10 things you need to keep in mind while you are travelling to USA

1. Keep all your documents in the hand luggage as the first thing when you enter USA is Customs           verification. You will get your check in luggage after the custom is cleared.

2. Don't buy gadgets from India before coming to USA as most of the service providers here
    provides unlock phones. Also some of the brand mobiles won't be compatible with the
    bands used in USA so better to buy one here.

3. The chargers and adapters used in India doesn't work in USA so you will need to buy a converter
     here.

4. There is fine in everything, if you leave garbage out of home at wrong time, if you cross the speed
    limits, if you miss any payment even by one day, if you leave an apartment unclean and the list is
    huge.

5. Getting a driving licence and SSN number is the most important thing to make your stay
    comfortable in USA.

6. There is negligible public transport in USA so it is very necessary to own a car ASAP.
     US is famous for second hand car market which is safe and high on quality.

7. People have and show lot of etiquettes and manners and accept the same from others.
    So it is very necessary to be polite and humble and have respect for each human being when you
    are in USA. Also always be on time and never let anyone wait because of you.

8. Don't carry Indian SIMS with you to USA as you might need them while doing Indian bank
    transactions, so better leave it with your parents or any near dear one.

9. Unlike India there is no service tax added to the bill in US restaurants so as a courtesy you should
    pay the waiter a good amount as a tip.

10. There are Indian stores where you can get all the vegetables and even chapatis in frozen packets.
      So you can get a supply of the same on weekly basis if you don't have much time to cook.

Advantages of balanced diet and how honey diet is part of it..

Today’s corporate life has made us lazy and obese. Spending eight to ten hours sitting infront of the computer has only given extra layers to our belly and other muscular problems.

Improper diet and food habits have worsened the situation. Obesity is increasing at a great rate.
Today the young generation has become addictive to junk food and has forgotten the importance of a balanced diet.

Majority of population today suffer from health issues because of obesity so it is very necessary for everyone to have a balanced diet.

Also there is a new trend in the market called crash diets which are calorie restricted weight loss diets

.

These rapid weight loss diets invariably fail because they are metabolically unsound and often unsafe.
Also these kinds of diets reduce more money than fats from the obese person.

Crash diets are low on nutrition and the weight loss that occurs is mainly due to the water or muscle weight loss.
They also cut down on your good fats along with the bad ones causing the dieter to have deficiency in essential fatty acids.

The best way to control one’s obesity and live a healthy life is to have a balanced diet.

Here are some of the major benefits of a balanced healthy diet -:

1. A well balanced diet provides right intake of vitamins, minerals and nutrients to keep the body and
    mind strong and healthy.

2. Having a balanced diet helps to control the body weight.  Eating a large variety of nutrient rich
   foods every day leaves less room for the calorie rich foods that tend to add those extra layers to 

   your belly.

3. A balanced diet is very important to have a strong immune system as it ensures that right amount
    of essential nutrients are reaching to the body which are critical for the production and
    maintenance of key germ fighting cells.

4. It is very important for a person to remain on his toes the whole day and for that he requires a lot of
    energy. A balanced diet keeps your body fueled with right proportion of nutrients, minerals,
    proteins,vitamins and carbohydrates which helps it to work the whole day.

5. What we eat has an impact on our brains. If we eat a healthy diet it makes us more productive,
    happier and less stressed.

6. A balanced diet has great impact on your skin. It is rich in antioxidants which help to improve skin
    and also slows premature aging.

7. As you will stay healthy, you will save lot of money which otherwise would have been spend on
    heavy medicine bills.

Finally I reveal a secret here. One of the main ingredients of a balanced diet is honey.
Sugar causes a lot health issues from fattiness to diabetes, so it is advisable to replace it by honey.
If a teaspoon of honey is taken daily with a glass of warm water it is very beneficial for the body.
So it is advisable to have a honey diet.

Dabur has recently introduced the Honey Diet. A great product in the market for all health lovers.

The new App for cricket : UC Cricket by UC Browser

Though cricket is not the official national sport of India but it has always been followed like a religion.
Most of the people here are fanatical about the game. Everyone has their own predictions, superstitions, routines & has done crazy things to enjoy this amazing game and I have been no exception to this.

During childhood my parents were a bit strict about me watching TV, especially cricket. World cup was my favorite and I always tried to convince them to let me watch it. But I failed and that was the time when the art of making crazy excuses found its way into me.

1. I used to inform at my school that my mom is very ill and have to be at home and here at home I
   used to tell my parents that some teacher of my school has meet with an accident and she/he is
   dead, hence the school is closed because of that.

2. Asharam Bapu proved to be a boon for me as his asaram was near to my school and there were
    huge traffic jams during his arrival , so I used to tell my parents that the school is off as the buses
   wont be functioning today

3. Also monsoon was my favorite, not only because of the natural beauty that is at boom in those
   days but also because of the huge water standing infront of my school which easily helped me
   make an excuse whenever there was India's match.

Normal one included, I am ill and can't go to school or missed my school bus.

But the craziness of cricket only got bigger with the age.
When I came in college we used to bunk classes to watch every match in our favorite lounge.
There we had our tables reserved beforehand and big screens all set so that we never missed a shot.
Whether it was Yuvraj 6 sixes in an over, Sachin's `magnificent double hundred or a world cup for India after 28 long years, we enjoyed every bit of it.

Even if we had to attend a lecture as the professor was a Hitler, we used to make sure to get live updates of the match through sms and some people like me used to put one of the earphone hiding it with my palm, though it pained a lot but everything is fair in love, war and cricket.

But as I got a job and became part of the cooperate world, life changed.
Now we can't bunk our office to watch our favorite players in full action.
Nor we can make an excuse to get a leave, as boss was reluctant to offer any holiday until there was something really serious.

But cricket was as important as my job so I started searching for some App or portal that can keep me connected to the game and it was then, when I came across the “all-in-one” cricket app “UC Cricket" by UC browser.

This App can be downloaded from the homepage of UC Browser for Android.

It provides users with more interactive & intuitive cricket services. It enables enthusiasts to catch live scores, instant updates and even play guessing games while on the move.

The best feature of UC Cricket is it includes a real time notification feature which keeps running in the background and the updates the latest scores.

Also another important feature of UC Cricket is the comment section for each game where cricket fans from all over the world can interact with each other.

As per my experience this is the best App in the market for all cricket information including live scores, previews, commentaries, interviews, stats, photos & videos.

This post is written for UC Browser.

The new MPV in the market "Renault Lodgy" - Official Review

Recently got the chance to drive the new MPV in the town, The “Lodgy” by Renault.
I love MPVs for the fact that they have lot of space for complete family to enjoy together and also they are high on fuel efficiency and low on price.

Here is the official review.

 Route
I drove the new Renault Lodgy in GOA from “Leela Palace”, the place I stayed to “Hotel Lalit”.
Almost half of the route was a beautiful and curvy Ghat Section so it was perfect for a drive.

Space
This is one section where Renault Lodgy score full points.
There is ample of leg space available for the front and rear seats.
Also among all MPVs it provides the maximum boot space.
You can even keep a cycle and tent if you are going for trekking.
You can keep your canvas and color palates if you are a painter and want to try out new destinations.
Also you can keep your tripod and your camera kit if you are a photographer.  

This is one proper seven seater for your complete family.
The seats can be folded easily to make ample space to accommodate the entire luggage for a family of 7.

Interiors
Renault Lodgy scores high when it comes to stylish and classy interiors.
If you have driven Duster then you can easily relate the similarity of it’s interior parts & designing with Lodgy.

Exterior Styling & looks
Disappointedly Renault Lodgy appears boxy and has an unappealing styling.
After having a first glance of the MPV I didn’t feel like giving it a second glance.
The Head Lamp design looks nice but the tail lamp appears to be odd.

Music System
Music System is powerful and the quality of sound is superb.
There is noise reduction mechanism which improves the clarity of sound and we are able to hear even the minute details.


Engine & Performance

There are 2 diesel variants available in the market.
One is 85PS version with fixed geometry turbocharger and the higher variant is 110PS with variable
geometry turbocharger.  The 110PS is mapped to a 6 speed gearbox.

Overall both the variants of Lodgy have a superb pickup and provide a smooth driving experience.

Handling & Control
Lodgy seats are comfortable and the seating position provides you a commanding view of the road.
The steering is quite flexible and not firm which gives a smooth driving experience.
Even on the curves in the GHAT section we don’t have to decrease the speed.

Also the brakes are very powerful.
There is a slight problem pressing the clutch as it is a bit tight. On a long drive it may leave your limbs aching.

Bottom line is you can drive Lodgy on any kind of road in India and you will always get a superb driving experience.

Fuel Efficiency & Price
110PS variant is robust, fast and fuel efficient.
The 85PS variant stands no lesser.

Renault has intelligently priced both the variants.
85PS is available at Rs 8.5 lakh.
110PS engine is available in 2 versions, RxL & RxZ both priced around Rs 12 lakh.

Verdict
If we put aside the exterior styling & design, Renault Lodgy has everything in it to be tagged as one of the top MPVs in the current market.
It scores high on space, drivability, fuel efficiency and price.
A thumps up from my side and gets a overall rating of 4 / 5 .

Highly recommend it to all MPV lovers.


I was a part of the #LiveLodgycal Drive by BlogAdda.com in association with Renault India. 

My Favorite Phone..

In today's world mobile is the most important gadget one should have, its more like a necessity. Like in cars we have MPV ( Multi Purpose Vehicle) in the same way in gadgets, mobiles serve as MPG (Multi Purpose Gadget).

Today we don't need a TV, Computer and Music Player if we have a high quality mobile which all important features.

For me mobile comes at the top of the priority list. I am quite choosy when it comes to selecting a phone.

My favorite phone is Asus Zenfone2.

Here are some of the reasons for choosing Asus Zenfone2 as your next phone -:

1.Performance
It is world’s 1st smartphone with 4 GM RAM.
Imagine uninterrupted experience of gaming, music, apps and photography at the same time.
Efficient performance of different tasks requires sufficient memory and when it is 4GB RAM, you don’t have to worry at all.

2. Vibrant Design
This ultra slim phone has an incredible slim profile which is just 3.9 mm at the thinnest edge.
Such design makes ZenFone 2 comfortable to hold and easier to use.
This powerful device is also a sheer beauty. The iconic ASUS concentric circle design is a treat to eyes. It’s rear cover is crafted with an outstanding hairline finish which creates an amazing visual effect.

Also it is available in various premium and striking colors to reflect my personality and mood.

3. Razor Sharp Display
ZenFone 2  is equipped with a high resolution 1920 x 1080 full HD IPS display that offers wide 178 degree viewing angles.  ASUS built in TruVivid technology provides brilliant clarity and sharpness in every image making the world look more colorful and stunning.
Watching HD videos & movies and playing games involving high quality graphics was never so much fun before.

4. Incredible Camera
ZenFone 2 comes with 13 MP rear facing and 5 MP front facing camera which provides incredible photography experience.
It’s PixelMaster camera technology provides unparalleled performance in all conditions.
Through a combination of adjusting pixel size and advanced image processing algorithms, it increases light sensitivity by up to 400%, enhances noise reduction and boost color contrast by up to 400%.
The dual-LED Real Tone flash captures the real tone of the subjects providing the most natural illumination.
I love photography and there is no need of a DSLR when I have a phone with such amazing camera quality and specifications.

5. Simpler & Personalized ZenUI
The best thing about ZenFone 2 is that it always matches my mood.
It gives me complete freedom to choose from a variety of themes and live wallpapers to personalize by experience of using a phone.
The brand new ZenUI has variety of new features in the kitty, including ZenMotion , SnapView  and Trend Micro security that enhances usability, ensure security and deliver a seamless user experience.

6. Enough Storage
High end Zenfone2 has 32 GB internal memory space and a microSD card of 64 GB can be used additionally.

7. Battery Life
ZenFone 2 has 3000mAh battery which is in par with the high end phones available in the market.
Once charged the phone is alive for the whole day.

8. Treat for Gamers
The PowerVR graphics chip is a solid performer and that is a boon for android gamers.

9. Value for money
If such an awesome phone with a plethora of features cost you around 20k for its high end version, what more can you ask for?

It is one of best budget phones available in the market.
I think the above points will make you choose Asus ZenFone 2 as your favorite phone too.

#LiveLodgyCal...the most happening event of the Blogosphere !!!

The announcement of #LiveLodgyCal event in GOA, sponsored by Renault India in collaboration with Blogadda brought a storm in the Blogosphere. All eyes were on the event, the 40 lucky bloggers who will be part of it and the various activities they would be involved it.

There was also a contest organized by Blogadda whose 5 winners were going to get the opportunity to be part of the 40 chosen ones. 

On a fine Tuesday morning, 3 days before the event I got the invite from Blogadda to be part of this awesomeness.
I was on cloud 9. Without wasting any time I filled the form to confirm my presence.

The event was scheduled from 19th to 21st June 15.  Next day I got my ticket which confirmed by presence at the event and also took my excitement to a new level.

Air India was our airline. Flight from Mumbai was scheduled to depart at 1 p.m. on Friday. 
In the meanwhile twitter was buzzing with the updates on #LiveLodgyCal event.

Everyone was eager to know what all is in store, when suddenly a tweet from Blogadda unveiled some of the suspense.

All the 40 bloggers were divided into a team of 4.
I was excited to know my team members.
The suspense was killing me; I was refreshing my mail box every 15 minutes when finally a mail from Blogadda brought a smile on my face.  It had the twitter handles of my team members.

Atul, Tanmay and Kunal were going to be my family in GOA.

We had to decide on our team name and announce the same to the world.
Finally #LodgyCool were all set to rock GOA.

Atul took the initiative to create the WhatsApp group for the team and also tweeted the banner announcing the team name.

Because of hectic office hours I couldn’t get time for packing so had to wake up early on Friday morning to get all the packing done. 
Finally I was all set for “Go, GOA, Gone”.

It was raining heavily in Mumbai so Blogadda advised us to reach airport early for a hassle free journey.
I reached airport by 11:30 a.m. and was excited to meet all my teammates in person.

Atul, the co-founder at eVeltio Education Consulting appeared to be a jolly person.

Tanmay seemed to a cool guy who was all set in the party mood.

Kunal, a college student looked quite studious. ..:P

There were other famous Mumbai bloggers too at the airport.

Deepak uncle, a very famous national level rider and photographer.

@rutaagayire , a hotelier, rider and founder of PhotoKhatta. She is an inspiration for many women riders.

It was an honor to meet them all.

Our flight got delayed by an hour because of the bad weather.
We landed at GOA airport around 4 p.m.
There was a coach to take us to the venue of the event, “Hotel Leela Palace”.
Bloggers from other places of India were also there to join us.

Everyone was damn hungry.

Finally after travelling for an hour we reached the venue.
Leela Staff welcomed us with a tilak and garland.

Leela Palace justifies its name making you feel like a king/queen.
It's like a kingdom where you will get everything you can imagine of.

On my next glance I could see the Blogadda team, all smiling and happy to see us.

They escorted us to the hall where snacks were served. After appeasing the hungry stomach we got the keys of our room and a baggage containing all the details of the schedule for the event.

Kunal my teammate was also now my roommate.

We were escorted to our rooms in a Baggi, you can call it a big golf car.

The rooms were high on luxury, space and facilities. Our room had classic interiors, a king sized bed and a large bath tub.
Balcony was its main attraction which had an awesome lake view.

After refreshing up a bit we were requested to gather at the Banquet Hall, Hampi, for the first set of activities and presentation.

RJ Archana from Radio Mirchi, Kasa Kai Mumbai was our host for the eve.

There were tables set for everyone to get settled.
All the bloggers were set in the GOA mood which was evident from their attire.
Atul had booked a table for our team, so we quickly grabbed our seats.

Finally the eve started with team introduction.
Each team was called on the stage and asked to reveal the team name with a brief introduction about each team member.

There were people from all walks of life.

We had an hotelier cum biker, an army man wife who was an author, an education consultant, a biker cum photographer who had travelled for 13000 km in one go that also at the age of 60+, a fulltime blogger, few tech bloggers who had their own startups, auto mainstream journalists and many more interesting profiles.

After the introduction we had the Renault team on the stage with their presentation.
For next half an hour we were briefed about Renault Lodgy , its presence in the market, comparison with other MPVs and reviews from automobile experts.

After the session got over we were asked to head over to “ The Restaurant” as dinner was served.

There were lots of new dishes to try out.

After having a sumptuous dinner we headed to our room to relax and prepare ourselves for the next day as we were going for the #LodgyDrive.

6:30 was the wakeup call as the drive was going to start from 9 a.m.
We had our breakfast and headed towards the lake side of the hotel for the flag off.

Atul was very excited to drive the new Lodgy so we took back seat to enjoy the view as our route had a beautiful GHAT section on the way.

Finally the drive started with all Lodgys in a queue following the one ahead of them.

Our destination was Hotel Lalit where we were supposed to have lunch.

As it was monsoon time we had an awesome view to capture in our DSLRs.

Full points to Lodgy in the space department.  There is ample of leg space available for the front and rear seats. Also among all MPVs it provides the maximum boot space.

The rear seats are flexible and can be easily folded to make enough space to accommodate even a cycle.

Music system is powerful and the quality of sound is superb. There is noise reduction mechanism which improves the clarity of sound and we are able to hear even the minute details.

The interiors are classy and stylish.

Lodgy has a superb pickup and provides a smooth driving experience.
Even on the curves in the GHAT section we don’t have to decrease the speed.

Btw we had a funny incident on our way to Lalit.

A person driving another car asked us to stop. We were a bit skeptical about his intensions so were cautious in talking to him. Next came the hilarious part of the story when he asked us to show the Lodgy we were driving as he too wanted to buy it…:P

We asked him to go to the showroom of Renault as we had to reach somewhere urgently.
After he went we kept on laughing till our stomach started to ache.

Finally we reached our destination which was Hotel Lalit.
There were huge lavish golf grounds on both sides of the road. I assumed it to be one of the most famous golf destinations in GOA.

The interiors of Lalit were not very glistening but sober and classy.

After having a sumptuous lunch at the “Canacona” we headed towards the private beach of Lalit.

It was a clean and beautiful beach which had an awesome panoramic view. 
The tides were high and a cool breeze was making our stay more pleasant.
After clicking a lot of selfies and pics we started for our return journey to Leela.

Some of the bloggers also had video bytes describing their Lodgy experience.

On the way to Leela I got the opportunity to drive and I was really satisfied by my overall Lodgy experience.

When we reached Leela, tea & coffee was served at Hampi.
As we were a bit tired so we quickly had our part and went to the room to relax a bit and also prepare ourselves for the impromptu sessions and activities which were going to happen next.

Around 7:15 p.m. everyone was at the Banquet hall dressed in their best.
The stage was all set for a rock band performance. I was super excited and eagerly waiting for the performance to start.

Meanwhile Blogadda marketing head, the gorgeous Ankita took the centre stage.

She called on stage some of the great personalities we had among us who had their success story to share.

After the impromptu sessions we had the panel discussion where 5 coveted bloggers were at the centre stage discussing about their experience as a blogger, how they got famous and what inspired them to become part of the blogging world.

With the end of panel discussion everyone’s eyes were set on stage as Goa’s one of the most famous band was ready to set the stage on fire. It was time to rock n roll.

Officially the bar was also open now so without wasting any time people quickly made their way to grab their favorite drink.

The band started with some famous English hits and then slowly paced their way towards Bollywood party numbers.
For the first 15-20 minutes everyone was at the bar or their seat, enjoying the show, but soon all the shy bloggers started getting the kick. In no time the dance floor was set ablaze with the thumkas of
rockstar bloggers.

After the dance party got over dinner was served.

I was too tired to eat so quickly had a bit and headed towards the room to have a good night sleep.

Next day morning we woke up a bit late.
12 p.m. was the time to check out of the hotel Leela.
Quickly we did our packing and headed towards “The Restaurant” to have our breakfast.

Finally it was time to say adieu to the fellow bloggers who were now more like friends and head towards the airport to return back to our respective destinations.

Many Many thanks to Blogadda and Renault for such an awesome experience.
Blogosphere has never witnessed such a phenomenal event where super heroes of the blogging fraternity are under a single roof. Not only I learned a lot but lived like a king for 2 days and also improved as a person. Memories of this event will always travel through my mind whenever I will remember my journey as a blogger.

I was a part of the #LiveLodgycal Drive by BlogAdda.com in association with Renault India. 

Ambi Pur Air Effects - Blossom & Breeze..Product Review

Nose is the most sensitive part of the body.  A strong pungent smell can cause headache and sneezing which sometimes can become unbearable.

We come across a lot of smells in our day to day life, some pleasant and some terrible.

Some fragrances bring memories, some makes you close your eyes and feel it and some may burn your nostrils and make you run for life.

We would never want the 3^rd scenario mentioned above to occur in our day to day life.

Whether it’s our abode, office, gym or any surrounding, it should be clean and hygienic.
A good smell increases our productivity and concentration while a smelly one makes us lose out of our senses.

When I shifted to Mumbai as a bachelor, the first thing my mom was worried about was the hygiene and cleanliness at my place of accommodation.  

I was living with 3 of my friends in 1 BHK as the accommodation in Mumbai is quite expensive.
They used to be all groomed and hygienic in college and I expected the same here.

But as days passed my expectations took a backdrop.

Pile of stinking socks, clothes drained in sweat and remains of food material would create an aura that would sometimes even burn my nostril hairs.

One of them was a pet lover and would bring a new guest every week.
Pet odors used to get high on my nose and become really terrible to bear.

Also occasionally our flat used to become a dharamshala , when friends of friends used to come as a refuge to our flat, some of them even smelling like a dead rat. Drinking and smoking used to be the favorite pastime making the air unhealthy and smelly.

The poor drainage system used to add fuel to the fire, especially during monsoons.
Whenever someone from the flat above us used to flush, a disgusting smell with a warranty to burn your nostril hairs would make its way right into your nose.

One day I and my girlfriend went to one of my blogger friend house as he has invited us for dinner.
As I entered the living room I was mesmerized by the amazing scent that made my nose hairs dance with joy. For a second I felt as if I was in heaven.

As my friend came I enquired about the magical scent that was distributed equally across the room.
Ambi Pur Air Effects – Blossom Breeze is the source of magic, my friend revealed.

He understood my plight as he too had to live as a bachelor for few months.
My flat also used to smell like hell as it was a bachelor’s paradise but soon after using Ambi pur it started smelling like a real paradise.

Luckily at the same time Blogadda also had Ambi Pur Air Effects – Blossom & Breeze home for the bloggers to try out. These generous people gave me a sample and I am really thankful to them.

                                           

I have started using it and to my delight the aroma has changed drastically.
Now going to toilet would not demand a hanky on my nose.
I have started liking my flat and I want to stay for long just because of the pleasing fragrance that fills the air around.

As the name suggests the fragrance is quite floral and refreshes your mind.

Also I liked the can design and the spray mechanism.

The trigger for spray is quite easy to use.
I was trying to search for the ingredients but P&G has quite wisely kept it a secret.

Ambi Pur Air Effects - Blossom & Breeze is like a breath of fresh air.

I would definitely recommend it to everyone especially bachelors like me who have to daily suffer from stale and stinky smells.

                                                  

Thanks a lot to Ambi Pur who has saved me from the torture of hell and has given me the pleasure of heaven.