Update Coming Soon

Hello,

It's been a while. Yes. I know. An entire semester of no-activity on this blog. That's all on me. It's been a mix of too much work and "don't know what to say"s.

I am still not sure what I'm going to be writing. I'm working on that. Thanksgiving Break is a 5 days away and hopefully by then I will have something to write about.

Update Coming Soon,
Parichay

Urbana-Champaign

I haven't really been able to blog in the past 2 week and that’s because I've been in different cities and barely been with my laptop long enough to sit and write a post. 

After visiting London, Miami and Orlando, I'm finally at my campustown: Urbana-Champaign. Today I saw the place I’m going to be spending the next 4 years in and I loved it. Its a huge shift from your skyscraper-filled skyline of Dubai. Its mostly brick-buildings with lots of eateries and coffee shops. The people here were so welcoming it was so different even from the other US cities I just visited. 

Despite being such a huge campus, the central area is what I fell in love with. The main signature quadrangle was absolutely amazing. A place you'd probably see in the movies as a scene where a family comes for a midday picnic. There’s a very well connected bus service that runs throughout the two cities of Urbana and Champaign and that really solves the hassle of reaching a class from one end of the campus to the other. 

From tomorrow onwards, there’s a lot of orientations for us International Students that look to be helpful and necessary from an International student’s viewpoint. Let’s go and see what they have to say and make that decision for ourselves. 

That’s all for an update right now, more blogging coming up as soon as I get settled into my room and as soon as regular university life starts on the 26th. 

Until Next Post,

Parichay

P.S. Finally hit 10 Thousand Views! Hell Yeah.

Officially Leaving.

So today’s my official last day in Dubai. Unofficially it was 2 weeks back, when I left for India but I came in for 2 days of transit. There’s not much one can do in 2 days of Transit in Dubai. Luckily I did all that I had to do before I left then. Visited all the restaurants I had to, met almost everyone I had to and basically did enough to keep Dubai’s memories lasting till December when I’m back.

So I spent these two days doing absolutely nothing. Barely did any packing (despite being asked to do some repeatedly), didn’t really do anything. Just sat at home and chilled. Met a couple of friends yesterday one last time and meeting a couple of friends today. No shopping malls, no tourist destinations and barely any restaurants. And that wasn’t really the plan. My plan at first was visit all those places that I’d miss once I’ve left for university but I realized that I already did that 2 weeks back and have enough of those memories.

Everyone goes on and on asking about “Will you miss Dubai?” , etc etc. And I find that a little irritating. After spending close to 18 years in this city, do you really think I’m going to forget all about it and never come back? This is practically my home.

This is no long post on how I’m going to miss this city and thank it for all that its given me. I’m not leaving forever. I’ll be back in less than 5 months.

See you in December Dubai!

Until Next Post,

Parichay

Bucket List

Everyone’s got a bucket list. If not a physical one, they’ve got one in their head. What they want to do before they touch 30, what they want to accomplish in the course of their lifetime. There’s both the realistic and unrealistic in those lists. From meeting a certain celebrity to making a lot of money in life, people have a lot of bizarre and intriguing things listed down in this list.

No. This post isn’t going to be a virtual bucket list of mine. Unlike most people, I don’t have a written down list of all that I want, though I’ve been meaning to list it all down for a very long time. It’s all in my head and has been that way for a while. But there’s one entry on this list that has been a dream for a very long time. It’s something that isn’t really that out-of-reach but at the same time, I’d have to get somewhere in life to do it.

I love travelling. Most people find airline travel a real pain and can’t stop counting down the hours from the moment they enter the aircraft to when the estimated time of arrival is. If they get delayed by even 30 minutes, they start to get irritated. I’m not really like that. I’d spend as much time as I could in flights and in different countries. The concept of long flights across the oceans, the frequent flier miles programs on every airline, the fancy terminals built to impress incoming tourists; the whole deal. I guess living in Dubai for so long and seeing its grand tourist attractions, it’s airport which just seems to get better and better every year. It’s all contributed to this interest.

I realized I still haven’t mentioned what the entry on the wishlist is. Well here it is. Most of you have seen Up in the Air. The George Clooney, Oscar nominated, movie in which he spends most of his time travelling within the United States and carrying out a particular job. In the end of the movie, he goes to the airport and picks a random destination from the monitor and flies there. That’s my dream. Going to the airport with nothing but my wallet, a camera, a smartphone, maybe my laptop and practically no suitcase/hand carry luggage. Just pick a destination, buy the ticket and go. Go to that one city and do all that there is to do for a tourist there. Probably go with a friend, but then it becomes a little far-fetched like a Zindagi Na Melegi Doobara kind of thing.

So that’s a dream right now and considering that I’m just entering University I’d say I have a good amount of time to work towards that one list entry and make it a reality.

Also, I left Dubai and now I’m in Delhi/Gurgaon before I head out to the West. Loving it here. The food is just too damn good.

Until Next Post,

Parichay 

A Little Late - Zomato

Ever had a hobby you started a little too late? I do. Its called Zomato.

To all that don't know what Zomato.com is, Its a platform where you get all the information you'd ever need about restaurants in particular cities or countries. It provides information on the Timings, Cuisines. Pricing, and even Snapshots of the menu for you to glance through before you decide to eat at a particular restaurant or order in from. 

That’s the consumer part of the process. There are also those people who write reviews for restaurants, which one can then read to really get an idea of what an outlet is like.

Writing a review doesn’t require a paid membership or any form of money exchange between you, Zomato or the restaurant. You can create an account [or sign in using other services I believe], and start reviewing and recommending restaurants to others out there.

What I really love about Zomato is its reach. Its one of the few platforms I’ve come across which has built apps for all major operating systems. Not just windows and android, but also the ‘lesser beings’ like Windows 8, Windows Phone and Blackberry & BB10. There’s also a mobile website and a webpage for the traditional users.

So coming back to the hobby, you must’ve guessed that by now my most recent hobby involves Zomato. I’ve been writing reviews for quite a few of the new restaurants I’ve been visiting during this 4-month vacation. Now for the late part; I’m leaving Dubai in another day and in the US Zomato haven’t set up yet. Which means that I’ll only be able to write food reviews on Zomato when I come back for my holidays in December and then in May.

I really hope in the next year or two, it decides to expand to Chicago and make things interesting. But until that happens, I’m stuck on Dubai and India.

For those of you few who actually read this blog, you’d have realized that I’ve the Zomato widget to the right, which if you click on will take you to my reviews where you can see first hand what I just spoke about.

Oh and did I mention that the top reviews get AED 100 or more in food vouchers of the top restaurants in Dubai? Which makes for the incentive to write more reviews!

Here’s the link to the latest review: Zomato Review - Nawab

Until Next Post,

Parichay.

The Month's Updates

The past one month has pretty much been the most 'active' month of my en tire summer so far. Thats one month out of the already completed 4 months that I've had off to do nothing else.

It could be because we all got tired of doing absolutely nothing sitting at home and drowning ourselves in TV shows and movies. But as far as I go, I like to think that i’ve been going out more in this month than in any of the other 3 months I’ve off because its my last month in Dubai. In another 5 days, I’m going to be on my way to India, and from there to the US for University. Which means that Dubai will become less of the home that it is now and more of the vacation destination every time I have a long break from University.

I’ve made it a point to try and meet everyone that I talk to on a regular basis atleast once or twice in this past month. I never really thought it’d be this hard, to be honest. When the summer started, everyone was so pumped up and excited about meeting every alternate day. There were plans on Jet Skiing, Paragliding and whatnot but in the end, none of that really happened. The closest we got to proper plans was in the past month. Been to WIld Wadi, Aquaventure, and Laser tag all in the past 4 weeks.

I guess i’ve been trying extra hard to meet everyone in this month because I’m worried about how things are going to be once college starts and after college. Its always been said that the friends we make in college are the ones that stick with us in life. What about the friends I’ve made in the 4 years of highschool here in Dubai? What happens to those friendships?

This change from school to college is without a doubt the biggest change in our lives so far, and it will always be one of the most significant events of our lives; so I’ve been told. And though i’ve been told time and again that adult life is overrated, i’ve also been told time and again that University life is highly underrated.

So here’s to college. Friendships. and whatnot.

Another post shall soon follow, when I’m closer to my departure date. So be prepared.

Until Next Post,

Parichay

Patience. A Virtue of Sorts.

I'm having a little block when it comes to blogging. And no, I'm not talking about Writers Block, if you can even call me a writer. Its just that I write something, and I don't think it's something I'd like to put up on the blog, so I end up deleting it instead. 

But worry not, I'm leaving Dubai for good in another 10 days. And I'll only return in December for my winter break. So that parting, with the city I've spent 17 years my life in, is bound to turn into a blog post of two. 

Keep the patience.

Until Next Post,

Parichay

The BlackBerry Q5

The BlackBerry Q5

The Blackberry Q5 is the latest addition to the Blackberry OS 10 family, and after using it for the brief time that I did, I'm pretty impressed. 

First things first, there's no distinction between curve and bold, which I absolutely love. A brief name like its cousins the Z10 and the Q10, it's touch and type system is something I've been a fan of ever since the Bold 9900 first came out. 

It's keyboard, admitted not the jointed classy one you get on the Q10 or on the bold series, is an absolute beauty to use. Blackberry after all has perfected the art of QWERTY keyboards. 

The screen, a pretty darn good one at the price they're selling it, is a 3.1" touch screen with a 329 ppi resolution. It's got all the features you'll need in phone in today's world. NFC, Blutooth 4.0, 1080p video recording 5 -megapixel camera (rear) and 720p video shooting 2-megapixel camera (front), LTE etc.

The only aspect about the phone that I'm a little worried about is the battery. Since it's got a touch screen, the battery consumption is going to be much higher and with Blackberry 10 and only a dual core 1.2Ghz Qualcomm processor, the battery might die out really quickly. It's got a 2180MaH battery which might seem alot on the curve and bold models of the Blackberry but on this model I'm a little sceptical. 

Apart from that, it works smooth and well. The new accessories on the Blackberry 10 line have extended out to this phone too. And with them, it looks really classy. 

The back is a uni-body plastic shell that is non removable. Which means that the battery is non removable as well. So those who are accustomed to carrying around an extra battery back for when the juice runs out, you'll have to invest in a portable USB charger instead. 

Available in a black, red and white, it's sure to lure in all those entry level customers who don't want to shell out a high amount for a Blackberry but still want to enjoy the bets of the neW OS and the touch and type system. 

For all those wondering what the size and dimensions of the phone are, they stand at 120mm x 66m x 10.8mm. 

If you were thinking about whether or not to buy this latest introduction by Blackberry, it's for 1499 Dirhams in the UAE market, and if I were you, I'd check it out at the new blackberry only store now open at The Dubai Mall opposite Plug Ins electronics. 

Until Next Post, 

Parichay.

iOS 7 - Beta 2.

So Apple finally seeded its iOS 7 Beta 2 a couple of days back. This beta included support for the iPad category as well, while Beta 1 was only for the iPhone. I’ve been using it since it was seeded, and I’m loving it but finding some glitches a little irritating. But hey, the glitches are all part of the Beta, aren’t they? If I didn’t want glitches, I should have probably just waited for the Public Release, which should be out soon.

If you use your iPad for important/ day-to-day tasks, I’d strongly advise against updating just yet. I’m not saying the OS is bad, if you’ve got the iPad/iPhone/iPod, you’ll love this brand new Operating System, but its glitches mean some tasks that you perform just might not work the same, and that wouldn’t be a very positive thing.

Here’s a list of glitches that I’ve come across so far on the iPad 2 Wifi+ 3G GSM running iOS 7.0 (11A4400f). I’ll keep editing the post, adding more glitches to the list as I come across them.

• Several Apps no longer open and crash everytime I try to open them. [Google+, Google Translate, GrandCinemas is a very unpredictable app]

• More often than not, the notification center/ control center refuse to appear on using the gesture. 

• Very often the background image just goes from your dedicated picture to a pitch black background, this usually happens when going from the Multitasking window back to the home screen.

• The slick new translucent keyboard you see on a couple of videos etc, they’ve not been incorporated yet. Only Safari, Spotlight search have it. Even Apple’s apps such as iBooks, Pages etc don’t have it yet.
• The clock on the homescreen appears dislocated and takes 2 seconds every now and then to readjust.

• Sometimes notifications don’t show up on the homescreen or on notification center.

• The camera app has no box to “Go To Photos”, though if you click on the right corner its like you touch an invisible key and it takes you to it.

• The videos app, upon clicking edit, has no “X” on the video to delete, but by touching the corner of the video, the delete pop up comes.

[More Glitches Coming Soon with Pictures]

Opinions.

Well these 2 days have been pretty good ones. Went to Wild Wadi yesterday with a group of friends. I think this the one big plan we’ve had in all of the 3 months of holidays (Yes, we’re all lazy as hell, but that’s not the point).

But this post isn’t about how these past 2 days have been. Its about something that happened today on the popular micro-blogging website – Twitter. Someone I know ‘tweeted’ about something that I think was highly inappropriate and just plain wrong. I know, its opinion and what not. But this kind of opinion really should stay off Twitter. Or atleast be worded better, if that wasn’t the intent.

Here’s the tweet, quoted word-for-word, though I’ve left out the person’s name for sake of anonymity:

“Don’t understand why anybody would put it as their status if they got into a college in Dubai. Even high school drop outs get in. #Nooffence”

I found this tweet to be a little over-the-top. I mean fine, if that’s what someone’s thought process is like there is nothing anyone can do about it, but to say that in public on a platform like twitter was just wrong; No matter what the circumstance.

A lot of my friends are going to University in Dubai. And I honestly don’t see anything wrong in that. If they take pride in it, they have all the right to make it their status. They’re not offending anyone. I’d like to think of it more as a way to keep the people in their lives informed, all at once.

And as far as the high school dropouts go, anyone from any part of the world will tell you that the case studies of high school dropouts making it big in life are a great number. So the next time you watch a Walt-Disney movie remember he was a High School Dropout. Or the next time you rap alongside one of Eminem’s songs, remember he was a dropout too. Jay-Z, Al Pacino, John Travolta, Frank Lloyd Right, The Wright Brothers were all High School dropouts too, not even University level.

So to all those going to college, no matter where in the world you’re going. All the very best, and make it big. It doesn’t really matter where you’re undergraduate comes from as much as it matters what you choose to do with your life and how you do it.

Until Next Post,

Parichay.

Thankyou, Dad.

So it’s father’s day today. And I know people all over the world (and hopefully other people whose blogs you go on to read) post photographs & blogs about their fathers and how they love them more than anything in the whole world. How fathers are the strongest people they’ve ever met. And how they want to grow up and honor them and make them proud. I say all this because this is how I feel.

The past year has been a really different one. It’s added so many memories and so many moments. More moments than in any other year. Whether it’s because I’m older now and so that’s got me closer to my dad I don’t know. But I’m just so glad. The past year has been all about senior year, college, and getting through it all. And my dad’s been there with me all through it. He’s been clued-on and he keeps me on my feet. He reminds me when I’ve forgotten and makes sure I’ve done it all and got it all in order. I’m pretty darn sure that had he not been the way that he was, I would be sitting right now wondering where to go to college and what to do with my life.

I know this picture's been used a lot, but I still love it just as much.

But I’m not going to make this post about how much I love my dad. Because that’d take up way too much space and I’m saving that for a later time [Spoiler Alert?].

Today’s post is just a simple Thankyou. Thankyou for keeping up with me, even when I’ve disappointed. Thankyou for keeping me alert and active in everything that I do. Thankyou for all that you’ve done for me. Now and in the past 17 and a half years. Thankyou for keeping strong, and thus keeping all of us strong. Thankyou for the life you’ve given us - Aashray and Myself. From my first toy [Which I don’t remember] to sending me off to College abroad, thankyou for it all.

I know you’re in India right now, but you’ll be back soon. And then we’re in for another 2 months of amazing memories and experiences. We’re off to drop me to college after that, and I’m so sure that even once I’m there nothing is really going to change. I’m sure every time I need to talk to someone or take some advice, be it 2am in the morning or 10pm in the night, you’ll be there for me. Just like you have been there throughout everything else, all through my school years.

You’re like that super-hero everyone wishes they could be. You fix things in moments, without a flinch. It’s like, if you can’t do it then there’s no way anyone else can. You’re the person who’ll have answers to all the questions. No matter what they’re related to. Whenever I’ve got a question about anything and everything, you seem to have the answer. Its like you’ve been expecting me to ask it. I look at you and wonder whether I’ll ever be able to come anywhere close to how absolutely brilliant you are. As a person and as a father. I think that’s the ultimate goal. Thanyou for setting the bar so high.

Love You Dad, and Happy Father’s Day once again!

Until next post,

Parichay

An Experience.

Have you ever met someone you just clicked with instantly? In today’s world, I find that to be one of the most rare experiences one can experience. If experienced in the first 18 years of life, now that’s just something else.

Goa, India’s premier holiday destination – A place where destination weddings are common, and losing track of time while at beaches is even more common. Here such an experience took place, an experience that’ll probably run in your head like a movie, just as it does in mine.

It was a destination wedding, set in Goa. The sea made even a 37-Celsius weather seem pleasant. A wedding so large that no one would know who was from the bride’s side of the guest list and who was from the groom’s side. Here two people met, for the first time. A 3-day meet amidst all of the traditions of a ‘Grand Indian Wedding’. Ceremonies these two had no interest in. Caught in the company of each other for these 3 days, where the time passed by neither of them will ever know. A friendship of sorts was formed. A connection so strong, that it seemed like one of those fairy tale ones. A friendship where introductions held no significance. Where names, and mobile numbers and social networking details were not exchanged. Just random conversations ranging from Life’s problems to school experiences. Conversations that would seem trivial to anyone eavesdropping, but meant so much more to these two individuals.

Since neither one of these individuals were so closely related to the soon-to-be-couple, they decide to spend all their time away from the in-their-eyes monotonous ceremonies of marriage. Instead they choose to spend their time on the beach, in the hotel rooms, just talking. Doing absolutely nothing but talking, because sometimes all one needs is to talk and talk.

The wedding ended, which once again they forget to intend. Stuck in their own world, with no one else but each other – making it seem more like a love story than anything else. Making it sound like something out of a Hindi Movie, yet there they were doing just that.

And then reality kicked back in.

The guests began to leave one by one, and the boy finds that she’s gone. Without any goodbyes or even a minute’s notice, her room is empty and anyone who had any idea of who she was had left with her. Taking every chance of them ever meeting again. All that she left for him was her necklace. A part of her that will remind him for years to come and will keep him wondering and asking himself the very same question – “What If?” What if she stayed a little longer? What if we had exchanged phone numbers? But he had none of that. All he had was a name. Etched on the back of the necklace. A name that would stay in his head for a very very long time.

Sometimes people connect. In ways that no one can ever explain. An experience that no novel, post or article can ever describe. It’s an experience that can only be understood when experienced.

Whether to brand this experience as lucky or unlucky depends on the perspective one takes. And with that, I end another blogpost.

Until Next Post,

Parichay 

P.S. The experience in this post is not mine. It was shared by someone really close, and I just wrote it down in my own words as a blog post. 

The Palace of Illusions - A Novel

I've always been a die-hard fan of Mythology. And it all started with Hindu Mythology. No Summer Vacation trip to India was complete without the buying of a couple of Amar Chitra Kathas. For those of you who aren't familiar with what ACKs are, they're simple stories narrating different event in Hindu Mythology. They're based in a comic-like presentation, which makes it really easy for young kids to understand and grasp the concepts. 

I recently read Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni's "The Palace of Illusions", and it's not your everyday mythology read. Its something that'll actually blow your mind away if you're into all this. It's basically the essence of the Mahabharata being told from Draupadi's point of view. Draupadi was the wife of the five Pandavas.

It takes us down a road we've never even considered before. Every version of the Mahabharat talks mainly about the men and the exile and the war that ended it all. But this book, it gives Draupadi [Panchaali] a voice. It puts us in her shoes - a woman who changed everything, despite being born in the world of men.

I've been reading Hindu Mythology stories for years. I've read different versions of the Mahabharat too. Shorter versions and an elaborate version, and never is Draupadi given the importance she is due. If looked at closely, she's an independent and headstrong woman, from a very young age and it's probably that attitude that ends up causing the Great War in the first place. 

After the countless English Literature classes with a teacher who's no longer in Modern High, its become a common habit to 'analyze' a story which isn't of contemporary setting. And to ask the one big question, "Is it relevant in today's world?" 

The Mahabharat holds such relevance that when read, one is bound to think, "History does repeat itself." And Draupadi's role in it all, it's just so relevant to things in today's world.

If you haven't read it yet, and are looking for a good read. I recommend The Palace of Illusions!

Until Next Post,

Parichay

Numbers

Age is Just a Number.

There are probably 50 of these one-liners that tell us not to pay heed to the numbers. Yet, they're the basis of practically everything we do.

Salary. Numbers.
Age. Numbers.
Communication. Numbers.
Intelligence. Numbers.
Weight. Numbers.
Status in Society. Numbers.
(In my case, Priority Air Flier Miles. Numbers)

Our Life is just one big set of numbers. They say that the numbers don't matter. That its just a number. But that number, is the reason you're - Living in a 4 bedroom house. Or driving a luxury car. Or getting free tickets to a concert.

Its the influencing factor in everything we do, or think about doing. Its practically what people see when they look at each other. A set of numbers. Different people see different number categories. But its all essentially numbers.

One number I'm particularly looking towards right now, is the number 10,000. Ten Thousand. Pertaining to what? This blog. Its at approximately 8-and-a-half-thousand hits right now. And before I leave to college and reset that number, I want it to reach 10,000.

It's just a random little thing I'd like to think about as an achievement. So yes, 10,000's the number in my mind right now.
Think about all the numbers in your life. The list is practically never ending.

Until Next Post,
Parichay

Radio Silence

So I've gone 2 days without BlackBerry Messenger. Its made my phone from something interesting to a pile of junk. Technologically wise, Its a load of crap. Don't know how I've spent so long with this piece of junk. Its an insult to technology.

Apart from that, I'm enjoying the "radio silence". No Updates. No Broadcasts. No Unnecessary Conversations. No Aimlessly scrolling through facebook/twitter because I have nothing else to do.

Instead I'm back to reading, blogging, random photo-editing, more music downloading and the other timepass I haven't done. And it feels different. A good different.

Google+ / Google Hangouts

Well, I don't know about the other countries so much but in the United Arab Emirates, Google+ and Google Hangouts is undervalued. It's not used to its full potential. I've been using it for a while now, and Google Hangouts especially, is absolutely fantastic.

Google Hangouts, is a messaging/video&voice call service. It's closest comparison and competitor would be Skype. Agreed, Skype has a massive audience and user base, but it's not even close to how fantastic Google Hangouts are. Quality and Feature wise.

I won't go into comparing those two, because i'm sure by now you've opened up another tab to do all of that.

Just consider joining it. And the more people you get to use it, the better it gets. It just keeps getting better.

Until Next Post,
Parichay 

Class.

First Class, the prestige status of every airline passenger on every airline going to every country in the world. It's something a few do regularly, and a lot dream of achieving one day. 

I've never flown first class. It always appealed to me. Whenever we travelled to India and passed by Business Class, I'd always end up thinking to myself, "If Business Class looks like this, I wonder what first class looks like". The arrival of the A380 took that to a whole new level. With Emirates, the local airline of Dubai releasing advertisement after advertisement on its First Class facilities including a 15-minute spa/shower session.. well that was something. 

I'm going to be in the USofA for 4 years. I'm going to probably come to Dubai in the Summer and in the Winter each year. That makes 2 Round-Trips a year, for 4 years. Considering what I've heard about British Airways' [BA] frequent flier/Miles system, I'm super excited. Miles can be transferred, meaning that the miles my parents collect on this trip will be transferred onto my account. That, along with my own miles, will ensure a Business Class upgrade when travelling at least for One of the two trips. 

[By Now I'm Sure You've Guessed, I love travelling, especially By Air].

So it got me thinking, If I, once in the 4 years (Most preferably in the last year after my graduation) buy a business class ticket to Dubai [Which is a 14 hour flight, mind you], I'll be able to upgrade myself to First Class. Agreed, its not A380, but its still First Class. Something everyone wants to experience, but few actually do. 

Now you must be thinking, where the hell is all this coming from? My dad and I were discussing the loyalty program Emirates Airlines has for its fliers. Its called Skywards, for those who don't know. I was aware of 3 categories up until now. Blue, Silver and Gold. I had absolutely no idea that they have a Platinum category as well. But that's not what shocked me. What shocked me was the SKYWARDS IO [Invite Only] Tier. That's absolutely insane. It's all hush-hush, not even mentioned on their official page. They have their own lounge at the Dubai Airport which is so well concealed most of us have never even seen it. 

Here's a glimpse of what it would be like if you were invited:

Somebody from the Emirates office shows up at your office unannounced with your package. Inside the package is your kit. A thick, heavy dark rede at grey/brown membership card with matching Luggage Tags. A Mont Blanc wallet and a personally signed Letter form Tim Clark, the CEO of Emirates Airlines welcoming you to the club. 

There is also a private number on the back of the membership card which has a personal number for you. When called, the operator on the other line is dedicated to you and answers the phone with a "Good Evening Mr. ______"

Sounds a lot like what Up In The Air [Movie]'s 10 Million Mile system was based on. And it sounds absolutely Phenomenal. I'd like to meet someone with a Skywards IO card someday. 

That's 2 Posts in 12 Hours. Woah.

Until Next Time,

Parichay 

The Uncertainties of University

I realised that I haven't blogged since April. Its been a while since Yas, and boy do I miss that place. But this post isn't based on how I miss the past 2 months. I'll save that post for when my summer comes to an end. For now i'm going to talk about what lies at the end of Summer '13. Particularly, at the end of August. 
And that is: 

University Begins.

Yep, University time is finally approaching. And I'm pretty sure it's what every high school graduate is thinking about. It's the "next big step". It's what will "define who we will grow up to be." 4+ Years of Undergraduate study will shape us into the new generation. 

But that's all roses and flowers. There's a lot we're not prepared for. There's a lot we're taking for granted. And there's a lot that we've been told to consider, but we just don't. 

Independence just doesn't come like that. After spending the first 17(or 18) years of your life in a secure bubble with your friends and family, it'll be one hell of a shift. We have the luxuries here that we'll long for once we're there. I can't say I know how that feels because I still have to experience it. Seniors and their parents can try all they want to explain it to us, tell us to brace-ourselves and to expect a lot. But that's all we can do, brace ourselves. We cannot experience it unless we're actually there. 

There's a lot to learn. A lot to experience. Things that we'll need to survive out there. Sooner or later we're going to have to see the independent life. The life without the "bubble." Be it at the age of 18 or at the age of 22, we're still going to experience the same experiences, make the same mistakes and do the same things. We can't learn if we're spending time feeling secure. 
Some people prefer seeing that life at the Post-Graduate level, but all I feel is that you'll be going to the university with no independent experience and a lot of knowledge from undergrad. That's it. 

I will miss everything here, my family especially. It'll be insane spending 4 months without really interacting with them and our conversations limited to instant-messaging and Video Chats via Facetime or Skype. But we'll handle that obstacle when we get to it. For now, we can just brace ourselves. 

With that, I look forward to the first 5 months at college. The new life. The restricted yet unrestricted life of a college student living in a dormitory within the Campus away from all securities and previously known luxuries. I look forward to Fall 2013.

Until Next Post,
Parichay

P.S. BBM's coming to iPhone. My "Predicament" [See earlier post] has been solved. Huhu.

Yas Waterworld - A Review

So this past weekend, my family and I decided to go up to Yas Island and check out Yas Waterworld - The newest addition to the "Things to do" category of the UAE.

Yas Waterworld, managed by the same group of people that manage Yas Island’s other big attraction Ferrari World, is a treat for both UAE residents and tourists. With an entry fee of AED 225 per adult and AED 185 per child under 1.1meters in height. 

The Premium pass, which allows people to essentially ‘skip the queue’ might just be worth the additional AED 160 depending on when you decide to go. The weekend or a good sunny day will lead to a crowded waterworld, meaning longer queues to each attraction. 

Next thing up, what to carry and locker services. A small square locker comes at a cost of AED 35 while a longer rectangular locker comes at a cost of AED 55. Unless entering the park carrying valuables, the locker service proves to be quite an unnecessary one. You are allowed to carry bags into the park, which are checked but nothing is really removed. Carry a bottle of Coca-Cola or water if you wish to and just place it in the bag along with towels. Towels in the park can be obtained for a rental fee obviously. Each towel can be rented for AED 20 which seems to be quite outrageous, especially since you are allowed to bring your own. Try to leave your valuables in the car before coming in and if possible, leave the mobile phones/cameras there too. 

Next up, Food. There’s no limit to the number of small ‘shacks’ where you can buy food. The food/snacks joints include a designated snacks store, an ice cream hut, and sweet store serving doughnuts and muffins. “Chubby’s Kitchen” and “Dana’s diner” being the main 2 joints to pick up filling food such as burgers and pizzas. 

The Attractions: Boasting of 43 attractions, Yas Waterworld has enough to keep one busy for a good 5 hours. The idea of 2 different kids areas for younger kids and older kids seemed to be a good one in comparison to those of Wild Wadi and Aquaventure both of which just have one play-area for children. 

The park classifies its attractions into 4 distinct categories:

1. Young Fun [For Children]
2. Moving & Grooving [For the more older category who visit to relax rather than exert themselves]
3. Exciting Adventure [Categorized as a High Thrill Level with rides to make you enjoy the park]
4. Adrenaline Rush [The Extreme thrill level for the roller-coaster and adventure lovers] 

Instead of going into details of all 43 attractions, which can prove to be quite long and boring, I’m going to highlight some of the attractions you must catch when there.

The Dawwama - A 6-people-one-raft attraction which includes a 20 meter high open funnel giving the person in the raft a tornado feel. It really is something, though the extremely long line for this one would make you think, “Why didn’t I buy the premium pass?” 

The Dawwama.

The Liwa Loop - A No-Tube-Required lopping attraction which starts with a near-to-vertical-start with a hydraulic floor which opens up unexpectedly. Note: This is not for the faint hearted]

Liwa Loop.

Hamlool’s Humps: An exact replica of Wild Wadi’s older Jumeirah Sceirah. Fantastic nonetheless.

Hamlool's Humps.

Jabel Drop: This one’s an exact replica of Aquaventure’s “Leap of Faith” , [Yes I know my Blog has the same name], without the aquarium to pass through though.

A Near-to-vertical drop on Jabel Drop.

Sebag: A ride where 6 people race down to the finish with watermats. All 6 start together to see who can finish first. A common concept in water-park’s all over the world but a first for waterparks in the UAE.

Race your Friends&Family on Sebag.

Slither Surprise: The first 4 slides are said to be common ones, though i didn’t go on them. The last slide though, you will fall in love with. Not because of the thrill, which it doesn’t really have, but because of the way it has been designed. when inside, you’ll actually feel like you’re in the belly of a snake!

This is the one I was talking about.

Yadi Yas: Your normal Lazy river, with a twist. The waves. Torrents keep coming in sending you into a wave-filled lazy river. Once again, a copy off Aquaventure.

Yadi Yas.

That’s my top 7 rides.

All in all, Yas Waterworld will prove to be a fun-filled outing for both families and friends. Essentially a wonderful combination of both the competing water-world’s in Dubai, it gives one a reason to come here instead. 

The only downside i felt in Yas Waterworld, was the stairs. Each attraction being quite high up and the only way to reach each attraction is by climbing stairs. Initially it’s not such a pain because you’re full of excitement, but later on in the day, it starts to become a real problem. So keep in mind.

That’s all for my review, do check it out soon. Enjoy!

Parichay Swarup, A Bored Ex-Student.