Explorer of Experiences

Between April 1 and May 20, I co-organized 11 webinars for Michael Page Middle East and Africa, as part of our engagement strategy with our key stakeholders during COVID-19. That's a handsome number considering the time-frame. I put together our first webinar within a two week period, and thereafter, I was churning out 1-2 webinars on an average per week. But until mid March, I was a complete webinar novice, not privy to the power of the medium and also clueless about the logistics involved in hosting one. But it was evident very early on that with companies switching to remote work, webinars were going to be a powerful marketing vehicle. So, I began my research and very quickly learnt the basics of curating webinars, including reaching out to my network for help. Hosting my first webinar was quite nerve-wracking: Can the audience here the speaker? Can they see the presenter's screen? Why are speakers facing dial-in issues? And so on. But there's no better teacher tha...

In the past two years, I have met some famous and very interesting people in Dubai. It is not everyday after all that you can say you've met the world's happiest man or one of the world's most creative person. So I decided to jot down my brief yet treasured interactions with them, so you can read about it, and I can reminisce a few years down the line. SHASHI THAROOR  [Former Under-Secretary General, UN, Author and Politician] I met Tharoor shortly after I finished a heavy read of his book Inglorious Empire (read my thoughts on it here ) at the Emirates Literature Festival in February 2018. I patiently made my way towards him in a snaking long queue but it was worth it because I even got snapped with him. Tharoor is highly educated, articulate and has an impressive body of social work. But he also has a long list of things he has been criticized for and accused of. Yet, in his numerous TV interviews, I have never seen him frazzled but always patient and calm in ...

The mesmerizing sunset I captured from a traditional abra at the Dubai Creek. At the time of writing this post, I have completed seven months living in Dubai. In this time, I have explored so much of the city (as much as I possibly could) but there is still a whole lot waiting to be discovered. I feel like I have been here for a really long time but that speaks volumes about how easily I settled in to my new life here. If you're planning to move to Dubai, here's some essential reading just to get an initial sense of the vibe here.   1. You'll need to watch your money. Dubai has everything aspirational from the finest restaurants to the most desirable retail brands to global events. But we know experiences cost money, and can be on the slightly expensive side. Can you do without that brunch? Certainly your stomach can. Do you need that jacket? Winter isn't for another 6 months. Introspective conversations like these are good practice to avoid overspending.  ...

Yesterday, I went for the soft opening of Legoland Dubai . It's a much anticipated attraction at the Dubai Parks & Resorts - home also to the Bollywood Parks  (I hear you can film your own movie here), MotionGate  (a Hollywood inspired theme park), Lapita  (a Polynesian, tribal themed Marriott hotel) and Riverland (retail and dining zone). Now who doesn't love Lego right? I remember spending as many hours building Lego house models as I did playing with Barbie! So when you get a free ticket for a trial run of the park, you go!  Riverland, the 'reception' zone of Dubai Parks & Resorts; and way in the distance, Bollywood Park The beautiful 500-room Lapita hotel with the beautiful sunset backdrop This wasn't the first Legoland I have visited. On a trip to the U.K., we spent such a fantastic day at the Legoland . Imagine what a fascinating sight it was to my ten year old eyes! I vividly remember seeing a Lego version of a giant Cadbury...

View of the Marina from the 52nd floor of the Dubai Marriott Harbour Hotel So I have crossed the two month milestone of living in Dubai. While time seems to have passed by rather quickly, I also feel like I have been in Dubai for a long time. I settled into living by myself much easily than I thought and my studio apartment has now taken shape of home; it's clean, spic and span actually, and looks 'lived in'. I have created a comfortable routine for myself and have been able to navigate my way through initial hiccups of settling in a new city. The cockroaches are gone, Work has turned out to be great. Thank God. After all, that was the reason for stepping out of my familiar. Less than two weeks back, Marriott International announced the successful merger with Starwood. This integration was a long 11 month process that finally came to a close - and courtesy being part of the Marriott Middle East and Africa team, I was lucky to be part of the gathering addressed by Arn...

The silhouette of the iconic Burj Al Arab in the backdrop of this view of the Jumeirah Kite Beach Nervous, excited and tired; that was me exactly a month back as I lay in my warm comfortable bed at home with a view of my packed-to-the-brim suitcases. I was setting off to Dubai to begin a new chapter in my career and life. Here’s the count of the cities I have lived in - Lagos, Mussoorie, Pune, Melbourne, Mumbai - and now Dubai was going to be the sixth city I would spend a considerable time living in. I have to say, having moved around so much, relocating never became any easier. Buried deep, that nervous feeling in the stomach persisted in the days leading to my departure.  Happy to report, settling in Dubai was easy on me. Maybe it was knowing that I was just a two hour flight away from home, or that I was fairly familiar with Dubai courtesy four leisure trips to the city before, or that I already had some friends here, or that I was transferring within the same company,...

Recently, I was fortunate to visit Abu Dhabi. The city has an impressive resume - it's UAE's political, cultural and commercial centre, UAE's capital city, Dubai's satellite city and over 8 years ago was even declared as the world's richest city by Fortune Magazine.  Abu Dhabi didn't disappoint. I had a great time there and found the city fairly easy to navigate. Distances are not too much, taxis are abundant and the fares don;t really burn a hole in the wallet. People are friendly and you sink into comfort zone when you spot familiar brand names in shopping malls.  Here's what you simply must explore if you find yourself #inAbuDhabi. 48 HOURS IN ABU DHABI Experience Arabian Opulence at The Royal Rose Hotel This is a luxury five star hotel propped right in the heart of the city. Major attractions are not too far from here making this a convenient stay option. At first glance, the exterior of the hotel which is inspired by 17th cen...

The title of this post may confuse some so allow me to clarify. What I meant by 'First Time for the Third Time' is that even though I have visited this desert city twice before, my third visit might as well have been my first because Dubai keeps changing...it gets bigger, better, taller, newer, higher and glossier.   I did not plan to visit Dubai, the trip - you can say, just happened! I en-cashed some frequent flier miles on Emirates and used up my IndiGo Airlines discount voucher (yay to Twitter contests!) and thus ended up saving up a lot on my airfare. But a week before I was due to fly, I got the viral flu and was regretting my decision to travel. I wondered if it was worth the effort - my wanderlust cravings always overpowered my need to just stay put and rest during my off time. Touchdown in Dubai, and I felt well again, yes, just like that. Call it adrenaline rush if you like! I was so excited to be on international shores with friends and food and f...