My favourite phone-Asus Zenfone 2

I'm a hard core I Phone user and confess to being hooked on to it for the last many years without giving into the temptation of switching over to any other brand.

But something about the ASUS ZenFone 2 http://bit.ly/1aXkRNL had me very intrigued and I must  admit-I decided that I would absolutely love to own one of these beautiful instruments!

Have you faced the problem of your smartphone hanging now and then? Does your smartphone fail to match its response time with your speed of operating it? Then Zenfone 2 can be the answer to such smartphone woes. The Zenfone 2 is loaded with never before 4GB RAM & up to 2.3GHz 64-bit Intel® Atom™ Z3580 processor that makes your everyday smartphone operations and multi-tasking up to three times better and seven times faster when playing a mobile game. Further, what if you can have a power bank exclusively adapted to meet your Zenfone 2 requirement? Not only this it is just as sleek as this smart phone itself. The power bank is of the size of a credit card so carrying it becomes quite handy. 

The exciting new range of the ASUS ZenFone 2

Simply put, here are 5 of my reasons why:

1.The ASUS ZenFone 2 has a stunning, all-new design employing iconic ASUS design elements that echo the spirit of Zen. 

2.To give you that really rich feel, it has  a luxurious brushed-metal finish and signature concentric-circle detailing. 

3.The graceful Ergonomic Arc case tapers to an incredibly-thin 3.9 mm at the edges for a bold yet elegant look. Given that , I think its already a great phone but there are a few more attributes worth detailing. 

4.The rear-mounted volume-control and shutter button is ideally positioned for one's index finger. Trouble free, ease of use and quick to manage..

5.And last but very high on my list of 'must haves' as I'm passionate about photography-It's vivid 5.5-inch Full HD IPS display packs an incredible 403ppi pixel density bordered by an ultra-narrow bezel, giving the ZenFone 2 a remarkable 72% screen-to-body ratio for a maximized viewing experience .Therefore everything you see is bigger, brighter and more beautiful.

Lets face it, with all these fantastic attributes, who wouldn't want to have an  ASUS ZenFone 2? I certainly put myself high on that list and did it!

                       

Coffee on board the Waldorf Astoria RAK and the 'Food and Travel Carnival' with Vir Sanghvi and Blogmint- A winning entry

There are some stories one writes and then there are some special stories.For those of you who may have read this piece earlier you will know exactly why its special for me.

Burt here's another reason that makes it even more so. This piece is now a  Week 2 winner of the 'Food and Travel Carnival' and has made it to the Blogger Dream Team in collaboration with Vir Sanghvi and Blogmint.

Happy to share it so read on folks...

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Probably the most memorable cup of coffee I've ever had.

Coffee is my favourite 'any time of the day' beverage and is truly something that keeps me going. So  when I recently had the opportunity to have an extra special cup of that beverage in the exquisite Peacock Alley at the Hotel Waldorf Astoria, Hilton Ras Al Khaimah, it was a special moment. I must add here that it it was made extra special by the fact that our daughter Neha Singh is currently working in the Pastry section of this stunning hotel and this visit to the beautiful property was  something that we had really been looking forward to.

Inspired by the palaces of the Arabian Peninsula, Waldorf Astoria Ras Al Khaimah is ideally located 50 minutes from Dubai International Airport. This is true luxury defined and then some!A palatial spa and golf resort,it brings the legendary Waldorf service to one of the most stunning locations in the Middle East.

Entering the stunning foyer and looking straight at the signature Waldorf Astoria Clock

Peacock Alley is also home to another signature Waldorf Astoria attribute - a special legendary timepiece. This exquisite clock designed and built by Smith of Derby, a family of clockmakers who, for over 300 years, have created and cared for some of the world's more recognized public clocks. The grand lobby clock at Waldorf Astoria Ras Al Khaimah has been exclusively designed to honor regional Arabic culture and includes the five daily prayer times.

The beautiful peacock- the mascot of the Peacock Alley

A famed Waldorf Astoria tradition, Peacock Alley is an impressive signature lounge with all the signs of the magnificent plumage and parading that is assimilated with the Peacock. Serving the world's finest coffees and light bites, the lounge is a fabulous meeting place throughout the day where Waldorf signature dishes are served, including the renowned Waldorf Salad. Here, the design mixes local touches with contemporary style inspired by the brand’s New York City flagship. A ring of banquettes encircle a tiered, marble fountain, a spectacular chandelier with handcrafted glass elements suggest stylised peacock feathers is the centre piece.

Loved the ambience and beauty all around us

Very happy to be here

The polished coffee percolator 

The tea trolley is wheeled in and we are spoilt for choice

My choice- an exquisite creation-the Red Velvet cake

Avi chose his favourite, a decadent chocolate creation 

The Peacock motif is echoed throughout the Peacock Alley.This cake is another example of how beautifully it all blends in

Look carefully and you will see the same motif on the grand staircase.

Leaving the hotel as the sun was just about to set

Driving back to Dubai and already looking forward to our next visit!

Les Parisiennes, a delightful Store cum French Cafe in Shahpur Jat, New Delhi

Rediscovering Delhi over the last three months has a very special charm for me and watching the seasons change from spring when we arrived here to a very hot summer and the pre monsoon showers currently have their own unique highlights.

So on days which are more pleasant than the others, I definitely take time out and head towards those places and markets of Delhi which I haven't really had the opportunity of having discovered earlier. It was exactly one such day yesterday when I decided to head towards Shahapur Jat in South Delhi and spend a morning there checking out the unique facets of that very lively and happening village. 

Located amidst the ruins of Siri, the second city of Delhi (14th century), Shahpur Jat village is already now referred to as ‘the other village’, the first such being the Hauz Khaz village.At the heart of this village is the 'Fashion Street' where glitzy boutiques rub shoulders with fancy shoe shops and a couple of interesting food joints. The reasons are not really diffucult to understand- Low rents, easy availability of artisans, skilled labour, and friendly locals have made this a hip and happening hub.

Having walked through the area for over an hour and after checking out a few of the jewellery  boutiques as well as some designer stores, I was in desperate need of my mid morning coffee. Asking a few people,  I made my way to a small 'haveli'. Couldn't see anyone there, the door was ajar, so I walked right in and felt almost like Alice in Wonderland. You see nothing and no one had prepared me for what I would find, so the fun was doubled , In fact, when I learnt that the coffee shop inside was also a functional restaurant, I can honestly say that my fun was tripled!

Les Parisiennes- delightful French chic now in Delhi

'Les Parisiennes' is a unique concept store offering carefully selected womenswear, menswear, a lovely children corner, home accessories and its very own French Café.A few questions later, I learnt that Les Parisiennes opened in 2012.The owners Catherine Barbier Prakash & Lucie Salaun had conceptualised this store so that they could transport their customers to the place they call home- Paris. Looking around,  I could see a range of dresses, tops, bags, accessories and French vintage scarves.Based on the huge response they got, it was decided to add another dimension-which is how it expanded into a café cum  home-décor store.

La Parisienne with its simple and elegant exteriors 

The décor of the store is unique and very attractive-With exposed bricks painted in beautiful white and similar notes echoed on the ceiling and furniture, it can't help but charm the first time visitor. They also stock and sell a range of pretty black and white decorations, mirrors, floral patterns, lamps, quilts, cushions, vintage-inspired tins and containers, beautiful crockery furniture and lamps. 

One look and I was charmed

Going in further, I came upon the half a dozen tables laid out beautifully. There was a piano in one corner and the day's menu with some beautiful white flowers in another. The aroma of good baking was unmistakable and there were 4 men already at work, Welcoming me, one of them asked me if I would like something gto drink and I immediately chose a cold coffee. It was all so relaxed and I was the only person in the store at the time, making it feel really good! With French music playing in the background, I really couldn't have asked for a better way to indulge. 

Beauty - Wherever I looked

All set for coffee and madelines

With simple French food like quiches, salads, soups and cakes to choose from, topped by coffee, teas and juices its a win win formula. 

Ready for baking- I could smell this delicious tart as I sipped my coffee

Add to that, a delicious chicken bake

Looking around and loving it

The Day's Menu

Fresh and Orange

Summer coolers- with my delicious coffee

The classic French Cafe shot

Look up at the delightful ceiling

On my way out

Coffee over and revitalized, I stepped out, albeit reluctantly.

There was more of Shahpur Jat to explore with many more stories to discover.

But that's another story
For another day...

Down Memory Lane in Paris as Locks Removed From the Pont des Arts Bridge

I believe that I'm a practical person with fairly stable emotions.But there are a few situations that have a tendency to create a certain amount of dissonance and yesterday's news that the city of Paris started removing padlocks from the Pont des Arts on Monday, effectively ending the tourist tradition of attaching "love locks" to the bridge, qualifies as one such.

  

  Pont des Arts Bridge on my visit, Nov 2012 

For years, visitors have been attaching locks with their personalised love messages to the bridge in symbolic acts of affection. In fact, some go on to seal the deal by throwing keys into the Seine River below.Of course, there's no way of actually evaluating what percentage of these love locks actually worked but for those who 'believe',  it definitely fulfills a fundamental need.

Up Close- I just had to get this shot

I visited Paris in Nov 2012 and June 2013  and on each of those visits, I had a great time walking through and exploring the cobbled streets and alleys that make up this vibrant and bustling city. Going through my photos,  I've been able to pull out these pics from the Nov 2012 visit and am positive that they will suffice for purposes of this blog post.

Loved being there and so glad I did.

According to the Paris City Council on its website, the phenomenon spread to other bridges, creating two major concerns for the city: "degradation of property heritage and a risk to the safety of visitors, Parisians and tourists." Graffiti, pickpockets and vendors selling cheap padlocks also became a problem, and sections of fencing on the Pont des Arts began to crumble under the locks' weight. At its peak, the bridge carried more than 700,000 locks with an estimated combined weight roughly the same as 20 elephants.

Reason enough to go for what is currently underway, look at the photograph below(clicked yesterday) and you will see what a huge transformation is ongoing. It is very possible that after the plexiglass has been put on the Pont des Arts Bridge and people have forgotten what it looked like, the Paris City Council will have reason enough to sit back and reflect on the massive and successful enterprise that they undertook.

Unrecognisable-On Monday, 1/6/15

Image -Courtesy Getty

As for me, all I can honestly say today, I'm so glad I was there and will always remember it the way I saw it then.