benefits of video blogs need to be inspired online video for business selecting a vlog service provider video blogging trends vimeo vlogs for a better blog what vlog platform to use

It seems all I have been hearing about lately has been video blogs … the first time was a few months ago and I was quite curious about it as well.  I never actually got around to setting myself up with a Vlog .. which I perhaps should … I do have some really funny videos captured over the years. 

Some of my friends have used Vimeo – which is a fantastic platform for anyone wanting to share their creativity and more personal videos (family, friends, fun moments etc) to a larger audience.  I checked out Vimeo and turns out that a free account allows for 500 MB of storage every week ! That’s a great start for any new business looking at testing the cyber waves of video blogging especially since you can share and even post videos on other sites like Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Flickr, or Digg !

The last couple of weeks I have been meeting with some of my clients and looking at creating long term marketing and branding strategies for them and I had suggested that they ought to look at online video for business or video hosting services to really create an impact with their brand.

Just like Vimeo – another service I came across was Viddler which offers more features for direct B2B services.  It’s hard for me to explain exactly what the features are as I’m not the most technical person – however this screenshot should make things more clearer.  

I really like the custom logo & permalink feature as it’s essential when creating brand value and increasing brand awareness.  It’s also important for a business to be able to track their user and view statistics – and here’s where the Viddler Analytics come in very handy providing in depth statistics on bandwidth, views, embeds, map views of users as well as something called ‘attention span’ which tracks the engagement of viewers.

Video Hosting is all about adding a personal touch to your blog and also serve as a better visual representation of what the brand or business (and the personal blogger of course) is trying to portray.  Written content is always great, but a nice video twist to your business site will surely give your readers reason to stick around a little longer.

Personally, I have always enjoyed just sitting back and watching a good video post on a topic I’m interested in.  I try to incorporate videos into my blogs – but they are related to a specific post and are more music / advertorial based. 

What about you – what are you thoughts on Video Blogs – especially for business related blogs ? Have you come across any really good online videos for business that you care to share ?

christmas in mumbai merry christmas seasons greetings tis the season to be jolly

 

….. Here’s wishing all of out there in Blogosphere a Very Merry Christmas !

Enjoy the yummy Xmas desserts and wine !

And if you’ve been on Santa’s Nice List – then the pressies are in order … and if you are on the Naughty list … you know what kind of presents are due =P

christmas in mumbai house parties just for fun seasons greetings xmas in Mumbai xmas parties xmas spirit

Wednesday night saw the first of a few Xmas parties and it was really quite nice to be out with friends and taking in the very pretty Christmas tree that my mate AA had arranged at her gorgeous city view apartment.

The party was in full spirit with a gingerbread house cake, along with giveaway Xmas cookies shaped like trees and stars and not to mention enough alcohol and snacks to cater to an army !

 

There was a Christmas tree as well – and it was one of the first ones I had seen this week considering all I’ve done the past week or so is just work – work and more work !

It just felt nice to be at a chilled out party … got to see some of my friends and actually have a conversation with them as opposed to raising my voice to be heard over the speakers at a club ! Also managed to meet a few new people which was great … although I’m sure one of the guys would have preferred to have left the party much earlier considering just how much a few of us were teasing him.

 

blog awards blogger tips blogging blogging trends experience how to improve google page rank insights interpretations people's perceptions personal opinions rambling random thoughts reasons why blogs suck reasons why my blog is cool significance

… and no I don’t think it sucks =P

It;s 5:01 a.m as I start this post and I’ve had a REALLY long few days .. been working from 10 a.m to 10 p.m as of yesterday on the documentary shoot and some client meetings; rushed home to get ready and head over for an Xmas party at a friends’ apartment by 11 p.m; got back around 4 a.m and I’m still awake !

So now that I’ve filled you in and you can appreciate my state of mind … I was blog hopping around the neighbourhood when I came across a tweet to 10 Reasons Why Your Blog Sucks by Edward Khoo.  The reasons come about pretty obvious when you read them but the perception described comes about in a really harsh manner.  If someone had to feel so angry or disgruntled after reading my blog – I would come away feeling pretty shyte ! I won’t put it all here but will give you a summary instead.

10 Reasons Why Some Blogs Suck =(

1. You use syndicated content. You cut & paste articles from sites across the net onto your blog.  You can, but you shouldn’t. Without unique content your blog is nothing.
2. Your blog is boring.  Write about topics that your reader, not topics that interest you.
3. Your blog revolves around your person. Stop talking about yourself already. Readers don’t know you personally, and couldn’t care less about your ramblings. Tell them Facts or stories, not boring personal stuff
4. Oh no, not your favorite music on auto-play!  Don’t add music to your site. Half the people won’t like it and the other half will find it’s a distraction.
5. You use clip art
6. No search boxes or archives.
7. Bad Grammar, typos, misspelled words, and poor punctuation.
8. Spinning Articles.  You write the same things others do that belong to your niche.
9. Irregular posting.
10. Your blog looks like 12023532989 other blogs.

Why My Blog Does NOT Suck

1. I don’t use syndicated content. I swear ! Last time I checked, I hadn’t copy-pasted anything other than my scribbles from my word docs to Live Writer once I got it downloaded.
2. My blog is NOT boring ! At least no one has said so or sent me ‘yawn’ comments.  I like to think I’ve got a variety of topics on hand ranging from Music; some Blogging Tips; Poetry new blog discoveries; and some deep & meaningful reflections as well.
3. My blog revolves around my person.  Why ? Because I am more likely to relate to things that interest me – impact me – and hence better able to convey those thoughts to my readers.
4. I don’t have any music on auto-play.  I have blogged about some of my favourite music and the Magic Of Melodies by using links and video streams but none are on auto play. 
5. I use any and all sorts of videos and images that I feel will enhance my sporadic thoughts and help you relate to whatever it is that I am writing about. And that includes clip art.  I don’t own a personal database of over a billion images representing all walks of the universe.  That’s what the Gods of Google are there for.  However I’ve been lucky enough to capture some real Mumbai Moments as well as some great shots on my camping trip with my own camera so that should count for something !
6. I have a search box on the top right corner of my blog !  I also have a really cool tool-bar (that took me forever to find) at the bottom of this page.  And even if the feature was not available – there’s always the CTRL F feature right there on your keyboard !
7. Did yuo konw taht as long as teh frist and lsat letetrs of a wrod are palced coerrclty tehn you can from the snectnece wihtuot any turolbe.  I got an A in English through my schooling years.  I am quite a stickler for good grammar so not only do I use spell-checks when writing posts – I have also added certain words such as ‘woohoo’ to the dictionary just so that I have less errors during the spell-checks =P  Being a blogger is about being able to express yourself at leisure, or even whilst on the move – and hence small errors every now and then is still acceptable. Aaznmig, huh? Yaeh and I awlyas tghhuot slelinpg was ipmorantt!
8. I don’t spin articles – at least not intentionally.  I write about anything and everything (although I probably will never be able to write about ‘everything’) and considering there are over thousands of similar articles and posts across the blogosphere – there are bound to be similarity to my posts as compared to those who write with no fixed agenda.
9. My blog has been around for about 1.5 year and 152 sporadic thoughts old.  There were 28 posts between July ‘08 – Dec ‘08; and as of today excluding this post – 124 posts between Jan ‘09 and Dec ‘09 which is about 10 posts per month and 2-3 posts per week.  I’d like to think that makes a pretty regular blogger.  Ofcourse I could always try to write more .. but I can’t because I really can’t find the time to always be able to make a note of ‘everything’ that could perhaps be the most interesting content one would ever read.  I blog when I can – about whatever it is that I can – because I just ‘can’.
10. Some people actually like my blog and that’s good enough for me. I don’t blog because I’m trying to become an expert in my niche - I don’t even have a niche !  I’ve managed to receive awards from fellow bloggers – and  it was a total dazed blur of awards for me when I got 3 in September.  A few people out there thought my blog worthy of an award in the form of a JPG image which is pretty cool =) In fact one went on to call me an Awesome Girl too :)  My newbie blogger ego got the better of me at the start of the year and I nominated myself for the Bloggers Choice Awards (just for fun) and I’m proud to announce I got 18 votes – out of how many thousands I don’t know – for Best Blog About Stuff !
11. Various Blog Communities have given me some sort of decent ranking – even though I never asked to be ranked.  Don’t most of us belong to various blog communities or have been reading blogs for a while and hence got encouraged to write ?? because that’s how I got into blogging.  Besides the ranking status or Cyber Highway Traffic (as I like to call it) sort of gives one an idea of how other bloggers perceive their blogs.  I am not an expert – I’m not trying to be one – but I’d definitely like to know how I stand in the overall realm of things in blogosphere.
12. Lastly I’m not writing this post because I think my blog is ‘the bomb’ – that’s Bombchells department =) It’s not because I think that my blog is a Bitch Fab blog – that title totally goes to the Fab Bitch herself :) But the main reason that my blog doesn’t suck is because it’s MY blog and it’s all about My Sporadic Reflections =)

changing forms of communication insights interpretations just for fun people's perceptions random thoughts sparks of chemistry state of mind the cheerleader effect type of man you are attracted to type of woman you are attracted to

I heard this phrase for the first time the other night whilst watching ‘How I Met Your Mother’ … and it made such an impact that I actually replayed the scene to jot down the definition onto my phone.

Basically the cheerleader effect occurs when you see a group of girls (or guys) and they look ‘hot’ … BUT when you see each person ‘individually’ they are NOT ! So really they only appear hot as a collective group and NOT as individuals.  The phrase ideally is used for women however can apply to groups of men too.

I found it quite funny the way it was described in the show and turns out that the Urban Dictionary does have a definition for the phrase as well ! The Cheerleader Effect is also known as the  Sorority Girls Syndrome or the Bridesmaid Parado; for a brief window in the mid 90s the Spice Girls Conspiracy...SCARY Spice, indeed :P Oh and according to TheHappyGoat the PussyCat Dolls are another group of hotties who actually cause us to fall victim of the Cheerleader Effect

Jillian Wertheim recently wrote about the The Cheerleader Effect and has gone on to suggest that it is closely related to the Distance Dispute a.k.a where an individual looks appealing from afar but becomes less so as you approach.  I’ve known of this particular theory but never quite knew its name. 

So for you to really catch my drift – check out the video from the TV Show

Have any of you experienced the Cheerleader Effect ?  I’ve always wondered why is it that some of friends (guys and girls alike) – have pointed out groups of men who are sitting at private booths at clubs looking like total stud muffins (I love this word) and groups of women at the bar / dance floor who ooze sex appeal – and whenever I’ve managed to have a look at them – have never felt the same way.  My mates put it down to me being very critical.  Don’t get me wrong – I’m ALL for appreciating a good looking man or woman but lately it just seems that there are none around these days. 

I suppose that just means I’m not privy to the cheerleader effect and the power on my lenses are correct – I’m not mistaking fake hotties for real hotties =P  So if you have ever fallen victim to the cheerleader effect – don’t let it get you down – and definitely don’t let let it prevent you from ever approaching a group of ‘supposed’ hotties ever again. 

Just follow Jillians’ advise and instead, keep in mind how easily our senses can be deceived, and your chances of becoming a victim of the Cheerleader Effect will go way down

football fever football livescores live scores for football online bookmakers world sports network

I was just watching an episode of ‘How I Met Your Mother’ which focused on the Super Bowl … and it got me reminiscing about how my friends and I would gather around at my flat in London and we’d watch the football matches.

My mates were huge Liverpool supporters, and I was almost torn between choosing a favourite amongst Chelsea, Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool ! Yeah I know they are the top 4 teams but still .. the games were always fun to watch and had us on the edges of our seats !

The guys in our group used to tease my flat-mate and I about how we didn’t know much about the players or what exactly was going on in the game .. and being the type of person I am – I went over to my uncle who introduced me to a wicked website called the World Sports Network which not only gave you the livescore of the English teams but for football teams across globe with instant updates as well !

There came a point – where the lads would get surprised at just ‘how much’ us two girls knew about the matches (not that they ever caught on to our secret) and would often call up randomly to ask us what the livescore would be or check on the bookmakers odds (as if chicks – sorry to be stereotypical which I’m really not – but really – know football betting odds!)

After moving to Bombay – it seems like I rarely get a chance to catch up on football – let alone with friends … as I’ve mentioned before, most of my friends stay quite a drive away from me .. and the ones who are close by – aren’t that into watching footie.  Over the last week, whilst there have been some amazing football matches going on – I’ve been in Goa organizing a wedding for a client of mine.  The only way for me to keep up with the pace of the games and catch the highlights and match reports have been to log onto WSN.com and get my dose of livescores !

Watching this episode today just reminded me of how much fun it used to be to spend an afternoon at the pub or at home watching a footie game.  It really was footie fever – you can imagine what the English are like when it comes down to the game.  I can’t wait to get back into that mode again =)  Until then, I know where I have to go for my footie updates =)

If you are into football and haven’t been to the above site as yet – then you must check it out !

 

 

bargain deals online online shopping and saving online shopping trends saving 101 savings.com shopping trends

Wow ! Did I just clock on to that concept ?? I’ve managed to get into the habit of saving over the last two years … I’m 27 years old – turning 28 and I have only just realized the value of savings and how they come in handy. 

Tuesday will be the last day of my 2 year tenure as an employed individual – prior to that I used to run my own business and the itch has come back – so am leaving my job to start afresh on my own – again.  It’s the 5th day of the month; my November payslip hasn’t come in as yet and probably won’t for another 2 weeks (as I need to submit my exit form interview) and I’m already feeling slightly strapped for cash !  Talk about a blow to the wallet with Christmas around the corner !

I’ve always been a fan of online shopping considering I hate waiting in long queues and actually having to try on things.  So I’ve spent the last few days thinking about how to go about getting my Xmas pressies out to friends in the US and came across some super deals on Savings.com which showcases offers and discounts for over … hold your breath … 4984 Stores !!!

That’s like giving me the keys to my very own chocolate shop – better yet – it’s like having my own Theobroma ! There are some fantastic brands on the site and I came across quite a few that I liked.  Some of the killer deals included “Old Navy Coupons” ranging Free Shipping as well as discounts up to 75% on women's’ wear =)  In India it’s impossible to get Old Navy items – so I was excited to find this .. now I just need to figure out if they delivery internationally !

I also came across some "Body Shop Coupons” which is currently hosting a Friends & Family 20% Discount for another few days !  I’m definitely making my way to my local Body Shop to check out some of the local deals.  My cousin and sis-in-law are both handbag fanatics (ok which woman isn’t ?) and it was great to discover a new site (well for me it is) called E-Bags which has a stunning range of handbags as well as duffel bags, laptop bags and much more.  The best part about the site is that you can see the bags in different colours and it clearly shows the discounted rates so that you don’t have to wait till check-out to find out how much you are spending. 

To avoid bargain blunders if you are first time online shoppers – you must scrounge the web and do a comparison before picking up the first good offer that you see.

Don’t thank me – thank the Gods of Google and my new best friend over at Savings.com for some of the season’s best buys =)

changing times just for fun killing an idea random thoughts the death of creativity what an idea

I was browsing along blogosphere minding my own business, casually Flirting with the Crowds especially with the very cute Sami Viitamäki; when I came across something by Scott Campbell …

Absolutely brilliant ! Quite a unique way to capture how ideas and creativity get killed along the chain of command … what do you think ?

almost year end changing changing lifestyles changing times half a year gone by leaving jobs

I can’t believe it’s the start of December already ! This year has really flown by … Well maybe not all parts of it – but majority of the year has for sure.  It just feels like a few weeks ago I was talking about having a half a year go by …

Today is the start of my last week at work … I’ve gone ahead and resigned from the company I have worked with for the last two years as an events and wedding planner.  I wouldn’t have minded staying on but my immediate boss who I reported to for two years, HA, resigned about a month and a bit ago.  And just prior to that in September, another colleague whom I had worked with directly for 2 years, also resigned =(

I filled out all my exit forms and have started packing my things … damn it’s going to be a task ! It was in early May that I had shifted offices and had managed to pack my things into 4 large cartons and shift them to the other branch office down the road.  Now I have to pack all over again.  I hate packing !

As I lay on my bed writing this post, I’m wondering how to get rid of this dull throbbing headache and the ache in my left ankle … Looks like I might have to go back for physiotherapy … My foot hasn’t hurt like this in a while now and I’m guessing all the walking around (and some dancing too .. heck and some driving as well) is taking its toll again … but seriously how the hell is one supposed to go about day-to-day things without the use of their damn feet ??  I’m just grateful that I have feet and legs ! and the rest of my body parts intact too !

 

beating traffic charmed tv show super powers

… it would most definitely have to be the Power of 3 …. For those of you who never watched Charmed – then you’ve missed out !

It’s possibly one of the best shows I’ve seen and I was hooked on it .. to a point I would ditch my boyfriend and head back home to watch the show with my old flat-mate in London .. that was ‘our time’ to hang out and watch something together =) damn just thinking about those days make me smile and sends a shiver down my body … memories are great fun aren’t they ?

Getting back to the Power of 3 … the show is about 3 sisters (a fourth sister is discovered when one of them dies) who are considered to be the most powerful ‘good’ witches .. Each sister has a different power ranging from telekinesis and astral projection; ability to freeze objects (temporal statis) and blow things up at will (molecular combustion); the power of premonition (past and future) and the ability to combine telekinesis with orbing (objects and people) ….

If only I could have those sort of powers – it would make some things so much easier … especially orbing ! Considering the amount of traffic I sit through – at least the ability to orb would save me quite a few hours of my day.  It just seems that lately I seem to be wondering where do the hours go ??

an early start colleauges games people play mixed emotions morning meetings rumbling tummy tummy is rumbling

6:30 a.m is kinda early for me these days …. ever since my annoying foot injury I haven’t been able to go to the gym and hence no longer getting up that early to be at the gym … I had to be ready at 7:30 this morning to leave for a meeting about 60-70 kms away from my house …

I’m in the middle of pitching for an Xmas Mall promotion that would last about 3 weeks – it’s business hence I’m here at 9:45 a.m… So here I am at the meeting spot and guess what … the meeting was shifted from 10 a.m to 10:30 a.m but NO ONE told ME ! I only found out about the change as my new reporting manager happened to mention it when I was by the office – so I even went in there and spent about 30 minutes figuring ways to pass my time …

At the entrance of the mall – the security guards refused to let me in unless I was going for the 10 a.m movie ! Guess what – the actual mall doesn’t even open till 11 a.m !

So here I am – after having managed to get myself into the mall and seated at the food court (which is also closed till 11 a.m !!!) surrounded by the smell of food and my tummy is rumbling reminding me that I haven’t had any breakfast as yet !

Not the best way to start the day =(  I’m hungry and kinda cranky as well right now =(

awesome female bloggers awesome girl award best female bloggers blog blog awards blogger choice awards female bloggers at their best

I am totally borrowing this title from The Fabulous Bitch over at The Joys of My Splintered Life In Small Town … this sassy woman thinks that I (yes ME) am an ‘awesome girl’ ! AND she gave me an Award ! woooohoooo !

 

She wrote this about me :

Dazediva
Sporadic Reflections
Have you seen her avatar? Yeah. I like me a girl who can down a shot. I love Dazediva. I am imagining her as a good girl, but who has a naughty wild side. I am also imagining her as an exotic beauty. Yep, I sort of have a girl crush on her!
Dazediva is also such a sweet blogger who is always checking up on my blog. Just to see if it is still alive

I’ve been meaning to thank her for a while now – actually since 4th October but my life has literally been on a roller coaster ride so I hope she’ll accept my apologies and just remember that I can be pretty awesome when I’m not feeling totally mind-f**ked !

I really do love my shots (vodka, B52’s, flaming lambourghinis, Tequila & Tabasco – I’m happy with all sorts of shots  other than whiskey or beer) and am proud of the fact that I could probably drink most guys under the table ! 

I suppose in some ways I’m a ‘good girl’ .. actually I am … with a super naughty streak and wild side too =) damn Ms Fab you’ve really got me pegged down haven’t you ???

Like The Fabulous Bitch, most of the time – I don’t think of myself as a ‘girl’ and I’m most definitely not a ‘girly girl’ either … Since this is my blog and I am allowed to indulge in some self-praise – I like to think of myself as a pretty sexy tom-boy girl hehe Some of my guy mates have suggested that I ooze sex appeal without being super girly about it and I pride myself on that =) 

So I’m quite content with everyone thinking of me as an exotic beauty *hint*hint* after all my cheek bones are to die for ;) but on a more serious note – I was voted ‘Best Cheek Bones’ in high school amongst a few other things … As I’ve mentioned before – I’m a potpourri when it comes to my upbringing – and somehow I feel it might have rubbed off on me wherein my ‘looks’ are concerned … I hardly ever get told that I’m fully Indian – I tend to have people think of me as mixed race … I’ve gotten Arab, Turkish, Indian-Latin, half African and even Ethiopian (when I had string braids in my hair spiked with blue!).

Ok enough self-praise and babble on my end (although you were probably secretly enjoying it) … And now it’s time to give out this award to some awesome girls ! *drum rolls*

WhiteSockGirl … and it’s not because she’s given me an award but because this girl tells it like it is – there is no room for the fainthearted at her blog ;) so make sure you check out Splintered Life

Bombchell with a name like that and blog that is just as feisty – she is definitely the most awesome girl in Atlanta !  Her blog explores her wild side, her first video blog, and the latest fashion trends .. check out her boots ! daaamn !

Simone Grant of Sex Lies & Dating in the City … her blog was one of the first few blogs I started reading that got me hooked instantly; she’s a consistent blogger – and I find it fascinating how one person is able to put so many thoughts and actions into words that create a lasting image into the reader … Not only does she take the time to respond to all her comments and readers – but she was sweet enough to check-in on me when I disappeared for my rafting holiday … so no surprise that she is an awesome girl blogger !

Nipsy a.k.a. Nipplelicious … I’ve been lurking around her blog for a few weeks – maybe even 3 months now and am amazed at how she just ‘goes with the flow’ … you have to read her blog and it will leave you laughing so hard and you’ll always remember her when you think of a motel style hotel !

Lost Plum … Another amazing blogger who I haven’t given enough credit too .. Discovered her blog via Simone’s and have been kinda hooked here as well.  Her writing style is ‘direct’ ! And her post titles just crack me up ! She’s definitely an awesome girl :)

Miss Teerious Kaddu … aaah this a blogger who has saved me from being a technical html failure ! She’s a computer wiz and when it came down to me putting up my blog awards – I could think of no one else but her to get some coding work ! And she never let me down either – instant response ! Go check her out if you haven’t already.

Miss Malini .. she’s someone I’ve not mentioned here before and I should have … this young lady is a radio jockey; a writer for one of the Mumbai papers and has an endless supply of local Mumbai & Bollywood gossip for you.  I’m fortunate enough to know her as a person (prior to acquiring knowledge of her mini celeb status) .. also helps that she has one of the few English radio shows in Mumbai ! so yeah – she’s pretty awesome =) 

Girls – you are truly awesome in your own individual ways and I’m glad to have discovered you through the blogosphere !

That’s all from me folks – I think I’ve given you enough awesome girls to go and check out .. literally ! So go for it and drop me your thoughts on what you think about their blogs … and whilst you are at it – show them some comment lurve too =)

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Talk about a wicked excuse ! Ladies and Gentlemen – watch and learn =P

I came across this video on FaceBook that a mate of mine had put up and I just had to share it with you all !

What do you think ? Could you ever come up with such a wild story ?

fragrances perfume fragrances perfumes scent.net smells like what's in a smell what's your fragrance

French Vanilla !

The other night I was about to head out for a house party and sort of lingered over my perfume collection and was wondering ‘how I want to smell’ that night … yeah you read that right .. I didn’t think about which perfume I wanted to wear but more so how I wanted to smell …

Silly I suppose – but it all started years ago in high school when I started wearing ‘Fleur de Vanille – Vanilla Flower’ by L’Occitane.  It’s an Eau De Toilette and by far the one scent that has gotten head turning reactions even out on the crowded Oxford Street in London !   I had gotten this perfume from a class mate who had picked it up for me from Saudi Arabia – and the first day I wore it in school – almost every guy in my class and the class above me must have stopped to ‘sniff’ me !  My then boyfriend told me that all he could think about coming close to me was ‘desserts’ !  Another one of the guys labeled me ‘brown sugar’ after that since I was smelling so sweet ! 

I must have gone through a few bottles of this perfume and then suddenly the company stopped making it ! I was almost in depression and managed to save my last bottle and still have it to date with less than half an inch of perfume left in there !  The company did come out with another one which is quite close to the original and its called L’Occitane Eau De Toilette de Vanilliers – slightly different shaped bottle but just as sexy when put on :) 

However a couple of weeks ago – I ‘wanted’ another original bottle and quite literally went through every website possible including Scents.net which caters to a wide range of women’s fragrances across brands to try and hunt it down.  I couldn’t find what I was looking for but I did find quite a few of my other favourite perfumes on there so do go and check it out – there are some bargain buys too !

At the end of the day – I do like a variety of perfumes – but tend to stay with fairly light summer scents for casual everyday wear … something along the lines of an Estee Lauder – Pleasures; Escada – Into the Blue.  I don’t really Since I’m a total night person and party animal in the evenings – I prefer something that catches the attention of those around me such as Christian Dior – Hypnotic Poison or Dolce Vita; Chopard – Wish; Thiery Mugler – Angel. 

My evening scents are much stronger than what I would wear during the day – however they all have one thing in common – the fragrance that comes about from each of these perfumes once it touches my skin – always reminds me of a strong vanilla scent – and it’s more or less become my trade mark =)  The smell is just soothing to me – gives me a nice warm fuzzy feeling and at the same time a zap of energy – like a boost to my day.

What about you ? Are there any smells that move you to the core ? or any that just make you want to hold your nose and wonder ‘why??’  So .. what’s your smell like :P or shall I be politically correct and say ‘what’s your fragrance’ ? 

 

Useful Link

• stocking stuffer perfume

adventure sports adventures body surfing camping nature white water rafting

I’ve just come back from what could possibly be one of the most mind blowing holidays’ ever !

For the first time, I gave up complete control and let ‘someone else organize’ a holiday and I just went along with it … no questions asked (okay that’s a bit of a lie – I did question quite a few things but never really got a response and was told to ‘shut up’ and ‘enjoy the vacation’)

I’m not the most religious person that you’d meet – but that’s not to say that I don’t believe in God.  I do believe there is an entity that watches over us all and is the creator / coordinator of life !  Yeah coordinator is my way of describing it ! hehe

So where did I end up on this vacation (which by the way is the first proper vacation I’ve taken since July 2008) … I found myself ‘camping’ on a silver sand beach right on the river Ganges … yup that’s right – the Holy River !  

And when I say camping – I really mean ‘camping’ … which is something I’ve never done before … the closest I’ve been camping has been desert overnighters whilst growing up in Dubai and even then those were quite luxurious.

We were camping out in Rishikesh, which is a city in the state of Uttarkhand.  The city is also known as the ‘gateway to the Himalayas’ and is about 25 kms away from another holy city ‘Haridwar’.  It’s also recently come to be known as the adventure capital of India.

I went out white water rafting on the Ganges; kayaking; rappelling; body surfing; stayed in a really funky tent; was petrified of using the make-shift loo’s at night; sat by a campfire every night and snuggled up in a blanket every night after zipping my tent shut !

The pictures above are various views of the actual campsite – it was spread across the beach - maybe a kilometer or so and proved to be a lot of fun =)  The tin can with the mirror was basically our ‘freshening up’ zone !

This was a camp organized by a company called AquaTerra and I must say – they were excellent.  I spent 5 nights out there and just gave myself up to nature and literally forgot about civilization i.e. switched my phone off (I have NEVER done this); no laptop (this was hard!); no electricity; and best of all – I just stopped ‘thinking’

If you have ever contemplated a camping / rafting trip in India – then I highly recommend the above company and definitely make a trip down to Rishikesh.  The natural beauty that you can find out there is just breath taking !