Before 19th August, 2012, I did not believe in the authenticity of contests and lucky-draws. I thought they were all orchestrated and unfair. However, I now have a new zest for checking out free goodies and participating in random competitions. After all, winning a Nokia Lumia is a life-changing event! What started off as an awkward evening with complete strangers eventually turned out to be a very appetizing night! Not only did I make several new friends, I think I gained a pound or two. Plus, they do say, that the camera adds ten pounds. So, if you happen to see them, excuse the pictures, please.
Where was I that day, you ask? (In case I haven’t already shouted it out in your ears) I was a privileged attendee at the NokiaAppTasting IndiBlogger meet. How? Well, simple; I begged the IndiBlogger people to let me register despite a very dull and uneventful blog. A big thanks to them, once again.
The friends who accompanied me were very excited about meeting Vikas Khanna, the host for the evening. I don't watch MasterChef. Although, having read a few of Rajiv Makhni’s witty articles in the Hindustan Times, I was quite interested in meeting that man. As the evening progressed, true to my teenage-girl syndrome, I fell in love with both of them. I mean, how couldn’t I? They’re humble, cute, funny and very very Punjabi! I have laughed my lungs out at their hilarious description of the Simran-incident.
As is tradition at all IndiBlogger meets (so I am told since this was my first), the evening commenced with a 30 second introduction of almost all bloggers present. Even before that happened, I was in awe of the crowd around me. There were bloggers of all ages and, as Poonam Kaul, Director-Communications, Nokia India said herself, “I am not a feminist but I am proud to see the large number of female bloggers.” All of twelve years, the youngest blogger at the meet - Harini Rao came up on stage and candidly admitted having come to the event only for the free food. Well, lucky kids. They can say anything and get away with it as “cute”. In contrast, also present there were bloggers who had grandchildren as old as Vikas and Rajiv and they charmed their way into my heart with their “silly poetry” and “lack of tech-knowledge”.
With a never-ending spread of starters and wine to keep us satisfied, Nokia smoothly drilled home the message that they’re very much in the niche market and have no intentions of backing down. I am smitten with the Nokia Pureview and the myriad of wonderful applications it boasts of, not to mention a 41MP camera with Carl Zeiss lens! Oh, but my new Lumia! Yes, I’m getting there. There was a food & technology quiz that I literally forced my way into. Thanks to my very competent partner-in-crime, Kalindi Manek, we managed to win by a fair margin of twenty or so points! I must say here, that both the hosts are extremely knowledgeable in their respective fields. Did you know that the most famous Indian dish everywhere in the world except India is Chicken Tikka Masala? Or that Nokia N90 is actually the first phone with a built-in Carl Zeiss digital camera?
IndiBlogger turned five that night. The event was brought to a close with a delicious cake-cutting, emotional birthday-card moments, a buffet and (in my case,) countless servings of chocolate mousse. I look forward to more of such enriching and scrumptious evenings with IndiBlogger.
Other Perks:
I wore my IndiBlogger t-shirt at a college festival the other day and without me saying a word, the security gave me an unrestricted entry, cutting the unimaginably long queue because they thought I’m a sponsor! Tacit consent? Whatever.
Where was I that day, you ask? (In case I haven’t already shouted it out in your ears) I was a privileged attendee at the NokiaAppTasting IndiBlogger meet. How? Well, simple; I begged the IndiBlogger people to let me register despite a very dull and uneventful blog. A big thanks to them, once again.
The friends who accompanied me were very excited about meeting Vikas Khanna, the host for the evening. I don't watch MasterChef. Although, having read a few of Rajiv Makhni’s witty articles in the Hindustan Times, I was quite interested in meeting that man. As the evening progressed, true to my teenage-girl syndrome, I fell in love with both of them. I mean, how couldn’t I? They’re humble, cute, funny and very very Punjabi! I have laughed my lungs out at their hilarious description of the Simran-incident.
As is tradition at all IndiBlogger meets (so I am told since this was my first), the evening commenced with a 30 second introduction of almost all bloggers present. Even before that happened, I was in awe of the crowd around me. There were bloggers of all ages and, as Poonam Kaul, Director-Communications, Nokia India said herself, “I am not a feminist but I am proud to see the large number of female bloggers.” All of twelve years, the youngest blogger at the meet - Harini Rao came up on stage and candidly admitted having come to the event only for the free food. Well, lucky kids. They can say anything and get away with it as “cute”. In contrast, also present there were bloggers who had grandchildren as old as Vikas and Rajiv and they charmed their way into my heart with their “silly poetry” and “lack of tech-knowledge”.
With a never-ending spread of starters and wine to keep us satisfied, Nokia smoothly drilled home the message that they’re very much in the niche market and have no intentions of backing down. I am smitten with the Nokia Pureview and the myriad of wonderful applications it boasts of, not to mention a 41MP camera with Carl Zeiss lens! Oh, but my new Lumia! Yes, I’m getting there. There was a food & technology quiz that I literally forced my way into. Thanks to my very competent partner-in-crime, Kalindi Manek, we managed to win by a fair margin of twenty or so points! I must say here, that both the hosts are extremely knowledgeable in their respective fields. Did you know that the most famous Indian dish everywhere in the world except India is Chicken Tikka Masala? Or that Nokia N90 is actually the first phone with a built-in Carl Zeiss digital camera?
IndiBlogger turned five that night. The event was brought to a close with a delicious cake-cutting, emotional birthday-card moments, a buffet and (in my case,) countless servings of chocolate mousse. I look forward to more of such enriching and scrumptious evenings with IndiBlogger.
Indian by birth, Blogger by choice,
Wannabe Wayfarer.
Wannabe Wayfarer.
Other Perks:
I wore my IndiBlogger t-shirt at a college festival the other day and without me saying a word, the security gave me an unrestricted entry, cutting the unimaginably long queue because they thought I’m a sponsor! Tacit consent? Whatever.
