<p>The cuddle economy is booming in Poland, thanks to Aleksandra Kasperek and her professional snuggling salon, Ania Od Przytulania. Offering hugs instead of handshakes, this safe haven for human touch has become so popular there&rsquo;s a waitlist for its cosy, non-romantic embrace sessions.</p>
<p><img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2025/jan/Polish-woman-2_e.jpg" alt="The beds are decorated with soft toys" width="1280" height="720" /><br /><strong><em>The beds are decorated with soft toys</em></strong></p>
<p>Catering mostly to clients aged 40 to 60, the salon provides hour-long snuggles designed to relieve loneliness, soothe emotional wounds, and even ease trauma. Kasperek, inspired by similar ventures abroad, carefully vets clients to ensure everything stays strictly platonic. Rules are set, robes are donned, and the cuddle magic unfolds in a plush, fireplace-lit room fit for royalty.</p>
<p><img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2025/jan/Polish-woman-3_e.jpg" alt="Customers can even enjoy some champagne alongside to enhance their experience. Pics/NY POST" width="1280" height="720" /><br /><strong><em>Customers can even enjoy some champagne alongside to enhance their experience. Pics/NY POST</em></strong></p>
<p>For about Rs 3200 (approximately) an hour, guests can sip hot chocolate or champagne while wrapped in soft blankets and warm hugs. It&rsquo;s not just indulgence&mdash;it&rsquo;s therapy. Hugging has proven benefits, from lowering stress hormones to boosting emotional wellbeing. And for those struggling with past traumas or a fear of closeness, this touch therapy is transformative. &nbsp;Far from frivolous, Kasperek&rsquo;s salon is a balm for the world&rsquo;s loneliness epidemic, amplified post-pandemic.</p>
<h2>They&rsquo;ve got no chill</h2>
<p><strong>In China, swimmers are diving into a river at the temperature of -13&deg;C</strong></p>
<p><strong><img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2025/jan/Swimmers_e.jpg" alt="Swimmers are seen diving into freezing temperatures. PIC/GETTY IMAGES" /><br /><em>Swimmers are seen diving into freezing temperatures. PIC/GETTY IMAGES</em></strong></p>
<p>In Harbin, China&rsquo;s icy city, swimming isn&rsquo;t for the faint-hearted&mdash;it&rsquo;s for the frost-loving fanatics. Here, in the biting -13&deg;C chill, a group of daring swimmers takes the plunge daily, carving out a pool from the frozen Songhua River and braving bone-numbing waters that hover just above freezing.</p>
<p>Harbin&rsquo;s &ldquo;holy land&rdquo; of winter swimming has a history dating back to the 1970s, inspired by Russian Orthodox baptisms. Today, the tradition thrives, with locals and visitors alike embracing the frosty dip as both a sport and a wellness ritual. Swimmers insist the cold water boosts their health, keeping them out of hospitals and in peak condition&mdash;frostbite be damned! &nbsp;</p>
<h2>Garfield&rsquo;s glasses</h2>
<p><img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2025/jan/Andrew-Garfield_e.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p>
<p>British actor Andrew Garfield, has social media swooning over his latest Golden Globes look. The dark green Gucci suit Garfield wore over a matching shirt that happened to be slightly unbuttoned. The main appeal of his look however, were his reading glasses that he casually slipped on to better read the teleprompter&mdash;and this &ldquo;thirst trap&rdquo; made him an early contender for the Internet&rsquo;s best boyfriends of 2025.</p>
<h2>A magnetic love affair</h2>
<p><img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2025/jan/Body-mod-couple_e.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p>
<p>US resident and content creator Sadie Riendeau and her fianc&eacute; took their attraction for each other to the next level by getting magnets implanted under their skin that connect when they touch. While they claim that the magnets aren&rsquo;t painful to use or touch, the pair went viral and garnered mixed reactions from their 2.6 million viewers.</p>
<h2>Fulfill your praise kink</h2>
<p><img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2025/jan/Praise_e.jpg" alt="PIC/ODDITY CENTRAL" /><br /><strong><em>PIC/ODDITY CENTRAL</em></strong></p>
<p>Meet &ldquo;Uncle Praise&rdquo;, the 43-year-old Japanese man turning compliments into cash! After hitting rock bottom, he reinvented himself as a professional cheerleader for strangers. He praises passer-bys for a small fee.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>Can&rsquo;t talk on the phone right now, I&rsquo;m sick</h2>
<p>Gen Z&rsquo;s latest gripe? The sheer terror of making phone calls. Enter Nottingham College, UK, swooping in with a solution: phone confidence classes. With telephonophobia rife in a text-loving generation, this practical course is ringing in much-needed call confidence.</p>
<h2>DND</h2>
<p><img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2025/jan/Make-up_e.jpg" alt="PIC/NY POST" /><br /><strong><em>PIC/NY POST</em></strong></p>
<p>Tired of the &ldquo;riffraff&rdquo;? One Florida woman splurged Rs 17 lakhs (approximately) to rent out an entire resort for a peaceful birthday celebration. No noisy kids, no strangers&mdash;just her, her husband, and a meditation session on a beach deckchair. It&rsquo;s the ultimate &ldquo;do not disturb&rdquo; flex, proving that solitude can come with a hefty price tag!</p><p>
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A Polish woman has started a cuddle salon, where customers can pay to be held in her arms

Pay for a snuggle-buddy

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Pay for a snuggle-buddy

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