Hope is Life!

It is very true that hope and optimism can inspire us in the most unexpected moments. This incident dates back to the year 2008 when a recession hit the world markets mainly because of the sub-prime crisis in the United States of America. It created far flung effects and lead to millions of people being handed pink slips esp those who worked in IT sector. One of my acquaintances unfortunately belonged to this category and lost his well paying job at a very crucial point. His wife had given birth to twins a few months back and of course, the expenses were high. His wife, who was a homemaker, was extremely worried with the tension gripping her nerves and the stress showing up in her day to day life. Since we are quite close to that family, I knew how difficult that phase had been for them. However, her husband, whom I fondly call Bhaiyya, (brother) was not that nervous, rather he was looking more at solutions than whining over the problems like others in his family.

One fine evening, some two weeks after losing his IT job, when we all were having evening tea, he came and put forward his idea of starting a business of his own, something that would get him through similar times of recession even in future without any worries of pink slips again. At first, just like people react on every new idea, we rejected it out rightly but he was adamant and again, patiently put forward the same. He said he wanted to open a stationary and shop that would also stock common items like men’s lingerie and other things of day to day use. Since these things are often insulated from recession, he thought it would work well. His wife had no other option or idea left and decided to help him. They, with some initial capital, started a small shop and for a few months, nothing much came however, the sales slowly picked up pace. Later they added a photocopy, scan and print facility to it and then, after a few months, it started giving good profits. Bhaiyya was able to cover his initial investments and then, most of what they earned each day was pure profit!

This inspired me in more than one ways. Firstly, he made a pearl out of the dirt and beautifully, rather profitably, turned a loss into a solid opportunity. Secondly, he was unperturbed and did not lose his cool; rather he focused on the possible solutions when most of his colleagues were busy searching for new jobs (or perhaps, visiting shrinks!). Also, this incident gave me a hope that setbacks can be gotten over by persistent efforts and a hopeful attitude. If you are suffering a stroke of bad luck now, that does not mean it will continue later too. Who knows, you might become successful in something else, just like he did in setting up his own venture! Now his wife too runs a boutique of her own and it is doing well. Their twins are studying in one of the leading schools of the city. Hence, we do not need to look up and hunt far for little moments of inspiration that can fill us with hope; they are often right around us!

Visit housing.com/lookup for some dash of optimism!

Twitter handle- twitter.com/housing

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My Angel

The support of family is the first brick of happiness, but it is something that should never be taken for granted and those who have such kind of support are indeed lucky. I would like to share how my mother guided and encouraged me to grow up into an altogether different personality than what I initially was.

This dates back to my childhood when I was thin as a stick and it seemed as if loose clothes are hanging on a pole or somewhat like a droopy flag. This made me quite conscious of myself and to make the matters worse, my teeth were slightly in a zig-zag pattern too. That was the last straw and at one point of time, I was so conscious that I often, on this pretext or that, started spending evenings at home instead of going out with my friends, most of whom were bloated with hanging dollops of flesh, giving me a solid complex. I was neither undernourished nor ill but simply very thin. My mother spotted this complex in me and feared that this might lead to some behavioral disorders in future so she lent me her helping hand that really encouraged me to grow into a confident and self-reliant person.

The first thing she did was to advise to me to join my friends and laugh at myself when they made fun of me, instead of feeling cornered and getting irritated, which they in fact enjoyed. I did that and it worked wonderfully! They no longer teased me when they found me enjoying their barbs. Another big thing she did was to motivate me to take part in school functions and local contests like debates, races etc and definitely not for the prizes but just for the feeling of participation. She told me to accept myself as a beloved child of God and to stay in my skin comfortably all the time and made me understand how a diminished self-confidence leads to a low self-esteem and within no time, a person is reduced to a doormat by the ruthless world around him/her. She consulted a dentist too who said that by the time I’ll be out of teenage my teeth would change shape and I should consider changes or fixtures only then, as teeth in younger age tend to shift and change shapes. Luckily, the zig-zag pattern ironed out on its own in coming years.

So, I started taking part in debates, essay writing contests and school group dances and honestly, it did made me feel confident and reliant. My thinness did not bother me anymore rather I stated feeling happy that I was saved from obesity. Her help not only made me develop into a positive person but also helped me shed all the timidity that had enveloped me.

Such is the help of family members, when other people just poke fun at you and point out flaws, your family can make you turn the same dirt in to a pearl that makes you shine. I shall always be deeply thankful to my mother, my angel who saved me from growing into an introverted and nervous person.

HDFC Life can help you become an angel for your family

Check out this cute and inspirational #MyFamilyMyPride ad film 

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Befikar, Umar Bhar!!

What is life without the wish list that keeps swelling every month! Life has two aspects. First, it is short and second, it is unpredictable. What may come next, none is able to fathom. In such unsure circumstances an easy solution can be a simple and effective life insurance like IDBI Federal that makes you ‘befikar’ for the rest of your life in the real sense.  I have a looonnggg wish list. However, if I were to choose top five things that I would love to do if I too were insured and hence ‘befikar’ for the rest of my ‘umar’, they would be as follows-

1.     Going for white water rafting- This is one thing that allures me like anything! The tempestuous waters, greenish and bluish, are a delight to my eyes and the very idea of the rafting makes me feel alive! So, when there is a guarantee of good times and a ballast of insurance, I would make this dream come alive.

2.     Opening a Charitable Veterinary Hospital- I have a weakness for animals esp dogs and thus it is my dream to open a charitable hospital for stray animals who often rot on streets all alone. I often notice cows with bleeding horns or dogs with deep cut marks, withering in pain and this pinches me deeply somewhere inside. So, a charitable vet hospital is what I would get constructed before I leave this world.

3.     Going on a Trip to Seychelles- This is one place that is awesome than heaven! The green forests, waterfalls and beautiful natural sceneries, Seychelles is a visitors’ delight. However, it takes a lot of moolah to visit and enjoy the time there, with my friends or family of course, for there is no fun in visiting a superb place like that all alone. When you have a good insurance, you can manage the trip as well!

4.     Buying an Audi- This German car company had me hooked to its models! I have heard so much about this car that it has become my dream to own one and by that I do not mean only the starting models, but good ones in middle price range. White Audi looks stunning and the black one looks classy like anything!

5.     Paying for an Orphan’s education- I would like to bear the expenses of an orphan child’s entire education and living and I think if everyone of us who has had the good fortune of getting education takes this step, we can help the society in a larger way. However, with school and living costs sky-rocketing like anything, it has become far difficult to harbor such dreams but a dream is a dream and can be fulfilled by a bit of careful planning by experts like IDBI Federal Life Insurance Co Ltd.

So, these are five dreams of mine out of my bucket list that I wish to fulfill in this life. Life is beautiful; it just requires a careful handling of monetary resources and some calculated planning. The feeling of a wish fulfillment is unmatched and can make us look forward to more!

Stay Befikar Umar Bhar only with IDBI Federal Life Insurance Co Ltd.

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Let’s Chat!

I just love books and shopping for them is more than cathartic and the best form of entertainment for me. However, just like every question does not deserve an answer, every book does not deserve to enter your collection. There are many titles which are one-time-read novels, old biographies or self-help books that you do not find worthy enough to devote much shelf space to. The best way to dispose such books, that too with some profit, is Quikr.com, one of the best buying-selling portals available in the country. 

One of my friends has even taken an extra mobile number just for this purpose. I remember we sold our garden cane-sofa set online and we talked to many people before finalizing a buyer. Now, there is no such need as a chat function is there along with a pic sharing application that allows buyers to keep their contact numbers private and share many pics of the product(s) up for sale. Being a girl, I find it comfortable to chat with people interested in my books. It has many benefits, three of which I share below -

1.  Appropriate Reply: I need not speak to every potential buyer and spill beans or tell him/her the points that I do not wish to reveal. Not just books, we can sell any item on Quikr NXT and hence on chat, unlike on a call, I can think and then ‘respond’ to queries rather than to ‘react’ instantly. This way, I can control what information I wish to give out and to whom. A well contemplated, complete and thoughtfully formulated reply can be given over chat, thus eliminating all the chances of confusion.

2.    Chat History- I can check out the history and hence keep a tab on the information I have been giving. This way, I can also check if the buyer is going back on his words. I can check what price was quoted and other terms etc. I need not remember every detail of the call and hence with a free mind, I can focus on other tasks of my life. This will also allow me to check out my sales in future as well.

3.  Privacy - Another main advantage is privacy, as I need not reveal my number to each potential buyer. As we all know there are various people who create only nuisance and waste the precious time of people they come in contact with. Also, there are people who are not interested in actual purchases and just hover around for fun or time-pass. Number privacy can help me avoid this category and I think it will also make me feel secure and safe.

Another important thing is the matter of convenience because a phone call requires urgent attention but on chat we can take out a few extra minutes to reply. It does not disturb you while you are driving, are in office or are doing a work that is urgent or involves concentration like reading etc.

Hence, any day, I would prefer chat to a phone call for selling on Quikr NXT.

Visit www.quikr.com for more information about hassle free buying and selling!

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My Pick!

These days, technology has become an extended part of us. Whether on move in cars, bus or train, or even while in movie theatres, I often spot people carrying smart phones with large screens and tablets. The newer innovations that are arriving in the market are amazingly sleek and a huge boon for multi-tasking. Two of such gadgets that are sure to take the market by storm are ‘Asus Eee Book X205TA’ and ‘Asus All-In-One PC ET 2040’. I love both the models and just like anyone else, would like to have both! However, based on my usability factor, my pick would be ‘All In One PC’. 

Asus is a brand that is being seen a lot these days. Almost every other person owns an Asus gadget. These two models, viz., ‘Asus Eee Book X205’ and ‘Asus All-In-One PC ET 2040’ are too amazing and it becomes really difficult to go for one of them. However, I would choose the latter. The feature that attracts me most is its detached keyboard and innovative gesture control i.e you just have to make a few gestures to control the volumes and to flip. This is amazing! Another thing that makes me go for this is that I prefer working from a study table or a fixed spot so for me it is convenient to use a keyboard and a mouse. I like Asus lightweight laptop (former) too but for my particular requirements, PC would do better. Also, I often need to charge my mobile phones and for that this all in one PC is the best as it charges the devices with 50% more speed! The screen space is maximized too as with its innovative screen space design, one can do other tasks side by side and hence this makes multitasking much simpler. The processor is Intel Pentium J2900 gives it the much needed efficiency. 

The main features that influenced my choice are firstly, the gesture control- I can ‘hush’ to mute, ‘fist’ for increasing the volume, ‘thumb-up’ to play and ‘wave’ my hand to flip- isn’t this awesome? You feel like you’re ordering a genie! Another factor that has played a significant part in my choice is the screen and it’s built in HDMI-Out Port that helps you to multitask and use extra screen space.  The detachable keyboard is also quite attractive. Another nice thing that I liked in this PC is the availability of around nine ports of various types. Hence connectivity will never be an issue. Even though this PC is not as sleek as the ‘Asus Eee Book X205’ which, surprisingly, is less than 1 kilogram in weight, it suits me perfectly and I just love its detachable parts and sturdy built. So, I would prefer ‘Asus All-in-one PC ET 2040’ without an iota of doubt! 

Check out Asus Eee Book X205TA and Asus All-in-one PC ET 2040 and take your pick!

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Image from- https://www.indiblogger.in/happyhours/asus-go-sleek-bangalore/ 

Mr. Litterram!

“And…no. 189…done!” Exclaimed Mr. LitterRam excitedly. The only thing that gave him pleasure apart from spray painting the city walls (not with paint) was engraving his initials on the walls of every monument he could visit and spot. The spirits of those buried there used to mourn at his un-clean arrival but Litterram would be resolute. Armed with a small knife, he would write his initials or sometimes important messages like ‘I L U’ or ‘B Free’ on the walls that once looked healthy and clean as if straight of a paints commercial. However, who could stop Litterram! after all India is a free country, he would shout on the top of his voice and as a revenge, made sure that person would step on his banana peel!

It so happened that once day, Mr. Litterram, in his flights of garbage fantasies, stepped upon wrong victims- two angels of cleanliness who had descended from Hygiene Heavens to prepare a report on India’s never-ending, self-propagating, anti-decomposing and perpetual heaps of garbage. So, the two angels, disguised as humans, bumped into something, even more obnoxious than the rotting filth- you know who that was!

So, Litteram, who was happily enjoying his chocolate, peeled it slowly and let the golden and white pieces fly as if he were setting caged birds free with much sympathy. The angels, in a cool and requesting tone, asked him to keep his wrappers with himself but on this Litterram became furious. He spit the chocolate on the bench and then stared at the angels with fury of an injured lion. Then, at the top of his cacophonic voice shouted ‘India is a free country, understand?’ to which the hygiene angels had to opt for plan B. They said they were sorry and that as an apology, they would clean whatever garbage he does the whole day. Litterram did not bother and went to the park wall to pee, humming the latest hit song. All day, he gifted his city precious things like banana peels, chocolate wrappers, plastic bottles, plastic use & throw plates and of course, how could he forget his fav spot-the walls and the poles that gave all the dogs a solid complex. In the evening, when a tired Litterram returned home victorious, he laughed at the incident and went to sleep. However, in the middle of the night, something struck his hand- a soft thing, a bit watery and cold…yikes! He quickly switched on the night lamp and found that his bed-sheet was soaked in paan-stain and orange and banana peels were lying all around. He got up in horror but a hard thing touched his feet. He saw closely and found the shells of peanuts and pistachios were scattered all around…damn! He quickly went to the hall and saw a stink that was emanating from the area. The walls were wet and tiny golden wrappers were flying all around. He looked up and saw that the angels were laughing their heart out! One was even clapping with joy. He became furious and shouted at them, “What the hell? Why have you done this? Who are you to enter my house and throw garbage all around?”

Pat came the reply “Why, India is a free country, remember?”

“But this is my house, understand?”

“The country is yours too! So are the roads, the monuments, the parks, is’nt it? ” All of a sudden, he came into senses and felt deeply ashamed of the garbage he had been spreading all these years. He apologized and decided to “Stay Clean and Keep Clean”, starting from himself, no matter if others don’t listen to him at first. They too will someday have their share of lessons!

PS- Guess what he did the next morning?-  He got a dustbin!

Check out his video-

Meet the great Indian Litterbug (by TOI)@ http://greatindian.timesofindia.com/

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The Softest Pillow

There is no greater pleasure in the world than a clean conscience and a feeling that no ghosts from the past are out to haunt us. Most medical issues are psychosomatic, that is, their root lies in mental tensions and troubles. If we are on a path of truth and have nothing to do with lie, we obviously stay far away from the ugly web of lies and deception and there is no weight on our heart and mind. So, an important step towards good health is truth, which leads to a conscience as clear as purest Kinley water. However, every coin has two sides and truth too can have some serious side effects like the wrath of our own kith and kin that we have to face, and the troubles we create by making things clear. I am reminded of an incident where truth led to a broken relationship but nevertheless, I am proud of what I did.

When I was in 11^th standard, a good friend of mine suddenly got attracted towards a boy in class 12^th and soon became his girlfriend. Her studies started going downhill but unconcerned, she was day by day glowing in his love. They started having their lunch together and after school too, would talk for a long time. Once day, she casually told me that how they would visit ice cream parlors and food joints together and the watch he gifted her. All along, her studies suffered but love stuck, she ignored everything and craved only for his company. One day she told me that an excuse of ‘extra-classes’ had come quite handy as whenever her mother enquired about her late homecoming, she would avoid the trouble easily. 

Once day, I happened to visit her home. Her mother was a nice lady and asked me about her low performance despite regular extra classes in school. At that point I felt like things were going out of hands and revealed the entire truth before her mother. I told her that extra classes are only for 12^th graders and that my friend, (her daughter) almost every day spent time in coffee shops and gaming parlors with a 12^th grader. I made my friend show that watch and gifts that boy gave her. The mother did thank me and after that started keeping a strict check on her but she broke our friendship calling me a ‘traitor’ and never spoke to me again. However, I did notice that in the next term, her performance was not below average.

I am happy that I could save my friend from a useless delusion and at such a crucial point of age and life, her focus came back to her studies. My conscience is clear and I still think that I did the right thing.

 ‘A clear conscience is the softest pillow’

This quote is my favorite. I have seen it turning out to be true, like a science experiment!

Check out this girl’s journey towards a clean conscience.

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Image from: http://www.quotessays.com/images/conscience-quotes-3.jpg

  

Let's Go!!

Vacations are usually banal without kids who not only add spice to our lives with their innocent chirping but also have their own way of looking at things and hence and make us see the events, people and situations from various interesting angles. I remember as a kid I used to love holidays and family trips to various places. My curiosity would cross its threshold and I would wander here and there goggle eyed! That was fun! I remember going to an ancient temple once in a remote place. The rustic village life and the huge inscriptions of temple walls so interested me that I forgot about the ‘puja’ and wandered all the time staring at the inscriptions and images!

These days, the life has become so hectic that it has become almost imperative to go on vacations. Just like adults, children too are highly stressed- from school to extra activities like tuitions, hobby classes, etc. All take a toll on a child’s mind, making him/her irritated and mentally lethargic. The best way to recharge the batteries and spend quality time together is to go on vacations to a nice destination- a hill station like Coorg or Sikkim, or to a good beach place like Goa. If I were to take out kids of my family to a nice vacation I would choose s a good hill station, for I love hills and forests, and I am sure children would love such a place too! There are many vacation partners like Club Mahindra that provide nice destinations and vacations.

There are various activities, I would choose for the kids like boating and zoo visits, apart from games like swimming, horse-riding etc. Taking long walks in pristine lands is also a nice activity. I also wish kids should attend some sort of workshops as well, like those teaching some local style of painting or puppetry for example, or any such workshop so that they get a feel of the real culture of that place apart from learning new things. In this era of virtual world and simulators, keeping children busy is not much of a difficult thing if you have some virtual-reality technology available. Video-games and simulators can easily keep them busy and happy!

I would also like to make the kids write down their travel experiences or rather create a lovely scrapbook with the pictures and experiences (in words) nicely arranged together. This way they do something creative but more than that, this habit of writing their original experiences themselves will go a long way in helping them in their studies and career.

Vacations are never tedious and boring with kids, we just need to keep their energies glued to the right things. For this, the most important thing is to choose a good travel club like Club Mahindra that provides everything needed for memorable vacations. From almost all the exotic destinations of India and abroad, you can choose the one that suits you the best based on their various parameters.

For a perfect vacation for yourself and your kids, visit- membership.clubmahindra.com/TeddyTravelogues

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Imges from- 

swimmingpoolguide.wordpress.com/2010/08/01/swimming-pools-kids/

membership.clubmahindra.com/TeddyTravelogues

Speak Up With Montu!

I sincerely believe in the power of team work. After all it is this synergy only that makes the work happen in reality. There are many issues that plague our society at this point of time. Even after the advent of technology, things hardly have gone better as far as cleanliness and sanitation are concerned. The electronic junk and the hell lot of plastic waste that we have been generating for the past few years is posing a serious threat to our eco-system, to the cities and towns we live in. Take a stroll down any busy road and the first thing you will probably notice will be the heaps of garbage lying here and there along with the waste like empty plastic bottles and paper cups, flying like free radicals all along the road. This can be stopped and it will only take few simple steps towards the solution, which is ‘recycle and reduce’. 

There are various ways to make India ‘Swach’ and trust me, this does not involve a long broom and a mask but only some spare time and a dash of creativity. Prevention is always better than cure so it would be far better to avoid the stage when we will be forced to sweep through the streets and before the garbage becomes as toxic as it can, we should recycle the waste first hence reducing its quantity. Let’s start with recycling. As per dictionary this term refers to

•         Convert (waste) into reusable material.
•         Return (material) to a previous stage in a cyclic process.
•         Use again.

So basically, when we reuse a thing, say an empty bottle or a bag, we are recycling it. This not only generates less waste per capita (per head) but also reduces your carbon footprints in the long run that means you end up doing something worthwhile for the ecosystem that sustains you. It is like giving back something to your parents or maybe like donating a helpful amount to your alma mater. Hence, recycling, I think, would be the first step towards ‘Swach Bharat’. 

This is a small fish I made using a waste CD and waste plastic sheet and it was fun! Plastic bottles can be used in gardening and for making decorative vases. The Internet is flooded with such simple and interesting DIY craft ideas. Papers must be recycled and you can use the back of calendars (the plain white side) for book covers and waste A4 papers for random sketching or for making grocery lists. Another important thing is to reuse stationary. It is illogical to throw an entire pen just because you do not wish to take up the gigantic task of buying a new refill! Come on! Imagine if millions of Indians will reduce their carbon footprints and waste every day, we will become ‘Swach’ within a very short span! 

There are many ways to reuse the things we throw into the bin, that too without any segregation, every day. That empty bottle with a wide neck can be a good pen-stand if painted something upon and that old fashioned sari can be a good cushion cover. Donating things that are no longer in use instead of disposing them in garbage is another good idea. Old clothes, old toys and books, I think, must be donated to the needy. This way, in the long run, we won’t be bothered with the heaps of garbage parading themselves on the road sides.

Now, there is no need of bearing the agony within yourself for you can speak with ‘Ab Montu Bolega’ campaign brought to you by Strepsils! Just visit this amazing website http://www.abmontubolega.com/ and say whatever you have to regarding social changes. You can join Montu in speaking against socials plagues at FaceBook and Twitter as well! So, just pop and Strepsils and bolo whatever you wish to and please do not forget to recycle and reduce the waste!

‘Kyuki Bin Bole Ab Nahi Chalega’ #AbMontuBolega 
is a campaign that empowers people to speak up, raise their voice to make a difference against the ills that plague our society.   

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 Images From:

http://www.socreativethings.com/9-creative-ideas-to-reuse-plastic-bottles/

http://www.eco-generation.org/ambassadorReportView.jsp?viewID=1110

http://sketchosphere.blogspot.in/2010/09/cd-fish.html