Wednesday, July 29, 2015

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

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




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



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



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



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




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



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




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




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



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



Thursday, July 9, 2015

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

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

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

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

Also there is a new trend in the market called crash diets which are calorie restricted weight loss diets
.
These rapid weight loss diets invariably fail because they are metabolically unsound and often unsafe.
Also these kinds of diets reduce more money than fats from the obese person.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


Wednesday, July 8, 2015

The new App for cricket : UC Cricket by UC Browser

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

This App can be downloaded from the homepage of UC Browser for Android.
It provides users with more interactive & intuitive cricket services. It enables enthusiasts to catch live scores, instant updates and even play guessing games while on the move.

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

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

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



This post is written for UC Browser.







Monday, July 6, 2015

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


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





Here is the official review.

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


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

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


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


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


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


Engine & Performance

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

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


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

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

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

Fuel Efficiency & Price
110PS variant is robust, fast and fuel efficient.
The 85PS variant stands no lesser.
Renault has intelligently priced both the variants.
85PS is available at Rs 8.5 lakh.
110PS engine is available in 2 versions, RxL & RxZ both priced around Rs 12 lakh.



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


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