I Made A Movie Starring Raveena Tandon
I made a movie starring Raveena Tandon. Raveena wasn’t acting that day, this was real life – I captured the moments when Raveena Tandon was made upset in Los Angeles on Indian Independence Day. The video kind of went viral. It has over 185,000 views now. Also, just wanted to add that I am not a movie maker, I am just someone who likes recording memories – photography and videos. Also, I made very few edits to the movie. I certainly didn’t take anything out intentionally, why would I have done that? All I took out was a few seconds of when the camera was out of focus (example up in the air instead of focused on people).
I do want to say that Raveena looks just as lovely when she is upset. What would we all give to look like that when we are upset? On a more serious note, I want to add that guests need to be treated like royalty.
Have you seen it yet? In case, you haven’t seen it, you really should take a look.
Punjabi Dance Party
You cannot stay still when you hear Punjabi music! Bet you! You will want to break out in bhangra, and why not! It’s definitely good exercise. Want to see a video that I made when I was in the UK? This video was made at a pre-wedding party, but I just called it Punjabi Dance Party.
I love the songs on the video, here’s a playlist. The timings are listed so that you can go forward and see certain songs without seeing the entire video – but why you would want to do that – I don’t know – you shouldn’t! The whole video is good!
Playlist
At 19 seconds into the video: Aaja Soniyeh from Foji ft Gurlej Akhtar – Mentah. I just called it Aaja Soniyeh as these words are in it, but not sure what the name of the song is (one of my favorites);
At 1:01 minutes into the video: Aaj Blue Hai Pani Pani from Yo Yo Honey Singh
At 1:55 minutes into the video: I love the song, but don’t know what it’s called or who is the singer, but the dance to it in this video that I made is rather wonderful. This is when the men get together and dance like crazy! The song refers to Jallandarh, a big city in the Punjab – where I have been just once when I was 14 years old.
At 3:30 minutes into the video: There is a ritual dance that is in honor of the groom who will be married the next day (yes this is the party that the boy’s side held). The girl’s side held their own party the same day at a different venue. We were invited to the boy’s side.
At 4:25 minutes into the video: There’s a song that I like to refer to as the “Snake Song”. It is the same music that there was a fabulous dance to in Bride and Prejudice, the “Cobra Dance” that had one of the sisters entertaining the guest Darcy as well as Mr. Khan who was visiting from Los Angeles. Aishwarya Rai was in this movie and played one of the sisters. This was a truly fabulous movie!
At 5:57 mintues into the video, it’s the women’s turn to dance! Again, I don’t know the name of the song, or the singer – but you should tune into to see how Punjabi women dance – they do a dance traditionally known as “giddah” – a traditional folk dance.
At 6:40 minutes into the video, there’s Moorni from Panjabi MC (one of my favorites);
At 6:59 minutes into the video, watch out for the men’s turn again as they dance to the Dhol, and do my favorite – bhangra!
At 8:43 minutes into the video, tune in for nightclub/disco like bhangra!
At 9:04 minutes into the video, tune in for Spanish Bhangra! That’s all I can call it as there is a song that I should know the name to, but don’t and it is Spanish I believe, also popular, and the men love dancing to it bhangra style!
At 9:45 minutes into the video, tune in for the Bhangra finale!
If you love the songs you hear in my video, and want to hear the full version, and see the corresponding video from the artist click on the song links below
Aaja Soniyeh from Foji ft Gurlej Akhtar – Mentah.
Aaj Blue Hai Pani Pani from Yo Yo Honey Singh
Moorni from Panjabi MC
Cobra Dance from Bride and Prejudice, and I know this is part of another Bollywood movie too
Don’t forget with a good Punjabi Dance Party, you need a nice cup of tea, and some Indian sweets, so here you go – just for you! I took the first two pictures below in the USA, but the rest are taken at the Punjabi Dance Party in the UK at Walsall Football Stadium.
chai (nice cup of Indian tea)
Jalebis
Punjabi Dance Party
Punjabi Dance Party
My daughter Niki took a selfie of us when we were in the car on the way to Walsall from Northern England.
Punjabi Dance Party
Punjabi Dance Party
Punjabi Dance Party at Walsall Football Stadium
Here I am at the party before it got started.
Punjabi Dance Party
I hope you liked my video, and the pictures. Don’t forget to watch some of the other videos of the songs that I really like – they are some of the best, but mostly don’t forget to watch my video. Remember, there’s nothing like good Punjabi music, and especially bhangra!
Delphin Imperial Resort, Lara Beach – Antalya – A Picture Video
You know I like to show you pictures? Guess, what instead of putting so many pictures on this post like I did in the last one – I put them in a video. Also, there’s some video footage too. So, come on…..take a look at my video, and don’t forget to like it.
Here’s a brief excerpt description – cut and pasted from my YouTube video – yes, I made this post super quick.
Turkey is so mystical. Enchanting. Intriguing. Have you ever thought of staying in a resort in Turkey? Well, if you are thinking about it, here’s one that deserves your consideration – The Delphin Imperial at Lara Beach, which is in the Antalya region. This video will show you a lot, you’ll even see someone doing a belly dance at one of the shows, you’ll see the pool(s) – there’s many pools, the buffet, the lobby, the beach, the rooms, and the view from the room where me and my family stayed. You’ll also see the coffee shop – did you know you can choose however much chocolate you want from there, and also any of the cakes or two or three! You can also get cappuccino, latte or espresso. Hopefully, you’ll get a good idea about the resort. Guess what it’s very clean – no mosquito problem either!
The Splendor of Cabo San Lucas
First some island music to get you into vacation spirit – this was my attempt at making a promo video! Also, as you may be aware – my old website at http://www.bindicruises.com is not available anymore – this all had something to do with the discontinuation of Mobile Me, and my decision to not look for another website host. Also, how many websites can one person maintain??!!
I will not write too much about the cruise itself as there are other posts that I have done on the Splendor, but this is all about Cabo San Lucas. Now for some pictures:
We went into a gift shop, and this was the view from within the shop
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Another shot of the same scene but with a different camera (one was taken with the Iphone, and one with my regular camera – a Canon G10)
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
This is my son in the gift shop
Gift Shop, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
We were entertained by various groups of people
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
In case you are hungry, there’s plenty of options
Places to Eat – Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Restaurants of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Did you see? That “statue” moved! It just might get you, here it is almost getting my daughter!
Restaurants in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Now for a look at the marina area of Cabo San Lucas
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Family picture time, me with my kids Luca, Chandi and Niki, who inspired me to name my business Luchanik named just after them – Lu-Cha-Nik
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
I really like this picture taken near one of the hotels
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Must get in the palm trees of Cabo
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Now for a street scene
Downtown Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Restaurants of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Art of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Some useful information
Tourist Information, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
You may need to cool off and enjoy the sights
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Fancy a large cup of coffee?
Cafe Canelas, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Mexico definitely is colorful!
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
The Carnival Splendor awaits us!
Carnival Splendor, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Leaving Cabo San Lucas…..this picture was taken from the ship
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
On a previous trip to Cabo San Lucas, I took these pictures
The Arch, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
I hope you enjoyed looking at the pictures I took of Cabo San Lucas. This was the first port we stopped at, and the second port – Puerto Vallarta will be in my next post. Thank you for visiting my blog.
Get Into The Splendor!
Get into the Splendor – the Carnival Splendor! The Carnival Splendor is a beautiful ship, in fact it is splendid! Some quick facts: it first sailed in 2008; it holds approximately 3000 people; it has a number of swimming pools; and it has the only Indian restaurant I’ve ever seen on a ship – the Tandoor. Quite simply put: it has all the splendor you would need on a cruise vacation. I’m not going to go into all the details of the Splendor, and my cruise on it, but you can take a look at a write-up I did directly after the July, 2011 cruise – my review of the Carnival Splendor. Here are some pictures:
Carnival Splendor
Carnival Splendor
Carnival Splendor
Adults Only Swimming Pool – Carnival Splendor
Main Swimming Pool – Carnival Splendor
Main Swimming Pool – Carnival Splendor
Drinks Service – Carnival Splendor
Outdoor Movie Theatre – Carnival Splendor
Kids Splash Area – Carnival Splendor
Kids Pool – Carnival Splendor
Waterslide – Carnival Splendor
Waterslide & Kids Pool – Carnival Splendor
Waterslide – Carnival Splendor
Carnival Splendor lobby
Gold Pearl Dining Room – Carnival Splendor
Gold Pearl Dining Room – Carnival Splendor
That’s me in the Black Pearl Dining Room
Black Pearl Dining Room
That’s me in the Lido Dining Room
Lido Dining Room – Carnival Splendor
Lido Dining Room – Carnival Splendor
The Coffee Shop – Carnival Splendor
Elevators – Carnival Splendor
The Lobby – Carnival Splendor
Lobby Bar – Carnival Splendor
Cabin – Carnival Splendor
Cabin – Carnival Splendor
Thalassotherapy Pool – Cloud 9 Spa – Carnival Splendor
Spa – Carnival Splendor
Spa – Carnival Splendor
Gym – Carnival Splendor
Spectacular Lounge – Carnival Splendor
Robusto Bar – Carnival Splendor
If you want to stay connected while you’re on your cruise, it is an extra cost (not included unfortunately) – just go visit The Web, which is the name of the Internet Lounge.
The Web – Carnival Splendor
El Morocco Lounge – Carnival Splendor
The El Morocco Lounge is so beautiful, that I just had to include another photo
El Morocco Lounge – Carnival Splendor
Bollywood dance lesson time, and even my little Chandi (in the pink dress) got into the groove, and she was just 20 months old at the time!
El Morocco Lounge – Carnival Splendor
Here Chandi is with two of the UCSD Zor dancers
El Morocco Lounge – Carnival Splendor
UCSD Zor – one of the top Bollywood dance teams in the nation entertained my group – the Bindi Group – this time with Bhangra!
UCSD Zor – Red Carpet Disco – Carnival Splendor
We had Indian food most nights on the cruise in the Gold Pearl Dining Room, here’s a look at just one night’s dishes:
Indian Food – Gold Pearl Dining Room – Carnival Splendor
Did you know that there’s an Indian place on the Lido Deck called the Tandoor where they serve Indian food every day at lunch time? Here’s just a little of what’s on the menu:
Tandoor – Carnival Splendor
I just have to share with you some of the wonderful food that I put on my plate from the Tandoor!
Indian Food from Tandoor – Carnival Splendor
Here’s a look at some other food that was served on the Splendor:
If you want to work off all that food with a swim in the evening, this is what it looks like by the pool at night time:
Main Swimming Pool At Night – Carnival Splendor
Or if you want to just kick back and try your luck in the Casino
Casino – Carnival Splendor
This is where your little ones will be entertained
Camp Carnival – Carnival Splendor
Don’t forget, there’s always ways to have some good family time with activities such as miniature golf
Miniature Golf – Carnival Splendor
Miniature Golf – Carnival Splendor
Now for one last day time pool picture
Carnival Splendor
If you are wondering what the address is for where you can catch your cruise at Long Beach Cruise Terminal, it’s right in this next picture:
Long Beach, CA – Carnival Cruise Terminal
I also recently made another video, and since my pictures are no longer on my blog at luchaniktravel.com (it got redirected to my CruiseOne website), that is why I have put some of them here, and on my video. I had spent so much time putting my pictures on my blog, but now they’re all gone. Anyway, that is why I started this blog (Why I Started A Blog In The First Place?)
Here is my newest cruise video of the Carnival Splendor:
This is different to my ship inspection video of the Carnival Splendor that I did prior to taking the July, 2011 cruise to Mexico.
I hope you like my pictures, and my videos of the Carnival Splendor. Remember, life can be full of splendor, you just have to look for it…….just get into the Splendor, and you may find what you are looking for – a wonderful vacation!
It’s CLIA’s National Cruise Vacation Week!
For all of you who like good deals, whether it’s reduced deposits, onboard credits, reduced fares, cash back, upgrades, or onboard savings booklets…..an event is coming up that you really ought to know about! This is an incredible week for booking the best cruise vacation deals ever! When? October 21 – October 27, 2012. Why? It’s CLIA’s National Cruise Vacation Week. CLIA is Cruise Lines International Association, and it is the world’s largest cruise association (of which I am a member).
How about signing up for my free weekly newsletter which is an eSaver, and then you’ll be one step ahead of being apprised of all the latest deals. To sign up simply send me an email to dkaur@cruiseone.com , and write Subscribe in the subject line. I’ll be happy to sign you up, or you can sign up at my website at http://www.likecruises.com by inputting your email and zipcode in the green box on the right hand side that is titled “Sign Up for Exclusive Offers and Discounts”, then don’t forget to press Join.
First to clarify what some of the terms above are in plain English:
Reduced deposits – who wants to pay the full deposit, when you could pay half only? You may only have to pay $100 or $200 per cabin. Remember, the ability to pay a deposit instead of paying in full can only occur if you book way before your cruise – at least 60 days before or more. If you book within 60 days of the cruise, you will have to make full payment. It’s better to book early, and to have reserved your cabin with a deposit than it is to book too close to the cruise date (your desired cabin may not be available). Paying reduced deposits is a DEAL!
Onboard credits (OBC) – this is free spending money that you can use to pay for your mandatory gratuities, telephone calls, internet charges, specialty restaurant charges, alcohol and/or other bar purchases, etc. These onboard credits will vary depending on what type of cabin you book. You will get more of a higher OBC for booking a balcony cabin or a suite than you will for booking an interior cabin. You could get an OBC from $50 to $300 per cabin (perhaps less or maybe even more) – this is a DEAL!
Reduced fares – this is your week to get special savings, as fares could be significantly discounted – this is a DEAL!
Cash back – this could be in the form of an OBC or cash back to your credit card, not sure on this, but if you call me – I will find out for you – this is a DEAL!
Upgrades – normally, you only get upgraded within the type of cabin type you book. So booking an interior does not give you an upgrade to an ocean view, but to a better category interior. However, this week is your lucky week where you can get upgraded from interior to ocean view or ocean view to balcony (based upon cruise line availability and cruise line specific offering of this promotion) – this is a DEAL!
Onboard saving booklets – these will come in handy when you wish to save on internet fees, or get a discount in the gift shop (you just might find a coupon in the booklet) or if you are interested in purchasing one of the professional pictures taken by the cruise line photographers – this is a DEAL!
Sorry for using the word “deal” so much, but it really is a great DEAL! So, please visit my website now at http://www.likecruises.com or contact me at dkaur@cruiseone.com and let me know where you want to go to, how many people per cabin, what type of cabin (interior, ocean view or balcony), and it would be helpful if you could let me know if you have ever cruised before. Please also tell me if you have a preference for a particular cruise line. I am registered with all the cruise lines, and can book you on any cruise line that you choose.
Which cruise line you choose, and which particular ship within that cruise line’s offerings, will depend on which itinerary appeals to you, and whether you have a particular affinity to one cruise line over another. These are just some of the ones you can choose from (I have personally been on all these ships):
Carnival Cruise Lines
Carnival Splendor
Carnival Spirit in San Diego
Oceania Cruise Lines
Oceania Marina
MSC Cruise Lines
MSC Musica
Princess Cruise Lines
Golden Princess Cabin
Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines
Royal Caribbean’s Oasis Of The Seas
Royal Caribbean’s Radiance Of The Seas
Royal Caribbean’s Enchantment Of The Seas
Cunard Cruise Lines
Cunard’s Queen Victoria
These are some of my ship inspection videos or a video that I made to help you see what it’s like on a cruise ship, this may help you decide which cruise line you wish to pick:
My ship inspection of the Carnival Splendor:
My ship inspection of the Oceania Marina:
My ship inspection of the Golden Princess:
My ship inspection of the Oasis Of The Seas:
My ship inspection of the Carnival Spirit:
My ship inspection of the Queen Victoria:
My cruise video of the Radiance Of The Seas:
My cruise video of the Enchantment Of The Seas:
Unfortunately, I did not make a video of the MSC Musica, I took that cruise way before I became a travel agent in late 2010, early 2011, and really got into video taping my holidays. I’ve always enjoyed photography, but videography is something I really just got into in the last few years.
These links might also help you to make an informed choice on cruising, as this is definitely one of the best ways to travel:
Top 10 Reasons To Cruise and Frequently Asked Questions About Cruising
If you have any other questions…….please don’t hesitate to call me. I’d be happy to hear from you!
Don’t forget, it’s better for you to book with a travel agent, because you know who to go back to each time you have questions, and you won’t get a different person answering the phone each time you call. There are various other reasons as to why you should book with a travel agent. So, please pick up the phone and call 858-427-4972 now……..I really want to hear my phone ringing off the hook during the National Cruise Vacation Week, and even before then. Thank you, and I look forward to booking you on your best vacation ever!
My Video – Enchantment Of The Seas to Bermuda – Hamilton (Part One)
Hamilton, Bermuda is a very colorful place. You will marvel at all the colors – be it the colors of the homes or of the businesses in downtown Hamilton. In my video that I made just two days ago, you will see our taxi driver and hear an authentic Bermudian accent, and you will see as we go past the Clock Tower Mall in Kings Wharf. Then you’ll see Gibbs Lighthouse, as well as many colorful Bermudian buildings and homes along the way. You will then see downtown Hamilton, and the Hamilton Ferry Building.
Hamilton, Bermuda
Thank you for watching my video, and please don’t forget to press “like” on You Tube – if you like it! I would appreciate it.
My Video of Snorkel Beach and Kings Wharf, Bermuda
I’m not sure if many of you are into snorkelling – I have never tried it, nor can I tell anything about it – but I can show you a video that I made of a place called Snorkel Beach – it’s in Snorkel Park, Bermuda.
This is the entrance to the beach, and if you watch the end of the video, upon exiting Snorkel Beach, you will see the narrow path I talked about in a previous post, that led to a rather unpleasant incident – yes, it happened right on the street you’ll see in the video, which is also on the same road as the one shown in the picture below.
Snorkel Park Beach, Bermuda
Snorkel Beach is quite different to Horseshoe Bay Beach or Warwick Long Bay – the other two beaches I saw in Bermuda – it doesn’t have pink sand, but it is still a lovely beach.
Snorkel Park Beach, Bermuda
You will get a better feel for this particular beach by watching my video – sometimes pictures capture the essence of a place really well, but sometimes a video can do it even better. I hope you enjoy the video.
Indian Cruises – Cultural Enrichment At Sea
I enjoy Bollywood and Bhangra music and dance. I just love Indian culture, and there’s nothing wrong with that – after all, I am Indian. I may have grown up in England, and now live in the USA, but culture is deeper than where we live, it’s the embodiment of who we are – who we interact with, and what makes us bond together, and what we enjoy. I may be Indian, but I am also British and I’m also American. I may love Bollywood, and Bhangra, but additionally….. I love pop music, soul music, reggae music and jazz, and even a bit of rap. If I didn’t love the other forms of music, I wouldn’t tape them as ardently as I do when I go on cruises, and then show the world…..I only do that – because I love to watch most forms of dance and musical entertainment, and then of course, I love to photograph and video tape it too!
When I had the chance to introduce a bit of culture on a cruise ship, I was all for it. I hired a group – UCSD Zor – one of the top Bollywood dance teams in the USA – to perform on my Bindi Cruise to Mexico on the Carnival Splendor in July, 2011. I didn’t think twice about it. It took a lot of planning, and was quite a huge undertaking for me – a fairly new travel agent at that time (I just started in this business in January 2010). Would I do something like that again? Who knows? Maybe, sometime in the future.
I love Bollywood movies, but when it really comes to Indian music – I have to admit that I love Bhangra just a bit more than I do Bollywood. That’s why I asked Zor – who are really more of a Bollywood team to do a Bhangra routine, and guess what…..they were really good at it. When you have versatility like that, you are true performers. I was really happy with the performances of Zor on the cruise. Here’s a picture of UCSD Zor below, they are fantastic at both Bollywood and Bhangra!
UCSD Zor, performing Bhangra
And here I am with UCSD Zor who are in their Bollywood outfits now, instead of Bhangra outfits (as above)
UCSD Zor – Carnival Splendor
Want to know more about Bhangra? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhangra_(music)
Want to see hear the full-length Bhangra song that was partly shown in my new Enchantment Of The Seas video, and see who the musician is? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJztXj2GPfk
Want to see a fabulous Bhangra dance video that I put together of UCSD Zor – one of the top Bollywood dance teams in the USA, when they were dancing to Bhangra on my Bindi Cruise to Mexico on the Carnival Splendor?
Want to see a fantastic Bollywood dance video that I put together of UCSD Zor when they performed on my Bindi Cruise to Mexico?
Thank you for reading!
My Video Of The Enchantment Of The Seas
I just finished uploading my video today, and hope you will like it. This video shows many areas around the Enchantment Of The Seas, and it shows the Sailing Away Party, in addition to the Farewell Party. What was interesting was that many people danced during the Sailing Away Party, when there was regular Western music, but as soon as Bhangra music was played, there was just one person dancing. I had to show this in my video – because I love Bhangra, as well as Bollywood, but I also love many types of Western music. Okay, I will admit that there weren’t as many Indian people on this cruise ship as I’ve seen on other cruise ships, but you would think that Bhangra music should have caught on by now. Bhangra music has a very catchy beat, and it’s hard to resist moving when you hear this wonderful music.
Other than the Sailing Away Party, I also showed the Captain’s Reception, some of the entertainment in the Centrum, and the common areas, including the main pool, Schooners Bar, and the Solarium.
Anyway, I hope you will watch my video, and remember……cultural enrichment can brig you joy!
Main Swimming Pool – Enchantment Of The Seas
luchanik 