Movie Review: 'Dirty Picture' is not as Sizzling as it Looks!

I actually bunked office with some lame excuse to catch the first day first show of this movie, but the risk was not worth taking! The movie says that there are three things which are required to make a hit movie - entertainment, entertainment and entertainment! But all the director offers in the name of entertainment is a not so soothing display of Vidya Balan's fat!

I aint writing much about this. The movie is very haphazard without any story line, you keep wondering whats really happening and why it is happening. We were expecting to see Silk Smitha's biography (a South Indian item girl who was a rage in the 80's) but the effort on research was minimal. The movie has some 'filmy' dialogues but I have to admit that it has some funny ones too :). I like the one where they say that there's a woman made for every man, and if you can escape her then your life is saved! There are a few cheezy but interesting ones too. Those are the few elements that make the movie interesting in parts.

The film that was supposed be hard-hitting hardly hits your heart or mind.. It does pain the eye! Vidya Balan has shown some scary flabs in the weirdest clothes. Yes, she has done a rather bold role, but even that bold performance could not bring enough substance to the movie. I also agree that the character she was depicting wasn't exactly slim, but I wish they focused a little more on the story and research rather than her bosom and belly. At times the story reminded me of 'Fashion' - struggle, fame and fall.

None of the actor deserves a special mention except Vidya because none of the others has any strong define. Naseeruddin Shah plays a south- Indian superstar who manages to woo the audience with his performance as a college boy even at the age of 50, and who is also known for giving 'career breaks' to many young girls. I kept wondering why he had to take up that role at all (but I bet he had some fun too ;))! And the most pleasant lover of hers - Emraan Hashmi got the least screen time (but they managed to kiss).

I expected something better and was thoroughly disappointed! My rating is 1.5 + 0.5 for Vidya's courage i.e. 2 on 5 and my advise is - I know there are some movies that we just want to watch at any cost and this is one of them. But if you can then stay away from this one! It's not really as sizzling as dirty as it looks like!

In case you're wondering what Silk Smitha looked like, here's a picture from Google. But please do notice that she had toned abs!

Top 3 Budget Long Lasting Lip Colors (under Rs 500): Review, Photos, Swatches

Yes, I am obsessed with 'long-lasting' things :) including in makeup. So here are my picks for the best 3 long lasting lip-colors around Rs 500 ($12).





Pick 1 - Colorbar Extra Durable Lip Color
I have reviewed this in detail here. Here are some excerpts. The shade here is 'Candid'.

Product Details

Range of Colors: There are 15 colors available. Mostly nudes and subtle shades and there is one bright pink.

Price: Rs 450 when I bought, but 500 now :(
Quantity: 4.5 ml X 2

With Gloss: Yes

With Applicator: Yes

The Texture: When you apply the color alone, it dries up within a minute. But once you apply the gloss, you would not feel any dryness at all. Infact feels quite creamy and moisturizing.

The Pigmentation: Quite good.

The Finish: Since it has gloss, so it gives a nice shiny and glossy finish to the lips with a little bit of shimmer.

The Staying Power: Yes, it does stay upto 10 hours. In fact in a couple of instances when I did not have anything, it stayed for even a longer time till I removed it. The gloss would wear off first, but the color stays on for a long long time.

 
Watch Out
After long hours, my lips start flaking and layers of color start coming off. This is after over 8 hours though, but is a bit of a problem.
Also shades are subtle colors, tough to find a bright one.

Pick 2 - Chambor Flowing Lipstick (Stay on Color with Shea Butter)
(The shade here is Innocent Rose)

Product Details

Range of Colors: A wide variety of gorgeous colors
Price: Rs 550
Quantity: 4 ml

With Gloss: No

With Applicator: Comes with a twisted brush (See pictures below)

 The Texture: Soft, Creamy yet light on the lips

The Pigmentation: Very Good

The Finish: Since it does not come with a gloss, the finish is creamy and gives a matte look. You can always team it up with a gloss if you wish! I have a bright pink shade. It has a very subtle shimmer too.

The Staying Power: Excellent! Definitely lasts for over 7 hours

Watch Out
It tends to dry the lips without the gloss.

Pick 3 - Maybelline Super Stay Gloss
This was my first experiment with long lasting colors, and it was perfect. Maybelline is my favorite drug store brand since it gives you good quality products in reasonable prices. This lip color delivered what it promised - stayed for super long! I went for a second and then the third one, but that unfortunately had some leakage issues. The replacement that I got from Shoppers Stop also had leakage issues. And I have stayed away from it since then. But I won't mind trying it out once again.


They have a nice range of colors available including pink, nudes etc. Last I checked they were phasing this out and planning to introduce a 24 hr stay lip color. I somehow thought 12 hr was enough :)

Product Details

Range of Colors: There are some nice and bright colors available
Price: Rs 380
Quantity: 4.5 ml each

With Gloss: Yes

With Applicator: Yes

 The Texture: Soft, and Creamy but gets a little sticky if you apply too much. You are supposed to apply the  gloss after the color dries up. Only that wait is a bit drying.

The Pigmentation: Very Good

The Finish: Glossy. Makes the lips look fuller.

The Staying Power: Excellent! It usually does not go until you remove it with a cleanser.

Watch Out
None, except the leakage thing mentioned above. It is great value for money.

And finally the swatches for Colorbar Candid, Chambor Innocent Rose ans Maybelline

Which is your favorite long lasting lip color, tell us about it!

India Resort Fashion Week 2011: Press Release

India Resort Fashion Week

Powered by Provogue

World Celebrates Fashion in Goa this December!

Mumbai, 15^th November, 2011: INK Infrastructure in association with YUVA and powered by Provogue brings to you the first ever unprecedented fashion week created solely to celebrate resort wear in India. An initiative to promote Indian resort fashion and world over, India Resort Fashion Week 2011 (IRFW) will be held at the Grand Hyatt, Goa from the 7^th – 10^th December, 2011, showcasing the finest works of the country’s most coveted resort wear designers.

Resort wear today has gone beyond just beach wear. It has emerged as the retail industry’s multi -seasonal money spinner, as resort wear is essentially year round fashion. World over resort wear has been recognized already as an independent season and the international resort wear industry is growing exponentially. India is still to fully explore and understand the growing importance of cruise collection; IRFW 2011 has been conceptualised to cater to this burgeoning resort wear industry. With an eclectic mix of renowned designers and emerging talent IRFW 2011 is pegged as the most anticipated fashion week in the country.

A must attend for all fashion enthusiast, IRFW 2011 is committed to showcasing exquisite designs in swim, resort and luxury lounge wear for women and men. Spread over four days, IRFW will celebrate the creations of designers synonymous with resort wear such as  Shantanu and Nikhil, James Ferreira, Shivan and Narresh, Pria Kataria Puri, Narendra Kumar and Anupamaa Dayal to name a few.  The final day of IRFW the shows will be held at Marbela Beach, Morjim; with a ramp on the beach, the ocean as the backdrop on the pristine sands of Goa, encapsulating the true essence of international resort.

Commenting on IRFW Shantanu Mehra says, “Resort wear is an escalating segment in the Indian fashion industry and is already an extremely prominent segment abroad. It is just about the correct time for India to also have a fashion week which is devoted to resort wear. We have been creating active lounge wear dresses & gowns as part of our resort wear lines over the years and have now given it a unique brand identity independent of our couture brand. We are extremely happy to be a part of the inaugural IRFW.”

IRFW, the unique concept is developed and promoted by Tanya Swetta, id8 Media Solutions, Nikhil Oza E-sense Entertainment and Pallav Kumar Ojha, UVAR Pvt ltd. IRFW is headed by Shalini Chuganee, COO who shares her views “Associating with IRFW is a co beneficial alliance with a brand building exercise at its optimum. The platform provides opportunities on a B2B, as well as B2C level,  resulting in a brand equity increase through strategic luxury market alliances.  Amalgamating the international standards of quality with the finest resort wear designer collections, IRFW is the official platform which will bring Indian resort wear onto the global fashion map."

Imtiaz Khatri, Owner Ink Infrastructure “As a title sponsor, I’m glad to announce our company – Imtiaz Khatri group’s association with IRFW 2011. It is an honour to be a part of this one of a kind fashion week, which is distinct from other shows in India. I am sure that it would help us to reach new heights.”

Sharing his views Nitesh Rane, Co- Founder and Chairman, YUVA says “We are delighted to announce our magazine –YUVA’s, alliance with India Resort Fashion Week as an associate sponsor. It is a spectacular platform to showcase Indian fashion and encourage tourism at an international tourist destination like Goa."

Backed by Goa Tourism Development of India, IRFW is an endeavour to bring the right designers to the forefront in the resort fashion space. It is an opportunity to showcase their designs to prominent national as well as international buyers and interact with key players in the industry. This unprecedented concept keenly focuses on the business aspect of the fashion week and is aimed at increasing business conversions, putting the spotlight on resort wear in India. Held at the luxurious Grand Hyatt Goa and final day the Marbela beach, IRFW perpetuates the unique Goa experience with the ‘Shack Village’ – a showcase of collections comprising of resort wear and accessories.

Sharing his views designer Shivan Bhatiya from Shivan & Narresh says, “Designers who ardently create resort wear, many a times go unnoticed. India does not provide adequate impetus for this booming sector. IRFW provides numerous designers a platform to showcase their creativity. It helps them tap this profitable segment. I am excited to be a party of this distinct property”

This December celebrate the undying and sensuous style of resort wear with IRFW at the Grand Hyatt Goa. Brace yourself to witness a fashion extravaganza like no other, as stalwarts in the resort space present scintillating cruise collections in sun soaked hues.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

For Press Information, please contact:

id8 media solutions

Shruti Kedia       +919930540781                    e!shruti.id8@gmail.com

Nandita Dalmia +91 9819635060                   e!nandita.id8@gmail.com

Designers with their models

James Ferreira & his model

Lubna Adam & Narendra Kumar

Shivan & Narresh with their model

Harmeet Bajaj

Babita Malkani & James Ferreira

Nose Pore Strips for Blackhead Removal, Do They Really Work?

Everyone wants to get rid of blackheads. There are a few options available but tweezer is undoubtedly the best way to do so.  But its not easy to use one and can be a bit painful too! Scrubs are usually useless. Nose pore strips instead are much more convenient and effective in removing blackheads. But before I used one I had several questions on my mind like

1. Will nose pore strips really work?
2. Will the glue harm my skin?
3. Will it be painful?
4 Will there be any side effects?
5. Will nose strips prevent future appearance of blackheads?

I have tried a couple of brands from New U. Though both were kinds of effective I prefer the second since they have white strips and I feel are partially better. It is also a better known and more popular brand.

1. Cool & Cool Charcoal Nose Strip (shown above) - Rs 59 for a strip
2. Beauty Formulas Deep Cleansing Nose Pore Strips (shown below) - Approx Rs 45 for a strip

So here are the answers to my questions.

1. Will nose pore strips really work?
It depends on your skin type, hair growth and also the brand that you choose. I am lucky to not have a serious blackheads problem and I was pretty pleased with the result. The satisfaction of seeing the unwanted hair on the strip is immense :). I think it definitely removed 80-90% of the blackheads and I could not see anything extra blackhead on my nose.
A couple of other friends have also tried this and this is what they feel. While a friend who had a pretty thick hair growth said, these pores removed 70-80% of the blackheads but she could still a few left!

2. Will the glue harm my skin?
Most of the glue usually comes off with your pull and if it does not, it is very easy to wash away. I searched on the internet and concluded that the glue does not do any harm to the skin. I am convinced since I have not faced any problems so far.

3. Will it be painful?
Absolutely not! The tweezers can be quite painful at times though!

4 Will there be any side effects?
I did have the thoughts that I might experience some itching/ burning sensation after use. But thankfully there was no side effect at all!

5. Will nose strips prevent future appearance of blackheads?
Nope, they do not prevent the future appearances. Home remedies can help in that regard.

What I like about nose strips for blackhead removal
1. Very convenient and painless to use, directions given very clearly on the pack
2. No affordability issues
3. I did not experience any side effects like itching/ burning etc.
4. It is quite effective!

Have you used one? Share your experience!

Movie Review: 'Rockstar' Rocks - Romantic, Intense but not Melodramatic!

When I had seen trailers of 'Rockstar' I had thought the movie was about a rebellious singer who was first a victim of and then voice against violence in Kashmir! Pardon my ignorance, but there is a special thrill about watching a movie without even knowing the plot!

Rockstar is not about any political issue (despite the repeated appearance of cops, crowds and Kashmir in the trailers), it is an intense story about feelings, destiny, and a bit of struggle between rightdoing and wrongdoing! And it is also about how these feelings and destiny transform Janardan Jakra (JJ), a simple boy aspiring to be a singer, to Jordan, a world-famous rockstar with a streaks of anger. Yes, you may wonder how it all happened that fast, but you will still end up believing it in parts. JJ (Ranbir), a middle-class and simple Hindu college student is told that one cannot become a singer unless he experiences pain! He tries to befriend Heer (Nargis), a rich, classy and talented Stephenian hoping she will reject him and he will go through the pain of refusal. Heer instead turns out to be a bold and fun-seeking girl who has a list of things that she wants to do before she gets married in two months! The two become friends and JJ helps her in accomplishing her entire things to do list. Heer then gets married and moves to Prague. The rest of the movie is to be guessed or watched and don't worry you do get to see more of the pretty Nargis.

If you like love, rebelliousness, and breaking a few rules here and there and you will like this movie. The opening scene where the uncommitted, angry Jordan overcomes a fight and then reaches his concert with thousands of fans waving and roaring at him was impressive. He did not care about fame or money, he sang because he liked singing. The movie is fast-paced with some humour and fun here and there. You don't even get to know how time flies till the interval. Post interval the movie becomes intense and portrays how love on one hand can cure you and on the other hand can give you immense pain that that can completely change you as a person. It also portrays how feelings and emotions do not quite follow conventions. The best part of the whole plot has been treated with maturity and not melodrama. And it never really loses its pace. The cinematography is breathtaking while they fly you over the mountains of Kashmir, Prague buildings, and the places where Jordan goes for his concerts.

The movie belongs to Ranbir who gives yet another touching performance like ‘Wake Up Sid’. He really steals your heart. Nargis Fakri is very pretty and fresh but lacks the acting talent that the pivotal role demanded. She was pretty bad actually. But I am hoping she will improve with time. There were a few other bad actors too. The film gets haphazard and unreal in a few places, actually even jumps at times, but somehow the story track and intensity never lost and at the same time there are some light moments too. The casting and editing could be better in a few places, but it still leaves an impact on your mind. AR Rahman’s sound track impresses once again. Most of the tracks are in the background. In fact some of the songs were more meaningful and likeable when flowing with the movie rather than hearing them standalone on FM .

What a change from Ra.One! We finally see some serious cinema treated with maturity. Despite some bad acting and flaws in the flow of the story, this movie is definitely worth your time and money!

My Rating: 3.5/5

Where to Eat in NYC - My Picks and Pictures!

One of my blogger friends had asked for suggestions about places to eat in NYC. I would have written about this anyway, but since there was a specific request, I thought of coming up with it at the earliest!! Hope you find this useful.

NYC is a place where you get almost all cuisines, and in all price ranges. Pizza/ pasta/ salad/ burgers/ hot dogs are available readily and make the cheapest meal anywhere, any time. You can get a slice of yummy pizza with all possible meat toppings for just around $2-$3. And trust me, you will love it! As I mentioned in my one of my earlier posts, though pizza was first made in Italy, I bet it can't be yummier from the ones I had in NYC!!

Typical American or even British dishes like say Fish and Chips have may be a bland. So if you like it spicy, you have to let them know!

Now coming to the restaurants.. I obviously have not explored the food options completely to give an expert opinion, but I am writing about the ones I really liked and were located in the most popular destinations. These are all reasonably restaurants.

Times Square
Times square has a plethora of restaurants. And the funny bit is that I have not been disappointed by whichever restaurant I have tried! My favorite ones are.

Olive Garden
It is basically an Italian place but offers a decent variety of items on the menu. The best part I like about this place is that they offer a very nice and wholesome complimentary salad. The ambiance is nice and casual, and it's a good place to with date or family both :)
http://www.olivegarden.com/
Meal for 2: < $60

Bubba Gump Shrimp
This is a seafood place based on the theme of the movie 'Forrest Gump'. If you can answer 5 questions about the movie, you get candies too :). I also managed to win a really nice cocktail glass. You get a huuuge variety of shrimp items here. My favorite is the Cajun Shrimp, nice and spicy and suits the Indian palette.
Another interesting thing about this place is the way you're supposed to call your sever. They come and attend you if you display the 'STOP' board. Else you hold the 'Keep Running' board. They also have a nice way to celebrate birthdays :)
http://www.bubbagump.com/
Meal for 2:  $90

Hard Rock Cafe
This of course needs to introduction. They usually serve very nicely mixed drinks though I was a bit disappointed in my last visit I hate to say. The decor is grand and nice. It's located right in the heart of Times Square, and so has long waiting time.
The suggestion that I have here is that since HRC is there almost everywhere including Delhi/ Mumbai etc, you could skip this and try something new!
http://www.hardrock.com/locations/cafes3/
Meal for 2:  $70





Chevy's Fresh Mex
This is one of my favorite Mexican joints. They have some nice Margaritas too! And is very reasonable.
My absolute favorite here is Shrimp fajitas.
http://www.chevys.com/
Meal for 2:  $60

Red Lobster 
By now you can feel my love for seafood! And if you are a fan of seafood like me, you will like this place too :). The restaurant welcomes you with a display of live lobsters in an aquarium! They have decent variety and also offer a nice complimentary ceaser salad.. I usually avoid lobster as they are a bit cumbersome to eat. But I did not want to not eat lobster in a restaurant that had lobster in the name! So after our server promised that it would be not be that big a deal,  we ordered the Fire-Grilled Lobster, Shrimp and Scallops! And it was pretty good and easy to eat too!!
http://www.redlobster.com
Meal for 2:  $70-$80

34th Street: Lucy's Cantina Royale
I will not rate this placevery well in terms of the menu but the location and the view from the top is pretty amazing! There is an open air section on the second floor from where you get a somewhat aerial view of the 34th street. You can see the Empire State building too! In terms of food, they do not have a great variety, you get the common American items like burgers etc and some mexican stuff too.

View of the Empire State from Lucy's

South Street Seaport - Pier 17
I have eaten at a few places here and frankly liked all of them. The USP of the restaurants here is the view they offer more than anything else. Having a romantic dinner (or actually any kind of meal) by the riverside is something I have always fancied. You get a breathtaking view of the Brooklyn bridge as well. Just choose something up the stairs, by the river! And if you like seafood, try the Grilled salmon.

One restaurant that I really thought was interesting but never visited is Beekman Beer Garden Beach. It's a relatively new place and looks great! They have created an open air restaurant on a water taxi with seats that glow in the dark. I thought it was pretty awesome, will try it the next time for sure!

Beekman Beer Garden Beach

China Town
This is different part of NYC altogether. All signs are in Chinese, many people here can't speak in English and you often may have to talk with your hands! Busy, crowded yet very lively, and I had one of the best Singapore noodles there. This is the best place for some authentic Chinese food. And all the restaurants are very reasonably prices, most items between $10-$15. And it is highly likely that you will get the bill also in Chinese :)

A Glimpse of China Town

Little Italy
Right next to China town is Little Italy, the place for some great Italian food. They also have some food festivals or the other all year round. An interesting place to be at!

Little Italy Food Festival

Bleeker Street
This is close to the university area and has a line of small and homely pubs catering to the student population. The pubs have an informal environment and give you a perfect value for money.

Meatpacking district
This is really known for the night clubs and the speakeasy bars. Unfortunately I did not get a chance to explore this place well, although we accidentally went into a restaurant that served us an amazing octopus dish! Here is a list of the restaurants you will find there. It's a rather long one!
http://www.meatpackingdistrict.com/restaurantsbarsclubs/

My Latest Obsession: A Forever 21 Necklace

While I was not exactly impressed with the clothing collection of Forever 21, their accessories collection was interesting. Some were junky while some were sleek and pretty. And most importantly they were mostly under $10.

I bought this cute necklace from one of their stores! Loved the two-layered design and the fake 'diamonds' :). And the style was such that it would go with both closed and deep necks! There were 2 colors - purple and silver. I chose the silver one as it would go well with almost all colors!

After wearing it for the first day I left it on my table and it had got tangled. In my desperate effort to untangle it, I ended up tangling it further. Two-layered and long chains are bad in this regard. Eventually a salesgirl helped me in getting this back in shape after working on it for almost an hour!! She was an angel. And ever since, I wore it for almost everyday and totally fell in love with it!! My trip pictures provide a perfect evidence!

Are you wondering how much did I pay for it that I loved it soo much.. Well it was rather cheap, yet pretty :)

Here are some pictures from the Forever 21 website itself.

Forever 21: Sneak Peek into an NYC store, and a Few Things They Could do Better!

The fact that I keep talking about Forever 21 obviously means the brand holds a special place in my heart. We all love the brand because if makes fashion very affordable. A few days back I was looking at their site and found almost 200 items under $5!! Though I always felt the quality of the clothes was not the best, but they were worth the money and trendy, I had a slightly different experience this time during my trip to NYC.

There are quite a few stores in the city and surprisingly have different collections. The one at the 34th street, though is very big, did not have a great collection this time!  All I wanted was a casual skirt, and there were almost none to even try. I did not like anything! The quality of the clothes were a bit disappointing, you could find better stuff at Sarojini street shops. Nothing against SN since it used to be one of my favorite shopping destinations during college days, but you'd expect better in a NY store. The not-fitting and asymmetric seems to be the in-style these days! The store was flooded with them. But I am not a fan!

The Union Square is a better one. I found a nice $10 skirt there, which on trial turned out to be a little too tight and sexy ;). I picked up a very pretty necklace though. The best Forever 21 store however is the one at Times Square! First of all it stays open till 2am!! It is also quite huge and has the best collection. It is very organized too.

All said and done, I still can't not visit this store if I'm visiting NYC! The Delhi store hasn't impressed me much as they charge very high prices compared to the US stores! I have a soft corner for this store, and I hope I can find something nice I visit them the next time! For the same price, H&M offers some more sophisticated stuff. Forever 21 still is a very popular brand for college kids, 70% of the collection meant to woo them.. but it would be fabulous if they could bring out some classier and chic clothes for us, the office goers too!

Another thing I wish F 21 could change was their exchange policy. Most stores allow you to return the products in the US. This only gives you a store credit so that you can exchange it!

How has your latest Forever 21 experience been?

Here are some photos from the 34th Street store. It was such a nice feeling to be able to take photographs freely inside a store, unlike here in India where you're always prohibited!!

My Travelogue Begins - 10 Places to See/ Be at in New York City! Part 1

It's been almost a month since I've been back in Delhi and thinking of writing about my trip. I've been both busy and lazy, but I finally got some time and decided to start writing. I was in New York City for 3 weeks for work and then traveled to visit the Niagara Falls, Disney World, Universal Studios and Miami. The focus for this article is my first destination, though I have to admit I'm already dying to write about the last ones too!

Though I have been to NYC a few times before for work, this was a special trip for several reasons. I discovered some new places in the city in terms of food, shopping and experiences, almost making it as exciting as the first visit to any place. Also, the romantic air of the city always made me miss my husband and I had him with me for the first time, though for a rather short time in the end! My selection of the best 10 places to see/ be at in NYC obviously has a a bias towards things I love - Walking around, Riverside, City View, Shopping, Eating. The night-life coverage unfortunately will be a little low. And I promise, I will try to cover them more in my next trip :). So here are my favorite places of the New York City! Since it is going to be long, I am splitting it into 2 parts.

Brooklyn Bridge

Thanks to my poor memory, I had forgotten what it was like to walk on the Brooklyn Bridge and hence went on to relive that experience. And guess what, my heart skipped a beat yet again as I stepped on to the wooden walkway and felt the vibrations of the cars racing under my feet. I could actually see them through the gaps between the wooden planks right below me. At the centre of the bridge, you can even throw a coin in the East river below (not sure if that is allowed though). It was quite a feeling, not to mention the view! It is almost impossible to not feel a little bit romantic there :)

Central Park

Yes, you have seen a lot of it both in Hollywood as well as Bollywood, but it's still worth seeing it with your own eyes. Honestly, I'm not really a fan of greenery but the vastness and serenity of this place is  breathtaking.  Seemed like the Central Park had also become a favorite spot for wedding couples. Saw quite a few of them with their crew of photographers following them along the park! The huge park spreads from the 59th street to the 110th street and has a drive space of 10 km inside the park used by joggers, skaters, cyclists etc. An interesting fact is that though the park looks very natural, it has been entirely landscaped and several lakes inside have been created artificially, but you simply can't tell!

Bridesmaids..

Street Show outside the Central Park

Central Park Zoo: While this zoo is one of the smallest in NYC (Bronx being the largest), a few residents make a treat for the eyes. My favorite are the seal and the penguins! They also have a snow leopard and a polar bear amongst other interesting beings. It is not a bad place for an entry fee of $13! In fact on two weekends every year, they allow complimentary entries to all corporate employees and I happened to be there on one of those weekends!

Times Square

I call it 'The I Make Everyone Smile' Square. No matter how I feel, the liveliness of this place cheers me up. The lights, the crowd, the hustle-bustle - all make it a happy place. I love sitting on the red stairs in the main square and watching the hundreds of people before me with something unique about each of them. You could often see an Elvis Presley or a topless but starred female guitarist or a Micky Mouse! The place also outlets for most of your favorite brands which also stay open till later than the other stores. The Times Square Forever 21 has the best collection and shopping hours, remains open till 2 am!

Eating options galore too!

Check him out, Elvis!

Breakfast @ HRC, A bit ironical :)

Inside HRC

The 34th Street

For someone who loves shopping, 34th street cannot be missed! You have the huge 9 floor Macy's that has a solution for almost all possible shopping needs! The shopping in Macy's experience deserves an independent article I believe! You also have Victoria Secrets, H&M around though the Forever 21 isn't exactly great. And I have to make a special mention of the Fossil store. There was a small problem with my Fossil watch and I had gone there to get it fixed. Since the duration of my stay wasn't long enough for them to fix it, they gave me a brand new watch!!!!!!!!!!!! I was rather shocked with this 'unthinkable in India' gesture! But I would recommend that Fossil store to everyone for their courteousness and generosity. And please don't blame me if you had entered the store to just buy a watch for your girlfriend but ended up buying two for yourself as well :).

Though Pizza is an Italian dish, they are absolutely yummy in America!!

Empire State Building

The spectacular view of the entire city from the top of the Empire State Building has again been dramatized in several movies and my first reaction too was nothing but a 'WOW' back in 2007. It is a different story that I went to the 45th floor of my office the next day and was equally mesmerized with the view that I got there! But if you're a tourist without the access to an office space in the 45th floor, you must visit this place! And the best time to go there I think is a little before sunset so that you can get both the day view as well as the night view! It is a photographer's delight! The lights, the buildings, the streets - it has to be experienced rather than read! It is not one of the post popular attractions of NYC for no reason.

Though I have been to only the 86th Floor and not the 102nd floor, 86th has an open space and I have read is better than 102! (You need to know this as there are separate tickets, 102 being more expensive). The skyride is also good is what I have heard.

  

Souvenir @ the Empire State

This is it for today. Pardon me and also correct me if there has been any factual errors. I have written this article more share my experiences rather than the widely known facts :). These snaps have been taken by three people (one of them being me), hence I cannot take all the credit :). Enjoy!