Rare video shot by me!

"Listen to me!" Mamma is saying to two cute babies. A rare video shot by me! :)

Have you ever seen chicks of tatihari bird?

Silent 'Z'

Q : Can you tell a word from English dictionary which have silent 'Z'?

A : Czechoslovakia :D

Do you know the correct answer?

Beating the heat!

I am beating the heat with cool watermelon!

And u?

How to pass time?

One of my good friend told me that her husband is busy in his office work and her only son is busy in preparing in board exams. She had plenty of time as she had taken a break from work for a few years.

She asked me, "Which is the better idea to pass time to start a new business from home or the revival my old hobbies?"

Khandvi in new style!

"I prepared Khandvi in new style as your birthday gift!" I told my sibling.
He picked up a piece and praised it "Yummy! Yummy!!"

Should I tell him that I failed to prepare it in rolls so made round balls of the batter and cut them in four pieces or should I keep quiet and listen to praises?

Crawling lice!

During and after meditation I feel as if lice are crawling on my head.

Do you think I am joking or serious?

Experiences in meditation

I am having some unique and strange experiences in meditation. Everybody around me seems to be busy. They do not have time to listen to my experiences. I want to jot down them.

Dear Readers, do you suggest me to write a spiritual diary in which I will be noting down my daily experiences in meditation or to share them on this blog?

Review of FREE book!

I thank Blogadda Team for selecting me for reviewing ‘Business Sutra’ by Devadutt

Pattanaik.

Most of the persons put the front cover page photo of the book but I like the back cover photo more. This line explains the Business in the simplest way! The 3B Framework includes ‘Belief’ that determines the choices and decisions of customers and why business should be done? ‘Behaviour’ which is an expression of belief determines how business should be done? And ‘Business’ what is ultimately done. The string that connects these three dots is Sutra. Hence, Business Sutra!

There are simple stories from Hindu, Jain and Buddhist mythologies to explain and for better understanding of the management fundas used in successful running of a small scale enterprises to corporate businesses. The write up includes mythology, management fundas and examples which are interesting but the illustrations drawn by the author himself are even more interesting! Illustrations are simple, clear and elucidating. This is the best illustration I like–

The best story I like from this book is –

Over two thousand years ago, Alexander, the young Macedonian, after having conquered the Persian Empire, reached the banks of the river Indus. There he found a person whom he later identified as a gymnosophist : a naked thinker, sitting on a rock staring into space. Alexander asked him what he was doing. The gymnosophist replied, “Experiencing nothingness. What about you?” Alexander said he was conquering the world. Both laughed. Each one thought the other was a fool.

But while the gymnosophist would have allowed Alexander to stay the fool and discover wisdom eventually, at his own pace, on his own terms, Alexander would have wanted the gymnosophist to change, not waste his life without a goal, for the gymnosophist believed that we live infinite lives while Alexander believed we live only one.

What ever Alexander achieves in his one life is his total achievement and his is under constant pressure to achieve more and more where as what ever gymnosophist achieve during infinite lives will always be zero.

The best example I really like is as follows:-

Sameer who works in the corporate communications division has to make a report on corporate social responsibility. The lady who head the department, Rita, who majored in social service at a reputed university say, “Here, it is not about helping people but meeting a target so that the company can tell its shareholders and the media that they have changed the world and contributed to the well-being of society. They hope this will help improve their brand image. Nobody will say this as they are trained to be politically correct in public by their media team. There is no feeling, no empathy, just excel sheets. But at least something is happening at the ground level where the situation is rather dismal, that is why I am sticking around.” Sameer also participated in a meeting where there was a discussion as to what would be more impactful : providing latrines in villages, or laptops? The majority voted in favour of laptops.

Because of increased professionalism, removal of emotions while target achieving and not giving proper attention to human side of development is the weakness in western model whose solution can be found out deep rooted in Indian mythological stories.

Before I wind up this post I would like to thank Blogadda Team once again!

Dear Readers, would you like to borrow this book from me or to buy it from bookstore? ;)

Satyajit Ray's stamp!

In my childhood days 3 out of 5 children's hobby was stamp collection. But now it is disappearing among them. Nobody writes letter hence no need to put stamps on it. In the days of emails n sms children who need them for making some school project buy from post office.

I think collecting stamps from letters has its own charm. A few days back I received a letter with Satyajit Ray's stamp on it. I will say it is the best stamp in my collection as I am great fan of Satyajit Ray. He had written detective stories revolving around the character Feluda!

Which is the best stamp in your collection? 

FREE!

"I will receive a free book to write review of it." I told my blogger friend.
"A couple of months back I received a purse of course free for which I had to write a review. On opening the packet I found that it's color was faded from many places. As I lifted it, it's handle broke. I thought atleast I could use it to keep important papers, some jewellery in it even if I couldn't take it outside. My this dream crashed as the zip became non functional on first time use. I was in a turmoil what to write in review as there was nothing positive to write about and writing negative were again that company's policy. I would only say 'Be careful with the word 'FREE'." My friend told this story.

Should I accept the offer for 'Free' products or no?

Where is my prize?

My short story was selected for third prize by Fablery for the Genre 'Fantasy and Mythology'. Till now I haven't received any gift vouchers from Odyssey as promised by them. 
Earlier when I wrote to one of the editors, the reply was-

It's on news that Odyssey is shut down.
We are arranging for an alternative but haven't succeeded yet. Sorry for the inconvenience. Until we find an alternative, please endure with us.

When I wrote again after more than 6 months, the reply was-

Odyssey Bookstores had promised to send the gift voucher to winners if you remember, but they shut down for good. Sorry I couldn't keep the promise because of that. I won't be sending any gift vouchers now.

This is 525th post!

Yellow n Green!

Yellow is lazy n hazy!
Green is lively n chirpy!! OR Green is chirpy n lively!! Which sounds better?

Zebra cars?!?

In traffic jam on National Highway No. 8, I clicked the pic of these cars which were designed differently.

What do you think they are designed beautifully or mere wastage of black colored tapes?

So many birds!

WOW!! So many birds on electric wires!!

How many are they? ;)

Online reading

While reading a book online I have to get up in the middle to do some household chore.

How can I put a bookmark in an online book? ;)

Relationship with GOD

Our relationship with GOD never changes whereas the rest of relationships changes with time!

Then why do we give more importance to the rest of relationships than our relationship with GOD?

Buying clothes

When I buy clothes, I feel that I have a few clothes so I must buy some more. And   after buying them when I place them in my wardrobe I feel why I buy so many clothes as there is so less space or almost no space to keep them.

Do you feel the same or no?

Pace

"Hi. Going for evening Walk?" I asked a young woman who was walking neither too slow nor too fast.
She removed ear phone from her right ear.
"Can we walk together?" I asked.
"I have my own speed so it will be difficult for me to coordinate with other."

If she can't coordinate with one's pace then do you think she can coordinate smoothly in other spheres of life?

Spams

I blocked the anonymous comments on my blog because of the increased number of spams. 

Do you think it will have a check on spams or no?

First person to tell...

What ever happens, good or bad, you're (my best friend n mentor) the first person I want to tell everything to!

Yesterday, this was my status update on a social networking site.

Who is 'you' in your life in the above line?

Topics to converse

On social networking sites in general people converse more about
1. Travel n food
2. Politics
3. Sports mostly cricket n football

Do you agree or disagree with me?

Kingfisher?

I clicked and moved a bit further and clicked again. I wished to capture a bird photo as it was sitting  at a unique place. I didn't want to zoom it as the image sometimes get blurred. Vibrant colors of kingfisher couldn't be captured but still the bird could be spot!

Can you search the kingfisher in this pic?  

Nice quotation

The line separating good and evil passes not between states nor between classes but through the middle of every human heart. - Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

I am presently reading A Better India : A Better World by Mr. N R Narayana Murthy. I like the above quotation by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn so much that I can't resist myself from sharing it.

Which is the nice quotation that you come across while reading the present book? :)

Fenugreek sprouts

Earlier I have eaten so many recipes of fenugreek like potato fenugreek veg, fenugreek parantha, carrot fenugreek veg whereas fenugreek sprouts was a dish in the breakfast of a five star hotel in Agra (where I was staying) along with whole bengal gram sprouts, fresh fruits, puri and aloo veg, parantha, bread - butter n jam, uppama, vada with coconut chutney, salad, sausages, boiled egg, beverages and the rest I forgot. I tasted fenugreek sprouts for the first time and liked it as the bitterness of fenugreek is felt quite low because of the delicious sprouted part. What a healthy start of a day!

Have you ever eaten fenugreek sprouts?

Pic : Top centre

Pigeons and only pigeons!

Near Red Fort, Agra in the morning fog, pigeons are feeding on grains! Surprisingly we don't see other birds like house sparrows, parrots, gursals, crows etc. these days especially in the cities.

While clicking this pic I was thinking "Pigeons are able to survive in the cities but why not other birds?"

Spiral cutting

During my evening walk in a park I saw this shrub with spiral cutting. For me it was unique so I clicked it.

Have you even seen such fine cutting?

Cheapest fruit

In Gurgaon, these days guava is the cheapest fruit Rs.20/- only per Kg.

Which is the cheapest fruit in your locality?

Happy 2013!

Teenage of twenty first century begins! Happy 2013! :)

Balloon

"Madam, Please buy me a balloon. The same beggar kid of the previous post asked me.

Should I repeatedly give him money or asked him to stop begging?

Money for junk food?

"Madam, Please give me Rs.5/- so that I can eat 'Kurkure'."  A beggar kid asked me.

Should I give me Rs. 5/- for eating junk food or no?

Spams

From the past few days spams are posted on my different posts totaling to 77 spams on my blogspot dashboard. They are increasing with a fast speed.

What do you suggest should I delete them or publish them?

Songs n Advertisements

Fm radio
Then : More songs less advertisements!
Now : More advertisements less songs!!

Do you agree or disagree with me?

GF's name on hand!

I heard this interesting joke on fm radio.

Once a teenager pierced his hand with a sharp knife and wrote his girlfriend's name. After that he started  crying.
One of his friend asked, "What happened?"
With great difficulty he could only reply, "S........Spelling mistake!!!"

Will he write his GF's name on his other hand? ;)

LOUDSPEAKER

In the morning, loud noise coming from a distance woke me up earlier as a result I had an acute headache. All day I couldn't take a nap just because of the noise from the distant loudspeaker. Although they were playing nice songs but I couldn't enjoy them because they were disturbing me and I couldn't concentrate on my work. At night I couldn't sleep because of the irritating loud noise as I need calm and peaceful place. I closed all the doors and windows of my house and drew curtains thinking that it might help me as the cloth absorbed noise. But there was no change. To pass time I updated my facebook status as

Man's worst invention is 'LOUDSPEAKER'!

Do you agree or disagree with me?

Musical instrument?

Hi Readers.
I am back after a quick break from blogging. Sorry, I was busy to even write about it. All those same problems in business and life made me busy, very busy. Anyways I am back and I will try to write regularly in this space.

I and the kid were watching this old classic movie 'Naseeb' starring Amitabh Bachchan, Shatrughan Sinha, Hema Malini and Reena Roy. As soon as this song begun, the kid asked me "What is the name of this musical instrument that Reena Roy (female actress) is playing in this song?"
I do not know the answer.

Dear Reader, do you know the answer?

3 B's

Three B's that change my life are
BUSINESS! BLOG!! BLISS!!!

This is 500th post! :)

A friend?

Hello
Cheer day.
I am very happy to meet you,
I know that this mail will find you in good health and also surprised, but I believe God has his own way of bringing people together,
My name is Janet Williams. I'm looking for a reliable person and God fearing, I like you to be my friend and I also seek advice from you that will help me to overcome my present situation,
My dear, please write back to me so I'll explain more about myself and also send you my pictures,
Please do not leave a humble and lonely heart who is looking for his love, because friendship is a foundation to build other relatives good things to come,
God bless you as I wait to read your response,
her Janet.

Today I received this mail from email Id Janet William 'janetwiliam20@yahoo.co.uk'. Should I ignore it as spam or become friend of Janet?

Life in a cage?

I drank water from the pot. I didn’t like it as it was warmer because of hot climate outside. Scorching heat made me low. Chirping of birds diverted my attention and I looked towards the sky where I saw three birds exactly like me flying freely. It was only me who was caged and couldn’t fly. The other birds were so happy and lucky and I so unhappy and unlucky!

Suddenly a shikra, a bird of prey came from nowhere and sat on my cage to catch me but couldn’t harm me because of the iron bars between us. It flew away and caught the little one while the other two birds could only scream.

Should I be happy or sad as I live in a cage?

Lap of neem tree!

A peepal sapling has grown in the lap of a large neem tree.

In your opinion, peepal should be transplanted in the field or it should be allowed to grow naturally in the lap of neem tree?

Plants in bottles

One of the corner of my house looks like this. These three bottles contain plants in water and something colourful to beautify them.

What are placed at the bottom of all these bottles to beautify them?

Need an Editor

Dear Ms. Shubham,

Thank you for submitting your work to ........ magazine. Unfortunately, we are unable to accept it for publication at this time. We would like to recommend that you consider getting some editorial help to correct grammatical problems in your story. This will help your submissions in the long run.
Again, thanks for sending your work to us—and best wishes in your
literary pursuits.

I have some short stories written by me-all return back with the same reason. I need some editorial help to correct my grammatical mistakes.
Should I advertise in newspapers or contact good publication houses?  

2007

In December, 2006 when I picked out a card from tarot deck was ‘The Hanged Man’ the twelfth card of Major Arcana which shows a man hanging upside down from one foot. He was suspended from a tree. It means transformation, turning around and seeing all the things in new light. A total reversal in life was ahead!

In 2007,

1. I left my job to learn taxation.
2. Due to some unavoidable reasons I joined my family business.
3. For the first time I became owner of a property.
4. For the first time I fell in love.
5. I enjoyed my first date.
6. For the first time I attended a high party.
7. I learnt share business which I always wanted to.
8. I met my mentor, guide and best friend.
9. I bought my first laptop.

Out of these three are lies. ;)

Which year will you consider as turning point of your life?

Wrong parking

On morning walk I saw a new white colored car decorated with vibrant plastic ribbons and a swastik (auspicious sign made by red paste on new belongings) was made on its bonnet. Wow! A brand new car!! Nice Car!!! But what it this white paper on the front glass on driver’s seat side???? A few more steps and now I could read it.

WRONG PARKING. TYRES WILL BE DEFLATED.

What do you think security guards should spare brand new cars or no relaxation for anyone?

Soothing whistle!

I was walking on the side path of a mall and heard soothing whistle. I was too absorbed in my thoughts and calculations that I didn’t bother who it could be. I walked a few more paces and this time whistle started and continued for a long time. Who could whistle breathlessly for such a long time? I turned my head towards the sound. Oh! It was a caged bird!

Knowing this, should I be disappointed or happy?

Organic Spinach

“Do not throw away the four removable plastic containers. Give it to me. You can throw away the outer cover that was used to hold them as it breaks in two pieces and can’t be utilised anymore as a dry fruit keeping tray.” I said and took the four little plastic containers, filled them with soil mixed with decomposed manure and put the spinach seeds in them. I watered them regularly and organic spinach grew ready to be cut.

To beat the inflation prices and to get the vegetables grown without fertilizers and insecticides do you think the only option left is to grow them in what ever available containers/ land or there is any other option also?  

Jakhoo Temple

“Look! Look!! Now we can see Lord Hanuman clearly.” A middle aged woman told her son.

“Yes.” Her son replied with his eyes fixed on it.

“It is Jakhoo Temple. There are monkeys every where.”

I overheard this conversation while travelling to Shimla with them in toy train. It was my first time journey by train to this city. Earlier I had visited this city a number of times by car and followed the same route as the path of train and road were side by side but never noticed the idol of Lord Hanuman.

If we travel alone by car our knowledge is somewhat confined for the surroundings whereas if we travel in public transport with lots of people then we come to know about lots of things which otherwise went unnoticed. What do you think?

Pic : It is taken from the toy train showing beautiful view of  Shimla city and Lord Hanuman (orange color idol) at the top right corner of it.

Home Science

One of my batch mates was not interested in doing B.Sc.(Home Science) but was left with no other option except it as she couldn’t get admission anywhere else. Surprisingly she couldn’t develop liking for this subject and most of the time it gave me the feeling that she was doing it unhappily. Recently I came to know that she was a School Lecturer in Home Science.

Whereas I was keenly interested in doing B.Sc. (Home Science) and I didn’t apply for any other course because I wanted to do this only. I made a good career in this field but due to some unavoidable reasons I left this field and entered our family business. 

One who is keenly interested in a particular field has to leave it whereas the one who is not interested in a particular field is continuing career in that particular field. Why? 

DM on Twitter

‘OMG u r famous now haha’ received this DM on Twitter that too a spam. :p

I was utterly disappointed after knowing that DM was a spam and not a message from the person who’s Id has been used to send it.

Have you ever been disappointed on receiving a spam or no?

BURFI!

After watching interesting promos of movie BURFI! I wanted to watch the ‘first day first show’ of this movie. Unfortunately I had to attend an unexpected business meeting on that time. For the past ten days I was busy with business attending meetings and more meetings. I was unable to watch it even though a theatre at walk able distance from my house is showing seven shows per day.

Am I lucky that I am so busy in my professional life that I have no time to watch even an Oscar nominated movie from India or am I unlucky that I can’t find time to watch such a good movie?

Photoshop

While surfing old pics in my computer I found this pic which I clicked some time before in hills. It is a temple under construction.

Do you think by using photoshop I can remove/ erase the electric wire spoiling the beauty in this pic or no?