Studying Abroad: Pearson Test of English Academic

Studying abroad remains a lucrative option for many Indian students. Due to the quality of resources available abroad, more and more students choose to study abroad every year.

As the choices get more and more confusing, the students face many problems in their admissions and academic pursuits. Some such problems are:

1. Lack of a proper mentor.

Most students do not know where to look when they decide to move abroad. Simply thinking of studying in a particular university, in a particular country is not enough. You need to know the procedure. A lot of planning from Visa to immigration goes into the whole process.

2. Inability to decide which tests to take.
Here is an English Language Test that can be taken at any of the test centers (there are so many!) all across India. PTE Academic is also one of the most widely accepted tests for English language proficiency world over. If you are wondering which English test to take, it should be #DefinitelyPTE

3. Inability to choose course and university.
Now, it is all a question of choices. And choices need some thinking from the heart also. You need to follow your passion. You need to go after the courses that motivate your mind toward studies. And the lists of all the top universities in countries like UK, USA, Canada, New Zealand and Australia are available online.

Why #DefinitelyPTE?

1. What is great about PTE Academic is that it is recognized by universities in USA, UK, New Zealand, Australia, Ireland and Canada. It is also accepted by thousands of universities worldwide. Some of the top universities that accept Pearson Test of English Academic include: Harvard Business School, INSEAD and Yale. 

2. Also, within 5 business days, you will have your results right in your hands. So it will give you plenty of time to plan and apply for universities.

3. All Australian and New Zealand visa and migration applications recognize PTE Academic.

What is more?

The computer based marking system ensures that your results in English language skills like Reading, Listening, Speaking and Writing are highly accurate and impartial. So, unlike other tests, there will no more be frustration and fear of bias.

You can also schedule the test merely 24 hours in advance so, all you need is the will. PTE shows you the way.

Oh and one more thing!

With PTE, you can send your results to an additional number of universities at no extra cost. As students, all we require is security and peace of mind and PTE Academic is definitely a step in that direction.

So yes, it is surely time to pick PTE Academic #DefinitelyPTE

Now you might be wondering if you have what it takes to crack the PTE. It is surely a standard test and requires preparation. Well, fret not because the PTE online test preparation kit is also available at low prices. Once you are through with your preparations, all you need to do is take the test at any of the centers. Remember, the advantage with PTE is not just that it is designed to be convenient and student friendly, it also has a lot of choices for test centers so, it is convenient for those who are worried about travel and stay.

All the best!

Contest: My Filmy Mother

This article is the entry for Mother's Day Bloggers Contest by Bigsmall.in, unique gift store in India.

For Mother's Day Gifts - Click Here

Hmm... this is a tough one. Which filmy mother does my mother resemble? I think she comes quite close to Sridevi's character Shashi Godbole in English Vinglish and the character played by Kirron Kher 'Bela Makhija' in Om Shanti Om. Let me explain:

My Mother : Shashi

She is not very good at English but she tries. Well, she tries but not hard enough. She is a banker and does all her official work in English but in her own words, 'Why would I read English Vinglish novels when reading the language is such an effort? I come back after a hard day at work and I want to relax and listen to some HINDI music.'

She also is a bit like Sridevi in the sense that is generally excited about new stuff. I see her marking out places to visit on map and bookmarking pages in cookery books. Of course, none of those dishes get made and none of those travels plans come to fruition but the childlike innocence with which she plans her life reminds me about the filmy mother.

My Mother : Bela Makhija

Now this character was high on drama. The way she makes kheer for her son Om Prakash Makhija and acts like everything is a huge deal - they were all larger than life filmy mother caricatures. My mom is usually a very docile lady but then there are days when her inner Bela Makhija comes to the fore. When I am going to take a short trip, she makes a truckload of matthis (a fried snack) and sneaks it all in my suitcase. When I see that suddenly all my luggage looks like it has been stuffed with ration for a month, I can tell that my mother has been at work.

She also has this way of calling out my name as if it is an emergency. I feel like the house is on fire and come running and it is usually about a wet towel on the bed or a pickle jar on the wrong shelf. Oof! The theatrics give me a heart attack.

But all these things only make her more and more adorable. I'd like to take this chance to say thanks to all the mothers out there for doing what they do. This one is for you amazing ladies.

Happy Mother's Day Mummy!

My Half Girlfriend

I am sharing a Half relationship story at BlogAdda in association with #HalfGirlfriend

This is a story from my college days. Those were the days when in-campus romances were a wee rare. I mean of course there were a sizable number of them but they were still considered a big deal. No, this was not in the early 80s. I am talking 2007. OK, maybe they were not very rare. But you get my point- we used to be shy.

This was the point when a friend of mine was dating a guy from our batch. Then some stuff happened and they broke up. Now at a party, this friend of mine ended up telling me a lot about how she had been feeling and what getting her heart broken meant for her. Basically, she told me she had sworn off guys and that should have been my red flag but this is where it gets interesting (stupid).

After the conversation, we started talking a whole lot and became quite close. We began talking on phone and the conversations went on and on. During one of our late night discussions, she confessed that she initially had a crush on me. That was enough for my heart to start pounding like a frog. I began thinking about our wedding, thinking about names of our children and what not.

The next morning, I woke up a new man. I had developed strong feelings for her. She however had forgotten what she had said in the night. She woke up the same way she was - just a good friend to me. A few days later, I asked her if she'd like to be be my girlfriend and the answer was a resounding "no".

She told me that she saw me as a friend and it would be awful if we jeopardized all that we had for a stupid infatuation. Beside that, she was quite serious about swearing off men. I told her that I respected that but then, my heart was hard to convince.

A few days later, we went out for lunch. She ordered ice cream for both of us in one cup and fed me with a spoon. 'Alright, we are back in the race,' my heart screamed and how wrong it was!

I popped the question again on phone the same night and got turned down. She sounded irritated by my advances and I decided to shut my feelings down. The next two years, I kept my feelings in check and became what she needed me to be. A good friend. We discussed random things and wondered about life in general. People wondered if we were dating and she denied it vehemently while I secretly enjoyed those insinuations for they were all I had.

But then, on a fateful night, she phoned me to tell me that she had fallen in love. I held the phone close to my ears. It was the sound of my heart breaking. 'But I thought you were done with relationships,' I said. 'That was two years ago, silly,' she said.

I remembered how close I had felt to her in those two years. I wondered if I had gone too platonic; so much so that she could not see my feelings for her. I pretended to be OK and congratulated her on her newfound love for men.

But perhaps that was the day, after two freaking years, that I got closure on her. Well, I do not blame her for she offered nothing more than friendship but yes, sometimes you wish you could change certain parts. And hey! That's life!

Advice That Mattered

I am blogging about my dreams and the people who helped make them true for the #AdviceThatMattered activity at BlogAdda in association with Stoodnt.

I have had a steady career in the sense that I have followed the wise advice nuggets of my elders and have completed my graduation in a safe field ie dentistry. My dad's logic behind helping me take admission in one of the topmost dental colleges in India was that if I become a good dentist, at least I will never be jobless (Ironic because the job market for dentists in India is rapidly shrinking).

I came to Delhi and started my practice here but, there has always been this artist within me. Dentistry allows for some amount of artistic expression but, my canvas was bigger. I wanted to draw cartoons, write stories and be known for it all. Marx had imagined a society where someone can be a scientist by the day and fisherman in the evening. Well, I wanted to be in that society; not fishing, but writing.

I did have a blog (this blog) but then, I began dreaming about writing a book some day or having a career as a novelist. Now, it is common knowledge that one should follow their true calling and there is no harm in chasing dreams. I did want to do so but, there was a practical side to the whole thing. No one succeeds overnight and the prospect of giving writing or cartooning my everything would have left me no where. I am not sure if writers ever pay their bills. Dying under debt just didn't sound that smart.

A friend of mine knew that I could write. I used to hang out with her and discuss career. She was one of the most reasonable and sorted people I had known. Safe choices like engineering and MBA were her cup of tea. I floated the idea of writing a book to her and she pushed me toward writing saying, "I am taking safe steps and planning ahead because I do not have what you have. Very few have what you have and it is the art of telling a story. You know your way with words and it is the reason you should, you must write a book."

With her push, I decided to balance time between writing and dentistry and the result is my first manuscript which is the semi-autobiographical account of a dentist's love life. Although it is yet to be published, just the joy of finishing a manuscript has been tremendous. I am so grateful for the push that made it happen. 

Indiblogger #CupidGames Video Entry

The video-



Abridged edition-

In the Indiblogger, #Cupidgames challenges in association with CloseUp, I picked up the following challenge from the list-

• The Gobsmacking Gift
  Wow your crush with a unique gift to ask him or her out for Valentine’s. We’re not going to tell you what to put in the box, apart from ‘think out of the box’. The more eye-popping your gift, the bolder your move! (Hint: Your gift doesn’t have to cost a bomb to be awesome.)

In the box, I put a set of cartoons and a cute message with them asking her out on V-day. The above video is my vlog of completing the dare. 

To check out more about the dares, do visit- http://cupidgames.closeup.in/

Here is a short clip of the cartoons that I actually drew and presented to my crush in the video above-

Until next time then!

#WillYouShave for glory?

My friend +Nikita Johri prompted me to participate in this activity-




This post is a part of #WillYouShave activity at BlogAdda in association with Gillette

I used to sport a lazy stubble until I got admission a dental college. My education in a professional college was my first step toward my awareness for the importance of a shaven face. I recall there were times when my teachers would send me back to hostel just so that I can shave and come back to the clinics. As a dentist, it is all the more important for us to have a clean, shaven look. A dentist who sports a stubble gives off the impression of untidiness and carelessness.

After college, there was a lull in my career as I dropped a year to prepare for various competitive exams including the civil services. The stubble started to grow and it is noticeable fact that I dated no one in this time slot. I turned into a sloth. I joined a clinic later on in 2014 and as I put on the apron, I realized that the stubble had to go. If you want to be taken seriously as a professional, especially as a healthcare professional, you have to spend some time on your grooming. Shaving is an essential and indispensable part of that grooming routine.

Nowadays I have joined a clinic and have to shave daily so that a clean sharp look keeps me looking like a dentist as patients march in and march out of my clinic happily. It has also added to my confidence and I can feel it in my voice and gait. I see it in all the people who are in higher posts or powerful positions, I never see them in unkempt, untidy clothes with unshaven faces. It just does not go with the position. They say one should dress for the job he wants. They should also include grooming in that adage.

Shaving is also associated with cleanliness as an unshaven face hides many things including pimples and dead skin. In short, shaving is what men do to remain men.

I would like to nominate my friends - +Vidya Sury , +Priyanka Dey , +Bindumadhavi P , +Sharanya Bhattacharya , +prachi aggarwal , +cynthia vincent , +SAMEERA SHAIR ALI , +Paritosh Bhatt , +Vandana Choudhary , +Amanda Ferrao , +Giribala Joshi , +heramb s , +Jatin Israni , +Simardeep Singh for the same activity.

And here are the two bloggers, blogadda wanted me to tag you too-
obscure-realities.blogspot.in
dreamzandclouds.wordpress.com

Do blog and post this post's URL in the acknowledgement of that post.

Let's keep the chain going.

The magic with children- Indiblogger Happy Hours

Prompt-

Teddy Travelogues

How do Children add magic to your vacations? Tell us how you would ensure that your kids have the best of times during their vacation, so you would have a great time as well! 
The official link- http://www.clubmahindra.com/teddytravelogues/

Children add magic to everything including vacations. They make the whole thing worthwhile with their endless chatter and enthusiasm. You can fall asleep, think of things like work and money but they will make sure that all their thoughts surround fun and merriment of the vacations.

You rarely see a child worrying while on a vacation. 'Living in the moment' finds its true meaning among children and that's why as companions, we want their every moment to be as awesome as possible. The are the most regular clients of 'having fun' and that's why 'fun' finds its way to their hearts more easily. It drips from the ocean sand, the dew-drenched leaves of deodars on the hills and it seeps into the kids' tiny little pockets before they even know it.

Be it hills, be it beaches, children know the best way to have fun and that's why us adults need to make sure that nothing gets in the way of children and fun. (As if it was even possible!)

Although I don't have kids yet (I am a bachelor) but if I had kids, I would have employed the following ideas to make sure that my kids have the time of their lives-

1. Keep them involved.


Most children feel ignored at important events in their families. I would make sure that they get enough attention. I would keep them indulged in a game of Antakshari, dumb charades or would just chat with them about the things we see.

2. Tell them stuff.


Most kids feel ignored when their parents are doing stuff like changing tyres, re-routing their journey, making plans about dinner and hotel reservations. I'd not be that parent. I will spell it all out so that they feel important. It will be healthy for their personal growth as individuals too.

3. Stop for sightseeing.


On a road trip, there are always places which we miss because they are not 'in the plan' and we sometimes end up disappointing the kids. I am going to be the kind of dad who takes a U-turn and takes a short detour so that we cover that fun-looking amusement park in our trip. It is the stuff happy memories are made of.

4. Buy souvenirs
Once we make good memories, it is also important to preserve  them. We remember Ooty from the small wood art-piece that we buy from that small art store, we remember Goa from that sea-shell bracelet that we buy from the flea market. I'd be generous with these small gifts to take away for the children

5. Click a lot of photos

And lastly on this list, is clicking photos! Those trips are the happiest times for the kids and it would be great to grow up and find all those memories neatly tucked in the photo albums. I will make sure that there are a lot of great photos and I will be clicking away when they are busy having fun!

Rise above fear- Indiblogger Happy Hours

Topic-

Rise above fear!

Fear is a fact and one has to take risks in life to succeed. So tell us about the risks you have taken to overcome your fear and claim victory! 

Here is a link to Mountain Dew's Official Facebook page- https://www.facebook.com/mountaindewindia

Fear is one of the eternal truths of life and I completely agree with the statement that a person who has never been afraid in his life, has perhaps never done anything worthwhile. Fear is a sign. It is a signal that you're about to do something big. It is a signal to set your body and mind in preparation mode. 'Prepare to conquer' is the only motto and looking back is not an option. That is how it should feel. That is how one should use fear. Yes, use your fear to win against any obstacle for it is a formidable force.

Some great man once said that courage is not the absence of fear but the will to go on even when you're afraid. I had such moments in my life when a decision had to be made and fear gripped me like a vice.  I'd like to recount one such moment that I faced in my Murudeshwar trip. For those who don't know, Murudeshwar is a beautiful temple town in coastal Karnataka where a giant statue of Lord Shiva overlooks the ocean and along with the spiritual aura, the serene calmness of the water soothes the soul. If you haven't seen the place already, get planning and get packing.

I had gone with my college friends and everybody was keen on doing the water sports except me. The problem was, I didn't know swimming. And the 'Banana Boat Ride' seemed like a suicide mission. A bunch of people were dragged to the middle of the ocean on a log-like boat pulled by a speedboat and then the log would be rolled over so that everyone would just fall into the water. I was pretty sure if I was thrown in there, I would drown. I didn't trust the life jacket, I was pretty sure I'd do something wrong like flailing my limbs the wrong way or breathing inside water that'd cause some mishap.

It was fear!

A few of my friends, who didn't know how to swim backed out. So, I stood there with my friends, all of whom knew swimming with the only exception being me. I had the option of giving in to the fear and walking away. My philosophy in such cases has always been and will always be to give it a shot because if I do it, I'd get a story to tell and if something goes wrong, at least I'll know that I tried.

And here I am! Telling that story!

So, I stood there. But then I closed my eyes, looked at the giant Lord Shiva statue and said 'yes' to the Banana Boat guy. We went in the ocean with the ocean breeze caressing my hair like a mommy bird who is about to train her young one to fly. When they reached the spot, the speedboat took a sharp turn and the banana boat, sure enough, turned like a log and we all fell. Splash!

The next few seconds were just heartbeats when I gulped some water, the salt gushing in my nose and mouth. I regretted signing up but not for long.The thrust of the life jacket thrust me upwards and I breathed heavily as I reached the ocean surface. I saw all the smiling faces, all my friends, hooting, applauding my courage and holding hands.

For those few moments, I felt more alive than ever before. I felt as if had finally claimed my destiny. I lay in the lapping waves of the ocean and looked up at the clouds high above. Suddenly, life had a purpose and it was to live. Live to the fullest while you can- that was the message the ocean waves whispered in my ears. I floated like a log in the water and tried to swim. It was tough, so I went back to floating.

Finally, it was time to go back so, we went back, climbing, holding hands and pulling each other back into the boat. That was the day I realized that fear was nothing but a signal. A signal that something awesome is about to happen.

And till date, I crave for such moments, such days which can be used to bookmark my life, days which make it all... worthwhile.

Pre-Marital Sex Debate- Indiblogger Contest

The following post is a part of the Indiblogger contest in association with Poonam Uppal's newly released book-

A Passionaate Gospel of True Love : A Mystical True Love Story (English)

Here is a link to the flipkart page of the book- Click here

I think that pre-marital sex is something that is much frowned upon in all conservative quarters which is unfair because sex is a biological truth while marriage is a social one. Restraint in your sexual behaviour is advised but cannot be enforced. Just like no one can stop you from eating a bag of chips or a bar of chocolate just because they think you should be eating a salad. But then, fatty, oily food is actually bad for you while pre-marital sex, has no such repercussions (unless, of course, your partner gives you Chlamydia).

I think sex should be freed from the dogmas that surround it. And one of the dogmas is that it somehow corrupts the participants. I mean c'mon! It is one of the most beautiful things ever. Of course, there should be some discretion in who you should be having it with but that's only because it requires a high level of intimacy and can join two souls in one. It should be given the respect it deserves but, it should not be put behind a cloak of chastity. It doesn't corrupt. If anything, it only makes your presence of the Earth worthwhile. It is the highest form of intimacy one can share with another individual. It requires trust, passion, love, lust and desire.

My point is, I do not oppose pre-marital sex. It doesn't mean I am saying everyone should be having sex right away but, I am saying it should be up to the individual to decide and he or she should not let fear of values, morals or society guide him. They should think about the level of closeness they share with the other person and then go ahead if they feel comfortable. Again, if they are doing it just for the sake of doing it, I am not radically opposing that idea too. I am merely suggesting how it should be done. But the most importantly, it should be done with consent and you should let yourself feel impure or corrupted once you've had it.

Fear is a bad teacher. It guides your thoughts away from anything that it feels might harm you. Sometimes, it makes you stay away from things you love or should love just because it has some predispositions. Get rid of fear or doubt and just let love guide you. Love is a friendlier teacher, it asks you to walk through fire and makes you do amazing things you never thought you were capable of doing.

Love will make you plan adventurous trips with your partner, go on long drives, make passionate love with him or her. Love will make your heart grow stronger. Fear will make you weak and cowardly. It will also turn you into its agent and you'll be perpetrating the same fear that you felt.

Be a little unreasonable when it comes to following rules, especially those decided by the society and be more playful when it comes to the matters of the heart. I am not asking you to be promiscuous if you don't want to be. All I am saying is- do not be afraid. Love with all your heart. Let your heart bleed if it comes to that, but stay alive.

The dogmas about sex being a corrupting force are more or less related to the male chauvinism where every male somehow invented the idea of a chaste female because he was insecure of his manhood. He wanted an all-obeying wife who he could govern not with love but with fear and thus came this fear into existence.

It is the 21st century and it is about time we free the society from such unreasonable fears. Let's look at our biology and realize that sex is a natural act. Love, and let love.

Indi Happy Hours - #BringBackTheTouch

This post is a part of the Indiblogger Happy Hours campaign. It is sponsored by

Parachute Advansed Body Lotion

Here is the link to their site- http://www.pblskin.com/

And the hashtag is- #BringBackTheTouch

Topic-

Bring Back the Touch

Tell us how?
Explore the sense of touch and share your ideas on how to #BringBackTheTouch in your relationship. 


A touch is like a musical note for the skin. You say so many things in words and yet, sometimes, there is never enough you can say. When you begin to drift apart due to certain disagreements or misunderstandings, all it takes is a little peck on the cheek or a gentle nibble at the fingertip to bring everything that was fading back to your life again.

A touch tugs at your heart and pulls the strings that are attached to your heartbeats. It is like poetry. It can be explained but the real fun is not in explaining but in feeling it. It makes one feel wanted, it gives a purpose to our existence and it brings closure to all the bubbling insecurities within.

The main reason long distance relationships are harder is the lack of touch. We try to keep in touch through phones, laptops or letters but, there is no replacement to the real, solid, affirming presence of a loved one. One that is conveyed by a warm, gentle touch. In long distance relationships, you do not get to feel that and that is why the restless tends to build up and there are fights and insecurities.

The next time your partner starts to worry about you, nag you or feel irritated for no reason, set the words aside and just hold his or her hand. Tell them that they are loved through your eyes and you will see the magic. A hundred words would not be able to convey the thing you would get across in just one moment, one touch.

When I used to have fights with my girlfriend, there were times when she felt like giving up on me. I would say nothing but take my bike and stand outside her hostel gates, ask her to come out. I would just look into her eyes to see if she wanted me to leave or stay. She would extend her fingers and they would intertwine with mine. I would smile, she would smile and the words would become unnecessary. It is a time-tested recipe to good communication. It requires a higher spiritual understanding of your own mind. The mind seeks company not in conversations. It has enough talks running within itself. It seeks company for the individual. It wants the self to be close to another being. And that is why, a touch is important.

So, talk less, argue lesser and just #BringBackTheTouch

Toilet for Babli - Indiblogger Happy Hours

You can bring about the change in the lives of millions of kids, thereby showing your support for the Domex Initiative. All you need to do is “click” on the “Contribute Tab” on www.domex.in and Domex will contribute Rs.5 on your behalf to eradicate open defecation, thereby helping kids like Babli live a dignified life.



This post is a part of the Domex initiative with Indiblogger as a campaign against open defecation in villages. Do visit the www.domex.in site and check out the campaign.


Babli is a small girl, about 8 to 10 years of age. She lives with her mother and father in a nondescript village in the backward region of Bundelkhand. She is scared of leopards and jackals like any normal kid but, she still braves through the fear every morning to go outside for defecation. Yesterday, she heard that Golu, her friend was attacked by some animal in the wee hours of the morning when he was out. She is scared to go out today. She feels like crying but doesn't want to cry as she knows her amma and baba cannot help her. They have no money to build a toilet for her and have more important things to worry about than toilets.


She feels really ashamed when she has to go by the roadside as the jungle is too dangerous. Whenever a car or a truck passes by, she wishes that she was invisible and sometimes she even tries to hold her bowel movements wishing that it would go away. Amma says it is not good for her health but then, is open defecation good for her health?

Her friend Radha fell sick a week ago. The village doctor uncle said that it was because she contacted germs due to open defecation. Babli now is even more apprehensive of going out for relieving herself. She had gone to Radha's home. Radha was vomiting and her face had turned yellow. Her mother had tears in her eyes and her father had a deserted look in his eyes. Babli could not stay there for long. She came back with a heavy heart. Radha too is from a poor family. How will they handle the expenses for Radha 's treatment? Little Babli was growing up faster than girls her age with so many worries on her mind. She felt like a 100 years old already. She looked closely at Amma's face. She too seemed to be aging fast. Babli wondered why are all the females aging so fast and whether it was an epidemic.

Babli took it upon herself to find a solution to this problem. She couldn't let this fear consume her for the rest of her life. She talked to her school teacher about her problems and fears. The teacher happened to be very understanding and kind. She took it upon herself to find out the ways Babli could be helped. After little research, she chanced upon the Domex initiative in Maharashtra and Orissa and decided to build their own toilets with help from an NGO they knew. All the kids from the village and nearby villages started writing to them about their problem and in a few days, they had a dedicated team which reached those places to help build toilets. Babli goes happily and safely to the toilet every morning.


Right now, this is merely a story but we can, with proper motivation and dedication bring light to these homes which remain lacking in basic sanitary privileges essential to human habitation.


Come, let us change lives!

IB Happy Hours - My Dream 24k Home with Porcelanosa

A link to 24k living - Click here

Topic -

Pick as many items as you can from Porcelanosa to build your dream home. Tell us why you chose them!

Before I start, I'd just like to mention how jealous I am of Malini Agrawal who got to go to Spain for the 24k trip. Also, LOOK! They really brought Spain to India! Well, my dream home would definitely have a mediterranean flavour to it as it really speaks volumes about good taste and luxurious living. Now, 24k has many luxury brands building the home of your dreams together and porcelanosa is one of them. They help you design your kitchen, bathroom and other rooms with their tiles and furniture. You can view their catalogue on their official website  - http://www.porcelanosa.com/gb/

I have always dreamed of a home that is the perfect amalgamation of comfort and luxury. Here are the things that I'd specially like to pick out from their website for my dream home-

1. Kitchen furniture

A spacious cooking and dining area is very important for a family to live together. It is a great conduit for forging relationships. The laughter and smiles spread from here and reach every corner of the home. I prefer this particular set because of its squeaky clean white colour and mediterranean feel. It can lighten up any of the Sunday brunches like a charm.

2. Indoor Furniture

The indoor furniture speaks volumes about the house owner's taste and hence is a big part of the setup. I prefer this particular set because it is economical in terms of space management and is also pretty stylish and sleek. The legs of the chairs in contrast to the white floor stand out in stark contrast.




3. PAR-KER® Ceramic Parquet
Coming to the flooring, the most important aspect, at least, for me, is the finish. With the above, finish, the ease of cleaning of ceramic marries the beauty of wooden flooring. There is also the low maintenance aspect that draws me closer to this particular set of tiles. It would go great with a glass door opening to an outdoor green lawn (like in the picture) rendering a close-to-nature appeal to the living room.


4. Bathroom furniture

The bathroom is a place where everyone feels like a king. It is your territory where you can stop caring about the world and just be. This set of bathroom furniture in particular portrays my idea perfectly with the regal finish and design. I would love to own this bad boy due to its royal, artistic yet, friendly appeal.

5. Wardrobe and dressing room

If there is any other place in the house  that signifies the me-time other than the bathroom, it is the dressing area. It is where one prepares himself to face the world. I would love to have furniture like this in my dressing room. The freedom of space would prepare me for the battles of the day and the confidence attained from here can help me get through the day with elan.

There are many more options on the site and frankly, one cannot get enough of these things. Have a look yourself and come back with a list of your own.

Thanks Indiblogger for this opportunity. 

Happy Child Post- Indi Happy Hour

Indiblogger has come up with yet another nice contest in association with Dabur Chyawanprash. Here is a link to the Dabur site- https://www.liveveda.com/daburchyawanprash/

And here is the Indi happy Hours contest page- https://www.indiblogger.in/happyhours/dabur-healthy-child-happy-home/

Topic- Drawing from personal experience, tell us how a healthy child makes for a healthy home.

Growing up, I was not a healthy child. Far from it. I would fall sick more often than the weathers changed and I was a cause for constant worry and botheration for my parents. I think it reflected on the overall health of the family too. I was born with weak lungs and was prone to all sorts of allergies since I was a little kid.

Dust, changing weather, pollen- you name it and I would fall sick at the earliest sight of it. It was difficult to see my parents worried. I would be wheezing on cold November nights, trying to catch my breath, which would make me go to the balcony and just try to breathe deeply, somehow trying to make the breathlessness go away. This would wake my Dad up. I would see the light in his room being switched on and then he would walk up to me as I'd stand under the starry sky.

My nose would make that whistling noise and my face would be in a permanent grimace. It was difficult to fight. Dad would just put his hand on my shoulder and wonder if he could do anything. Mom would already be in the kitchen heating the water so that I can inhale steam. They would try hard and I wondered why health was such an elusive thing for me. Why others had it easy? Why did it didn't happen to everyone else. Now I know asthma and bronchitis are very common in metropolitan cities but I grew up in a small town and it seemed unfair somehow to me that I had bronchitis.

Inhaler was a major boon later on. The puffs would calm the lungs so that I could sleep briskly but then it felt like pushing a drug in your system. The lungs felt weak nonetheless. 

I moved to Davangere (Karnataka) later to pursue dentistry and that was actually when I could realize the power of nature. The power that nature or atmosphere commands over our bodies is something amazing. We can try all we can to treat an allergy, to make things right but sometimes, the nature just helps us out when it decides to and that's when all the difference is made. Karnataka's weather was milder and it helped my lungs recuperate from the battering they had taken along the course of years. I also started taking natural products like fruits rich in Vitamin C, juice, coconut water etc because they were more abundantly available there. In those 5 years, I recuperated from my chronic ailment and am now happily wheezing-free. I might need an inhaler once or twice a year but that is nothing compared to my childhood. 

It had affected my family's health too, of course, in a positive manner. Now I can go around doing household chores happily and can enjoy Holi and Diwali with my family in the pinkest of my health. I wish nature was kinder to me since the very beginning but I am glad that it eventually showed me the way. I am thankful.

https://www.liveveda.com/daburchyawanprash/3x_immunity.aspx

Episode 18- Not so smart

Me and my team Inspirati are participating in the Game of Blogs contest by blogadda and we're writing a serial story. We're right now in Round 2 of the contest and this is the last post from our side for round 2. I'd like to thank all my lovely teammates for just being there. I've made some great friends during this contest and I am thankful to Blogadda for that. Thanks guys! 

Previous Episode

Aryan looked in disbelief at those two plane tickets. 'So, Tawde wants to take Roohi with him? This whole kidnapping, the human trafficking racket operation, it all was a big lie then?' But it all didn't add up. Tawde was an honest cop. Sure, he had taken bribes and 'compromised' with the system but that was just to fit in. Aryan could not fathom the possibility of Prakash being a criminal with intentions of selling a little girl. 'Is Tawde in trouble? Is someone making him do it?' Aryan stood still holding the tickets; he stood there in a trance-like state as a gush of breeze made the curtains in the room flutter and only snapped out of it with the sudden sound of a lamp smashing on the floor.

He put the tickets down on the mattress and reached for his gun sensing a tense encounter. He then swiftly turned around only to find a cat making its way to the kitchen. Wiping the sweat drops off his forehead, he shooed the cat out the kitchen window and bolted all the doors again. His heartbeat was up. He then looked at the gun that he had taken out just at the thought of Tawde entering the premises. The realization that his subconscious no longer trusted his old mate- Tawde dawned on him and his heart began to beat with emotions that he himself didn't quite understand. 

He then pictured a helpless Roohi on her way to Dubai with a man unknown to her, namely- Prakash Tawde. The faces of her helpless parents flashed in front of his eyes. Tara's screaming, Shekhar's blank, sorry eyes haunted Aryan. Why did he agree to this mission? He knew there was a risk of losing Roohi in the mission as it was but, he counted on Tawde's wily intellect to plan for any emergency. He could have said 'yes' to anything that Tawde proposed. He was comfortable letting Tawde steer the mission and had comfortably settled with the role of the second fiddle. Now that he had proof in his hands that Tawde himself might be a compromised party in his team, the uneasy feeling of the onus of finding and rescuing Roohi falling on him slowly pinched and pulled Aryan out of his thought process.

He carefully put the tickets back in the folder and put it under the mattress. The worst of his fears had come true. He wiped the sweat off his brows and adjusted his collar. It was time to do something and that too, soon.

                                                                                             -------------------------------------------

'Kamla aunty, can I sleep here?' Roohi said pointing to the floor. Kamla, a woman with a heart that had hardened for the small sorrows of life, smiled and asked in Hindi 'Why beta? This is just a rug. You are a princess, you get to sleep on fluffy pillows and a bed of your own.' The sarcasm in Kamla's words was lost on the little girl who sought nothing more than some peaceful sleep. Roohi replied in a monotonous voice with a lowered gaze, 'They are squabbling again and the voices are low right now but I know they are about to scream at each other. I think this is one of those days where the fight ends with Mom shouting and crying and Dad leaving the room angrily, slamming the door on his way out. The door makes a really scary sound on being slammed. I really don't like that sound aunty.' Roohi raised her gaze as she finished that difficult revelation and found Kamla looking at her with pity in her eyes. She continued, 'I would have hidden under my bed but it really messes up his fur', she said pointing at her teddy bear. Kamla smiled. The innocence was amusing and it tugged at places in her heart she didn't know existed but there is one organ which is more important than the heart. Organ that guides the brain to do things it doesn't want to do, organ that helps one override every emotion other than the one that arises from it. The name of that selfish organ is 'stomach' and that mean emotion is 'hunger'. 

Kamla had seen hunger, it had terrorized her, it had lurked in her kitchen, her chawl and as all doors closed around her, it had climbed inside her bones and enslaved her. She knew that this girl was her salvation, her ticket to a relatively convenient life. Heck, she could finally forget her growing up years. She was sold too. She fought her way, earning the trust of the very teeth that picked her apart. What makes this kid so special that she shouldn't go through all that roughening?

Roohi's parents sleep in different rooms and let Roohi fight her own monsters. Kamla's parents had no different rooms to sleep, they had only one room. It wasn't as if they never fought but they had their reasons to bicker. Real reasons, unlike these rich peoples' reasons. Reasons that involved hunger and helplessness. They even slapped each other, Kamla often tried to stop them and go slapped too, but after the fights, they had no where else to go so, they would sleep on the same mat with Kamla and her three sisters by their side. They slept like a unit, connected to each other and it was so hard to tell where the somewhat softer mat ended and the rough, hard floor began. Even the slaps, the cries, the pain was put to sleep in the night. After everyone was asleep, Baba would ask little Kamla in a hushed tone if the slap really hurt and when she nodded, he would laugh and say that it was really not smart of her to come in the middle of the fight. She would nod and smile; and then they all would fall asleep. It was not a perfect world but it was a happy family and Kamla didn't deserve the pain of the separation that had followed after the monsoons forgot to show up in their village. Father committed suicide and mother fell sick. Next, stomach took over heart and then the rest of the memories went blurry. The rest of her life can be summed up as the feeling one gets just seconds after a slap. Just a blank resonance. Who brought her to Mumbai? How did she forge the connections with people who sell girls? Her heart wasn't there to answer those questions. The stomach had filled in for the spot and it was hard to argue with its eloquent replies.

So, when Roohi came scared to Kamla, Kamla had promised her a land full of dreams. To describe that land to Roohi, Kamla perhaps didn't really use a lot of creativity. She might have just dug deep in her heart and described the place little Kamla wanted to go to. A place where no parents fight, no teddies get their fur dirty hiding under the bed from all the noise; and where every little girl is treated like a princess. She lured Roohi that dream world and swiftly put a tape on her mouth and whisked her away. It was Kamla's way of declaring to Roohi that the place was not real. The real life is what follows after you've hit the bottom. She knew Roohi was helpless and in her heart, as a toughened survivor, she wanted to bestow her life wisdom onto Roohi. When she tore down Roohi's dream world, she felt somewhere in her heart that it was only for her betterment.

The speeding car hit a speed-breaker and Kamla woke up from the memories. A frail Roohi lay in her lap, her neck flailing from the jitters of the journey. The earlier plan included the usual - taking the girl and supplying her to a bunch of people much like a grocery item. The new plan had made her weak. This close approximation with the victim of her actions, all those childhood memories rushing back were new to Kamla. She tried to support Roohi's neck and looked at the gentlemen sitting in the car. They said they were headed to Delhi but they got frequent phone calls and they always kept discussing among themselves. The unfamiliarity, the hushed tones, the whispers and the sneaky eye contacts among them had made Kamla further uncomfortable. She wished she could ensure where they were going, she wished she could read the signs on the road. She wished she knew how to read. 

She sat motionless looking at Roohi for a while and then resolved something in her mind. Clearing her throat, she called out to the guy driving the car, 'Bhaiya, please stop at the the next dhaba or petrol station, I need to use the washroom.'   Her head was spinning with a sudden rush. She was going to do something which was not very smart... after a very long time. 

                                                                                   --------------------------------

Next Episode

“Me and my team are participating in ‘Game Of Blogs’ at BlogAdda.com. #CelebrateBlogging with us.”

Baggout Contest- Planning a celebrity wedding

So, I was invited by Baggout to write this post where I could plan my favourite celeb's wedding and I think I'll choose Thalaivar again for my hypothetical planning as I find him absolutely adorable. Check my previous post for Baggout here.

So as Rajni saar was getting married and he wanted someone to plan it for him as he was too busy keeping the Earth spinning, the rivers flowing, the wind blowing and the birds flying. He handed the task to me and trusted me to do it dutifully. Well, that is not entirely true, he told all the birds and animals to keep an eye on me and report to him in case I am found slacking or being careless. This clever move by thalaivar has kept me vigilant and dutiful as I am now scared of every dog in the colony which stares at me and every pigeon that lands on my terrace. In the pigeons' cooing, the dogs' barking, the cats' meowing, the crows' cawing all I can here is- "We're watching you! Are you doing your job well? We're watching youuu! Watchinngg youuuu!!"

This has given me several sleepless nights and finally I have found a solution to this shopping dilemma that had befallen me. A solution for all my worries, a place where I can shop with coupons and cashbacks, to the maximum of my efficiency with minimum worry as the site's amazing schemes blow my mind away.

Rajni sir cannot blame me of being too careless with the money as the site offers a wide range of discounts and offers- the site is Baggout.com. Click here to check it out- Baggout.com

I set out to shop for a good sherwani first and for that I had to first check with Jabong coupons- click here which had coupons worth 1500 and upto 6% cashback. I chose a sherwani with shape-shifting features as sir, we all know can transform himself into any shape according to the demand of the scene and situation. He can even be superman so, I bought a cape with the sherwani just in case, you know.

Then I shopped for a good headgear from Baggout's range of coupons from Myntra- click here where they are offering 10.5% cashback. The cashback received by thalaiva is distributed among all the national and private banks of the world and the remaining amount is donated to charity as we all know. We chose for a Rajasthani pagdi to make thalaiva look even more royal than he already is.

We did want the groom to look modern and carry some modern gadgets with him in order to remain connected with his fans and worshipers. We went to the flipkart page click here to shop for tablets and mobiles of sir's choice. Now he can offer e-Ashirwad to his devotees during the wedding also.

And as it was Rajni sa's wedding, some advance planning is needed because as we all know, sa can look into the future and foresee any forthcoming events. We planned his honeymoon from the voucher available via Yatra.com on baggout.com - click here and booked tickets for Switzerland on thalaiva's own airlines that he'll be gifting himself as a wedding present.

After that, the baby and the rest of sir's family life is also foreseen and planned by Rajni sir. He gave me clear instruction that he wanted the baby products from the Babyoye page of baggout click here which offered upto Rs 188 of cashback.

All this shopping and planning was done within an hour as the task was made easier and cheaper by Baggout. I went with the bill to Rajni sir and sir patted heavily on my back for such efficient job due to which I traveled around the globe and came back just in time to submit this post.

:)

How I solved the #WhatTheBlack mystery

Ok, so as you might not be knowing, I am a a bit of a detective. And I did happen to solve successfully the puzzle by the blogadda people. Here is presenting a short sketch of how I did it!

By the by, it must not be any mystery by now that #WhatTheBlack is the Colgate Slimsoft Charcoal Toothbrush. Priced at Rs 60, it is an amazing product.

Day 1, I got this mysterious black box which got me thinking. What could it be?

It turned out to be an egg. What? A black egg? It seemed like an interesting clue. So, the answer lies in somehing which is normally white but is now black -- yes that was my first thought.

As I cracked open the shell, I saw chocolate and the plot had just thickened... I knew it was gonna be a tough case to crack

 I thought really hard about it and then I just licked it because a good detective has to get his hands/ tongue dirty on the job. It was .... YUMMY!

I thought about washing the egg and then maybe the clue will reveal itself and OMG! There it was! It turned purple!! Which meant...

Absolutely nothing. So I just took out a plate and ate it.

While tasting the chocolate the answer to the riddle came to me.

But I forgot what it was due to the amazing taste...

Over the next two days, I got clues like black paper cup, black newspaper, black tissue paper and keeping the recurring theme in mind, I figured out the solution. Here is how-

Yes, my deduction was kinda aided by the word "colgate" on the last day's dispatch receipt but nevertheless! I decoded it! (A little bit of googling might have helped me there)

It was elementary my dear Watsons!

Don't Shoot the Zester!

This post is a part of the #ZestUpYourLife activity in association with TATA Zest and BlogAdda.com



Here are the five things that would totally zest my life in an upward direction-

1. A sea facing bungalow

I think there is nothing more romantic than a life of tranquility and peace. When I think of a home somewhere near the ocean and walking my dog, preferably a Labrador, by the beach as the sun rises, I get the heebie-jeebies of excitement and happiness.

2. A love story

It is my dream to have a grand love story with twists, destiny, conflict and comeuppance just like in the movies. That surely is going to zest up my life. Love is what makes life worth living.

3. A wingman.

I think just like we all seek 'the one', someone who is meant for us; we also want a friend who'd be happy for us. A wingman who'd be happy when we find a girl and who'd ask her vehemently not to get married so that we can keep being boys forever! Bromance might not be something that men comfortably yearn for in the public but it sure zests up their lives a couple of notches above every level of awesomeness, nay! brosomeness!

4. A late night adventure ride

Nights are mysterious, nights are unpredictable. They change you forever, push you out of your comfort zones and bring out your inner werewolves! I'd love to have one such night which would be filled with all the adventures of a thriller novel. A night to remember! A long drive to discover the underworld!

5. A truckload of cash!

I think it is one of the more shallow but obvious choices. I can build my own castle, keep my own army, buy my own island, declare myself to be the monarch of that island; or maybe just go on a world tour or buy a lot of books. I don't know but, money gives you the freedom to do things and that is the essence of zesting up your life!

Thank you blogadda for letting me wish! :)) Cheers!

Blacking it up!

This post is a part of #WhatTheBlack activity at BlogAdda.com

Black certainly is a colour of all times and all seasons. Seasons come, seasons go; fashion changes and so do people but black stays- timeless, graceful and mild yet emphatic as ever.

Here are 5 black things that I'd love to own-

1. A Black Italian Suit!

Yes, Godfather was a timeless classic, and there will be no parallel and I think a part of all the power play is controlled by the sartorial tastes of the mafia. I'd love to own of those dapper suits too! I think there is something about the colour which when coupled with the fabric turns boys into men and men into Godfathers!

2. A Black Superman Costume.

Ok, this might be the geek in me talking but isn't it the coolest thing to see Supes in black in the Alternate Universes by DC? Yes, red-blue is all fine but black is where "awesome" resides.I think with just one black superman tee, I can strike fear in the hearts of good and evil alike!

3. A black sedan.

Yes, Batman in his black suit and black bat-mobile is cool but there is an equally dapper and dashing guy who just drives around in his black sedan and people make way, heads turn and ladies swoon! The guy is just Batman without the suit- Bruce Wayne! I do want to be Batman, but I also want to be Bruce!!

4. Black aviators.

I think once you put those bad boys on, your sex appeal multiplies by a thousand and also, you can imagine punching goons and having them fly away to outer space. Reference here is Salman Dabang Khan.

5. A Black hoodie!

Now since I already have a black laptop, a black bike, I think a black hoodie would complete the gothic look. I'd turn the hood on and disappear in the dark alleys of a metropolitan mysteriously. A hoodie turns you into an agent of the dark and so much more! It can also serve to accessorize the alter ego to my Italian suit wearing persona. On one side I am this sedan driving, dapper powerful guy and on the other side, I am this hooded agent of chaos who walks alone.

Ah! This completes the list- Thank you blogadda for spicing up my imagination!