Fly the kind of Saudia!

In a time when air travel has not only become tougher to improve and yet fares seem to skyrocket day by day, there are but a select few airlines that continue to provide good services at manageable fares. Saudi Arabian airlines (known in the local dialect as الخطوط الجوية العربية السعودية) is one such airline. Here are some things to know about this carrier.

A Bio

With some of the highest rated in-flight experiences, Saudia continues to build its legacy of impeccable service. Being one of the national carriers of Saudi Arabia, the airline caters to not just domestic travellers, but also those looking to get connectivity to international destinations such as London, Khartoum and New York.

Accolades

Saudi Airlines has earned several awards on the back of its distinguished service, namely:

• In 2000, the airline has been awarded ‘The Diamond Award 2000 for Autistic Meal’, ‘The Award of Merit Appreciation 2000’ from the Onboard Services Magazine, USA.

•  In 2004, the airline won the Silver MENA Travel Award of the ‘Outstanding Achievement as the Best Airline of MENA’.

Features

Getting down to ground performance, Saudia has proven its mettle with features that have won it both praise and admiration among customers. For instance:

• The airline extends the permission to carry inboard up to 240 Kg of extra weight of medicines and equipment for passengers with renal problems.

•  It has special procedures for catering to the needs autistic children and pregnant women, something that has seen it receive acclaim.

•  With on-board shopping, meals tweaked to one’s culinary preferences and in-flight entertainment, one’s needs are completely taken care of, when they make a Saudi Arabian airlines booking.

Thus while you may think Saudi airlines may carry the burden of being based in the Middle East, it has held its own by being a name that promises the best of aviation performance!

Make the most of your Bangalore trip!

With the deadly combination of its pleasant weather and a relaxed attitude in the air, Bangalore is thought to be the working professional’s heaven, with its thriving start-up culture and a highly involved and young workforce. However, for those among its inhabitants who wish to take themselves away from the city every once in a while, here are some tips for finding some good resorts in Bangalore worth visiting:

Ascertain your purpose

Do you need to check in for business purposes? Or is it meant to be a secluded sojourn with just your partner? What you are looking to achieve out of the holiday should provide some clarity about what kind of resort works best for you. For those who look for a quick weekend of revelry, plenty of cheap resorts in Bangalore and around it are available at reasonable rates. 

You don’t HAVE to splurge for comfort

While scouring for added features such as Wi-Fi and transport services is a must for any traveller, one doesn’t have to check into an extravagant place to land these. For instance, resorts in Bangalore such as the Eagleton Golf Club and Resort or the Goldfinch Retreat will offer such add-ons in any case. So it is all about looking long enough in the right places.

Make use of offers

The privilege of enjoying the facilities of some of the best resorts in Bangalore can become a reality if you are smart with the usage of e-ticketing portals and their apps. Plenty of times portals on the Internet will offer rates and packages at throwaway rates for limited periods of time. Being aware and on top of these offers before they pass can help you save a very substantial amount of money for premium service, something most people only aspire to achieve!

So relax and just go with the flow!

Maximize your inner power with Yoga

India is credited to have given the world countless things to be proud of and follow; be it the concept of zero or the gastronomically notorious and rich Indian cuisine. However, something that has truly grown beyond Indian boundaries and is now revered by people across the planet is the art of yoga. Whether you are reading purely for information or wish to begin practicing it, here are some things to know about it.

Knowing the basics

What is yoga really? It is the science of initiating the strengthening your inner self through the power of concentrated meditation. Yoga involves being in control of otherwise very passive elements of one’s being. These include aspects such as the stillness achieved by our body, the mental focus mustered on ‘just being’ and modulating one’s rate of breathing.

Beginning practice

There are a number of ways to begin yogic practices. For most beginners, the initial task is to be able to consciously shut out auxiliary thoughts and movements and concentrate on this seriously. As you gradually build up a tolerance for absolute stillness, higher forms of exercise and flexibility become easier with time. Yoga comprises of many asanas (positions) that are targeted towards particular body parts, which one can attempt with time.

Getting help

With the unbelievable pervasiveness that the form has achieved into the daily lives of people, it is almost impossible to miss out on knowing someone who practices yoga daily. Getting their advice can be beneficial. If one is interested in getting the best out of it in the long-term, a plethora of instructors and DIY-material (such as yoga videos online) are available for such a purpose.

The benefits

Sleeping better, reduced levels of stress, better focus at work or school, mental resilience, higher sexual endurance are just some of the many advantages that yoga can provide for you. And these are just some of the observable ones!

So keep the faith, because perseverance here is worth the wait!

Fly the best no-frills airline in Arabia!

With some of the most premium airlines being based in the Middle East, most patrons who look for opulence and total comforts are well taken care of. However, for those who do seek the same but wish to avoid exorbitant costs, there are a number of airlines that provide such in-flight service at good fares. Saudi Airlines (known in Arabic as الخطوط السعودية) is one such example.

The national carrier of Saudi Arabia, it has been rated highly regarding its myriad features across in-flight capability, bookings and much more, such as:

Acclaim

Saudi Airlines has won several awards for its top-notch performance year after year. Some of these include:

·  In 2000, the airline has been awarded ‘The Diamond Award 2000 for Autistic Meal’.

·  In 2000, it won ‘The Award of Merit Appreciation’ from the On-board Services Magazine, USA.

·  In 2004, the airline won the Silver MENA Travel Award of the ‘Outstanding Achievement is Best Airline of MENA’.

Features

Living up to the accolades, Saudia has ensured that its in-flight aspects have built a good reputation for its name in the aviation market. For instance,

· The airline is not just limited to domestic operations. For instance, Saudi Airlines Dubai has connectivity to cities like Rome, London, Khartoum, Johannesburg and New York.

·  Saudia provides passengers with renal problems the allowance to carry up to 240 Kgs of their medicines and equipment when flying.

· It has special protocols to cater to the needs of pregnant women and autistic children, something that has earned it recognition.

· A Saudi Airlines booking entitles you to fabulous in-flight entertainment as well as meals that take into account all of your dietary preferences.

· With over 90 destinations and the Al-Fursan Club that gives its regulars special privileges, the possibilities and rewards are in abundance.

So while airlines around the world may yet offer you commendable service only after extracting a steep fee, one can always count on Saudia to give you the best returns for your hard-earned money!

Join the cause for welfare!

So you’ve finished your graduation and are looking for some meaningful work right before further education. This is where the idea of working in an NGO can be a highly beneficial decision. Unlike typical profitable businesses, an NGO in UK do not exist with expansion and profitability at its main premise. So if you do wish to ever take up an internship with an NGO, these are some of the benefits of it.

The best gratification:

Most jobs are run either by the kind of work you do or the magnitude of remuneration you earn. In this case it is the amount of difference that you will make in the lives of someone who is less able, less fortunate, less developed or even less physically/mentally equipped than you. The satisfaction of being able to make their lives a little better with your efforts is priceless. An NGO could help with that. 

Opening horizons:

Often, the daily pressures of life mean that in our quest for personal and professional success, we end up overlooking our deserved contributions back to the community around us. Being part of a cause such as a centre for abuse victims or an NGO for children teaches us a lot about sections of society that are highly oppressed. Such experiences not only make us sensitive to people in general but also open up our minds to not just getting serviced, but serving. 

The bonus on paper:

To let schools and employers know that you’ve had experience at an NGO in UK can do wonders for your job/educational prospects. This not only speaks about your capability in working efficiently for something other than money but shows that you are mindful of giving back to the society that has raised and groomed you. With places as CRY to try a tenure at, it may just be the soul-searching you need.

So stop chasing pure applause and be part of a meaningful cause!

Namaste - A greeting entrenched in spiritualism!

One of the most endearing experiences that anyone who visits India carries back with them is being greeted in the most recognizable Indian phrase there is; Namaste. A form of greeting that is synonymous with this country now, it involves bringing together your palms and slightly bowing, with your thumbs pointing at you and the fingers pointing upwards.

But what is truly behind the meaning of Namaste? To find out, one needs to look back into history when ancient scriptures and methods of speech inspired everyday phrases. Derived from olden Sankskrit words, the phrase stands for ‘The soul/spirit in me recognizes/salutes the soul/spirit in you’.

Thus, it is believed that to offer namaskaram or namaskar is to accept the fact that, beyond all of our differences, we are part of the same consciousness and were created from the same power. In this sense, the greeting is a call to the one offering it to be able to accept the other person as he or she is, without passing judgement or assessment over anything. This is thought to be important for success in any field as it appeals to us to absolve our preconceptions, our biases and our tendency to categorize/stereotype people and ideas due to past experiences. The idea here is to accept a person as they are now, different from the past. This is the defining meaning of namaskar.

Why offering this greeting is also regarded scientifically important, is because one’s palms have plenty of nerve endings that let them ‘talk’ for us, more than our mouths or eyes. The systems of mudras and asanas in Indian culture allow our hands to communicate and set right the balance of our bodies in ways that cannot be ascertained by generic science. Thus, the use of one’s palms is thought to channelize energy in an attempt to give your salutation and acknowledgement to the other person when offering this greeting.

Apart from its religious significance, this form of greeting holds many other connotations in Indian culture. It indicates that politeness, courtesy and hospitality must pass from one person to another. It is one of several forms of ‘pranama’ and is also known as Pranamasana in Hinduism. Usable for expressing gratitude or respect, while the world knows India through this gesture, it has even been integrated in other parts of life. For instance, every hostess on an India-bound flight or in the Indian hospitality sector greets patrons in this manner.

Therefore, what may seem like a mere greeting actually carries with it a world of historic beliefs encapsulated in it!