Gadling

I'm not sure if I'll ever get married, but if I do, I'm clear that I'd want it to be as quick as possible, a couple of minutes is what would work best for me. Being Indian, a wedding under four days is sacrilege, but oh well.

A registered wedding at the court was what I thought the only option, a super boring option indeed, until I read in USA Today about quickie weddings possible at the airport!

At Los Angeles International Airport, a man called "The Officiant Guy" can marry you without witnesses and in full confidentiality. You don't even need to be an LA resident! At Sweden's Stockholm-Arlanda Airport, you can arrange to be married in the airport church or by a registrar; last year the 500 couples got hitched there. "Say Yes and Go" marriages sound awesome too -- say "I do" and jump straight onto a plane, a common wedding style in Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport.

However, if that's too simple and you want a bit of a novel themed wedding, you can tie the knot inside a parked Concorde Airplane at England's Manchester Airport, and Schiphol Airport has a wedding planner who will organize it the way you want at the airport (boarding pass style invites? Air crew uniforms as outfits?). The airport will even allow you to have a champagne brunch, and should you want to take all your guests on a trip straight after, a special "Ticket to Paradise" package deal can be sorted out.

So if you are looking for a different, cheaper, and quicker way to get married, you might want to ring your nearest airport!

You'd think famous people can get away with a bit of attitude, not on a Delta flight though.

18-year old Latino music heart throb Carlos Olivero recently got kicked off a Delta flight in Atlanta for not stowing his iPod. He was asked to switch it off and stow it for take-off; he obediently turned the device off, but refused to stow it. Next thing you know, a security team was called on board and he was escorted off the plane with his mother.

A bit far fetched I know: what's the big deal, he switched it off as told; not stowing it shouldn't have been made an issue. But, that's what you get for messing with flight attendants on Delta!

Part of Latin pop band Menudo, a group that both Ricky Martin and Marc Anthony used to be in, this little disobedience act with a Delta flight attendant may break or make his career. Will the girls love him for being a bad boy? Or will they demand a replacement?

See, your travel behavior can have life-changing consequences.

One of Spain's most iconic monuments La Sagrada Familia, a humongous Roman Catholic church in Barcelona that has been under construction since 1882, will finally have a roof. Expecting to be ready by 2010, the church will then be able to host services and events inside its premises.

Originally designed by Antoni Gaudi, the church is recognised by its 18 tall towers and its architectural style is a cross between Art Noveau and Cubism.

What's most interesting about this structure is that it's not funded by the government or any church. It has been built purely on private donations and money from tourist tickets, the main reason why it's still under construction for the last 125 years. The church attracts about 2 million visitors annually and standard entrance is €10.

Word is that the structure will be completed in 2026, but since its construction relies heavily on tourist pennies, that date is debatable.

The world famous wonder that it has become, you'd think that an official body would take over its completion; 144 years for a church to be completed is just way out of line. But then again, what's a dozen more years, eh?

[Via Globorati]

Just opened in Pentonville Road, Islington (Greater London) is Surya (Hindi for "Sun" and Sanskrit for "Sun God"), the world's first green nightclub.

It will generate its own electricity when people move on its floors, will operate on solar and wind energy, has air-flush waterless urinals and low-flush toilets, and free entry for cyclists and walkers. Otherwise club entry is £10 and customers must sign a pledge towards helping combat climate change.

Brainchild of Mr.Charalambous, head of Club4Climate, the club's dance floor is made of crystal and ceramic, which when trodden on generates electricity under the concept of "piezoelectricity". This current is fed into nearby batteries, which in turn fuel the club. It is estimated that if a large group of clubbers danced vigorously, they could generate 60% of the club's energy needs.

With aim of inspiring the youth to get involved in tackling the issue of global warming, Charalambous said in the Times of India: "Unless we stop preaching to people and use an inclusive philosophy we're never going to create the revolution to combat climate change." I couldn't agree more.

I'm all for equal opportunities, but St. Mary's Airport (Isle of Scilly) offering a job application form for an air traffic controller in braille is, for lack of a better word, retarded.

It's a huge waste of time and money creating forms in braille for jobs the blind just cannot have, and questions the intelligence of those people making the rules and enforcing the "small print" on employment procedures.

According to this article, the airport defended itself by saying that they were "simply abiding by equal opportunity guidelines but the requirements for the job would be 20/20 vision, from this it can be concluded that a person who was blind or partially sighted would not have a chance of obtaining the job."

Errr...so the point of a braille form exactly? To avoid being penalized by the law? In fact, because they offered a "false" opportunity to a blind person who clearly cannot get the job, they should be penalized for being misinforming and misleading, no?

The days of standing in line to enter the Eiffel Tower may be numbered as a $267 million, 10-year plan has been unveiled that will give better and easier access to visitors. Built in 1889, the Eiffel Tower was designed for 500,000 people, today the structure attracts about 7 million visitors a year.

At some point in the future you will be able to reserve a 30-minute slot online, the restaurant will be bigger and cheaper, and there will be a new champagne bar on the third floor. With these changes, they hope to attract not only a larger tourist crowd but also Parisians, and of course increase the Tower's profit levels too.

Lines to visit tourist hotspots are a major annoyance these days so it's cool that steps are being taken to cut line-time. The Alhambra and the Tower of London are some of the other places that have done a great job giving people the option of pre-booking their visit online.

Spain is is known to create their own festivals because, oh, it's fun! Anything to have a party and drink on a large scale.

Most of the festivals have some deep-rooted historical connections to a saint, but other than that, Spaniards do not have solid reasons for celebrations, nor will majority be able to explain the root of the traditions.

Two such festivals, now famous as they've become tradition are 1) The Tomatina: where people get together in the street to throw tomatoes at each other, 2) San Fermin: where people get chased by bulls for the fun of it -- a festival that started today in Pamplona, and runs till July 14.

So this is how it works: people get drunk the night before, at 8am runners put on white shirts and red scarfs and prepare to race with the bulls along an 800-meter path. The idea is to beat the bulls to it or you will get trampled to serious injury or in some cases even death. The afternoons are normally filled with bull-fights.

Of course, the main runners are professionals who practice for this festival, but there are always the over-enthusiastic and semi-drunk tourists who think they should have a go at it. Although only 13 deaths have been registered since the festival began in 1924, the tourists are the ones who always get severely injured.

This time round, 9 people have already been injured and one has died from falling off a wall after a night of binge drinking.

This festival is worth going to to experience the craze and the chaos that Spaniards are known for, but be sure to book way in advance. Getting a hostel or finding place in a bar that over looks the street on which people run, is the best situation you can be in to enjoy this stuff safely.

A recent study revealed that about 12,000 laptops are lost or stolen every week at US airports, with LA Lax Airport having the highest number (1,200) going missing every week.

I'm baffled at how so many laptops can go missing! A laptop is hand-luggage. The only time your laptop is out of sight is when you are putting it through security check, or while you're asleep; even then, the sheer quantity of laptops missing is beyond comprehension.

Apparently, the main problem has to do with people forgetting to repack their laptops after they've been taken out for screening. What world are you in to forget your laptop at a check point!? And how do the airport thieves flick your laptop at a security point!? Oh it's because they are the security! Tutut.

Also, items in your checked luggage have a higher probability to get stolen, especially when your bag is not locked, which makes me wonder -- are people checking-in their laptops!? If so, why? They are fragile, expensive, and often have confidential information!

Something else to add to the befuddlement: Over 60% of the missing laptops at the lost and found, are not being reclaimed. How lazy can you get!

Anyway, for those who need written advice on not losing your laptop while traveling, check out these tips from Network World.

Looks like the "Pope-mobile" is changing from a Mercedes Benz to an Indian rickshaw!

An auto-rickshaw, a black and yellow 3-wheeler that can seat no more than 3 people, is India's most used form of private transport. The Pope has just received a personalized, completely white one with special insignia, that he will be using for public appearances as he commutes around the Vatican.

The Times Of India has hyped this piece of news as a symbolic step in marking India's connection with the spiritual leader.

Definitely unique news and a novel marketing gimmick by Piaggio Ape Calessino, the rickshaw manufacturing company, but not worthy of front page status.

In my opinion, the Pope making use this mode of transport from a developing country is a feather in the cap for India's awesome transportation system, but other than that, no big deal.

If you've read the The Alchemist and want to be a subject of a virtual art exhibition hosted by the man himself -- Paolo Coelho -- the process couldn't be easier. Send a picture of you reading the book, and voila, you will forever be part of virtual art history!

The exhibition is to celebrate the 20th anniversary of The Alchemist, that has till date sold a 100 million copies. Holy gonzoly. So far, 38 people have sent in some cool photos of them reading the book; the photos will be uploaded for the rest of the year.

Coelho is quite the tech-savvy writer dude. He keeps a regular blog, and has the occasional vlog. Obviously, he understands the importance of connecting with his readers, and enjoys the process too.

So take that picture and send it in to: paulocoelhocovers[at]gmail.com, perhaps you will be displayed in a gallery somewhere someday! If you don't have the Alchemist on hand, any of his books will do. Coelho wants to see your face, so be careful not to cover it with his book, and don't stress about quality.

(In the image, I'm holding his book Eleven Minutes, one I enjoyed way more than The Alchemist. I haven't read any others. Urrr...yup, I'm going to send it in.Cheap thrills.)