-: Dreamer's Den! :-

One more day gone its now 4 days to go...

Today, April 29th, marks one of the most important days in my life. It is the Wedding Anniversary day of my parents... Wish you both, appa and amma, Happy and Fun filled Wedding Day!! Love you both and god is so kind to me to gift such a nice, caring and wonderful parents for me and my family! Since I am far away to be physically present on this day, I gifted them the idea of going for a early morning Lord Venkateshwara darshan in Tirumala. They are now in that holy place and I wish both of them enjoy their small gift and trip, on this wonderful day! Hope and Wish the divine almighty blesses them and us with peace, prosperity and happiness for our journey, called LIFE! :-)

One more day has passed and its now 5 days to go ...

This day, last year... All preparations for the once-in-lifetime function was on, with some rituals about to be kicked off...some tension, lot of happiness in my parents face was clearly visible! :-) So, the mega countdown begins today and now, its 6 days to go ...

We had heard of Al-Shindagha tunnel in Dubai, close to where we stay, Bur-Dubai but we had never been to that tunnel. This is the tunnel which has been constructed under-water so as to cross from one side of the Dubai to other side, which is separated by the Creek. Yesterday we took a taxi to go to Gold Souk and to reach this place, we have to pass thru the tunnel. Just amazing to see that this tunnel was built in 1975 just to ease traffic movement from one side of the creek to another. Wish we had some infrastructure and vision like this, back in our country!

Yesterday, at last, we visited the world famous ' Gold Souk ' (read: Gold Market), for which Dubai is named 'The City of Gold'! Gold prices have dropped a bit around the world and in Dubai it has come below the 100-mark, for first time after 1-2 months! Current gold rate is AED 99.50 (approx 1095 INR) There are so many stores lined up and so many 5 floors buildings within which there are so many gold shops - all sporting different varieties and designs of gold ornaments, right from pendants, bangles, chains to huge necklaces!! Some of them are so tempting to go for but the M-factor always reminds of to stay limited :-) We wanted to buy couple of bangles and we roamed around for sometime and then we zeroed on some stores like Joyalukkas, Damas, Pure Gold, Al Haseena, Atlas, Sky Jewellery. Some of the designs in every store was impressive but at the end of the day, making charges differs from each store to another. Big brands = High making charges, pattern follows... S

Yesterday evening, my wife and myself went out for a walk and while coming back we had to cross a very busy road (Sheikh Zayed Road, off Karama area). To cross this road, there was a not-so-major signal installed to help pedestrians cross. So when we went to cross the road, the traffic signal was green and hence vehicles were zooming in, as usual, in their 80-100 kmph speed. After few seconds, the signal became red and pedestrian signal showed green to cross. Cars in the first 2 lanes stopped and the 3rd lane was pretty open with no cars coming near. So when we were about to cross the road, out of nowhere a car zoomed-in the 3rd lane and went past...Probably s/he would be in 60-80kmph speed! Some of us at the signal were bit shocked for a second since if we would have started crossing the road, then we would be hit by that stupid car and definitely some bones would have cracked! God knows why these kind of people still exist in a place where traffic violations are strict and 99% of

Yesterday night standing in the balcony of my room, I was watching the empty Taxis go by the streets and checking their luck to find customers! (Needless to say, in the morning its the other way - Customers roam around to find Taxis!!) Then my mind started thinking of the CHOICE they make when they reach a intersection of roads - they can continue to go straight or they can either go left or take right or worse, they can take a U-turn and go back...As I watched, some taxis took left, some right and some continued straight to meet yet another intersection! (Good that no taxi took U-turn to go back! :-)) I was then thinking of how each taxi driver's choice would be either fruitful (to get a customer at the end of the road) or fruitless (by making them roam for customers!) This is where LUCK also comes into picture where it can either be with the driver (to make him/her find a customer) or be totally opposite to him/her (make him/her roam all the night!) I think this is one small y

Last week, I just came out to the balcony of my room and suddenly found that something was floating in the air! And a second later, found that an Helicopter is doing rounds holding this huge banner!! I had spotted this earlier also and written about that and this was the second time I saw this - 'Helicopter Marketing'!! A unique, new and costly approach for the marketing world! :-)

Wish you a very Happy and Prosperous Ugadi and New Year! It is time to have the Bevu-Bella (mixture of sour - Neem leaves and sweet - Jaggery in life) and welcome the prosperous new year!! We got bevu here, from trees lined-up on the roads and then we had jaggery at home...So, today had this prasadam and celebrate the festival day! Missing my folks back at home, holiday today and time to enjoy!

Finally, the much awaited election dates has been announced! All the related people who were sleeping/enjoying/doing whatever for the past 5 months have to get up now and start their business! Kind of bad news..:-(( Anyways, this election day for Bangalore city is on May 10th and wow! what a way to celebrate my birthday when I am away from the country!! :O) Sadly or not, myself and my wife will not be able to vote this time...hope nobody else does a proxy voting for us! :-) But now the million dollar question (is it so??) is the grand gala opening of our new and much waited Bengalooru International Airport (BIA) which is scheduled on May 11th - will it get a opening or will the dates be further postponed by a month, till the so called *new government* comes into picture?? I just think the latter one will gonna happen as lot of people have to take credit for this Airport making and opening and without those people, how can flights fly in/out of Bengalooru!! :-) Just a matter of wait