travelandliving

Keeping the floor clean at all costs!

2010-11-13T21:42:00.001-08:00

The floor tiles in your house will get dirty and you cannot help it. You would want to keep it as clean as possible but you’re going to find it extremely difficult to keep the floor spotless. However, if you put in a little effort it is not all that tough keep the beauty of your house intact with clean floors. Let’s face it, anytime you head out, you’re going to track in dirt all across the floor and these little dust particles can cause a lot of damage to the floor tiles in your house. The dust deposits in the gap between adjacent tiles and over a certain period of time, the floor starts blackening.

In order to avoid blackening of the floor, you should make sure that you mop the floor on a daily basis. It is pretty obvious that you mop the floor once a day with a wet cloth and that you use a vacuum cleaner on a weekly basis but in case of stains and spills, you would need to put in a little more effort. Hard rubbing or scrubbing is not always a safe bet while cleaning floors and can cause considerable damage to the floor. It is therefore important to use certain cleaning agents that can easily sweep the clean without any scrubbing whatsoever.

Some of the most effective cleaning agents to keep your floor clean are:
• A mélange of hot water and phenol is very effective in killing the germs on the floor. If you have a baby, you should be careful that you floor is free of germs.

• Oxygen bleach is a great cleaning agent simply because it breaks up the stain molecules so that they can be washed away with water with maximum ease. Cleaning agents with oxygen bleach help in removing food stains and grease stains on the floor.

• Here is a great cleaning agent for ceramic tiles, concrete floors, flagstone floors and slate floors:
Half a cup of low-suds is to be mixed with one cup ammonia and half a gallon of cool water. Use a sponge mop to wipe the floor. This cleaning agent helps in getting rid of the hardest of stains and helps in removing extra-tough dirt on the floor.

• You can easily find stain solver powders in the markets. Mixing the powder with oxygen bleach is a good way to make a formidable cleaning agent. However before using the mix on the tiles, you should make sure that the mélange suits the floor. This kind of a mélange is not good for wooden floors and hence you should be careful while choosing a cleaning agent.

While tile floors are not easy to clean but if you want to preserve the beauty of these tile floors, you should mop the floor twice a day with warm water. You should also make sure that you do not over-use cleaning agents. A lot of people use mats to save their floor from dust particles. Even under such cases, it is recommended that you wash the floor once a month.

How to Keep You Furniture Clean

2010-11-13T21:35:00.000-08:00

Immaculately clean furniture adds an elegant touch to your living room. A coffee stain on the coffee table in your living room is going to stand out, making everything appear gauche rather than classy. Polishing up your furniture and maintaining it may appear overwhelming, especially if you’re not in the knowhow on how to keep it clean. However with proper knowledge about cleaning agents and cleaning methods, you can increase the life span of your furniture to a large extent.

There are certain important aspects of cleaning that you should take into consideration while cleaning your furniture.
• Make sure that you do not use a wet cloth on the furniture on a daily basis. However, it is good to use a wet cloth if you see a remarkable stain on your furniture.

• Use a dry brush on upholstered furniture every alternate day. Dust tends to settle down at places that are not easily accessible and therefore you should make sure that you wipe off every part of the furniture properly.

• Vacuum cleaner has been regarded as a great invention. Make sure that you remove the cushions on your couch and use the vacuum cleaner on a weekly basis. Doing so helps in sucking out the surface soil and keeps the dust particles away from fibers.

• Spills are no friends of your furniture and you should make sure that you attend to the furniture at the earliest in case of a spill. Use a dry folded towel and make sure that you do not rub hard. A good idea is to gently blot the spot a few times.

• In case of leather and vinyl furniture, you should make sure that you use a cleaning agent that is silicone-free. It is always beneficial to read the manufacturer’s instruction book before choosing a particular cleaning agent for the furniture.

• One of the main problems with upholstered furniture is that the furniture tends to absorb odors and similarly fumes in the kitchen can cause a fair bit of damage to the furniture. Proper ventilation and odor control agents can help you avoid the damage that might come into picture if your furniture is exposed to smoke and fumes from cooking.

• A piece of furniture that you fell in love with requires constant care if you want it to keep its beauty intact. It is recommended that you get help from professionals once in two or three months just to ensure that your furniture is in good shape.

There are plenty of cleaning agents available in the markets but not all cleaning agents would suit the kind of furniture you have purchased. At times, people tend to use a large variety of cleaning agents on their furniture just to keep it fresh. This is not such a good idea as the chemicals present in different cleaning agents can react and damage the furniture significantly.

Stay at Sun & Sand Hotel in Goa for Vacation of a Lifetime

2010-03-08T11:30:00.000-08:00

Sun & Sand hotel in Goa is perched on top of a small hill, in Panjim offering a magnificent view of the Boat Cruise center and River Mandovi. It is the first beachfront hotel in India providing excellent comfort and care to international, leisure, and domestic travelers since the last four decades. Location of this four star hotel is such that the main shopping and business centers are at a close proximity.

Distances between tourists attractions and Sun & Sand hotel are:
• Dona Paula Jetty is at 4 km
• North Goa Beaches is at 12 km
• Dudhsagar Falls is at 50 km
• Reis Magos & Fort Aguada is at 11 km

Sun & Sand hotel in Goa offers forty-three exclusively, created rooms and suites. All rooms have been designed in such a manner to incorporate, entire amenities required by sophisticated and refined travelers. The superior room having an approx. total size of 310 sq. ft., has been tastefully furnished, and offers an incredible view of the Panaji city.
As the name suggest, the superior river room provides a stunning view of the River Mandovi and is approx. 320 sq. ft., in total size. The executive room is approx. 400 sq. ft. and includes a living area and terrace that offers a brilliant sight of the garden as well as the city.

Modernly furnished, deluxe rooms in the hotel Sun & Sand have the overall size of 420 sq. ft. approx. and comprises of living area and a terrace where guests can watch, the sunset or sunrise on the River Mandovi. The cozy and spacious rooms of junior suites provide the option of a Portuguese or a duplex room with the total size of approx. 550 sq. ft., which consists of a living area that overlooks the swimming pool and the scenic river. In the Sun & Sand hotel, the most spacious room is the suites with an approx. area of 630 sq. ft, which includes bedroom, living room, and a private terrace that has a similar view as the junior suites.

Various room amenities in Sun & Sand hotel are:
• Tea/coffee maker
• Internet access
• Minibar
• Housekeeping
• Rollaway beds
• Wake-up calls
• Refrigerator
• Cable television channels
Sun & Sand hotel in Goa has a multi cuisine bar and restaurant, Aqua that remains open 24 hours a day and can accommodate 40 persons, at a time. Overlooking the Mandovi River and the swimming pool, Aqua is the place where guests can savor a wide range of cuisines such as Italian, Continental, Goan, Chinese, and Indian. To complement the food, the bar serves the best selection of both international and domestic liqueur.

Many other recreation and leisure facilities are also provided by the Sun & Sand hotel such as fitness center, swimming pool, conference hall, car hire service, travel assistance, and currency exchange. The check in and check out time, at the hotel is noon. To spend vacation of a lifetime be it for leisure or business in Goa then Sun & Sand hotel is the place to be in for as can be seen, it provides ultimate specialized comfort, care, food, and services to make the trip a memorable one.

How to grow tomatoes in your garden

2010-02-03T10:22:00.000-08:00

Whether you want to prepare a special pizza for your family or make your own tomato sauce, you would need ripe tomatoes to make your dish special. Although tomatoes are readily available in the market and you can just walk down the road to get them, growing them on your own makes them even more special. Considering that tomatoes are an important ingredient for various dishes, growing them in your garden makes a lot of sense. In addition, all of us know that tomatoes work wonders for our health. They make our skin radiant and purify blood.

Before you get started, it is important for you to keep a few things in mind to grow ripe tomatoes. The first thing that you need to decide is whether you want to grow the vegetable from a seed or buy a tomato plant. If you are patient enough, you can go for the tomato seeds option. Otherwise purchasing a tomato plant will be the best thing for you to do. According to many tomato growers, watching the plant grow from a seed gives immense satisfaction. But owing to the hectic life that we lead these days, it may not always be feasible to spend a lot of time on tendering the tomato seeds. Therefore, if you are choosing a tomato plant do make sure that you select a healthy one. You have to pay close attention to the leaves to find out if the plant is healthy or not. While purchasing the tomato plant, you will find tags on each plant mentioning the diseases it can resist. Here it is important to note that the modern types of tomatoes are more resistant to diseases than their older counterparts. An interesting fact pertaining to the tomato plants is that most of these plants tend to get affected by fungal substances in the lower 12 inches of stalk. It is therefore recommended to remove the bottom leaves of the plant once it reaches 3 feet height.

Planting a tomato plant calls for a lot of love, care and nurturing. The tomato grower should not expect to grow ripe tomatoes without paying proper attention. Like all other plants, the tomato plants also need proper watering. In case, you spend a lot of time outdoors and have difficulty in watering the plant regularly you can put a moisture crystal to ease the process. Apart from these, there are also some small things that should not be ignored while growing tomatoes. For example, if the soil is extremely dry it becomes necessary to add compost in good measure. Moreover, tomato growers should use fertilizers and manures in ample amounts to enhance the growth of their plant. Adding a combination of crushed egg shells and magnesium is a wonderful way to provide calcium to your plant.

An important factor that plays a huge role in enhancing the growth of the tomato plant is the right temperature. According to the experts, tomato plants are required to be kept in a constant temperature of 50º F. To produce fruits from it, the tomato grower should ensure that a constant temperature of 55º F is maintained throughout. Apart from temperature another factor that plays a crucial role in ensuring your plant’s growth is humidity. High humidity can adversely affect the growth of your plant because a high humid condition causes calcium deficiency in tomato plants. It is advisable to maintain a humidity level of around 70% to expedite the growth of the plant.

A good way to enhance growth of the plant is to heat the soil regularly. Many tomato growers complain that despite paying close attention to their plants, they don’t get the best results when it comes to growth. In most cases, it is found that tomato growers place their plants so close to one another that the plants get very little space. As a result, it takes a longer time for the tomato plants to grow. It is therefore advisable to maintain a minimum distance of about two to three feet between two plants. Sometimes, it becomes necessary to provide additional support in the form of a stake to the tomato plant.

It is also quite important to ensure that the plant is kept in a sunny place. If you live in an apartment and have space constraints, you can place your plant in the balcony or close to a window that receives ample sunlight throughout the day. In case, you have difficulty in managing this, you can opt for fluorescent lights that are also a good option. To achieve best results, do make sure that your plant receives ample light for at least 12 hours. You can also use shade cloth to prevent sun scalding. It is commonly believed that a red shade cloth is the best option for tomato growers because it balances the sunlight, thereby ensuring that your plant receives the right amount of light.

Many tomato growers get confused when it comes to understanding the best time to harvest the tomatoes. Experts are of the opinion that tomato growers should harvest tomatoes when they begin to soften. After harvesting, the tomatoes are required to be kept in a dark environment. It is very important to note that post harvesting, tomatoes should not be refrigerated. This is because a drop in temperature can take away the freshness and flavor from the fruit.

Tomatoes that are cultivated on the vine are generally the best if consumed within two to three days of harvesting. In case, it is not possible to consume the entire tomato supply within three days a good option would be to use the tomatoes to prepare tomato sauce. The sauce can be refrigerated and used over a given time period.

Whether you grow tomatoes indoors or in your garden, you must be prepared for a lot of love and care. No matter how busy you are, with some simple tips mentioned in this article you can grow fresh tomatoes in your garden.

How to grow asparagus

2010-02-03T10:20:00.000-08:00

Asparagus or Asparagus officinalis belongs to the lily family. It has been cultivated for over 2000 years and is a major source of rich nutrients such as Vitamin A, Vitamin C, phosphorus, calcium, thiamine and riboflavin. Being a perennial plant, asparagus can be produced for several years, provided it is planted and maintained properly. It has compact stems also known as rhizomes and underground storage roots. These rhizomes and underground storage roots produce edible shoots known as asparagus spears. If these spears are not harvested on time then there are high risks of them turning into fern like bushes, measuring 4 feet or more. This foliage produces carbohydrates that are stored in the roots of the plant.

Asparagus has male as well as female plants. Both types flower and the female asparagus plants produce small red berries during the fall. However, the female plants do not last for a longer time when compared to the male plants.

Asparagus is found in various varieties, the oldest variety being the Martha Washington. In comparison to it, the Mary Washington variety is relatively a newer and improved version. Apart from these two varieties, there is also a third variety called Purple Passion which is rich in sugar content. In the past few years, several hybrid varieties of the vegetable have been released. These varieties produce nearly all male plants. The yield is therefore considerably increased because the male plants produce 20 to 25 percent more than the female plants.

If you are planning to grow asparagus at home, you should know that it is one of the best vegetables that can be grown indoors. You can locate the plantings to the side of your garden with other perennial plants such as brambles, strawberries and rhubarbs. It is always advisable to plant your asparagus in a sunlit place where it can receive at least seven to eight hours of sunlight. When it comes to the soil requirements, the good news for asparagus growers is that this plant can survive in almost any well drained soil. The best soil, however, is the deep and loose one. Experts caution asparagus growers against using shallow soils or the heavy textured clays. This is because such soils restrict the root development of the plant and cause root rots. Sandy soils are also unsuitable for asparagus growth because such soils do not retain enough moisture in them. Soils that warm quickly during spring help promote an early harvest. This however, may be a drawback because the developing asparagus spears grow quite slowly during winter and are killed by the freeze. According to most experts, soils with a pH of 6.0 to 6.5 are best suited for asparagus cultivation. Before you planting, it is advisable to take a soil sample that can help you to determine the potash, lime and phosphate levels of the soil. In addition to this, before the spears start to emerge and post harvesting supplement the fertilizer with about 1 pound of ammonium nitrate to retain the fertility of the soil.

Many asparagus growers are recommended to plant during the early spring. It is generally believed that February and early March are the best months to plant asparagus. Although asparagus can be planted from seeds, most home gardeners refrain from opting for this option. This is because the asparagus seeds take a long time to germinate. In addition, it is quite difficult to control the weeds. Owing to these factors, home gardeners usually purchase the 1 year old dormant crowns. Purchasing these is a viable option because it reduces the time before harvest by 1 year. Therefore, the asparagus grower is not required to pay close attention to the small seedlings in the first year.

There is always a risk of damage caused by weeds to the asparagus plants. To achieve best results, it is extremely important to control this problem in time. For this, it is very important to provide full field sanitation. Weeds can be removed using a cultivator, rototiller or a hoe. However, it is essential to ensure that the cultivation is shallow to prevent any harm to the roots. Organic mulches are also quite helpful in controlling the weed problem. These also help in retaining the moisture. Asparagus growers are recommended to apply a 2 inch layer during the fall soon after the foliage dies. This helps reduce weeds all through the year. It is also important to avoid using table salts or any other form of salt to control the weeds. This is because salts reduce yields and shorten the lifespan of the plant considerably.

Apart from the weed problem, asparagus plantings are also susceptible to insect attacks. Asparagus beetles are quite common. These insects are generally ¼ inches long and affect the asparagus plantings most severely. To control this problem, asparagus growers are advised to remove the old foliage as soon as it is affected by a freezing temperature. There are also quite a few home garden chemicals that can be used to get rid of the asparagus beetles.

To get the best yield from your asparagus planting, it is always advisable to avoid harvesting in the first year itself. In the second year, the asparagus grower should go for a light harvest that ensures high yield. It is also considered a good idea to harvest by removing the spears off at the ground when they are about 6 to 8 inches long. This is recommended because it ensures that there is minimal damage caused to the still to emerge spears. In winter, it is recommended to harvest every alternative day while during summer, the asparagus grower should harvest everyday to ensure that the spears do not grow too tall. In case too many spindly spears start appearing, it will be best to stop harvesting that season. At such times, additional fertilizers may be required and the harvesting season may have to be shortened in the coming years.

As far as fertilizing is concerned, asparagus being a fertilizer tolerant crop is compatible with fertilizer applications. To achieve best results, it is recommended that a nitrogen fertilizer is applied twice a year.

Coffee, a tempest and wet dreams.

2008-06-21T14:24:00.000-07:00

Well, I am sure that many of you have got the case of the 'wandering feet' and I am sure that like me, many of you are thinking of the next place to visit. Well, that is what I was planning on doing today, especially as the heat was getting to be intolerable. So I decided to go to the roof top restaurant and have a coffee while I let my wandering mind take me to terrains I have not visited yet.

With coffee, one cannot help but think of places like Brazil or Spain, with Spain being one of my hot favorites, the people, the land, the architecture and more importantly, the cuisine. Anyway getting back to the story, as I was pondering whether to visit Spain once again, the wind literally blew my porcelain coffee cup out of my hand and right on to my lap. So imagine yourself in my place, cursing the wind and getting soaked all the way to the undies with strong, bitter hot coffee.

If things were supposed to get better after that, well, someone read the dialogue wrong somewhere. For what happened next would make even the Florida hurricane sit up and take note of it. Let us just say that the wind blew hard and cold, accompanied with but naturally biting bullets of rain. So there I was thinking of places to visit on account of the heat and all of a sudden, I am getting drenched from top to bottom [not to be taken literally, the last part, that is] with cold water from the skies above.

The end result was that my coffee was on the floor, with the restaurant's guests getting soaked to the skin with anything and everything showing up to perfection and I thought to myself, that it seems that the heavens are not intent on my traveling anywhere for the moment. So the decision was made, to put up with the intolerable weather for the moment, both hot and cold, all at the same time. A tempest, it sure was, one that any Goldilocks would have loved but it was just not up to my taste.

Traveling headaches and the 'Down under' solution!

2008-06-18T12:17:00.000-07:00

We all like to travel on impulse, maybe we may feel like catching a flight to 'wonderful Spain' or even to 'romantic Paris', the city of light. But impulse traveling or not, there are quite a few issues we need to address head on before packing our respective bags. One of the major headaches while traveling is the insurance part of it, since most of the insurance packages that we have subscribed for do not even cover our overseas flight. In short, we all require the services of a nice insurance firm for our Travel insurance needs. Generally, travel related insurance packages are generally available only through travel agents and they cost an arm and a leg. With this Aussie company, Travel insurance direct, that is not the case and we can get the very best insurance packages at a fraction of what it would have originally cost us.

At last, now we can get access to a insurance package that is cost effective, for us that is. The insurance companies offer travel insurance at very competitive rates, sometimes at rates that are only half of what the travel agents charge. This is possible since you would be purchasing the respective insurance packages directly, thus cutting out the middle man.

With the travel insurance needs met, we should be able to rest more easy, knowing that we have access to insurance coverage that does not put a dimple on our respective wallets. So the next time we want to travel anywhere and require a travel insurance package, we know who to approach. With the 24 hour world wide support available, we can get all of our queries looked into and have access to the best travel insurance package currently available. Happy traveling, everyone!

The Indo-moroccan flavor!

2008-06-18T11:54:00.000-07:00

Morocco, a place on the coast of Africa, has produced a myriad number of dishes which have made their way to India of late. The lamb Shashlik is not a dish that is unique to morocco but their style of preparation as well as the sauce is unique to that region.

Recently, I was able to taste the lamb Shashlik prepared in the Moroccan style of cooking, while being coated with a hot apricot sauce that is Moroccan in origin. Needless to say the combination was just perfect, the hot sauce managed to give the Shashlik a whole new flavor and the ensemble was just great.

This is a dish that one should not miss out on, just imagine the shashlik coated in the apricot sauce and being grilled, with all the Moroccan herbs and spices. I am sure that as you are reading this, your mouth must have started to water, because that is what happened to me as the smell of the grill caught me unawares. My suggestion, try the Moroccan cuisine, especially anything that comes with the apricot sauce and after that, you would not want to partake anything else.

Bora, Bora the myth and the legend!

2008-06-18T11:24:00.000-07:00

Bora Bora, sounds like a mythical place, doesn't it? Well, it is a real place and one that is bound to knock your socks off. Take another look at the picture with this post and you will realize what I am talking about. This is the tropical island of all tropical islands and that is putting it mildly, to say the least. Bora Bora has been the subject of quite a few books as well as many number of movies, so in reality, even if you have not visited the place yet, you are bound to have heard of it. The Flights to Bora Bora take off from most of the major cities in the world so getting there should not be much of a problem.

But remember to go there when the season is in full swing, other wise you may well miss out on the atmosphere that a crowd can bring. Unless, you are looking for a bargain, in that case, traveling during the off season, you should be able to net quite a few good offers from rooms at half the rate to services at subsidized rates. Borabora has so many sights that I am not sure how to describe them all, think the movie "beach" then you may well have the idea of what this place is like. The perfect paradise to vacation in, with almost everything taken care of.

Naturally, for a place as hot as this one is, there are quite a few hotels here but one of the best ones is none other than the Hotel Bora Bora which is just perfect. This place has all the modern amenities and the cuisine here is just great. So for your next vacation, make a beeline to Bora bora and have a real vacation!

Beijing gearing up for the Olympics!

2008-06-18T11:03:00.000-07:00

It is time that Beijing came to terms with the various problems, both internal and external and concentrated on providing the stage for the perfect Olympics ever. One can hope that this will be the gala to outshine every other one so far. China is a wonderful place to visit and if one is into games then the Olympics would be the best time to visit China. There are quite a few problems confronting China and one can hope that with time, the Chinese would be able to settle all outstanding issues. Given the length and breadth of China, it may be a bit overwhelming for the first time visitors. So take a moment prior to your trip to read more on this nation and its rich cultural history, try to re-discover the ancient links between China and India.

The religious traditions that are followed by the modern Chinese is quite fascinating in itself, for on one hand they believe in a system that does not allow for any religious sentiments, but on the other, they have this blind faith in god, astrology and sea- monsters. Modern China is quite interesting in that way, you would probably get to see a bit of the old China shine through all that Glitz and glamour, the interesting thing is that these two china's co-exist with one another. Coming back to traveling in China, one of the must see sights is none other than the Great Wall of China itself. The structure may or may not be visible from space but it is the only monument that has been in a stage of development for 2000 years and is still being built today. back then, it was built for the purpose of security but today it is being developed to conserve the Chinese cultural heritage.

From the Three gorges dam to the markets of Guangzong, there is quite a bit to see. It is always a good idea to read a travel guide or two to China before the commencement of the trip itself. In addition to providing information on places to see, these Travel guides will also provide information on hotels to stay at as well as which ones are good and so on. Have a great time in China and hope that you are able to get a few tickets to the Olympics!

The Mediterranean Cruise season!

2008-06-14T12:59:00.000-07:00

This is the time of the year when we can all get to go on a short vacation or a long one, according to our preference. But one of the best ways to vacation would be to go on a long cruise, with all of our needs attended to and all we would have to do is to let our hair down and relax. That is what I did with the Azamara Cruises. I have to say that my vacation was organised from top to bottom and I did not have to worry about a thing, as a matter of fact, I got to see the most of the Mediterranean from a whole new perspective.

We have all gone on vacations, ranging from taking a walk in the woods to taking the boat out in the water. But such vacations often involved us doing most of the work, the end result a case of tiredness that just refuses to go away. But with these guys and their Mediterranean Cruises I did not have to lift a finger for most of the time. That does not mean that I am lazy but just that I got to relax, really relax during my vacation in the Mediterranean.

There are quite a few companies that offer you cruises, but you have ensure that you are getting what you paid for. For example, there are quite a few cruise lines that make you exercise all the time, not that it is not good for the body or anything like that, just that one would not be able to relax in such a cruise. These guys are one of the best, they provide you with what you want, all the way. In addition, the Cruises are priced attractively so they will not burn a hole in your pocket. So if you are looking for a vacation to relax, then this is the one you want!

Indiana Jones and the kingdom of the crystal skulls, a review!

2008-06-12T12:32:00.000-07:00

The latest Indiana Jones installment from Stephen Spielberg falls short of the mark set by its predecessors, way short. The storyline is haphazard at the very best and does not cross all the t’s. The story is based primarily on the legend of the El Dorado, the mystical city of gold. The legend is that this city is built primarily of gold or that is how the story goes. The city is just a legend but going by it, it is a city that is built on gold and nothing else, something that this movie has played with.

In addition, the Indiana Jones, most of the installments had a very interesting prelude to the main movie, something that set the tone for the rest of the movie. But this one seems to have given all that a miss except for a nuclear explosion. What makes this a bit laughable is that a common refrigerator, one that is lead lined is supposed to offer one protection from a nuclear bomb. That is laughable at the very best, what a lead lined refrigerator will do is offer you protection from the radiation at the very best but not from the explosion, even a 6th grader would know that. But then again, we have to believe that it does and go with that.

The story line is not remarkable at all, from the quest of a missing friend to that of the city, the storyline is too vapid, one that is full of vapors, probably from all the helium, that we all need to see this movie with. The saving grace for this movie comes in the form of cate blanchett, who has performed her role to the very best, even exceeding it at certain points in the movie. It is a real pity that the story was too blasé to take advantage of her performance. For she made one of the best villains known so far, with all the series taken together. Her cool hard glaze was believable and her expressions of doubt that flashed across her face as she stood in the way of the moving truck did wonders to her performance.

For the story itself, well it seems that Stephen Spielberg did not do all the necessary hard work, for it would seem foolhardy to make a movie that uses archeology as a premise and connect it to outer space. But that is what has happened, with half the world believing that UFO’s are not real and the other half believing in them to the extent that half of the believers think that the UFO’s are a part of some government conspiracy, it is no wonder that this movie is not as popular as the rest of the series. For one, had the storyline been set in Russia, it may have seemed plausible. Anyway the damage is done and this is not a movie for serious moviegoers. The stunts, booby-traps and the rich content has all but disappeared from this movie. This is more like a B-grade movie at the very best and we can but pray that the next one, if there is going to be one will fare much better.

Coffee headaches while travelling?

2008-05-31T18:23:00.000-07:00

Have you ever wondered why the rest of the world does not resemble your home? Well, if it did, then what is the point of traveling, is the quip I often get as an answer. The world is a huge place, that is a given, but what seems to escape most of us is the fact that each and every place has its own quaint customs and cuisine. The one way to truly appreciate the ambiance would be to make friends with the locals as well as try out some of their local cuisine.

Every time we travel, we will come across strange customs and new cuisine. Well, other than that, the most essential thing to remember is to respect their customs and traditions, as we would expect them to do while on our homeland. One of the things that I found a little bit difficult to get used to was a lack of strong coffee, while backpacking through Azerbaijan. I did get the coffee I wanted while staying in this great hotel, but the minute I stepped out of the air conditioned doors, well, it became something else altogether.

Azerbaijan is a beautiful country, from the top to the bottom, in ways you would not expect. For one, this place is such a mishmash of traditions and cultures, that I could not believe that I was in a Islamic country. The coffee that I got at the street stalls was nowhere near the black coffee that my system is used to, the result being that by the end of the day I had a splitting headache that was showing no signs of going anywhere.

It is important to remember to pack all of your medicines, the ones that you will need as well as the ones you may not need. With my headache in tow, I headed to the nearest pharmacy only to find out that saridon is not sold as saridon here and I did not know the name of its local variation. So, in the end, I got a herbal treatment for my headache, which was surprisingly effective.

There are a few things you may want to do before you head down Azerbaijan's way for one, get a language translation book if possible. That aside, remember to pack all the medicines that you may need. Try and research more on the place that you are planning to travel to. You can try one of the many sites for booking your hotel rooms and make sure that you have all the details with you when you travel, for example, I left mine in my desk drawer back at home and had quite a time in finding out which hotel I had booked. So if you want to avoid the headaches that I encountered, I suggest in trying to follow some of the guidelines that I have listed.

The cuisine that you will come across in this part of the world is rich in both content and variety. If you would like to experiment then this would be a wonderful place to begin it with. For one, I have never seen meat products being cooked the way that it has been done here here. There is a variety of products of both the vegetarian and the non vegetarian variety available here in Azerbaijan. You can snack on a lot of fast food items or try out their main courses, which are quite delicious. The food here is mildly spiced with spices such as cinnamon and saffron, and there is a ready to eat service available in most of the eateries. But there are a few places here in Azerbaijan which seems to have forgotten some of the basic rules of hygiene. So make sure that you choose the right place and as a precaution, make sure that you drink bottled water/boiled water.

Azerbaijan was an important place in the old silk route and as such, there are quite a few sights to see here. From the Shrivanshah palace to the national museum of Azerbaijan literature. My trip to Azerbaijan has certainly taught me quite a few things apart from not leaving my hotel details back at home. Hope that you would be able to have a great experience as I did on my trip to this warm and friendly country.

Nepal, the republic!

2008-05-31T18:09:00.000-07:00

The Hindu kingdom of Nepal has become transformed to a republic, for the very first time in a long long while. While the political ramifications of discharging with the 300 year old monarchy is still being felt in Nepal and many of the neighbouring countries, the current situation should not have changed all that much for the weary traveller.
For one, the same hotels that operated then, still operate now and the only visible evidence of the current constitutional crisis in Nepal can be probably be seen by the speed with which the shops are fast removing their patronage to the king.
Of course, it is a bit confusing, the king is no longer the titular head and all that. But from a travellers perspective, it should not matter much.
All that political drama aside, Nepal still continues to be a draw for many a traveller and is the perfect point to start one's journey to mount Everest.

The gold and the silver jewellery!

2008-03-27T12:19:00.000-07:00

With the fascination that we have for these precious metals, is it any wonder that we can now think of purchasing them with a second reason in mind? Namely investment reasons, as the price of both these metals has been racing towards the stratosphere of late. The reasons for this price hike could be many but the very basic reason is that most of the buyers of these metals see this as a long term investment umbrella, one that is not prone to the pull of the Wall Street.

Monex Deposit Company offers us a very good opportunity to purchase .9167 fine gold and silver of equally good quality if not more at fantastic rates. What is more any purchases that we make through Monex can be personally delivered to us or held for safekeeping at some intermediary bank until alternative arrangements can be made.

Both Gold and Silver are available through Monex in the bullion form as well as that of the ingots and coins form as well. We can purchase them in the required weight that we want as well. But the best of all is that when we purchase these metals through Monex, we can be assured of two things, one, the best rates possible and the other, the best quality metal that we can ever get our hands on. In addition to this, the Monex staff is all ready to assist us with our purchases right round the clock. So, if you are interested in precious metals, then you should start by paying these guys a visit!

The above details are based on the information provided by blogitive!

The summer heat!

2008-03-27T12:17:00.000-07:00

Well it is march and the time of the year is all here once again. It is the start of the summer season and it looks like this summer is going to be a sizzler as usual. One can only pray that we would also have some summer rains as well so that the heat factor can be bought down by a huge margin.

The Foreign experience in India!

2008-03-04T10:44:00.000-08:00

First of all, some of the so called 'wild' behavior of the tourists, I have witnessed myself. The thing to remember is that whenever you visit a foreign country you should take care to pay heed to the local customs and traditions. Also, I have posted some guidelines here for the tourists visiting India for the first time.

Remember, India is a huge country and for the most part it is yet to adopt the western way. Just because you see a cow walking on the road that does not mean that the whole of India is backward or is still antiquated. Frankly, I do not see why seeing a cow on the street amazes the foreigners so much. The cows are present in the villages in the west as well, so why is it that an Indian cow can attract so much attention?

Anyway, here are some of the pointers that I think foreign tourists should take a look at,
1. First of all, leave all your perceptions of India back in the west, India is not just about snake charmers, elephants and jungles. There are quite a few tourists who seem to think that Rudyard Kipling's romanticizing of India is all true when it is not.

2. Please take care not to wound the sentiments of any Indians that you may meet, do not mock them or say things about their religion. Remember that most of the Indians, especially in the south know English quite well, even the beggar on the street would know a smattering of English.

3. When you leave the airport or the train station, ask the government official or the tourism board people to help set up your transportation, other wise you are setting yourself to get fleeced. Once you enter India, think in Rupees and not dollars.

4. DO not wear skimpy clothes, it only brings unwelcome attention and what is more it is not appreciated by the locals. I know that the Indian summer can make many a westerner sweat like anything, so do not travel to India in the peak summer season. Remember that India is not LA, so take care to wear modest clothing at all times.

5. Remember to drink plenty of fluids when in India as the heat can really get to you unless you are in the north where the opposite would hold sway, north as in the Himalayas.

6. Remember to buy some stomach medicine and carry it with you at all times as most of the Indian food is 'too spicy' for almost all the westerners. If you are the kind of person who loves a bowl of hot chili, you would love the Indian food.

7. Indians are always ready to help you at the drop of the hat, so if you need assistance, you can probably ask them for assistance. Indians by and large are quite friendly people.

8. When visiting a temple, please take care to heed the local customs, some of them may seem too antiquated to you but it is not your country so remember to follow them accordingly. When it says no photo should be taken in a temple of god, which means no photo. If you do not follow that, it may result in your camera getting confiscated or worse, in you getting arrested.

9. Certain temples are off limits to all foreigners and no exceptions are made as far as this goes, so sorry about that.

10. When you visit an Indian household, remember to take some gift with you. Take care to leave your footwear OUTSIDE the house. most of the Indians do not appreciate you trampling all over their homes with your shoes.

11. Do not hug or kiss an Indian woman as a form of greeting, that may be the norm in the west, but in India, it will result in you getting into a lot of hot water.

12. Above all, remember to be courteous and thank any Indian who helps you. Also, take care not to litter and have a nice time in India!

The Online faculty!

2008-02-29T13:00:00.000-08:00

We all know just how valuable good teachers are, after all, the quality of a teacher defines not just the education but the whole college itself. Carpella university is one of the leading universities not just because of the course material that they have there for the 104 graduate and undergraduate specializations and 15 certificate programs but also for the fantastic faculty that they hold.
One member of such a faculty is Dr. Greenstone, the author of The Elements of Disaster Psychology: Managing Psychosocial Trauma who has redefined the education process for the students in ways never thought of before. Dr.Greenstone has taught forensic psychology, ethics, clinical interventions, theories of psychotherapy amongst many others. As a result of such excellent teaching, the standards of Carpella University has grown in leaps and bounds. Today, Carpella university is the only online university to be accredited by the CACREP.
Normally one of the most common reasons for students not wanting to go to college is that they are busy and just do not have the time for the classes or credits. But that no longer holds true as far as Carpella university goes. What is more, with such excellent faculty the online psychology degree has become all the more popular amongst students. With Carpella university, one does not get just a quality education but also a quality faculty.

The information this post is based on was provided by Blogitive

The beach resort to get to!

2008-02-26T13:38:00.000-08:00

Each and every one of us face new pressures every single day and we all need to get away from it all. We all need to find a place where we can relax in total luxury and not have to worry about a single thing at all. Such a place is the Myrtle Beach resort. Imagine a four star resort and boutique just a few meters away from the sea, what could be more perfect to let one's hair down.

These are the days when most of us work 9 to 9 and as such, we often do not take the time to take a breather and enjoy life. If you are near a sea shell at the moment, just pick it up and listen to the sound of the sea in it. You should be able to experience a moment of bliss. That is what the Myrtle Beach hotels are all about. Bliss, if you want to describe this resort in a word, that would be the one to do it for anyone.

This is the perfect place to come to to get away from all the tension and the stress of the work place. Can you imagine yourself in a Jacuzzi and with a soft music playing in the background and with a ice cold drink in one hand and your favorite book in the other. Well, here the people at the Myrtle Beach hotels do not just imagine it, but instead have it all come true for them. In addition to a fantastic hotel and boutique, there is also the Myrtle Beach golf, which I can assure you, is totally different from any other golf that you may have played until now. All in all, just click on the links above and let that hair down!

Jodhaa Akbar - the review!

2008-02-26T13:33:00.000-08:00

I am not sure how many of you have seen this movie yet, and if you have not done so, then you are missing out on something. This is a movie that is not paced well and there are places where the audience could be forgiven for falling to sleep. Other than that, this is a nice movie with a really decent take on Akbar and his 'Hindu' wife.
All in all, I enjoyed myself at the movies, of course, I had parked my brain at home before I went to watch this movie. There are things in the movie that is hard to accept and believe, but then again, in the end that is what it is all about, fantasy and not facts. There was such a hue and cry when this movie came out all about how historically inaccurate this movie is. Whether that is true or not, this movie is really enjoyable and is a 'must see' one for all ages. have fun!

Bloggewave rocks to new music!

2008-02-26T11:07:00.000-08:00

For those of us who are familiar with bloggerwave, I really do not have to say much except that you all know by now that this is indeed one fantastic site. That said, for those of you not in the know, Bloggerwave is a company that pays you to do reviews and they do it well.
There are some really fantastic reviews here and some really good honest money to be earned. What is more, with all the recent mess about links and everything else, of late Bloggerwave has been sending opps with the no follow tag. Which means that as a blogger I can take up the opportunity with no fear of PR loss. That is a neat way top do opportunities and Hope that there are more of those to come soon. Anyway, for those of you who want to check out bloggerwave, please click on the link above and that will take you to the site in question!

The soaps!

2008-02-26T11:01:00.000-08:00

I do not watch that much television as I used to do so, but my mum gets to watch her soaps every single day. So, on one of my off days, I made the mistake of asking her to explain the story to me in one of her soaps, which by the way, showed a major character dying in that episode.

She did tell me the story, et al and now when I saw the soap again,believe it or not, that particular character has come back to life. I am a bit shocked at how ruthless these television production houses are in reality. In the hurry to make money, they certainly do not mind making the public swallow whatever swill they give out by way of these soaps. I understand that most of these sopas pander to the stay at home mums and the old age crowd. I can understand that, but what I cannot put up with are the ridiculous story lines that all soaps, whether they are made in America or in India, have in common! Enough is enough, start treating us seriously!

Discounts at what you sit on!

2008-02-14T14:11:00.000-08:00

We all love the comfortable look for our houses and one of the ways to go about it is to get some neo-modern furniture. Besides giving you that new look the modern furniture would also turn out to be a whole lot more comfortable than that dusty, musky chair that you are currently sitting upon.

It is a common misconception that modern furniture is not comfortable in the least. That is so wrong on so many a level, the modern furniture is just as comfortable as the old ones, maybe even more so. One of the ways to shop for some, without any hassle of shop assistants is to do it online. But which shop to go to, well, I have already done the research and in my opinion one of the best sites for discount contemporary furniture,is this one. Not only are all the pieces her are ultra-sleek and totally modern, but the price ranges are also the most attractive ones in the whole field. With the whole range of discounts that one can get here, the cost is so minimal that do not be surprised if you end up purchasing more than you wanted to initially. Check it out by way of the links posted above.

Star Wars, Barbie dolls, and the Wedding cake!

2008-02-13T13:46:00.001-08:00

I have to say that when it comes to wedding, the women seem to think that the day is meant only for them. They seem to think that anything and everything should be according to their wishes and god help those who disagree with them. Well, I am a dude who is also a Star Wars fan and recently I married the love of my life, not princess Leia but my real life love.

Anyway, it all started with the wedding cake, my wife wanted a cake with all cupids shooting arrows at a miniature of me and her, all under a canopy of roses. First of all, I really did not see the point of having 33 cupids on a cake shooting arrows at me. It is bad enough to have one arrow sticking out of ‘mini me’ [it was really sticking out of my behind] and now I have to contend with 32 more arrows as well. Anyway my wife liked the design of ‘eternal love’ and wanted me to sign on the dotted line for the cake. To me, it was more like Cupid’s war and I was dead right in the center of it.

The cake itself was a three layered cake and in Vanilla flavor, that part was fine by me. But what I found too much was the roses and the Cupids, to me it seemed like an arrangement of roses and Cupids and with a little bit of cake on them. I am not exaggerating, that is how it seemed to me. So I decided to agree with my wife as far as the design of the cake went but I wanted to have a little bit of myself in the cake as well.

What is so wrong with that? All I wanted was to have the ‘Mini me’ dressed up as Han Solo. You cannot imagine the fit that my wife threw and in the end, I decided to let her get her perfect cake. But on one condition, that princess Leia will make an appearance at our honeymoon. To all those prospective grooms out there, all I can say is that you can catch more flies with honey than you can do with vinegar. If your fiancé wants to have the perfect cake, well, let her have it and in the end, like me, you can have your cake and eat it too!

Dark cakes and a bright wedding!

2008-02-13T13:37:00.000-08:00

I have always had a penchant for dark chocolate and that is what I had on my wedding day. True, people often say that white is the way to go, but then again, if everything was white then we all would probably end up suffering from a case of ‘whitewash’.

The wedding was a small affair, held in the neighborhood park. When I say that the whole neighborhood attended the affair that is exactly what happened. Lets just say that the whole neighborhood was at my gala affair and that pleased me more than anything else. They did not just saunter in and eat everything in sight [although my husbands friends did exactly that] but they actually chipped in and helped out, with the furniture and the setting as well.

The whole affair was conducted under one big canopy and it did kind of make me feel like as though I was at a circus. Kind of like the prize lamb being dragged of to ‘you know what’. I guess every bride ends up feeling a bit nervous at the final stage and hey, I was no exception to that. I was at the edge of my seat trying my best not to do a ‘Julia Roberts - Runaway bride’.

The one thing that did get me through that phase was the thought what the others would say when they saw that the cake was not a ceremonial one but a dark, dark one, oozing chocolate from all corners. I am sure that the young ones at my wedding were quite pleasantly surprised but for the rest of my orthodox family..
Well, that cake certainly made waves and I liked every moment of it. All I can say is that when it is your time to be wed, follow your heart and do not let the others do the talking for you. Dark, dark chocolate… one of a kind and my wedding too was one of a kind!

The Latest Online casino!

2008-02-12T16:44:00.000-08:00

With the entry of this online casino things have started heating up where casinos are concerned. From what I have seen this site can and will give any of them a run for their money.

This site offers all its members a neat welcome package of $808 and that is one neat way to start cashing on your 'lady luck'. With the neat designs the casino games are quite easy to handle and no one should have any issues with any of them. On top of this, this site also runs various promotional offers from time to time, so keep your eyes peeled for those as well. I have to say that this virtual casino is a casino with a difference and in the right way at that!

The bollywood wedding!

2008-02-12T16:42:00.000-08:00

Finally Sanjay dutt is in the news for all the right reasons. Of late, controversies seem to follow this actor whereever he went. Anyway, the latest news about him is that he has finally married his model girlfriend and all I can say is that this person truly deserves all the happiness that is due to him after all that he has been through!

The code to your identity!

2008-02-12T14:21:00.000-08:00

I am sure that most of you must have either seen 'Da vinci's code' or read the book at the least. So we do know that Id theft has been in existence since time immemorial. What is there to prevent your id from being stolen the next time you log into a computer to book your movie tickets? For such a transaction, you would probably need your credit card to do that. Once you start using your card for online transactions, you pretty much leave yourself open to an Id theft. That is why we need the services of companies like Life Lock.

This company has certainly proved itself to be the leader in Id theft prevention companies and what is more, they are putting their money where their mouth is. That is, they are ensuring that our Id does not get stolen to the tune of a million dollars. Naturally you may think that any such product that such a company would offer us would be priced so high that only the rich and the famous could afford it. Well, with LifeLock that is not the case.

The prices are so attractive that now anyone can easily afford to protect their identity.
In addition to having some of the lowest prices in the market, they are also featuring a discount coupon by which one can get the latest Id theft protection device from LifeLock.com at a large discount. So, if this is what you are looking out for, then click on!

At last, the Truth - Bollywood masala!

2008-02-12T13:50:00.000-08:00

Bollywood, a name that is quite apt, now more than ever before. With more and more starlets looking like well-polished Barbie dolls, one can only wonder when on earth do they have the time to act in movies, leave alone, read the scripts. Anyway, the latest soap to envelop Bollywood concerned both Saif ali khan and Kareena kapoor.

It was rumored for quite some time that these two were quite deeply in love and were going to tie the knot really soon. And then, Saif dropped the proverbial bomb by telling one and all that he was just friends with Kareena and that neither he nor his family appreciated the media talking about their 'Friendship' like this. He actually went to the extent to say that the media was 'vulgarizing' their relationship.

Fine, I guess if you are friends with someone and the common misconception is that you are in love with that person, you would probably want to correct that at the earliest opportunity. I will agree so far, but when one of the television news channels kept repeatedly beaming Saif's misgivings with the media and telecasting at the same time images of Kareena kapoor sporting a heavy, really heavy engagement ring and then that taken with images of Saif sporting Kareena's name as a tattoo on his arm....... What the hell???

I started laughing right there and then, okay you are friends with a person so you buy them a 'bling' engagement ring and want to call that friendship or you disfigure your skin permanently with a tattoo of that person's name and you call the whole thing as 'friendship', fine... Hey, you want to be labeled as an ass in national television, fine by me.

Frankly, I think that the whole thing was an act put up by both of them so as to garner more attention to them. In the end, today, Saif came out and told the media that he is in love with Kareena.... yeah, that was a shocker!

In the end, we all ended up wasting all of our precious time wondering what is going on with Saif and Kareena. I think that the whole episode has highlighted the fact that most of Bollywood, women and men together, seem to lack a few bricks in the attic, maybe they even have a huge hole there...

Id theft while traveling!

2008-02-11T13:56:00.000-08:00

These days the criminals are getting bolder and bolder and they resort to all sorts of methods in order to steal from you. I am sure that most of you must have seen the movie 'The Net' where a programmer gets her identity stolen while she travels. This is not something that takes place in the movies alone. Whenever we travel, we often leave ourselves vulnerable to such thefts taking place. When I traveled to Morocco, my cards got stolen and since then whenever I travel, I make it a point to use LifeLock.

This way, I feel safe whenever I travel and until today it has been effective in preventing any such identity theft taking place. Life Lock is an id theft prevention company and as such they guarantee your identity up to $1,000,000.

This is the age of the internet where even the most complicated decisions are rendered simple by the digital age. As such, it has become a very easy thing top steal ones identity and steal whatever you want from them.
Here is where LifeLock.com steps in by making sure that such a theft does not take place. So check it out before what happened to Sandra Bullock in 'The Net' happens to you!

The cold wave!

2008-02-11T13:50:00.000-08:00

At the moment a severe cold wave is sweeping through northern India and all that anyone can do is to brace themselves and to drink a cup of hot 'chai'. With the heaviest snowfall being recorded in Kashmir, more of thje cold weather is to come.
Today, many of the tourists who were trappen in Kashmir as a result of the heavy snowfall were airlifted to safety.
In such cold times, I guess sitting on the sofa and sipping a cup of hot cocoa would just be heavenly!hmmmmmmm!

Medicine - the info point!

2008-02-11T13:38:00.000-08:00

These days with everyone doing the best that they can to get the jump on their rivals, the competition is getting more and more ruthless especially when it comes to medical professions. That aside, the medical profession seems to be inventing new and new areas so that it is getting all the more difficult for the students to decide what they want to specialize in. If your interest was in becoming a ultrasound tech, then do not fret as you can get all the details about that career at this site.

Often the students do not know what a specialization is all about, but do not fret, as this site explains all the medical careers from A to Z. What is more, in addition to all the information on the various careers in the medical field, it also provides all the latest information on the medical colleges as well. Say you want to know more about the ultrasound tech school, you can get all of that information right here.

The neat thing is that this site almost doubles up as a guidance counselor and that is indeed a good thing as there are few and few such counselors available to the medical students. With this site, any doubts that you may have had about your choice of profession should be cleared up and you can also get up to date information on all the medical colleges including the ultrasound technician school. So click on the link and come on in!

Shoes are a woman's best friend??

2008-02-11T11:26:00.000-08:00

That is not exactly surprising news but I had always thought that Diamonds were a woman's best friend. With Diamonds I can understand it; it is the shiny glitter and the value/rarity of it that makes it so indispensable to a woman.
But shoes? I have seen movies where a woman goes out to buy shoes so as to forget her problems. How does that work?
How on earth does buying shoes solve ones problem? Or for that matter, why are the shoes so important to a woman?
I wonder what the cavewomen did to solve their problems. I guess that there is a grain of truth in the saying that 'Men are from Mars and Women from Venus'.

Need to know more on Travel insurance?

2008-02-11T11:10:00.000-08:00

Well, If you wanted to know more on travel insurance, the real details then the only online insurance that you need to go to is this one. Contrary to what most of the other insurance companies tell you, the policies that they hand out provides only for a partial coverage when you travel.

Say you have just purchased travel insurance from one of those shady insurance firms and that you are now traveling to Morocco. In Morocco, you end up breaking a leg and need to be hospitalized, so you would think that the insurance that you had just purchased from that shady firm would cover your medical costs.

You end up finding out that the so called policy that you purchased does not cover any injuries that take place overseas. Then what is the result of having travel insurance in the first place if it does not provide the help that one may need. That is why it is important that you go to this insurance portal to know all that you must know as far as insurance goes. It will give you all the details on the travel insurance and what you must look out for to insure coverage even when you are traveling overseas.

This site provides a real depth of information as far as insurance goes and in addition the quotes here are really low when compared to the other companies. So to know more on Insurance, coverage and premiums, just click on the link and discover the joy of traveling safely!

Silver is the way to go!

2008-02-09T09:23:00.000-08:00

Silver has certainly turned a corner and has started shining bright and at times brighter than even gold. These are the days when one should seriously consider investing in silver. You can either invest in silver as a commodity by purchasing it in the form of Ingots or get yourself some really rad silver jewelery.
The jewelery option may appeal to so many of you, as for one it is a piece of jewelery and for another it is one whose value is on the rise.

The Monex deposit company [MDC] has been a world leader in the investment of precious metals and they have been giving out valuable advice regarding investing in precious metals for a long time to come.

These days, if you are planning to invest in precious metals or purchase them for your own collection, then these are the guys to go to. For one, they know this market in depth and also know the places where you can get the best price for the white metal.

With these guys, you will always get the good quality silver at the best rates possible. What is more, they have a dedicated staff that understands the needs of the customers and as such, they are always available to help you out with all of your queries. So if you are planning to buy silver for your own collection or to invest in them, click on the link and come on in!

Time for a Kancheepuram idli?

2008-02-08T22:19:00.000-08:00

Right now, it is late morning and I wish that I had a snack or two with a hot kancheepuram idli or two. This idli is not like all the other idli's that one may have come across, rather it is hot, peppery and contains a few herbs or so that gives it a whole new tang.

Kancheepuram, the city of a 1000 temples or so has been in existence for a long time to come and so has this idli that carries the same moniker. To travel to kancheepuram, one can catch a flight to Chennai and from there rent a car/taxi or go by bus to this fabled city. This is a city that is steeped in tradition and if you are planning to flaunt your body by travelling there in a bikini, do not bother to go there at all. This is a city that still believes in the old ways and the quaint thing about all this is the atmosphere here.

One of the places that one must visit in Kancheepuram is the Kamakshi Amman temple, this temple was built by the rulers of the Chola Empire in and around the 14th century and its control lies with the Sankara mutt. The Sankara mutt is another place that one can go to for a peace of mind.

The oldest temple here in Kancheepuram is the Kailashanathar temple and this was built by the Pallava rulers around the 8th century. When you walk in such old temples, one of the things to hit you is the smell of bats. As the temples are old and as the rafters are old, the bats have got themselves a nice and cosy home. Remember that these structures are old and as such, bats and other avian creatures may have made home in these places. All that does is add to the already ancient air of these temples.

Normally, the westerners who visit here have certain preconceptions and all I can say on that is to leave your preconceptions at home where they belong. Please remember that you are not allowed to take photos inside of the temple and if you plan on still doing so, say goodbye to your camera.

The ambiance aside, there are very few decent hotels here in Kancheepuram. This place is literally like a time machine that takes you back a few centuries. All in all it was a very nice experience for me to visit these temples especially the Ekambareshwar temple. This temple has a very nice story to go with it and has a tree that is most definitely a 'must see' one. Have a nice time in Kancheepuram and have a idli or two!

The yahoo travel portal!

2008-02-08T21:47:00.000-08:00

The Yahoo travel portal seems to be getting more and more personalized these days. With the recent imbroglio concerning yahoo and Microsoft, i am not surprised that they are sprucing up the site but as i researched some information for my upcoming vacation to ooty, i was surprised to see the depth of the information that was available in that site. From the sights to see to the food that one can expect there, this portal had also linked up to reviews of other travellers as well. Check it out!

Into Online billiards - read this!

2008-02-03T08:30:00.000-08:00

The neat way to play a game is to do it online and as such one needs to play these games at a site where the design is great and the service fantastic. This site clearly fits the bill and if you are planning to play online snooker here, believe me that would indeed be a great experience!
For one, the site is so well designed that a 70 year old person would have no issues in playing any of these games and that is indeed something. Besides the design, this site is totally dedicated to these games and if you want to play snooker, this is where you head to. The customer service here is really good and what is more in addition to the games, one can also get the very latest information on Billiard tournaments which are being currently played. So you can say that this is also an information counter, all in all, this site is certainly a place that all gamers should go to in order to play the real game!

Rambo 4 - a journey into gore!

2008-02-03T08:26:00.000-08:00

Of all the movies that one can be expected to see over a period of time, this is the one that one can be sure to contain all the gore and action. As far as those two are concerned, well, this movie will not disappoint you in the least. Besides a fast paced story, it has Rambo in a new role altogether, one where he actually thinks. Either way, for action alone, one can see this movie, but if you are expecting an Oscar performance from any of the actors, it is better that you stay at home! have fun!

The way to see the new look!

2008-02-01T14:56:00.000-08:00

When the doctor told us that we would have to wear glasses from now on, there would be a grimace at the thought of it. For one, we would think of how ugly the glasses would look and the imact on our respective faces. All that is a thing of the past, especially if you were to go to this shop for the medically prescribed Zenni Optical $8 Rx Glasses. With the new sleek look, these glasses are not ugly but are instead a thing of beauty.

One can get the latest trandy wear in glasses here, for both the Men and Women. Gone are the days of the bulky wear and say hello to the Best Thing Found: Zenni Optical. With more and more people preferring glasses to comtacts, is it any surprise that one would naturally aim for the latest even in purchasing glasses? If you agree, then I am sure that you would be beating a path to the Great Discovery: Zenni Optical.

The help with our travel plans!

2008-01-26T09:08:00.000-08:00

Whenever we travel with our family, it costs a bundle and if the trip is to some exotic location, well one can imagine the run up of the costs. As it is, these days, it is getting harder and harder to get by and when it comes to that family trip, we all need a hand or two with our finances. So in such circumstances, it may be a good idea to consider Start Up Financing.
Forget all about the bank, they have pretty much tightened the purse strings ever since the sub prime disaster. Even a small loan application takes the bank eons to approve. So banks may not suit our needs here. We need the Start Up Financing to finance our holiday with our entire family. We need the funds fast and the one of the few sites that seems to fit the bill is this one here.
Here at this site, our loan approval is so quick that it is only moments before the cash is deposited to your checking account. And the customer service here is really fantastic. All things considered, this is indeed the best option when it comes to the topic of Start Up Financing.

The Nicaraguan delight!

2008-01-23T11:29:00.000-08:00

Whenever we think of Nicaragua these days, it is more in relation to some of the most wonderful beaches than anything else. For one, Nicaragua has some great white sandy beach fronts that are calling to all of us. For those of you who do heed that call, all I can say is that you will not be disappointed at all!

One of the best places in Nicaragua for the best beach experience is none other than San Juan del Sur. It is a tiny beach town, just north of Costa rica and one that will make you think great things about Nicaragua. Here, at San Juan del Sur, is one of the best hotels that you would have ever stayed in. You can say that this hotel is the best of all the San Juan del Sur Hotels
. It is none other than the La Posada Azul.

This hotel is really great in the sense that the ambiance that one gets here is just incomparable to any other place in all of Nicaragua. All the rooms come with their own private baths and I have to say that the service ad the hospitality here is just nothing but fantastic in this Nicaragua Hotel.

This place is just a small fishing village and as such, you may even end up having the whole place to yourself. To get to San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua
just take a flight to Granada from where this beautiful place is just 11/2 hours away or you can also travel from Costa rica, the choice is yours. All in all, this is one of a kind of a place that no traveler in his or her right mind would miss out on, so take the next flight and come down and check out this 'beach hotel' for yourself!

Misty morning!

2008-01-23T11:24:00.000-08:00

These days it seems to get more and more mistier in the mornings, if there is such a word. I guess it has to do with the recent cold wave that we are all experiencing. It is really fantastic to take a walk in the cold mist, it really energises you in more ways than one. All you have to do is to take a walk, not jog, along the beach front and with the sound of the breakers/waves hitting the shores and the screech of the sea gulls flying overhead and with the tangy salty air, one can forget the rest of the world and just have some plain and healthy fun! Try it and you will see what I mean!

The new wave is here!

2008-01-17T16:27:00.000-08:00

Most of us have websites and we all love to get some good traffic to our sites. Of course, while we are trying to do that we also would love to earn money on the side. Until now, we used to do that with ad sense, but the new wave of advertising is here. It is the audio ads and these are the new flavor of the season. What is more besides the new variety of ads, this site also offers a three level affiliate program that one can utilise to complement the earnings from the ads.
Take care to note that the affiliate program will close by 2/1, so hurry up. What makes this program interesting is that there is also the option for lifetime residual income stream as well. All in all, along with some good quality traffic, you will now be able to make your site stand out from the rest of the pack and to top it all off, an income stream that is just unbelievable! So, click on the link and come on in!

Dim sums and the glory of it!

2008-01-16T14:29:00.000-08:00

I kind of like the title, don’t you? Well, any New Year that is on the horizon only gives us an extra reason to have fun. One of the ways for me to relax and have fun is to cook whether it is baking cookies or making a full fledged meal.
I love my Dim sums and make it a point to cook one variety or the other of it, at least, once every two weeks. You can make Dim sums as the steamed variety or the boiled ones or the fried ones. It is up to you. The thing to note here is that if you are planning to make fried ones, remember that olive oil can change the flavor altogether. So just use ordinary cooking oil for this purpose and forget all about the fat content of it and so on.

It is only once in a blue moon that you are making these dim sums so just use the cooking oil and not the olive ones. What is more it is only the trans fats that you should be worried about, so to use fresh cooking oil would not harm you much. Here, I am going off on to a different tangent altogether, so coming back to dim sums, they are very easy to make and you will enjoy the experience of making them.

My favorite dim sum is the chicken wontons and for this you will need 6 ounces of chicken breast, remember you can increase the amount of the ingredients and you will need to compensate. Now, you will also need some shallots, some garlic paste [makes it easier to cook with], some sesame oil or peanut butter [for that smoky aroma], some vegetables [ your choice, but I normally use carrots, cabbage and bean sprouts],2 tbs of soy sauce and some sugar. You will also need some chilly paste as well as some salt and a deep pan for the frying.

Heat the oil in the pan and fry the shallots, garlic paste and the chilly paste. Add the chicken and stir fry, remember that when the chicken changes color, which means that it is almost cooked. Tip: try to leave out the skins, as this will help the chicken to absorb the flavors quickly and cook well. Now, remove the pan and let it cool down. Take some of the wonton wrappers and place a small portion of the chicken curry mixture in the middle; now wet the edges of the wrapper with water. Use a second wrapper on the top and bring all the edges together. You can do it with the single wrapper but it is much better to use the two of them. You can then close it and make then ends as stylish as possible or not. It is all up to you.

Heat the oil again in the pan and start frying the wontons. Remember, do not keep the oil on high heat as that would sear the wontons and you do not want that. So, keep the flames on medium and fry the wontons until they turn golden brown. Enjoy your wontons and have fun at the same time. Good luck with your cooking and a Happy Chinese New Year!

The online education!

2008-01-15T10:04:00.000-08:00

There are so many of us who would like to take up another degree but do not have the time to do so. As it is, if you desire for a higher qualification, then you have come to the right place. Have you heard of the Capella University, the one stop junction for all those of you who need a higher degree but just do not have the time to attend an actual physical course.
Here, at the Capella university, they offer something like 104 graduate and undergraduate degrees as well as 15 certificate programs. What is more, with the help of the reputed faculty of which one of them happens to be none other than the Dr. James L. Greenstone, the author of the ‘The Elements of Disaster Psychology’, one can see that the quality of the education at the Capella University has indeed gone up. With Dr. James as a part of the faculty, the online psychology degree would indeed seem a whole lot more interesting now, doesn’t it? By the way, Capella University is a fully accredited university and offers many online degree programs and the best part of all this is that you get to decide how much of your time you want to devote to this. So, if you are seeking a higher education within the time that you can spare, then this is the place, so click on the link!
this is sponsored by blogitive!

Smaller wallets!

2008-01-12T13:12:00.000-08:00

The wallets are getting smaller these days in more ways than one, with the way that the economy is doing, travelling to even nearby places seems to be out of the question for most of us. When the holidays come about, we all love to travel to distant places with our entire family on tow, that seems to be a distant dream these days.
With the cost of living shooting up and showing no signs of slowing down at all, even getting by seems to be a difficult thing to do these days. Even if we apply for bank loan these days, with the banks all tightening up their respective purse strings, climbing Mount Everest seems to be a much easier thing to do.
The only safe option for short term emergency loan that is available these days is the presence of companies like these that offer us the payday loan. The thing to note here is that this company is really great in the sense that the rate of interest that they charge on the loan is really low and what is more the repayment plan is also quite flexible. The neat thing about all this is that the loan approval does not take that much time and it is really fast. Once approved, they deposit the funds to your bank account right away, so you will have the cash sitting in your account all waiting for you! So, if you are in need of some emergency funds, well feel free to apply by clicking on the link above!

The L4!

2008-01-12T13:06:00.000-08:00

This is a roof top restaurant at the Citicenter in Chennai, and as such, it is really a nice place to have one's dinner under the stars. The food may be average but the ambiance is really good. What is more, it is right on the sea shore and it is really pleasing to see the ships pass by, all lit up like candles in the dark. With a brisk weather, one will find the time passing very quickly, when eating out at the L4!

The career development!

2008-01-11T15:55:00.000-08:00

These days one needs all the help that one can get with ones career and on that note, this site is the best source for ones career development in the field of construction. This site gives up to date information relating to this field, from info on how to go about getting ones licence to health and safety tips as well as other related tips as well.
The field of construction is ever growing at a rapid pace and as such there is always a good demand for skilled workers. So, for rapid advancement as well as knowledge in this area, it definitely pays to visit this site and give it the once over. Naturally this field is very competitive and as such one needs all the help that one can get in order to get an edge over ones rival in this business. This site is really helpful in that regard and what is more, with the skills that one has, one can also learn where to acquire fresh new ones as well. So, for career development, I would say that visiting this site is a must and feel free to do so by clicking on the link!

Aliens - a short note!

2008-01-11T15:39:00.000-08:00

I have seen many horror and sci-fic movies but none as enthralling as the 'Aliens'. This movie may not be as popular as the 'Star wars' but is much more interesting than a fancy movie about good versus bad. In the real horror movies, or ones that have a lasting impact, there is not much difference between the good and the bad and this movie exemplifies that very clearly.
There is no villain here except it is a case of one species against another, I think that is why this movie became so popular. That and the presence of Sigourney Weaver, made this movie, one to remember for a long time to come. I shall be doing an in depth review of this movie later on, just wanted to say a few words on it for now!

The online casino to travel to!

2008-01-10T15:19:00.000-08:00

Are you one of those who wish that you could travel to Las Vegas but could not do so? Well, do not fret, as this online casino will take care of that. This is one site, that certainly brings the fabled city to you directly on a silver platter. The site as it is is really great, it is just like taking a walk into one of the many casinos in the fabled city itself.

The design of the site is really neat and on registering here, you can avail yourself of the 320% as a sign up bonus. I am sure that this site will give any vegas casino a run for its money. The games are numerous here and you can play anything that gets your attention, the games are really easy to play, that is, they are designed in such a way that anyone should be able to play them. The casino games that are here, from the new ones to the old fashioned ones all use PlayTech software, so they should be all up to speed. All in all, I have to give this site both thumbs up for sheer entertainment value!

The magic of rugby!

2008-01-10T13:48:00.001-08:00

With the game of cricket all ready causing quite a tizzy in both Down under and in India, is it any wonder that the rest of us would like to keep in touch with what is happening in the sporting arena? The Rugby as a game itself, is quite an exciting event to watch. So, naturally if there is any other sport that is bound to cause any waves and generate any excitement, it will be this game more than any other.
With everything changing, it is important that we all keep in touch with what is happening with this game. To keep abreast of all the latest info as far as the 6 nations championship is concerned,all you have to do is to go to the website of RBS 6 nations and check out all the latest information on the games, the places that the championship is going to be played at and everything else as well.
With the Internet, all the barriers are down and it is no longer necessary to be in Europe to know how your Rugby team is faring in the tournament. All you have to do is to log on and catch one of the rugby podcast that gets beamed out every single day. So, come on in and click the link and know the whole world of Rugby in detail!

The beauty of Prague!

2008-01-09T16:08:00.000-08:00

Prague, situated on the river Vltava in Bohemia is the capital of the Czech republic and it is quite a picturesque city in more ways than one. For the first time visitors, the city and its clocks are bound to leave them breathless, at least that was how I felt when I visited the place.

More than anything else, I have to say that it was the astronomical clock that was more fascinating than anything else. The city has been a center of development for nearly 1000 years or so and one can literally see the ages of the past in the architecture of many of the buildings. The sights are many, that it would probably take quite a few days to take it all.

Let us not forget that Prague is kind of like a new born, in the sense that it has been rediscovered by many a tourist ever since the fall of the iron curtain. There is also a reminder of John Lennon here in Prague, it is basically a wall with graffiti that has been inspired by the genius of John Lennon , so one can say that this city has a deep connection to the Beatles.

Like I said, Prague is a beautiful city and one can very easily forget to go back home and stay here forever. This site would probably be a ton of help to all those of you who are looking to stay in Prague for some time to come. This site is more like an apartment finder and there are many apartments posted here for this wonderful city.

For travelers, if you are planning to stay in Prague for some time to come, then this site would be of great use to you as you can utilize it to locate the Luxurious Accommodations in Prague. This site specializes in the medium to short term luxurious apartments, with an emphasis on customer service. So, you would be able to enjoy your stay in them with no hassles whatsoever, with all of your worries being taken care of. Now, that is the way to enjoy Prague, with a relaxed mind and a carefree attitude!
These accommodations come at very attractive rates and it most definitely makes more sense to stay at these places than a hotel.

What is more, most of these accommodations come with a kitchen attached, so you do not have to go out and eat often. All in all, these accommodations and this site would go a long way to crimping your expenditure in Prague and you can use that extra money to stay in this beautiful city even longer than you had planned to initially. There are many night clubs here, so if you are into clubbing, then you will have a fantastic time here in Prague. Music is the language of love and this is very evident in all of Prague!

Newcastle - the perfect Parking!

2008-01-08T11:08:00.000-08:00

Have you ever traveled to Newcastle? It sure is a beautiful place to visit, both in summer and winter. As it was, I had to telecommute out of it for almost 7 months and I have to say that one of the hardest things about my experience was the airport parking.

It is not that I am not a football fan, I love a game just as much as the person next to you. But Newcastle, especially the Airport parking is notorious for having 'no space' at all for new visitors. Often, I had to park my car in some dinghy joint, far away from the airport and had to either walk or take a bus to the airport. But now, with the help of this site, my life was made a whole lot easier. This site lists out all the available parking space at the airport for all days, even on the days of the big football matches. What is more, we can actually book our parking space much in advance. This is such a relief to me as I no longer have to walk long distances so that I can drive my car home and I can always be sure that my car will be there where I had left it.

The other great thing about this site is that it also lists all the available Hotel rooms near the airport as well as the average cost per room per night. This certainly makes things a whole lot easier for fellow travelers as it had done for me. So, if you are planning to travel to Newcastle or out of it, then do pay a visit to this site as it is a 'must visit' site for every dusty traveler on the road!

Mardi gras in New orleans!

2008-01-07T14:30:00.001-08:00

The Mardi gras is a time when the whole city goes nuts for Bonkers, never mind who you were before the event. The one that I am talking about is none other than the 'rock all the way till you drop', by that I mean the Mardi Gras. This is one time that the whole of New Orleans seems to come alive and all of it jives along with one tune, it is sure fun to watch all the people have fun, but then again there are so many of us who would love to join in.
Now, that is a great idea but before you do that, you would have to make certain plans, for one thing is sure, come February 5th, the New Orleans will start 'jiving' with or without you.

The first thing that you should do is to naturally plan ahead and make the necessary hotel reservations, if you are planning to come over to New Orleans and you are reading this post, then you should have made the reservations ,yesterday. Almost all the hotels are fully booked for the season and if you are okay with sleeping in the park platforms, then do not bother with the reservations. This is one of those times when 'noise is golden', so this will not be the time for silent nights.

Once you reach here, there are many things that you can do, from watching the parade of costumes in the Bourbon street to shopping for beads. The beads always seem to drive everyone crazy here and everyone wants to collect as much as they can, so keep an eye out on the parades as this is where the 'beads' will be making their appearance. But you can also buy the same at many of the online shops as well.

You can even get to organize your own party sans the headache, at the Mardi gras. So if you are a college senior, in charge of hosting the Mardi gras party, this can be done , right here at New Orleans without any hassle to you personally. All the bookings will be taken care of and all you would have to do is to have some fun with your college buddies. You can also go about the King cake and see if you get anything in it.

There is just so much to do here at New Orleans at this time of the year, that I am not sure that I can put it all down here. Let us not forget the food part of it all, the food at this time of the year is just fantastic, I do not think that I have to go on about the New Orleans cuisine, but all the prawn dishes are just superlative at this time of the year. I have just listed a few of the things that you can do at this time of the year, so hope that you will have lots of fun in New Orleans as I will. So do keep an eye out for me and for those of you who want to drink all the cocktails that you can get, well, once again, this is indeed the time to party!

The online backgammon resource!

2008-01-07T14:11:00.000-08:00

This site is most certainly that as it has proved to be a wonderful resource for online backgammon. Much more than that, this is the site for all those of us who are totally into this wonderful game. This site is dedicated to this game alone and has proven to be more than a match for similar gaming sites.
To play backgammon all one has to do is to register in this site and the rest is all easy. With its great design and very easy to sue features, it is no wonder that this site is certainly turning out to be the best gaming site as far as backgammon goes. What is more, besides backgammon online we also get tons of information here from knowing the latest news on Backgammon tournaments to tips to play well, so come on in through the links above!

The SEO show and tell!

2008-01-07T14:02:00.000-08:00

With millions of sites out there in the Internet, it is getting harder and harder to get some really good quality traffic as such. Which is why we often need to avail ourselves of the services of a good seo specialist like this one here.
This site being one of the best in the SEO arena, applies a whole range of optimization and promotional techniques, which in the end gets your site listed in almost all of the major search engines. With such a skilled seo expert it is only a matter of time before all the visitors come calling on our door. The services that this company provides us ranges from campaign management, design,information research, marketing writing and more. This is one company that believes in providing the best for their clients, as such this is the seo company for me, what about you?

The writing whiz!

2008-01-04T09:08:00.000-08:00

Lets face it, we all need help with our writing in one way or the other, one of the main reasons why this is, could be due to the fact that we are all so busy that we often do not pay any attention to what we are writing about. This is all the more true, if we are students in an university.
As students we are often swamped with work and may have to submit research papers and thesis within a short duration of time, and now with the help of the writing services provided by this company, one need not worry anymore.
Besides the writing services, they also provide good quality editing and proofreading services as well. The academic writers certainly seem to know what they are writing about and they only serve to complement the students and guide them with their research papers, they do not assist the students to cheat the system. This site also provides help with the Term Paper Topics as you can see from their bog. All in all, this company provides a useful service and is there to assist all with their writing needs!

The Sweeney Todd review - by Imagination!

2008-01-04T07:50:00.000-08:00

Like most of the other Tim Burton's movies, the ones with Johnny Depp, this is not al that differnet. They all have the same macabre element in them and the effects are bound to cause the spectators to jump up, not in joy but in fear.

This movie and the review I am posting here is based on the reviews that my friends had passed on to me, as I am yet to see the movie myself. Lets take a walk back and see the other Burton movies with Johnny Depp and you will see that they all are based on the dark underworld with lots of slimy things crawling to get out of that movie screen and get to you!

This movie is all about a barber who goes nuts and is determined to invoke Vengance on the persons responsible for the destruction of his family. I have to say that seeing the trailer, with Johnny Depp saying 'Vengance will be mine' or something like that, it does send the shivers down one's body.

Johnny Depp has acted with the same intensity that one could see in the movie 'Edward Scissorhands'.
Or lets take the movie 'Sleepy Hollow', in that Johnny Depp plays the part of the intense but bumbling detective who finds it hard to believe that there is a 'Headless horseman'. All of the above are Tim Burton's movies and they all have a dark theme.

The Demon Barber, that is 'Sweeney Todd', is not all that different.
From what my friends have told me, it is as equally disturbing as the Sleepy hollow, even more. Just think about it, we all go to the barbers for a haircut or a shave, the barber has total control over us in the sense we trust him or her implicitly and allow them to approach us at very close quarters with a sharp instrument.

So what is there to prevent the barber in question from doing a 'Sweeney Todd' on any of us. I am yet to see it but have heard enough to know that I shall definitely look forward to seeing the Demon Barber in action. Revenge is indeed a dish that is better served cold!

Technorati tags: sweeney todd,johnny depp,tim burton,dark,demon barber,sleepy hollow,revenge,

The New avatar - online backgammon!

2008-01-01T15:07:00.000-08:00

These days the online games are getting more and more tricky to play with and almost most of them have stopped being fun, but that cannot be said the same of online backgammon. This is one of the few games where the online version is much better than the real thing.
This site is designed so well and it is so very easy to use that almost anyone can play backgammon. This site is multi lingual as well, in 6 languages, so it does transcend barriers in more ways than one.
Here all the latest information on the backgammon tournaments is available and what is more, members can choose to either play this game for fun or for real using money. Whatever your preference is, one thing is for sure, this site has introduced backgammon online in such a way that it is really fun to play this game, so if you want to have some fun, well, you know what to do!

How do you plan to spend the next new year??

2008-01-01T14:53:00.000-08:00

This new year has finally arrived and I hope that all of you did have a fantastic time partying away the last year.Anyway this is the advisory for last year and since it is still relevant this year as well, not just for the new year, but for all activities and parties, please do read on!

The time to celebrate the New year is almost on us and it is that time of the year when we all tend to go a bit crazy. That may be fine, for those of us who are single or without children. But for those of us who do have children, the way to ring in the new year is to do it safely and without much alcohol as possible. I can never understand why one needs to drink alcohol at a party, since alcohol tends to cause a person to feel a bit depressed and drowsy after some time, why bother drinking it all.

I can very easily imagine the chorus of voices shouting out, 'what, a party without drinks? you must be mad'. If at all, you need to drink in order to celebrate the arrival of the new year, then try and do it responsibly and most importantly, do not drink and drive.

For those of us who have children, it is better to think of our children first and party later. There are some of us who tag our kids with us to these parties, just remember that it is way past their bed time and that the atmosphere at a party is not the right atmosphere for any kid, with all that smoke and smell of booze floating around.
There are places that one can take ones kids with them to celebrate the new year, you can take them with you to the Elliots beach, of course there will be a crowd, but there are also huge sections of the beach that will be empty.

And come New year, there will be a fireworks display and the kids will love that. So for dinner, you can go to the Beach castle restaurant on the Elliots beach and have dinner, then from the terrace of the restaurant or the beach itself enjoy the fireworks display with your kids!
The other places that one can go for a new years party are as follows:

Benjarong (Thai Cuisine), TTK Road Tel :42110061
Sigree(North West Frontier Cuisine) in Hotel Aruna Tel: 4255 4222
Casablanca(Multi cuisine and there is a bar in the same compound, Zanzibar) in Chittaranjan Road Tel : 42074994
The Crown (Roof top, kids aren't allowed, Multicuisine) in Residency Towers Tel: 28156969
Southern Aroma (South Indian Cuisine), Residency Towers Tel: 2815 6363
601 (Bloody expensive, but it is once in a year right), The Park Tel : 4214 4000
Hip Asia (East Asian Cuisine), Taj Connemara - Tel : (91-44) 6600 0000)
Above Sea Level (fabulous rooftop restaurant) Raintree hotel - Tel : 4225 2525
Opal Inn, Hotel Ranjit - Tel: 28270521
Cascade (Oriental Cuisine) Khade Nawaz Khan Road, Nungambakkam - Tel : 2825 3836
Red E Food Court (Multicuisine, has a separate kids play area) Tel : 2827 2514

Travelling bill?

2007-12-30T08:02:00.000-08:00

This is that time of the year when we all love to travel to some nice and exotic place to celebrate the new year. I a not sure why, but every time we have the new year's eve come on us, the urge to travel to an exotic place just becomes great. This year is no exception, but there is one party Pooper that we all end up thinking about. I am talking about the travel costs, the hotel costs, the transportation costs, the board and lodging costs, need I say more?
These are times that one would always be in need of money, as the Christmas must have already drained our finances in this regard. So travelling with a family in tow, will indeed be quite expensive3, which is why at times like these it would indeed be fantastic to get a cash advance.
The best part of this cash advance is that it can be approved within a short duration of time and that it normally comes with a very flexible payment plan, so much so, that there is no need to take out any more loans to repay this one.
I have to say that of all the options that one can utilise to arrange funds for one's trip, taking out cash loans seems to be one of the best ones that is available for any traveller, since we all would need the cash right away. That is the one thing that sets this apart from all the other loan options, approval is just a few minutes away!

San diego and the beauty by the bay!

2007-12-29T07:16:00.000-08:00

This is one beautiful place and I have to say that I can never get tired of getting to visit San Diego. This place is indeed a jewel on the United states coastline and of all the places here, with the vast diversity that one finds here in San Diego, it will certainly make you feel as though you are at home, irrespective of where you are from. From the Chinese quarter to the Italian quarter, one can just walk on the streets of San Diego and get to visit all the countries of the world.
To say that this place is beautiful would indeed be an understatement, it is much more than that. Naturally of interest to any traveller would be the food that one can get here. I have to say that this site in particular has been a great deal of help for me in that direction. This site has clearly listed all of the San Diego restaurants in its database and has made it searchable as well, by cuisine, by neighborhood, by atmosphere and also by its specialty.

That is saying a mouthful, is it not? What does make this site stand out from all the others is that it certainly gives you all of the latest info you may need on the restaurants San Diego including rave reviews as well. This certainly puts everything in perspective, we no longer need to scratch our heads while we ponder as to where we can go for some nice dining experience. This site, does indeed make everything seem so easy, of course, getting a reservation in the place of your choice is totally another subject altogether and that I shall cover later.

As far as San Diego goes, I love everything to do with that place, from the fishing nets to the modern dance classes, and best of all its aquariums. This is one site that you Will need to keep in touch with so that you and your family can make sure that your San Diego dining is an unforgettable one!

How to Make Magical Cookies the Whole Family Will Love!

2007-12-28T09:29:00.000-08:00

Christmas is a time of joy and fun, and I for one am glad that it is that time of the year, not because of the gifts, the love or the family that gathers all around you. It is that time of the year that we all try out our hand at making cookies and it is fun doing it.

For one, the cookies are never perfect and we know that it has been prepared with love and affection. I have a huge family and both men and women try out their hands at making the magic cookie each and every year, the magic part is that as you bite into it, it brings out this big smile on your face especially as you see the chefs looking anxiously at you.

The recipe is a very simple one to follow and anyone can do it, at least that is what they say at my place while they all try their hands at making it.
Take about 2-3 ounces of chocolate, my favorite ones are the bitter chocolate ones, then about 1 cup of butter, 1 cup of sugar,2 large eggs well beaten,little bit of vanilla for that nice sweet smell.

In addition to the above, take some 2 and 1/4 cups of flour, 1 teaspoon of baking soda, some salt for the balance[ I never get this part right, the last time I made cookies it turned from sweet cookies to salty ones] and any additional that you want to pop into the mixture.

Now, first heat the pan, melt the butter and then the chocolate until it is well melted into a smooth paste with no lumps of any sort.Add the sugar and shake it and stir it. Sometimes the chocolate and sugar mixture may stick to the sides, don't worry too much about that.Once it is all blended, add the vanilla,salt[be careful here] and the flour and anything else as well and mix it all up.put the whole thing in the fridge for some time and while it is in the fridge, take out your cookie cutters, clean it and rub some butter on to the cutters so that as you cut the cookies the dough does not stick onto it.Now take out the dough from the fridge, roll it and smack it as much as you want to.

Remember it is all about love and caring so who cares if it gets a little messy, the whole fun is in making it.

Now using the cutters, cut it in any shape you want to, then put the cut raw cookies onto some butter sheets and in a big pan. Heat the oven to some 350 to 375 degrees and cook for some 8-10 minutes. And once they are made, take them out and cool them for some time.

Now is the fun part, you ask all of those who are there in your house to eat it and if possible you record their expressions on a camera so that you can all laugh at the Magic cookie and the expressions that it brings to your face as you eat it!

The Xmas angel?

2007-12-28T09:13:00.000-08:00

It is that time of the year when it is really nice to give than receive and I have t say that Boat angel does a really good job of doing just that. It would indeed be a much better world if we all tried to give something back to the society at large. How often have we walked past an old man begging on the street for money, we do not even bother with giving him some alms and we rationalise this by saying that he would only use it for drinks and other nefarious habits that he may have. I think that it is time that we all stopped being so cynical, after all, if you do not want to give money to a beggar, you can always buy hi or her some hot soup. This does not mean that I condone begging but given the situation, I think that irrespective of what our beliefs or principles may be, we should always help a fellow human being in need and that is what Boat angel does by way if its Boat Donations.
I am not saying that go to your closet and take out that fur coat and hand it to the first person in need. You can always take that very first step by taking part in the Charity Boat Donations.Given that it is going to be some time before we do change our habits and start helping out in a big way, but any donation, big or small, is most welcome and would most definitely help. The one thing to remember is that donations are not for increasing the 'feel good' factor about oneself, it is not about us but it is all about helping out those who need it the most and that is it,no more and no less.
Here at Boat Angel, that is exactly what they do, there are no heroes except team work and all of it goes to improving the conditions of their fellow men and women. Recently they did a very good job with troubled teens and now, those teens have all overcome their demons and are living very full and satisfied lives. By taking part in these boat donations, you are actually taking part in the production and distribution of the Children's Christian Animations on Free DVDs, which has no shipping charge and anyone and everyone anywhere can order it. So just click on the links above and take that very first step and travel to the rest of the world who needs us!

The auto puzzle!

2007-12-28T08:54:00.000-08:00

The auto financing companies are so many that it is often quite difficult for a lay customer to make head or tails of the whole thing. The prices of the cars are only going up day after day and they are not going to come down so we better forget that. It is time to be realistic about our expectations and the capital that we have, all of us would love to have a Porsche but maybe it is time that we all thought a bit sensibly, not just about the car that we want to purchase but also about the finances that we are planning to use for this purchase and by that I am talking about car loans.
These days we all need help in one form or the other when it comes to purchasing cars and whenever we run into financial problems one of the very first people we tend to approach is our banks. But the banks these days are not that ready to offer us loans and eve if we apply to them, it takes forever for the banks to vet our application for the auto loan. And even if the banks by some chance decide to offer us the loan, the rate of payment is so high that it really is not that worth it. And even if we go to some outside agencies, there are a lot of them out there, there is always someone there who is ready to take advantage of us.
To help us out in this auto minefield, this site has come out with its own blog with the sole purpose of educating us with some relevant facts regarding car loans and financing options. They have also listed some safe options for us, the common man to utilise and what to watch out for when applying for a car loan. So before you go ahead and sign some document with some shady character, it is better that you go to the car loan blog and read it at least once so that you will have a fair idea as to what you are getting into!

The cost of travelling and debts!

2007-12-27T09:15:00.000-08:00

Every time that one takes a family trip one ends up running the bills into thousands of dollars, in short any and every family vacation lands us right back into debt. With all the latest news on the financial front not all that good and with the way that the economy has been performing lately, literally dissolving what ever meagre savings that we may have ferreted away, I for one am glad that I came across this site.
This site is all about how to Consolidate Debt.
The one thing that we all tend to do these days is to get more and more debt and before we know it, we are all in a debt trap with no way out. Instead of making many payments all over a single month, it is always better to make one payment instead. That is what consolidation is all about, the good thing is that now, with this consolidation, we have to worry only about one debt and as such we no longer have to spend sleepless nights thinking whether we have made all the payments for all of our debts or not.
Also with consolidation, we can get to have a much more easier repayment schedule. The best part is that most of the debt consolidation can be done very quickly and one would not need to wait countless hours like in the bank. So just go t the link above and click on it and you will soon know what debt consolidation is all about!

All about Texas and the joy of chatting!

2007-12-22T15:14:00.000-08:00

These days we no longer have to give out any of our details like our phone number in order to chat with someone on the phone. Thanks to this company, we can talk to anyone through their chat lines and at the same time , do it all for free. This is one fantastic offer that I find really interesting, of course, the free option only applies as long as you chat locally. So the next time you want to take part in Dallas Chat you know which chat line to call.
The best thing about all this is that we get to meet really interesting people in these chat lines. The way it all works is that once you call up a chat line , you record a greeting for the other people who are online at that time, so that they can listen to your greeting and they will do like wise. This way, in the process of doing the Houston Chat you can listen to others greetings and sort through them and choose the person that you want to chat to.
Also, you can leave recorded messages at the end of your session so that once you go offline, anyone in, say, San Antonio can listen to your personal/recorded message and chat with you! This company certainly gives a whole new meaning to 'socialising'.

Corfu, the land of the mystery!

2007-12-20T13:46:00.000-08:00

Corfu, the land of myths and legends is a place to 'must visit' at least once. I am sure that most of us must have grown up reading about the odyssey and the Iliad or we must have heard of them at the very least. This is the place where some of the heroes of those stories are alleged to have come . This is the soil of the ancients and I am sure that as you walk on the ancient shores of Corfu, you can almost hear the ancient bugles of war blaring out and the armoured men with their long spears dashing to their destination, Corfu. Corfu is a place that is always steeped in history and besides all that history it is also one of the most beautiful places that one can go to,for a vacation.
Corfu is an island where the Principal city is also called Corfu. The city of Corfu has two beautiful castles that surround it, it is kind of funny to see that the ancients thought that they needed two castles for protection, anyway that was for them to figure it out. The sights that one can see in Corfu; from the deserted village of Perithia in the mountains,kind of like the Mary Celeste, to the Byzantine Museum of Corfu are bound to leave one speechless.

I have to say that although there is a huge language barrier here, the people are so warm and friendly that they make you want to stay here for ever. The Corfu hotels here are really airy and comfortable to stay in. These hotels have some of the best sights that I have ever seen. would you not want to wake up every morning, go to your balcony and look down the cliff? That is the sight I had from my balcony.
The cuisine here is varied but one of the main things that one can always count on is the sea food.
The hotels in Corfu have a multitude of cuisines available for their hotel guests so I am sure that you will find everything to your liking. The Moussaka was really good and I will be posting about it later on here.

These Corfu accommodation is really easy on the wallet especially when one compares it to some of the mainland hotels. The customer service here is par excellence, I have to say that it is more than that, especially considering that they served me my dinner in the restaurant by 2 am without any complaint whatsoever and with a nice smile on their faces. The travel guide, the link to all of which I have given above, since it is the one that I used during my stay here in Corfu is really thorough and it also has this neat section on the night life here at Corfu as well. This is one travel guide with a difference! Hope you will all have the same fun travelling Corfu as I have had. Soon, I may make another post on Corfu but until then adieu!

Nicaragua, my home away from home!

2007-12-20T10:46:00.000-08:00

Whenever I travel to Nicaragua, I often end up facing this problem with the language barrier. But in spite of that, the people here are so friendly that they go out of their way to help you settle down. It is one beautiful place and I do not think that I have to say that again and again. One of the things that i really liked about Nicaragua this time around was the El Castillo del Cacao, the secret keeper of the chocolates. Yes, this is one castle that holds the secret to the making of some of the lovely chocolates that one can get here, so the next time you are down here, do not forget to visit the El Castillo del Cacao or to try out some of their famous chocolates.

Well, this time around, I travelled from Granada to this tiny place called San Juan del sur, at least at that time, I thought that it was a tiny place. But it was anything but that, it is a fishing village with miles of beautiful snow white beaches, it is almost like a paradise come true. This is indeed the beaches of all beaches, so pristine and so clear, one can also surf here, though I was not so adventurous to try that this time around.

Anyway, this place is just 2 hrs from Granada and there is also an international airport near here as well. I have to say that my stay in the San Juan del Sur Hotel was very pleasant at the very least and the hotel went out of its way to make sure that I enjoyed every bit of my stay in Nicaragua. If you are a bit worried about the language barrier, do not fret. This place and this hotel in particular make you feel so welcome that it will become your home away from home.

I did go sailing and I totally enjoyed that experience, by the way, I am a layman when it comes to sailing so i did not know that one has to bend over as the sail starts to swing. Yeah, I got knocked in the head, but still had a lot of fun. I do not think that if I had stayed in any of the other Nicaragua Hotels I would have had so much fun as I did here.

Nicaragua as a whole is so full of contrasts from the various beaches to the castle that guards the chocolate. It would probably take months to fully explore Nicaragua and its unique cuisine. So, if you are planning to come down to Nicaragua and want to share my experience, then you may want to come down to San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua. Have a good time, for I really did enjoy myself down here!

The Potato fry!

2007-12-20T10:21:00.000-08:00

The potato has certainly turned into one of the most loved veggies. The funny thing is that potatoes did not make their presence in the international arena until a few centuries back, before that, there were no potatoes, can you imagine that? A world without potatoes, a dreary world it must have been, indeed.
Anyway, one of my favorite dishes is the 'Potato fry' and it is very easy to make it. Take about 3-4 medium sized Potatoes, about 1/2 kilo of it and boil it for say 7-10 minutes or so. Then, peel it and cut into small bite sized pieces and keep it aside. Now take about 2-3 onions and cut it into slender long pieces and keep that aside as well.

Now, pour some olive/cooking oil in the pan and fry some garlic, add the onions and shallow fry the whole thing. After a few minutes of doing this, you can now add some turmeric powder as well as some cumin powder. Fry it for some 2 more minutes, now add the potatoes and mix it all very well until the potatoes get the color of the turmeric powder. Once that is done,add some chili powder and some salt and fry it some more. Then, add some coriander powder as well and fry it all some more, now add the coriander leaves and mix it all up very well. Your Potato fry is all ready to go!

potato,india,carbs,food,south india,cooking,alu fry,

Looking for Gold bullion?

2007-12-19T14:36:00.000-08:00

These days with everyone purchasing gold, silver and other valuable metals, they have fast become one of the leading options for investment purposes. one normally purchases these valuable metals as a source of investment or just for personal pleasure. Since time immemorial, gold has always been one of the most sought after metals, remember the Gold rush. That rush defined America in ways that we never could, that particular rush has made such an impact on our society that the need for gold is paramount in all of our lives, even today.
The Monex deposit company is there to guide us when it comes to purchasing bullion, either for investment or for pleasure. It is always better to go through the precious metals investment leader rather than some unknown entity. The reason is that valuable metals can easily be sold to us in impure form, on the outside it will still look the same to us, but on a deeper analysis, one can make out very easily if the gold is pure or impure.
Which is why it is better to go through the MDC when one is thinking of purchasing gold bullion. Through Monex, we can get the pure gold bullion in the form of coins or as ingots. You can also have them personally delivered to you and the best part is that we can be assured of quality as we would only get .9167 fine gold, So if you want to know more on gold and the rest, just click on!

This blog post was based on information provided by Blogitive. For more information, please visit Blogitive.com.

The xmas craze!

2007-12-19T14:29:00.000-08:00

Since the season to be merry is very near, all the shops here in Sunny chennai are just going nuts. Each and every time you visit any shopping mall, you just cannot miss out the hints that the Xmas season is very near. Most of the shops here in Chennai are handing out huge discounts and are also holding out clearing sales. They all know that the new year will bring out new fashions and as such, are doing their best to get rid of the old stock.
It is funny to see them try out any trick so that they can sell their old stocks,but hey, lucky me and lucky us, right? Anyway, if you want to get some serious shopping done, then this is the place to come to. I am sure that even the travel options will be available at huge discounts, it is indeed the season to be merry for all the consumers mainly!

Chat for free?

2007-12-19T14:20:00.000-08:00

You may be asking yourself if this is right? Can this be true? Yes, it is true, this site is offering chat lines by which people can chat to one another, free of cost. This service is offering this option of free chat for local use.
This way we can talk to other interesting people without having to give out our phone number or any other personal details. This site makes it possible for people to phone chat in a safe atmosphere. One can also leave messages for other members to listen to when you are not online. The best part of this chat service is that it is all free chat and that we can choose who we want to talk to, without any hassle whatsoever!

The Delhi Smog!

2007-12-19T13:57:00.000-08:00

Come winter, the whole city of Delhi gets draped in a heavy layer of smog and nothing of late seems to ward it off. Of course, if everyone stopped polluting the atmosphere, then, maybe Delhi would not be that bad come December.But that is not going to happen given the economic drive that has gripped the whole country. From north to south, new factories are opening up and like clockwork each and every factory seems to be adding tons of harmful gases to the atmosphere, and it is so bad that even the Taj mahal could not take it and it has started to lose its white color and is slowly but surely turning gray. Soon we may all have to call it 'the grey mahal'.

The essay written for you!

2007-12-19T11:56:00.000-08:00

We all have had a hard tine submitting that essay for our college paper, often we had all wondered how great it would be for us to get some extra help at times like those. Well, wonder no more as we can now have custom term paper made out just for us.
This site is fantastic in the sense that they deliver what they promise, they provide us with thesis paper, essay paper, course work papers and they also provide editing and proof reading services as well.
Say you have to write an annotated bibliography, no problem, they do that as well. The best part is that there is no plagiarism of any kind so you can be sure that whatever paper you get from them, it will be of the best quality in every way possible. If you require someone to edit essay then these are the guys that you need to call! All in all, they provide us students with a much needed service.

The Shoe complex and the woman!

2007-12-19T11:44:00.000-08:00

Why is it that nearly every women have this insane desire to own almost every single shoe in the world. This is more of a query than a post and I invite any woman reading this post to please share your views with me. As such, I think that for any woman to wear those high heeled shoes must be a torture as it is.
Just imagine, all of your body weight is being concentrated on just that slender heel, and what is more astounding is the fact that some women run around in those high heels.
For all the men reading this, just to emphasise how difficult it is to balance oneself on those high heels, just try one and try walking on it. I am sure that you will end up spraining your ankle on the first try, now try running with them on, you get my point, right? Why is this insane need to try on shoes that end up torturing your foot like this. More and more women are purchasing shoes with high heels, and it is not like that they are short or anything like that. I guess, there must indeed be something in all shoes that just cries out to any woman passing by, telling them to buy all the shoes and not just any ones, but the ones with the most slender and highest heels! Go figure!

The chatting game!

2007-12-18T11:05:00.000-08:00

Often when we want to chat with other people, we hesitate to give out our phone number and with good reason, after all it does pay to be safe. And now with this site, we can chat safely without having to give out any of our personal phone numbers.
The way that it works is that this company offers us single people in the United states some 150 chat lines and we can call up them ,listen to prospective single men and women, that is listen to their messages that they have left and that is how the new age of teen chat works.
Many of us would want to remain Anonymous and when we become comfortable with the person that we chat with we can give out our personal details. This site provides a very valuable service for all the single men and women out there.Besides offering the chat lines this site also provides one with valuable tips on dating as well.
The best part of this site is there is also an option for free chat as well. So just click on the link and start yakking!

The eternal game of online backgammon!

2007-12-16T11:00:00.000-08:00

Often we turn to the net to entertain ourselves and while doing that we tend to play many games online. I have to say that from personal experience that none of them can hold a candle to the game of backgammon.This game is not only entertaining but it is also a stress buster as well. Here at this site which, by the way is devoted totally to the online backgammon is really very well designed so that it would be very easy to use for any one of us and we should not run into any problems while trying to access this site.
What is more, this site loads very quickly and the customer service is very fast with their replies. Here, at this site, one can play this game for fun or for real, either way, here, the phrase 'backgammon online' takes on a whole new meaning altogether!

Movies: the worst of 2007!

2007-12-12T08:59:00.000-08:00

I have to say that of all the movies that I saw and did not see, but have based my review on my friends who saw it, I have posted the list of some of the worst movies of 2007, here.
WORST MOVIES OF 2007:

1.Because I Said So -this one is so boring that I actually fell asleep during parts of it.

2.Norbit - This has already been done, the ugly date and everything else. We all know that eddie murphy loves to dress up , so there is nothing new here.

3.Premonition - want to have a premonition as to how badly you stunk?

4.Code Name: The Cleaner - yeah! the only thing that this movie did was to clean out the theater totally!

5.night at the museum - for the kids and only for the kids, maybe your 5 year old will enjoy this!

6.die hard 4 - come on, mclaine must desist. we have had enough,please. Instead of making the story interesting all we get are a series of explosions and that is all!

7.the last legion - ok, if you are a history buff, but even there I believe that they have got a some of the major facts really wrong.

8.bug - one word - disgusting and not even in the entertaining way or so I have heard, thank god, I have not seen it yet.

9.the reaping-hilary swank - really lousy acting by one and all, they should prob give an award to this one for some of the really worst acting onehas ever seen since we saw Harrison ford in that jealous rage on star wars.

10.hostel part 2 - do not even go there, again, this one I have not sen yet, but I believe that this one is relly bad, even worse than Norbit.

movies,cinema,entertainment,actors,hollywood,

Movies: the very best of 2007!

2007-12-12T08:45:00.000-08:00

The list below will give you the best movies of 2007, at least the movies that I consider to be really good especially when you compare them to some of the worst movies of 2007 like Norbit. Anyway the list is all given below! Happy watching!

THE BEST MOVIES OF 2007 :

1. spiderman3 - I have to say that although there were some parts of the movie that I did not like, but on the whole , this movie just about lived up to its expectations, barely.

2.ratatouille - this is by far the winner of all the movies that I saw this year, really funny and satirical at the same time, really enjoyable.

3.the bourne ultimatum - This movie is so good that I do not think that I have to really say much here, the fight sequences are really well choreagraphed, the first one and the last 2, really good and is very interesting to watch.

4.zodiac - This one is truly spine chilling, especially in the methodical way that the crimes are being committed.

5.hairspray - This is one movie where you need to park your brain at the front door and have a good laugh.

6.300 - I know that there are a lot of people who think that this is one of the worst movies, but I have to say that I consider this to be one of the best in the sense that the movie really captures the spirit of the story and the fight to the end.

7. the simpsons movie - really funny and Homer really lived up to everyone's expectations. I just hope that there is a sequel to this one soon.

8.beyond the gates - not so enthralling but really interesting to watch.

9.harry potter and the order of the phoenix - This one I liked and disliked, it was well done and truth be told, there is only so much of the book they can cram into the movie. But I also disliked it in the sense, The acting was all a little too robotic.

10.the namesake - a really beautiful movie to watch and it does emphasise the saying, a rose by any other name will smell as..."

movies,cinema,entertainment,actors,hollywood,

Essaouira - the haven for many!

2007-12-10T08:41:00.002-08:00

Since time immemorial, Essaouira has served as a haven for many travellers from all over the world. It is situated strategically along the Moroccan coast line and has a natural well protected harbour. Essaouira is a beautiful city to visit and the best places to go to Essaouira are many so it would not be possible to discuss them all here, but I shall do my best.

Where do I start, I guess in the beginning since that seems to be the apt place to start everything. Essaouira, was coveted by the Phoenicians and the Romans and some of the Carthage wars were fought on this coast line. That does make one think, does it not? Well, it did make me think, just as I was walking along the coastline, appreciating the ancient harbour, all the conflicts that had taken place here.
I came here from Marrakesh and the journey, although not comfortable and all that, still was picturesque enough for me to put up with it. But if you are allergic to dust and all that, then it is better that you put off the trip for some time. Anyway Essaouira is bustling with life just as it did under the Phoenicians. It is basically a sea faring village cum city. The markets are not to be missed especially early in the morning, just as the first catch trickles in to the city ramparts.

The life, the language, the spices, the colors and the way that people talk to each other, all of it makes for a very heady experience. The cuisine here is a hot pot of every invader who had come to Morocco and settled here. But the one common ingredient that you will find in most of its dishes is the chick peas. The dishes themselves are very subtle and not all that spicy as one may think, which is great news for the Western travellers.
The hotels here are quite affordable and do not forget to bargain for anything and everything here. It is the custom here to barter and do so, you may get very pleasantly surprised. Also, when you are in a shop to purchase something, do not wave your money about as that kind of arrogance would only attract the wrong sort of crowd.

The streets are very narrow here and I do mean narrow, it is kind of interesting to wander down the narrow alleyways thinking of the humongous freeways that we have back in our cities.The old fort is here and it does make up for that dusty ambiance that Essaouira has some of the time. That said, do not forget to pay a visit to the old harbour and see if you can do so during sunset. That is a sight that will stay with you for a very, very long time to come!

The Ides of December!

2007-12-07T12:13:00.000-08:00

Normally that should read as the 'Ides of March' , but with all that has happened to me in the last few days, I think that this is much more appropriate. Well, first of all, I ended up getting a cold and that lasted me almost a week.Imagine feeling sluggish and tired all the time and with lobs of yuck hanging down from your nose. That is what happened to me. The doctor told me that it was a result of all this varying temperatures that has brought up the cold.
Anyway, a week later, the cold went away and I thought that I was fine, I should know better than to predict my future. Believe it or not, just 3 days after my cold went away, actually it was 5 days, I ended up getting a viral fever. The doctor told me that the Cold sort of prepared my body for the arrival of the royal highness the 'viral fever'. So now, I feel like that I have been run over by a 10 ten truck, again and again and again........
Anyway I am starting to feel a little bit better now days and hope that I can regain the full usage of my body very soon at that. Have a nice Ides of December, folks!

How about an appraisal?

2007-12-07T11:48:00.000-08:00

THIS IS A SPONSORED REVIEW!
In these days we often require a license before we can do an appraisal of a home,real estate or a development. Gone are the days when all you had to do was to 'swish' in and I guess, give your opinion with tea over the table and a big bundle of cash under the table.In order to get that licence, one has to qualify by passing the Real Estate Exam and now with this site, you can get all the latest information as well as the required study materials that you will need so that you can get the real estate appraisal licence at the very earliest.
The fantastic thing about this is that you can take up the online course anywhere and at anytime of your choosing. I know, that many of us are busy most of the time and now with this site, we can choose the time that we want to prepare for our licencing examinations.
And the best part is that you also get to take online tests at this site so that when you take the real thing, you are prepared totally. And that is not all, besides the real estate appraisal, you also have exam preps available for real estate,insurance,mortgage lending and securities as well. I guess that the next time you want to take up the exam for your state licence, you can always go to the link above and get 'prepped up'!

The cold rain in December!

2007-12-03T07:54:00.000-08:00

Just as I was getting all set to blog, it started to rain cats and dogs, it still is going on strong, some 45 minutes later. Do not get me wrong, it is not that I dislike the rain, it is just that any rain in december is freezing cold, and it is very uncomfortable. At times like these, you want to be all wrapped up in a nice thermal blanket with a nice hot cup of cocca in your hand. Now that is something that I can look forward to!

The attack of the flying termites? Read on!

2007-12-03T07:21:00.000-08:00

We all have some form of experience with the termites, do we not? This is all the more true if we live in humid areas. Can you imagine your home, your valuable family photos,your records and even cash all turning to dust right before your very eyes.
As far as termites go, locating them just as they are about top attack your home is never easy, for one they are small, they are translucent and they generally tend to make the assault when you are asleep. And once they are in, they tend to literally destroy your home from the ground up. As far as termites go, prevention is much, much better than the cure so to safeguard your wooden homes from the flying termite, it is better to spray your home and to rest easy rather then worrying about the termites day in and day out. That is what I did, I went to the site above and did exactly that and even though I may reside in my big wooden house, at least I can rest easy knowing that it is protected from a termite attack!

A reminder!

2007-12-02T10:34:00.001-08:00

Watch this space for reviews on Sweeney todd and essaouira tomorrow! The review is going to be one by my imagination mainly since the movie is due to be released only on the 21st. So this review is going to be a made up one and I am going to see how much it matches the real one on the 21st. It is going to be one exercise that I am looking forward to. As far as Essaouira is concerend, well, it is very near Marrakesh, so I did go there as well and I shall be posting later my opinions on that place. Happy reading everyone!

Beowulf- the review!

2007-12-02T09:37:00.000-08:00

This is one movie that you need to see without your brain, it is all about the special effects and since it is in 3D the effects are really great and quite nice, with all blood and gore in the right amounts. This is one movie that is not for the faint hearted,and it is not one that we should analyse beyond belief.
What i found really funny in the movie is the fact that the writers seem to think that a dragon's heart is so tiny that it can be held in a humans hand. Since a dragon is big, it naturally follows that the heart will also be big and not small, of course it is all fantasy, but I think that they should have been realistic about the whole thing.
Anyway, the movie story as all stories that come with a great deal of special effects, starts off with a bang and simmers in the end. The Beowulf movie is just the same but I have to say that the beginning fantasy fight as well as the end fight were well choreographed. It seems that the Beowulf saga is not over yet and that Angelina jolie is all set to make an evil comeback in the second part!

beowulf,dragon,fantasy,denmark,movie review,

The path to recovery!

2007-11-30T11:49:00.000-08:00

Everyone of us have been at that place when our self esteem was really low and have done a lot of dumb stuff that we wish that we had not. I will say that there is one thing for looking at things in retrospect, it makes things seem a whole lot easier. The addicts of this world are all suffering from the scourge called addiction, it is something that we all share in common, each and every one of us is addicted to one thing or the other, be it coffee or the morning cup of hot chocolate. We all feel the need to crave and we all go through it.
But there are just some things that we cannot sweep under the rug and say it is the same as being addicted to coffee and they aer drugs and alcohol. Drug addiction as well as alcohol addiction has destroyed many a life and many a family. I do not think that I have to say why they are really bad and that the addicts who are under the sway of either drugs or alcohol must be treated of that disease. It is entirely possible for any addict to be totally cured of his or her addiction.

One of the hardest things that he or she can do is to admit to his or her family of the problem that they are having. After all the only way to overcome denial is acceptance that they are in a problem and that they do need the help.This place is there to help anyone with either their drug addiction or alcohol addiction, and their addiction treatment is designed in such a way that each and every patient here gets a customised treatment. The attention is paid to the needs of each and every patient here and they are all treated on a one to one basis. The food here is simply fantastic with gourmet meals being prepared everyday. The beds are very comfortable and the grounds are vast, they have to be with all sorts of outings being a part of the treatment process. So if you are any of your friends are in need of some advice and help, then go to the links above and check it out for yourself!

The Cordon Bleahhh!

2007-11-30T09:22:00.000-08:00

There are good restaurants and then there are the ones that you wish never existed. This one belongs in the later, I have to say that for me, as far as the last 2 days have gone, it has been sadly disappointing to say the least. Well this restaurant is located in Chennai and it is called the cascade.

I do not want to give more details for the moment but you can always leave your comment here and I can get back to you. Lets talk about what happened at the cascade, well, I ordered for an asparagus soup. Lets just say that I became a cow when the soup came along, to say that the asparagus was partially cooked will be over estimating the dish. Then I had ordered for a Fish steak braised with lemon and wild mushrooms, well it was one wild dish all right.

The fish was overdone, flaky in parts and rubbery in the others, the lemon flavor was too powerful and override everything else and to make things more interesting, it seems that the kitchen has run out of Mushrooms. How on earth can a kitchen run out of mushrooms is really beyond me. And the desert was the clincher for me, I had asked for a Black forest cake, it seems that the chef went to one of those retail department stores, bought those cake slices that are readily available in the market, rubbed some cream on them and then put the whole thing onto my plate. It was a really interesting meal in more ways than one! Need I say more!

The restautrant that bites into your pocket!

2007-11-30T09:12:00.000-08:00

I have heard of the fast and the furious but when i went to this place called the Saravana Bhavan for some Indian food, I never realised that I was entering the place of the Fast and the Costly. First of all, the food is priced very economically but even then this Restaurant still turned out to be one costly venture for me.
The prices may be low but the size of the food is really to small for anyone eating at this joint to feel really satisfied. The size of the idlis are way to small, even a 6 year old can hold that piece of Idli in her hands, so you can see how tiny it really is. That is not all, most of the portions given out at this place are very cleverly designed to make sure that the restaurant does not lose much, it is only the customers who lose out in the end. The quality may well be there, but the quantity is sadly lacking. Probably if you are on a diet then this is the place to go to. For me though, Sorry, thanks but no thanks!

Want to stay at the beach?

2007-11-30T08:49:00.000-08:00

These days staying at the beach , even hearing about it just seems lovely to hear. The reality bite in all of this is that we are all so busy and it is high time that we all took a break from all of our busy schedules and went for a weeks stay to the ever lovely San Diego beach and stayed in a San Diego beach house.

Firs of all, this beach is not just picturesque, but it has a life about it that is just what we all need, somewhere we can all let our respective hair down and have a great time while doing it. This site offers us great information on the San Diego beach rentals and also offers us the option of staying at the ocean front or facing the beach front, which ever is our preference.

This is indeed much better than staying at some dusty hotel room that has not even been properly cleaned or aired. Here at the beach,fresh air is never in short supply and believe me when I say that it can literally blow your troubles away. There aer various choices for us to stay in, this site also gives some really valuable information on the Mission Beach rentals. So just click on the links above and come down here and have some serious fun!

Marrakesh - the aura of mystery!

2007-11-29T09:30:00.000-08:00

Marrakesh the land of the red ochre, since most of the buildings are covered with it and then you have the snow clad Atlas mountains for contrast. I have to say that when I travelled to Marrakesh I cam here with certain preconceptions about this palace and the Moroccan culture. I have to say that I was very pleasantly surprised with the way my entire trip turned out. First of all the airport customs could do with a little bit of help as far as the English language goes, you have to repeat yourself to make your point to them. That said,once you step out of the lounge, you may wilt a bit at the heat, but the sight that greets your eyes is bound to take your breath away, literally.
The Atlas mountains are magnificent and one can just spend the whole day just watching them without even knowing the passing of time itself and what is more, at sunset, just as the sun sets, the mountains turn to burnished gold, that is a sight that no one should miss for the world.
When it comes to accommodation overseas, the best thing that you can do is to reserve your hotel rooms in advance. There are many sites that offer to help you out on this and you can try out one of them for your rooms. The room rates generally vary between 24$ to 110$ a night and sometimes even more, it all comes down to what kind of a room you want. You can either settle for just a room or a room with a view of the Atlas mountains. I tried the later and I have to say that I am one happy customer.

Marrakesh is a place that has featured in many a novel from the ones by Agatha Christie to the other authors, it has always been a favorite destination for the Europeans for many years and today there are many french citizens who have made this place their home. So do not be all that surprised if the Moroccans speak to you in french. The Berbers maintain the age old customs and traditions of Morocco and the age old 'Le Souk' or the market is a place that one must not forget to go to. This market is one which is all about contrasts, although the souk has its roots in ancient history, it is very modern and the contrasts that one finds at this place is simply too hard to believe. Once can shop here till nightfall and anything and everything from clothes,furs,rugs,carpets,spices,bangles,jewellery and many, many more are sold here. Tip: always haggle before purchasing anything at any market in Marrakesh.

You also have the Hammam here, which is just another word for spa. And this is one spa experience that you will never forget for all sorts of reasons. First of all, park your inhibitions at the door because you will be asked to disrobe here and guess what, you will not be the only person in the room. But the treatment itself is just fantastic and I have to say that this one did work out all the kinks in my back, so it was great as far as I was concerned and very refreshing as well.
Marrakesh is full of sights and sounds that one should not miss out on. Of course there are the usual hotel bars and discotheques, but if you want the real experience, then you better start walking the city grids.
As far as sights and sounds go, there is the El-Badi palace, that was built I think somewhere in the 1570's by king Ahmed el-Mansour. It is quite vast and is very nice to look at, but unfortunately it was torn down shortly after it was built so we can only see the ruins today. Then there is the The Bahia Palace , which is beautiful in its beauty , the building and the surrounding gardens are all built in the Islamic tradition, please set some time aside to visit this place as it can take up a lot of time.
Then there are the museums to go to, and the tombs although I always found that part of the expedition a little bit too creepy and at the end of the day you can always get a nice cold drink of orange juice or some fruit cocktail at a stall in one of the many souks along the way.

At the end of my visit to Marrakesh, I have to say that I enjoyed my visit a lot but what i ended up enjoying all the more was the Moroccan food, with the bastilla or the cous-cous with lamb and then there is my favorite of the lot, some lemon chicken, grilled Moroccan style! Hope you will have fun visiting Morocco and Marrakesh as much as I did!

Marrakesh,morocco,travel,living,souk,bastille,

The Motorcycle bazar!

2007-11-29T09:13:00.000-08:00

We all love the motorcycles and many of us must have owned one of them at some point of our lives, with a heavy duty leather jacket to go with it as well. There are very few dedicated sites where we can list our motorcycles and try and sell them. Guess what, the motorcycle bazaar is in town and it is here that we can not just list our vehicles of joy [ well, they have given us joy] and hope to get the right buyer for our motorcycles. This is one of those sites that is totally dedicated to motorcycles and where we can list our motorcycles for sale.
Here at this site, the registration is totally free and our emails are never given out so as to give us our privacy and prevent any spam of any kind. What is more at this site, there is a search function by which potential buyers can search the listings for their preference amongst all the motorbikes for sale. The best part is that we as sellers are able to upload at least 6 pictures of our bikes onto the site and there is also a query function that is available with each and every advertisement on the site. Many kinds of motorbikes are listed here from the likes of the Harley's to the all too famous quad bikes for sale. It is really one great classified site where we can list our bikes and hope to get the right buyer for them!

The Travel insurance that makes all the difference!

2007-11-29T08:35:00.000-08:00

We all love to travel and recently I even made a trip myself which I shall be covering at a later post. But what I had wanted to share with all of you out there, who think that they have all the medical coverage that they may need as they travel overseas, it is time to seriously think about how far that coverage will go?

Why do we need Insurance as we travel overseas? Well, for one the food is often the most common cause of most hospitalisations overseas, lets face it, we as westerners just cannot stomach even a bit of spicy food. The minute we take it into our mouths, our tummies start rebelling right away. If we are fortunate, this distress may last only for a day or two at the most and can be handled with the most common over the counter medicines. But more often than not, our bodies just cannot handle all that hot and spicy food and as a result we often get dehydrated and need to be hospitalised. And naturally our medical expenses will just shoot up through the ceiling, and we may think that our insurance will cover all that. But here is the catch, whenever it comes to insurance, there always is a catch and the bottom line is that most of the insurance companies will not cover your medical expenses that you may incur overseas and what is more, even the few that agree to do so, will only agree to cover half of our medical expenses.

How do I know this? Well, in my last trip to Egypt, I ended up being hospitalised with both a broken leg as well as acute dehydration. What I had stated above had all happened to me . And just when I thought that there seems to be no proper travel Insurance coverage that seems to exist, I came across this company that makes sure that you get all the right coverage as you travel overseas and the best part is that they can give you the coverage for as little as 1$. So just go to this site and Click here for a FREE Quote. Happy travelling!

Prawns stir fry!

2007-11-28T10:27:00.000-08:00

First of all, when it comes to prawns you should know that it takes very little time to cook them and that it is very easyt o overcook the prawns.Keep that in mind, that said, cut up some garlic and fry it until you can smell it. Then cut up some shallots into very small peices and then fry it along with the garlic. This should be done until the shallots are al-dente.
Now you add in some of the pepper powder along with some turmeric powder and coriander powder. Now you fry the whole thing again at least until the flavors come wafting to your nose. Now you add in the prawns and let the whole thing mix up very nicely. With that, the prawns should be cooked in 2-3 minutes flat. you can add in some mushroon soy sauce for additional flavor as well.Enjoy your Food.

Kiss your stress goodbye!

2007-11-28T10:04:00.000-08:00

To play slots is an enjoyment which cannot be equalled by pretty much anything else. As things go, playing a game of slots also relieves stress levels in one as one plays a game of Slots. Here at Sloterix, there are many varieties of slot games that are available and it is all online. The fun part is that you do not have to reside in the United states to play these games. The slot machine is designed in such a way that playing a game of slots besides giving you the entertainment also helps you to relax totally. The games at this site are numerous and the service that one gets at this site is just fantastic. I have to say that I was impressed by the way that these guys responded to ones calls for help. This site is very well designed and it is very easy to use. The slot machines are so many in number here that one may even face difficulty in choosing the right one to play with. Just go to the links above and start Slotting along!

The Cold blues!

2007-11-25T07:41:00.000-08:00

Cold is as Cold does, it sends shivers up and down your spine and I have to say that as spine chilling as it does sound, there is nothing worse than being caught out in the blizzard with the temperatures plummeting down from a comfortable zone of 20 to -5 Celsius. The chill has already started with the mean average temperatures of many places in the Northern hemisphere coming down by quite a notch.

Here in India, the northerly cold winds have started blowing hard and cold, causing mists and fog as the cold north air meets the warm southerly winds. The key is always to get out of the cold weather ASAP until and unless you want to miss out a few toes and fingers while you are at it. The one thing that is great about the cold weather is that you will love the sunshine would love nothing better than to just lay out there in the hot sun and let the sunshine work its magic on you and your chilled bones. After all the hot and monsoon weather that one has been having in India, you would think that we would love this weather, but the Cold weather brings its own share of problems and each and every year it ends up killing hundreds of homeless people who succumb to it due to lack of proper shelter. They often go to sleep in the night and just freeze over, and pass away. The tip as far as cold weather goes is to get out of it as fast as you can because in the coming months, the weather is bound to get a whole lot more than just 'nippy'. You can heat yourself in front of a fire, or if you do not have the proper shelter, then there are many homes all over northern India that have been given the orders to open its doors to the homeless of Northern India. As it is, every season brings its own joy and sorrows, so it is up to each and every person as to whether they want to welcome this season with a smile or with a frown, I prefer the former.

cold,weather,delhi,snow,

The Parking dilema!

2007-11-20T13:03:00.000-08:00

Have you been to Heathrow airport, if so then you will know what a busy terminal it is. First of all, getting hold of a Parking space in itself is a rarity, sometimes you have to keep on diving around for one and then just when you spot a space to park your car, someone else comes along and takes it. It has happened to me so many times that I have lost count of it. Which is why I for one am glad that this company has come about. Now we can get the parking that we want but that is not all, with this company we can get the parking space for our cars and the cream in this offer is that it is a discount heathrow airport parking.
After this, I do not think that any of our trips to Heathrow will ever be such a nightmare. There are times when I cursed the fact that i had to go to the airport and it was all because of the parking dilemma. But now with this company all of my airport parking needs are all taken care of. The next time you want to travel you may want to go to the links above for your Heathrow parking space!

The mirror of 'Lost hopes'.

2007-11-19T09:58:00.000-08:00

Today I had a very interesting conversation with a mirror, am I going nuts? Maybe, but I have to say that this conversation was one of the sanest that I have had in a long long time. Lets all just think about the way we converse with each other, shall we? We often have this tendency to say more than we want to but when it comes to the real crucial matters we are often tongue tied or worse, we lie through the back of our teeth.
Ostriches are better than us at this, at least they say upfront that they do not want to deal with the truth and as such they hide their heads in the sand. It is so easy to try and push that dirty truth under the rug, is it not? But truth often has this irritating habit of coming out when you least want it to and then biting you in the lower posterior with it[ in case you are wondering what am I talking about, that is just a neat way of saying butt without actually saying it]. Anyway I had a decent truthful and an honest conversation with my mirror, because the mirror can only reflect what it sees, it cannot make up that image and present it in some other way. The miror will never lie, and I have to say that I wish that everyone could be the mirror not all the time but at least some of the time. We could always present others with one of thse mirrors. Oh! what a tangled web we all weave when we pretend to deceive and that is the saddest truth of it all!