Product review: Edelweiss Tokio Life - CritiCare+

                  Having a fitting term life insurance is of utmost importance in today's life.  A good budget insurance plan not only takes care of your emergency medical needs but also helps you in sorting out your tax issues. We are living in an era where there is no dearth of mediclaim plans.There are a number of Insurance companies which are providing health insurance and critical disease policies.So what makes Edelweiss Tokio Life- CritiCare+ ,really different from the rest? Well,this post is going to be my take on that.

1.The focus on Critical Illnesses- The main issue which I have with many of the other mediclaim plans which are available in the market is their 'lack of focus'. Most of the other health plans aim to 'cover' too many diseases and in that process,they inadvertently end up missing/ excluding a couple of the 'most critical' of the illnesses,which matter the most to the patients.It's in this aspect,Edelweiss Tokio Life-CritiCare+ scores big time- In this plan,almost all of the major critical diseases are covered and 'taken care of'.The critical illnesses are divided into four groups/clusters for the multiclaim option.So,the diseases which potentially require surgical intervention like Stroke,first episode of Heart Attack(Myocardial Infarction),Kidney Failure,Open Chest CABG,major Organ Transplant(Heart,Kidney) are included in the first group while diseases like major burns,total blindness,Coma,permanent paralysis find their place in the second.The third and fourth groups comprise of  Aplastic Anaemia,Cancer,Benign Tumour,Other Organ Transplant and MND/Multiple Sclerosis respectively.The benefits under the single claim option and the multi claim option(claim can be made three times during the policy tenure under this option) are quite superior when compared to the other products in the market,the details of which can be read here.

2.Ease of applying and minimal paper work- How many times have you given up on applying for a medical insurance policy just because you found the application process to be too cumbersome and time consuming? Frankly speaking,I have done it a couple of times! Applying for Edelweiss Tokio Life- CritiCare+ CritiCare+ is quite easy and and they even offer the convenience of buying it online! It obviously can't get easier than this.

3.The 'Free Look Period'- Edelweiss Tokio Life- CritiCare+ comes with a 'free look period' of 15 days(30 days in case of policies sold through distance marketing).Now,in case you are wondering what this 'free look period' is, well,I'll explain- the company gives the customer a grace period of 15/30 days (after the receipt of the policy) to carefully go through the intricacies of the product (coverage amount,policy specifications and other terms and conditions under the policy) and if he/she finds them to be disagreeable,the policy can be returned within this 'free look period',the premium paid by the customer getting refunded in the process.

4.Sensible Terms and Conditions and affordable life insurance rates- Doubts? Well,read this one and figure it out!

5.Attractive Product Features- Well, this is something which makes me absolutely root for  Edelweiss Tokio Life-CritiCare+.The minimum entry age for this product is 18 years whereas the maximum(last birthday) is 65 years.Another unique thing is the comparatively lower waiting periods (initial waiting period/waiting period between claims).The policy term is also quite flexible (5-30 years).

6.Tax benefits - Edelweiss Tokio Life- CritiCare+ also ensures tax benefits for premium and claim amount.

I firmly believe,Edelweiss Tokio Life- CritiCare+ is the best affordable life insurance plan which is currently available in the market.

-nikhimenon

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Jurassic World: Big Bore!

                   It's not that I was expecting something great from this movie. Obviously, some cheesy,'paisa vasool' entertainment was what I paid my money for! Man, the movie felt too long and the 'action' quite repetitive and boring.The CGI and all were decently done but what is the point when we have seen all this multiple times before!(JP 1,2,3/Godzilla) Anyways, monster movies are not going to work for me anymore, I guess!

-nikhimenon

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On Government Hospitals In Bangalore

          

Image Courtesy:topnews.in

          Whatever limitations it may have,the public health care delivery system in India has it's own merits.I have often heard people(who don't even have the basic idea about the organizational structure or the operational aspects of the public health system of our Country)animatedly ridiculing and vigorously criticizing the country's health care delivery system.Agreed,our (publically funded) system might not be as efficient or fool-proof as the NHS (National Health Service),but it definitely has got it's own plusses.
 
                The truth is ,we have got a meticulously planned public health system which starts right at the primary health care level (primary health centre) which caters to the most basic health care requirements of the population and culminates at the tertiary level (institutes like the All India Institute of Medical Science)which provide the most advanced and comprehensive medical care to the needy patients free of cost(the Government Medical Colleges come somewhere in between the two).Well,any system which caters to a large number of people will obviously have it's share of flaws.But that doesn't mean that we should belittle and despise our government institutions at every other occassions possible.Now,don't start scratching your heads wondering about the reason behind my new-found love for the public health care system and the Government owned medical institutes.The other day,there was a CME programme in B.M.C.(Bangalore Medical College) and I had to be there for quite sometime(because unless the programme is over,they won't distribute the certificate-of-participation!).Since the programme was quite boring,I decided to check out the hospital to kill time.To be very frank,I was astonished to see the range of health care services which was there in place.When we talk about a Government run hospital,many of us have got that typical 'negative image' about the place in our minds.But what I saw in B.M.C was in stark contrast to my perception!The place was not only decently run,the advanced health care services which it had to offer were also numerous(that too at nominal/negligible rates!).Now, if you ask any Bangalorean,he/she will definitely tell you how expensive the medical care in this beautiful city has become.Many of us(even if we aren't that well off),prefer private clinics/hospitals to government health centres/medical colleges because of the previously mentioned 'perception problem' which we have!

                      There are a number of general hospitals in Bangalore which offer superior services.In addition to that, the government hospitals in Bangalore/affordable hospitals in Bangalore are also quite good .Many of them,like B.M.C are quite decently and competently run.It's just that many of us(belonging to the 'middle class/upper middle class' segments of the society) are either not aware of them or are too apprehensive to go to these hospitals because of our misconception of them being inferior to the privately owned ones.I think,it's high time that we changed this faulty perception of ours and started availing the services rendered by the government health care institutes too.Believe me,they might not have swanky interiors and air-conditioned consulting rooms,but the health care provided by these hospitals are not inferior in any way!They not only have some of the best doctors of the city,but also are affordable and equipped with some of the most modern equipments(MRI/CT scan,to name a few) and devices.Wishing you all a healthy and prosperous year ahead,

-nikhimenon

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Namastey India: Asus Zen fone 2

Source:asus.com

          There was a time when buying a mobile phone with good features invariably meant shelling atleast a twenty grand from your pocket.Things have obviously changed for good now,for even a high end mobile phone won't cost you a little more than nine to ten thousand Indian rupees.A number of international brands have hit the Indian market in the last couple of years and I must say that some of them are performing really well.A notable one being,the Taiwanese MNC,Asus(Zenfones).All their models are powered by intel which make them very sturdy and reliable.

Source:asus.com

       I already have an Asus Zen fone 4.For quite sometime,I have been thinking about upgrading to a better model.It's not that I'm unhappy with that mobile or anything,but the lesser RAM of that handset has been acting as a deterrent in many ways.Being an avid 'gamer',higher RAM is something which I badly need.It's my buddy Venky,who told me that Asus is coming up with their latest variant of Zen Phone,the Zen Phone 2.After checking out the phone's specifications,I'm convinced that this is the perfect handset which will satisfy my needs.In this post,I'll elaborate on the five reasons which make me feel that this new phone will redefine my smart phone experience!

1.The RAM- As I have mentioned earlier in this post,a higher RAM is what I'm looking forward to in my new phone.With the Zen Phone 2 poised to be the world's first smart phone with a 4GB RAM,I believe this one is the right 'match' for me!

2.The sleek,stylish look!-Do you know how this phone looks like?If not,visit this page.Zen Phone 2 is a stunner!It looks so good and it's sleek design is a welcome change from the I-phone clones which you see in the market in plenty!

3.Greater Battery performance-The company claims that in this new model,they have incorporated a new,exclusive technology which will enable the device to get charged fully in less than an hour.C'mmon,what more can you ask for?I think for official uses,Zen phone 2 will be ideal.

4.Superior Camera-In this era,when everyone is obsessed with taking selfies and snaps at the drop of a hat,a highly efficient camera is a must in an android mobile phone.Asus Zenphone 2 offers even more than that!The PixelMaster Camera in this cell phone not only captures images with high resolution but also does so with no shutter lag!The phone has also got a low light mode which ensures brighter pictures even at night,when the lighting is poor!All these features definitely make this device an exciting handset.

5.Pricing-The Indian buyer is definitely price conscious.Unless the product is competitively priced,it's bound to fail.Asus knows it well,definitely.Zen Phone 2,even with all these wonderful features is affordably priced.So what are you waiting for?Try this device and re-define your smart phone experience at the earliest!

Written for Asus

-nikhimenon

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Product Review: Exide Money Book

             To be very frank,when I first received this product(Exide Money Book) for review from blogadda,I had absolutely no idea about it’s utility.

             

            So, what is this cute red book all about?Is it a corporate thriller of some sort or is it something like a propaganda material for exide?Well,let’s figure it out here.

           First things first.’Money Book’ is neither a novel nor a propaganda material, but as it’s name suggests,it has got something to do with ‘money’. Actually ,it’s more or less like a ‘diary’ or a ‘ record book’ which is specially designed to maintain a consolidated,comprehensive record of all your financial engagements.The book has slots for entering the particulars of all the major financial documents like insurance policies(life/motor/property),bank details(account/locker details),info pertaining to the credit card and also that related to loans/liabilities. Before going further into it,let’s have a look at the design and lay out of this cute little book.

       This is how this book looks like.The cover design is not only bright and pleasing to our eyes but also gives a general idea of it’s ‘contents’ and also reminds the user on the importance of ‘keeping the record safely’.It comes with a hardcover which ensures the durability and long shelf life of the book.

      On the whole,I feel that this book is a highly useful one.Well,if you ask me to pin point the five uses of it, I’ll point out the following-

1.Simple and easy to use- The book helps you to maintain a log of all your ‘assets’ and ‘liabilities’.You can not only get an idea of all your major investments but also an overview of the money which you owe others!(read ‘loans’)

2.Serves as a reference document-The book can be easily accessed by any of your kin and without going through hundreds of documents,they too can get an idea of the ‘savings’ and ‘investments’ which you have done on their behalf.

3.As a log of all the payments made-Very often,we forget the ‘dates’ (for  renewal of the policies) and even the ‘premium’ amounts.With the Exide Money book,all those are never forgotten!  

4.Saves Time-As I had mentioned earlier,’My Money Book’ is the one-stop shop for all the valuable financial information.It being a comprehensive,up-to-date and complete summary of all the financial information,you really don’t have to waste your time searching for the original documents, every time you want to make a really important financial decision in life!

5.No worry of ‘Viruses’ and ‘PC crashes’-Now,this is one of the greatest advantages of this book.The against the average ‘excel sheet’ or the ‘word document’ which you make in your computer is always at the mercy of the Anti-Virus/Anti-phishing software installed in your Computer.If you have an up-to-date ‘Money Book’ with you,you actually don’t have to worry about data loss due to a Virus attack!C’mmon,that too is an added advantage,right?

     Okay,having mentioned all the awesome things about this book,I’ll end this post by writing my wish list for the future editions of the book.

1.It will be nice if there is an e-edition/app of the same so that the user can make use of the book even if he is travelling/not in a position to carry the book with him.

2.Inclusion of a few more pages(blank) in the book for writing additional information(if any) pertaining to the financial engagements is wished.

  This review is a part of the biggest Sponsored Review Program for Indian Bloggers. Participate now to get free Products!

-nikhimenon

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The Pursuit of Happiness!

                  All of us are (supposedly) normal human beings with our own likes and dislikes.Materialistic pursuit is an indispensable part of our life.Be it the brand new smart phone which has just come out in the market or the new high end car which has recently hit the roads,there is always something or the other which we wish to buy.We go after them thinking that it would make our lives happier.There is this friend of mine who is a shopaholic (and spends almost ten grand a week!),and has no qualms in admitting that his 'happiness' in life is directly proportional to the price value of the stuff that he is able to buy!(the costlier the item,the happier he is!)C'mmon,all of us are definitely not as fortunate as my dear friend.First of all,most of us don't earn that much money in our lives.Secondly,we might not be sharing his 'ideology' of happiness!If you ask me,it's from the small things in life where I mostly derive my happiness.This post is about five such small things in life.

1.Buying good books- If someone offers me a barrel full of beer and a carton full of books and asks me to choose either of them,I'll gladly go for the latter.I'm madly in love with books(which obviously explains the innumerable book reviews posted in this blog!).I like everything related to books,the attractive jacket,the smell of freshly printed ink and paper,the wonderful fictional world in which it's characters live...well,almost everything!The magical world of books gives me happiness,lends me a reason to live in this otherwise boring world.Infact,I spend most of my monthly earnings on books.Whenever I'm down,I try to pick up a really good book.I think nothing else can do the trick for me!

2.Blogging- Well,I'll be frank here.I didn't exactly start this blog expecting to make money out of it.It was actually one of the really depressing phases of my life which resulted in the 'birth' of this blog(some good 7 years back).Since then,random thoughts has been my paradise.Here,I can write about anything which bothers my mind without the fear of offending anyone.

3.Penning Scripts-Again,this is something which gives me immense joy.Creating a fictional world full of life-like characters is something which I really love doing.So far,I have written almost half a dozen scripts(which are in various stages of discussion)Believe me,it's super fun!

4.Watching Movies-C'mmon,everyone loves watching films.What's so special about it? But then,when did I tell you that I'm an extra-ordinary human being?I'm just a normal guy who dreams,eats,sleeps and drinks just like each one of you!Well,if you ask me which is my favourite genre as far as movies are concerned;the reply will be quick-I like watching Horror flicks,'Thai Horror',to be precise.Shutter is my favourite horror flick till date!

5.Staying at Home-Well,this is something which doesn't need any explanation.What say you?

Written for Coco-Cola

-nikhimenon

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The Turning Point!

             All of us have to take some 'difficult' decisions(the outcomes of which may be uncertain) in life at some point or the other.Sometimes they turn out to be the most life changing of the decisions we have ever taken in our lives.This post is about one such incident which happened in my life.
             If you are a regular reader of this blog,you'll be already knowing that  nikhimenon is a doctor by day and a wannabe screen-writer by night.The past one year has seen me completing my first script and meeting half a dozen (potential) producers trying to convince them that my script is indeed 'blockbuster' material!(but then,as they say,good things happen only to those noble souls who are really patient!).Every other producer whom I had met seemed to love the wackiness and freshness in the script but when it came to committing to doing my film,the replies were almost identical,ranging from a generous 'I'm okay with the story,but can you make it a bit more family friendly?' to the harsher 'I don't think this script will work in the boxoffice!'.
             Days passed by and the chances of my debut script seeing the light of the day was slowly but surely becoming as bright as Ireland winning the Cricket World Cup.I was all set to dip into my second bout of depression when I received a call from my childhood friend Ramesh,(now an ad film maker based out of Bangalore),one fine morning-
           "Nikhilesh,What's the update on your script?Is it complete? Or have you dropped it?"-  To be very frank,I was genuinely surprised.C'mmon,I have had no contacts with this guy for the last ten years or so and suddenly,one fine morning,he is calling me and asking about the status of my script!I didn't know what to tell him,but since the thought of him deriving sadistic pleasure on knowing about my pathetic status was nothing but heart breaking,I gave him a meek reply-"Yeah,it has come out well,but....".
"Yeah,listen Nikhilesh;Hari(the editor of my previous short film venture and one of the few persons in this world with whom I share my crazy movie plans) has told me about your script.I think the plot is quite fresh and innovative.TRK sir (Ramesh's boss in the ad agency and a prominent name in the ad film circuit)is looking for a nice script for his debut feature film venture and why don't you send a synopsis of your story to him? Please take down his e-mail id- txxxxx@gmail.com".
            So Ramesh is not a sadistic jerk as I had presumed.He had called for telling something positive indeed.But then he has told me to send my script synopsis to a stranger's e-mail id(agreed,he is a known personality,quite succesful in his field and also has a concrete feature film plan;but what if he 'steals' my script and bring out the movie in his own name?)-My apprehensions had no boundaries.Even before someone actually agreeing to my script,I was thinking about 'script theft'! I couldn't sleep for the next two days.What decision should I take?Should I take a risk by sending the synopsis to the veteran ad film maker or should I not?Frankly,it was the most crucial decision which I had to take in my life.Whatever it was,it definitely had the potential to change my life forever!Finally,on the 15 th of February 2015,I decided to go for the kill.I sent the synopsis to the ad film maker.
              I was not mistaken.The decision to send the script synopsis turned out to be a life changing one for me.Now as I'm typing this post sitting in the luxurious office of 'Innovative AD Film Makers' in Bangalore,I've not only received my first paycheque (for the advance amount)for my debut script but also used the same for buying an apartment in the beautiful City called Kochi.Thank you Ramesh,thank you housing,thank you TRK sir!I owe a lot to you guys!

-nikhimenon

*#start a new life,housing.com
           

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