Love Locks

Presenting a Guest Post by Indrani who shares her travel stories and pictures through her blog isharethese.com. Do read the blog and drop a comment below. Thank you so much for such a lovely Guest Post, Indrani !

When I first saw locked locks on railings of Ponte dei Scalzi, one of the bridges over Grand Canal of Venice, I was a little perplexed. No sigh of any keys around. In India I have seen bangles or cradles being tied to branches of trees, that too in temple premises. That was in 2010, I was a little less traveled then. Little bit of search in Google and I was flooded with information on these locks.

They are no ordinary locks; they are Love Lock or Love Padlock. Couples in love, lock them to a public object, most often a bridge, and throw the key into water. It is believed that this act symbolizes their love which will never end. Obviously if one can’t find the key, the lock can’t be unlocked.

Love Locks by Indrani

What might have started as a simple innocent loving act has gained popularity and grown in huge proportion in the last twenty years! While to a tourist or passerby this may look amusing or uninteresting, for the city authorities it has become a nightmare. They consider it as litter, vandalism causing damage to public property. If you look at the mathematics of these acts you will be convinced why these acts need to be checked.

The weight of love locks on the pedestrian bridge of Paris had crossed 93 metric tones. Obviously when the bridge was designed it did not cater to this increasing weight over the years. Part of the structure that held the locks collapsed under this increasing weight. Officials then started removing the locks from the bridge to avoid further damage. Since June 2015 the metal grills have been replaced with lock proof plexi glass panels.

There has been mixed reaction to this. While some are of opinion public utility objects should be spared of such symbols of love, there are some who mourn over the removal of these icons. There have been demands and requests for putting them up in museums as its part of the romance of Paris.

A collective effect of these is causing damage but they can be removed at regular intervals. In my opinion these removable love locks is way better than defacing monuments by scratching and scribbling on them! What is your opinion?

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Soul Warrior: Age of Kali by Falguni Kothari

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Soul Warrior: Age of Kali 

by 

Falguni Kothari

Blurb

Fight fate, or succumb to destiny? 

In the dark Age of Kali, the Soul Warrior alone stands guard over the Human Realm, protecting its denizens from evil-willed asuras or demons. When a trick of fate appoints him guru to a motley crew of godlings, he agrees to train them as demon hunters against his better judgment. Suddenly, Lord Karna is not only battling the usual asuras with sinister agendas, but also rebellious students and a fault-ridden past. 

Spanning the cosmic realms of mythic India, here is a tale of a band of supernatural warriors who come together over a singular purpose: the salvation of Karna’s secret child. 

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Excerpt

Kuru Kshetra Battlefield. 

Day 17 of the Great Kuru War, seven thousand five hundred years ago.

Death is hot. 

That surprises me. I’d imagined death as cold and brutal. Merciless. But in truth, death is hot as blood, and constant like a heartbeat. 

Thrum. Thrum. Thrum. My lifeblood ebbs to the rhythm. My head ripped from its torso by Anjalika, the arrow of death that burns even now with the energy of the sun. Struck from behind like some novice. Felled in battle by that lily-livered usurper the Heavens smile upon—Prince Arjun. Brother Arjun. 

What have I done? I harness the thought. Cease all reflection and wrench free of my mortal body. I soar up, up into the gloaming, snapping the ties that tether me to life. Dead, I have no use for ties. 

“A matter of perspective, Karna, O son of my godsire.” The unearthly words strum through the air, and I quiver like a plucked bowstring, overcome as much by the voice as its blasphemous claim. “Bonds of devotion nourish the soul, brother.” 

There is that word again. Brother. Unpleasant laughter wells up in me. Alive, I am abandoned, denied my birthright—Celestial or royal. Death, it seems, changes everything. 

A bright, nebulous light brings forth Lord Yama, the God of Death, atop his divine mount. His elephantine thighs ripple beneath a silken dhoti, ochre and crimson of color, as he guides the mammoth water buffalo to a halt. An iron medallion sways against the God’s powerful cerulean torso, its center stone an ethereal blood orange. 

Hypnotic. Pulsing with life. I am drawn to the stone. 

“Piteous waste,” Lord Yama mutters, surveying the carnage of war far below us. 

I trace the trajectory of his gaze and behold the battered remains of my army drenched in the evidence of its mortality. Is it true? Have we died in vain? 

Words form inside me and I will them out. “Shall we go, my lord?”

 “Ha! Impatient to be judged, are you? Anxious to have your fate revealed?” asks the Judge of the Hell Realm. His red-black eyes burn with intelligence and compassion in a blue-tinged face that is long and lean and hard. “Rest easy, brother-warrior. You are not bound for the Great Courtroom.” 

Not bound for Hell? Where then? Fear has eluded me for so long that I take a moment to recognize it. A hollow-bellied feeling it is, as annoying as a bone stuck in my throat. 

“My lord, I have done bad deeds…terrible deeds in my life. I have waged wars, this horrendous bloodshed, and all because my pride could not—would not abide rejection. I have sinned. I must atone for my actions.”

Lord Yama smiles in a way I do not like. “You have redeemed yourself admirably, Karna. You forfeited your life for the greater good today. The deed far outweighs any misguided ones. Be at peace, brother, and enjoy the fruits of your karma.” 

There is but one place to enjoy such fruits—the Higher Worlds. 

I’d rather burn in Hell for eternity. I say so. “I won’t live amongst the Celestials.” Coexisting with the very souls who’ve spurned me is unthinkable. Watching her—for she would surely reside in Heaven soon—will be eternal torture. 

Yama shakes his head, the horns on his crown slashing to and fro. “I thought you might say that. Relax. Your destiny lies elsewhere.”

 “Am I to be reborn then? Am I to begin a new life, and forget the past?” Pain, sharp as a blade, lances through me at the thought. Forget my past? My family? Even her? Was that my punishment? To forget all that made me human? It must be so. For have I not betrayed them as surely as I’ve betrayed my prince regent? 

“Human rebirth is not your destiny, either. You are chosen, brother. Your war skills are needed for a higher purpose.” The God slips off his mount, his garments rustling in agitation. “This unjust war has pushed the Cosmos to the vortex of a cataclysm. Tomorrow, the Kuru War will end. Fearing its outcome, the Celestials rolled the Die of Fate and have unwittingly bestowed on Demon Kali untold powers.” Lord Yama bares his fangs in disgust at the foolish gamble. “Imagine the havoc that asura and his minions will wreak on the weak if left unchecked. The Human Realm must be safeguarded during Kali’s dark reign.”

 I can imagine the horror only too well as I have battled with evil all my life. But I am done with wars. I am done with defeat. I won’t waste another lifetime fighting. 

“With due respect, my lord, I am not the man for this task.”

 “You are not a man at all,” Yama thunders, fists shaking. “You are the son of Surya, the Sun God. Accept that you are no ordinary soul.”

 I say nothing. I think nothing. I feel something but I squash it down. 

Lord Yama’s thick black brows draw together. “Demon Kali will try to pervade every particle of good that exists in the Cosmos, beginning with the corruptible Human Realm. Once he obliterates all of humanity, he’ll set his sights on the Celestials. Kali will not stop until he’s destroyed our way of life. But you can stop him. You are light to his darkness. Do you understand now why you had to betray him? Your beloved humans need you, Karna. I need you. Our father believes in you. Claim your rightful place in the Cosmos.”

 Impatiently, Lord Yama removes the iron medallion from his neck and holds it out. The vermillion sunstone glows as if its soul is on fire. Nay! It is my soul that is on fire. 

Indescribable energy curls through me. I gasp, though not in pain. I shudder and feel myself grow large, grow hot. Was this rebirth? 

I am strong, full-bodied and lethal once more. Then I roar as light bursts forth from my very core and I throb with glorious, blinding power. When I come to myself, my world has changed again. Bubbles of color shimmer all around me: cobalt and saffron, azure and rose. By karma! They are souls. Infinite floating souls.

“Behold the spectrum of life: the worthy, the notorious, the righteous and the sinners.” The God of Death’s soul was a worthy sapphire blue with a tinge of silver. “Your duty, should you choose to accept the office of the Soul Warrior, is to hunt down the red-souled asuras and crush them. Whatever you decide, I wish you a long and successful Celestial existence, Karna,” Yama booms out and vanishes into the purpling sky.

The parley has stunned me. The world of color holds me in thrall. I was dead. Yet, now I am not. A new path lies before me. Unwanted, unwelcome, I insist on principle. I close my eyes. Open them to stare at the medallion cupped in my hand—a golden-hued hand at once familiar and not—and know myself for a fool. I do want this. It’s what I am. 

Bastard-born. Rebel. Son. Husband. Father. Warlord. And protector. I fist the talisman, buoyed by its concrete warmth. This is who I am. 

I am the Soul Warrior.

About the Author  

Falguni Kothari is a New York-based hybrid author, and an amateur Latin and Ballroom dance silver medalist with a semi-professional background in Indian Classical dance. She writes in a variety of genres sewn together by the colorful and cultural threads of her South Asian heritage and expat experiences. She is published in India in contemporary fiction with global e-book availability, and launches her mythic fantasy series, the Age of Kali, with SOUL WARRIOR. When not writing, dancing or being a domestic goddess, she fools around on all manner of social media, and loves to connect with readers.

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How NOT to Conduct a Television Interview

Few days back, I just happen to switch from one TV channel to another. While flipping through the channels, one interesting thing caught my attention. That interesting thing then further lead to me to watch the entire program. That program was on CNN IBN with the title 'The Hot Seat' and it was none other with the Most Searched Person on Google for the year 2015 - Sunny Leone.

After viewing the entire interview, I was left disappointed with the way in which the questions were asked. Mind you, the interviewer is a highly experienced and a seasoned journalist who goes by the name Mr. Bhupendra Choubey and I won’t be wrong if I term him misogynist while conducting the interview.

At first, the way in which he introduced to the interviewee with the use of contradicting words such as loved and loathe, curiosity and hatred and as completely opposite of what we perceive as the idea of an Indian women, made me cringe. No! You cannot introduce a person like this, how much ever you feel the person to be controversial. A simple few words praising her journey in Bollywood would have be perfect. But now, what better then to sensationalize it with the use of such words? Right?

Anyways, I thought that as the interview would start and questions would flow, I would get to see some questions on her movies, the projects that interest her; basic questions like favourite actor and actresses whom she would like to work with in future, about her journey in Bollywood and more about her upcoming film Mastizaade. But, but, but... if wishes were horses, beggars would ride. 

So, he started the interview by addressing her with her actual name and went into asking who calls her by that name. Seriously? Why would anybody want to know that?! Have you ever asked Akshay Kumar what's his actual name and who calls him by that name ever? 

Then, he says he 'researched' and read some articles. I thought that would be of her films she has done, but no, I was wrong again. 

Now tell me, if you are interviewing a person, will you straightaway, in the second question itself, ask for a thing that you regret?  You would have probably asked something which will be positive in nature and keep that question at the latter stage of the interview. This is a text book case of how NOT preparing the questionnaire beforehand leads you to. Moreover, to add to it, he further asks categorically, 'what sort of mistakes' to her reply. At this time, he seemed hell bent in bringing her past in, that of a porn star. It was highly disgusting, to say the least.

He continued with his tyranny of asking negative questions which revolved around people not comfortable sharing screen space with her.

By now, the way he was anchoring the ship towards her past and not willing to ask any questions on her present and future in Bollywood was evident. But Sunny stood ground against him and answered each and every question thrown at her with grace. However, he was hell bent in bringing her past to the hot seat.

So he took this maxim of 'when ghee seedhi ungli se na nikle, to ungli teedhi kar lo' seriously. When he couldn't bring Sunny Leone talk about her past as a porn star, he chose to be blunt and direct.

Here are a few of the questions that he asked:

1)  Are you worried that your past as a porn queen will affect, haunt you or continue to pull you back?

2) Is your past, a past?

3) Would you still do what you did?

4) How many people will think of growing up as a porn star?

5) How it did happen? (Yes, he asked this.)

Then there were questions on corrupting Indian mind, morality, politics and politicians view about her and housewives women perceiving her as a threat. Gosh! 

After he felt that he has grilled Sunny by asking such questions and receiving a direct and a straight forward reply, he chose to ask the main question, on her upcoming film. But, only a question. Yeah. Just a question on a film which is releasing this Friday and for which she he is giving an interview; to obviously promote her film. 

At one point of time he even says that, 'when people see Sunny Leone film, people get corrupted.' He continues further, 'I am wondering whether I am getting morally corrupted seating in front of you.' Yes, he had the guts to say this directly on her face. I don't know how would she had felt but she took it at her stride and politely said that if that is the case, she would be pleased to leave.

Again, a deviation here when he asks what kind of movies she will be associated this year. To which she replies that there are three films releasing this year and in one of them she will be seen in a different role. To which he asks, different role like completely dressed and COVERED up. I really fail to understand what was he smoking while conducting this interview. Once she has mentioned clearly about the role, there shouldn't be any need to prod further by choosing such words. 

Thank God, the torture ended finally both for the viewers and for Sunny Leone too. I am pretty happy with the way in which she has handled this television anchor with grace, dignity and for once not even backing off to reply to a single question. Bravo! I guess you have probably won many hearts with this interview.

You can watch the entire interview here...

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Dan Brown – My Favourite Author

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 blogwww.thewhitescape.wordpress.com or on twitter @romspeaks.  

I hope you all enjoy this write-up. 

For me, Dan Brown remains as the number 1 thriller writers of all time. His books are real page turners (I loved the movie conversions also). They are engaging, hard hitting, informative and amazingly interesting. Dan Brown knows the art of making anything appear mysterious. I love mysteries, puzzles and the theories behind them. I am always in search of figuring out the existence of us, the religions, the universe and its secrets. How, why, what, where are answered well in his books. Dan Brown writes well on engaging the readers with questions. He pulls out the final mystery twist making what would usually be considered as ridiculous climax, actually reads to be very reasonable and genuine. That’s a real writing skill. I am fascinated with a world of technology, spies, assassins, secret societies, ancient, mystical and paranormal coverts. This mix works well for him. He doesn’t mind taking all the extra efforts to details everything in his books such as road names, full serial numbers of kit, real people and their accomplishments. Dan Brown is James Bond of literary world. His main female character is sexy, intelligent, successful, fashionable and super smart who is not just a sex object but gives equal support to his Protagonist. Professor Robert Langdon is handsome in the book but on screen he is sexier and intellectual (Tom Hanks, the reason why I like English flicks).

Dan Brown is liked and disliked in the same way. He has been attacked for his books and there are never-ending list of contemptuous blogs and critic reviews written against him. It is proved success breeds resentment and disrespect. All his books have been successful, sold collectively over 200 million copies in 52 languages which says how much the readers are appealed with his work.

Every book of his from the first Digital Fortress to the last Inferno has history, conspiracy, secret codes, symbols embedded in paintings, books, churches, monuments, and government buildings which suggests that the things we take for granted are imbued with hidden meanings. After reading his books, for me a painting is not just a painting, an ancient text is not just another book, the dollar is not the currency of USA, the façade on a building may be more than a simple beautification. I have started to look at things from his point of view. It is sad state of affair that poetry, myth, religion, philosophy are outmoded; people were previous humans who preferred the 3-dimensional, face-to-face interaction for one-dimensional which has been substituted with Facebook and Twitter. In between us all this, when an author like Dan Brown sells many copies of his novels is it safe to say that his writings do have an influence on society at large?

Everyone knows Shakespeare, but did anyone know about 14th century Italian poet, Dante Alighieri before Inferno? The answer of the majority is No. His last book Inferno (2013) heavily inspired by the first part of the Dante's Divine Comedy (a three-part epic through hell, purgatory and heaven) has introduced millions of readers to one of the most important writers that ever lived. Not just this, we can find science, history, art and geography in his books from Leonardo Da Vinci, Jesus, anti-matter, the esotericism of Manly P. Hall, the Vatican, the Louvre, Noetic Science, Freemasonry, beliefs of the Founding Fathers, Medicis, Michelangelo, to Thomas Malthus and all this has actually made me more informed. Rome and Vatican City (Angels and Demons) Paris (The Da Vinci Code) Washington, D.C. (The Lost Symbol) Florence, Venice and Istanbul (Inferno), Dan Brown has set his books in the some of the most attractive and fascinating cities in the world. Every book of his has some central motif which is better to get informed about and gain knowledge rather than discussing Kim Kardashian's baby shower to Rupert Murdoch’s engagement. His exploration of the subject brings the issue to the forefront of public awareness.

Every one of us is wedged somewhere between the seen and the hidden, between greediness and mysticism, between science and religion. We can sense an air of tension when these subjects arise as one would sustain and other would differ. Many Christian societies and groups protested against the release of The Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons, but at the same time, some of them from the same religion thanked him because it made more people in the church talk about God than ever before. By and by, the more people reverentially exchanged a few words, the more they understand that they are more often than not talking about the same thing but using unlike words.

Dan Brown’s books are like the first born kids who don’t get the attention that the younger sibling gets. Every week new books go on-sale across the country, from thrillers to literary fiction to narrative histories to cookbooks and self-help manuals. Most books don't have the same elaboration nearby their release that of a blockbuster movie, unless it is a Dan Brown. His books always put publishing in the highlight and it's a fine souvenir to all of us to log off from our accounts of Facebook and Twitter time and again and lose ourselves in a good book.

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Vengeance - A Sting in Every Tale

Designed by Neil D'Silva 

Vengeance -A Sting in Every Tale 

A WRIMO INDIA anthology

Edited by

Sonia Rao 

Disclaimer : All proceeds from the sale of this anthology will be donated to NaNoWriMo

Designed by Sujata Patnaik 

Blurb 

A reply to a perceived injustice can take many forms one of which is vengeance. An eye for an eye can only end up making the whole world blind, is what Mahatma Gandhi once said. And it seems to be coming quite true, if latest events world-wide are an indication.

Is there any hope or are we hurtling towards extinction?

Hopefully, the stories will explore some of these questions. But that is on the macro level. It might be easy to look at things objectively, in black and white, when it is other nations involved. Or even other people. We are able to be more forgiving of transgressions when they don’t involve us personally.

But how would one react if they found themselves in the maelstrom of situations that do fall somewhere in the grey area of life? With no definite black and white answers?

How would a jilted lover react in face of infidelity? Or how would a friend avenge the murder of her best friend? Or, is it fair to be punished for a crime that you were not brave enough to prevent?

These and many more questions connected to vengeance have been grappled with in this anthology.

created by Archana Sarat 

EXCERPT OF FIRST CHAPTER

Bus number 131 whirred away, pulling its own weight unwillingly. It was one of the many buses to pass through the Relief road, a busy road in the old part of Ahmedabad. Shazia had an option, the crowed 88 or the overcrowded 131. She preferred to be 30 minutes before time to board 131. Her choice was motivated by her love for the palindromic 1-3-1. Her undying infatuation with prime numbers was inexplicable. Nineteen year old Shazia loved numbers, and to be more precise, she adored Mathematics in all its form. She also loved the rules, the principles, the working theorems, the equations which tried to make sense of the majestic menagerie of numbers. She was fascinated even by the mere shape of numbers. She did not remember when or even how her romance with Maths began. But in her earliest memories, she preferred practicing her numbers over the alphabet, she remembered that she recited tables better than her nursery rhymes. She was short and a bit stocky. Also, a couple of shades darker than was acceptable in the marriage market. However, her looks never bothered her, nor did she ever yearn for fairer skin, or thinner body. What she craved was a disheveled mass of hair, for some uncanny resemblance to Einstein, the only pop icon modern science managed to have produced. But her mother plaited her hair, dashing her hopes to ground. She also longed for a pair of spectacles with glasses so thick that it blurred her eyeballs, indicating the wearer’s brilliance. But she, despite getting checked for vision from her mother’s ophthalmologist, was denied the hallowed implement. Thrice. Shazia valued her bus ride a lot. She had to convince Papa to allow her to commute to her college on her own. She had concealed her indignation about needing her father's permission for every little trifle, even after being categorised as an adult by the Government of India. Papa consented only after he was told that Noor too would start using the bus if Shazia were to give her company.

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ABOUT THE EDITOR SONIA RAO

The editor of the Anthology, Sonia Rao (writer-editor-award winning blogger) is the NaNoWriMo Municipal Liaison for All-India region. The stories which are part of the anthology are written by Wrimos homed in to Asia::India region. Most of them are also published writers of short fiction and novels.She blogs @ https://soniaraowrites.wordpress.com/ 

Find out more about Wrimo India @

Wrimo India on FB:  https://www.facebook.com/NaNoWriMo.India/

Wrimo India on Twitter:  https://twitter.com/wrimosindia 

Wrimo India blog: https://wrimoindiawrites.wordpress.com/ 

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Book Review: The Other End of The Corridor

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The Other End of the Corridor 

by 

Sujata Rajpal 

Blurb 

When your dreams are tainted with lies and deceit, you have no other choice but to walk to the other end of the corridor.

Leela has nothing extraordinary about her except the dream to become famous. Her desires take wings when she gets married to a handsome boy from a respectable family in Delhi. But her dreams are shattered even before they have a chance to take flight. 

She happens to meet two friends from a long forgotten past, which infuses hope and opens new avenues to realize her dormant aspirations.

Leela delves into previously unexplored paths of deception and forbidden passions that only make her stronger. 

In an attempt to rediscover herself, she falls in love with life and with herself but her life takes a sudden turn again…

No matter what, Leela will continue to chase her dreams.

Where does this journey take her?

Review 

After reading the book, the first thing that came across me is that 'The Other End of Corridor' can easily be classified under the books which speaks about the contemporary works about women in society. It is a bit slow at the start but once you start turning the pages, you will definitely be engrossed in the middle class life of Leela Chopra. The book talks about Leela's journey in a society that is biased against women.

The book in a way is a voice of hundreds of thousands of women who are forced into marriage, suffer beatings and lacks courage to speak up but not in the eyes of debutante author Sujata Rajpal. The main protagonist eventually finds a voice through her dream. She decides to walk on the corridor of freedom towards a path to rediscover herself and life.

The author has conveyed plenty of emotions through Leela's journey and the situations she faces in front of her. Without telling much, she has managed to convey much more through smart choice of words and a deep understanding of issues women face, although at times, I felt the story to be a bit predictable.  But taking nothing away from the author, the way she has etched the central character, the story line and descriptions of some of the incidents is what made the book worth reading for me.

The author with her superb writing skills has brought some of the incidents to life and is asking all those women who are suffering in some way or the other to find your corridor towards freedom.

I didn't find ant proof reading mistakes and the editing seems to be perfect.

Overall, The Other End of The Corridor is a sensitive and a different read from all the romantic ones and is a must read for both women as well as men.

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Excerpt

"The corridor, I was walking down didn't have a trace of illumination. I couldn't see the other end. But I kept moving and now, I realize that more than the light, you need the determination to keep moving, keep struggling for your dreams, for your existence, for your survival."

I had lived in a dream world all my life, always blaming the circumstances for my own weaknesses. I could never gather courage to stand up to circumstances. For how long would I keep blaming others for my own shortcomings. And for how long would I keep dreaming- my dreams never aligned with the real world; my dreams and real life never converged at any point. ‘I definitely had experience but only in building castles in the air.’

About the Author 

Author’s profile :Sujata Rajpal is a Corporate Communication & PR professional turned a full-time author. She holds an MPhil degree in Economics and has studied Mass Communication from Panjab University, Chandigarh. She also writes articles and short stories for publications and journals. Sujata is a yoga enthusiast and enjoys being a Toastmaster. She currently lives in Mysore.

The Other End of the Corridor is her first novel.

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Asus ZenPad 7.0 (Z370CG) Review - A Stylish Tablet for Daily Use

The Asus ZenPad 7.0!!

When I first unboxed The Asus ZenPad 7.0, I was pretty much impressed with the design and overall look and feel. It gives a premium look which most of the other devices in this category fail miserably. But before I come to the full review of the ZenPad, let me give you a brief of the specifications used in ZenPad 7.0.

Brand Model	ASUS                                                                                                                                                                                        ZenPad 7.0  Z370CG
Display	17.7 cm (7) Super Bright IPS HD WXGA(1280 x 800), 216 Pixel per inch with ASUS Tru2Life technology and ASUS Truvivid Full lamination technology, 72% Screen to Body Ratio , Anti-Finger Coating,IPS Display upto 178 degree viewing angle, Zen Motion support Touch Gesture
Processor	Intel Atom x3-C3230 Quad Core Processor, 64-bit, support 3D graphics, Mali-450 MP4
Storage	16GB, 5GB ASUS Web Storage space for life; with an additional 11GB for 1st year, 100GB of Google Drive space for 2 years
Memory	64-bit Dual Channel LPDDR3 2GB RAM
Main Camera	8MP Auto-Focus, Pixel Master Camera for brighter photo & Video up to 400% with, Low Light Mode, Zero Shutter Lag, Manual Mode Support (as in DSLR Camera), IR filter, Beautification, Panaroma, HDR, Zero shutter lag
Front Camera	2MP, Large Aperturef/2.0, with 140 Degree Selfie Panorama
Connectivity	802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth v4.0 with A2DP, Wi-Fi Direct, Support Miracast
Network	WCDMA HSPA+ ;  DL:21 Mbps, UL: 5.76Mbps ;    3G: WCDMA: 850/900/1900/2100 ;                                                                                                      2G:EDGE/GSM: 850/900/1800/1900
Interface	1 x Micro USB 1 × 2-in-1 Audio Jack (Headphone / Mic-in) 1 x Micro SD Card Reader, Micro SD/SDXC (Support up to 64GB) 1 x Micro SIM Slot
Location	GPS/ A-GPS/ GLONASS
Battery	3450mAh Lipolymer Battery, 8 hours battery life
Audio	1 x Front Speaker with dts HD Premium Sound MP3, AAC, AAC+, Eaac, MIDI, WAV, FLAC, DTS
Operating System	Android OS, v5.0 (Lollipop)
User Interface	ASUS ZenUI 2.0 with over 1000+software enhancement
Colour	Obsidian Black, Aurora Metallic

The above specs looks great with 16GB internal storage and 5GB Asus web storage for life with 2GB RAM, 8MP rear camera, android Lollipop and front speaker with dts HD Premium sound. For a start, storing and saving all your captured memories is a big problem and Asus has solved it for all of us, especially me who has tons of pictures and videos to be saved.

A Premium Look & Feel - Asus ZenPad 7.0

Design

As I have mentioned during the unboxing, The Asus ZenPad looks nothing short of a great accessory than a gadget. It looks stunning with a super thin built, overall design and dimensions and textured back cover. Moreover, the ZenPad is extremely light and easy to hold with just one hand as shown in the picture. Along with these, the ZenPad provides a good viewing angle and is a great media consumption device for daily use.

On removing the back cover, I found a slot for a SIM card (single SIM) and a slot for a micro SD card. Whereas, on the front end, there are two buttons on the left hand side of the ZenPad. One is the volume rocker and the other is power/wake button. 

Looks lovely from the front - Asus ZenPad 7.0

Performance

I found the screen resolution of 1280 x 800 to be good on eyes as it comes with a super bright technology. Along with that, with 72% of screen to body ratio, I felt the ZenPad better to use as compared to other devices in this range. Also, the voice quality is superb while both using and without using the speaker functionality. 

Along with that, the Asus ZenPad 7.0 comes with world's first interchangeable add-ons to enhance the sound and battery life. Moreover, with the Asus audio cover, which has six hours of battery life, watching movies and video becomes a kind of an experience which only a movie lover understands. I also tried listening to songs using the headphones and I experienced virtual 5.1 surround sound through the DTS 360 Surround. 

Asus ZenPad 7.0 with Asus Audio Cover

Performance wise, I didn't find any lags. Games like Asphalt 7, Clash of Cans, FIFA 15 Ultimate ran smoothly and apps load quickly as soon as you press the icon. Browsing and reading books on this 7 inch Zenpad is a feel good experience. I would now love to read e-books instead of paperbacks on this stunning device with the Asus Bluelight Filter as it reduces the burden on my eyes by reducing the blue light emission by around 30% without disturbing the color balance.

The Asus ZenPad has a feature called ZenMotion to create shortcuts through Touch Gestures to instantly open apps when display is off.

Moreover, if you have kids who like playing with phones and tablets, the ZenPad has a provision for this too. The ZenPad has a Kids Mode app to have a safe browsing experience for children. It has a browser with filtering and parenting control plus PIN codes to prevent access. It also allows you to set a time limit on their usage. 

If you have people who simply looks out to access this stunning device, then don't worry. There is something called SnapView. SnapView allows users to have two separate and independent environments that can be switched between. For example, one for you and the other for people who accesses your ZenPad. 

A click from Asus ZenPad 7.0

Camera

The camera of the ZenPad works extremely well in a bright and sunny, well lit environment. As a person who likes to click pictures, camera is what I look up to and a click from the ZenPad ensured me that the ZenPad 7.0 is not going to disappoint me. With tru2life technology that is found only in televisions, the camera is capable to give you ultra realistic images. Although, the ZenPad doesn't offer flash but has a 2MP front camera for an occasional selfie. I would recommend to click from ZenPad only when you are surrounded with bright lights and before the sun sets in.

Battery

The battery life is standard for most of the devices under this segment and the Asus ZenPad is no different.

So what's the final verdict on the Asus ZenPad 7.0 ??

Asus ZenPad 7.0 is one helluva of a device and I am literally in love with it. The Asus ZenPad 7.0 has become an indispensable tablet for me who only wants one device to use. Also, now I can write my long blog posts, poems and be a social geek without moving to my laptop for it every now and then.

From stunning looks to superb and solid specifications and performance, the Asus ZenPad 7.0 is a stylish tablet for daily use! If at all you are planning to buy a tablet, go for Asus ZenPad 7.0!

Just in case, if you are still wondering whether to purchase the Asus ZenPad 7.0, here is an info-graphic that will help you in coming to a positive conclusion. Cheers!!

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