Tag Archives: Things

10 Things You Did Not Know You Could do in Bali – Part 2

Here the second part of my starter list of new things you may want to try when you are next in Bali. (For the first section, just search for “10 Things You Did Not Know You Could do in Bali”.

This time round, I am staying in Umalas, at Albia Villa Bali, absolutely excellent if you like peace and quiet, yet want easy access to Seminyak and Legian.

11) Golfing

A number of 18 hole courses are available across Bali. As you would expect, each more beautiful than the other. Relax on an easy course, or challenge yourself to one of the more demanding courses designed by professionals. Either way, don’t miss the spectacular views over the Indian Ocean or one of Bali’s great volcanoes. Most courses in Bali are to international standards, and many offer clubhouses and recreational facilities for the rest of the family.

12) Helicopter Tours

Go on, splash out for that once in a life-time experience! Spectacular views over Bali even Lombok. Take in the gentle rice terraces from the best vantage point, or get up close and personal with a volcano! Not cheap, but certainly an experience never to forget. (Air Bali)

13) Horse Riding

Enjoy one of the equestrian centres at your doorstep! Selection of horses, with courses for the beginners. Wonderful escorted tours through the rice terraces and tide permitting down the beach. (Umalas right next to Mia Villa Bali Rental, or try Saba Bay Stables)

14) Kite Boarding

Some great wind and lift, as well as the equipment for rental is available at Nusa Dua beaches. But make sure you have a great story lined up for your insurance company! Keep in mind, this really is an Extreme Sport.

15) Monkey Watching

Experience mischievous macaques in full action! Also, some good restaurants and eateries nearby. However, be careful of your cameras, glasses and the like! (The Sacred Monkey Forest – Ubud)

16) Mountain Cycling

If you like cycling, why not enjoy a leisurely cycle with views of the Batur volcano! Lots to see, lots to learn, all on two wheels with an experienced guide. (Bali Adventure Tours)

17) Paragliding

Throw yourself off the sheer cliff faces of Uluwatu into the Indian Ocean! As a beginner you can enjoy great tandem jumps with well qualified professionals with great safety records.

18) Slingshot (Reverse Bungee)

Defy gravity Bali style, with some spectacular 50m views! (That is, if you remember to open your eyes!) Not for the faint-hearted. Organisers follow international safety standards.

19) Surfing

If you’ve come with your board you’ll know where to go! If you are keen to learn, there are many schools to choose from, just head for the beach! Whilst Kuta is a good all rounder, Uluwatu, Padang-Padang, and Balangan can provide some great tubes to test the more experienced. (some offer surfing lessons for ages 5+, so the whole family can enjoy surfing all together)

20) Temple Ceremonies

Few visitors to Bali realise that in most instances you will be welcomed to attend local ceremonies as an observer. The great thing is, there is a temple ceremony every single day of the year in Bali, just ask around to find the nearest one during your stay. If you are lucky enough, you may be able to catch one of the Full Moon or Dark Moon ceremonies which attract devotees from far a field and are some of the most colourful events on the island. Please remember that a sensible dress code, and polite/respectful behaviour are essential for continued hospitality towards foreign guests. (Also, please note that women are not allowed in the temples during their menstrual period.)

Like me, if you manage to fit in five of these activities into your schedule, every time you visit Bali, you will still want to come back for more. Because, at the end of the day, it is the people of Bali, with their welcoming smiles, and willingness to help, which will make your adventures even more precious memories.

Many happy returns!

10 Things You Did Not Know You Could do in Bali

As they say, ‘one trip to Bali is never enough’. Vast, seemingly endless beaches, beautiful tropical landscapes, the fascinating culture, amazingly hospitable people and shopping for local crafts continue to attract repeat visitors to Bali, time and time again.

However, as I have been discovering in my recent trips, staying at Mia Villa Bali Rental, there is more to this tropical paradise than meets the eye.

Today you can also add to my list above, the attraction of a myriad of activities catering to both the action oriented holiday maker and the more staid.

Here is a starter list of 10 new things you may want to try when you are next in Bali:

1) Bird Park

You don’t need to be a bird watcher to enjoy this colourful park. Take a morning off, and discover the beauty of an array of tropical birds Bali has to offer. Even better, arrive later in the afternoon, and enjoy some amazing sun-set melodies. A great choice for enthusiasts and families. (located at Taman Burung – open 08:00 – 18:00 daily)

2) Cruising

Pick a boat of your choice, and head for the high seas! Nowadays Bali has a great selection of safe boats to choose from. Go for a fun filled family outing or go more adventurous with some of the latest cutting edge crafts which deliver the speed. (Bali Hai Cruises, Sea Safari Cruises, Bounty Cruises)

3) Dance Performances

Be enthralled by unique Balinese dances! Try to catch one of each of: Kecak, Legong and Fire Dances, at least. There are dozens of different troupes to choose from, each with their own following. Keep in mind, shows in hotels and tourist restaurants offer vanilla flavour, and sometimes mechanical re-creations of the real thing. Head out to some of the villages, and you will be handsomely rewarded with the authentic fare.

4) Designer Shopping

No, I am not talking about the ‘fake originals’ that litter the streets of many other Asian locations. In the recent years, Bali has attracted some of the most talented original designers, and artists from around the world (both the East and the West). This coupled with the inherent artistic capabilities of the Balinese, means that Bali today enjoys a large number of original designer shops. You can find anything from post-modern lighting installations, to Imperial Chinese style sideboards, and from original water fountain designs to some of the best jewelry designed and manufactured anywhere in the world.

5) Diving

Put your PADI license to use, or if you are a diving newbie, just do it, and get your PADI certificate in Bali! A range of dive organizers for the experienced, and dive schools for the new comers are available to choose from. Some offer PADI ‘Youth Scuba’ courses for ages 5+.

6) Dolphin Watching

Enjoy these all-time favourites in their natural habitat. They are at their best first thing in the morning. Also, the soft hues of the sun-rise provide amazing colours for the photography enthusiasts. However, you will need to plan ahead for this one, since Lovina is in the North of the island, and you will more than likely be staying in a hotel or a rental villa in the south.

7) Fishing

Go after that marlin or try your hand at yellow fin tuna! Most boats provide full tackle, bait and a running commentary, a friendly, giggly banter which makes the day out that much more enjoyable. (fishing boats from Benoa Harbour or Sanur)

8) Elephant Safari Park

Arguably, one of the best in South East Asia! Great location and landscaped gardens. Don’t forget to do the elephant safari ride.

9) Jet Skiing

Re-create those favourite Baywatch moments! Due to their environmental impact, only available at some selected beaches across the island. (available at Grand Hyatt Nusa Dua).

10) Go-Karting

Only for those who get withdrawal symptoms from being away from the hustle and bustle of big-city life! All the noise, thrills and danger of the real thing! Choice of single or double carts.

Many happy returns!

Maxfort School Dwarka Few Things About School

Dwarka is sub city located in the south – west part of Delhi. It is one of the largest residential areas in Asia and has zero tolerance policy towards common misuses of land. The area is also known for his high quality and better maintained infrastructure, which sets Dwarka apart from other townships in the Delhi NCR region. Commonly referred as “Model Township”, Dwarka is thought to be the most organized and cleanest of all parts of Delhi and National Capital Region (NCR). Dwarka is providing accommodation to more than five lakh families in the region. For this huge population, Dwarka has provided every single service needed by the people living out there in the city whether it’s educational or transportation or various others. There is separate institutional area in the sub city, where a number of schools, colleges, institutes are located.

There are number of schools in the area which are providing world class education to the people of Dwarka. These schools are either senior secondary school or kindergarten schools. One such school is Maxfort School which provides educational facilities from nursery class up to class VIII. The school is dedicated to give the students educational facilities that are of international standard. Maxfort School, Dwarka began its journey with children, parents, facilitators and the community on 31st March, 2006. Dr. Kiran Bedi inaugurated the school on 31st March, 2006. She is internationally recognized for her services in Indian Police Services and is a recipient of the Magsaysay Award in the year 1995. A presentation “Nurturing Young Minds” was made by the facilitators along with a performance by the dance facilitator invoking God’s blessings. At Maxfort, we place great stress on our commitment to society. Therefore, we are always in the forefront – be it in conducting Parenting Workshops, Cultural Events or Community Drives.

The curriculum in the school is divided in three levels – roots, shoots and saplings. To effectively empower our children, they need to be nurture in a favorable environment, which provides them with individual attention and helps overcome their weaknesses. Therefore, each class has 35 students. There are two facilitators in all the classes in the Elementary Section. The school has spacious fully air conditioned class rooms and fully equipped labs and library. Maxfort embodies the philosophy that a healthy mind resides in a healthy body. To nurture students into well-balanced individuals, the school provides a host of physical activities that range from Taekwondo, Skating, Basketball, Cricket, Football, Yoga to Aerobics and Volleyball. The fine arts are considered to be an appropriate medium for students for self-expression and self-improvement. Music and Dance therefore constitute an integral part of the school’s curriculum. They serve to foster in the students a sense of rhythm and co-ordination such that the students can truly appreciate all things bright and beautiful. The school is successfully serving the area for the last four years and promises the same in future.

Essay Outline Explained: 7 Things you Should Do Before Writing An Essay

Creating an essay outline is by all means the most effective and motivating way of learning the writing assignment, organising your ideas on the essay topic, and positioning your own point of view.

The importance of essay outline in writing process is hard to underestimate. It is the solid foundation of a well-structured and considered essay with enchanting essay topic, logically organised paragraphs, strong thesis statements, and unforgettable conclusions. The essay outline helps you put your thoughts together, and have a clear idea of what the essay should be all about.

I could go on, but the point is: when you write your essay outline first, the process of essay writing becomes a piece of cake! However, to make a truly effective and well-organized essay outline, you need to follow these important preparatory steps:

1.Read the Question of Your Essay and Decode It

The first and most important step you should take before writing an essay is to understand what your professor wants to see in your essay wanted from you, thus to decode the writing assignment. The solution to this riddle can be found in your essay question, which asks you either to discuss, compare, contrast, or summarise certain issues. When you know what is expected from you, you know which way of writing an essay to choose.

Just to play safe, here are the definitions of the essay questions, so that you could refresh your memory:

1.”compare” in an essay question means to list in an extended way points of similarity between two or more things;
2. “contrast” asks to dwell on the differences of several things;
3. when “summarising” you are supposed to write down all you know on the essay topic;
4. a “discussion” requires putting the cases for or against some proposition and end with stating your own position;
5. “consider” means to describe a certain subject and say how effective it is.

Once you know what you ought to do, you can get down to creating the essay outline.

2.Verify the Assignment Requirements

But before you do so, you need to verify the requirements for your essay. In the department’s guidelines you shall find the deadlines, the requirements for the essay length and presentation. If some points are not clear to you, do not hesitate to verify them with your teacher. The more you know the better chances your have to write an outstanding essay.

3.Write a Thesis Statement at the Top of Your Paper

You must know that a thesis statement is a single declarative sentence that contains the focus of your essay and tells the readers what it will be all about. But except for helping your readers with understanding your essay, it is of great help to you as well.

A thesis statement helps you think through your ideas and their overall presentation to the readers. Moreover, it is the wishful salvation each time you get sidetracked from the main idea of your essay, and want to come back to the initial point.

Your should not skip the process of writing a thesis statement at the top of your paper, right after your essay outline. Thus, be sure you compose a strong thesis statement for your essay outline.

4.Brainstorm Ideas for Your Essay

Once a thesis statement is ready, you should start brainstorming your ideas that relate to your thesis statement. Write down all ideas that come to your mind and are related to your topic, even if they are seemingly bizarre or outlandish. You should let your ideas flow as rapidly and spontaneously as possible. When you have collected all your ideas, be sure to revisit them and discard the ones that seem useless.

5.Gather Evidence

It goes without saying that all ideas in your essay must be supported with some evidence that should consist of specific examples or opinions of others. The supporting evidence should prove your thesis statement. Thus, it must be relevant, reliable and presentable.

So, you need to sweat a bit and gather relevant information on your essay topic and select the materials that will come in handy. It is advised not to neglect the basic sources you use every day. Thus, start examining your lecture notes, core texts and handouts. They usually include a sufficient amount of useful information that will supply you with great ideas for the essay outline.

If you want to deepen into the essay topic, you can pick some other sources with detailed information on your essay topic. For instance, articles in journals, or texts referred to by your teacher can provide you with extremely valuable information. But be selective, and do not fall on the first source that you come across. Make a thorough and painstaking search.

6.Organise Your Essay Ideas

Once you have collected the information, you need to think through the structure of your essay and create the first draft. Your essay must be planned in the way that it has a coherent and logical structure.

So far there are no universal standards for organising ideas in essays. However, all your ideas must be arranged in the logical way. For instance, the logical sequence of your facts could be presented in a simple to complex form, be specific or general, etc. Either way, choose which is most appropriate in your case.

When structuring your ideas, do not be too wordy; write down your points in brief one-line sentences that are arranged in a series of headings and subheadings. Use bullet points to describe what each paragraph will contain.

7.Keep References

In the process of gathering information and brainstorming you must remember to write down everything you have consulted as you go along in order to be able to create a bibliography or list of references. Have a notebook where you can put down the information you will need later. Such trick will help you avoid the needless headache when you will be writing an essay.

This is your seven-point plan that you should carry out before writing an essay. The outline with your properly organised ideas, notes, a thesis statement and references will be indispensable when the direct writing process will take place. This action plan will help you prepare your essay outline and save you from many hurdles of essay writing.