Sunday 28 September 2014

Movie Review - A Most Wanted Man (2014)

Hi Guys,

A Most Wanted Man (2014) is a thriller movie set up in Germany and is based on the novel with the same name written by John le Carre. The film stars Philip Seymour Hoffman, Rachel McAdams, Willem Dafoe, Robin Wright, Grigoriy Dobrygin, Daniel Brühl and Nina Hoss.
This is the last movie of Philip Seymour Hoffman as the main lead actor before his death this year. The movie is a story about a German espionage agent who works to get the details about a sleeper cell being operated in Hamburg, Germany. He fights the forces from USA Diplomats for his continuous efforts to catch the Islamic extremists.

Rachel McAdams looked great in her role as a lawyer along with Robin Wright as a US Diplomat. It was so nice to see Robin Wright after seeing the two seasons of The House of Cards. Her voice quality creates an aura and mystery which brings a lot of niche in all her roles. Her voice really suited this character as a US Diplomat very much.

Hoffman is the key to this whole movie along with Grigoriy Dobrygin who is the primary context of the  movie. The movie will keep you involved as the mystery continues to deepen and evolve with every passing minute. Willem Dafoe has acted well in his role as the head of a Private bank. Overall this is the type of movie you will like to watch if you like suspense thrillers with Bond (spy) kind of story without any action though. The movie has a lot of run and chase scenes and what gets into collecting the information about sleeper cells is shown. The movie is directed by Anton Corbijn who also directed The American (George Clooney) earlier in 2010.

Movie is releasing in Ster Kinekor on 24th Oct 2014. Book your tickets now. More info on twitter and facebook.

Cheers!!!
 
Contact me for your product's review on twitter @araijain or @thelifesway or email - thelifesway@gmail.com

Movie Review - Magic in the Moonlight (2014)

Hi Guys,

Magic in the Moonlight (2014) is a Woody Allen's romantic comedy movie set in 1920s in France. The movie stars Colin Firth, Emma Stone, Eileen Arkins, Marcia Gay Harden, Hamish Linklater, Simon McBurney and Jacki Weaver. 
The movie location is awesomely good and cinematography is great. Emma Stone looked beautiful in 1920s clothing and so did Colin Firth. The movie shows some of the great views of French Riviera. He keeps on speaking in this movie and largely this movie is based on conversations between him and other characters. The humor is in the dialogues as well as the expressions of the actors. This is something that will evolve with you as you are left astonished to what is happening on the screen between the main characters. 

Magic in the Moonlight is a very nice romantic lighthearted movie which you won't want to miss at all in theaters. Colin Firth character is a magician in the movie and comes to help one rich family uncover clairvoyant and mystic Emma Stone as she tries to dupe them with her mother on the request of a family member who is against Emma's character falling in love with his brother.

In the process of finding the truth, a lot of funny and romantic moments got created between the lead actors. This is a movie which will keep you involved in the story and conversations. The story has an added mystery to the whole setup which is revealed in the end. Overall it's a must watch with your loved and dear ones. Go for it!

Movie is releasing in Ster Kinekor on 24th Oct 2014. Book your tickets now. More info on twitter and facebook. Check facebook page of Sony Movies SA & their twitter handle also.

Cheers!!!
Contact me for your product's review on twitter @araijain or @thelifesway or email - thelifesway@gmail.com

Saturday 27 September 2014

A Memoir - This Month Last Year - Oct 2013

Hi Guys,

October 2013 during this time last year, I was busy in my VISA application for South Africa and also busy promoting my blog (www.thelifesway.com) to get to maximum brands and blog for them.

1. Product Launch - LG G2 #Great2Haveyou 30 Sep 2013 - I got invited to launch event for the launch of LG G2 mobile phone from one of their PR's. The phone looked awesome and the goodie bag had great things I liked and always wanted. Though I didn't got any devices to review but it was great to be in their launch event at Kingdom of Dreams, Gurgaon. 

2. Product Launch - Gionee ELIFE E6 Smartphone - Another invite from one of the famous PR's of Gionee mobile where I got to see Huma Qureshi also. It was a great event where I got to see Rajiv Makhni live in action and discussing on gadgets. The phone looked awesome but never reviewed the device till now. 

3. NIKON #ThroughTheLens Blogger Meet Delhi 19 Oct 2013 - Another awesome invite was from the company whom I loved the most and wanted to have their DSLR from so long. They launched D610 & D5300 in India and called some of the bloggers for the same. I got some Nikon goodies (4gb SD card/ DSLR strap & Nikon Tshirt) which I knew will bring me DSLR sooner or later and now I am the proud owner of D7000 but bought it myself. 

4. Amazon.in - Light up a child's Diwali - One of the donation of books drive which was close to my heart. After listening to someone on TEDx talks regarding non-availability of books to a lot of kids, I thought of donating some books and I felt great after sending kids some books worth Rs. 3500. I don't know how much kids are happy but I hope they celebrated their Diwali with new books from Amazon.

5. Indiblogger DID4 Meet - #DanceItOut for Women Security - My last Indiblogger & Zee TV meet in Delhi that year and I really loved to be a part of the same. It was during the meet only I got the email that my VISA has arrived and I need to travel soon to South Africa. I travel on the day before Diwali and spent the festival in the new country all alone in a room. Life is full of ups and downs and I won Sennheiser HD202 headphones for this post and I was very happy because I always wanted to have them. Thanks to Indiblogger for all the love and gifts in the last year. 

November 2013 - I didn't do any posts because I didn't had any internet connection with me and was only using data on mobile. It was a break from always online habit for a while and I really loved the same. Though it was very very difficult to stay away from internet but I could do it successfully. 
The year was awesome till the time I was in India as I made my blog grew along with me and over the journey won a lot of gifts from blogging as well as twitter. Twitter contests consumed a lot of time and efforts and the rewards was sometimes not much worth but the adrenaline to win is awesome.You can't stay away if you get into the habit of winning on twitter. Try it out!

Cheers!!!

Contact me for your product's review on twitter @araijain or @thelifesway or email - thelifesway@gmail.com

Thursday 25 September 2014

SterKinekor Cinema Park - #Addicted2Life - Right Decision to Drugs

Hi Guys,

It was a great opportunity to go be invited to a program which can not only change your life but also those around you. It helps you decide what is right and best for you. It helps you create a conscious effort towards making your life not only beautiful but also worthwhile on Planet Earth. Thanks to @sterkinekor

Addicted2Life is a program to empower young people to make the right decisions about Drugs and substance abuse. It's an initiative between Cinema Park and Gauteng Department of Education to directly engage with learners from various schools around Gauteng to make them aware about the substance abuse and drugs. The program hopes to reach more than 12000 Gauteng learners from Grade 7-12 over the next few years. 

The movie takes learners up to six different experiences that every parent and educator can use to give children the tools to better deal with the difficult decisions they will have to make as teenagers and young adults related to drugs, alcohol and substance abuse. The war against drugs starts with you and you only. The movie shows the impacts of drugs and alcohol on the physical and emotional side of human beings. This movie will help make learners aware about what it is really like (in your body, mind and life) after you use these drugs. Addicted to life program honestly presents the facts about drugs and alcohol. 

1. The Interactive Experience - "Your Choice" - A series of questions are asked to every learners and their inputs are recorded using the unique personal remote control. The questions tests the understanding, knowledge and attitude of learners before and after the program. The top 3 learners after the final round wins some rad prizes from Cinema Park also.

2. The 3D Experience - "Feeling the Chemistry" - Youth generally tend to believe that they are immune to the dangers of addiction. They wrongly suppose that whoever isn't addicted surely won't be harmed and they themselves won't become addicted ever. They have strong will power etc etc. These myths are broken in this video presentation which shows that once a drug abuse stays in your body for more than 30 days. It affects your heart and brain as well as other parts of body.

3. The Darkness Experience - "Knock Out" - The lights are switched off and learners are taken to a role play kind of journey of 3 youngsters at a party via audio inputs. The party ends in tragic circumstances. The learners learn how social pressures can change one's mind and affects negatively on one's decision making process. You could feel as to how will you react in that particular situation. 

4. The Motion Experience - "Chain Reaction" - Another movie presentation that takes learners through the process of drug making across the world. The movie shows the harsh realities from growing the plants to processing the same and finally transporting it through various parts of the world. It all leads to a big  network of crime which is worth billions of dollars. It not only affects the end user but also the creator of the same too. 

5. The Inspiration Experience - "Reality Check" - This is a movie presentation to take learners through the dangers of alcohol. It breaks various misconceptions that alcohol only damages in the long run. The truth is that even one occasion of irresponsible drinking can have devastating effects. The movies shows various real life examples of individuals/families which are suffering due to the same.

Overall, it's a journey which will make you aware about the drugs and it's effects on your body, brain and life. It not only vanishes your life but also your friends & families. Do check this program out to learn & experience for yourself before you take that path of no return. 

I don't do alcohol or any other substance abuse but it was a great learning experience for me too. I didn't know what drugs and alcohol causes inside your body and how it impacts your families and friends?  

I would like Cinema Park to include questions related to whether learners have taken theft as a measure to purchase drugs or if they are doing it already so that crime in our own lives angle & discussion can also be showcased.

Addicted2Life is available in Ster Kinekor. More info on twitter and facebook

Cheers!!!
 
Contact me for your product's review on twitter @araijain or @thelifesway or email - thelifesway@gmail.com


Celebrate Blogging Contest @Blogadda - Chapter 15

Team #Alphabet Soup

Read the previous parts of the story here: Reema's Blog
Chapter 15

It was very late by the time Jennifer finished reading all the files and reports. She looked at her watch. 02:35 AM. She had another 5 hours before her meeting with the team. She decided to make maximum use of her time and crawled into her bed.
Her sleep was interrupted by the phone call from Tara. 

“Good Morning, Jennifer. Where are you? We are waiting for you.”
“Is it morning already?” she spoke into the phone yawning. “Don’t worry, I will be there in a while.”
“Alright, we’ll see you soon then.” said Tara and disconnected the call.
Jennifer reached the temple office. She apologized for her delay in reaching the meeting.
“I was doing some research regarding our case. I was looking for the profiles of metal smiths who could help us. I came across a couple of them. There is one Mr. Aryan Ahuja. Looks like he could help us. He is the type of man we are looking for.”

Tara and Shekhar’s faces lit up with recognition. That was exactly what Jennifer was looking for.
“We know an Aryan Ahuja back in Mumbai.” Said Shekhar.
“Where is this Aryan you mentioned from, Jen- Jayalakshmi?”
Jennifer gave a look of warning to Shekhar.
“Mumbai. He owns an antique store at 3rd Avenue-”
“Yes, the very same. He is our neighbour. It never crossed my mind till now that he could be of some use to us. Thanks Jayalakshmi and if all of you agree, we can talk to him right away”, said Tara.
“What else do you know about him? Is he a religious person? Will he understand the importance of this case?” – asked Sudheeran
“He moved to our neighbourhood 2 years ago. He visits the Gurudwara every Sunday and on festivals. But that isn’t all. He frequents temples, churches and mosques. I don’t know if it is because of his inquisitiveness about the religions or because he believes in all faiths. I have never really felt the need to enquire from him. But one thing I’m sure of. He is very knowledgeable in this field. He has been in this business for a long time. He is a very good friend of mine. I’m sure he will not hesitate to help us.”
Sudheeran said, “Can this Aryan come down here and do the tests?”
Tara and Shekhar looked at each other, “We could ask him. But don’t you think it is difficult to explain all this to an outsider over the phone?”
“So, I will have to go with the idol to Mumbai.” Sudheeran said more to himself than to the team.

Tara interrupted him knowing that he was not in the right frame of mind to deal with the situation at hand, “Mr. Varma, I think it will be better if you stay here as it will only induce suspicion in the devotee’s minds if you leave. It will hardly take 2-3 days in Mumbai. I can take the idol along with Jennifer and Shekhar to get it tested from Aryan. If you want to send someone as a representative from your side, please feel free to do so.”
Jennifer expressed her interest in the assignment. She had so many questions. She had to be there in person to listen to what Aryan Ahuja had to reveal about the idol.

“I think it is my family temple and idol we are talking about. I do not want outsiders telling me what to do and what not to do. Whether you like it or not Mrs. Dutta, someone responsible among us will definitely look into the testing of the idol. If that means I have to go, I will.” Jennifer noticed that Sudheeran was finding it very difficult to keep his calm.

The police officer reminded Sudheeran that the procession was scheduled for the next month and it wouldn’t look good if he left Vajrakshipuram. Besides, all the official sanctions required his signature. The officer said that he would accompany the team. It would only look like an official visit to Mumbai.
Finally, Sudheeran agreed, “But Mr. Dutta and the child cannot step out of Vajrakshipuram. He is still a suspect and the child is the chosen one.” He looked at Tara and Jennifer.
“The two of you can take the idol. You will be accompanied by Ravi as a representative from here.”
Though Tara had stayed away from Roohi for her official tours, this time she was finding it very difficult to leave her and Shekhar in an unknown place among unknown people. She asked him to keep Roohi close. The chosen team left the same day for Kochi and took the evening flight to Mumbai.
On arriving in Mumbai, Tara called up Aryan requesting him to spare some of his time for them. He said that they could visit him early the next morning at his shop as he received his regular customers only later in the day. 

Aryan’s shop stood out among the other stores lining the street. It looked like a place where the who’s who of Mumbai would shop to decorate their homes. Bronze and copper statues adorned the glass windows. The whole shop was air-conditioned and the counter was right in the end where Aryan used to sit on his plush leather chair. The section close to his counter contained all the precious metal antiques and silverware. Aryan had an excellent security system in place and there was always a guard and a store attendant standing near the gates to guide customers inside the shop.
Tara spoke first, “Hi Aryan!”
“Hey Tara! So you’re back from Kerala? Shekhar had mentioned that all of you would be visiting Kerala to see some procession.”
“Well, actually the procession is next month. We had gone there to cover the festival for N9. So, will have to return again. These are my friends. I met them in Kerala. They are in a bit of trouble. I thought you could help them.”
“Hi, I am Ravi”, the inspector introduced himself holding his hand out for Aryan.
“These are my partners.” he pointed towards Jennifer and the other police official accompanying the trio. “We own a museum in Kerala. We were out of town for a week and had left our assistant in charge of the place. By the time we got back, our assistant was tricked into buying an idol. We have reason to believe that the idol is fake. Will it be possible for you to confirm and tell us?”
“Ofcourse Ravi.It would be a pleasure to help you out!” Aryan replied while returning the introductory handshake.

They handed him the idol. He looked at it closely and said.
“This is real gold. What caused the doubt?”
“They told the boy that the nose ring was diamond. He believed it. He doesn’t have much knowledge in the field. So we had a feeling there might be...”
“Hmm... Fair enough.” He looked at the idol for a while longer.
“We’ll clear your doubts right away. Come with me.”
Saying so, he took them into a dark room. There were a couple of men working. He walked into his office. He applied a gel behind the idol and turned on an instrument. The instrument had a screen and a probe light was attached to it using a thin cable. He placed the probe light on one end of the idol and began moving it gradually to the other end. As he progressed, he looked into the screen and his mouth curved with the promise of a smile on it. He switched off the instrument. He passed the idol through another instrument. After that, he placed it on the table.
“Well Mr. –”, he looked at the officer.
“Ravi.” He obliged.
“Yes, Mr. Ravi. I just subjected your idol to an ultrasound testing. I am really sorry to say that your hunch was right. This idol has been cleverly crafted. It has been well coated with gold. Other metals, whether steel or iron, are all a lot less dense than gold. But the inner metal used here is almost similar in density to that of gold. The metal used here is tungsten. That is not all. Each part of this idol has been made separately & welded together using some excellent craftsmanship. For some reason, he didn’t want the makers to know what they were making. Or he didn’t want you all to know who made this. ”
Jennifer spoke for the first time, “So do you mean to say that a person having a basic knowledge in welding could have welded the pieces together?”
“Of course! That is possible.” He picked up the idol and looked at it.
“The welding is good. Not perfect. But good enough”
“What kind of setup is required to weld this small idol”, asked Tara.
Aryan smiled and replied “With the latest technology, we can buy Oxy-gas torches which can weld a lot of materials. It won’t take much time to master the same. The technology has been there all this while. The size & weight of the machines and welding rods is reduced every year.”
Tara felt that someone who knew the idol too well & was an absolute master mind was behind the forging of the idol. He not only had a wide knowledge about metals, but he had also done his homework very well. The maker either had direct access to the idol’s features. Or someone from inside the temple helped him with the exact details of the idol. She knew he was within her reach. But who was he?

End of Chapter 15

Read the next part of the story here at Knitha's Blog

“Me and my team are participating in ‘Game Of Blogs’ at BlogAdda.com. #CelebrateBlogging with us.” 
Follow us Facebook for the next chapters: Click here. 

Wednesday 24 September 2014

Movie Review - FED UP (2014)

Hi Guys,

Fed Up (2014) is a documentary type movie showcasing what is the reason behind getting obese in spite of spending thousands of hours in Gym and running in the parks. This phenomenon is global and the documentary showcases the concept of the same in USA markets. It’s businesses that runs the governments and it is shown how food cartels in USA governs the USA government and WHO also. No matter how hard you try to come over them, you won’t have that power and money to bypass them. But it lies in the hands of an individual to choose and then slowly and steadily, you can defeat the cartels. The movie is produced by Laurie David (Oscar winning producer of AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH) and Katie Couric. Fed Up is directed by Stephanie Soechtig.
The movie is an eye opener and gives a whole new perspective to think how and what impacts our daily habits that made us get fat. The movie shows that a normal human body can take 8-9 teaspoons of sugar and in reality we are consuming more than 40 teaspoons. The extra teaspoons everyday is causing the body to convert them into fat all across our body. This can also lead to Diabetes and various other diseases. 

The impact and rush of sugar and cocaine is same on the brain while sugar gives 8 times more powerful rush than cocaine. It is really a fact and I think of myself consuming packs of sugar as and when I need instant energy. Fat free products that the market is flooded with these days contains much more sugar than the regular products to make them taste better. I have started reducing my sugar intake but it's very difficult and not an easy journey. With right amount of motivation & awareness, I will definitely reduce my sugar intake slowly and steadily.
For people like me, they said, I am TOFI - Thin Outside and Fat Inside. I might also suffer from the same types of problems that an obese person will. Whatever happens the movie will spread awareness to eat healthy food and will bring in a lot of change in the mindset of individuals.

The movie also shows the efforts undertaken by various government and individual initiatives and what happens to them. The movie will definitely leave you to think a lot about your dietary habits. It's a journey that will help you and astonish you to think beyond and create a life which you want.

This movie is definitely worth a watch and if possible follow their advice too. The movie has launched a website to create awareness and to take a challenge to leave sugar for 10 days initially.

Check out - Fed Up website - http://fedupmovie.com/#/page/home This movie will also bring a lot of sale of books to amazon.com with the list of resources/material/books mentioned on their website.

Movie is releasing in Ster Kinekor on 31st Oct 2014. Book your tickets now. More info on twitter and facebook

Cheers!!!
Contact me for your product's review on twitter @araijain or @thelifesway or email - thelifesway@gmail.com