But its really over hyped and if someone like me can get it within 1 month and on the first try, so can you.

When I moved to Dubai, the one thing I was worried about more than anything else was getting a drivers license. I mean, that’s one thing people always warned me, it was a nightmare as many told. To cement off the rumors there were examples of people who tool upto 15-20 tries before they got theirs. I had to assume that it should take atleast some 5-10 tries for me. I don’t consider myself an expert driver, but I love driving, especially long drives with my folks. And I’ve driven across most parts of south India, big time, but that’s no qualification for a Dubai driver. The roads were confusing at the first look, and the testing authority guys were nothing less than “attrocious” as many told.

But I enrolled with a learning agency called Belhasa, and with my friends recommendation enrolled with a well mannered instructor, I think that helped a lot. He was a big help, and promised me that if I get the basics right, he’ll get me my license in the shortest possible time. Of course, unlike in India no bribing/recommendations can happen here, so you had to perform well, or try again later, ok tata bye bye.

I cleared all the preliminary tests with ease, honestly they were no big deal. The one crucial thing I learned was that before you started driving, you had to “unlearn” a few things. I mean if you were a long time driver, you had to unlearn all those driving habits of your’s. Like driving with one hand resting or using your fingers to turn the steering. My instructor taught me all the basics right and I had to keep repeating them however awkward it was. let me list out some of them for ya.

- Hold your hands on the steering wheel, above the first half. (Hope you understand whatever that meant.)

- While switching lanes, always look first to the rear middle mirror, then to the side mirror, then the blind spot and then back to the rear mirror.

And a plethora of other stuff. Most of them were awkward and you had to “act it out” in order to be a driver

The final test is scary, many say but I think that is the whole thing. There is no reason to get scared here actually. Its where you have to be natural. It is tough because there will be three more guys with you in the car excluding the officer. And you get anything from 1-3 minutes to take the test. The officer mostly is an Arab officer from the RTA and not very “friendly” I should say. But that’s not the point. The point is whether you get tensed or not. If you get tensed, one can easily make it out even before you start driving when you search for where the hand break is and get clumsy with the gear  (like one guy with me in the car did). Just play it cool and don’t get clumsy, think like you’re driving with someone in your family and drive along, that’s all. The major point is keep passenger safety as your first priority, and not showing your “driving skills”.

Anyways, I got the license in less than a month and am proud of it, also considering me lucky and fortunate enough to get a good instructor. If you are someone who’s appearing for a driving test in Dubai, do let me know and I can give you his contact, if you’re interested.

1 – A device for the family

its probably going to completely change the idea of each one in the family having their own device. it might just bridge the gap and come in as the one device we all share (whether we have separate machines or not)

2 – A computer for the living room

how about carrying your tablet to the living room, watching movies and TV on it, also sipping your tea and reading newspapers while you swipe n flip through it ? thats the tablet if not anything else.

3 – A single device that takes everything media into it

I’m guessing the tablet would be the device that would seamlessly integrate everything media around you. cameras, external hard disks and all that we’d love to use along with together, with wireless keyboards and wifi as never before, it all looks easy like never before.

4 – Mobile computing like never before

I’d carry it everywhere I take, if it looks anything like the one’s seen in mockups and rumor stories. its slick, easy to use and cool.

Can’t hold the excitement, let’s see what comes up. Anyways, I’m quite sure that it’ll live up and out do the expectations, as Steve has always have.

The Mumbaikar iPhone App is the first of its kind from the Flip Media stable and is quite an innovative one, so much that you won’t find anything as close to as this anywhere else.

So next time you visit Mumbai, you know whom to ask for directions to the cinema.

1 – US$800,000,000.00 was pumped into building this architectural marvel.

Now, who’s talking about economic crisis.

2 – The Burj Dubai Adress – P.O Box No. 1, Burj Dubai, Dubai

Easy to remember, is it not ?

3. How would it look, had Burj been in the US ?

4. Building consists of 57 elevators, 1,044 residential apartments and 49 floors of office space.

5. An office space costs US $4,000 per square feet.

6. Giorgio Armani opens his first ever Hotel chain in Burj Dubai.

7. The building is 818 m tall but can be reached at 60 seconds by elevator

8. The entire building consists of 162 floors.

9. Burj Dubai is said to have used 330,000 cubic meters of concrete, which would be equal the weight of 100,000 elephants.

10. 293 2.93 Eiffel Towers should be stacked one after another to match Burj Dubai’s height.

11. From the top of Burj, a total of 80 Kilometres can be seen around it.

12. 28,261 Glass panel cover the entire outside panels.

13. The Burj Dubai design is based on a flower called Hymenocallis a.k.a Desert Flower

Image courtesy – Dubai Tower

The funny/hard fact is that, I actually passed out while peeing, fell flat on the floor, hit my head to the wash basin, and went back to sleep as if nothing happened !! Realized this only in the morning.

Luckily, my folks weren’t at home (they’re still in India) but only my dad in law, who in the morning said he heard a big sound (me falling to the floor of course). If they witnessed this not so funny incident, they would’ve panicked and took it over board. (its actually no big deal and even as I write this post I feel I’m over reacting.)

As a matter of fact, Micturition Syncope is a normal phenomenon happening to particularly males, caused due to a sudden dip in blood pressure, while/after peeing. The reasons are not known, but there isn’t nothing much you can do about it, except sitting while “doing the thing”, or resting a while on the bed, rather than jumping out.

This is my first ever experience, and really hope it doesn’t happen again. Has any of you you had anything similar ?

(And no pics this time. Sorry.)

I came to know about Pranav Mistry via the TED forums and I’m so glad I did. This young man is the epitome of inspiration to many youth, worldwide Indians and others for that matter. To me, what’s more attractive than anything else is his humility and passion. He’s the man behind the “Sixth Sense Device” and here are a few TED video which are “must sees”.

Wish him all the best.

The world as we see it is full of irregularities. Rich, poor, fat, thin, cool, uncool and I’m someone who finds joy in it. Not because I belong to one class or a sect which is comfy, but the fact that we co-exist despite these differences. We would all take turns to go through being rich, poor, cool and uncool, I haven’t seen anything permanent with anyone. Anyone. Then why do people behave as if they deserve to be getting a pat on the back for helping someone who hasn’t been gifted with what they’ve got ? Its silly. Grow up pls.

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The film was like a reminder that said, that we lost a legend, leaving behind a big vaccum no one could fill or replace. It also reminded how big and spectacular the new concert would have been, had the man lived today.

The movie was put together in bits and pieces from handy cams and mobile videos and is like a “this is what it would’ve been” glimpse to the efforts by Kenny Ortega and his team. MJ looks electrifying on the stage, lots of energy and charisma though I felt that he was looking fragile more than ever.

The movie ends with a silent note and makes you leave the cinema with a heavy heart.

We’ve lost a great music legend and a performer. There’s none like MJ, he’ll live in our hearts.