We now consume online content greater than ever before. For most people this is accompanied by low self-esteem and loss of sense of direction. What we perceive as the status quo leads us to overly criticise ourselves while antagonising those around us. So, how about some introspection?

Life

Let me start off with a set of questions — what is the purpose of your life? For whom do you live it? Why do you live? Now, there may be many answers depending on many factors which may range from ‘for enabling your family to live better’ to ‘to take revenge on certain people’. Well, there is another group of people who haven’t really given it much thought — those that do not have any particular motivation or inclination. In fact, the phrases ‘I wish I was dead’, ‘It’s better to die’, ‘I don’t wanna live anymore’ which gets thrown around so much at the first sign of trouble are used exceedingly by this group of people. Even if they don’t mean it, it begs the question — is your life only worth so much?

Skills

When I talk to my parents about how much better my friends’ life are, they just casually mention how much my life is better than those who find it difficult to make ends meet. This is followed by a look of contempt and stomping off by me. The significance of this rather regular incident is the fact that we always compare ourselves, almost always with those who are much more gifted than us. We can’t help falling into this vicious cycle that always ends up making us feel insecure or worse, jealous. We fail to see the skills that we possess, branding it as inferior because it may not be as popular. Embracing your talents and developing them to their complete potential is not an easy journey, nor is it a small accomplishment. So, How far along are you?

Perspective

There are two things that I feel which are important to capture the attention of members of a group when discussing about something:

1.The event or incident should involve the member if it’s an achievement/honour or,

2.It should be a bad experience/embarrassment of any/all the group members.

Seeing as to how difficult it is to keep raking achievements between intervals of a meetup, the second method is more preferred to keep the conversation live. And what could be more interesting than sharing an incident that might have been a difficult or quite embarrassing at the time?

By now you must be wondering where I am going with this, to be frank I’m not sure. Maybe I just wanted to reassure myself that everything’s fine and dandy. It would be a bonus if you, the reader also felt the same. To conclude this set of random thoughts:

Do you still think you have it difficult? or are you just creating the next piece of interesting story to share with your loved ones?

From Las Vegas, we were driven to Los Angeles by bus. The landscape was mostly dry, sweltering desert. I could have sworn I saw one or tumbleweeds rolling across the desert, making up for a believable Wild West scene (Not my fault, any video featuring Wild West needs to have Tumbleweeds rolling, it’s quite mandatory). We had lunch at a Chinese buffet restaurant along the highway, with actual chopsticks and all. Nevertheless, I stuck with my fork and spoon. After that scrumptious lunch, we were on our way, stopping by gas stations to restock our supplies (If I’m being specific — Gatorades, because we were in a freaking desert). By about 4 P.M we reached Los Angeles, and proceeded to meet our guide for the city, Mr. Bobby.

Our tour of the city started off from the Beverly Gardens Park, which had the iconic Beverley Hills Sign. And of course, something to remember by…

We were then dropped off at Sunset Boulevard, which was a really beautiful sight. After that, the tour mostly involved us walking on the Rodeo Drive, gaping at extravagant shops and at eccentric pedestrians. I mean I don’t think there is even a single major fashion brand that doesn’t have a shop there. And, on top of that there were some shop owners who doubled as collectors with strange tastes. An example of strange tastes……How about a neon yellow Rolls Royce Phantom? Yeah, there were many other interesting things to see too. For those who want to experience the almost same walk through Rodeo Drive, without leaving your seats, you can experience it in GTA V (I hope Rockstar games gives me affiliation allowance or something, but whatever). After more than an hour of window shopping we were then taken to Hollywood Boulevard, where we visited the TCL Chinese Theatre and the Dolby Theatre, home of the Academy Awards® (yeah, I had to put that registered symbol there). That being said, I was more interested in the building opposite to it, the El Capitan Entertainment Centre, where the Jimmy Kimmel Live shows are taped. How cool is that?

Also, Hollywood Boulevard is famous for something much more… the Hollywood walk of fame.If I were to record the stamp of each and every Hollywood celebrity, it would have taken an eternity. Since, I did not have the luxury of time, and patience, here are 2 of them, both of whom were familiar from my childhood.

And, since we are on the topic of famous people — from past and present, I also had the rare chance to pose with one of the most famous actresses of all time. Truth be told, she wasn’t feeling that ‘lively’.

Well, that was it for Los Angeles — ‘the city’ tour. We then made our way to Crown Plaza Harbour Hotel, which, no surprise, was near the Los Angeles Harbour. With that we come to the end of LA…. or not. The next day would have been the ‘dream come true’ destination of any 7-year old. Sadly, I was thrice that. Yeah, welcome to Disneyland, L.A (not that I’m complaining, I actually liked it there).

So, the next day, like ‘normal’ 19 and 21-year-old kids, we came to Disneyland. Apparently, US kids have their summer break from June to September. We were harshly reminded of that when we saw the stampede of kids. Not that it mattered, we excitedly waited our turn for the most dangerous car ride: Autopia, ‘it is a race car track Disneyland attraction, in which patrons steer specially designed cars through an enclosed track.’ Yeah, I googled it. Notice the keyword ‘enclosed’. The ride was literally just stomping on the accelerator and hitting the person riding in front. As ashamed as I am to admit it, we rode it 4 times, cause, why not?

In addition, the Pixar Fest was also going on. You remember the beginning of most animation movies where a lamp came out of nowhere and stomp on the ‘I’ in ‘Pixar’. Yeah, that Pixar. So, there was a parade that happened during fixed intervals that had giant floats of all those awesome nostalgic animated movies — Toy story, Incredibles, Monsters Inc, Up, Finding Nemo etc. Damn, I feel old. After the parade, we also visited Pirates of the Caribbean and Indiana Jones™ Adventure attractions (after all I was a diehard fan of both the franchises). We also had a mini roller coaster ride on an attraction called Matterhorn Bobsleds.

We also had these annoying Stormtrooper cosplayers who would come behind you, and scare the hell out of you, all in the name of the Galactic Empire. I really had so much fun and when the day was finally coming to a close, I noticed a Starbucks café. Well, you don’t visit America, and come back without trying out a Frappuccino, right? Well, that objective was done and dusted right then. And so, after a full day of action and nostalgia, I had to admit, Disneyland does have that ‘something for everyone’.

With that, we left L.A… for a cruise. The last leg of the tour was a three-day cruise to Ensenada, Mexico. Carnival was the cruise Company. Let’s have a F.A.Q. section for this:

Q. Approx. how big is a cruise ship?

A. Huge, so huge. As a matter of fact, the ship had 12 floors. You have to see one to appreciate its size.

Q. What does one do on a cruise ship?

A. You have unlimited food (open 24/7), a big swimming pool, a casino (where I was allowed), a shopping centre, a jacuzzi, and a ton of time scheduled activities hosted by the carnival manager. This would range from treasure Hunt (I lost, big time. But it was one of those everybody’s a winner event, no worries) to Stand up comedies and raffles. In addition, it was nice to go ‘sightseeing’ around the deck, if you know what I mean.

Q. Was there any special event (other than the above mentioned)?

A.There was this formal event called ‘Dinner with the Captain’ where everyone dressed in their most formal clothes and had their dinner with all those versions of knives(Dinner, Steak, Dessert, Butter) and spoons(Teaspoon, Soup spoon, Dessert spoon). In short, it was exceedingly formal. I did not have to worry about a Tux … since I never had one. But, I wore pants (as opposed to jeans), you have to give me credit.

Q. Where exactly did you go in Mexico?

A. Ensenada, port city on the Pacific coast of Mexico’s Baja California peninsula. We reached there on the morning of the second day. After some customs checking, I and my brother proceeded to the beach, took some photos, saw what Mexico was like and went goofing around the town until it was time to go back. The town was famous for its many wineries and tourism. My parents had gone for the wine tour, but they did not like it, so we decided to just see the place and go back.

Like all FAQ sections, never providing the necessary information, just enough that the author thought was necessary, I also must follow in their footsteps to stop mine.

We (my brother) made some friends on the cruise, some with cool dance steps, some with cool voices, and a little girl who always did the floss. Damn, she was annoying. Anyway, on the third day of the cruise, we were back at L.A. Most of the group members were actually glad that the cruise was over, never wanting to see a burger again, they claimed. Me, I had mixed feelings, but I guess everything must come to end at one time or another. So did my 3-day streak of eating pepperoni pizza for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

We were then taken to LAX (Los Angeles International Airport), from where the rest of the group would continue their American trip from Florida, while we came back to Kochi, through Dubai.

Reaching back, I couldn’t believe that the trip had ended so quickly. I guess I took it for granted that I was seeing places that I always wanted to, from a young age: New York, Washington, Niagara, Las Vegas, Los Angeles…. I know that I was incredibly fortunate to get this opportunity, but wished I had some more time. All things aside, my life’s just beginning( even though I have grey hair) and I hope to continue having more adventures and experiences, having the following phrase at the back of my head : ‘This is not the end of everything, just the beginning of what I can look forward to, provided I work hard’.

With that, I bid farewell, thank you keeping up with me and I hope to write about something other than my travels. Peace out!!

Continuing off on my trip, the flight from Washington was at 8:10 PM and I reached McCarran International Airport, Las Vegas by about 10:10PM. Now, if the flight took 5 hours how did I reach at the time I mentioned? Well, it’s enough if I succeeded in ruining your mood with an ill-timed math problem, it all falls down on time Zones. Now, without further annoyances from my part lets go ahead.

After we collected our bags from the conveyer belt, we assembled in front of the airport. The pre-arranged bus came to take us to the hotel. The fact that Nedhi was no longer our driver was depressing. We were driven to Excalibur, our hotel. Keeping up with the traditions of Las Vegas, the hotel was superbly themed as a Medieval castle of sorts, complete with a medieval jousting tournament called Tournament of Kings. And, of course, the hotel also housed a casino, to which I was denied access to. Duh, because of my age, not that I was blacklisted or anything. Since, it was after midnight when we finally reached our rooms, We passed out on our medieval themed beds.

You know those advertisements that claimed, “Vegas style breakfast” and I’d be all sceptical as to how could it be any better. Hmm, I was completely ignorant of the experience that was Vegas style breakfast. For starters, you have the bread items like Italian Bread, croissants, bagels…complete with Bacon, poached eggs, sausages among other classic combinations. Then there was Italian, Latin, Chinese, Salad Stations. Oh, did I also mention an all-you-can-drink station with soft drinks. After somehow making room for all this (by having a little of everything), the dessert section had different flavoured ice creams, cakes, brownies, tarts, you know what, I’m going to stop now. By now you would have realised the glutton I am, I had a hard time dragging myself to the room. Thankfully, we only had to report a little late that day, by 11’o clock. We were joined by the guide for Las Vegas, Mrs. Claire Lefevre. First, we visited the Las Vegas sign. I understand your confusion as to why a sign would be so important. Well, man don’t tell me you haven’t seen this anywhere.

Next, we visited the Bellagio Hotel (yeah, the one seen in Ocean’s Eleven). The hotel was really something else, there was a beautiful insignia in the front. The inside of the hotel was no different, a lovely garden with illustrations that were created by growing flowers. That was some talent.

Outside the hotel, was The Fountains of Bellagio, the famous fountain that dances to music. As the show only started from 3 P.M, the guide advised us to see the other attraction and come back later. From here we got to see the famous Caesar’s Palace and Paris Las Vegas, with a fake Eiffel Tower to show for it.

The next hotel we went to see the Venetian. Needless to say, the hotel oozed luxury. On one floor, the inside of the hotel even captured the canals of the actual Venice in Italy (I know, I’ve been there, 6 years back) with actual Gondola rides, how awesome is that? After the Venetian, our time with the guide was over and we parted ways, thanking her.

Then, after having lunch we went to Stratosphere Casino, Hotel & Tower. Its specialty? It is the tallest freestanding observation tower in the United States, conveniently overlooking Las Vegas — thus, being an excellent observation Deck. The view was absolutely awesome and terrifying.

After that we retired to the hotel, quite early I now. We had time to go explore until 6 P.M, when we would have to go for dinner. We did some exploring near the Hotel. Fun fact: Many of the famous hotels in Las Vegas are situated along the Strip (technically, Las Vegas strip). It was hard to stop myself from not cracking a pun. Just saying.

We finished our dinner, excited about what was to follow. Then came the attraction I was looking forward to the most: Riding in a Helicopter over Las Vegas. Man, Las Vegas was really a sight during the night, especially when looking from above. The pilot was a man who retired from U.S air force, who, according to him was never tired of flying. Each helicopter ride was for six people at a time, and of course we sat in the front with the pilot. Taking off on a helicopter is different than from a plane. The plane has a tiny window through which nothing is actually discernible. However, a tour helicopter is really different, with big see through windows on the sides, extending from the top till almost the landing skids (Okay, creativity/exaggeration kicked in). In other words, you see the ground beneath you. Here are some views from up above the world so high( in case the phrase seems familiar, took it from a nursery rhyme, no remorse)…

Even though not much is visible in the photo, it sure was beautiful to watch. Here is a photo of me in front of the helicopter, you know, just cause….

Remember that Bellagio fountain from before? We visited that after the helicopter ride. I do not know if you can appreciate the beauty and synchronisation between the music and jet of water from the video, but here it is.

Anyway, as always thank you for sticking around. Next time, I’m going to Hollywood.

To continue on with the story, please click the below link

https://medium.com/@cyriacbijun/welcome-to-tinseltown-42908c3428c9

The building itself was quite huge, with the crowd inside much more. We had a walkthrough tour of the place, explaining the history of the company and their major breakthroughs and merger with other companies. After that, we shopped chocolates (which later proved a necessity to appease friends who asked for treats). We reached only reached Washington D.C by about 6 in the evening. The guide told us to rest up as the city tour was only the next day.

Now, you see we had a relative working here and he offered to take us out during the night. Well, of course we said yes. We had a lot of catching up to do and we went to local pub. I had always noticed that Americans were quite proud of their Hamburgers, I only understood why, when I had one in front of me. Apparently, the best combo was with beer, contrary to what we thought in India(coke!). After exchanging stories, he asked if we wanted to visit any clubs, I mean real actual nightclubs that I had only seen in movies. And as real as nightclubs are, so does the fact that there exist bouncers at the entrance to the said nightclubs. Sadly, he did not allow me inside since I was not old enough while allowing my brother and our host. They said that we’ll leave then as it was not worth making me wait outside (My respect for my brother just skyrocketed I’ll tell you that). Then, he dropped us back at the hotel after few more hours of roaming the streets. He let us know that he would be free in the afternoon the next day, to call him if we were bored or anything.

We had a delicious breakfast from the hotel and checked out in the morning itself. Nedhi drove us to the National Mall. It is not a mall in the conventional sense, it is used to term the area between the Lincoln Memorial and United States Capitol Ground. We were guided by Mr. gogo. Nedhi dropped us at the Lincoln Memorial and it was such an impressive sight. I still remember the scene from Night at the Museum 2, when the statue of Uncle Abe rose and walked away. In real life here is how it looks.

Opposite the Memorial, is yet another impressive sight: the reflecting pool and the Washington monument far away (which reminded me of the thrilling rescue scene in Spider-Man: Homecoming).

After that we went to see the White House. Unfortunately, that day tourists were not allowed near the Place, so we had to satisfy ourselves by taking photos quite away from the building. Then, we went on to see the Capitol. As I owe you an explanation the United States Capitol is the home of the United states Congress and the seat of the legislative branch of the U.S. federal government.

We then had our lunch and took a tour of the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. Well, ‘took a tour’ would be playing it down. Let me rephrase that to ‘utterly exhausted due to the vast expanse of exhibits coupled with so little time’. We saw designs of satellites, space shuttles, rockets, astronaut suites. In short, everything you would expect from an Air and Space Museum. Even if we did not finish seeing the exhibits (the museum was so huge), we had to come out by 4 P.M. Why? Because we had a flight to catch. Where? Vegas, Baby.

Our flight was from the Dulles International Airport, Virginia. My brother called up our relative, thanked him for the personal tour and told him that we were leaving Washington D.C. He bid farewell. Once we reached the airport, we came to the sad realisation that we longer had our awesome chauffeur, Nedhi. We bid him farewell, also inviting him to India.

Well, we finally boarded the plane to McCarran International Airport, Las Vegas. We were delayed a little due to sudden rain but I got an awesome photo.

Thank you for reading, See you next time. Viva Las Vegas.

To continue on with the story, please click the below link

https://medium.com/@cyriacbijun/what-happens-in-vegas-need-not-exactly-stay-in-vegas-1eef46cb466e

The trip was mostly uneventful, except for the fact that we had an original beef Sub for lunch (For those wondering, you do not get beef Subs from Subway in India). Well, after about what seemed like an eternity, we finally reached Grand Island about three in the afternoon. Getting out from the bus, we were greeted with a pleasant climate. This contrasts with the cold and windy climate my parents experienced, just two months back. After some wait, the guide returned with our tickets for the Maid of the Mist experience. We walked to an observation deck located close by, of course, there was an elevator. At the top, I got to experience Niagara for the first time.

After that I was quite excited for what was next to come, a ride under the Niagara Falls, or in other words the Maid of the Mist experience. We couldn’t take our phones as there as a cent percent chance of drenching, luckily our friends had IP68 rated smartphones (in layman’s terms — well, waterproof to splashes). Even though the boat did not go that close to the falls, the force was really something else. We were given protective suits, sure, but I really want to know as when does plastic bags qualify as suits.

Once the ride was over, I must admit that I was quite depressed. Then the mood completely changed when the guide announced that the next attraction was a chance to experience the falls even closer. How close you ask? Well, directly under the falls. Yeah, you read that right. But it was from another island called the Goat Island and it was a long hike. Only after reaching there, I found out that we had to wait our turn to enter the Cave of the Winds. The wait was not long, and after donning another protective suit(different colour this time) with custom sandals( sorry, don’t remember much about that ), we took an elevator down to…you guessed it, a cave. There was a presentation about Nikola Tesla and how Niagara was earlier used to generate hydroelectricity, after which they closed it considering the harm to the environment. After the presentation, we passed a dark tunnel to find the Niagara Falls lake at the other end. Now, I must admit I may have been a little childish when I saw what was in front of me. Hey, but it is not every day you get to be under one of the largest waterfall in the world. So, I can proudly say I danced under it. There, I said it. Out of the way now. If it’s any consolation, my brother joined me (feels good to betray him). Part of the reason that I danced was my very sad attempt at not getting swept away by the force of the Falls.

Well, that was pretty much it. We then took some time to explore the place and I got to take a lot of photos. After that, we had our dinner from yet another Indian restaurant and then retired for the day by checking in to the Holiday inn Express, Grand Island. Here are some pictures I took..

Well, thanks again for being around. Hope you liked it, as always see you again.

To continue on with the story, please click the below link

https://medium.com/@cyriacbijun/behold-the-united-states-capitol-6dbed415aaec

Honestly, I don’t remember experiencing jetlag, cause, I woke up at about the seven, the next day. You know what’s next: Breakfast (You don’t have to be a genius to figure out that food is an important entity in my life). The buffet was quite delicious with bacon, poached eggs, different varieties of bread, muffins, cereals ….okay, there was a lot. I specifically remember my brother telling me “First,feast your eyes, then your mouth”. Me, being me, paid no heed. I was in a eating frenzy, going back and forth between the tables. I knew I should have stopped, but then I saw a gentleman making waffles, and it aroused my curiousity. But, only the pancake batter was present, along with the waffle maker. I found myself looking at the machine without knowing how to operate it, when a friendly waitress came and showed me how to make one, and then smothered it with the most delicious toppings ever. Here is her work of art..

Sadly, I could not appreciate it, barely managed to finish it. Of course, it was tasty, just that I had had a breakfast before. Continuing, all of us boarded the Tour bus to NYC, with Nedhi, at the wheels(from previous blog). We started off with Wall Street, taking photos with the Charging Bull statue. What’s a Charging Bull statue? Here you go folks….

After some time we met the guide for the day, Berenise Flores, who was this affable lady who had immense love for NYC. She was really amiable and dynamic, moving from one landmark to the next, really wanting us to see as much of NYC possible. We saw the Rockfeller centre and Broadway from the bus. Then we all alighted to see the World Trade Centre Site-Ground Zero. It was the site of the infamous 9/11 incident, constructing 2 monuments to honour the fallen on that fateful day. Berenise also recounted her experience as to how she averted the tragedy due to some sort of premonition in her dreams. Would you believe that her job, that day, was to escort a group to see the World Trade Centre?! Missed it by that much (No hard feelings, Berenise). The site was packed with tourists and we took to our foot to explore the place. The site was beautiful, with gardens and pools. We saw groups of people, who came to commemerate the birthdays of their fallen friends, collegues, relatives. Here’s my brother in front of one of the gigantic pools, which was constructed where the building stood earlier.

By then, it was almost time for, you said it, lunch. Sadly, it was at another Indian restaurant named Zaika(creative, I give you that), but, the food was delicious. On the way, we caught a glimpse of the Empire State Building. Berenise then went on to explain what she liked most about India-Its actually food: Chicken Tikka Masala(Fellow countrymen, now you know how we are recognised, take pride in our food). After lunch, she guided us to the Battery Park, from where it’s a boat ride to Liberty Statue. We parted ways, after cordially inviting her to India. Then, we proceeded to wait in queue for entering the boat to Ellis Island and the Liberty Island.

The island itself was quite large, with a tiled path around the statue. The place was filled with tourists, we barely managed to experience Lady Liberty in all her Glory. As it was a hectic schedule, I did not get to enter the statue (guess that’s an adventure for another day).

After reaching back to Battery Park, Nedhi drove us to the iconic Times Square, where much of my time was engaged in window shopping and watching the awesome street performers. I mean, really, they are at another level, with all the dance-offs and acrobatics, it was really hard to take my eyes off them. We finally headed back to the hotel at New Jersey, after dinner at some place(I think Indian again,hmph).

Well, that’s it folks, NYC experience ends here. Hope you liked it, and well, see you next time(Still gonna take some time to complete).

P.S to all you folks who did not understand the title,do check out “Big Apple”.

To continue on with the story, please click the below link

https://medium.com/@cyriacbijun/all-aboard-the-maid-of-the-mist-8368e74a99b7

It all started in the month of March in 2018,just the planning for the trip.We decided to approach GNS tours for our trip to the U.S.A.We had to visit the consulate in Chennai for the procurement of the Visa. I actually felt like I was being interviewed for a higly qualified job.Thankfully,I had experienced it with my family,which made it much more easier.The Visa procedures were completed by April 1st(Yep,I know,not fooling ya) and I became the proud owner of a U.S visa(10 years) by mid of April.

Fast forward 2 months,we(I and my big bro Aby) started packing on 17th July/one day before the trip.We were quite organised that way 😅😇.Now,we both had to go alone as the rest of my family had gone already ,in May(We had exams back then) ,and had come back.My small brother ,Joe,had made us really excited and we just coudn’t wait to go.Even the fact that we were accompanied by mostly senior citizens was not able to put a damper on our excitement(Maybe a little).

We started out from our home on 17th July 2018,by about 11:30PM,after a small prayer.Reaching the Cochin Airport,it was a breath of fresh air man,I was experiencng the new terminal,T3, for the first time.We were greeted by the tour Manager, Mr.Anil Kumar Karthikeyan , and fellow passengers and introductions were done. I vaguely remember my father telling the guide that we( I? ) tend to be irresponsible,so to keep an eye out for us.(Result of an incident that happened in Israel,man,do one mistake,he remembers it for life😩😤 ).Finally,about 3 AM we entered the terminal after goodbyes and reached the Gates for boarding by about 4 AM.After killing some time they called us for boarding and our Emirates flight to Dubai was on the air soon after. I don’t remember much,fell asleep seeing Justice league(sorry DC fans,couldn’t help it🤭).I woke as soon as I heard the sounds of trolleys passing by.You know what that means:Breakfast.After that,the pilot announced that we were close to our destination and that we had to be seated. An air hosthess came and sat directly facing us,boy, was she cute.Before I could say anything,my brother beat me to it.She introduced herself (name :lost into oblivion) and said that she was from South Africa.She and Aby were about the same age,but the differences between them,she looked really matured,for a person about the same age in India.Our flight landed in Dubai and we exchanged goodbyes.As we deboarded the plane,the sight……

After a window shopping tour of our section of the duty free,we found ourselves boarding the next flight to JFK,New York within 2 hrs. The experence was quite new as it was the first time I travelled on an Airbus A380,one of the biggest planes ever.It had 2 floors,and as Economy travellers,we had the lower floor. Have you ever had to sit on a plane for 15 hours? Well,I had to.The first 4–5 hrs were fine.Then I couldn’t feel my legs,literally. I would stand up,walk up and down the aisle,visit the restroom,have a look around( I love and appreciate beauty when I see it, if you get my drift wink,wink,wink😜) and go back to binge watching.Picture the above statement in a loop. Finally,we reached New York and man,when I got out of the plane,it was like pure bliss.

I don’t know if I mentioned this ,westeners are lazy,they have all these machines and kiosks that make it easier (much easier) for the airport officials. The immigration procedure were done mostly by ourselves at kiosks that had cameras.Imagine being the only young guys in a group full of people above the age of 55,having little or no technology experience. Well,atleast we proved ourselves pretty useful.

As seen above,we collected our bags and went to meet our driver,Nedhi.He was from Cameroon and was already a grandfather. The guy was really awesome and we became friends real soon. He got us to our hotel in New Jesrsey,which I learnt,was a different state in U.S.A.Here are some photos that I took,on the way to the hotel…

Sorry for the lack of photography skills,in my defense,it was taken from a moving bus.Hope you liked this blog….it’s just the first in a series of memoir.Be writing soon,peace😁✌️.

To continue on with the story, please click the below link

https://medium.com/@cyriacbijun/nyc-has-nothing-to-do-with-apples-26aee886f656

2)to reorient our effort to a wider channel of people,to help an ailing industry in our state of Kerala- The rubber industry.Thus we had come to the consensus to create another app:

RUBBER LIVE

The idea of the app is quite simple:To display the current price of rubber in two major cities of Kerala-Kochi and Kottayam.This benefits the cultivators to decide the best time to sell and view the overall growth of this industry.This app also caters to international markets like Vietnam,Cambodia etc.,.

The major push for this app is the lack of sites which shows data in presentable format and the growth in number of customers.

This is the skeleton for our app-RubberLive

The above video is a testimony of our club by the 5 members of our group.

The pictures below shows our team mates.

So,see you guys the next time with more updates.

So,we took it.We explained our idea and motive to the attendant,who was more than willing to try it,but,needed permission from the owner. I am sure that we may be able to close a deal.

The main features of the app that we proposed are as follows:

• The first feature is prebooking items which would be ready by the time the customer arrives,making the cafe much more customer-friendly and hassle-free.
• Of course,the main problems associated with this setup is the possibility of cancellation or cheating. Thus we came up with the idea of coupons,which can be purchased by the customer for a given amount. This feature also allows updatability to net banking too.
• The next feature is real-time updation of menu/items which are leftover. This can be sold of at lower with the help of offers which is provided to users of the app in real-time.

Thus, with the help of all these features we hope to create a more successful business for our first customer.

The above image shows the cafe which we hope to do business with.

I am also presenting a video link to show the experience at the cafe.

Thank you guys for reading and I hope to share more experiences in the future too.

The student chapter of Google has now officially been christened as the Google Developer Student Club.I am pleased to announce that I am a proud member of this prestigious club of Government Engineering college,Thrissur chapter.

The club is headed by Felix Josemon,a winner of the coveted Google Venkat Scholarship.The club was started with a workshop demonstrating the ease of using android studio in developing android apps.After a small demonstration,the club organized an informal ‘Meet-up over coffee’ to build relationships among fellow Tech enthusiasts.We went out,talked,and also had a chat with the owner of the shop as to improve his business through the use of new technologies in business.Felix told us to make ourselves into groups and find new ways to help other businesses to help boost their enterprise by using new technologies and our creativity.

We organised ourselves into a team of 4,consisting of myself,Cyriac,Geo Jose,Jeevan George and lastly Sinadin Zidan.We discussed among ourselves and we officially decided that our first business deal had to be with Rockland Cafe.On we go on our first deal…..😁