The Power of Retail

The retail scene in Dubai has always been quite vibrant and continues to be as such even today. Yesterday I visited the newly opened Dubai Mall, built by Emaar and billed to be the largest mall in the world. I was disappointed in many ways, but mostly because so many of the stores are yet to open and one can hear the sounds of construction everywhere. Outside the mall, towards the back where the fountain is to be eventually, its a maze of construction vehicles, pipes and so on.

As in all malls in Dubai, the main attraction is not its shops, but the extra stuff to pull the crowds. The older Mall of the Emirates has a ski slope, Ibn Batutta Mall has seven courts and is built along these themes, Wafi City is all about the glory of the Egyptian pyramids, an The Dubai Mall is vying to outdo all of them with its enormous aquarium, complete with sharks, sting rays and thousands of other fish, 33,000 other fish to be exact.

Nothing is small scale here, the aquarium window is the largest in the world and has already been included in the Guinness Book of World Records. There is also a 48mt long tunnel through the aquarium and a Discovery Center that covers three zones: Rainforest, Rocky shore and Living ocean. The Rainforest Cafe is located conveniently nearby, although it is yet to open.

If the aquarium doesn’t interest you, there is also an Olympic sized ice skating rink at the mall. Yes, yes this still is the desert, but who’s to know once you’re inside, right?

Of all the malls I have been to, this is definitely the most technology savvy. All of its internal maps of the malls are touch screen, so you can find the store you want to go to with ease. There are huge electronic boards that change color and move up and down to create an amazing look and feel. I don’t think I’ll be going to the mall much for shopping, but these extras are definitely interesting.

I’ve been seeing lots of ads lately for a product called fat burner, which is apparently really good at reducing your weight. I have no plans of trying it out, since I don’t need to lose weight, but am quite intrigued by how it works and would love to get the opinion of someone who has tried it out. Anyone out there willing to share their experience with me? It might interest you to know that I am finding this out for an article that I will be writing about this subject and I really do want to include this very popular technique of weight loss in it as well.

There is something special about the morning light, isn’t there? It washes everything in a beautiful light, glossing over the imperfections, hiding the ugliness and presenting a picture of pristine beauty. Interestingly, this works not only for beautiful sights but even for odd stuff….in the soft morning light, everything ends up looking beautiful.

Here’s a shot that I took just before 7am on vacation in Mussoorie.

There have been so many advertisements for home insurance lately, that it’s seriously made me think of getting it. If you think about it, it really does make very good sense, but it’s usually something that one ignores, which is not really a good idea. When you calculate the cost of insurance per month, per week and per day, it really does not amount to much, and one has to put aside this nominal cost of being secure. Long term thinking is what is required and getting home insurance is the first step to that. No one really questions if one should have automobile insurance, and that’s the same kind of attitude we should have for covering the home too.

I don’t blog half as much as I used to earlier, mostly due to my concentrating on my freelance work. In the past I usually had some dedicated blogging time, but I have had to cut down on that, since I’ve been giving priority to assignments that I get for work. A lot of people think of blogging as work too, but I try to keep it fun and light, else it’s not much of a relaxer is it?

Interestingly, the crescendo of blogging seems to be quietening down a bit lately. The buzz about it is a lot less, the number of new blogs being started per day has also come down and the ones being abandoned is going up as it always has been. So, is the blog party all over? Or is it going to come back in a new form? It will definitely be interesting to watch.

Lately it seems that the technology we use on a daily basis is increasing at a faster and faster rate. Luckily for most of us, newer technology is also more simpler technology and is much more user friendly than earlier, so one can adapt to it very easily. That’s is exactly what is happening to the new wireless security system which is so easy to install and use that it is attracting a whole new segment of people. This has been a major step overcoming those who were wary of switching to these new devices. I’m quite keen on testing them out myself and seeing how they work, and eventually get one installed.

The largest real estate exhibition in the world. At this year’s event projects worth $600 billion were announced.This is the sign of Abu Dhabi based real estate developer Sorouh…yes it’s written in English, but I took this shot from behind, so its backward, and has ended up looking quite foreign. Besides major developments being announced (including Nakheel’s 1km high tower), the main attraction are these amazing displays, which the companies spend millions on.

Since we have moved into this home last year, our furniture shopping has not finished. I wanted to get it all done, but something or the other just kept getting left. So, now its time to head out for some shopping for furniture, some modern furniture to be specific. I like a contemporary and clean look to my home, nothing too messy, ornate or heavy for me. As we’ve been here over a year, I am now thinking of replacing some of the older things we have, since it seems that there are lots of bargains to be found these days. I compared prices from a couple of stores and was happy to note that they were much lower than last year when I last did some furniture shopping.

I’ve been using a really wonderful travel site called Responsible Travel, and have found some really great vacation options there. What is so great about this site is that it gives you so many choices from around the world, and so I have looked at destinations that I usually would not have, places such as Morocco, Cyprus and so on. What is so different about this site is that they only list places and resorts that are eco-friendly and responsible to the environment around them. There are thousands of destinations and travel packages listed, some as interesting as cooking holidays in Italy, Spain and many other destinations. I found that to be so interesting and refreshing. Take a look around yourself and you’ll be hooked too!

Ever since I started working at home in 2006, I could not have been happier with my work situation. I simply love the flexibility it affords me and even though I know I could earn a lot more if I worked at a regular job, I don’t think I would be very happy at it. For more and more people that concept of a home based business is gaining in popularity. Many are realizing that their worth is a lot more than their employers are giving them and are deciding to start something of their own. It’s certainly not easy, but if you’re dedicated, professional and organized, it can be done very well. With the current situation of the economy, a lot of stay-at-home moms are also taking up such options, which will give them additional income but also give then access to their kids at all hours.