WORD UP 2015! Gurgaon

I am sitting next to Ashish Chopra in WORD UP, 2015, Gurgaon whose videos go viral on Youtube especially the one in which he paid the toll of the car behind him on Delhi - Gurgaon Toll Plaza. 


Some of his famous videos are as follows 
1. How to travel visa free https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmJVs_I-I5w
2. Premium Auto Rickshaw Service https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fe6cI5REP-0
3. Travel light https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQbJOod7fTM

Earlier his lecture on 'Vlogging how to's' was very interesting and inspiring. 

Book Review : Those Small Lil Things In Life and Love by Rahul Saini

‘Those Small Lil Things In Life and Love’ by Rahul Saini is very interesting, simple and humorous. For light reading, for time pass this novel is a good read or rather should not be missed. It tells about the friendships, relationships and family life of a guy named ‘Raj’. The most interesting point I liked in this book is Rahul gifted soap to his girlfriend, in his school days. The Bollywood songs and scenes give an exciting filmy angles to the incidences happening in Raj’s life. There are no erotic romantic scenes to attract masses but sweet,light romance. 

In this book the story moves alternately in past and present. The font sizes are unlike to differentiate between the present and past. I must say that I like the past more than the present especially the school days memories of Rahul which are very interesting and full of surprises. One can easily relate to the main character and his naughtiness. 

There are some typing mistakes which can be ignored as the language used is casual and not literary. 

Rahul Saini is the author of ‘Just for You’, ‘Paperback Dreams’, ‘The Orange Hangover’ and ‘Just Like in the Movies’. ‘ThoseSmall Lil Things in Life and Love’ is his first book. He resides in Gurgaon. He is architect by profession. He loves to write stories and paint. The collection of photographs on his blog is very beautiful.  

This novel is like a soothing breeze!

Avid reader

"I bought two books a day before yesterday. Today, I finished reading both." I said.
"You read so fast. Do you read in washroom?" Miss. 'I' asked.
"No. I am not that avid reader."
"Actually, I read books in toilet as my sister doesn't allow me to keep the tubelight on after 10 p.m. as she likes to sleep in dark room. So, I have to go to washroom, to sit there and read and read till I feel sleepy."

WORD UP! 2015

I attended Word Up! 2015 organised by Indibloggers at Striker, Gurgaon. It was a nice experience to hear the views of Lakshmipathy Bhat, Nandita Iyer, Ranchit Hirani, Kiran Manral, Vishal Shroff, Arun Nair and Ahish Chopra. Kiran Manral gave a lecture on 'Confessions of a Reformed Blogger'. She is the author of 'Once upon a crush' and 'The Reluctant Detective'. I got the chance to click photos when she was sitting just next to me. :)))

Kiran Manral is busy surfing and I posing for some more pics with her! :))

Overall I was a nice experience to be a part of Indiblogger Meet and I had a great time there. :)

Dear readers, this is 700th post. :)

Book review : There’s Something About You

‘There’s Something About You’ is Yashodhara Lal’s third book. Earlier her two books namely ‘Just Married, Please Excuse’ and ‘Sorting out Sid’ were bestsellers. ‘Just Married, Please Excuse’ was her autobiographical novel in which the character named Yashodhara faces adjustment problems with her hubby Vijay during the first three years of their marriage and ‘Sorting Out Sid’ was from written from a view point of a male.

The most interesting point I liked in ‘There’s Something About You’ is that the female protagonist is not beautiful, slim or attractive like the heroines of other romantic novels. Trish, the main character is in her late twenties, overweight, single and have lots of problems in her family and career life. She is burdened with lots of responsibilities like any ordinary person in the society. She fights with her problems own her own. She keeps trying to find a solution for the problems arising one after another in her life. She is helpful and even tries to save a stranger’s life at the risk of her own life. While reading she doesn’t seem to be a character but appears to me like a real person living my next door.

Sahil, the main character is in his thirties, doesn’t want to join their family business, plays guitar, helps the underprivileged and has some super natural powers of seeing the past or future of the person whom he touched by chance. Although Trish is an exception!

This is an unusual romantic novel in which as the hero touches the heroine, she felt electric current passing through her, something much similar to classic Bollywood movies. The chemistry between the two is interesting and the conversations are mostly enjoying.

The story is set in Mumbai. Trish with her parents lives in a small sized flat with a view of sea. The sunset is described beautifully by the author.

The sun was setting now and Trish watched the shimmering pink and orange rays splaying out over the ocean in silence. She couldn’t quite believe it. Her impetuous act had actually paid off in a totally unexpected way. She knew that Ba would be watching the sunset from his window, and this made her feel a sense of oneness with him. Maybe – just maybe – things were going to be all right.

Generally while watching sunset we think that our problems will end with it and the next day will be a new beginning, new hopes and will be full of new desires. Trish parents, Akansha, Lisa, Nivedita and Zee helps in moving the story further in an interesting way.

Yashodhara Lal’s way of writing is very impressive and very gripping. I liked to read very less female writers or I must say I admired only ‘Pearl S Buck’, ‘Jhumpa Lahiri’ and the third name I add to this list is ‘Yashodhara Lal’.

In the end, I would like to say to my readers that if you love unusual love stories this is the best book for you. If you want to read a light romantic novel then this book should not be missed.

Lose weight

Everybody should do exercises whether the person is young or old, fat or slim, rich or poor, working or non working. Exercises like walking, body weight squat, lunges, cycling, side bends, single leg bends and limb raises are good for healthy living. Everybody should focus on the betterment of health. Those who can’t find the time for rigorous exercises because of work pressure in office and home can do exercises for just five minutes. Five minutes exercise is like a healthy snack. It will rejuvenate and recharge the body as well as the mind. Skipping, climbing stairs, sit ups, wall push ups, chair crunches, stationary jogging, dusting and household chores, seated calf raise, dancing, desk pushups and weight lifting can improve body metabolism and overall health.

Many people do crash diet to lose weight. It is not at all a healthy way to lose weight as it harms the person physically as well as emotionally. Instead of losing weight through crash diet it is always better to lose weight naturally by cutting on the amount of sugar intake. Honey is a better substitute for sugar as one table spoon of honey contains lesser calories than sugar. Moreover, honey is sweeter than sugar so it is added in less amount to get the same level of sweetness. Sugar lacks proteins, enzymes and vitamins where as honey contains proteins, enzymes, vitamins and anti-oxidants that body requires for healthy function. Honey has lower Glycemic Index (GI) than sugar.

Benefits of a teaspoon of honey a day are weight management, sugar substitute, source of energy, aids digestion, helps in cold, cough and throat irritation, gives beautiful skin. Honey Diet is a healthier option for mind, body and soul. Dabur honey is sourced from the forests of Sunderbans and Himalayas. It passes through strict quality checks before processing. The whole process happens in the most hygienic environment, without any human contact to the product or the bottles. Dabur provides pure honey which means fitness and good health. Dabur honey comes in 1Kg bottle and 400g squezee.

One of the healthy recipe in which honey is the ingredient is Honey fruit salad by Chef Vikas Khanna.

Ingredients

1/3 cup honey

1/4 cup orange juice

1/4 cup canola oil

1/2  teaspoon fresh lemon juice, plus the juice 1 lemon

1 1/2  teaspoons poppy seeds

1/4  teaspoon salt

1/4  teaspoon prepared mustard

1 apple, cored and diced

1 banana, sliced

1 avocado, peeled and sliced

1 (11- ounce) can mandarin oranges, drained

1/4 cup raisins

1/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Method – For the dressing, combine the honey, orange juice, oil, 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice, poppy seeds, salt and mustard in a jar with a tight lid; cover and shake well. Toss the banana, apple and avocado with juice from one lemon to prevent the fruit from turning brown. Combine the fruits, raisins and nuts in a fruit bowl. Add the dressing and stir gently.

Eat honey to lose weight!

Surf fast, super fast!

I am mad about watching cricket. I sit for hours and hours in front of T.V. to enjoy cricket match from beginning to end. Like everyone else, I am also eager to know what will happen on the next ball. While watching cricket, I am so absorbed in the match that I forget about the world around me. Surprisingly I even forget to eat and drink.

Last Sunday, I went to see my doctor as my stomach was upset, my legs and arms were paining and I was feeling very lethargic. My doctor advised me to eat light food which is easily digestible, to do regular yoga exercises and to walk twice a day. He warned me not to miss a single day otherwise my poor health will deteriorate further and then the chances to recover will fade away. He also prescribed some medicines for betterment of my health which I had to take thrice a day.

“Although I like to walk and exercise in the park but when the cricket match is telecasting I don’t want to do anything else, not even exercises which are must for my good health.” I told my friend.

“You can watch the match on your mobile.” My friend said.

“The internet connection on my mobile is very slow. I lose interest in match as it downloads very slowly.”

He suggested me, “Download UC browser as it is fast, faster and fastest. Moreover your time will not be wasted till the circle moves round and round while downloading cricket match. You will not feel bored rather will enjoy the each and every ball of cricket match, especially the sixers hit outside the boundary wall by your favourite cricketer, Yuvraj Singh!”

I followed his advice and downloaded UC browser and UC Cricket. Now I can watch match very clearly and smoothly. The picture is very clear. I love to hear the commentary with each and every ball played. The voice is so clear and blends well with every action.  

My friend further guided me, “Not only you can watch cricket matches on UC cricket but you can also download your favourite Bollywood songs. You can watch ‘Tumse jo dekhte he pyar hoya’ while doing kapal bhati, a breathing exercise.”

“Yes, I love UC browser. It makes my life interesting. I am enjoying every moment with it.”

“You can also surf the internet with a very fast speed. Surf it all, Surf it Fast!”

“Doing exercises and walking becomes more interesting if entertainment goes side by side. I will not miss my exercises as per my doctor’s advice as well as I will not miss my cricket matches as per my heart’s voice.” There was a tinge of naughtiness in my voice. 

Trendy stoles

An article ‘Mix up your fashion – Master the stole!’ on Rewardme inspired me to write more about the stoles and in super stylish ways they can be worn. A stole can be worn in different ways giving a totally new look to the wearer.  

Infinite loop

Hold the stole on the neck with both the ends equal. Tie both the ends. Make another knot to avoid slippage of fabric. Twist it making a loop shaped like letter 8. Drape the bottom loop of eight over the head. Stole made up of silk can be used for this style.

The necklace

Fold the stole diagonally. Put it around the neck with both the ends equal. Like infinite loop tie both the ends, twist it to make a loop in the shape of letter 8. Drape the bottom loop over the head. Set the loops as one likes. Chiffon fabric can be used for this style.

Knotted shawl

Drape the stole on the shoulders. Take both of its ends at the back, wrapping the respective arms. Pull the ends tightly and tie a knot. Pull the scarf fabric below to cover the knot. This will give an appearance like that of wearing a shawl. Thick fabric can be used for this.

Double sided twist

Take two stoles of different colour and prints. Hold them together back to back. Drape them around the neck with unequal ends. Like basic wrap, drape the longer end around the neck so that both the ends are equal. While turning around the neck also turn the fabric so that both the stoles are visible, one in the loop close to neck and other falling down on both the sides of neck.

The turtle neck

Drape the stole around the neck with one end considerably longer than the other. Drape the longer end around the neck three or four times. Tie a knot of both the ends. To secure tie one more knot. Adjust the loops in such a way that knots are behind the draped fabric.

The two knots

Drape the stole around the neck with equal ends. Tie a knot in the middle of one side of stole. Tie another knot in the middle of other side of knot. This simple style gives a trendy look to the wearer.

The classic knot

Fold the stole in half lengthwise. Drape it around the neck with unfolded end significantly longer than the folded end. Pass the unfolded end from the folded ends. Tighten the knot, to look amazing.

Theme 2 “I am participating in the ‘Ready For Rewards’ activity for Rewardme in association with BlogAdda.”

Stole – A fashion statement

I loved the article ‘Mix up your fashion – Master the stole!’ on Rewardme. It tells how stole can be used in different styles. A stole can give a new look to the wearer even on a plain shirt, top or evening gown. It can make simple and less attractive dresses more striking. Wearing a stole in different styles can give a person, totally new look without spending money on buying new clothes. It makes the wearer’s personality very appealing and attractive. A stole can make the wearer fashionable by just the way it is tied around the neck.

While selecting a stole the color and print should be carefully selected as they should be appealing as well as trendy. Bright colors and patterned stoles give good results. One can even try wearing those colors and patterns that one doesn’t like. A stole should be made of light material like silk n chiffon. One can also wear a stole made up of fur for warmth and classic look.

This article also explains about how to tie a stole. In basic wrap, it is tied around the neck with uneven lose ends. Hold the stole unevenly around the neck and wrap the longer end around the neck keeping it enough lose around the neck. For this style the stole should preferably be in rectangular shape.

It also highlights another technique to wrap a stole around the neck which is known as arranged wrap. For this style the stole should be square. Fold it diagonally to make it a triangle. Place the folded side on the shoulders. Hold both the ends at the front and tie them together. Turn the stole so that the knot goes at the back. For a cowboy look the stole can be wore with knot on one of the shoulders.

This article is written in a very simple language so that even a layman can understand it. It explains the step by step techniques how to tie a stole around the neck. It clarifies all the points in detail how to create various fashion styles. It tells that stoles can become an integral part of one’s dress without spending too much money on buying new clothes. The picture of stole in the beginning of the article is very beautiful and very attractive. I must confess that this article steals my heart. It is the best article I have ever read on stoles.

Theme 1 “I am participating in the ‘Ready For Rewards’ activity for Rewardme in association with BlogAdda.”

Best out of waste

The article ‘Make or break’ on Rewardme inspires me to write this article. There are some of the articles which can be created by using unused and incomplete sets of crockery.

Clock

Take a plate, mark its center correctly, made a hole in the center with a driller. Insert the clock machine in the hole. From the top of the clock place the hour hand down first, then minute hand and in the last second hand. Bolt it to hold the hands and motor in position. Don’t forget to add battery to make it tick.

Candle

Glue a cup on the plate with epoxy glue. Try out multiple color combinations to get excellent results. Melt the paraffin wax in a pan. But always remember to melt it slowly so never put it directly on fire but put the pan containing wax in boiling water. Add the desired color and scent to it. Place the wick in the center of the cup and hold it in the position with a help of two sticks placed on the rim of cup. Slowly pour the wax without disturbing the wick. Allow it to cool. Remove the sticks and trim the wick to half an inch above the candle.

Flower pot and wall handing

Take one cup. Cut it in the half. Glue the two half pieces on a rice plate from the flat side. Glue a hanging loop on it at its back side. Use them to plant small plants or to decorate flowers or to hold spoons and forks. 

Bird feeder

Glue a cup on a plate. Make three holes equidistant from each other just below the rim of the cup. Draw beautiful strings through those holes and gather them together on the top and tie a knot in iron ring. Hang the iron ring. Put the grains in the cup and enjoy watching birds while feeding.

Pin holder

Take three small sized cups. Glue them on a plate in a line or circle. Put the stuffing inside a small cloth just double the size of the rim of cup. Sew it from all sides and draw the string to make it a small ball. Glue the ball carefully in the cup so that it puffed out of the cup rim. Hold the pins and needles in it. Now they won’t hurt anybody more in the house.

Pen and pencil holder

Glue cups, cupcakes, small bowls and plates etc. to create different stands of various sizes and designs which can be used to hold pens and pencils.

Theme 2 “I am participating in the ‘Ready For Rewards’ activity for Rewardme in association with BlogAdda.”

A meeting with Yashodhara Lal

I got the chance to meet the renowned author and blogger Yashodhara Lal to meet her at HarperCollins event organised by Indibloggers. It was great talking to her about her new release 'There is something about you', her impressive style of writing and the way she manages her job, motherhood responsibilities and being an author. I was amazed how she found time for all!

Earlier, Manasi Subramaniam from HarperCollins shared valuable information about to get published, points to be kept in mind while submitting a manuscript and the steps through which a book passes till publishing. I found the information how to publish a ebook very useful. Karthika Vk, Chief  Editor, Harpercollins interacted with the bloggers.

In the event, including me seven bloggers were present. It was fun to meet a poet, a doctor, a lifestyle blogger, a person who runs two blogs one personal and other on literature and two tech bloggers. Meeting new bloggers, knowing about their blogs, interacting them is always fun. I thank Indibloggers for organizing such events and giving me a platform to meet so many bloggers from various fields and a very famous blogger n author Yashodhara Lal.

Word Up 2015

My laptop crashed five days back, after Windows were reinstalled on it, I started it and the first page I opened on internet was of Indiblogger. I found that Indiblogger Team is organising Word Up 2015 on July 11, 2015 in my city – Gurgaon. The speakers will be KV Sridhar (Pops), Aashish Chopra, Arun Nair , Kiran Manral, Lakshmipathy, Nandita Iyer and Rachit Hirani. I desperately wanted to attend this blogger meet. I have always enjoyed the blogger meets organised by Indiblogger. The first time it was in New Delhi HP IndiBlogger Meet 2011 and next time in Biggest Indiblogger Meet 2015 at Kingdom of Dreams, Gurgaon. This time also I want to be a part of Word Up 2015. I have applied and waiting for an invite from Indiblogger with my fingers crossed.

First International Yoga Day

 A lecture cum demonstration was organised in our society. Lecture was given by Dr. N. D. Sukla. He first explained about the Pantanjali Yoga Sutras i.e yama, niyam,  asana, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dhyana, Samadhi. He demonstrated various lying, sitting and standing exercises and asanas explaining about there benefits. He briefly explained various mudras, pranayams and laughing exercises. In the end there was a prayer for the peaceful, healthy and happy world.

              Time to relax - Everyone lying in shithil asana.

                Me - Practicing standing yoga asanas.

                 A group photo with my yoga students.
After yoga session there was a samosa party! :))

Beautiful cup lights

This photo grabs my attention in first look because it looks beautiful and attractive. The cups and plates are very innovatively used to make lamps. I loved the way how unused or incomplete set of crockery can be converted into beautiful cup lights. Drill a hole in the middle of saucer and cup and paste them together with epoxy glue. Add a cord and fitting to hold the light bulbs. Lampshades made out of used crockery are ready to be used. They can be hung in row or unevenly to decorate the house.

I liked the article ‘Make or Break’ very much on the Crafts section of  Rewardme. It explains in detail how unused and incomplete sets of crockery can be used to create wonderful items like various sizes of cupcake stands, holders to hold jewellery or other small items, reading lamps etc. The article is written in a very simple language explaining each and every point in detail.  The loveliest décor pieces can be created by playing with colors and different types of ceramics.

New designer cupcakes or cake stands can be created by placing the saucers and plates at the base of cups, small bowls and egg cups. Epoxy glue can be used to glue the pieces together and stay there longer. Silicon glue or glue gun provides a weaker bonding. The crockery items can be mixed and match to give a total new look to tea set. Combination of different sizes and colours can be used to create new pretty stands which can be displayed on your kitchen shelves.

For creating something innovative out of ceramics they need to be drilled. It should be done with utmost attention. For that one requires some practice and patience. A cylindrical diamond bit should be used for ceramics which usually have a tip through which water can flow to keep the ceramic item cool. The item should be kept wet wile drilling as it will prolong the life of ceramic drill. To avoid any slippage, drill a hole on a wooden block of the same size needed on the ceramic piece and hold the block while drilling. First drill a small groove and then hold the drill upright and drill the whole circle. The manufactures guidelines on speed drilling should be followed. Most importantly be patient while drilling otherwise it will break or crack.

To create the best out of the waste this is the best article!

Theme 1 “I am participating in the ‘Ready For Rewards’ activity for Rewardme in association with BlogAdda.”

Non-veg recipes

My Facebook status was
An ISKCON bhakt told me, "Watching non- veg recipes on T.V. is a sin! You must stop it immediately!"
Mrs. 'P' : Lol
I : The question is if there is a worm in a vegetable and chef cooked it without noticing it and I am watching that recipe on TV then whether this is a sin or not?
Mrs. 'P' : Good Question! And what will happen if a person who doesn't know about the protein addition and eat that food?
I : What else I can say on SNS except that Japa Meditation sequel is coming soon! :)
Mrs. 'P' : It will result in the rebirth into this wretched world & the bhakt will be thinking loudly where he had gone wrong while doing Japa Meditation.
I : What if the bhakt is reborn as a carnivorous animal???????

Seven months break

“I want to write a book. I want a break from the business work.” I told my father with a bit of hesitation in my voice.

He raised his eyes from the papers he was screening and asked “For how long?”

“At least one year.”

“You can take seven months break only. If you are dedicated you can finish one year work easily in seven months.”

“Fine, papa. If the book doesn’t complete in seven months then can I take one or two more months break.”

“No. You have to do it in this time limit. On which topic you want to write a book?”

“I haven’t decided yet.”

“To be successful, the first step is to fix your goals. Now, your long term goal is to finish this book from idea to print in seven months. You can divide this goal into immediate and short term goals. Work hard to achieve those goals. You will be able to achieve what you desire.”

When I was six years old, one day when I was not able to recite the table of seven correctly, he asked me to stand straight till I recite the tables correctly. I told me that I am feeling cold and want to sit in the quilt. But he didn’t allow me to enter the warm quilt as the warmth made me sleepy. When I recited it correctly after repetition of several times, he gave me a tight hug! That hug always reminds me of his discipline and love. 

As I had very less time, I started working on it. I decided to write a book on ‘Japa Meditation’. I framed the chapters first, and then draw a basic detail of all the chapters. I explained each and every topic in detail with witty or thought provoking examples. Illustrations were embedded in it. The most difficult work of editing of book was done with the help of my family members, friends and mentor. At last my book was published in seven months.

Yesterday, the book review of my book ‘Japa Meditation – The Easiest way to Calm the Mind’ appeared in Navbharat Times. I showed him the newspaper. The book review was written beautifully and in very simple words. With his moist eyes he hugged me tightly and said, “I am proud of you my child. You did it in the time prescribed.”

I said, “It happened because of your discipline, principals and love!” 

Dear readers, “This father’s day, I am expressing my love towards my dad by participating in the #HugYourDad activity at BlogAdda in association with Vicks.”

Soul stirring b’day celebration

I can never forget 3^rd December, 2014! What a hectic day it was!! I neither find the time to pick up the phone of my relatives and close friends who desperately wanted to wish me on my b’day nor could reply to wishes pouring in through sms. I got up late in the morning because I worked till 3 a.m. on my laptop. My boss has assigned me to organise a conference of five hundred persons and all of them were the top businessmen who would be attending that meeting.

I quickly took shower, dressed up and was in my office in just 15 minutes. May be I got ready like a robot with low battery! The function was going to begun in one and a half hour. Everything was ready except the hall which was untidy. Phew! The sweepers had not turned up! One of the staff members informed me that they were on strike. I was just about to have a heart attack then suddenly got an idea to call an emergency meeting. Everybody gave their unique but somewhat bizarre ideas to solve this not so complex problem but none of them was practically feasible. I called waiters, gardeners, helpers and peons to make the hall dust free and spotless and for that they would be paid some extra bucks.  

Money makes the world go! Not really! They all refused to clean the place because a pigeon was lying dead on the floor with its feathers scattered all over. I said confidently, “If nobody is interested in cleaning then give me the broom I will clean it. The function is going to start at the right time!” They were ashamed and regretted what they had said. At last it was cleaned and the function was organised well. All the members were happy and satisfied with the arrangements. By the end of the program, my energy was drained up in organizing, attending, meeting businessman and in solving the most unexpected problem. I was about to go home to enjoy my b’day then I received an sms from my boss.

An urgent meeting in the Ruby Hotel. Reach soon.

I was so tired how I reach there was a surprise for me! I gathered all my strength and entered the park of hotel. A huge circular stage was set on which Anushka Manchanda was singing in her melodious voice ‘Apna har din aise jiyo, jaise ki aakhari ho’. I melted down and forget for a moment that I came here to meet my boss. My fatigue evaporated. I felt refreshed. My eyes brightened. Not only my lips but my heart was also singing!

As the song ended, my eyes started searching the boss in the crowd. But I couldn’t find him. My mobile rung, it was a call from my boss. He said,“Happy B’day! Enjoy!! I hope you like the surprise!!!” Then, Anushka Manchanda started singing song, ‘Theepidika Theepidika’ in her sweet and sexy voice. Allu Arjun entered from the underground stage in a very impressive style. The beats gained pace and my heart missed a beat! His vibrant moves uplifted my spirits. I was mesmerised with his electrifying and almost impossible dance moves. His dancing prowess was bracing, stimulating and invigorating. What was a soul stirring experience it was!

“I am blogging for #MaxFreshMove activity atBlogAdda.com. Are you?

VICCO Turmeric Cream with Foam Base

“Granny, I applied the newly brought cream on my face. Now look there is an allergy reaction on my skin as my skin is ultra sensitive.” I complained. “I have to attend a college function tomorrow evening. What will I do?”

“You can cover your face like Spiderman then nobody will be able to see it.” My granny suggested with a little wink.

Although I wanted to laugh but couldn’t. And said, “Granny, please suggest something really good as the function is very important for me.”

“The market is flooded with the products which can cause harm to your skin and body. While selecting a cream for your face you should be overcautious. You should buy only those products that have Ayurvedic base like VICCO Turmeric Cream. It is the best solutions for all your problems like oily skin, pimples and blackheads. VICCO Turmeric Cream with Foam Base is a one-step-solution to all skin care problems. It’s Ayurvedic formula with microbicidal properties of turmeric which is extremely beneficial as an effective medicine for the prevention and cure of pimples, blackheads and oily skin with every wash. With the use of Vicco Turmeric Cream with Foam Base, you will come closer to the power of turmeric and Ayurveda and ward off bacteria and microbes from your skin with every wash. It also helps in preventing and curing skin infections, rashes and allergies. It helps to stop the bleeding of minor wounds and heals them, treats minor cuts and small injuries as well.”

“Where I will get it?”                  

“It is available right now at your nearest retail store. You can also purchase it online on snapdeal.com, shopclues.com, ebay.in, paytm, peopleskart.com, simply.com, bigfyda.com and shop@kartbin.com. Haven’t you seen the advertisement of VICCO Turmeric Cream on T.V. and magazines?” 

“Yes. Many times.”

“VICCO Group has emerged today as makers of the best internationally known products of the Ayurveda, the ancient Indian system of natural medicines. Their various products are Vajradanti Powder, VajradantiPaste, Vajradanti SF (Sugar Free), Turmeric Skin Cream, Turmeric WSO, TurmericSkin Cream in Saving Cream Base, Narayani Cream, Turmeric Skin Cream with FoamBase which are exported to various countries like U.S.A., Canada, Mexico, Surinam, Africa, Mauritius, Fiji, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, U.A.E., Qatar, Oman, U.K., Germany, Holland, Italy, Cyprus, Srilanka, Hongkong, Singapore, Malaysia, West Indies, Iceland, Australia, New Zealand, France. Moreover VICCO laboratories are the winner of Golden Globe Tiger Award.”

“What else I can do for glowing skin?”

“Drink lot of water. It will be better if the water is lukewarm. Eat fruits daily rich in Vitamin C like amla, citrus fruits and guava.” Granny looked out of the window and saw Aloe Vera plants of various sizes growing in the garden. “You can rub the juice of Aloe Vera on your face for glowing skin.”

“How pimples can be prevented?”

“Drink neem leaves juice.”

“Oh granny! It tastes terrific bitter.”

“It purifies blood and gives redness to your cheeks.”

“Tell me something easier!”

“Buy VICCO products and use them regularly to have a glowing skin free from pimples, oily skin and blackheads. You can upload your resume on their site, make your career with VICCO and earn some bucks as your pocket money this summer vacation.”

“WOW! I love you and VICCO!”  

Curved Aloe Vera

This is a very unique modification of Aloe Vera whose one part is curved and the other part is straight and normal like any other Aloe Vera. I planted this Aloe Vera in a pot a few months back in my balcony garden. From the past two weeks, a small curve at the base start erupting. The curve is growing bigger and bigger day by day. Lets see whether it remains attached with the base of plant or detached itself from the main plant or has some unique medicinal properties as compared to a normal plant!   

Coin Car

Wow! What a car! Coin and coins all over! This is amazing to see a car with coins on the whole body. Coins are pasted beautifully and delicately on the whole car. They are arranged side by side filling the space and covering the base. They give shinning appearance and unique getup to the car.

Wierd home work

Earlier, a few decades before the home work was given to children and was done by them like writing pages, solving problems, drawing diagrams and preparing models. But these days the home work is given to children by most of them is done by their mothers. The mothers will search Google, discuss with friends and relatives and still will find it difficult to do and will blame the teacher what the hell she has given. One of such suffering mother told me, "My child has got a weird assignment in Maths. He has to write the price of samosa, movie ticket, ludo, comic book and coca cola bottle in 1950 and 2015. Not only this what one can buy with Rs.4200 in 1920 and 2015?"

Dear readers, can you help her?

Poetic book review of 'Japa Meditation - The Easiest Way to Calm the Mind'

Dear readers,
You must have read a lot of book reviews but have u ever read a poetic book review? Vyomi Malik has written a poetic book review of my book 'Japa Meditation - The Easiest Way to Calm the Mind' very beautifully. Here is the link http://vyomimalik.blogspot.in/2015/06/youmakemewin-nominating-fellow-blogger.html

On her suggestion I also nominate my blog for WIN 2015. Fingers crossed! :)

From the pen of...Dr. S. N. Mathur

'From the pen of...Dr. S. N. Mathur' is the small collection of fine articles written by Dr. S. N. Mathur which was printed to publicly appreciate his writings and was gifted by his family members on his 80th birthday. This booklet contains the gems of wisdom along with anecdotes. Some of them are 'Better late than never', 'Service above the self', 'Forget and forgive' and 'This too shall pass'. The author has imparted his valuable knowledge in a very interesting way through his life's incidences and humorous happenings around him.

Although the booklet contains a good collection of anecdotes on growing old gracefully but the one I liked the most, I am sharing here. One day the author met his friend and was delighted to see him cycling even at this age. His friend said, "One day I heard some strange noise coming from the cycle. I checked the brake, lining and chain cover and reset them in a hope to correct the fault. On starting the cycling again I found that noise was still coming. Finally, I discovered that the strange noise was not coming from the cycle but from my own knees."

The back cover of booklet tells 'About the Author'.

Awakening of my Kundalini energy

With my closed eyes, repeating the mantra calmly, I was experiencing the complete darkness and not the usual vibrant and ever changing violet lights which I saw almost daily. Without worrying about the inner lights, I constantly chanted the mantra - slowly and gradually. As soon as my mind was absorbed in the mantra then I felt a sudden jerk. Was it an earthquake, hitting the Himalyan mountain range again? The jerk stopped. It didn't reappear. I ignored it and diverted my mind back to the chanting of mantra with faith. Again my mind was concentrated and absorbed in the divine nectar of the mantra. My body shook vibrantly. I opened my eyes. I saw myself shaking. At that time, my spine was not less than a reverse pendulum - swinging to and fro without stopping. My neck was oscillating like a round ball attached to a pendulum clock. Some unknown force was working which was beyond my control. The movement slowed down and stopped as if nothing has happened a minute before. 

I changed the direction of my thoughts back to mantra and felt the bliss. A spam of hotness rushed upwards, making me sweaty all over. Although I was a bit frightened and scared but I was certain that it was not an outer quake rather some inner quake. Curious to know more about the inner happenings, I once again closed my eyes and concentrated my mind on the mantra. I impatiently waited for something surprising to appear. Alas! nothing happened! 

Because of that I felt disappointed, tried to forget that the incidences. I focused my mind again on mantra; its each and every syllable with full devotion. Deeply meditating upon it, I felt as if I was immersed in the ocean of peace and serenity. All of a sudden an electric current pass through my spine. It shook me. An inner dormant energy - Kundalini was awakened! 

Combination of traditional and modern motifs

This painting has a very pleasing combination of traditional and modern motifs. The traditional motifs of trees, plants and birds are eye catchers. The modern motifs like bus, truck, car, van, jeep, scooter, cycle, motorcycle, autorikshaw, aeroplane, helicopter, multistory buildings and signal tower are drawn artistically. Automobiles motifs are amazing! The human motifs are drawn in traditional style but surprisingly they are doing modern day activities like cycling, riding a vehicle, going for shopping, taking a dog for a walk or controlling the traffic. It is really fun to spot all these things and activities in this painting.

I clicked this painting at Heritage Transport Museum, Manesar.

Beautiful gift I recieved

Today Mrs. Vandna Mathur gifted me this beautiful key ring which she brought for me from Honk Kong. She has gone there to spend her vacations with her sister. The colors of key ring are very attractive yellow, red and skyblue. I will put my house keys in it and whenever I will open the main door of my house I will remember her. 

Butterfly and honeybee

Butterfly and honeybee are drinking nectar together in these photos. It is very difficult to click the photo of a butterfly as it flies away and honey bee can sting on getting close. But I get both of them in my picture frame and they pose nicely for me. ;) These two pics I consider to be my best shoots.