The Malliouhana Auberge Resort is offering a Love Is In the Air package that is valid through all of February and March. It includes a stay of four or more nights in an ocean view premium room or junior suite. Arrive with a welcome amenity of chilled champagne and chocolate truffles in your suite, enjoy complimentary continental breakfast daily, relax with a 90-minute couples Coconut Dream Duet treatment at the Auberge Spa, and dine under the stars with a three-course dinner experience on the beach. Transportation is provided via private plane charter by Tradewind from San Juan, along with ground transfers in Anguilla. Offer bookable via phone at 877-2090324. Package priced at $13,530 per couple.
Argentina The boutique resort Casa de Uco is offering a three-night Adventure & Wine program featuring a wine parcel tasting through the vineyards with a sommelier and chef, cocktail class, Argentine “Asado” lunch, tapas dinners paired with signature wines, winery visit, immersive trek across the Andes Mountains, horseback riding through the vineyards, couples massage, and free time to explore the beauty of Mendoza. Packages priced from $2,350 to $3,350.
Bali The two-night Valentine’s Day Break package at AYANA Resort and Spa includes a private villa with a flower bath for two, bottle of wine and chocolates in-room upon arrival, a romantic dinner
at Dava Steak & Seafood, daily breakfast for two and round trip airport transfers. The offer is priced from $757 and valid from February 13-15.
Bangkok Throughout the month of February, The Peninsula Bangkok’s Fly High Champagne Afternoon Tea takes guests on a private 15-minute helicopter tour over Bangkok, followed by a sumptuous afternoon tea at the hotel along with a bottle of champagne. As an extra treat, sky-high marriage proposals that are accepted during the helicopter ride will be rewarded with a complimentary one-night stay for the happy couple in a deluxe suite. Package priced from $2,530; advance reservations of 48 hours are required.
Berlin Set against the stunning backdrop of Berlin’s historic Gendarmenmarkt Square, the Regent Berlin’s Romance Package includes a two-hour ride through the Spree in the Bellini water limousine with a gourmet picnic basket lunch for two and a bottle of champagne. Guests will also enjoy a specially curated four-course meal at the hotel’s Michelin-starred restaurant FischersFritz, accommodations in a superior room, as well as à la carte breakfast and return limousine transfers to the airport. Available through 2017; package rates start at $1,815 for two nights.
Beverly Hills The Beverly Hills Hotel’s Valentine’s package is valid for stays between February 10 and 19 and includes a bottle of Veuve Clicquot champagne, chocolate-covered strawberries, and $110 daily breakfast credit per room. Toast your time together with a specialty True Romance cocktail at the Polo Lounge, and then enjoy a four-course Valentine’s Dinner Menu (pre-fixe, $175, available on February 14 only). Rates from $865 for a deluxe room with patio and fireplace.
Carmel
The boutique Hotel Carmel is offering an All Signs Point to Love package that includes a twonight stay, kayaking for two out of Lover›s Point, a beautiful marine preserve brimming with colorful sea life, tide pools, and sandy beaches; a chauffeured excursion in a Mercedes Benz on the storied 17-Mile Drive through scenic Pebble Beach; a romantic dinner for two at Porta Bella; and an 80-minute in-room couples massage plus one relaxing turn-down amenity. Package rates start at $1,440.
Catalina Island Plan a romantic escape to Catalina Island with the Love Is In the Air package. After being whisked away to the island via helicopter or boat, couples can enjoy an exciting Zip Line Eco Tour, indulge in spa treatments at the Island Spa Catalina, and enjoy intimate meals for two during their stay. The package includes round-trip helicopter or boat transportation, accommodations at Pavilion Hotel, Mt. Ada or Hotel Atwater, a $150 credit per adult at Island Spa Catalina, a $25 dining credit per adult at Encanto Café, and $100 dining credit at Avalon Grill. Package rates start at $416 per person, higher for helicopter transport.
Chicago The historic Hilton Chicago is featuring an exclusive Royal Romance Package on February 11 featuring a private helicopter tour around Chicago with Go-Pro video and printed 8x10 photo, bottle of Dom Perignon, custom chocolate amenity, in-room couples massage and private transportation to and from the hotel. Packages from $7,500.
Fort Lauderdale The Suite Indiscretions three-night package at the Pelican Grand Beach Resort in Fort Lauderdale includes Dom Perignon champagne welcome gift box, 12th floor ‹Sky Suite› penthouse accommodations, a bubble bath turn down in the Microsilk tub with cromatherapy and light therapy on the balcony, a complimentary Audi A3 for an evening on the town, an Hermes silk tie, the requisite Valentine’s Day “Do Not Disturb” sign, two tickets to see ’50 Shades Darker, and “toes in the sand” dining under a starlit sky. Available for stays February 10-28, priced starting
at $9,999.
The Hamptons Located on the outskirts of East Hampton, the Baker House 1650 is offering a Valentine’s package that includes one night stay, a couple’s massage at the Inn’s Baker Spa, and a bottle of champagne. Available from February 10-14; Rates from $575 to $1,555 depending on date and room. Guests must mention code ROMANCE when booking.
Hawaii Perfect for anyone looking to propose on the beach in Maui, the Montage Kapalua Bay’s Love Is In the Air package includes a three-night stay in the exclusive premier ocean view penthouse; a custom proposal setting at the resort’s Cliff House including rose petal pathway, champagne, and a solo musician; private, round-trip Blue Hawaiian Helicopter trip to Oahu, including an island tour; round-trip car service from heliport to the House of Harry Winston in Oahu for a Champagne toast and private consultation for the bride and groom to select an engagement ring at an additional cost; one-hour engagement photo session with Pacific Dream Photography; a romance couples Package at Spa Montage Kapalua Bay; dinner for two at Montage Kapalua Bay’s signature restaurant, Cane & Canoe, and daily breakfast. Package price begins at $20,000.
Ireland The five-star Ashford Castle in County Mayo is offering a special Valentine’s One-Night Package, including full Irish breakfast, candlelit dinner for two in the elegant George V dining room, and a dozen red roses and bottle of Champagne in-room upon arrival. Couples can unwind in the cinema, go for romantic strolls across the scenic estates, sail along the serene Lough Corrib, horseback ride into the countryside, or relax with a couple’s massage in the resort’s awardwinning spa. The package is priced from $748 per night and valid from February 12-19.
Jackson Hole
Jackson Hole’s Hotel Jackson has a guest package through President’s Day that includes a welcome amenity of Wyoming whiskey and two Hotel Jackson shot glasses, night ski passes for two at Snow King Mountain, and hot toddies for two by the fire in FIGS, the hotel›s Mediterraneaninspired restaurant. Rates from $550.
Jamaica Located along the cliffs of Negril, guests of The Caves can reserve a private cave dinner for two, strewn with fresh flower petals and more than 100 candles illuminating the space. Rates start at $750 per night.
Key West Sitting on Key West’s largest private beach, the Casa Marina Waldorf Astoria Resorthas a new package for guests planning to propose on Valentine’s Day, featuring a private toes-in-the-sand dinner, custom sand sculpture, photographer, live painting of the proposal by a local artist, and a local musician of any genre. During the stay, the couple will be pampered with a two-night stay in an ocean view suite and a beach-side couples massage. Packages priced starting at $3,000.
Laguna Beach Laguna Beach House’s Shape, Surf, and Stay experience is perfect for surf-obsessed couples. The package includes two nights in an ocean-view room, one-on-one lessons for shaping a custom board with the legendary Donald Brink, a lesson in shaping theory and design, a local surf session with Brink, surfer’s snacks mini bar, evening wine hours, and nighttime cookies and milk. Package rates start at $1,475.
Lake Placid, New York Ultimate Luxury Package for Two includes wine and cheese upon arrival, two traditional lodge massages dinner for two and nightly s’mores. Package rates start at $546.
London In the heart of Kensington with unrivaled views of the Palace and Gardens, the five-star Milestone Hotel is offering a Love at the Milestone package for couples this year. The offer includes a night in a beautiful suite, full English breakfast for two and a romantic turndown with a bottle of pink Champagne and chocolate-dipped strawberries. The package is priced from $555 and is valid from February 1-28.
Marbella, Spain Lovers of exercise might want to look at the Marbella Club’s Bootcamp package that will have them exercising in the outdoors in Southern Spain. The package includes a healthy Mediterranean diet and twice daily personal training sessions and group classes, and spa treatments. Health and Fitness Travel is offering the 7-night package from $3,800 per person and includes accommodation and return flights from the U.K.
Mexico Guests at the Banyan Tree Mayakoba on the Mayan Riviera can get 30% off their stay with the Night on Us package. Book four nights but pay for three in one of 121 private villas that each have a private pool. The package includes a complimentary round of golf at El Camaleon, a complimentary cooking class at the El Pueblito cooking school, a $30 spa gift certificate, and two bicycles per villa. Package rates start at $769 and are valid now through March 31, 2017.
Napa Valley Take in the sights of Napa Valley from above with a Calistoga Balloons private hot air balloon flight for two. During the one-hour flight, couples will enjoy panoramic views, passing landmarks including Old Faithful Geyser, the Palisade Cliffs, and Mount St. Helena, Napa Valley’s highest peak. Breakfast and sparkling wine served at the post-touchdown finale. Package is priced at $2,200 per couple.
New Orleans Tour operator Clandestine’s Hey Babe, Take a Walk on the Wild Side package includes a private burlesque class, aphrodisiac treats (fresh shucked oysters at Elysian Seafood), a visit to a private home/sex shoppe where you’ll spend time with the proprietor discussing your specific needs, a class with a BDSM expert, a decadent steakhouse dinner at Doris Metropolitan, a live burlesque performance, followed by VIP treatment at a French Quarter strip club. Package priced at $3,000 for the day, including one night in a king-sized room, but excludes the cost of meals and drinks.
Paris Guests at The Peninsula Paris can celebrate Valentine’s Day with a champagne welcome, an arrangement of rose petals, a cake specially created including a personal message and many more surprises. A partnership with famous jeweler Van Cleef & Arpels offers unique experience to explore its boutiques where guests will create their own jewel with the help of world-leading gemology experts. Rates from $1,000 per night.
Phuket Splurge on a romantic getaway to the Double Pool Villa at the Banyan Tree Phuket. The package includes a private dinner for two aboard the resort’s dinner cruise, complete with a bottle of bubbly, Thai music, and a traditional lantern to release into the night sky. Couples can refine their massage skills and spend an afternoon learning Banyan Tree’s award-winning spa techniques and therapies through its Spa Academy’s therapist training program, afterward they can enjoy a decadent 90-minute couples’ spa treatment, a private yoga or guided meditation in the comfort of the villa, as well as a Thai cooking class and guided market tour. Package rates start at $2,400.
Rome
The Hassler Roma’s San Valentino package includes a two-night stay, daily breakfast, chocolatecovered strawberries and roses in-room upon arrival. Guests can also indulge in a romantic eightcourse dinner at the Hassler’s Michelin-starred restaurant Imàgo, featuring unique dishes such as black truffle red prawns and baked clay snapper. Package priced from $1,425 based on double occupancy and valid from Feb. 13-15, 2017.
Santa Barbara The Kimpton Goodland Hotel in Santa Barbara is setting the mood with a new Let’s Get Physical package. Guests can pick out a ‘romance-inspired’ record from the lobby VNYL shop to listen to on their in-room record player—think, Marvin Gaye or Sade. Keeping in line with the hotel’s frisky motif, the package also includes two specialty cocktails from the Good Bar and a sensual intimacy kit upon check-in. Package rates start at $199 per night.
Savannah The Romance Getaway package at the Bohemian Hotel Savannah Riverfront is available now through February 19 and includes a bottle of chilled champagne and chocolate dipped strawberries delivered to your room upon arrival, a romantic private carriage ride around historic downtown Savannah, one dozen red roses, and dinner and breakfast for two at Rocks on the River. Packages priced starting at $200 per night.
South Africa Private diamond shopping, stargazing in the Kalahari Desert, and sunset cruises on the Okavango Delta are the highlight of andBeyond’s Romance of Africa Safari package. Guests set off on a colonial-style grand railway journey from South Africa’s capital of Pretoria to Victoria Falls. Couples then experience a safari through Botswana, traveling from Selinda to the lagoons of the Okavango Delta before heading to Cape Town. The trip concludes in the desert on a Kalahari safari, where couples can sleep beneath Africa’s brightest stars. Doubles for the 16-day/15-night trip start at $14,100 per person.
St. Bart’s The intimate Le Sereno has a romance package that includes a three-night stay in a suite with a private pool and sea views, a private romantic dinner on the beach, couples massage at Spa Le Sereno, sunset boat ride, and Anya Hindmarch tote bag amenity. Rates start at $9,220 during the high season, and $7,870 for low season.
Switzerland Situated atop an awe-inspiring 10 acres on the shores of Lake Geneva, Lausanne’s Beau Rivage Palace hotel has curated a package that is available February 14 and all weekends in February. The offer includes one night›s accommodation; a welcome of flowers, fruits and chocolate; an in-room candlelight dinner with one bottle of champagne; two Valentine’s cocktails at the bar; breakfast in bed; and access to the world-renowned Cinq Mondes spa and fitness center. Packages priced from $768.
Turks & Caicos The Gansevoort Turks + Caicos is offering a meals-inclusive package that includes a romantic three course Dinner at its Stelle or Zest Restaurants, “Kiss Me One More Time” after dinner cocktails, full American breakfast and daily lunches. Packages start at $1,400, exclusive of tax and service fees.
Vieques Located eight miles off the coast of Puerto Rico, the W Retreat & Spa Vieques Islandhas a Romantic Rendezvous Package featuring daily breakfast and a three-course dinner for two at Sorcé Restaurant, half-priced couples massages at AWAY Spa, a sunset champagne toast, complimentary room upgrade and late checkout. For additional romance, couples can enjoy the privacy of an adults-only beach and an intimate candlelit dinner at the palm-lined cliff, Paradise Edge. Three-night minimum stay required; use code WWUV2.
Washington D.C. Hyatt Place Washington DC National Mall is offering a Valentines’ Day Romance package. The offer is good for stays from February 11 – February 18 and includes an in room romantic dinner for two. The menu for the evening will be a Surf & Turf (crab cake and steak) dinner, a bottle of bubbly, and chocolate covered strawberries. Package priced at $239 per night.
Winston-Salem For the entire month of February, the Kimpton Cardinal Hotel’s Sock it to Lovepackage will treat couples to luxury accommodations and the best local hikes near Winston-Salem, North Carolina for a memorable getaway. The package includes a welcome sweet treat, deluxe accommodations, and two pairs of hiking socks. Rates from $199. Use code SOCK.
A Heart to Heart with Football’s Sweetheart Cristiano Ronaldo Y7 Humanities
Football’s sweetheart Ronaldo was born in São Pedro, Funchal, and grew up in the Funchal parish of Santo António, as the youngest child of Maria Dolores dos Santos Aveiro, a cook, and José Dinis Aveiro, a municipal gardener and a part-time kit man. His second given name, “Ronaldo”, was chosen after then-U.S. president Ronald Reagan. He has one older brother, Hugo, and two older sisters, Elma and Liliana Cátia His great-grandmother on his father›s side, Isabel da Piedade, was from São Vicente, Cape Verde. Ronaldo grew up in a Catholic and impoverished home, sharing a room with his brother and sisters. As a child, Ronaldo played for amateur team Andorinha from 1992 to 1995 where his father was the kit man, and later spent two years with Nacional. In 1997, aged 12, he went on a three-day trial with Sporting CP, who signed him for a fee of £1,500. He subsequently moved from Madeira to Alcochete, near Lisbon, to join Sporting’s other youth players at the club’s football academy. By age 14, Ronaldo believed he had the ability to play semi-professionally, and agreed with his mother to cease his education in order to focus entirely on football. While popular with other students at school, he had been expelled after throwing a chair at his teacher, who he said had “disrespected” him. However, one year later, he was diagnosed with a racing heart, a condition that could have forced him to give up playing football. He underwent an operation in which a laser was used to cauterise the affected area of his heart; discharged from hospital hours after the procedure, he resumed training only a few days later. And despite this, he has gone on to win trophy after trophy seemingly effortlessly. As you can see, this is one unstoppable man! From beginning til now Ronaldo has shown his fans why he’s worthy of the title “Greatest player in the world”. His sportsmanship and passion are both a force to be reckoned with. Let’s delve into the mind of the world’s greatest player and see what makes him tick.
Y7 Humanities - How do you see your future in Real Madrid? I mean, we’ve read many places that you’d like to retire your football career at a reasonable age – but – with Real Madrid? Is this true?
CR7 – Yes this is the plan. I want to retire at age 41. Real Madrid is my home, so I will retire from here.
Y7 Humanities – So, there are no plans to switch teams? You know, your fans often wonder if you’d play alongside Messi, but as you’re saying you’d retire from Real Madrid – is this ever going to be a possibility?
CR7 – It would be interesting to see both of us in the same team. I think great players should play together.
Y7 Humanities – That would be interesting indeed! Speaking of teams, I was wondering, what made you move from Manchester United to Real Madrid – besides a modest increase in pay?
CR7 – (smiles) I am where I belong.
Y7 Humanities – There are multiple rumors swirling that you are unhappy in Spain and spoke of returning to Old Trafford – but as of now nothing has been confirmed other than you wanting to retire from Real Madrid. So we just wanted to put that rumor to rest.
We know you’ve recently won the Ballon D’Or, making it the fifth one you’ve received so far. Are these trophies your driving force in the league?
CR7 – I’ve written a chapter in the history of football by winning so many titles, being a player like Messi, a candidate to win individual prizes. I stay motivated because I like what I do. I love playing football and I try to enjoy it. But what I try the most is to make people and my team-mates enjoy it.
Y7 Humanities – That’s a quality not a lot of headliners bring to the table. They mostly care about their own personal bests and how the team affects them. This is what makes you a class player. So, what about your son? Do you ever see him playing football and if so, what position would you want him to play?
CR7 – Yes, I want him to play. One position he is not allowed to play in though is between the sticks...
Y7 Humanities – Is this because there’s more of an elation in scoring over preventing one from scoring?
CR7 – Yes, but he is going to be whatever he wants. I am not worried about that.
Y7 Humanities – I am sure he’ll want to be just like you. When you were his age, who influenced you? Was there anyone in particular that stood out as a top class player that may have influenced you to play?
CR7 – I’m self-motivated. I’m always like that since the beginning when I was young up until now. I appreciate other players, talented players, great players – not just in football – but many other sports that people enjoy to see. But, at that age I was looking at a big reference in the national team. For example, Luis Figo, Rui Costa, Fernando Couto. It was a kind of dream to reach that level. I used to say I will be a professional player and I wanted to play for the national team. But there was no specific person that I followed.
Y7 Humanities – Are there any coaches that influence you today? Recently, Zidane said you are the best player in the world. Any comments on that?
CR7 – Personally, I have more feeling for Zizou, but don’t ask me why. He has an empathy with the player and I am very happy and excited. It’s an interesting moment for me and the players. Y7 Humanities - Do you think he is a better match for Real Madrid then the previous
coach? CR7 – His first game was a 5-0 demolition of Deportivo La Coruna then a 5-1 win over Sporting Gijon. We are in good shape and working hard. Y7 Humanities – He wasn’t very happy about the Red card given in the game against Barca. Do you think the red cards are given too much? CR7 – At times. You just play your best and concentrate on that. Zidane – I am not getting into it about the referees. But in that game we played good and I could be annoyed at the red card given to Ronaldo. Perhaps it is not a penalty, but the yellow card was a bit too much. Y7 Humanities – We think so too! Thank you for chiming in on that. Now, before we wrap up, we wanted to know if there were any causes you’d like to shed light on? Any words of love or encouragement to Ya 7elween (Buena Gente). This magazine is read in every country. CR7 – I am with the children of Syria, they need so much support. I would like to share the story of refugee children to highlight their plight. The video is on YouTube under “Cristiano Ronaldo message for World Refugee Day 2017”. Please donate to Save the Children and thank you for the love and support from all of my fans, the Buena gente. This concludes part one of our Cristiano Ronaldo interview. Please check back with us for part dos! Till next time!