FUN.FREEDOM.CONFIDENCE.

It's June, and Indians (most of us) are eagerly awaiting the first showers of the Monsoon. Very soon, we'll be taking in the smell of wet earth and reaching out for our umbrellas. But that's not the only thing that's going to happen in June 2016. This June, Japanese auto maker Nissan will be launching its latest car in India under the Datsun brand. The eagerly-awaited car is the Datsun Redi-Go. The soon-to-be-launched car is being promoted as a car with the 'drivability of a hatchback and the ruggedness of a sports utility vehicle (SUV)'. In other words, it is being promoted as India's first ever Urban Cross car. For the uninitiated, a crossover or a crossover utility vehicle is a jacked-up hatchback vehicle that combines features of an SUV like high ground clearance, tall interiors, high centre of gravity, independent rear suspension, superior fuel economy, among others. What's more, the car will also be available at affordable rates.

Image Source: www.datsun.co.in

When it comes to looks, the Redi-Go is quite attractive, stylish and sporty. The high-mounted chrome grille up front, obviously gem-inspired and with an eye-catching honeycomb design, and the headlights flanking it, that turn at the edges give the car a wonderful sturdy look. With Yukan design, the car is compact and sleek, and yet looks robust.

Image Source: www.datsun.co.in

There are many features that make the car stand out. The three features that appeal to me the most are as follows:-

1) High Stance and High Ground Clearance

Considering the kind of roads in India and the general quality of driving sense that prevails, the design of the car has been well thought out. The high stance of the car allows for a good all-round and wider view of the road and surroundings while driving. Also, the car has an impressive 185 mm ground clearance, which can help avoid slightly higher road obstacles, making it one of the best around. This is absolutely ideal for Indian roads.

Image Source: www.datsun.co.in

2) Spacious Interiors

The car's interiors are amazing. For a fairly tall guy like me (with an equally tall family), sufficient headroom and legroom. The Datsun Redi-Go is big on space, affording enough and comfortably seating space for a family of five and their luggage. Apart from the ample space, the car is also furnished with luxurious sporty fabric for extra comfort. There is ample space on the dashboard as well, with roomy cubby holes, cup holders, a large bottle holder, and other cabinets provided. The volume of space provided is estimated to be around 222 litres. The dashboard also provides for air-bags, which are very necessary in terms of safety measures to protect against accidents.

Image Source: www.datsun.co.in

3) Digital Dashboard and Indicators

The dashboard is absolutely innovative in my eyes, because I personally have never seen anything like this before. The dashboard houses a digital tachometer. The drive computer helps keep manage fuel efficiency. For novices like me, who are yet to learn when and how to shift gears, the gear-shift indicator comes as a saviour.

Image Source: www.datsun.co.in

Fun. Freedom. Confidence. The ultimate Urban Cross - Datsun redi-GO - the capability of a crossover with the convenience of a hatchback.

For more information visit https://www.datsun.co.in/redi-GO.html

CHEESY (IN A NICE WAY) SMILING FACES

Kids these days are really fussy eaters. Many a times, if the food brought to them doesn't cause the air to be filled with aromas that are intoxicating enough, you'd better be prepared for a pretty long battle to get them to eat. Sometimes, preparing something that's visually appealing can do the trick. After all, animal crackers and alphabet soups didn't become popular without reason. So much for fun food for kids. But what if adults could indulge and enjoy too, without feeling stupid? "How", you ask? Get yourself McCain's range of French Fries and Potato Speciality products. Their products are largely cholesterol and trans-fat free and filled with the goodness of potato. They're all pre-cooked in pure vegetable oil, and you only need to shallow-fry or bake them, for about three minutes.

My kid is usually not a fussy eater. Like me, his policy is 'if there's anything that can be eaten, it surely must be eaten'. But sometimes, he has these strange twists to his mood, twists that make him really selective about what goes into his mouth. At such times, the wife and I know that food will have to be made a little visually-appealing. The evening of last weekend was one such occasion, The little fellow was not interested in cake or biscuits. We struggled for almost an hour, but eventually gave up. By then, we were hungry too. I was desperately craving for some kind of crispy fried snack. In a moment, my thoughts raced to the pack of McCain Smiles that we has bought from the supermarket a week ago. Suddenly, I forgot all about my kid's snacking options. The thought of biting into crispy smiley-faced potato nuggets left me spellbound. I was brought back to reality only by the sounds of my wife chasing my kid with a bowl of fruit. How could I get my kid to join us in having McCain Smiles, and have fun while having it too? The smiley image might have been enough to grab his attention, but I wanted to add some flavour and personal touch to it. So yours truly came up with the following recipe, which is extremely simple to execute. The recipe is inspired by a brand of cream biscuits that I used to eat as a kid (and still eat secretly, when no one is watching :P).

CHEESY SMILEY SANDWICH

Ingredients:-

• A packet of McCain Smiles
• Garlic-flavoured cheese spread
• Tomato ketchup
• Pudina (mint) chutney

Procedure:- Shallow fry the McCain Smiles till they are crispy-hot. Smear the cheese spread generously over a Smiles nugget, and place another nugget over it like a sandwich. If you can manage to get some cheese to flow out of the Smiles' eyes and mouth by pressing the sandwich' together it would be a visual treat for your kid, but it's okay even if it doesn't work out that way. Serve the 'sandwiches' with thick tomato ketchup and/or freshly made pudina (mint) chutney.

Although it is not likely to happen, if your kid prefers to give the dish the 'cream biscuit treatment' by licking off all the cheese and leaving only the Smileys for you, I'm sure you're not going to complain ;)

For other interesting recipes, visit the McCain India website - http://www.mccainindia.com/

Bon Appetit!

E-INDIA : INDIA'S MARCH TOWARDS DIGITIZATION AND E-GOVERNANCE

Image Source: www.tribuneindia.com

Imagine a situation maybe around 10 years ago. Let's consider a situation where your passport is about to expire and you need to renew it. The very thought of a renewal procedure is likely to send a shiver down your spine, because you're already thinking long lines for the application form, filling up of long forms, long queues for submission of forms, police verification, and so on. You might curse your fate for having had a passport in the first place.

Fast forward to 2015. Today, all you need to do in order to renew your passport is to log in to the Government of India's passport website and follow a simple set of procedures which includes filling up the application form online, taking a few printouts, setting up a date for submission and then finally going to the passport office for submission without standing in long queues, simply because you are coming by appointment.

This is the power of technology. Technology-driven digitisation has brought the ever-expanding world closer together. It redefined the parameters of  time and distance and enabled expedition of processes that were once long-drawn, time-consuming and vulnerable to red-tape. To put it more precisely, this is the power of E-Governance.

What is E-Governance? Electronic governance or 'E-Governance' is the application of information and communication technology for delivering government services, exchange of information communication transactions, integration of various stand-alone systems and services between government and its departments, stakeholders in an economy, businesses and citizens.It also facilitates integration between back office processes and interactions within the entire government framework.

The progress of E-Governance has been one of the most striking developments of the web. E-Governance initiatives are not a phenomenon that has suddenly made an appearance. In fact, the seeds for E-Governance were sown during the IT-revolution of the early 90s, that was sparked by our late ex-PM Rajiv Gandhi. E-Governance has come a long way since then.

The National E-Governance Plan (NeGP) was approved in May 2006. It was formulated by the Department of Electronics and Information Technology (DEITY) and the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG).

The NeGP had certain elements, mentioned as under:-

1) It involved the setting up of common support infrastructure

2) The Plan provided a framework for monitoring and co-ordinating the implementation, along with standards and guidelines, provision of technical support and capacity building

3) The plan facilitated decentralized implementation in spite of centralized initiative

4) The Plan encouraged Public-Private Partnership so as to enlarge the resource pool, without compromising on the security aspects

5) It laid down the requirement of unique identification codes for citizens, businesses and properties, in order to facilitate integration and avoid ambiguity

6) The Plan enabled and promoted a concerted programme approach at the national and state levels

7) It laid down the role of DEITY as a facilitator; and

8) Under the NeGP, various MMPs were to be owned and spearheaded by the concerned line Ministries

The wonderful  thing about E-Governance is that it inherently encourages participation of citizens in the day-to-day functioning of various government departmental machineries. The rollout of citizen services is made possible through the use of the web. Such a system also facilitates transparency and reliable record-keeping.

India has taken significant steps in the area of e-governance, with most states having launched e-service portals. Notwithstanding the fact that constant efforts are directed towards enhancing the IT infrastructure and user-friendliness of government bodies' websites and public service portals, progress has not been at the optimum pace. The new government at the Centre, headed by Shri Narendra Modi, promises to expedite the process of digitization so as to make #DigitalIndia an efficiently-running reality. In fact, digitization is one of the most important factors that will enable Shri Modi's vision of catapulting India from a currently abysmal global position with respect to 'Ease of Doing Business' to a position among the top 50 countries. Accordingly, it becomes imperative to overcome the hurdles affecting the evolution of e-Governance to enable efficient governance & administration.

So let us join the government, Intel, and other stakeholders in bringing the dream of a #DigitalIndia closer to reality, and quickly.

This post is my entry for Indiblogger and Intel's contest on the topic "Digital India"

Visit http://www.intel.in/ for more information on Intel

KELLOGG'S 'ANAAJ KA NASHTA'

Guptaji (as Mr.Gupta is fondly known) is a simple man. He's not a particularly fun person to be with. He has a few odd habits, some of which might put you off (burping is one :p). He is usually quiet, but once he opens his mouth to speak, he can disengage you with his horrible and crass sense of humour. However, if you look closely, you will see that he is a very popular man. Almost everyday, you will see him having friends over for breakfast.

"Why", you ask? Because his family is a Kellogg's family.

What's a 'Kellogg's Family' you ask?

Well, simply put, the Gupta family religiously has Kellogg's cornflakes as a component of its breakfast spread.

Corn, as most of us know (hope you do too), are one of the world's healthiest foods. They are rich in phytochemicals, and provide protection against a string of chronic diseases, like diabetes, heart ailments and hypertension, among others. It also reduces the risk of hemorrhoids and colo-rectal cancer. It is also a rich source of vitamins, minerals like magnesium, manganese, zinc, iron and copper, and anti-oxidants which have anti-aging properties. Kellogg's Cornflakes, which are essentially flattened corn kernels, pack in the goodness and nutritional benefits of corn, while making a tasty breakfast. Even better, Kellogg's Cornflakes do not use preservatives, some of which can be really harmful for the human body, especially for kids.

I see you nod in agreement. But "How Boring to Have Cornflakes Each and Every Day", you might say.

Well, I agree. But I discovered something, and would like to share this with you.

What if I told you that the way cornflakes are dished out can be tweaked and experimented with, to come up with a unique breakfast spread every day? Guptaji's wife uses almost a 100 breakfast recipes using the humble cornflakes?

Hard to believe? Maybe you should visit the Kellogg's India website.

Still think I'm bluffing? Allow me to name a few breakfast items:-

• Cornflakes Khatta Moong
• Cornflakes Chana Chaat
• Chikoo Banana Cornflakes
• Choco Mint Cornflakes
• Choco Cornflakes Peanut Chikki
• Cornflakes Sesame Modaks/Dumplings
• Cornflakes Almond Payasam
• Cornflakes Anjeer Porridge
• Cornflakes Guava Milkshake; and many many more

Is your mouth watering yet?

Check out more recipes on the Kellogg's India website. Here it is http://www.kelloggs.in

Also visit Kellogg's Youtube page for useful information here:-

https://www.youtube.com/user/kelloggindia

“What if Cornflakes are not my thing?” you might ask. Well, Kellogg’s offers other options too. Kellogg’s Muesli Nuts can be a god choice for those who want a quick power breakfast. Kellogg’s Oats is for those who are very conscious about healthy food, because it is extremely good for the heart, and is known to reduce bad cholesterol. Fussy kids with a sweet tooth can have Kellogg’s Chocos. 

As you can see in the video below, everyone wants to have 'Naashta' with the Kellogg's Waale Gupta family.

Everyone will love to have breakfast at your place too, if only you were a Kellogg's family. Check out Kellogg's 'Anaaj Ka Nashta' facebook page here ==> https://www.facebook.com/anaajkanashta

TURNING A NEW LEAF

An extract of a very popular Catholic hymn titled 'Be With Us Mary' goes like this - "No man can live as an island, journeying through life alone". True enough, mankind needs relationships for nurturing and to grow, and surely even to survive. No matter how much of a loner a person might be, deep inside he always craves for some kind of human contact.

Everyone has relationships. As kids, we have our parents and grandparents to raise us and give us solid ground in health and values. Without care in early childhood, no one can survive. In our adolescence and teenage years, we have our friends and peers, along with family, to help us through. From there on, even though we might have a sea of friends and family, we crave for that one special companion, with whom we can share our feelings, our needs, our desires, and intimate moments, without feelings of guilt or the fear of being judged. Everyone needs a lover/spouse.

Like everyone else, I too had dreams of finding that someone special, falling in love with her, making my feelings known, having the same feelings reciprocated, and living happily ever after. Even better if she had to do all the hard work. Either way, I wanted to experience a romantic love life. I had promised myself that I would only have a love marriage. The idea of spending my life with someone I did not know and whom getting to did not entail any sort of pursuit simply did not appeal to me. 

So when I hadn't found love (of the requited type) even after finishing my studies, fetching a job and turning 28, I was utterly disappointed. Like all Indian parents, mine also began getting worried about my future and experiencing pseudo panic attacks when I wan't showing signs of wanting to settle down. Motions to get me consider getting married were very subtle initially, but very soon turned blatant and eventually to threats and ultimatums. Then came the dreaded profiles created on my behalf on matrimonial sites. But yours truly offered fierce resistance, not ready to have anything lesser than a love marriage. Soon I was being told to phone and/or meet girls. Sometimes I was tricked into attending functions/events to meet someone. Most of the time, I was able to fend off interest with my not-so-attractive looks and boring demeanor. Of course, there were a few times where the parents did not approve of the girl. Either way, I wasn't complaining, and life was good.

My parents were getting anxious. My brother already had a girlfriend and my marriage was the only thing that was keeping him waiting in line. I did feel guilty, but I also thought it was unfair on their part to expect me to toe their line just to match their expectations. But I decided to cede some ground by at least wholeheartedly meeting girls, even if only to keep my family happy. 

One day, my mom sent me to an aunt's place to go and collect something. My aunt handed me an envelope and said that there are a girl's photographs in it. This made me livid, since my family hadn't taken me into confidence. Having concealed my anger from my aunt, I simply came home and handed the envelope to my parents without even looking at the contents.

The next day, being a Sunday, our family went to church. As soon as service was over, my family asked me to wait with them outside. Very soon, another family consisting of a lady, her sister and her two young daughters joined us. Both families exchanged pleasantries, and me and one of the girls were introduced to each other. I immediately realised that I had been tricked. This time though, I somehow wasn't angry at all. In fact, post conversing with the girl, I realised that I actually enjoyed her company. Somehow, I had become keen on meeting her again.

I searched her up on facebook, sent her a friend invitation, and set up a date to meet so as to get to know her better.

A few meetings later, we conveyed our assent to get engaged in a couple of months, and to get married six months after the engagement.

Today, I and my wife have been married for more than three years, and we have a 15-months old kid to stand witness to our deep love for each other. I am so glad that I had altered my stance of not meeting someone and shutting people out of my life. If I had to remain adamant, I would have probably missed meeting my soulmate.

Truly, when you decide to turn a new leaf in your life, changes become possible and dreams come to life.

Watch the video below to know how to bring to life your housing dreams.

For more information on how to start a new life, visit https://housing.com/in

LOOKING FORWARD

The waiting room seemed packed to the rafters. Although the open windows offered us a lot of fresh air, there weren't enough seats for everyone. I, for one, had been standing for almost three hours now, one outside the clinic, before the shutters were even up, and two more inside the clinic, awaiting my turn. I had reckoned that not many people would come an hour early to book their slots for a consultation. I was wrong.

I had my biopsy report with me. It had cost me a bomb, this 20-pager bland sheet filled with a lot of numbered readings and medical terms that I would never be able to decipher in a hundred years or two. All that concerned me was the fact that I had strange lesions all over my scalp, and that they hurt and bled, and that they had begun to spread to my face. A new unwelcome update was that diagnosis and treatment was making a sizeable dent in the household savings. I couldn't afford to let this monster get bigger.

A good 45 minutes later, my turn finally came. The doctor, a lady slightly older than my mother welcomed me in. After the customary asking about general well-being, she asked me for the biopsy report and the histopathology laboratory slide that came with it.
I broke the silent moment, "I've done a little reading about this alopecia mucinosa online. Is really a precursor to lymphoma?"

She huffed, "In 40 per cent of the cases, yes, people do end up with lymphoma within a span of three years." Then she smiled. "But you don't have to worry too much. Just go ahead with the treatment religiously."
A more worried and 'woe-is-me' look came across my face now. "I'm scared Doctor. My wife is pregnant, and we have our hands tied due to our housing loan.”

She cut in, “You worry a lot son, you need to relax.”

“But…”
“Listen son”, she continued, “Life is full of problems, it never has been easy, and it never will be easy. Difficulties will come at unexpected points, sometimes you will have your plate full and you will feel helpless.”

I nodded half-heartedly.

“Seriously son. You need to have faith. Do you see that lady at the reception table out there?”

I looked outside. A young, thin, but seemingly healthy girl sat t the table, ably taking down appointments.

She continued, “Yes, her. She had exactly the same problem as you did. That was 5 years ago. But she wasn’t depressed like you are. She stayed busy and left the rest to treatment and to fate. You need to stay strong son. Life is hard, but you need to keep your chin up, otherwise you’ll lose your battles before they even begin.”

She prescribed me some medicines. But I don’t know if the medicines were even half as effective as her pep talk. It changed my outlook towards life and gave me renewed hope.

As luck would have it, the problem was not life-threatening at all.

 To look up innovation and optimism, visit https://housing.com/lookup

WHAT MY FATHER TAUGHT ME

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My Father is a very emotional man. He's also a hard taskmaster, and tends to get very impatient when a task is not done the way he wants it done, and within his preferred time-frame. If he's pissed, everyone gets to know, because he makes his displeasure known very expressly. There is another aspect to his personality, he loves his family. However, like most 'Indian Dads', he is not very expressive when it comes to showing love and caring.

Since childhood, my dad has always made sure that we had a disciplined upbringing. As kids, me and my two siblings were always told to follow a disciplined lifestyle. A very important rule was that money had to be valued, and that wasteful expenditure would not be acceptable. We never got things easily as kids. If we ever had a an item on our wishlist, whether it was something we wanted for our birthday or otherwise - clothes, shoes, toys, books, go to a movie, etc. - it would always have to be something our parents approved of. Also, even after getting approvals, we always had to earn them through good conduct or by doing a good job - whether in terms of chores or tasks or in our studies.

I have never been someone who has too many expectations. I find it difficult to ask for things, and it is hard for me to say no. Even when asked if i wanted something, I would feel shy to ask. My dad's strict persona also made me hesitate to ask for things. As a result, I hardly had too many fancy belongings while growing up. There were many times that I would see my peers - classmates, friends...and even siblings - flaunt their stuff, while I would have nothing. I would sit quiet about it, but deep inside I would actually indulge in self-pity and disappointment on what I didn't have.

But as I grew up and started working, I slowly realized that I somehow had a trait that not many friends of mine could claim as their strong points. I realized that I had not picked up habits that were expensive and that would burn a hole in my pocket. I had somehow developed an ability to save a significant portion of my earnings, nevermind what my salary was, while my friends seemed to struggle like crazy while trying to finance their lifestyles. Initially I would wonder what I was doing differently. Eventually it dawned upon me that it was the value system that demanded that I be cautious with my spendings and save more that held me in good stead, and continues to keep me secure even today. The best part is that I don't even have to look stingy, because I have my share of fun and leisure, albeit in moderation. 

I can only thank my parents for this, especially my dad. I am glad that he did not raise us to become spoilt irresponsible brats. I wish I can teach half the lessons he taught me to my son.

He truly has taught me to live life 'Apne Dam Par'.

Sometimes it takes a little motivation, a little inspiration and a little support to live life on your own terms.

Watch the video embedded below to see how HDFC Life supported a father in helping his daughter get to her feet, literally.

For information on HDFC Life, visit http://www.hdfclife.com

RITUALS FOR MY BABY

All living beings (at least most of them) need their share of sleep every day. It's sleep that gives our minds and bodies the time to relax and recharge our batteries. Without our 40 winks (or more), we would never have the energy to do any work. Research has shown that man can survive for a month or more on just water, but without sleep, he will SURELY die in 11 days.

Human adults, no matter how busy their lives might be, never compromise on their sleep. They devise innovative methods and put to use all their time and situation management skills to get some sleep. Some of us are fortunate enough to have chilled out working hours. As a result, most adults tend to have more or less fixed sleeping hours. With kids, however, things are a little complicated. They obviously don't follow a fixed sleep pattern, their body clocks are simply not from this world, and adults have to struggle to tuck them into bed so that they themselves don't lose out on their sleep. All parents will vouch for the fact that kids have given them sleepless nights and drowsy days.

My son is barely 15 months old now. But at close to 2 feet in height and enough strength in his limbs to knock out Chota Bheem, he's way past the days when swaddling could get him into slumber mode. Me and my wife have spent sleepless nights dealing with a cranky kid in the wee hours. A cheerful kid on a night prowl isn't any better, what with him practicing hair pulling on the wife and WWE-style wrestling maneuvers on yours truly at 3-friggin-o'clock in the night, or even  simply jumping up and down and making eerie noises or shouting and laughing aloud in the still of the night.

But being resilient adults, we tried and tested a few methods to manage mayday. Some work most of the time, some worked only initially, and some gave the false impression of working only because our son had pity on us and played along. So, for the benefit of young parents, and soon to be parents, here's what we did:-

1) Hum a tune - You need not be a Shreya Ghoshal or a Kishore, or even a sleep-inducing singer from the 50s to be able to pull this off. You don't even need to know lyrics - you could fit the lyrics of Jack and Jill to the tune of a kid-friendly version of a Marilyn Manson track to get the desired effect. Use his pet name to come up with a song like "Shonu boy, sleepy boy" to the tune of the Spiderman song (old tune) for best results. Psst: Avoid taking a video clip of your antics to avoid embarrassing yourself in front of family and a grown-up kiddo in the future.

2) Pretend you're sleeping - This initially seemed to have a wonderful magic wand-esque effect. Within a minute (or maybe 10...patience is a virtue), your kiddo is likely to go into hibernation like you. Beware: This is one game in which he/she can be a step ahead of you and play along for some time before giving you a rude shock later.

3) A head massage - Works wonders, especially when it's done by a favourite grandparent. Here again, it's not a privilege that your kid might have accorded to you, so no guarantee.

4) Hand him/her a feeding bottle - Some kids tend to sleep during breastfeeding. Using a feeding bottle can replicate the effect. Dunno why it works.

5) Entertain the kid - A lot of times, kids are hyperactive simply because they need your attention and want you to indulge them. Reading a story book, getting into an impromptu jig, playing with toys along with them can give them a reassurance of your presence and their well-being. On the flip side, you might end up losing your sleep for the night while he/she bids goodnight.

Watch the video below to see how Pampers can ensure at least 12 nights of peaceful and comfortable sleep for your child.

https://www.rewardme.in/tag/Pampers

FIVE THINGS I WOULD HAVE DONE IF I COULD LIVE BEFIKAR UMAR-BHAR

Source: http://sd.keepcalm-o-matic.co.uk/

There is an English phrase that sounds cliched and done-to-death. It goes "Live Life to the Fullest". A simple phrase, without any difficult spellings, without words that are hard to pronounce, and yet a phrase that is JUST SO HARD to put into action.

Why?

Because our lives have become so mechanical that we hardly find time to do much. Everyone wants a piece of us - our bosses, colleagues and partners, our families, our neighbours, our subordinates, the government, society, and even ourselves. Most of us end up giving 99% of our lives to work and family, with less than 1% left for ourselves. Life is a mad rush, which begins as soon as we begin to work and start setting and achieving one goal after another. Thereafter, we get caught in an endless loop of never-ending worries.

So what would I do if life was without worries? What would I do if there was no fear of failure? What would i do if I was guaranteed a chance to start afresh after every failure without much damage from a fall?

Here are 5 things I would have done if life was BEFIKAR UMAR BHAR:-

1. Go globetrotting - Those close to me know that I love places of historical importance. So be it a fort, or a palace, or a museum, or maybe even an ancient torturing device, I'd love to take a piece of history away with me on every tour. I wish I could visit as many historical sites in the world - right from castles in England/Scotland/Wales/Ireland, to the pyramids in Egypt, to Indian Forts, to ancient underground tunnels, to medieval churches. I'm sure though, that one life isn't enough to see everything.
2. Play a musical instrument - I'm a great fan of music - be it ghazals, or filmi stuff, or R&B, or Gospel, or even Death metal, I listen to a wide range of genres. I always wanted to play the drums, but I figured it would be expensive to buy a drum kit. As a college kid, guitars fascinated me too, like all young dudes I'm sure (they still fascinate me). I tried learning the guitar, but I guess I lost patience too soon when I couldn't pick barre chords or identify chords by ear. But someday I wish I could play an instrument like a pro. And maybe even do a gig with friends.
3. Try out all kinds of cheese - I'm a big cheese lover. I love my cheddar and gouda, and wanna try some other varieties. Unfortunately, cheese tends to get converted to lard on various parts of my anatomy, and so I have to shy away from indulging (besides the fact that some varieties of cheese are too heavy on the pocket as well). But someday, I wanna indulge without a care in the world.
4. Write a book - I always thought that writing a book is a difficult task, but after having interacted with a few writers, I realised that the actual struggle starts after the book has been written. It entails a lot of money (if you want to self-publish), time (writing, proof-reading, editing, promotions, approaching publishers, etc.), and patience. But if life was any simpler, I wish I could write a book - maybe an anthology is more practical.
5. Go on a killing spree - The world is becoming an increasingly horrible place to live in, what with heartless terrorists and criminals gaining power and control, and doing their stuff at will, without any resistance. If life was BeFikar, I'd like to go trigger happy on these scum.

Unfortunately, those who have responsibilities and loved ones depending on them can not feel Befikar, no matter how hard they tried. But there are some things that can give you some sense of security about your dear ones' well being and future, no matter how little it might seem. Insurance is one such thing.

For 5 reasons to be Befikar Umar Bhar with IDBI Federal in association with Ageas, visit the link http://bit.ly/BefikarUmarBhar

This post is written for IndiHappyHours Campaign  #BefikarUmarBhar

‘CUPIDEST’ WAYS TO ASK YOUR CRUSH OUT ON VALENTINE’S

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Valentine’s Day is fast approaching. For young parents like me whose kids’ birthdays fall in the month of November, this day can make you feel real nostalgia…*ahem…wink*. For younger people, this day offers a great excuse to ask your crush out, and a wonderful opportunity to get away with subtle advances. For those who are really religious, it is an occasion to attend mass at the nearest Church and pray for St. Valentine’s soul which might definitely be experiencing grave unrest as we speak.

So, you came here looking for some real ‘kewl’ ways to ask your crush out on Valentine’s Day. From the perspective of a young parent like me, the best Valentine’s Day possible would be your toddler allowing you to stick to your planned schedule, and finding time to have a quiet dinner somewhere without running behind baby with a bib and a bowl of baby-food. For youngsters, on the other hand, the world is your laboratory to try out anything you like (as long as it does not violate the Indian Penal Code…haha…‘Penal’ ;) )

Presenting some decent/bold/funny/classy ways (depending on your personality, traits and mental balance) to ask your crush out on a date, and some important caveats. Try them out at your own risk, and please remember that we DID NOT have this conversation:-

1. Book two tickets for a movie/concert/Carnatic music recital beforehand and tell your crush that you have an extra ticket. Make sure though that your target relates to the event, or you’ll have to give those tickets out to your friend and his date, for free. Do not give your crush both the tickets, or someone else will be going on a date with him/her at your expense.
2. After a long and tiring day at college, assuming you are college students and have to attend college on Saturdays (poor you :p), ask your crush if he/she wanted a free back massage/head massage/foot rub, and so on. If they comply, you could pop in your question and hope you get a Yes. Of course, if he/she agrees to both propositions, you’re a winner all the way. If he/she agrees only for the free service, you still have your personal ‘touch’ to flaunt. Some of you might lose on both counts, so brace yourselves for the eventuality of weird suspecting and disgusted stares for the rest of your lives.
3. A V-Day card can be real cliché, if it doesn’t have some added flavour. If you make it all yourself – the card cutting, images, sketching, lettering, poems, et al -  maybe you can score with him/her. Don’t try the ‘khoon se likh raha hu, syaahi mat samjhna’ stunt, lest you end up in prison for stalking.
4. Go on a group date maybe, where there are equal number of boys and girls, and everyone goes around in pairs. He/she won’t suspect anything amiss, and maybe after you had a great time, you can let him/her know that you felt it from within. Make sure you don’t have dumb friends who keep giving you the ‘I know what’s going on’ and giggly look from time to time.
5. Go on an adventure sports trip in a group. Try to set yourself up with your sweets for a couple sport like sky-diving (how you ask? Go figure yourself, nothing in life comes served on a platter). In mid-flight, scream your lungs out into his/her ears about how you feel about him/her (you’ll need to scream, the air pressure on your ears while descending makes it hard to hear). Maybe the thrill of the moment, or pure delusion will make him/her ‘subscribe to your scheme’. Make sure you activate the primary and/or secondary parachute at the right time and altitude, lest you miss out on your date and other possible action.

So there you are, choose your option. Let's see if you lie to tell your tale.

For daring ideas on how to get closer to your crush this Valentine’s Day, visit http://cupidgames.closeup.in/

DABUR CHYAWANPRASH - A MOUTHFUL OF IMMUNITY

https://www.liveveda.com/dabur-chyawanprash/3x-immunity.aspx

There is nothing more endearing than the laughter of a child. Nothing sounds better than the cackling of little children, especially if they're your own. A healthy child is an active child, and an active child is always laughing and playing around.

So what happens, when your child becomes sick? Obviously, it's a time of lots of tears, crying, bawling, and a sight no parent would ever want to behold.

I have a son who's just over a year old. A really naughty kid, there's not a single moment that you can leave him unattended. He's always up to some kind of mischief - pulling things out of cupboards, pulling down the bed sheets, opening the kitchen drawers and pulling out utensils, dropping things on the floor, and much more. It sometimes gets on our nerves, because supervising him means leaving all other tasks on the back-burner.

When he falls sick, however, our hearts sink, because all of a sudden there's no giggling, no running around, no pulling of hair or clinging. We'd prefer a naughty kid over a dull one any day. Not to mention the fact that we're extremely anxious about his health whenever he falls ill. My kid falls ill quite regularly. Most of the time, it is cough and cold that puts him out of action. It probably has something to do with the Mumbai pollution or the extremes in weather that the city encounters. Whatever is the case, the home suddenly becomes a dull place.

Every single time he falls ill, we take him to a doctor. Some doctors will JUST NOT prescribe medications for a child, no matter how worse his/her condition becomes. And at the other end of the spectrum are doctors who are dangerously generous in prescribing medications, sometimes for very small things. I've been through both extremes, and worry for my child.

Ultimately, it all boils down to the child's immunity. If the child's immunity is given a boost, illnesses stay at bay for a good amount of time. Medications do the trick, but is it really safe to put your child in a condition where he/she will have to rely on medications for a lifetime. What if there was something natural, without side-effects and safe to boost your child's immunity?

The answer has to be Dabur Chyawanprash. Old-timers or elder will vouch for its health benefits. It is known to be a time-tested, age-old formulation. It encapsulates the power of an array of herbs and fruits. Some of its ingredients are Amla, which is a superior antioxidants and a major source of Vitamin C, Giloy (Guduchi), which is known to have immuno-modulatory properties, and 40 other natural ingredients. Dabur Chyawanprash's anti-oxidant properties helps to strengthen the body's immune system, thereby providing resistance to infections such as cough, cold, etc. It strengthens the body’s natural defence mechanism by stimulating the body's 'Natural Killer' cells, which assist in fighting with viruses and harmful bacteria. Scientific studies conducted on Dabur Chyawanprash seem to prove Dabur Chyawanprash's immunomodulatory and anti-allergic potential.

For those who are skeptical, Dabur Chyawanprash need not be used as a substitute for conventional medical care, but to complement the same. Being absolutely natural, there are no risks of an overdose, or side-effects. In layman terms, it can be used as a top-up to heathcare services. 

So adopt Dabur Chyawanprash in your daily life to keep illnesses at bay, especially for your child. Prevention is better than cure after all. 

For more information, visit https://www.liveveda.com/daburchyawanprash/

MAKING A QUIKR MOVE TO BANGALORE

http://homesindallasdfw.com/

Every person has different traits. Some of us are wanderers, who hate the idea of staying put in one place for a long time. On the other hand, some of us would not fancy the idea of relocating, even if our lives were at stake. I, for one, hate change. Maybe it is because I have a sense of attachment to things and places. I had a tough time moving out from my parents' place after marriage to settle with my wife in a different house, even though it was merely a five minute walk away.

This post though is about how Quikr can help me alleviate my relocating problems.

Let's assume a hypothetical situation where I need to relocate to Bangalore with my family, for a few years at least. Although Bangalore is a wonderful city to live in, home is home after all. So I would probably be living in a rented place.

Would I consider buying new stuff for the house? Probably not. I mean, maybe stuff like crockery could be purchased, but not things like furniture, certain electronic items like LCD TVs, a washing machine, a refrigerator, a wardrobe, an AC, etc. These things of daily use would burn a REALLY BIG hole in my pocket if I had to buy them fresh off the market, so it would probably be a better idea to buy them second-hand and save some hard-earned money, no? 'Easier said than done', right? Wrong. Quikr has a solution for such problems. And the best part? They have a separate forum on their website for the city of Bangalore. It's http://bangalore.quikr.com/

So this is what the homepage of the website looks like. I've marked out the sections I can use to find stuff I need.

http://bangalore.quikr.com/

Let's continue with the electronics & appliances section. Here's what you will get if you click that option.

http://bangalore.quikr.com/

So, as you can see, you get to choose from among a wide array of options - kitchen appliances, air conditioners, refrigerators, washing machines, TVs, DVD players, cameras, inverters, UPS and generators, home theater systems, office equipment, even laptops and computers, name them and Quikr has them. In other words, they offer a platform for buying and selling everything that you might need, and more.

Another useful feature is the filtering options on the website, that make it simple for finding stuff. As you can see on the right side of the page, you can select the kind of appliance you are looking for from the drop down box. In the box below that, you can select the location, in case you don't want your deal to involve travelling to meet a seller who stays too far. The best part, you can key in your price range as per your budget. There is also a check-box that would enable you to get only those results which have images of the product, after all seeing is believing, right?

Once you are done specifying your requirements, you need not have to revisit the website for a follow up. his is because Quikr will make sure that you get mails directly in your mailbox in case there is a match. How cool! If some of such offers seem attractive to you, you can directly contact the person who has posted the ad via his email ID or contact number.

Why Quikr then? It's a no brainer. It helps you get in touch with prospective sellers without having to scan your contacts list of contacting brokers. It saves you hefty broker fees and ad costs.

The newly-launched Quikr Nxt mobile app lets you get in touch with sellers without divulging your phone number. Instead, you can chat using the website or mobile app, without revealing your number upfront. This helps in cutting out irritating prank calls and semi-interested time-wasters.

Apart from furniture and electronic items, the website also offers real estate, cars & bikes, mobiles & tablets, and home & lifestyle products. In case you decide to relocate for a really long time, it also offers information on education & learning, services, pets & pet care, community & events and entertainment. For bachelors, it also offers a matrimonial section.

In a nutshell, Quikr endeavours to provide to you all that can possibly be offered to make your relocation to a new city easy.

Absolutely No Fikarrr, When You Have Quikr!

The post is written for Indi-Happy Hours …It's just Quikr in Bangalore.

Visit the website now for more information. It's http://bangalore.quikr.com/

PRE-MARITAL SEX : MY OPINION

Everyone has a different opinion on sex. Most people, especially men, might look at it as mere sexual activity. Others, mostly women (or so they say) might define it as a bond between two people that love each other. The world over, more than 90% people admit to having had sex at least once before marriage. In many countries, marriage is not even a popular institution anymore.

In India, people still won't like to admit that they have had pre-marital sex. This is in spite of the fact that many might have actually indulged in it, or at least desired it. Hell, I can admit that I've desired if only I had an opportunity and a willing partner. 

We live in a very hypocritical society. Sex is all around us - in magazines, in the movies, television commercials, in movie soundtracks...many times even on the first pages of newspapers. Sex sells like hot cakes, whether discreetly or blatantly. Skin show is the norm everywhere. Sex is, after all, a part of human nature. But when it comes to speaking about it, most of us Indian will shy away. Of course, it's another matter when people make lifestyle choices and are firm about it - whether they choose to be sexually liberal or abstain. But many of us (including me) are bold only undercover, and extremely prude in the open.

Research shows men to have higher libido (not surprising, or is it?), while women are choosy about their sexual partners. Which means that men seek sex more easily than women do only because their bodies crave for it. In simple words, men are more likely to go for pre-marital sex, if they have the opportunity.

So is pre-marital sex good or bad? I wouldn't want to take a moral or a religious stance. In my opinion, everyone has the right to make his life's choices. But every person should also have the of the capability or the courage to bear the consequences of the choices they make. If you feel that you’re not ready for sex then that is completely fine. Likewise, if someone else wants to indulge, we can’t judge them (unless they're cheating). As long as you make your choices, be responsible, and don't hurt anyone, it's all fine. To each his own.

But I must say, sex after marriage (with your lawful spouse) might be devoid of thrill and adventure, but it sure guarantees you pleasure - both during the act and after, coz you can sleep peacefully without any guilt. :)

Buy Poonaam Uppal’s engrossing tale of finding love - A Passionaate Gospel of True Love: A Mystical True Love Story.

Cheers
CRD

VACATIONING WITH A TODDLER

Source: www.dreamstime.com

The dictionary defines a vacation as ‘a period of time devoted to pleasure, rest, or relaxation. Sounds simple, no? Parents of one-year olds, however, will know better. Imagine planning a vacation with plans for travel, accommodation, meals and sightseeing, without factoring in activities like changing diapers, feeding, bathing and managing tantrums. Sounds a little more complicated now, nay?

Till recently, I was not too enthusiastic about a family vacation with a small boy in tow. After all, a vacation should be something that you cherish for a lifetime, and you should preserve the memories. How on earth is a one-year old kid going to appreciate a vacation anyway? A family vacation can sometimes feel like no vacation at all for parents, what with all the chasing after kids that needs to be done. A few interactions with friends, however, changed this view. ‘Why should you let your child eat into your leisure time?’ they opined, ‘…you can have fun and make it fun for him too, so what if he won’t remember?’ That made a lot of sense. I might soon plan a vacation.

There are a few things I will have to take care of though, when it comes to vacationing with a small kid. Here is what I intend to do/take care of:-

1. Safety - Safety ought to be the number one priority when it comes to going on a vacation with a small kid. It is very easy, while having fun and letting your hair down, to let down your guard and take your eyes off your kid. Small kids are very curious, and might unintentionally step into trouble. So you always need to be alert.
2. Make sure you factor in child care necessities into your itinerary – So whether it is nappy change time, or feeding time, or just plain tantrum addressing, please be prepared with a decent time-table that would help you beat sudden shocks and surprises, and a whole lot of frustration.
3. Babysitting – If it is feasible, see if you can find a hotel with baby-sitting services or a crèche. It would be great to tag the babysitter along on your vacation. Although it is not such a feasible idea, you could try hiring a temporary babysitter for the trip.
4. A little twist to have some privacy – Booking a room with an attached balcony can be a good idea to get some privacy while the kid is asleep. Just be careful about the kid’s safety in the balcony.
5. The family that vacations together – Taking parents and in-laws along on a vacation is a wonderful idea. Firstly, the more the merrier. Secondly, family members make good and trustworthy caretakers for a child.

So, there you are. Let the kids indulge in all the fun activities, let them soak up the sun, let them have a great time. All this while being safe. They might not remember a thing, but hey, you can click photographs for them to see when they grow a little older. The important thing is you can enjoy yourselves without feeling guilty or worried about their well-being.

It’s time for me to look up a good holiday destination.

Visit http://membership.clubmahindra.com/TeddyTravelogues/index.html to Discover Travel Like Never Before.

SOCIO-PHOBIA

Source: www.anxietywellness.org

Once upon a time, long long ago, Aristotle had said, 'Man (and woman) is a social animal. He can not live without society. If he does, he is either a beast, or God.'

Indeed, humans cannot live in solitude. They need family, friends, their social circles, a good work environment, and society at large. Without the concept of society, we humans would have been no better than wild animals, there would have been no social skills, no learnings, no knowledge sharing, no display of caring...no humanity. Man has learnt to develop relations with other men and women, not just for his own emotional, mental and physical needs, but also for sheer survival. To forge such relationships, he makes an effort to mingle with all social circles.

And yet, there are some people who absolutely avoid situations that require them to be in a crowd.

I was always a shy guy. I simply hated being amidst a group of people unless I knew at least two or three people who could keep me company. Till date, I avoid attending parties. Somehow, The fear of embarrassing myself or looking clumsy was so intense that I would try my best to excuse myself from social gatherings. The fear of not measuring up in comparison to others and of being judged, although they might seem irrational to an average person, are very real for some people, meaning that they can’t help but feel anxious.

Public speaking was something I always abhored. Fortunately for me, through school and college days, I did not encounter too many occasions where I had to speak to a crowd. To walk through hordes of humanity, stand up and face them, and then speak to them while they were all ears - that thought freaked me out. "Are they actually listening to me or are they simply waiting for me to fumble and give them some entertainment?", "Why are they staring at me? Am I a freak?"...thoughts like these flooded my head on the few occasions that I absolutely HAD to speak. It was still ok then though, since till then I managed to keep them short and sweet. But the fact that life's moments were about to get even more anxious in the future didn't dawn upon me till the time I enrolled myself for a management course.

"I'd like each of you to stand up and introduce yourselves properly. Not just your name and qualifications, a little bit about your hobbies, interests and future aspirations too.", our Institute's Director said on the very first day. To say I was stunned is an understatement. My sweaty palms and forehead made me more anxious than I already was.

I simply lost count of the number of times we were forced to speak. Debates, presentations, speeches happened on a daily basis. Although I absolutely sucked at public speaking, I think the sheer number of speaking encounters got me used to the grind. Also, since not many people ridiculed me, and many in fact tried to help me through it, I slowly gained confidence. I also discovered a few people like me and realised I was not alone. Today, although  I still have sweaty palms, I do manage to muster up some courage to speak, and I do a decent job. I can only get better.

The important thing is that my mission to combat my fear is on,and I'm at it.

Here's a Tamil video showing how Mountain Dew suggests you combat fear.

This post is written as an entry for the 'Rise above Fear' contest sponsored by Mountain Dew and Indiblogger. Check out the page https://www.facebook.com/mountaindewindia

SPEAKING OUT FOR A CLEAN INDIA

Source: www.cleanmyindia.co.in/

"The World Suffers A Lot...Not Because Of The Violence Of Bad People, But Because Of The Silence Of Good People" - Napolean Bonaparte

The Government at the helm of affairs at the centre has changed, with the help of a massive public mandate. The mantra of 'Down With Corruption' was loud and clear, and with the power of their precious votes, the people brought in a government that they deemed was 'clean' and 'focused on development'. The Prime Minister, massively popular and gifted with commanding oratory skills, launched the Swach Bharat mission. Since then, it is a regular sight to see hordes of people, celebrities and laymen alike, going on their own 'swachhta' drives, sweeping localities clean of grime and dirt.

The mission is a welcome move. I personally know of some foreigners and NRIs who say the country looks a lot better of late. The cleanliness drive is working wonders, and this is commendable. Why the previous government's similar drive named 'Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan' did not get such support among the masses (did we Indians love our country less then, and does it take a special PM to make us love our country more?) is a different matter that can be talked about in another post. But yes, it is nice to see India getting cleaner. On the other hand though, no matter how clean our roads and localities get, can we really say India is becoming clean?

Being clean transcends beyond merely maintaining physical hygiene and looking good. Cleanliness is much more than taking out the garbage and making your surroundings spic and span. It is like purity, and being pure is being clean both physically and in spirit.

We Indians have made a good start with these cleanliness drives. But we need to introspect and clean out some really heavy garbage. We need to get rid of dirt like:-

• Corruption
• Crime
• Bribery
• Religious Intolerance
• Casteism and Racial Discrimination (we Indians are absolutely 'dirty' in this sense)
• Dowry
• Female Subordination
• Oppression of the Poor
• Absolutely unethical business practices
• Greed, among others

These social evils are very much a reality. They've existed since eternity. Where there are humans, there are bound to be social evils. But evil acts take place only when the evil-doer has confidence that no one will stand up to them. In other words, if you want to reduce evil, speak up against them whenever you get to know about them. Let the evil doers know that someone will stand up and object.

But we all have evil within us too, don't we? We all need to clean up our own dirt too. That doesn't mean we should stay put and resolve our own issues first. We need to be proactive. Learning comes with experience. Good comes with cleaning up evil, whether or not it is your own. Goodness and cleanliness always rub off. 

#AbMontuBolega is a campaign that talks about the Power of Voice to Clean India. This power vests in each and every one of us. Whether it is places that need cleaning, or people who deserve your attention, or persons in authority who need to pay attention to your opinions, it encompasses each and everyone out there! It's time to cease being silent spectators, and to raise your voices to make a difference.

We all have the power to bring forth a Swach Bharat. Let us use that power wisely and responsibly.

Kyuki Bin Bole Ab Nahi Chalega #AbMontuBolega.

This post has been written for a contest organised by IndiBlogger

For more information, click these links:-

http://www.abmontubolega.com/

https://www.facebook.com/StrepsilsIndia

https://twitter.com/StrepsilsIndia