Ouch! Another Madonna unretouched photograph hits the net!

Sometime back I'd done a post about Madonna's unretouched images for Louis Vuitton. Bunny ears and all!
This time the latest pictures to hit the net are Madonna's sexy ad campaign for Dolce and Gabbana. Here is one before and after shot-

Need I say more?!

(Image taken from Jezebel)

Finally!! An iPhone 4 proximity sensor issue workaround!!

While I was in the US I wasn't really using my iPhone and was on my Blackberry Torch instead. In the past week that I've been back however, my iPhone 4 frustrations have been growing exponentially each day. I have not been able to make a SINGLE phone call, even one that is only 2 minutes long, that doesn't hang up, get put on hold, on speakerphone, or try to connect via FaceTime. Sometimes I'll be talking into the phone only to hear the phone go off (my face has hung up the call) or have the other person say "hello" repeatedly back to me, as I've put myself on mute. If you've been reading my blog or following me on Twitter, my issues will be hardly new to you as you would have heard me complain about my phone. A friend of mine casually told me about this App yesterday that could help me with my issues- it's called Call Guard and the idea behind it is so simple, it's stupid that nobody has thought about it before. When you're on a call, you basically have to use the Multitasking option of the phone to open the app (you have to double click the Home screen button and then click on "Call Guard") and it opens up a blank screen that looks like this-

 

The App only costs 99 cents on the US iTunes store (I haven't checked if it's available in the international stores too) and is worth every single penny, or cent in this case! It also tells you how many times you have accidentally hit the phone by counting the unintentional taps to the screen and shows up like this-

 

I got off the phone after a 15 minute phone conversation this morning, while lying in bed. That would NOT have been possible only yesterday, as having conversations while holding the phone straight to my ear carefully, while sitting upright at my desk is barely possible. On hanging up the phone I glanced down at my screen- 194 unwanted touches!!! 

If the iPhone 4 was made by ANY other company apart from Apple, they would have had a factory recall for the piece. However, my secretary desperately wanted me to carry back one for her (despite seeing how many issues I had with it) and each time I went to the store, there was a line with a wait time of at least an hour each time they had the phone in stock. Well, I guess I'm the idiot who despite owning an electronics company is still breaking my head with a phone that- for all purposes- does not work properly, at least as a phone. It doesn't help that I have a billion apps on it that I can't do without, and I love the camera on my phone too, which is very important to have especially if you're a blogger. I have also spent a bit of money on it recently cute-ning up my phone.

I got new customized decal for it to match the new look of my blog... Isn't it adorable?

And this is a cover for my iPhone 4- yes, it's very bling, and yes, it's Hello Kitty... but I just absolutely LOVE it! 

If you love your bling or are a Hello Kitty fan too, you can check out the online store I bought it from- http://www.etsy.com/shop/pinkyanela.
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"Follow" my blog on Google Reader!

A few of my friends have been reading my blog since I started it a few months back. I had to personally call upon each of them individually and request them to click on the little "Follow" icon that appeared on the side (when I had the option available). I had even made my disclaimer saying I didn't quite know what clicking that little button did but that I didn't want the number to be in the single digits! Well, a handful of them complied, till I did away with the box completely.
Later while trying to find ways to catch up on my favourite blogs easily, I came across Bloglovin' and immediately linked an icon for people to be able to follow my blog along with other peoples. This is a short video to show how Bloglovin works-



However, Bloglovin had it's limitations, as I didn't like the way all the posts from different blogs came chronological in order, and more importantly, I had to be online on a computer to read it. I had a whole bunch of blogs bookmarked on my laptop at home, but had to remember each site's URL to be able to put it in and go through it on my iPad. After doing a little more digging, I found a whole bunch of Apps available to do just that, that synced the stuff you "liked" with Google Reader, so that you didn't have to keep adding blogs and webpages each time you tried a different application out. So, I'm going to give you a few options about how you can keep in touch with all your online blog reading with ease.


Google Reader- Google Reader is a great way for you to keep in touch with all the online news. It's easy to use, and as you would expect with a Google app, is very well laid out. All your subscriptions and blogs that you follow are on there, so if you're connected to a computer, this is probably your best bet. It's the one I use from my laptop anyway. Check it out at www.google.com/reader .

Reeder- Reeder is available for the iPad and the iPhone and is soon coming for the Mac platform as well. As you can tell from the screen shot below, the App is very well laid out and is so easy to use and read. You can log into Google Reader from the app itself, so if you've got a whole bunch of blogs you are "following", they automatically all show up on here, by you just logging in. This was actually the App I used till a friend of mine mentioned the next one on my list and I decided to check it out.

Pulse- As mentioned above, I actually discovered this App only yesterday. I had heard a lot about it, but when a friend spoke of it yesterday, I checked it out while downloading other Apps for my iPad. I must say I instantly liked its layout, look and feel, and something about it made it feel so snappy. The App has apparently been made by 2 Indian boys while in college at Stanford, and it just is incredibly simple to use, and like I said, incredibly nice looking.

The rows that you see above (image taken from www.alphonsolabs.com) are different posts on the website, that one can easily scroll and read. I just played around with it a little bit, but I could immediately understand why this was the Number 1 App in the US iTunes App store for a while. Pulse is available for the iPhone, iPad and Android devices.

I hope this post was useful and if any of you want to share the Apps you use to follow up on sites and blogs, please let me know in the comments section below, as I wouldn't mind trying out others too. I'm also bringing my "Follow" box back out, so please do click on it if you are using any of the Apps mentioned above, or do want to be up to date on stuff I post. Thanks!
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Paranormal Activity 2 viral video

There are scary trailers that I've seen that are frightening enough for me to know that I won't even be attempting to go watch the movie. Then there is the way in which Paranormal Activity 2 is promoting it's film that is both terrifying and brilliant and makes me wonder what the movie will be like.
Various entertainment blogs over the past week have received a package on their doorstep (some at home, some in a hotel, and some having it brought to them in public places) without any postage on it and with no info on it apart from a return address. The package contains a tiny USB device that has a short few second clip on it which I'm guessing contain clues about what goes on in the movie. What's even more interesting, is that each USB device sent out, contains different clips, ie: different clues.
What an absolutely brilliant way of getting some viral marketing out, making even people who have no intentions of watching the film (ie: ME!) sit up and take notice!
Watch a trailer of the movie above.. it's scary enough to tide you over till the movie comes out.
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Du and Etisalat launch the iPhone 4 in the UAE.. without FaceTime!!

In a very bizarre move by Etisalat and Du, the iPhone4 was launched today in the UAE, without one of it's most popular features- FaceTime. As a consumer, I don't quite understand the rationale behind this decision, and I've been trying to surf the net to find some official communication that could hint at a reason without much success. As a business owner in the Electronics segment, I can't help but being even more upset about what this possibly means for sales.
I had my factory unlocked iPhone 4 shipped to me a few months back, and did a complete review about it, including a video showing the FaceTime working perfectly with my Etisalat Micro Sim. Upon changing my particular device (due to an issue with the iPhone 4's proximity sensor- which still remains a problem to this day) I was unable to activate FaceTime on my new device, and I feared the worst- that Etisalat had somehow managed to block the service on the newer phones. A reader of this blog however, sent me an email about a simple step to reboot the device, and I was able to use my FaceTime again, without any problems. Even today, as the official iPhone announced through the 2 service providers has the option to videochat disabled, my existing iPhone 4 has FaceTime working with ease. In essence what the Carriers have done is encourage new users to buy their phones from the parallel or gray market. Yes, the Carriers provide packages for users who want to be able to own and use the device without paying for it fully upfront, or without having to pull strings to get the product brought in from one of the countries who provide factory unlocked phones. However, they have also left the door wide open for those people who would rather buy a locked unit from the US for as low as 500 USD, and find software on the internet that allows to do a software unlock of the device. Either way, the motivation for a person to buy an officially sourced iPhone 4 is very little. As an electronics retailer that prides itself on providing original products, bought from the distributor or licensed  seller of said product with local warranty, etc, I can't help but be upset about this decision, while wondering about the motivation behind it.
Since Apple does not seemed to have blocked FaceTime on the iPhone 4 in any other country, it would seem that the decision is one made by the Telecom Carriers than the manufacturer of the phone.  The reason for that decision could be either the ability to freely enable any social mingling between the sexes, or the fact that the FaceTime works over WiFi and hence generates no revenue for the carries. And since Videoconferencing via 3G has been around for quite a few years now, and that too is a function that has been advertised by handset manufacturers as well as the service providers for that time, it is unlikely to be the former reason. Which only leaves me with one explanation...
What is also strange is that Apple has chosen to include FaceTime on it's newest iPod Touch devices, which I saw in person before traveling back to Dubai- they are sleek devices that are half the size of the iPhone4 while including the Retina display as well as all the other bells and whistles of the iPhone. It will be interesting to see if the Touch is launched with FaceTime available on it in the UAE, and whether it'll work then. I wouldn't be surprised if the service providers found a way to block my existing FaceTime too, but since it will be activated on the iPod Touch's via email, the Carriers will have no way to block it there even if they wanted. Like I said, it is something we will have to see in due course of time and I'm interested in seeing how this plays out.
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UPDATE!!!- After reading this post I got a few messages from my readers that shed more light on the situation. Someone advised me on Twitter that a possible workaround could be to create a US App store account and sign into iTunes with that, and then reset the phone to factory settings. Another friend of mine got insider info that neither Etisalat or Du had anything to do with FaceTime missing from the phone. It didn't quite make sense to me and I didn't believe it till another reader sent me an email telling me that on receiving the phone, FaceTime is an option, and only gets disabled upon upgrading to iTunes 4.1. The OTA Carrier update does NOTHING to the phone (as I thought it would) and the phone works perfectly, with FaceTime and everything, as long as an update isn't made, and the phone is left at iTunes 4.0.
This is quite a mind boggling discovery as it would seem FT is being blocked by Apple themselves. Why? Your guess is as good as mine. 
I'm going to try to contact someone in Etisalat or Du to give me an idea on what's going on as I'm just very curious at this point. 
Please do leave me a comment if this workaround works, or if you have any other information on the same. Thank you! 

Aaaand a further UPDATE!!- I just found out from a reliable source who chooses to remain unnamed that either one or both the Carriers almost did not launch the iPhone 4 as Apple had requested for all their stock to be shipped back to them. This decision was only reversed at the eleventh hour. Seems like Etisalat, Du or TRA indeed had nothing to do with it. Weird!
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Review of the new 6th generation iPod Nano

I usually upgrade my iPod Nano once a year. Even if I don't need a memory upgrade, even if I don't require whatever gimmick they've built in for that year (like the video camera last year) and even though the size is small enough for me to not require slimmer, squarer, taller.. or again, whatever shape they decided to adopt that year. Ever since the Nano has been launched, I'll change mine every year. Usually the difference in the product is so minuscule that I barely notice any at all, but am just happy (being a tech-nut) that I have the latest product in my hand, and will buy it regardless. The last gen Nano however, was taller, slimmer and as mentioned previously, had a video camera built in, and was, technically, an upgrade of the previous years model. I however, couldn't wait for a new one to be announced, just so I could be rid of it! I hated the accelerometer that caused the device to change its orientation with the slightest bit of movement in it, which I found to just be extremely annoying especially while working out with it. I couldn't really figure out it's purpose, and just found myself wanting my older, 3rd generation Nano back to use.
The 5th generation iPod Nano thankfully solves that problem, and is a cute upgrade for people who want a smaller, slicker device. I must warn you before I get into the review, that I ordered my iPod from Apple.com the day it was announced (I was in the US and couldn't wait till I got back to Dubai and the stocks hit my stores) and it was defective. The first time I listened to it, it worked great till I tried to use it the second time, and the volume didn't play right. I got my replacement device the day I was leaving (thank God I realized I had a problem before I left!) and I haven't used the new one since, but I'm hoping it plays fine. In terms of sound quality (based on my first experience) the music sounded great and just as good as the old devices. Few people have complained about the cheap quality of the headphones included, but I have my own great sounding pair that I plugged in and had no issues with it.
In terms of software, the iPod was so much nicer to use and handle. The clip on the device means I can attach it on my sleeve while working out, or on my collar if I don't want the wires to get in my way. Gym-goers will understand how inconvenient it can be to do things like boxing while having the iPod on your arm band. It's caused more than one painful pop-out-of-ear accident, aggravated by the fact that my headphones clip on behind my ears. Another good thing is that you can orient the screen anyway you want, but have to physically turn it using the multi-touch screen to face you. This alleviates my orientation problem as well. The screen is big enough for you to go through playlists without any problems and the screen is clear and beautiful.
Again, I haven't used the new Nano extensively, but from the little time I spent with it, I really do like what I see and would definitely recommend an upgrade for old Nano fans. For those wanting more memory or want to get more out of their device, I fell in love with the new iPod Touch and can't recommend it enough. It is impossibly slim, has an amazing bright screen, and can do everything the iPhone can but just not make phone calls. Given the number of issues I'm having with my iPhone 4, that might not even be a bad thing, especially when it seems to be half it's size! All in all, both the Nano and the Touch are their best devices yet. As for the shuffle, I don't understand why it still exists, except for maybe it's low price? Old Nano users, spend that tiny bit extra and upgrade to the new Nano- the screen itself will make you glad you did.
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French Vogue Turns 90

For those living in Dubai waiting to get their hands on the much awaited 90th anniversary issue of French Vogue, the above picture is no doubt the cover photograph you will get to see . It will be 622 pages and in case you can't tell from the famous pout, has Lara Stone, baring all her.. ahem..  "assets" on the cover. The magazine will have 276 ads, as well as 104 pages of congratulatory messages from all the world's top designers. As a gift for their readers in France, they will get their issues in a bag which includes a portfolio of unbound oversize photographs from all nine decades.
I didn't realize Vogue magazines had been around that long, and the French issue isn't even their first! American Vogue was started in 1892 and the British Edition, in 1916!
A few months back, I'd written about a brilliant iPad app called Zinio in my iPad vs Kindle comparison.. just wanted to point out that the French Vogue IS one of the magazines available for download from there too. Just in case you want to go through a magazine in its entirety without, you know, a black marker having gotten to it first? As for checking out the cover, you could just click here to get a sneak peak.
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How to save money while shopping in the US

My mother has always drilled it in my head- A penny saved, is a penny earned. There is a huge difference between being penny-wise and pound foolish, and not being wasteful. When in the US, I always shop to my hearts content, but try to be smart about how I shop. These little tips and tricks have really helped me over the years, and hopefully will help you too.
1) When vacationing and shopping and Europe, I always look at the price tag, balk at it, realize I can subtract VAT from it, calculate the price into Dirhams, pay and smile. For first time vacationers in the US it usually goes like this- look at the price, convert to currency, smile (depending on item and which currency you're converting it to), go the cash register, get alarmed about how price on till does not match price tag on item, realize you're getting screwed, pay anyway, frown. All prices on items do not include the tax (which differs in every State) and usually people forget to factor that in. A great way to avoid paying that tax is to get the item shipped to another State. For example, if you buy something from New York from a store that isn't in Jersey or Connecticut and have friends or family you can ship to, do so. If you're traveling within the US and can ship to your next destination and can save tax, do that. My gorgeous Hermes lizard Birkin that I spoke about here? It was quite expensive. I had it shipped to me and guess what? 10% of quite expensive is still a lot of money.. money I saved!
2) A lot of stores offer visitor discounts for tourists and foreign travelers, so ask if the store you're shopping at offers any such service. Macy's and Bloomingdales for example, issue you a 10-15 percent discount on all purchases in the store if you show them a passport or any other type of ID.
3) There are a lot of stores online that offer coupons and discounts for either online or in-store purchases. I personally haven't tried any of them, but I know friends who have, and I know they've gotten some pretty good deals. The ones I know off are RueLaLa, Gilt and Groupon. I know RueLaLa recently had a sale on Chanel items (and the latest stuff- not stuff ages old) so they obviously have some great brands backing them.
4) For the people shopping more high end items, like designer clothes and bags, I highly recommend you not scatter all your purchases from different stores, but try to work with one person in a store. If you keep returning to the same person and ask them to source different items for you, you build a relationship with them that goes a long way. I am not a sale shopper, because I hate the pushing and the shoving that a sale involves, and I invariably never find anything. However, there are so many times I'll get an email from my favorite store, offering me some pre-sale items that they might have in my size, with pictures and everything. I even get emails from a personal shopper who offers me discounts on select products like handbags, that are a one day offer just for ONE particular piece- brand new (not damaged), and you wouldn't know about it if you're walking on the shop floor. They are usually gone in about 10 seconds after she sends the email, but still. They just unofficially offer perks to their regular customers, and sadly it differs from each personal shopper in each and every store. So try to find someone good, and work with them. They also ship internationally, so if you have your credit card on file, they'll gladly send over things to you that you might have seen back home even.
5) If you want to stock up daily essentials and stuff, the Outlet stores in America are really good. They are usually a bit of a drive outside the main city, and sometimes are really worth the trek. If you're looking for the latest fashions, don't even bother going. But if you're shopping for stuff like luggage, or kids clothes or gym gear, you'll be SO happy you went. Lovers of Polo Ralph Lauren t-shirts should just go for that alone. The stuff you'll buy in Dubai for hundreds of Dirhams, will be available for next to nothing there. Men usually find the Outlets a great place to shop, even more than the women do. Just check out a list of the stores there before you go, so you know you're getting a good mix. If there are only one or two stores you want to check out, it probably won't be worth the trip.
6) Sometimes it just pays to ask! I had a very strange experience happen to me at the start of this year at the Bloomingdales in New York. They had a sale on their fur coats and had racks of them lined up for I think around 50% off. I wandered over and fell in love with a stunning knee length mink coat that was just to die for. The sales lady took me over and then showed me a Loro Piana reversible cashmere jacket with chinchilla trim that was also on sale. Both gorgeous items, very different looks, and exactly the same price! Each time I'd try on one, I'd have a passerby comment on how pretty that jacket looked, till I tried on another, and the exact same happened. I finally settled on the mink, but just as the lady was going to swipe my card, I decided to change my mind and go for the other. The lady looked up at me and said, "you know, if you DO want to think about both, I can speak to my Manager to do something." I was pretty surprised but didn't show it and asked to see him, and what followed was the type of negotiation I haven't seen outside a souq in Dubai! I would never, ever, ever think that was possible- to haggle in a department store.. in the US.. in the fur department no less.. and on Loro Piana fur that too! I'd have been too embarrassed to even ask, had the lady not suggested it! Maybe I should shut up and wear the jackets pretending I paid a crazy amount for them, but honestly I am just so proud of my purchases and the deal I got, that anytime anyone says, "nice jacket!" they're going to get stuck with this story.
Anyhow, I hope these tips helped you, regardless of what you're budget is. If you do have any comments or tips for the other readers, please leave it in the comments field below-
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The style of Daphne Guinness

While I waited at the British Airways lounge in New York for my flight to London, I saw a familiar looking face on an oddly dressed woman, with a scarf around her head with a pair of huge, red, Beats by Dr. Dre headphones (pictured right) shielding her ears to the sounds of the world. I then saw her Lady Gaga-esque shoes and thought, no it can't be. The woman was bird-like and elegant, and unlike Gaga's drag queen-like manly features, was utterly graceful and feminine. It was only when I woke in the morning and waited outside the toilet on the plane, did the sleepy stranger who had pulled off her scarf during the flight and waited ahead of me in line, give away who she was- by showing off her hair.

On landing in London, the scarf (and headphones) were back on, and Daphne Guinness, the hauntingly beautiful woman who is also renown as one of the world's most stylish, tottered towards the gate in her crazy-ass shoes. A sweet Jordanian woman who was on the flight with me winked and nodded towards our fellow passengers gravity-defying heels. When I filled her in on who she was, she simply responded, "Who?? I thought she was an Emirates stewardess because of her head scarf!" An Emirates stewardess with a green crocodile Birkin in one hand, black Lindy thrown over the shoulder of the other, with a black trolley bag in tow? I don't think so. Her white shirt had massive jeweled cufflinks with what must be at least a 2 carat diamond at it's center.

For those who don't know who Daphne Guinness is, she is the original Gaga with a lot less talent but a lot more panache. Her last name gives away her brewing heritage, and she is the ex-wife of the Greek shipping heir, Spyros Niarchos, and mother of 3, including Stavros, the ex fiance of Paris Hilton. She is known for her fashion sense, her perfume with Comme de Garcons, a few films she has produced, her upcoming cosmetics line with Francois Nars, but more than anything, she is known for her penchant for couture and is probably one of it's largest buyers and collectors in the world. Her fashion sense ranges from quirky to the downright strange and obscure, but you've got to give her credit for not being a fashion victim and for being so true to her own bizarre style.
While going through her old interviews to write this piece, I came across an interesting quote of hers and smiled. This is an excerpt from a piece done on her only last month by New York Magazine-

Guinness looked around the party and sighed. “I’m dressed really weird.” Then again, she said she hadn’t dressed up for the fashion crowd. “I do it for the old people who laugh at me in airports,” she said.

I have to admit, the Jordanian woman was really amused . Me on the other hand? I would have loved to talk to her and tell her how much I absolutely adored her sense of style and loved that she was so strange and yet so true to her own strange idea of fashion. However, like I tweeted from the London airport- she had on those crazy Gaga shoes and I was wearing sequined FitFlops. It just didn't seem right!

 

Guinness at the Chanel Couture show in Paris

 

Is pictured here with Francois Nars

The shoes!

Here is a video of her taken while interviewing for her cover story in Vogue Italia earlier this year. She really is something else!-

Back in Dubai

It's almost 2 at night, and I've just settled into my bed after a hectic almost 19 hours of traveling. After almost 2 and a half months of being away, I'm finally back home in Dubai. Jet lag ensures I can't sleep, and I'm too tired to unpack, and after chatting with me for two hours, my mother too decided she can't stay up any longer... so here I am, sleepless in Dubai, and pensive. I miss my best friend and I miss my bed in New York and I miss the sounds of the ambulance that I can hear in the middle of the night despite being 41 flights up. I know tomorrow I'll wake up and remember that I can get out of my room and play with my dog, have breakfast made for me and not have to make my own bed, and I'll be happier. But right now, I just miss my home away from home.
America will always hold a very dear place in my heart as it is the place I spent 4 of my best years, at College in Boston. New York is special to me because that's what my best friend, one of the people I love most in this world, calls home. People might call the US the land of excess, or say that it lacks the culture or sophistication of Europe, or whatever they want. It doesn't change that I always have a bit of separation anxiety every time I leave. I still remember graduating in 2000 and having to leave that world of mine and moving to Dubai. Before I went off to college, I was in boarding school in Switzerland for 2 years, and before that, I was in India for six years. Dubai had never been home to me for a long, long time and I was so nervous for my big move as I had no friends or no life there. The IT bubble had just burst and the economy sucked, so staying back in the US and getting some work experience had no longer remained an option then. They say whatever happens, happens for the best, but I didn't understand it then. I now realize that it was  the best thing I could have done, as my Father passed away 2 years later, and I got to spend some amazing quality time with him- both at home, and at work.
Either way, I wanted to share a poem that I had written in 2000 entitled "Boston." I've been writing poetry ever since I could string two sentences together, and have been quite shy in posting any of my work over here with the exception of course being The Mystery of the Loiterer- Part 2.. if you haven't read it, read Part 1 here first. Incidentally, my friend Nadia sent me a  message 2 days back saying The Loiterer had been spotted again (he had done a disappearing act for a while) but I don't know if she just said that to lure me back home and not postpone my return again! Anyhow, back to the poem. I've been quite shy about posting my stuff over here, but since most of my posts are well received, I figure, what the hell. I'm also giving it a new home- "Time for a Rhyme corner" where from time to time, I'll post some of my works as well as some incredible poems I've read along the way. If you are a closet poet like me, and are feeling brave enough to share your work, email me.
Anyhow, here is mine-


At 3 AM I sit and write,
Plunged into Boston's pitch black night,
Three more weeks and then I leave,
Bearing my heart upon my sleeve.

Memories I've collected all these years,
Happy, sad, kind words and fears,
And all the friends that I have found,
I leave back and go, Logan bound,

With two suitcases to carry my world,
The life the stars and stripes unfurled,
Four Years ago upon this land,
I came, two suitcases in my hand.

Now it's time, I'm going home,
It's a place I feel I don't know.
I was scared, frightened when I just came
It's funny... now I feel the same.

Hope you like it! Off to bed now...

Kiran's Corner is officially back in Dubai!
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Fashion's Night Out in NYC!!!

Fashion's Night out took place for the second year on the 10th of September, and luckily I was in NYC to catch some of the madness. The celebration takes place around 17 countries, and God only knows how many cities, but New York is definitely the place to be at such an event. The streets were so festive (read: chaotic!) and it felt like it was New Years Eve- albeit a very stylish New Years eve with 5th Ave and Madison being the celebration hubs rather than a Times Square. The stores had crazy lines outside them, and luckily I was at Bergdorf's in the afternoon and was about to step outside when I saw barricades with throngs of people waiting to get in, so just stayed inside to see what the madness was about. After that I went to dinner and walked around the streets. Here is a bit of the action, caught on my phones-

The FNO girl was handing out a program list of activities happening indoors. There was apparently a celeb-and-dog fashion show happening somewhere in the building, along with appearances by Tom Ford, Victoria Beckham and a whole bunch of other people. I only caught a glimpse of Mary J Blige and saw Aerin Lauder at the Make-up counters.

 The ground floor of Bergdorf's looked stunning as there were pink chandeliers installed especially for the occasion across the floor.

I loved their window display. Having real people posing or dancing has become very popular!

                       The style.com bus parked outside the Apple Store on 5th Ave.

I wasn't kidding about the lines.. And that too this was earlier in the evening as you can tell from the picture. It just got crazier as the night went on!

There were these vans parked on 5th Ave with male models dressed up as Ken dolls of different types. There were 3 others on the other side, but unfortunately due to crazed, drooling women, I wasn't able to get a shot of them.

People were dressed up in all sorts of crazy attire! This woman was waiting with her shopping bags to hail a cab.

Tiffany's had a "Breakfast at Tiffany's" theme going on, as you can see with the Audrey Hepburn lookalikes. They also had free ice cream sticks being handed out to people, which was definitely a crowd pleaser.


The most awe-inspiring set up though, was one by Louis Vuitton. They didn't have any celebrities announced, and as far as anyone could tell, had nothing really major planned. But their flawless execution of the evening was really something-

As you can see from my video clip, they had these dancers going through the entire store, doing a synchronized dance movement as they handed a Speedy around. They had the same dancers going through the windows as well, till the reached a guy who was.. well.. licking, the bag.

I also loved the Oscar De La Renta window display, as they had taken the FNO t-shirts and mixed it up with their own clothes-

All in all, a great evening, and I'm so glad I was able to experience something so different and exciting!
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My tennis hangover...

If you've been reading my blog for a while or alternatively following me on Twitter, you'll know that I'm a die-hard Federer fan. I was so looking forward to going for the US Open men's finals this year, and was hoping I'd get to watch a legendary Nadal-Federer match, but alas, it was not meant to be. I almost cried when Federer lost to Djokovic in the semi-finals and had promised myself I wouldn't even bother seeing the Finals- till of course, when the match started two days later, I did. While I still absolutely LOVE R-Fed, I did soften up to Djokovic in the finals and did think he played extremely well... and of course his boyish good looks didn't hurt either.
After Nadal won the Final, it was too much for me bear to watch him accept his trophy (and as I later saw, bite into it?!) so I quickly changed the channel. Someone mentioned that Djokovic gave a great speech at the end which is what I was trying to find on YouTube, when I came across these videos. They are hilarious! If you're a tennis fan and haven't seen Novak's imitation of his peers, this is a must see!-

I love his Federer ballet-dancer like imitation!! So spot on. One thing he missed in the Nadal impersonation though, is the amount Nadal yanks at his underwear! This he captured perfectly here-

He is pretty funny! But nothing can beat his ad for Head... the funniest thing I've seen in a while-


But for the fellow Federer fans out there, here's a little clip to make you happy. This is the most perfect shot R-Fed ever played and by his own admission, the greatest shot he ever hit in his life. Amazing!
Incidentally, he gave a repeat performance of that very shot one year later, a few days back at the US Open 2010. And this time again, he got it over the net, beating his opponent yet again.

And this is for both, fans of Federer and Djokovic- Something to make you smile...

Forget about a tennis hangover, I think I still have full on tennis fever!!!
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My new Hermes Lizard Birkin

When I'd posted about my trip to Chicago a few days back, I'd promised I'd post pictures of an exciting little shopping find I'd picked  there. While in the Hermes store, I got really, REALLY lucky and found this tiny little lizard skin Birkin that I instantly fell in love with and just had to have. I've seen lizard skin Kelly Pochettes (the teeny-tiny little Kelly bags) and the skin used in clutches and other wallets (I have a beautiful red, shiny lizard one myself) but have never seen it used on a Birkin. Moreover, I've seen the lizard skin in a single colour, both in shiny and matte, but have never seen it with this effect, except for on the trimming of this Gige clutch of mine. Either way, it's absolutely gorgeous, and I'm so happy it's mine! The pictures SO don't do it justice.

While it looks quite large in the pictures, it's actually really tiny as it is in the 25 cms size, and wouldn't look weird being carried in the evening. Here is a pic of it next to my size 35 one, to get an idea of how small it is-

What I'm so happy about, is that this piece is probably more rare to find than even a Croc! All in all, a very lucky buy.
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Review of the RL restaurant in Chicago

I'd first heard of the RL restaurant in Chicago, the restaurant owned by and named after Ralph Lauren, by my art teacher in Dubai, Mrs Roy. I've been working on a series of angel paintings for the entrance of my still-uninhabited apartment in Dubai, and Mrs Roy had given me the idea of doing a series of them, all clustered together with different mismatched canvases of various shapes and sizes, much like the type she had seen at RL in Chicago. This is a style she has used to hang artworks in her own living room with gorgeous results, and I loved the idea of imitating the same for my own place. This in itself should be a telling sign of what the restaurant is like, given that it's inspired an artist, halfway around the world, to emulate it's style and sophistication.
While restaurants in Chicago generally paled in comparison to those found in New York, RL was the only restaurant my best friend and I wanted to visit a second time during our weekend away there.  The first time we went, I met up with a wonderful friend of mine from Dubai who is originally from Chicago and was spending the summer back home, and we dined outdoors, enjoying the perfect weather, great food and fabulous company all at once. The day my friend and I were leaving, we went back there, this time to sit indoors and enjoy the gorgeous artworks on the wall while grabbing a quick bite before running to the airport.

Both times we went, the place was packed, and since the first time we went for a late lunch, and the second for an early brunch, it would be safe to advice you to make a reservation before heading out there. I can imagine RL being very nice for dinner, but unfortunately we never made it up there in the evening.
Of course how can I talk about a restaurant without talking about it's food! The food will not be the best you've ever had, but is still pretty good. Besides, you'll be so happy with the great service and ambiance of the restaurant, you won't really have cause to complain at all. The second time I visited, my best friend and I decided to split the Lobster club sandwich as well as get an order of the Jumbo sea scallops. The food was brought out quickly with each of us getting a plate with the orders pre-divided. It was so well presented, I snapped up a picture of it for my blog-

And yes, it was as delicious as it looks.

If you're visiting Chicago, RL is a definite must do, after which you must go and check out the gorgeous furniture section in the Ralph Lauren store upstairs. If you're a fan and looking to buy their furniture for your home, they've shipped over tons of furniture, as well as flown down to fully furnish plenty of houses in Dubai as their pieces are a FRACTION of the price of the stuff being sold at Harvey Nichols. I wish I'd known before I'd splurged and bought my dream bed from them in Dubai. Aah well.. it's always good to know for next time.

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Hermes short film

Not to be outdone by Karl Lagerfeld and Chanel, Hermes has come out with its own short film to show off mostly their scarves and leather goods from their Fall-Winter 2010 collection. I want to raid that damn cart so badly!

September 11th and what it means to me-

On September 11th 2001, I was at a spa in Bangalore with my mother when I heard about a plane hitting the twin towers. As we rushed to a TV screen, we thought we would be witnessing one of the most catastrophic accidents in recent history, not realizing what was really going on. In a few minutes however, all became clear to us as it did the rest of the world. The scene looked like it belonged in a Hollywood movie, not the live news, and I remember staring teary eyed at the TV screen horrified at what I was witnessing and panic stricken as I tried reaching my best friend who had just a few months prior, moved to New York.
Since then, 9/11 has taken on a life of its own, meaning so many different things to so many different people. To some, it will always be a day of mourning the loss of loved ones. For others, it'll be the day that caused their loved ones to go to war. For a few, it'll be a day that saw a super power go down on its knees. For some others, it'll be the day America  became an unwelcome place for them and their children. No matter where you live or how old you are, chances are your life has been touched by 9/11 in some way or another.
9/11 for me represents a lot of things. It represents something gross and horrible- the shocking awareness of the ability for humanity to purposefully hurt it's own kind. And at the same time It represents a few very frivolous things that put a damper on everyday life, including painful airport security. Of all the things that the day represents, the one that impacts me the most, is the effect 9/11 has on the life of my friend, Manu Dhingra.

My friend Manu worked on the 83rd floor of the World Trade Center, and was getting out of the elevator, running late to work when the first plane hit. The elevator doors carried the steam that went through it's shaft attacking him and instantly causing 3rd degree burns which, as he had described it to me once, caused his skin to almost slip off him. Most of Manu's colleagues were confused about what was going on and what to do, but two of his friends realized he needed to get to an ambulance ASAP and helped him descend the 83 floors to get help. People along the way gave him water and made way for him as he was injured, nobody realizing that their fate would be a lot worse than his. When he finally reached the hospital, he was in intensive care for 3 weeks, and was one of the first to  recover and leave the hospital, which caused him to get on many TV shows and give interviews on what happened there- including on Larry King Live and Oprah. On one such interview with CNN, Manu says, "I was there, and, I would hope -- I wish the rest of the country could even get a sense of what had happened. They see it on TV and everything, but to just to be there, to sense what happened, is incredible. The spirits of the people there during that time, and the courage that was there -- that was incredible to see also, how people are reacting towards each other."

                                      Manu, a day before he got released from the hospital
I met Manu at my best friend's wedding almost 2 years after the fateful day. His recovery was almost complete by then, and while you could see the physical scarring from the burns mostly on his hands, his emotional scars were still very raw and hadn't begun to heal. For many years after his "accident" as he likes to call it, Manu hung around with his friends, doing very little at all. As our friendship grew, my favourite past time with him revolved around trying to get him off his butt and do SOMETHING...anything at all that would keep his mind occupied and his interest engaged. You'd probably think he was broody and depressed with fears and phobias about what had happened to him. Quite the contrary. Manu loves to party and is a complete extrovert who loves to meet people and do fun things. Moreover, he remains one of the nicest people I've ever met- albeit one of the most flaky (It is not uncommon for him to make plans with you and just not show up). I've often wondered with other friends what came first- his indecisiveness/laziness or 9/11. We still aren't too sure. What we DO know is that when he finally decided to go into partnership and run his own restaurant 2 years back, we were so proud of his initiative and focus in setting his mind to something, and making it happen. For all those years in the middle where Manu didn't do much, he'd always say that he wanted to do something he was passionate about in his life- he just didn't know what that was. He carried a severe guilt about being saved that day, and wondered very often, "Why me?" Each and every time I'd tell him the same thing- each life doesn't necessarily need to be working towards altering the world. I truly believe that the doers are just as important as the leaders- just maybe in a different way?

While I've been in New York over the past 2 months, I've watched the controversy about the mosque at Ground Zero take place on the news, and watched different people having differing opinions on it on TV. Yet, my friend has been very non-affected by the controversy, has always been anti-war, and has a very peaceful approach to the entire situation and what happened that day. I called to ask him about his views on 9/11 and what he thought the day should be remembered for, and this is what he had to say-

Soon after 9/11, the day started becoming more about politics and policies than what had really happened. People realize now that going into war was not the best idea as it has been such a strain on the US for the past 8 years, while I knew early on itself it was a bad idea. You were going to war against people who themselves had nothing to do with 9/11 at all. The day should be remembered for the victims who lost their lives, and for the families who mourn them.
What 9/11 means to me is something very personal. It reminds me that I am very fortunate to be given this opportunity to life and that I should make the most of it, as any of those other people who didn't make it would switch places with me in a heartbeat if they could. That is why I don't go for memorial services or other events on that day- the people who gather there go to remember the less fortunate, and it just wouldn't feel right for me to be there. I wish people could just see how fortunate they are and how their lives are so precious.

Manu in all his interviews has also always spoken of the help he received from people, including the government, who didn't treat him any differently although he was an Indian citizen living in America. I have always found it so sad that the day since has become more about separation than it has oneness, which is exactly what he witnessed in the towers that day. There was no chaos, no panic.
A few weeks back a New York taxi driver was slashed and stabbed after he replied affirmatively to the question, "Are you Muslim?" This occurred during the Holy month of Ramadan, and I was pretty shocked to find out a few days later, that not many of my friends had heard about the incident. In a country that sensationalizes almost everything, the news had barely caused a ripple, and I had in fact  come to know about it by following Barkha Dutt, a renown Indian journalist, on Twitter. When I asked Manu on his views about what happened he just had to say this, "it is obviously the workings of a mad man. And just like any other incident that happens in any other part of the world, it should be viewed  as the craziness of one person and not reflect upon the society of the entire country." Which is, I believe how we got into this mess in the first place. Now if only people could just realize that and get along.

                                             Manu now, posing with a friend of his
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Chicago!

Two weeks back, my best friend and I decided to head to the windy city for a long weekend. Payal and I went to college together and every single year since we've graduated (a loooooong time back!) we try to do a girls' trip to spend some quality time together and catch up. I'd never been to Chicago and since she had a few hours of work there, decided to tag along with her and make a trip out of it. I have another friend from Dubai who is originally from Chicago and she's always raved about the city and how much she loves it but I really didn't know what to expect. On our drive into the city from the airport, I kept marveling about the place and how beautiful it was! It felt like a gorgeous European city as it had so much greenery and was so clean and well maintained but also had all the amazing stores and conveniences of America. I am not too huge of a fan of Miami or LA and I've always found them so overrated, but Chicago is one of those places that isn't very frequented by tourists, but I could imagine to be a really lovely place to live in. As you can tell, I am officially a lover of Chicago! I walked around with my Leica X1 snapping up pictures of the buildings and the architecture, and am posting a few up here for you to see what it's all about. Enjoy!

                                           Look at the gorgeous flowerbed!

This was the view from my hotel room. If you've ever lived in New York, apartments and hotel rooms are literally double the price if they are "park-facing" (Central Park) and really, you pay a crazy amount to see a splotch of green in that vast concrete jungle. In Chicago we were staying at the Fairmont which isn't even one of the top 3 hotels there, and this was the view from our bedroom. Should give you an idea of what the city is like.

I took this picture and immediately thought of my art teacher back in Dubai, Mrs Roy. This was a tiny sculpture just on the side of a building and was so obscure I almost missed it. I know she loved Chicago when she visited too and it's easy to see why. It's a city so rich with art and music and had street performers on practically every block. I have another post on a restaurant there and a tiny bit of shopping that I did (lucked out with something unusually stunning!) which I will post tomorrow. All in all, was such a lovely trip!
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Fashion buzz from Readers

I've been REALLY crap at updating my blog recently, and have a ton of stuff I want to post about, with little time to actually do it. I've actually had some readers even send in a some info for me to post about, but haven't gotten around to it. Here are two fashion related tips I received-

My friend and faithful reader, J (you might find her in a few of the comments on here or on my FB page) sent me this picture of the Dior boutique on Madison Avenue, and every time I walk by it, I think to myself, "Need to post! Need to post!" Well here it is-

As you can see, the Dior store has closed down for maintenance, and instead of ugly white scaffolding, has got a MASSIVE Lady Dior handbag in place, letting people know of their other location.
It's so sad because I used to use an X-Large Lady Dior bag as my schoolbag while in college, and used to alternate it with a Gucci tote that was actually my eldest sister's bag when SHE was in college. If only I'd known both styles would make a huge comeback, I'd never have given them away! Oh well.. back to the picture.. such a great idea!

Thanks J for sending it in!

Someone else sent me this video clip over a month back of the new Gucci perfume ad, Guilty, that is being directed by Frank Miller. For those who don't know who Miller is, he is the comic book artist behind Sin City and 300.

It's a good thing the VMA's haven't passed yet as I could still post this teaser up. Will post the entire video once it's out.

Thanks CH for the video!

Please go ahead and email me some other links that you think might be interesting to post, or alternatively leave the links in the comments section. Thanks!
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Slingbox-The TV addicts dream come true!

I don't know if you guys have ever heard of the Slingbox or not, but I'm SO excited I finally have mine up and running, I just HAVE to do a blog post about it! The Slingbox is essentially a device that lets you connect wirelessly to your home TV from any computer or a whole slew of mobile devices out there today. So lets say I set up my Slingbox in the US, to my cable box on which I have over a 100 channels and have the ability to record shows. In essence, while traveling anywhere in the world, I have access to my cable box to be able to view live TV, or even record shows, or watch pre-recorded shows on my computer or my iPhone! Since my apartment will be unoccupied while I'm away, I don't have to worry about changing channels or programming stuff on my device, as changing the channel on my computer, would change it automatically for someone watching TV in my home. However, if you do have friends who wouldn't mind letting you have access to their cable box, this really is SUCH a great device to have. Alternatively, I remember seeing companies out there who charge a monthly fee to host a slingbox for you, but I remember them being quite expensive. Either way, it might be something you might want to look into. Insomnia in Dubai will just never be the same!

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