travelandliving

noreply@blogger.com (scorpius) — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 16:53:00 +0000

Linkpedia, an amalgamation of links and now that's an idea..

Keeping the floor clean at all costs!

noreply@blogger.com (scorpius) — Sun, 14 Nov 2010 05:42:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (scorpius) — Sun, 14 Nov 2010 05:35:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (scorpius) — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 19:30:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (scorpius) — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 18:22:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (scorpius) — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 18:20:00 +0000

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.

noreply@blogger.com (scorpius) — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 21:24:00 +0000

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!

noreply@blogger.com (scorpius) — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 19:17:00 +0000

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!

noreply@blogger.com (scorpius) — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 18:54:00 +0000

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!

noreply@blogger.com (scorpius) — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 18:24:00 +0000

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!

noreply@blogger.com (scorpius) — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 18:03:00 +0000

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!

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

noreply@blogger.com (scorpius) — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 19:32:00 +0000

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?

noreply@blogger.com (scorpius) — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 01:23:00 +0000

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!

noreply@blogger.com (scorpius) — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 01:09:00 +0000

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!

noreply@blogger.com (scorpius) — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 19:19:00 +0000

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!

noreply@blogger.com (scorpius) — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 19:17:00 +0000

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!

noreply@blogger.com (scorpius) — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 18:44:00 +0000

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!

noreply@blogger.com (scorpius) — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 21:00:00 +0000

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!

noreply@blogger.com (scorpius) — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 21:38:00 +0000

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!

noreply@blogger.com (scorpius) — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 21:33:00 +0000

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!

noreply@blogger.com (scorpius) — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 19:07:00 +0000

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!

noreply@blogger.com (scorpius) — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 19:01:00 +0000

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!

noreply@blogger.com (scorpius) — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 22:11:00 +0000

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!

noreply@blogger.com (scorpius) — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 21:46:00 +0000

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!

noreply@blogger.com (scorpius) — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 21:37:00 +0000

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!