Qantas Business Class Review – Melbourne to Auckland - Airbus A330-200

Qantas International Business Class Lounge

After completing airport security, it was time to experience the Qantas Business Class lounge. I was not expecting this lounge located on the basement level; it took me a while to find it.

The Qantas International Business Class Lounge is huge and you will find everything, including a business centre with printers, a kid’s zone, and a shower facility. I didn’t have to use any of them; I was rushing to complete taking video and pictures, so I could have some time to eat or drink a coffee.

There were plenty of food and snacks. I saw the alcohol and coffee sections were impressive too; there was even barista coffee.

Qantas Business Class Airbus A330-200

I was expecting Qantas Airbus A330-200 to have one of the world’s best business class suites and I was not disappointed. Each suite is separated with a privacy divider and has direct isle access, regardless of whether it’s a window seat or not.

I had a window seat and it made my journey even better. Wrapped in black leather, these seats convert to a 2-metre lie-flat bed. There were numerous storage options and there was a big side table to keep items such as a laptop or camera. Even the spacious footwell can be used to stack a small suitcase or carry-on luggage.

Qantas’s business class food was great. To start with, I chose seared ocean trout with charred corn, jalapeno lime, and coriander. My main course was red braised chicken with stir fried gai tan, shiitake mushrooms, black beans, and jasmine rice. I had Maggie Beer salted honey ice cream as a dessert. This ice cream looked like an Australian specialty and I had never seen it before.

The Quantas Business suite entertainment system offered a 16-inch touch screen monitor and there were lots of Asian and Western options available.  16-inch seemed to be the perfect size to watch a movie right in front of my face.

There was no Amenity Kit provided on this flight. It was probably too short a flight (roughly 3.5 hours) for an Amenity Kit.

Overall, my first experience with Qantas business class was pleasant and I found nothing to complain about. I definitely will not hesitate to fly Qantas again in the future if the opportunity arises.

How To Protect Your Marriage In Economic Downturn

Money, Finances, Economic Crisis, And Relationship

First Published Date : March 5, 2009 ADawnJournal.com

Money is one of the major causes of friction in a relationship. Most probably, money issues are second only to infidelity as a cause of divorce. In a relationship or a marriage, couples are bonding together from very different backgrounds. Two different persons with different incomes, different debts, and different ways of managing personal finances are joining together to share and form common values and perspectives. These issues, specially money issues can be a real problem.

An unstable, or even a healthy relationship, can go thru a rocky ride during economic downturn. The reason is very simple. Money and finances get over-heated and threatened during post economic downturn. These issues always exist; however, during good times we tend to ignore these because there is always food on the table and somehow we manage to get by. But things change during economic downturn. When jobs are hard to find, the cost of living is on the rise, suddenly things don’t look rosy anymore. Our emotions and spirits change and our relationships reach on the verge of a breakdown.

What you can do to protect your marriage/relationship in a downturn? Try taking the following steps. These steps are not just good during an economic downturn. You should apply these anytime to make your relation journey a smooth one.

·   Talk – Communicate with your partner regarding money issues and any other issues on a regular basis. Take the current economic crisis as an opportunity to get together and start communicating. Talk about your fears, goals, issues, and so on. Divide financial tasks and work together to make changes on your financial plans.

·   Track Your Expenses – Tracking expenses gives you a visualization of where your money is exactly going. You need to know this to cut unnecessary expenses and increase your savings. You can do all sorts of calculations and thinking in your mind to figure out where your money is going – but the real picture may not be the same as your mind tries to depict. Spending just a few dollars here and there daily can add up to a large amount at month’s end and tracking expenses will show you how powerful it can be to cut once-daily visit to your coffee shop. Tracking expenses will gradually help you make better decisions.

·   Set Goals – Set long and short term goals. Write down these goals in a notebook and setup monthly or quarterly meetings with your partner to review your goals. Goals could include buying a house in three years, kids’ education fund, retirement etc.

·   Budget – I don’t believe budget works; however, follow these two simple rules and avoid the hassle of budgeting: spend less than what you earn and spend within your means, and track your spending.

·   Change Your Outlook – Change your outlook from my money, your money to our money. Once you are married – your incomes, debts, money, finances, everything become OURS. That’s the purpose of marriage or staying in a relationship.

·   Maintain Joint Accounts – Always maintain joint checking and savings accounts. This forces you to work together and it’s easier to manage one account than many accounts. Joint accounts provide the extra boost to become financially successful as couples. It reminds you that you two are one now, and your financial success depends on how you can plan and act jointly.

·   Maintain Two Separate Credit Cards – You need to do this to have better credit scores. Better credit scores will help you to get lower interest rates on your loan to buy large item purchases such as house, car etc.

·   Don’t Hide Anything – Never hide anything from your partner. If you have bought an expensive item impulsively, discuss it with your partner. It is better to tell him something you did without his knowledge now, rather than him finding out years later.

How Personal Development Articles Can Motivate to Change

Personal Development Articles

Have you ever taken time to wonder why some people succeed in life, why some people are more self confident than others, or why some people adhere to their resolutions while others cannot? Well, these are just but examples. The point here is that people are different in nature, weaknesses and motivations. Having known this, experts long realized that it is possible to change people’s opinions and mentalities by writing articles. Such kind of an article which aims to motivate and change people’s attitudes and behavior for the better is called a personal development one.

 In most cases, a personal development article is written by a life coach, an expert in a certain field, or by someone who has experienced a certain situation and feels that he can share it with others. For example some people have problems with confidence while speaking in public, while others have difficulty kicking awful habits like drug addiction and so forth. Such a person may visit rehabilitation centers, get medication, but the fact of the matter is that a life development article may do wonders for him. Such a development article may contain information on how to do away with the habit, resist the urge to opt for drugs again and how to move away from the habit. In a nutshell, there is something about a personal development article, which makes people associate its content with their lifestyles and gives them morale they would not even get from a life counsellor. A personal development article is a strong too l for behaviour change and if used well, can greatly enhance your chances of succeeding or overcoming a weakness.

 The most fantastic thing about a personal development article is that it has no age barrier and each age group will find an article that relates to their present predicament in life. From personal development articles on how to communicate and manage your anger in marriage, to how you can kiss a girl for the first time or how not to give up in life, these articles are tailored in a way that suit people from all walks of life. These articles are hinged on the fact that in life, no one is perfect and that we all have spiritual, emotional, and physical needs. As such, what one has in abundance, the other may be lacking miserably and there has to be an avenue for exchanging ideas and sharing experiences. This avenue is the personal development articles.

 A personal development article may cover the various aspects of human life. For example they may talk about how to be true to yourself, how to boost your self esteem, how to nurture your children or how to please your partner in bed. Yet other articles may talk of how one can overcome alcohol, live with being overweight, how to stop over-eating and so forth.

 However, for one to gain anything out of personal development articles, they have to accept their weaknesses, and acknowledge that there is need for change.

To streamline and minimize blog maintenance, I will be discontinuing maintaining the Simplepersonaldevelopment.com website (however, I will still hold the domain). I will gradually move all articles from this site to Ahmed Dawn Dot Com. This article originally published on the above website on Apr 4, 2010

The Green Living Blog

Let The Green Journey Begin

First Published Published Date : March 8, 2009 TheGreenLivingBlog.com

I am happy and excited to introduce my new Green web site The Green Living Blog to A Dawn Journal readers. I created The Green Living Blog to make the world of environmental issues a lot simpler and clearer for people who want to do their part.

The Earth is the source of everything we use on a daily basis, from cradle to grave. However, we fail to realize that resources are depleting so quickly that one day the planet will not be able to accommodate our demands. Our daily actions affect the environment in which we live. We and some of our actions are a cancer to the earth and one day this cancer will spread to a point from which there will be no return.

The Green Living Blog is written for the curious individual interested in doing what they can to alleviate our own burden on the planet. The Green Living Blog will be a way of learning more, understanding better, and hopefully also being entertained.

I will be updating The Green Living Blog once a week. Visit this new Green site here – The Green Living Blog. Also, here is a Press Release I issued yesterday announcing the launch of The Green Living Blog –

Tangier - The White City Of Morocco

Tangier – The Gateway to Morocco

The Adventurous playground called Tangier in Morocco

Tangier, the White city of Morocco was an adventurous playground for the rich and famous from the 20s to the late 50s, till it was relinquished by Spain and returned to Morocco. From artists and authors to aristocrats and spies, Tangier was visited by Truman Capote, Tennessee Williams, Barbara Hutton (Woolworth heiress) and the likes.

Today the souks and the traditional cuisine, the historical and cultural richness all beckon the traveler to make Moroccan holiday the most memorable one. One of the highlights is the port with its state-of-the-art technology dealing with imports and exports along side which yachts of millionaires beautify the coastline. Tangier also holds the reputation of being the first gay resort in the world, though it is not quite as popular for that status now. Tourists not only find the beautiful beaches mesmerizing but are also absorbed into the energetic, likeable and individualistic enduring charm of Tangier.

Getting there and staying

Akin to Moroccan cities, Tangier has Ville Nouvelle and Medina which makes moving around the city pretty easy. Public transport city buses ply between train station, airport and popular sites like Caves of Hercules and Grand Socco. To visit other places taxis are available in 2 types – one that carries up to 6 people and a smaller metered one that can accommodate 3 people. However after 8pm till morning the rates are hiked by 50 percent.

Being a tourist haven there is no dearth for hotels and motels that suit every budget. Campers get to choose from 2 sites Miramonte and Tingis that are not only close to city center but also within walking distances from the beaches. These sites are reputed to be safe and convenient.

Places of attraction

Asilah – The venue of Asilah Arts Festival held here in August, this otherwise quiet fishing village is filled with world renowned artists and performers. Being close to Paradise Beach, Asilah is a popular seaside resort the rest of the year and has a relaxing ambience. One of the places worth visiting here is the picturesque Andalusian medina built in the 15th century. This small town can be explored on foot but the donkey carts are a fun way of enjoying your holidays. While at Asilah don’t forget to try seafood variety at the renowned restaurants. Regular trains ply between Asilah and Tangier.

Chefchaouen – is an exquisite medieval town with distinctive Spanish quality situated in the mountain region of Tangier. The town’s medina looks most charming with whitewashed and blue-rinsed gabled houses and buildings. Craftsmen sewing caftans or embroidering jellabahs is a common sight here. A must visit place is the Great Mosque built in the 17th century in front of which today stand mulberry trees and restaurants cooking up mouth watering delicacies. While here don’t forget to shop for leather goods, carpets, copper ware and pottery in the souks surrounding the square.

For most part the biggest attraction of Tangier are the beaches where tourists enjoy camel rides, acrobatics, or wind surf or play football on the pristine and clean beaches. The beaches are well equipped with shower places and deck chairs. Food and drinks are also available in plenty however most of the beach bars are open only in summer and only some host cabaret shows in the night

To streamline and minimize blog maintenance, I will be discontinuing maintaining the Travelnowsimply.com website (however, I will still hold the domain). I will gradually move all articles from this site to Ahmed Dawn Dot Com site. This article originally published on the above website on Feb 17, 2011.