The Unboxing of ASUS ZenPad 7.0 (Z370CG)

The Asus ZenPad 7.0 is here!!

After using my Asus ZenPhone 5 for more than a year, I was looking for a tablet that fits my pocket and also without losing out on the amazing user experience provided by the Asus phones. So, I decided to check out the Asus ZenPad 7.0 and I finally got my hands on the beauty.

I was pretty much excited upon seeing the white box with pictures of the ZenPad on the cover. From the face of it, it gave me a promising look. Usually, I am pretty much excited to open any sort of box - with what will be its content, how it will be, will I like it and so on. But this being special, as it is containing the ZenPad, I checked the box from all the nooks and corners. At that time, my excitement levels were already running high and finally wasting no time further, I decided to unbox the ZenPad. 

The Asus ZenPad 7.0 is revealed!!

The unboxing was highly simple and without any fuss. I pop open the lid and was immediately greeted by the ZenPad. It was nicely wrapped as you can see from the picture. I took the ZenPad in my hands and was amazed feeling its weight. It felt pretty light as compared to plenty of other tablets in the market. I then carefully removed the tablet from the plastic cover and powered it on.

The Asus ZenPad 7.0 is out of the box!!

Once the ZenPad was in my hand, I checked for the other stuff in the box and it included a charger, USB cable and a manual. 

As you can see from the above picture, the Asus ZenPad nicely fits into my hand. The trademark rounded edges gives a good look to the overall stunning design. Moreover, as I had mentioned earlier, the ZenPad is as light as a flake of foam when compared to other tablets and it maximizes the overall experience of holding the ZenPad in your hands. 

The back cover of Asus ZenPad 7.0 looks so classy!!

What I felt to be most impressive just from a glance and a feel of the Asus ZenPad, is its stunning looks. 

The front of the ZenPad is attractive and inviting to use whereas the back steals the cake. The back cover which covers only three-fourth portion of the phone looks classy and is definitely an eye-turner. It has a fine texture to it which gives a nice contrasting look. Along with it, the back cover is also removable and can be replaced with other back covers. 

So how does it feel using the ZenPad for the initial few minutes?

It feels superb! The reasons being:

1) It is light weight. 

2) For the ZenPad to be light in weight, it has to be thin. So, I felt the Asus ZenPad to be super thin         which is probably a new in the category of tablets/phablets that I have seen.

3) The overall look and design gives it a premium push and feel to it. For some few days that I have        been using the Asus ZenPad 7.0, heads have turned and few have even inquired about the tablet in      question.

4) The display is pleasing to the eyes with super bright screen and Asus Tru2Life technology which        made me feel as if I am touching the glass beneath and not the screen.

So what's the initial review?

The ZenPad is smooth to use without any performance lag and the design seems to be the Asus's forte and strength. The Asus ZenPad 7.0 can easily be described as the most promising tablet under the price tag of INR 11,999 from the initial looks of it. Having said that, wait for the full review to be out soon!!

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A Note of Thank You

In normal circumstances, we don't often say a Thank You to our near and dear ones. At times, the work they do or the efforts they take are easily classified under the header 'Expected to do' for which we don't need to utter a 'Thank You'. 

But there comes a time when you ponder on those minute things, you realize the importance of those things without which the grandest of the grand things wouldn't look the same. So here is a letter to my better half who has done plenty of precious little things and continues to do, while I write this letter sitting in an air-conditioned office.

To The Apple of My Eye,

Ever since we have been together, like every other couple there are plenty of things between us that is taken for granted and 'expected to do'. But, I clearly fail to remember any instance where I have thanked you wholeheartedly for the things you keep on doing. You might argue that I have dedicated many poems for you, showed how much I love you and care about you, but the fact remains that I have rarely thanked you. 

To tell you frankly, I sometimes don't know what would I do when you are not around. Your presence around my sight is soothing enough to wake-up early morning after a late night sleep. So thank you for being around me and continuing to love me in my 'just woke-up, disheveled hair, scary look'.

Just as waking up without your presence and leaving for office without your 'heart soothing and wholehearted smile' is nightmarish, so is coming back to home without seeing your enchanting smile. Just how you manage to keep smiling in spite of having a tiring day and plenty of issues to handle while at home, simply amazes me. So thank you for always smiling and trying to be as cheerful as possible.

In the five years of marriage that you have known me, I would categorically like to thank you for putting up with all my kiddish behavior, of my being a bit rude at times or simply tired for a small talk and also 'handling me' when my temperature takes control over me and not walking over me. At the same time, as you have known, I have promised to always try to be calm irrespective of the situation and I suppose, I am doing fine.

A year ago, we were blessed with the naughtiest kid and you know how happy we were and are. But, the way you have been taking care of him, running around him even though you are tired of day's work, ensuring he gets all the care and attention that he deserves at a tender age, is simply phenomenal. So, my salute and a thank you (even though I am the official baby sitter for our kid on Sundays) for taking extra care of the kiddo.

Another noteworthy thing is your handling of household duties and responsibilities without much support from me. 

Also, post that, you even find some time to share a good laugh with me is what makes my life worth living for. So thank you so much for all the above things that you continue to keep doing without creating any fuss and with all smiles. Thank you for being there in my life and my support system.

Love you,

Yours Pineapple.

This post is a part of the January blogathon hosted by #kowthas and today's prompt is: To write a thank you letter #TuesdayThankfulness 

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Rukhsat - The Departure

RUKHSAT THE DEPARTURE 

BY 

SUJIT BANERJEE

Blurb 

Where a story stops, another one begins. The thing with them is, they never walk alone. They always walk with a group of friends. Each reaches its own climax. Then with a final gasp of mortality and despair, fade away. No, they never die, they multiply. To the extent that the original gets lost and new ones are born. Over and over again. Yes, they get lost. No, they never die. They live on, permanently etched in the book of time. And from there, we borrow them and bring them alive. Again. And again. Here are twenty six of them, some standing alone and some chatting up with their long lost friends. When they depart, they leave a lingering fragrance of nostalgia and curiosity. What happened then?

Twenty-six alphabets, twenty-six names, and twenty-six short stories. Each exploring one unique emotion, taking you into the dark recess of the mind. Some frothy and most of them dark. Most standing alone and some facing a mirror, where the same story comes alive in two different ways, through two different protagonist . Meet myriad characters - from the single-minded prostitute to the man on the railways station bereft of any memory; a woman desperate for a biological child to a dead man's trial. Meet a jealous lover with a twisted brain and a gay man's memory of a one-night encounter. Meet twenty-six such characters arrested and sentenced for life inside the pages of a book. Each one leaving an indelible mark on your soul.

Buy @

amazon.in | amazon.com

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 

Born to Bengali parents in Lucknow, I grew up in Patna where I finished my post-graduation in Psychology and ended up becoming a tour operator instead of a Psychologist! Which was 

good since a Bengali born in UP and reared in Bihar does not make a great Psychologist! Am I now glad to be in tourism? It has taken me all over the world including places you would have never heard of. Eh? How about Tlacotalpan? It’s in Mexico.

Destiny had other plans as well so I became a reluctant healer. A crazy Shaman in Mexico set the ball rolling and it has rolled all the way to Delhi. Today I both heal as well as read Tarot cards. My wife thinks I am mad. My friends think I am weird. I guess I am both. 

My first story was published in a magazine when I was seventeen. The Editor made such a hash of it that I stopped sending out my stories but I continued writing. Then I broke my heart and started writing poems; first in Hindi and then in English. All personal collection. They still remain personal. I do shudder when I read some of them! Then the short stories came back and written over two years - now is a collection.

You can contact him @ Facebook 

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Monday Motivation - Week 1

So today is the first Monday of the year 2016. Most of us must be back to work after a 3 or 4 days of relaxing with family and friends, welcoming the new year in style. Well, to be honest, the 'most' does not include me. I rather had a tensed last day of the previous year, with the kiddo running high fever, which was a first. Thus, resulting in spending a sleepless night and welcoming the new year with a bit worried face. 

Having said that, later on, when things were fine,  I just pondered upon the word 'worry' and realized that more often than not, we worry because we fear. We fear that something worse is going to happen. Or we fear of the consequences of our actions and reactions.

So what leads to fear?

Fear in ourselves erupt because ...

1) We stop thinking. Add to that, we stop thinking positive. We tend to think negative at first, in most of the situations, which leads to creating a mindset that refuses to think positive. Thus, resulting in building fear within us. 

For eg: If you are going to meet a client which can be a breaking point in your career if you nail it, you need to stay focused, positive and away from negativity. If you have done that, there are least chances of fear grappling your nerves and resulting into a poor show during the meet.

2) When we fear of the consequences of our actions and reactions, we don't really fear for what is going to happen. But, we fear for what has happened and what will be repercussions of the same. That cannot be counted as fear, as it is your actions or reactions to a particular situation. So if you had acted wisely, the situation would not have cropped up at all. 

For eg: I had called my kiddo's pediatrician who was partying and still gave me a ear. I gave him a brief about my child's health and his condition at the moment. He advised a syrup which we promptly gave. As soon as he took the syrup, he puked. At that time, had I panicked and called the pediatrician, I would have created a panic situation for all of us. We simply comforted the wailing kiddo, did what pleased him and kept a check on the temperature. The next morning, things got better when we met the pediatrician. 

So give time to your worries and stay calm. More often than not, time eases out all the worries. Even if it doesn't, wear a smile on your face and kick all those worries which instills fear in you. So today, on the first Monday of the new year, kick out all your fears and go with enthusiasm on your face. 9 out of 10 times, you will have a peaceful, productive and not a khooni Monday. 

This post is a part of the January blogathon hosted by #kowthas and today's prompt is: Motivation Monday - What is your motivating mantra on the 1st working day of the year

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Our FAM Trip to Adlabs Imagica

Going for a FAM trip for me was a lucky escape opportunity from the mundane working hours, sitting in a cubicle and replying to mails and preparing presentations. Moreover, I got my very first opportunity to visit Adlabs Imagica along with my spouse (who is a joint blogger with me) and spend some fun time with her and fellow blogger friends.

So on a wonderful Saturday morning, the BEST bus was all set, waiting for us to arrive at Dadar TT. We boarded the bus hands-in-hands and glee on our faces as we waited for a few recognizable faces. Fortunately, there were many known faces from the blogging world and we were set for a two hour journey, chatting and smiling all the way. Time just flew, as we bloggers can easily get the house down and this was just a two hour journey. So, here we were standing in front of our destination, Adlabs Imagica.

Having entered the world where stories are made, we started by looking out for breakfast options but then upon seeing a fascinating ride, we thought of ditching the breakfast and headed straight to the doors of the ride that seemed 'scary', at least for me. I counted my stars, prayed and with lot of encouragement from my spouse, I boarded onto a tumultuous roller-coaster journey amid nervousness and excitement written all over my face. The ride was none other than 'Nitro'.

 

From the above pictures, you can see how the super-fast ride would have been with full of vicious turns, 360 degree circles and what not. All this while, I had my eyes shut and sealed, but trust me it was the most exhilarating experience I ever had. That couple of minutes, sitting on this ride, enjoying and praying simultaneously was my one of the best moments of this trip.  

Subsequently, we decided to have a quick bite which turned out to be an hour long. After numerous 'Two Minutes' we then headed towards some family rides but on our way we witnessed some fabulous stunts by some young boys. Worth a dekho!

Post which, we were enthralled with some bumpy ride on Mr India's iconic car as we were indulged in some animation along with immersive motion simulation technology. In simpler terms, we were made to sit in a car and the movie plays on the screen. So whatever happens to the car in the movie, even we feel and go through the same effect. Post Nitro, it was a relaxed and an easy ride with Mr. India.

Then a haunted house was eagerly waiting for us to scare the hell out of us. Salimgarh's gloomy corridors and a feel of a hunted fortress made for a thrilling ride. A special mention to the person who at the end of the journey, just while we were about to move out through the exit, came from nowhere and literally scared the hell out of us. 

Check closely, two pair of eyes is keeping a close look on the three Rapunzels

After that was the turn to experience what I later termed it as 'the younger brother of Nitro', Deep Space. It is quite similar to Nitro but the only difference is that it is indoor and completely dark with stars and moons to accompany you in this one hell of a roller-coaster. It will zip you through the space in no time and leave you with a 'what the hell just happened' look, at least it did that to me.

Post Deep Space, we thought of exploring the pre-historic times when dinosaurs lived. Rajasaurus River Adventure was a welcome and a fun-filled ride after embarking on the space sojourn. It was fine until when we had water splashing across on our body. I was completely drenched in seconds and what followed was laughter and smiling facing from all of us.

Next, we put on our police gears and went to save Alibaba by nabbing the 40 thieves, not literally though. It was a fun ride where we had to aim and shoot those hiding 40 thieves with laser guns and earn points. A simple and a fun ride.

Later, we took a virtual dip into the land of mermaid's and prince. It was a lovely experience to sleep with eyes open and watch a short movie under the 360 degree dome theater called as Cinema 360 - Price Of The Dark Waters.

We took a little break to have our energies re-fueled and took some time for photo-op.

After having our energies re-fueled and a nice time taking selfies and photographs, we headed for a comedy show called as The Detective Bow Wow Show. It was funny while it lasted and came as a good reprieve for our aching legs after walking continuously.

The time was running out and there were plenty of things to do, but then we witnessed a short road show where there were plenty of performers ranging from kids, to cartoon characters to dancers. It was the time, where there was fun, frolic and laughter and I, for the first time felt happy like a kid upon seeing their performances. It was a super stuff!!

There were still few more rides left for adults and we quickly zipped through them through our tired faces. One was I For India and other was Dare 2 Drop. While I for India took us through a journey of our beautiful India through pictures, on the other hand, Dare 2 Drop was another cracker of a ride. Seeing down from such a height was really, really scary. 

Ready for the journey called as I For India

After having our another round of re-fueling ourselves we embarked on our journey back home in the comfortable BEST bus with lots of fun, memories and smiles to take back home. I, no, we recommend Adlabs Imagica for a day to relax, unwind, enjoy and have a bagful of memories to cherish forever!

Thank you Adlabs Imagica or rather Fun-Magica for having us!

A Toast for beautiful and fun-filled memories!

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Book Review: The Madras Affair by Sundari Venkatraman

Author: Sundari Venkatraman

Published by: Readomania

ISBN: 9788192997575

Genre: Fiction/Romance

No. of pages: 282

Price: INR 299

On the jacket: Sangita Sinclair was not always this successful and passionate lady, heading the NGO "Penn Urimai" for downtrodden, abused and homeless women.

When Sangita catches the eyes of Gautam Sinclair she is a simple, homely girl, utterly unaware of her charms and capabilities. She has the devil's own time in overcoming her inhibitions, hesitation and her family's orthodox and outdated rules before recognizing her love for Gautam.

Will Gautam be able to solve Sangita's dilemma or will she be forever trapped in her past?

Review: The Madras Affair is a book that is not only romantic at heart, but also carries a strong social message without coming out as a forced writing. Among thousands of romance books that revolve around love and its kin, there is rarely a book that targets social evil and comes out as a winner and The Madras Affair is one such book.

The story is about the plight of a woman who is not only physically abused but also mentally and emotionally by the society and its age-old so called traditional values. How easily the society passes a judgement without even knowing the truth and the fight, the struggles a woman has to go through is very nicely brought out in the story through the eyes of Sangita. Gautam, on the other hand is the most charming man and the knight in shining armor for Sangita who helps her at every stage.

What I liked and appreciate as a reader, is the way in which the story is shaped, the characters of Sangita and Gautam  and the way in which the author handles the societal evil. Along with that, there are few situations in the story that will move anyone to tears and also bring a smile on their faces too. The narration is good with a nice flow to the story that manages to keep the interest in the story. 

The book for me is an emotional roller-coaster ride which will allow for the free flow of emotions as you keep turning the pages. 

Overall: If you love reading romance, then I would definitely suggest reading The Madras Affair for its story, the characters and the emotional ride that it will take you through while reading the book.

Ratings: 4/5*

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BOOKS – A World of Their Own

This post is written by Novemberschild who is very passionate about reading and writing. For her, technology and gadgets are simply sexy and tempting. She likes to realax with a cup of hot chocolate reading a great book or watching movies. She is a certified homebody when the moment calls for it but at the same time she loves to get out and explore from time to time. And not to miss out, she is genuinely a fun person and very friendly. You can reach her on her blog www.thewhitescape.wordpress.com or on twitter @romspeaks.  

I hope you all enjoy this write-up. 

Books are my best friends. They are always sitting where I last left them waiting me to pick them up. When I want to be alone in a room full of people they provide me a secret getaway. They can make me smile even when I have had the saddest kind of day. They share their story with me, slowly but surely pulling me out of my own world into their own. A book titillates me with its unexpected twists and turns. It is a roller-coaster ride that the author takes me on. With every page, I am sucked into the make believe world of the author. I am no longer myself. I begin to see myself as the character in the book. I live his or her life. Books compel me to get out of my skin and into the skin of the different characters in them. I share the character’s triumphs – his joys, his defeats.

Despite coming home to an empty house, when I was in primary school, I was never lonely. That is because my house was always full of my friends – my books. They were a magic world all my own just at the turn of a page. My first book was the seemingly ordinary Champak which was a monthly children’s magazine that was eagerly awaited. Next entered, Tinkle in my life. Comics played a huge part in developing a reading habit in me, and how could it not? The world in these comics is so rich, diverse and funny that it’s a pity some kids don’t know about these magazines/books. I loved its routine characters like Suppandi, Shikari Shambhu, Kaalia the crow, Tantri the Mantri, Ramu Shyamu and I know there have been a few additions here and there, but for me Tinkle will always remain special because of these iconic characters. Champak and Tinkle (I am so glad they are still around for the new generation of children who are drawn to reading) still reminds me of my childhood and those carefree, fun-filled days when I had all the fun in the world.

Source

I used to spend my summer vacations with Noddy, Golliwogs and Enid Blyton. The Faraway tree was one of my favourite holiday books to read. I read the book in the day and during the night dreamed that the Neem tree behind my house was the Faraway tree. In my dreams I climbed the tree to reach the magic land. These pictures are so vivid in my mind even today that often I can taste the Faraway tree’s magic toffees that grow in my mouth. Growing up there were Famous Five, Secret Seven, Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys.

The orphaned boy, the wizard character Harry Potter did not mesmerize me but I did made many unenthusiastic non-readers enter the magic world of books. But I like the fact the singular credit of pulling children away from their game stations goes to Harry Potter which happens to be a book. I am happy few children found this book to be spellbinding. The moral lessons in these books could not be more unmistakable. The authors with their enigmatically drawn characters draws me and everyone into the magic web with their wonderful yarn which is tightly plotted and fast paced like the readers are today.

As I grew, my books grew and from comics and young adult, I turned into an experimental reader. I enjoy reading fiction and non-fiction with the same interest. My library tells me I'm way over balanced on both types. I know one thing, as I've gotten older, I've become less interested in made up stories and more interested in how the world works, if such a thing can even be captured in books.

Till the split second I die, I will be encircled by books. I feel I don’t need a reason to read. It is a whole world always open for me. What really troubles me is the fact that in this day and age no one gives literature the importance it justifies. I have always relished reading and enjoyed all my language classes (English, Hindi and Sanskrit) at school and college.  

I read every day and there is always a book beside me, I can’t sleep without reading. When I read I sit on the bed cross-legged with my book balanced on a pillow or else sit by my big window on my chair – just the calmness of the night and my book. I take good care of books; more or less I feel they have a life of their own. Even a small bend of the cover makes me real annoyed. There aren't many people in my family (except my parents and me who are book worms) who go on reading like I do.

My mother has been gifting me books since I was a kid and she sometimes gifts even now. What makes my mother happy is despite being dug deep into these books, I had never put my studies at risk. I am called 'Shakespeare' within the family circle as they always find book(s) in my bag though I am not anywhere that superior, but I want to read all the books I can before my last breath.

If you have not started reading yet it is never too late. There is no right time or wrong time to get started. Just pick up a book that you like and let the book work its magic on you.

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