IIFA 2009 - Style Watch

Priyanka Chopra - The perfect "Desi Girl" at this year's IIFAs

Lara Dutta and Sushmita Sen - Beige & Black

Amrita Rao and Kangana Ranaut - Of cakes and eggplants...

Bipasha Basu - with her award for "Style Icon of the Decade (female)"

Diya Mirza - Pretty in peach. Pretty boring, that is.

Neha Dhupia in her clingy creation - Inspired by some mammal marine life perhaps? The pose doesn't help either, Neha!

Hrithik Roshan and his wife, Suzanne - Thankfully we can't see Hrithik's shiny silver shoes in this picture!

IIFA Awards 2009 – Style Watch

At this year’s IIFA Awards, most of the ladies opted for Western wear. While some carried it off well, others were not so fortunate.

Among the few who kept it traditional, were Bollywood actresses Priyanka Chopra, Lara Dutta, and Aishwarya Rai Bachan.

While the other two looked good as well, it was Priyanka who stole the show. And not just from them, but from all the other ladies too, who opted for various types and hues of gowns.

Priyanka dazzled in a pink and beige Manish Malhotra creation, and looked like the belle of the ball. Sophisticated and graceful, she made the lovliest “Desi Girl” around.Priyanka also won the award for “Best Actress”, for her acting in the Bollywood flick, “Fashion.” Stylish and talented, now that’s what being a Desi girl is all about!

For the complete article and more pictures visit IIFA Style Watch - Special Features @ http://www.desivibe.ca/

To see a list of the winners of this year’s IIFA Awards: http://www.india-server.com/news/2009-iifa-awards-winners-7633.html

To see more pictures of what the stars were wearing: http://www.hotklix.com/link/entertainment/celebs/IIFA-awards-2009-photos-IIFA-awards-2009-pictureshttp://www.dhingana.com/photos/iifa-awards-2009-final-day-performances-and-winner/12833

Details of some of the outfits: http://www.masala.com/12762-style-watch-on-iifa-green-carpet

Retail Therapy for the Unemployed Soul?

It has been three months since I landed in Sharjah, UAE, from Ottawa, Canada. I was too busy relaxing and enjoying the good weather here to realise where all the time was going. I really was too busy to remember the “real” reason I moved here; to land a job or at least some sort of employment.
Actually, I hadn’t forgotten. I’d just relegated it to the very back of my head, from where I could quickly stifle any reminders of what I “should” be doing now that I was here. The reminders in my head got louder and louder, and a bit too persistent to ignore, so I finally decided to do something about them.

For the complete article, visit Special Features - Retail Therapy for the Unemployed Soul? @ http://www.desivibe.ca/

Canada's Governor General's Unconventional Way of Showing Support

Canada’s Governor General, Michaelle Jean, used a very unconventional method to show her support for Canada’s seal hunters.
While attending an Inuit community festival in the country’s province of Nunavut, she decided to show her support by munching her way through a raw seal heart. Reports say she sliced open a freshly slaughtered seal and then asked the woman next to her if she could try the heart. Jean then proceeded to cut through the seal’s flesh, slice off a piece of its heart, and eat it. After swallowing it whole, she said she found it delicious.
The Governor General’s act was perhaps as controversial as the annual seal hunt she seeks to defend. The EU is pretty much set to ban Canadian seal products because it deems the seal hunt cruel and inhumane. Animal rights groups are finally going to see their efforts bear fruit with the ban, set to be signed on the 25th of this month.
Without engaging in the debate of whether the yearly hunt should be permitted or not, exactly what was the Governor General trying to do when she ate a raw seal heart?
A spokeswoman for the EU declined to comment, saying the act was just too “bizarre” to talk about. Anti-seal hunt activist, Barbara Slee, said she was disgusted by Jean’s actions.
Surely, the Governor General could have chosen another way to demonstrate her unity with Canadian hunters? Joining them in a protest would have been a more acceptable way. Another option could have been lobbying for the hunt and talking about it to garner some public support. If nothing else, a group hug would have sufficed perhaps?
Then again, none of those measures would have been as dramatic and attention-grabbing as the one she chose. This is despite the fact that the ban proposed by the EU exempts Inuit hunters. They can carry out their traditional hunting activities and are barred from only large-scale trading of seal skins and products in Europe.
By ripping open a dead seal and chewing on its raw heart, the Governor General may have proved that she’s certainly not squeamish and will do whatever it takes to get her message across. However, perhaps she should have thought about exactly what that message was. Since Inuit hunters are protected under the proposed ban, the whole thing was pretty unnecessary.
Was she trying to show the EU what Canada thinks about its proposed ban? Or was she trying to win public support by demonstrating how Inuit people prefer their meals?
If she was trying to raise concern about the hunt, she may have managed to do that. If she was trying to get public opinion on her side though, she may have actually managed to push it in the other direction.

Most people will not find eating a raw seal heart appealing, and hence may think of the seal hunt in equal, if not worse, terms.

For more info and pictures visit: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8069249.stm
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/05/26/canadian-governor-general_n_207844.html

Because It's Ice cream!

On my latest trip to Dubai Outlet Mall, I decided to check out the Cold Stone Creamery store that is located on the first floor.
I’ve never tried one of their ice cream “Creations” before, and while I did expect something delicious, I was pleasantly surprised. I ordered “Chocolate Devotion” in a freshly made waffle cup dipped in thick chocolate. Not only was it absolutely heavenly, the way it was made was equally glee inspiring.
Options are abundant on how you want your tasty treat. You can choose a “Signature Creation” or a “Custom” one. Since this was the first time I was trying one, I decided to make things easier for myself and pick something from their diverse menu.
If you opt for a Custom Creation, you get to pick the ice cream flavour you want, and all the other ingredients used to make a Creation. Ingredients range from different types of cookies, chocolates, nuts, caramel, fudge, as well as your choice of waffle.
Once you’ve picked what you want, the fun begins. Stand back and watch your Creation take shape. Making your creation involves scooping, chopping, folding in, and believe it or not, throwing your in- progress creations high up in the air and then catching them. My “Chocolate Devotion” was made air bound a number of times, before being hurled across the room where it finally landed in its waffle-filled cup.
A variety of scrumptious looking ice cream cakes are also available. Once again, these can either be chosen from the Signature Creations menu, or made specifically to suit your tastes. A Custom Creation can be a great way to set your imagination free and create something truly novel. It will also give you bragging-rights when people compliment you on how delicious your cake is.
Cold Stone Creamery is an experience that is not limited just to your taste buds. I intend to visit every time I have a craving for a cold treat, and plan to take my friends and siblings as well. After a tiring day of shopping at the mall, this is just the energy booster you need!

Official website: http://www.coldstonecreamery.com/index.html

International store locator: http://www.coldstonecreamery.com/google/stores/store_locator.aspx
For some store locations in the UAE: http://www.arabianbusiness.com/index.php?Itemid=77&ln=en&option=com_pressreleases&pr_id=10319&view=detail
Want to contact the supplier in the UAE?

Visit: http://www.alibaba.com/member/sachin1968/contactinfo.html

My featured article

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Paris in Dubai?

Paris Hilton is coming to Dubai this June. Love her or loathe her, she's not someone you can ignore. Whether it's her less than model behaviour, or her legendary vapid-ness, the hotel heiress shows no signs of fading away. She's got the media hooked on her every move, despite not doing anything of any real consequence.
At this year's Cannes film festival, all eyes (and cameras) were on her and her new boyfriend, Doug Reinhardt, because well, she's Paris and people want to know what she's upto (and with who).
So why is Paris coming all the way to Dubai? Is she tired of her already full (of bling anyway) life?
Not even close. Paris is coming to Dubai to find her new "BFF". After doing two such shows, first in America and then in the UK, she's now coming here to find herself a new (more like additional) "best friend forever". Maybe she should add an "S" to the end of the word BFF because one is clearly not enough. For Paris, perhaps BFFs are like the blingy jewellery she so loves to adorn; she just can't have enough it seems.
Or perhaps, as she herself says, she travels regularly so she'd like to have a best friend wherever she goes. Errr, Paris, that's not a best friend. That's more like a friendship of convenience. Certainly not the kind that would involve a friend who would be ready to stay up with you all night if you needed it (unless the staying up was partying related).
Contenders for Paris's new BFF are going to be a mixture of both, locals as well as expats who live in Dubai. Frankly, I can't imagine anyone who'd want to be her BFF in Dubai. Then again, I can't imagine anyone who'd want to be her BFF by taking part in the show, unless they have other, less than sincere motives of course. In any case, the show will probably be an amusing watch to say the least.
For more info visit:
http://www.boston.com/ae/tv/blog/2009/06/paris_hilton_is.html
http://www.timeoutdubai.com/knowledge/news/8883-paris-hilton-in-dubai