Goa, India

Best Lifestyle Blog of Goa

Month: June 2017

Red Hot chili Peppers to play in India – Let’s make it happen!

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

How many times has it happened that we’ve madly hoped, prayed, for our favorite international artist or band to perform in India? How many times has it materialized ? How many times do concerts cancel right before the event date?

Remember the cancellation of Bryan Adams event in Delhi back in year 2011, Korn in Mumbai was cancelled in 2012, David Guetta in Bengaluru in 2017? None were cancelled because tickets were not sold. Various realities have scared Indian Music promoters from taking risks and bringing India’s favorite International artists to perform live.

Wanting to make a dream come true, to watch a favourite international artist in India, made two veteran entrepreneurs and music lovers, Kabir Bhasin (co-founder of Furlenco) and Kanishka Sharma (Ex-Flipkart), come up with an idea. This idea is called Fanagig.

The idea is simple. If they themselves are willing to pay to watch their favourite band perform in India, then there must be a few thousand more that would put money down for the same band? If yes, then the concept Fan-A-Gig will be a break through platform to revolutionize the whole live music scene in India!

How does Fan-A-Gig work?

Prerequisite: You are a fan of live music.

All you have to do is go to www.fanagig.com, browse existing campaigns and vote for the one (or more) bands you love. Your support, your vote, will go a long way in making the dream come true.

Votes must reach the goal before Fanagig will take the next step.

If your favorite artist is not in the on-going campaign list, then Fan-A-Gig gives you an option to create your own campaign.

Share campaigns through your social media, get other fans to vote and watch the magic happen.

Once there are sufficient votes, Fan-A-Gig then does the rest of the work for you. After that, all you have to do is pay for your ticket and pack your bag for the concert of your dreams!

Sign up for the cause! Bring the revolution! Let’s make a change! Let’s spread the word and make sure every Indian fan gets the chance of enjoying their artist perform live .

And wait, we are not just talking about big international bands like Red Hot Chili Peppers, Black Eyed Peas or The Cranberries but also great Indian bands like Indus Creed, Parikrama, Raftaar or Badshah! Since it’s about music, there are no boundaries of genres. There is something for every fan. All you need to do is sign up or run a campaign and get this going.

UK Locations For Indian Weddings

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

Everyone loves a wedding, right? Free food, free drink, and a touch of celebration thrown in! What more can you ask for? But something that can put a fly in the ointment for a lot of wedding guests is a destination wedding. Especially if it is one which they have to travel a long way to get to like the UK. But there are a lot of gorgeous places to tie the knot in the British Isles in the traditional Indian manner, as you will discover as you read on. So it’s definitely a serious contender for your marriage ceremony. It can even work in your favour if you have lots of family and friends over there.

England

Getting married in England is a popular choice among young couples these days. There are plenty of venues designed for the traditional Indian wedding there too, so you can invite friend and family from home and the local community.

When looking for you venue consider things like how easy it will be for everyone to get to the venue from their home and hotels. As well as if there is some outside space that the kids can play in when everything gets a bit too much, and they become board.

Some particularly great venues in England that will seat the large number associated with Indian wedding include The Amex Stadium in Sussex that sets up to 450 guests. Or why not try The Auction House in Bedfordshire, where you can seat a massive 650 guests?

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Ireland

But if a wedding in England is too mainstream for you, why not try a location in another part of the UK? Ireland that green and pleasant land is a very popular area for weddings in general. But you may be doubtful that they are up to speed on the special requests that need to be made for an Indian style wedding?

Of course, they may not host these types of the wedding as regularly as others, but there are some venues that are wonderfully accommodating when it come to this. For example, you can see the evidence of a very fruitful and beautiful Indian wedding at Lough Erne, Enniskillen by clicking the link.

Wales

Another popular location in which to search for your venue in The UK is Wales. Again outside of the main cities such as Cardiff, you may struggle to find a venue that holds enough people for your big day. But if you long to have your celebration on the rolling green hills as is not lost.

In fact, many places such as this South Wales wedding venue can accommodate over 300 people with the addition of a marquee tent. Something that is a lovely feature in a summer wedding, giving it that informal festival type vibe.

Scotland

Lastly, depending on the location your relatives and friends you may want to consider wedding venue location in Scotland. This small country on the very Northern Tip of the UK is known for its stunning, slightly barren landscapes which would make for particulate dramatic photos.

There are also plenty of old castles too which provide the perfect backdrop to some royal style celebrations and can often fit in a large number of guests due to them containing banquet halls and ballrooms. See http://markpacura.co.uk/ for a good example of this.

 

 

 

Secrets in the Spice Mix- Book Launch by Pankaj Bhadouria at Piali, CP

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

Pankaj Bhadouria, has been a household name ever since she won the title of first Master Chef India, and there has been no looking back for her. Her constant growth in terms of her cooking skills and her overall persona has been an inspiration to many women who used to think that cooking is only a duty and not a passion that can turn your life around. But Pankaj has proved her mettle over and over again, and more recently by launching her 5th book, she not only proves her capabilities as a chef but also tries touching a million chords by giving her readers exactly what they need.

Food is synonymous to breath for her and spices are the essence of it. Her journey of teaching kids in a classroom to teaching young chefs and cooks the art of making food is one of its kind. Right after winning the competition she has come to the world imparting her culinary skills to the world through the form of shows or books.

The right blend of spices is crucial to Indian cooking and it’s the combination of different spices that make some dishes so hard to resist. India’s First MasterChef Pankaj Bhadouria has identified around 50 such spice mixes with a tantalizing recipe following each spice mix which can be made at home. With 4 books to be acclaimed for, Pankaj’s 5th book, The Secrets in the Spice Mix, helps you make these wonderful spices at the comfort of your home and infuse some authentic flavours to your everyday cooking.

Chosen Piali, The Curry Bistro, as the venue for launch of her book, Panjak went on to conduct a live cooking session as well.

Piali’s menu is one of its kind and what makes it different is the class of curry and the spices that go into making them what they are! One such dish on the menu is the Thai Curry. Pankaj not only shared her secret spices and signed the books for her followers but also demonstrated the cooking of the Thai curry live for the present audience.

“I am really excited to be launching my secrets at Piali and the following live cooking session. I am happy to be able to share them with my audiences and where better than a place which savors the spices the most!” said an eager Pankaj.

Upon being asked what her favourite cuisine and dish was, she said it without any apprehensions that her favourite cuisine for sure is Indian, and she loves home cooked Khichdi, for the simplicity of the dish. Here is a glimpse of the event coverage right from the Piali’s Facebook Page.

She is such a down to earth person, that meeting her overtime, leaves me inspired totally. She fills me with so much of gratitude and warmth. I wish Pankaj all the success for her book, and stay tuned, will be sharing the book review and a recipe from it soon as I am currently reading my personally signed copy of the book, and in my kitchen trying the recipes.

 

 

Harappa: Curse of Blood River by Vineet Bajpai, a book I am looking forward to read

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

Bajpai’s book Harappa: Curse of the blood river, which is said to be one of the most anticipated Historical thriller book of the Year, was launched at Indian Habitat Center on 9th June 2017 amidst book enthusiasts in New Delhi in Tamarind Hall. There were the book lovers and Delhi’s socialites who attended this wonderful book launch. The author is currently on a book tour across India for the same.

 

 

Vineet is a first-generation entrepreneur. At age 22 he started his company Magnon from a small shed. Today Magnon is among the largest digital agencies in the subcontinent, and part of the Fortune 500 Omnicom Group. He has led the global top-ten advertising agency TBWA as its India CEO.  It was his drive to excel and do something different that made him perhaps the youngest ever CEO of a multinational advertising network in the country.

He has written three bestselling management & inspirational books – Build From Scratch, The Street to the Highway and The 30 Something CEO. I have personally read them all and they have been instrumental in giving me direction in my corporate life.

 

The author during the launch of the book described his agenda of taking Indian History to the global world and letting people know of its rich heritage.

“It was only when I spent nights and days in penning down the manuscript of Harappa, that I understood the emotional connection needed between a fiction writer and his work. We can’t say that writing a business or management book takes no emotional energy, of course it does. But after having written three of them and then writing Harappa, I can assure you that a storyteller has nearly an umbilical cord connected with his work. I know this might sound silly, but every time I read some of the more intense parts of Harappa, especially the last four or five chapters, my eyes well up. I could not believe that I was crying every time I was reading what I had myself created and written! But believe me, that is the intensity of a writer’s relationship with his work. And hopefully, that is the intensity of Harappa as a book. ” says the author, Vineet Bajpai.

 

The trailer of the book looks so intriguing that I am dying to get my hands on the book.

I have already ordered my copy, so what are you waiting for, its available on Amazon for Rs 130/- Keep watching this space, review to follow soon.

Lets Share Life.. World Blood Donors Day!

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

Donating blood is not only a noble act but also a necessary one. How many times we see various posts and requests about the need for donors of blood in times of emergencies, but blood that matches the receiver’s blood group and which is safe to be used is difficult to find easily in hours of emergency. To promote this noble cause we celebrate 14th June as World Blood Donors Day.

Image Source-Pixbay

On this day we express our gratitude towards the individuals who donate their blood with the hope of saving a precious life. To further support this cause a new app, named Life is also available on the Google Play Store. This app helps you locate donors and recipients in nearby places easily in hours of need. These donors are verified, and hence safe, so please download this app today and as a gratitude to all those life savers, become a life saver yourself. The link for app download is

https://goo.gl/oVMcwS
Donating blood does not only let you save a life, but also lets you share your life with someone in need. It is an act of passing on something precious to someone who needs it more. So, let us all pledge to donate towards saving precious lives, and contribute towards making the world a better place. #SharingLife

 

 

For Those About To Pop The Question…

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

Pexels

…we salute you! Every woman has a few moments in their life that they will remember forever, and the day we get engaged is one of them. While we’ve all dreamt about our perfect wedding day, the moment we get engaged is the key event that sets the wheels in motion, so it’s important to not mess it up! This is for all those who are thinking about saying those four simple words, what to do, what not to do, and why it’s never a good idea to do it in front of a huge crowd…

The Best Time…

You’ll know when it’s the best time. You know her well enough that you will be able to navigate through a stressful period in life, or do you? Be sure to cater to her tastes. If she is coy and reserved, it’s unlikely she’ll appreciate being asked in front of 16,000 people at a ball game. Likewise, popping the question in front of family and friends can be a bit too clichéd for many people. A nice, quiet walk along the beach is an understated option, and besides, if she wants to share it with the world, social media is merely a click away.

The Ring…

This can be a massive struggle for a lot of people. You need the ring to match their personality, so if she is a classical and demure type of person, you should go for something understated and elegant. While you have your choice of diamond engagement rings to choose from, you can always go for something personalized, and the best way to really find out is to look at the jewelry your bride to be has. Are they showy, or are they mainly plain bands? As a rule, the ring should cost around three months’ salary, so make of that what you will. But, if you are one of the lucky ones, the ring has already been picked out for you, and numerous hints have been dropped!

Congratulations! Now What?

This is where life gets really interesting! It’s either time for a long engagement, and a lot of people don’t really see the point in that. Unless you are really struggling with your finances, you may wish to start saving up money before doing any wedding planning, but if you’re able to do it in a short timeframe, it is possible. That special someone in your life will have so many ideas on their perfect wedding day you could very easily sit back and let the plans form themselves! But if you have close family, they will be willing to help in whatever way they can. So you could be very lucky and get a lot of financial help from the in-laws!

If the proposal is perfect, it will make the rest of the preparation so much easier. And while it’s so stressful to get right, the moment she says “yes” will make it all so worthwhile. And you will be the happiest, albeit broke, person in the world.

 

 

Mango Mania at Imperfecto

Mango Mania at Imperfecto

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

Come summers, and almost every restaurant comes up with special menus, and we surely need them, because we need a reason to celebrate summers, and what better than food. When talking of food and summers, its difficult to ignore mangoes, and keeping this combination in mind, Imperfecto came up with an AAM Menu.

 

To try this menu, I went to the Sector 38 Noida outlet, and first things first, you cannot ignore the ambience of this place. Right from the moment you step into the restaurant, the spaciousness, the decor, everything takes on you. Explore the place which is spread across almost three floors, as the terrace itself as two levels, and what a terrace, words cannot justify the beauty of this place, you really have to visit and see for yourself. Lush greenery, amazing artistic pieces, comfortable seating and a great view, it has all.

Now coming to the food, the mango menu, had a great mix of salads, appetisers and main course dishes along with specially curated cocktails and mocktails.

To beging with the 3 course meal, we first tried the salads,  Alphonso Mango Salad and Street Cart Mango Salad. The alphonso mango salad as the name suggests was prepared using alphonso mangoes and was on a sweeter side because of the obvious reasons, but was very refreshing. It had some apples too. Having alphonso mangoes is always a treat and I really enjoyed this creation. The Street Cart Salad, on the other hand was sweet and sour, striking a balance between flavours especially with the presence of capsicum slices in the salad the taste was well balanced. I enjoyed both the salads to fullest.

 

I enjoyed these salads with a glass of Mangoberry, which was an amazing mocktail made with fresh mango pulp, mint and a hint of lime.

 

Coming to the appetisers, its really difficult to say which one was the best, as each one of them was amazing and trust me I mean it.

Mango Chicken Tikka was simply delicious, chicken tikka grilled to perfection with a nice tangy mango sauce, an unusual combination but amazing tastes. Both the tandoori flavour of chicken tikka and sweetish tanginess of mango complimented each other.

 

Grilled Chicken with Mint Sauce was one of the best dishes I have eaten in recent times, such tender and juicy chicken chunks with dollops of mango sauce and green chutney, it was more than delicious. The sweetness of mango sauce, the spiciness of green chutney and the juices of grilled chicken, overall made it melt in a mouth experience.

 

Stuffed Chicken with Mango was another flavoursome dish and I really liked it. For vegetarians, there was Stuffed Cottage Cheese with Mango and Grilled Paneer with Mango Chutney, I tried a bit of both of these dishes, and they were amazing.

 

 

For the mains, we had Malaysian Style Mango Chicken Noodles and they were amazing. Though the mangoes were really sweet in themselves, but the overall spices balanced the taste well, and not even a single dish looked or tasted a forceful fit of mangoes.

Then we also had the Chicken Mango Rice, Yan Chow Style, which again tasted really good, and I again have to say that the mango wasn’t a force fit, the dishes, the spices, and presence of mango really complimented each other and that was the best part. Even the vegetarian varieties, were great to taste

 

I wish they had included some desserts to this AAM Menu, but sadly there weren’t any. Nevertheless, this mango menu trial should definitely be on your list and its available all across the Imperfecto outlets. So hurry up, offers valid till mangoes last!

Imperfecto Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Planning Your Great American Road Trip

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

A traditional American holiday that more people need to try is the famous road trip. Even if you’re not from America, there are countless reasons why you should do this at least once in your life. Be it a solo adventure or a trip with your friends and family, travelling across this massive country and passing through dozens of states is something that few people have experienced, but everyone that does it comes home with fond memories, plenty of souvenirs, and countless photo albums. But what makes the great American road trip such an attractive holiday, and what does it take to plan one? Read on to find out.

 

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Prepare documentation for your group

If you don’t live in the United States, then get yourself a passport and a visa. Instead of getting a regular visa to enter the United States, you can choose to get an ESTA instead. This is essentially a visa waiver that people can apply for if they come from certain countries. You can use this ESTA application checker to monitor the status of your application if you’re eagerly waiting for it to come. In addition to a visa, you might need to carry your driving license with you if you plan to be the driver. When you rent a vehicle, you might also need further documentation, so be sure to check online because it heavily depends on the state you start your road trip on. It’s preferable if you can connect with Americans to make this step a lot easier since they can rent the car and drive it instead of you jumping through legal issues to rent a vehicle.

Plan a route

Road trips are all about the journey, not the destination. If possible, try and plan your route so that it crosses as many iconic destinations as possible. For instance, the famous Route 66 is one that plenty of road trip enthusiasts have travelled at least once in their lives. It crosses through several different states including Chicago, Texas and California, giving you plenty of varied scenery. Make sure you also plan ahead when it comes to accommodation. Although sleeping in your vehicle is a valid way to spend the night, you only get the full experience if you stay at the various bed & breakfast and motel establishments along the route. You also get to experience classic American dining as you stop off at each city. Just make sure to carry a GPS device with you so you don’t get lost!

Carry essentials

Something that is often forgotten during the road trip is that you pass by countless stores. You don’t really need to carry many things with you. Just a bit of luggage, travel documents and medication is usually enough. You can buy plenty of snacks along the route, there are places to sleep so there’s no need to camp, and there’s plenty of entertainment along the way as well. The most important devices to carry are a GPS unit and a camera to take pictures. Don’t carry too many things. Lighten the car, carry just the essentials, and remember to bring money for gas!

Scooter Scooter on the Wall…!!

Scooter Scooter on the Wall…!!

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

Scooter on the Wall, as amusing as its name, is a cosy and comfortable cafe situated in the ever bustling SDA market. Though they don’t have much of space, but its really a chilled out place to spend some cosy time. I loved the seating, ambience and decor of the place. Along with couches, they some typical jhoolas, both single seaters and sofa type swings, and they really make for an interesting seating option.

The place is really vibrant and so is their food. To begin with I ordered, American Fries with Tandoori Dip, served on their signature scooter, the tandoori dip made all the difference to the regular fries. They were as yummy as they looked. Chinese Bhel was next, though the taste and flavours were great, I wish the noodles were a little crispier, or may be because of adding sauces it turned soggy too soon, so that was a bit of draw back.

 

 

Shishtouk was up next and I quite enjoyed relishing it, the pita bread was soft and the chicken really juicy and tender. Also tried the Kung Pao Chicken, which was nice but a bit spicy.

 

Mewari Papri Paneer was a delicious preparation, coated with crispy papads, it was both crispy and crunch on the outside, with soft paneer inside. Lahori Kebab Chaat was a unique preparation of seekh kebab and chicken tikka tossed in masala curd sauce just the way regular chaat is done, it was nice and different, I quite liked it. The taste was fresh, and for me it gelled well with the seekh and chicken tikkas.

 

Chicken Burra, Black Pepper Fish, Butter Chicken Kulchas and BBQ Hot Garlic Wings were all great delightful preparations, I loved each one of them. The chicken burra was juicy and perfectly spiced, the butter chicken kulchas are definitely a must try. The BBQ wings too were great to taste and I loved the fish, it was so tender and tasteful.

 

 

For the mains, I tried the 3 Musketeers, a platter of sliders, 1 chicken, 1 lamb and 1 veg and trust me all of them are great. I personally loved the lamb slider the most, it was so so juicy and nice, that I really could go on and on with it. This is a must try.

Desi Ride with Kukkad Pasta, was another delectable dish and it was something I did not try before, pasta in butter chicken sauce, desi twist to the age old Italian favourite, it was delicious. Though I was reluctant to try, but one bite into it and I could not keep my fork off it.

 

We also tried the Mutton Maratha, Palak Corn, Malai Chaap and Dal Makhani, and again all of them were delicious. The mutton was perfectly cooked and I loved its thick masala. Palak corn is surely a good option for vegetarians, and Dal Makhani of course was great. Perfect creaminess and texture. Enjoyed these amazing dishes with some assorted breads like the Onion Tandoori Roti and Mirchi Parantha, and it truly made for a scrumptious meal.

 

Now coming to the best part, the desserts, you simply cannot afford to miss them. Chocolate Walnut Pie was definitely one of the best desserts I have eaten, the pie crust was so soft and perfectly baked, unlike mots places where the curst is so hard, this was really nicely done, easy to break into and bite. I loved it. The Chocolate Truffle with Vanilla Ice Cream was another dessert and a great preparation indeed. Warm chocolate truffle crumbled and served with vanilla ice cream, it was a perfect combination of tastes and textures and even temperatures.

 

 

Also at Scooter on the Wall, you cannot ignore their awesome shakes, they are a true delight. Amazing flavours and presentation make them drool worthy and they are totally worth the indulgence.

 

 

I loved my experience overall at Scooter on the Wall, and really look forward to visiting the place again. If you haven’t visited yet, what are you waiting for..?
Scooter on the Wall Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Planning A Long-Haul Vacation

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

Planning a vacation is one thing, but going for a long-haul vacation is an entirely separate set of challenges. To be in the position to choose a destination on a far-flung side of the world is a blessed one. Deciding to go on an adventure and trek the foothills of the mountains or ski down the slopes covered in fresh, powdered snow instead of lounging on a beach an hour away is a big decision.

 

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Before you do anything, though, you have to plan. For some, planning is hard and boring and for others, the excitement of an adventure is in the planning. Proper planning is an absolute essential when you have only a week or two to play with for your vacation. You not only have to ensure you have all the right travel documents – including any visas for the place you are going. There are so many websites that can tell you what you will need to have alongside your passport and you can check out FAQs here to see if you will need authorization to travel through Europe. You also need to look up the right insurance cover for your vacation; long haul destinations tend to need better coverage so ensure you look into that.

The absolute first thing you need to decide is what you want from your holiday. Are you looking for lush jungle treks or lounging on the white sandy beaches? Are you aiming to city hop your way around a country or scale to the summit of a mountain? Whatever your tastes, you have to check the local advice with the Foreign Office for travelling to ensure you’re covered for any visas you need and health requirements. Some places require you to have injections before you go to protect against certain diseases, and you don’t want to be turned away at the airport because you didn’t check!

 

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Next, you need to decide if you want to create a package holiday, or if you want to book everything separately. Sometimes, it’s cheaper to book a holiday as a package but for others, it makes more sense to book flights separate from hotel. All-inclusive breaks are easier to come by if you book a full package, and if you want less hassle, a package break is an easy option. There are plenty of travel agencies that offer vacations that are quite specialist, including specific skiing holidays and mountain hikes. Wanderlust is infectious and you should think carefully about exactly what it is you want out of your holiday before you book it.

Be practical about your holiday. We’ve talked about travel documents and the possible need for vaccinations for a holiday. Being practical about timelines before you go on holiday is important, because if certain travel authorizations and visas take a little time, you need to plan ahead so that you don’t lose out on a great holiday deal. There is nothing better than planning a break away, so doing it carefully will get you memories to last a lifetime!

 

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