Malling... a modern way to chill out, Ibn Battuta mall in Dubai, theme inspired by the travels of Ibn Battuta, the great traveler

          

Today's post is about a very beautiful mall, Ibn Battuta mall, a themed mall in Dubai, inspired by the travels of the famous Arabic explorer Ibn Battuta. His full name is Abu Abdulla Muhammad Ibn Abdullah Al Lawati Al Tangi Ibn Batutta. (1304 to 1369).

Birthplace - Tangier, Morocco.
He was a great Islamic scholar and traveler.

At a very young age he started on a journey for the holy Hajj pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca. This was a long journey and after completing the pilgrimage he decided to continue his travel to other countries that took many years before his return to Morocco. He has traveled extensively North Africa, Egypt, Swahili coast, Palestine, Syria, Andalusia, Persia, Tunisia, India, Srilanka, Maldives, China and finally back to Morocco. Upon his return almost thirty years later to Morocco he was appointed in the court of the Sultan. This ruler ordered his scribe to record the travel experiences of this great adventurer, the 'Rihla'. Rihla remains as the sole record of this great traveler's adventures.

There are plenty of world famous brands here.
                                                        

                                                                     
The architecture of this mall is stunning !

I have already posted about 'South-pointing chariot', a wonderful instrument for finding directions used in ancient times in China. Very interesting equipment!

http://magicalpresent.blogspot.in/2013/03/south-pointing-chariot_18.html

     

I am sure nobody will be bored visiting here especially if you are interested in history.

The picture above is of Ibn Battuta gate, where the Movenpick hotel is situated. Beautiful view! Hats off to this wonderful idea of building a mall conceived by the travels of this famous person.

The Islamic astrolabe

Food courts, restaurants, cinemas, you name it... they have it here! 

Hardships, dangerous circumstances, and adversities did not deter this great man from pursuing single-handedly the adventures and exploration of previously unknown, far away places, cultures, and lifestyles. His accounts gave mankind valuable insights into the life of people during those ancient times and contributed authoritative facts to history.

For more information :

http://www.ibnbattutamall.com

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ibn_Battuta

• Extraordinary achievements result from courage, great self-esteem, and passionate actions. 

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Blue ocean

Standing on the sandy shore my gaze stretches to infinity

It is amazing to watch the gentle waves listening to their chatter  

As I peer into the blue skyline merging deep, far and wide

I envy upon the Sun rising and setting in tranquility!

As the waves caress and tickle my feet gently

Slowly I feel like gliding in a wave of relaxation

It is wonderful to feel the water and sand embracing 

I forget myself allowing me to drift into joy and happiness!

Cool breeze invigorating the mind, body, and soul 

Like singing a melody to touch the hearts softly

How wonderful to feel it, embrace it, love it

Longing to experience the magic again and again!

Look at the children happily playing all around

Hopeful they build sand castles, dance with joy

Embrace them with your breeze, let them flourish with it

From you life originated, only you can sustain it forever!

• Mother nature only can impart quality relaxation and rejuvenate our mind, body, and soul. Such a refreshing experience enjoying the cool breeze on the seashore! Lovely!

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HAPPY NEW YEAR 2014!

HAPPY NEW YEAR 

I wish all of you a very happy, awesome and prosperous new year!

May all your wishes, ambitions and dreams come true 

Let this new year bring you tremendous joy, happiness, and success!

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Merry Christmas!

I wish you all a Merry Christmas!

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Happy friendship day: get good friends

Happy friendship day!

Here in India, the first Sunday of August, every year is marked as "friendship day."

Malls and discotheques have arranged exciting activities to celebrate friendship day.

United Nations Organization has declared July 30, as International friendship day, but in many countries, it is celebrated on the first Sunday of August, every year.

Good friendships are vital for us. Always try to widen our friendship circle by networking and socializing. Networking means our friends are our friends' friends. True friends that support us both in our good and bad days are a gift. At the same time weed out toxic friendships as soon as possible. True friends co-operate, never manipulate. It is a harmonious relationship, not materialistic.

I wish all my friends a wonderful friendship day!  

• Nurture good friendships. Make it work, carefully develop a good relationship. Adopt a give and take attitude, co-operate, extend help, and above all love each other. 

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Better reading speed and comprehension

'How to read better and faster' by Norman Lewis is a very informative book that helps to improve reading speed and comprehension. As the title says this book helps the reader to read anything very fast and at the same time retain the meaning and improve comprehension.  There are numerous techniques described here in detail for training. Practice all these with enthusiasm to get good results.  

I bought this book in 2002. Read it up to half for the first time. Because of work pressures could not continue it, so discontinued. Then in 2004 read it again. My reading speed after taking the first exercise was 244 words per minute. I completed this book and all the exercises within 2 months. My reading speed became 360 words per minute. Thereafter I began applying the principles I learned from this book. One of the things that I learned is to read faster and adjust reading speed according to the topic.

Whatever be the material just try to get the gist of what is written by quickly by scanning the entire thing in a zig-zag manner. Then try to include more words in a sentence when you fixate the eyes and move fast. It is a common psychological observation that when we speed up something our concentration improves and mind does not oscillate like a pendulum. When we slow down, the mind wanders.

I recommend this book for everyone. A simple book, not at all complicated. Easy to understand, sure you will not get bored like reading some scientific books or journals 😊

• We have to constantly improve ourselves in all aspects. Learn something good, enrich our life and environment, share your views and experiences, let others also benefit! 

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Rosalind Elsie Franklin, Google doodle marks her 93rd birthday, today!

Google doodle remembers Rosalind Elsie Franklin (25 July 1920 - 16 April 1958), the pioneer in finding out the structure of DNA (Deoxyribonucleic acid), today. She was a major contributor to the research that finally revealed the double helical structure of DNA. She was a British biophysicist and X-ray crystallographer.  She passed away due to Ovarian cancer at the age of 37.

Even while undergoing treatment for Cancer she and her team came out with valuable scientific papers, the results of their research activities.

We were taught at school years ago that Watson and Crick discovered the 'double helical structure of DNA' that resembles a twisted ladder. Only now, I came to know that  Rosalind, a brilliant scientist had actually 'cracked the code' before Watson and Crick. Had she been given due credit of her X-ray diffraction picture of DNA, her name also would have been included in the names of people who made this groundbreaking discovery and received the Nobel prize. It was male dominated Society during the 1950s and she was not given any credit to her contribution.

Google's doodle today and the subsequent search I made before posting this deeply disturbed me.  We often hear such stories in scientific circles. Some steal the entire glory taking full credit of success. They never acknowledge the contribution by so many unknown souls. More often, great discoveries were made by the combined efforts and co-operation of many people. Some might have solved the puzzle by delivering the final blow at the head of the nail but fail to acknowledge the contributions made by others.

People often say I am a self-made person. I wonder if there is any meaning in this!

However, posthumously she has been awarded many honors. Please read more about her and then you will know how great she was!

A big thank you to Google for this kind gesture!

More about her :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosalind_Franklin
http://www.dnaftb.org/19/bio-3.html
http://profiles.nlm.nih.gov/ps/retrieve/Narrative/KR/p-nid/183
http://www.rosalindfranklin.edu  A University dedicated to the magnificent legacy of this brilliant scientist!
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aso/databank/entries/bofran.html
http://www.sdsc.edu/ScienceWomen/franklin.html

• One day the truth will come out. It might take a million years but one beautiful day truth will be revealed to everyone along with concrete evidence. 

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Green tea, a poem about this awesome health drink

It is healthy, all green, full of vitality

Invigorating, refreshing, relaxing

Makes us energetic, lively, happy

Thanks to the different varieties!

Easy to prepare, each drop precious

Make it a habit, health is wealth

No need to sweeten, take it plain   

But we like it bitter, a cool drink, it is!

Flavor it, let it be mint or jasmine

Or pure, lemon, orange or apple

Enjoy it, feel it, savor it in whole 

Give it to guests, share the secret!

So many varieties, so many flavors

From many regions, some exotic

Some organic, better ! but all good

Take it, be recharged, be healthy!

* Health is wealth. We have to eat right to maintain optimal health.  Always safeguard health.

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Rembrandt van Rijn, 407th birthday, subject of Google doodle!

I hope you all have heard about Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, the famous Dutch painter, and etcher (July 15, 1606 - October 4, 1669). He is considered as one of the greatest painters of Europe and the Netherlands.

A considerable number of his creations were self-portraits. Night watch, The Jewish bride, The Return of the prodigal son, Danae are some of his very famous paintings according to experts.

More info:
http://www.artcyclopedia.com/artists/rembrandt_van_rijn.html
http://www.rembrandtpainting.net
http://www.rembrandthuis.nl

If you open Google you will find his painting as the subject of Google's doodle. Rembrandt's 407th birthday is the subject of Google's doodle on Monday, July 15th, that we see when we open our dear Google :) 

Thank you all at Google doodle for remembering a great painter like Rembrandt.
RIP, Rembrandt.

We all doodle sometimes. Likewise, Google founders Larry and Sergey in 1998 doodled their Company logo to indicate that they were 'out of the Office', and thus the concept was born. Later Google began making changes on their logo to celebrate holidays, anniversaries, and the lives of famous artists, pioneers, and scientists. Great idea! Now, as we all have experienced, this activity makes us all remember great people and take note of the many important occasions and events.

We, the users can email Google doodle our suggestions -proposals@google.com

More info; 
http://www.google.com/doodles/about

Stay tuned for Doodle 4 Google 2014 competition for K12 students: http://www.google.com/doodle4google

• Creative ideas like this make positive vibrations everywhere in the world! This innovative idea from Google prompted many to spend their valuable time to find out more about the great creative works of a genius; surely it might have sparked interest in art in at least a few. 

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A visual treat - Dubai underwater aquarium, beautiful!

Dubai underwater aquarium is a very popular attraction in Dubai! It is located on the ground floor of the Dubai Mall. This awesome mall is in downtown Dubai close to Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world.

Dubai Aquarium is the largest suspended aquarium in the world. This tank houses about 140 species of aquatic animals.

The acrylic panel of this aquarium is the largest in the world. It holds a Guinness record for this. There is an Ocean school where kids can learn many things about aquatic life. Educators will explain the beauty and science of marine life. The entry to the acrylic panel view area is free. The view is excellent from all the floor levels of the mall.

There is also an underwater tunnel where we can walk through watching magnificent fishes and see divers feed sharks and rays.

Glass bottom boat ride, cage snorkeling dive, shark dive etc. are some of the other attractions here. Also, there are facilities for hosting birthday parties.

Check their website for full details   http://www.thedubaiaquarium.com

Marine life is always cool to the mind, body, and soul. It refreshes everyone. Life underwater is always exciting. Not everyone can swim or watch underwater life but we have facilities nowadays to experience it. It is a different spectacle but totally awesome!

• It is a pleasure to watch aquatic organisms to calm the mind. Watching beautiful creatures glide through water helps in relaxation; it refreshes the tired mind.  

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Remembering Jim Kelly, a great martial artist!

Jim Milton Kelly (Jim, the dragon Kelly), (5th May 1946 - 29th June 2013) became famous all over the world after of his awesome performance in the epic movie, Enter the dragon, along with Bruce Lee, the Karate legend in 1973.

He passed away on June 29th, 2013 and has joined his co-star and friend Bruce Lee, the great in heaven.

Enter the dragon, the famous Bruce Lee film was released in 1973. I watched this movie about 7 or 8 years later during my College days. Going to the movies in theatres was a big thing at that time. English movies reached our small town years later after their release elsewhere in the world. We were allowed only 3 or 4 movies only the whole year, only during vacation and festival season. No weekend movies :)  at all! It was 40 years ago, no TV, no Internet, no mobile phones and no blogging, lol!

Enter the dragon became a huge hit in Kerala like elsewhere in India and the rest of Asia. Bruce Lee hairstyles became quite common. Karate academies started mushrooming all over the State. The youngsters started signing up for karate classes. Those who could not attend an academy started doing self-learning like hitting the bricks, doing free exercises, kicks etc at home. I was in this group:) Hours together, we friends used to chat about this movie. I think this was the only movie we were able to watch twice in cinemas; we were allowed by our parents to go for it one more time: some extra pocket money :) was given.

We were crazy at that time! The craze still goes on, Bruce Lee is still very much alive in the minds of the people here.

Countless times I have watched this movie when VCD, DVD etc. came into existence. I knew each and every scene in that beautiful thriller by heart. It was my lifelong ambition to sign up for professional Karate classes. Finally, I was able to attend some about 4 years ago. Boy, how thrilled I felt when I put on that white robe with a white starter belt!

Without any doubts, I can state that no other movie star has influenced people in our place like Bruce Lee.

We all liked Jim Kelly very much. It was an everlasting impression he has made in the minds of people in this Asian country as the character 'Williams' in the Enter the dragon movie. When he was murdered by the villain in the movie we simply could not tolerate it; we wanted Bruce Lee to crush that monster then and there. We admired Jim's cool attitude, body language, fighting style and of course the beautiful hairstyle!

More about this legend  http://www.jimkellykarate.com

We miss you, Jim!
May his soul rest in peace!

Productive, happy and cool people are awesome. Some live their life happily, enriching theirs' as well as others' mind, body and the soul. It is an art, living life like that peacefully. We can learn a lot from them. Listen, observe and learn from them. Be inspired; be motivated!

• No need for some great people to prove anything to anybody. They live naturally and will find lots of followers with them forever. We call such people legends.  

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101 Simple secrets to keep your hope alive - a book review

Hello...

Today I decided to rearrange my bookshelf. How we have changed in the modern times, always reading ebooks in iPad, Kindle, laptop or desktops or smartphones and almost stopped reading books in the old fashioned way. I was surprised finding so many books in my shelf both in English and in the Malayalam language, our mother tongue.

So today's post is a book review.
The title of the book is 101 Simple secrets to keep your hope alive. 

A simple book, nothing complicated. I forgot when I bought it, I think it was when I made a trip to Bangalore in 2002. I do not remember reading this book in detail anytime. What a lapse it was from my side! This book is a must read. It has many beautiful and inspiring quotes by great people like Aristotle, William Shakespeare, Mother Theresa and the like. Awesome...!

The book starts with a proverb 'a cheerful heart is good medicine'. :)

Laugh more - especially at yourself. Laughter is the cheapest, safest, and most reliable medication there is. 

Another one - Appreciating what you have is one way to keep your hopes up.

Fall in love with God.

Pleasure in moderation relaxes and tempers the spirit. I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream! :)

Give hope to others - it will do wonders for you too.

This book has inspiring quotes, practical insights and powerful reminders that will help us find hope when nothing is there to be hopeful. It helps in finding out God's presence in our life especially during a crisis. I would recommend this book to everyone, just keep it in your library, one day you or someone would benefit from it.

Originally published by the Honor Books, Colorado. Compiled by Betsy Williams.

If anyone of you has read this wonderful book, please share your opinion here.

• Finding hope in the midst of crises is not easy. Such books really shine a beacon of hope when dark clouds of hopelessness cover life. Never lose hope. Always believe, there are plenty of solutions for each and every problem in life, be hopeful!

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Real life example of success - Lulu Mall, Kochi, Kerala, India!

Lulu mall is one of Asia's largest!

They are now open at Kochi, Kerala in India. This is the first one on a very large scale in the state of Kerala with world-class facilities. Many multinational brands now have their presence in this Mall in Kerala in South India.  

There is also a huge hypermarket in this mall. I think here you will find almost everything that you may see elsewhere in the world. Truly world class!

Hats off to Mr. M. A. Yussuf Ali, owner of this wonderful mall, who dedicated such an expensive gift to his native place. He is a prominent businessman who has outlets in many countries in the world. Lulu hypermarkets are a common sight in almost all middle eastern countries.

Kerala has the highest literacy rate in India and there are Keralites everywhere in the world. Rapid developments are taking place here recently.

Lulu mall - world of happiness!

http://www.lulumall.in

https://www.facebook.com/LuLuMall

https://twitter.com/LuLu_Mall

http://www.youtube.com/LuLuMallKochi

Or is it the happiness of our small world here? Or both?

• Here is a real-life example of successful fulfillment of a dream of a distinguished person. The hard work, dedication and strong willpower for a noble cause resulted in huge success!

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Relax, refresh, recharge - some cool mantras!

I like this video very much! 

Uploaded it today on YouTube! 

Watch it, you surely will like it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYDfpv7lGjo

I still remember the time spent during a weekend at the Dubai Creek. A cool breeze was blowing, I enjoyed chirping of the birds, it was very much refreshing!

• Replenishing depleted energy stores, finding the time and ideal place to relax and unwind; look into all such things, they are very much important to balance life!

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Reduce stress...Abu Dhabi, Corniche, a gorgeous spot!

Abu Dhabi Corniche is a beautiful place. These snaps were taken at the far end where the Emirates Palace, Marina mall and the Centrepoint are located. 

A cool place to chill out and spend the evenings!

 The entrance to the Marina Mall.

Beautiful flowers!

A beautiful city has been built in the desert within a short period. Rapid developments are taking place in this region. Numerous projects with world-class facilities are already there and many more are in the pipeline. All of these are the result of effective leadership, professional coordination, and hard work.

• Converting dreams into realities is possible by proper planning, efficient coordination, hard work and a determination to succeed with a flexible attitude.

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Adversities - face them with courage and confidence

There is not a drop of water anywhere! Still, these plants survive in the desert! Look at those tiny flowers! How beautiful!

These photos were taken during a desert safari in Dubai. 

• We have to face adverse conditions boldly. Try to thrive in difficult situations with courage, optimism, and confidence.

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A shelter, a simple and a cool place

A shelter...! lucky...! 

• A peaceful place to rest, a hand to hold, someone to hug, a shoulder to cry on... precious things in life!

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Motivation - some tips to improve it

• What motivates us in life?
• Who motivates us? 
• How we get motivated? 
• Why we need motivation?

We all need the motivation to be successful in life.

We have to fill ourselves with lots of energy to attain our goals. Something in life will motivate us. Someone might motivate us at some point in life. Somewhere on the planet, we become motivated. Somehow we get motivated.

Let us examine this in detail.

• GOAL ORIENTED LIFE 

Goal oriented strategies work well to get motivated in life. Be hopeful in life.

• DREAM ABOUT SOMETHING THAT STIMULATES YOUR BRAIN

Try to avoid drifting like a plank of wood in a river aimlessly in life. Tide may take you somewhere building up a lot of pressures inside you. Negative influences will shatter you. If you don't take control of your life somebody else will step in as Captain and steer you in some direction they think suitable. Try to change the course of life purposely in a positive direction. A small positive change in the course of life might bring surprising success. There will be so many negative strings that will try to pull you down during this process. Identify those distractions, be aware of it but remain focused with goal-oriented behavior;  but be true to yourself. Formulate goals. Try to include something in your goal that will be of help to others as well.

If you are not sure what actually you want in life to make yourself happy, meditate to find it out. Ask your conscience. Be honest with yourself! Listen to what our mind is trying to say to us! There is no need to wander here and there or all over the world “seeking” truth. You very well know the answer. Your subconscious mind is repeatedly telling you about it. If you turn a deaf ear to it nothing can be done. After searching for 'answers' years and years traveling to strange places finally,  even great people have found out that the 'answer' was already there within them. Only problem was they did not have the eye to see or ears to hear about it or the mind to know when they were seeking for it. Great Gurus 'help' you find it, see it, feel it and hear about it! They cannot simply give you your answer, but they can help you find it! Once you find it you will be the luckiest person on the planet! You have attained enlightenment! Then you radiate warmth, you shine like a beacon! No more boredom, no more stress, you are at peace with yourself! You are happy and contented! No more problems for you!

CONGRATULATIONS! YOU WILL BE IN A MOOD OF CELEBRATION ALL THE TIME WHEN YOU REACH THIS STAGE! Let it be a personal, material, spiritual or social goal.

• FOCUS 

If you are one hundred percent convinced about your goal(s) then nothing can distract you. If you are not sure of what you actually wanted or if your goals were very vague and if you yourself were not very much convinced about it, then you lose your focus. Distractions and negative influences drain your energy. You become weak. You lose your passion in what you were doing. So always bear in mind that you need to focus to attain what you want. Expect distractions, it is quite natural. Every now and then reinforce your goals in your mind. Fantasize about your goals. Modify goals if needed. If you feel some vague, irrational, unexplained resistance either within you or from the environment in spite of doing everything you can positively, to attain your goal(s) then its time to have a thorough introspection. Unknowingly something might have rubbed mother nature on the wrong side. There could be some type of disharmony. Something was not in sync with nature. Correct the flaws.

YOU WILL FEEL WHAT IS WRONG, WHAT WENT WRONG, YOU WILL FEEL THE PROBLEMATIC VIBES, TRAIN YOURSELF TO IDENTIFY IT. YOU SURELY WILL FIND IT IF YOU LISTEN TO YOURSELF UNBIASED. LISTEN TO YOUR MIND AND BODY! When you find it and correct it and CELEBRATE! CONGRATULATE YOURSELF!

YOU ARE A WINNER IN LIFE!

• PLAN... ALWAYS MAKE PLANS

Write it down. Discuss it with your team. You can include anyone, anything that helps you in getting motivated and inspired to attain your goals, in your team.

Look for creative plans. Look for innovative ideas to attain success. Our brain has infinite capacity. Utilize it fully. Think out of the box. BETTER TO TAKE ONLY CALCULATED RISKS. Make constant evaluations. Ask professionals, if needed, to evaluate your plans. Correct flaws if any.

• LIVE A LIFE FOCUSED ON YOUR GOALS

If you want to be a world class athlete you just cannot lead an irresponsible life partying whole night every day, smoking and drinking. Remaining focused, undeterred by distractions you need to propel yourself in the direction of success by cultivating goal-oriented attitudes and behaviors. Aim for over-all improvement in every aspect of life including physical health.

Try to have a healthy mind in a healthy body and be in a healthy society.

AGAIN DON'T FORGET TO CELEBRATE WHEN YOU TAKE EACH POSITIVE STEP FORWARD! YOU ARE SUCCESSFUL!

CONGRATS! ENJOY! THOROUGHLY ENJOY THE STATE OF SUCCESS!

NOW IT IS TIME TO THINK ABOUT ANOTHER SET OF GOALS! GO FOR IT! OR HELP OTHERS TO ATTAIN THEIR GOALS! MAKE THAT YOUR NEXT GOAL; TO HELP OTHERS!

YOU HAVE BECOME A WINNER, TEACH OR TRAIN OTHERS TOO! YOU ARE HELPING TO CREATE A HEALTHY SOCIETY! A BETTER WORLD! CONGRATS AGAIN!

• CELEBRATE! 

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