Joanna Lobo

2 months ago | htsyndication.com | Joanna Lobo

New Delhi, Feb. 23 -- "We do it naked, usually."I am visiting my cousin, Valerie, in her married home in Helsinki. It's my first day and my body, aided by several layers of thermals and winter wear, is still adjusting to Finland's snow and cold. As my first initiation into local life, she's teaching me about that very quintessential Finnish tradition, saunas.  Before this holiday, I have to confess, I didn't like saunas.

Feb 7, 2025 | cntraveller.in | Joanna Lobo

A bunch of Goans walk into a bar. They leave, four hours later, satiated in a butter-soaked food coma, with a doggy bag containing matcha tiramisu. There is no joke here, just a story to tell. It’s the story of a husband and wife, who, having introduced some fine restaurants to Mumbai, wish to do the same in Goa. Oito is the newest restaurant in Panjim’s exciting dining scene helmed by chef Viraf Patel and his wife, Prakriti Lama Patel.

Jan 31, 2025 | htsyndication.com | Joanna Lobo

New Delhi, Jan. 31 -- The year was 2011. Two bright-eyed, eager boys from Goa were studying their way into future careers in journalism and advertising at XIC, Mumbai. As any Goan will tell you, the love for music comes ingrained from birth, and Sheldon Abranches and Nathaniel (Nathan) da Costa were no exception. Da Costa also had the background - after college, he toured with some bands and managed artists. The city's growing live music scene beckoned and they went hither.

Jan 13, 2025 | joannalobo.substack.com | Joanna Lobo

Dear gentle reader, Wishing you a gentle, kind and productive new year 2025. If you, like me, have had a tough 2024, here take some cake. The legendary Virginia Woolf's 1931 New Year’s resolutions included: “to have none. not to be tied. to be free & kindly with myself. sometimes to read, sometimes not to read. to go out, yes—but stay at home in spite of being asked. as for clothes, I think to buy good ones”Do you have any freelance resolutions for 2025?

Jan 9, 2025 | thehindu.com | Joanna Lobo

It is a drink that comes with a chant. At Goa’s newest bar, Boilermaker, their signature drink is named after the bar. A Boilermaker is an old-school whisky and beer combination and the bar has three such offerings, including a cashew sour and cashew feni. Before drinking it, all the bartenders’ gang up to sing a ditty followed by a countdown. In Goan bars today, your drinks can come with a song, a story, a great view, good food or more.