And this Durga puja brought us together, literally

Every town, every place has its own unique stories which can't be told to or explained to anyone else. It can only be felt over the years and then cherished. I belong to a small town in the Eastern Part of India and as I am writing this post, I am coming more and more close to my family.

I remember as a kid I used to wait the entire year for Durga Puja. For me Durga puja meant holidays, sweets and lot of fun. Planning for dress used to start 2-3 weeks back. Among our friends we used to discuss who is getting what. We were never tired of discussing which pandal looks the best. Few pandals had very beautiful idols others had unique themes and concepts. The entire night of Ashtmi and Navami, we used to roam around with our family and the next day, onlyt topic of discussion would be which pandal did we visit, what did we eat in Mela, what did we see and so on. All in all, we spent entire time with our families and friends etc.

Another aspect of Durga Puja during those times was the aspiration to celebrate Durga Puja the way they used to show in TV. I remember, I used to think how cool it would be to live in some metro city where there are big buildings, busy people, a lot of modern technology and so on. I used to think how cool will it be to live in a big city, where I can first go to some Bengali Pujo Pandal and then go and attend some Garba and Dandiya event and then may be eat in some theme restaurant. I had thought that the technology will certainly bring us closer.

Time flies very easily. Times have changed and I am now one of the many Indians who spend 10-12 hours a day in front of laptop. As a part of employee engagement events, we were taken to a place which was given the look of a village. Initially I was excited to see everything there which reminded me of my childhood but they didn't have the same feelings. They had gola, but the gola wala didn't share the same bonding with me which the gola wala near my school gate used to share. There was a puppet show but i realised that more than enjoying the show, i was busy taking pics and videos so that later I can put it in Facebook and Instagram. I realised that yes I know there are Garba nights here but those are more like a checklist.You have to do it because everyone else is doing it. Going to restaurant is easier than getting someone to talk to you on non sense topics for 15 mins.

At times it is good to be whimsical. That night I came back to room and immediately booked a ticket to go home. As I was packing for my journey, I made up my mind not to take my Laptop or Tab with me. So here I am writing this post on a borrowed PC. For last 3-4 days I din't watch my favourite shows or movies, Didn't use enough of social networking sites, didn't play games on my Tab. But one thing that i did in ample is to be together with my family and enjoy every moment of it.

Watch this awesome video by Kissan which will make you think:

How Airtel is going the change the way we use our mobile internet

Remember the time when you are roaming on the road with your friend. Suddenly there is a post on your class’ face book group. You open it and see that someone has sent her dance performance video on the group. Guess what, this someone is no one else but that girl in the glass you have a crush on. Now you want to download the video and watch it as soon as possible. But you can’t do. Your mobile internet is not fast enough. You keep trying but no luck. Finally with a heavy heart you decide- “chuck it!  I shall go to my room after 4 hours and check it on your laptop”

Now a days the our devices are getting smaller and faster. We prefer mobile over laptop. So now when we aim to do everything on the go, this aim should be backed by technology. And this is where Airtel 4G is gonna play a big role.  If any technology has to make its impact felt, I feel, there should be three things tied to it- availability, accessibility and affordability. So now let us see how much Airtel scores in each of these three parameters.

Talking about availability, Airtel is launching its 4G services in India.  Airtel is the first provider in India coming with 4G. And they aim to make their presence felt across India. They are doing a nation wide launch in 296 cities.

Talking about accessibility, Airtel is making sure that the process of getting a 4G  is very easy and smooth. So they have come up with this idea of providing a sim just based on a tweet. Just tweet #GetAirtel4G  and you can get a 4G sim delivered. And the home delivery is absolutely free.

After availability and accessibility comes affordability. What is the benefit of a cool technology when we can’t even afford it. This is where, Airtel scores heavily.  Airtel is giving away 4G sims at the price of  3G. ISn’t this super cool ?

Overall, I feel, this is widely executed and a well thought through campaign. Airtel has been very successful in creating a buzz around this 4G challenge campaign. All the facilities coupled with the brand name of Airtel and the trust the brand brings along with it. One more advantage for customers is the fact that Airtel has set a bench mark for other service providers now. Now when other service providers come up with 4G plans, they will try to be faster and more economical and it will be beneficial for customers only.

So what are you waiting for ? Just take an Airtel 4G challenge. And imagine what all you can do with such a high speed internet on your phone. You can browse on the go,  download movies and songs anytime you want. You can watch movie online, watch live matches and what not. Totally, you are  sure gonna be attracted even more to your smart phones.

Learn more:  http://www.airtel.in/4g/

Stay connected with your bills with My Airtel App

Honestly, I came to know about the My Airtel App quite recently. I wasn’t sure if it will work on my phone as I don’t have an airtel mobile number. Still, I gave it a try, as I have an Airtel broadband and a airtel fixed line at home. To my surprise, I entered the app with my non-airtel sim and I was signed into the app. I was extremely surprised and happy that we need not have an airtel number to log in to the airtel app. When I entered the app with my other number, I was happy to find the numbers of my broadband and the fixed line being listed in the app, as the registered phone number with these devices were my other mobile number. This is the first feature I loved in the airtel app.

The second feature I liked in the My airtel app is that it is extremely user friendly. I could find my internet usage, how much is left of my balance. I could also find the bill summary and the outstanding bill amount. The first page displayed my outstanding bill and the internet usage. Both are very useful. The bill displayed acts as a reminder for me to pay, while the usage information is also extremely important. Most importantly, I can pay the bill through this app. I need not visit the airtel website to pay my bill. With just one click, I can see the outstanding amount payable and pay the bill the next minute.

There was an instance when the fast internet limit was over, I received a message stating that I have crossed the limit and the speed of the internet from now will be less. It also mentioned from when the internet speed will be reset. The same information is also available in the app. It is very useful, as it relieves me of the tension when I worry about the slow internet without even realizing that I have exhausted the package.

The third feature that I liked is the ability to add more products. I am planning to buy an airtel DTH. I can directly add the DTH to this app. If in the future, I buy an airtel mobile number, I can add that number as well. Every airtel device is in one place, and is extremely well organized.

Apart from this, airtel app also provides various coupons and offers on various websites. Though it is not the prime criteria to start using the airtel app, it is definitely an added advantage. Without spending an extra dime, I can get the offer coupon I want just by recharging my airtel device. The most amazing part is that I can get the offers by shaking the phone, which is very unique.

With all these features I use, and much more other features, this My Airtel App is a huge hit among the airtel customers. It helps the customer organize every airtel product in one place and keep a track of everything.

http://www.airtel.in/myairtel

What can the Kapil’s Nayi League be?

When I first saw the video of Kapil Dev talking about his Nayi League, I wondered what could it be. He talks to Dhoni about retirement, Sania about women sports, Yuvraj and even the reality show host. What could all of these celebrities have in common? Also Kapil talks about these people doing what they love with their heart. He starts the video with “Dil se Kheloge toh hit wicket ho jaoge”. This league should be played without the influence of the heart. How can one not play a game with heart? It is quite beyond my reality.

Everywhere we go we have heard that one should listen to his heart and do according to what the heart says. But this is a different sort of a game and league where everyone is talking about how not to listen to your heart. This will be very interesting to see and play.

If we can’t use our hearts, then the logical next step is use the brain and mind. So how do we use only the mind without the heart? It could be a reality game show where the sportsmen from the world will come together and play with their minds, along with the participants who are general public. The game show can have questions regarding sports, some real life incidents. The competition between the celebrities and non-celebrities could be how different they would react to a particular scenario.  It is more fun and we can understand how the sportsmen think in the field under huge pressure. Who knows, the same person would have decided something on the field, but later on he would choose some other option altogether for the same situation.

The game show can also include tournaments between the celebrities and also with the other participants. These participants could be the state level players or junior players. These players will get an opportunity to interact with the established and star players. They will be coached for their future in a way very different from the usual mentoring and coaching sessions.

This game show can also bring lot of women sports person to the center stage. As Kapil Dev says, there are hardly 300 women playing tennis in India and Sania is among Top 20 in the world. This nayi league would be a platform for women to launch themselves.

Also, nowadays with the IPL generating huge cash and the players are auctioned for crores of rupees, this new league can be a platform to connect with the others. A part of the cash generated could be given back to the society. This Nayi league will be a new age phenomenon where everyone come together to play and have a good time, and at the same time give back to those who are under-privileged. Another point to consider is, with the increasing virtual and mind games, this ‘dil se mat khelo’ league will be a super hit among youngsters as well the adults. 

http://www.eknayileague.com/

Living with harmony and unity

We all deal with a lot of ups and downs in life. There are some things that give us positivity and optimism to move on. It could be a smile of a child, a hug from your loved one when you are in need, even nature. 

I feel the positivity around me every time I look at nature. The waterfalls, the trees, the forests, the mountains, the river, everything around us. The have been with us from the time earth was born. Human we live and then die. But the river and waterfalls, the trees and forests have been living amongst us for a long time. They provide us with the hope to live on and be a mark on this world. 

There is one more thing that gives me the strength and courage. The buildings that stand tall, in the hot sun and in the storms. They never fall. They are held together without being disturbed. Every time I feel that I have not done anything worthwhile in life, while someone in some part of this world, has achieved something extraordinary at my age. 

Men has grown to what he is now because of the nature. When we think about our ancestors who were living in the Stone Age, they were living as one with nature. They learnt everything they could from the nature. They invented modern things by making use of nature. Even the smallest of the discovery was because of inspiration from nature. 

Even today, the scientists of the modern world have found solutions to lot of troubling questions from nature. Not just the plants and mountains and rivers that teach us thing. But also the animals and insects that teach us a lot about life. 

Take the birds for example. When they flying in a group, like the migratory birds, there is always one in the leadership position that leads flock of birds. The other birds follow the lead. Imagine humans in this scenario. After a point in time, we humans will start a fight amongst each other, everyone fighting for the leading position. Or it will be an ego clash amongst us and we will not be in harmony. 

We act in a way that is most favourable for us, and not that is good for the goal of the team in general. If we could learn the simplicity and harmony from nature, it would lead us to great heights. 

Similarly, the discipline of the animals is another extraordinary feature. Most humans lack discipline, and are in a way selfish. We only think about what we want and not care about how it affects the environment around us. 

Every time I look at nature, I think about the harmony and unity in which they are in, and an optimism that we will live in a world of harmony. 

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The toughest decision of my life

What is change? Anything that is disturbed from the status quo is a change. Even buying a new phone is a change. For e.g., you have always used an Android, now you have bought a new iPhone. That is a change. Though you are excited about owning an iPhone, you are trying hard to understand the features of the phone and trying to adapt to it. This decision of buying an iPhone was an easy one. You wanted an iPhone and you bought it. (Though you saved enough for it to buy!)

Not every decision in life is as easy as it may sound. One of the toughest decisions I faced in my life recently is whether to continue with my current job or quit the job and start being a professional photographer. I have just started to learn photography, just a year or so ago. But the kind of satisfaction and happiness I get out of photography can never be matched with the job I am doing. 

I work in a IT company, as everyone else. It pays me well. It’s been 3 years I started working. In the initial period, I really liked what I was doing. After a point, I realised IT is not something I can do my entire life. I was really thinking should I quit and take up photography as business. 

Photography has now become very competitive with the widespread use of Digital camera. But I know I will love being a photographer. The other side of the coin is, I will not be able to earn as much in photography right now. Once I am an established photographer, then I can earn. So, I sat and thought about my options. 

It wasn’t an easy one to make. People tend to look at short term while deciding on something. It is equally important to look at long term. Japanese believe in long term rather than short. But Indians have the tendency to look at the short term gains. If it isn’t good enough, we don’t do it. After a long thought and discussing with few other friends and some photographers, I decided I will work for few months and then quit the job. 

Now, I have quit my job and started my photography career. This is a big change in my life. Though I am not earning a lot now, I am learning photography and business. I understand what people expect out of a photographer. I would never be able to do a full time photography that is giving me lot of pleasure if I had stayed in the nine to five job. Leaving my job and taking photography full time was the toughest, yet best decision I have ever made.

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Watch :

That unexpected warmth of togetherness

I am a person born in Delhi and brought up in Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore. Dad had a transferable job so I had the privilege to stay in 3 different cities. I was always pampered a lot in my home. My parents would take care of each and every need of mine. I was never allowed to go alone to any place which was not considered very safe for me. So everywhere I went, it was with my family or in a group.

During the last month of my graduation, one of my friends told me that she is going to get married the next month. I was very excited and so were all of my friends. After all she was the first one in our group who was going to get married. So plan was made. 2 weeks after our exam we will take a train from Mumbai to Varanasi, where the marriage was going to take place. Making plan was the easier part, convincing my parents that I am old enough to be sent alone was the more difficult one. It took me 3 days before my dad finally agreed but not before he gave me a huge list of do’s and don’ts .  Anyways we reached Varanasi as decided. Everything was normal, until that day.

It was a cold horrifying night. There was no source of night anywhere. The only thing that I could see was my own body. There was no human being around. The only sounds that I was hearing was that of stray dogs barking( I thought they were barking at me) and the crickets present all around that dark muddy road. It was the day before sangeet. 5 of us had to go from my friends house to the marriage hall which was around 600 meters away. It was 9 in the night. 4 of my friends had already left for the marriage hall. As I was talking on phone, I asked them to start  and once I was done talking I started walking alone towards the marriage hall. After I had walked some 100 meters, there was power cut. And there was darkness all over. I was a bit scared but I kept walking. As I was walking, two guys entered the road from some crossing street and started walking parallel to me. Both were talking very loudly and the way they were talking and walking, it seemed that both of them were drunk. To make the matter worse I saw a dog barking and running towards me.

I always had a kind of phobia of street dogs. When that dog approached me I thought it was going to bite me. But to my surprise, it came near me, started waging its tail and started walking along with me.  It kept on walking with me till I reached the end of the road where my friends were standing. At times the most unexpected company can give you so much happiness and relief that can change your whole perspective. For me, for those 5 mins of togetherness with that street dog was invaluable and very comforting and certainly helped me overcome my fear of street dogs.

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Beat the Summer, Naturally

Naturopathy is very prevalent in India. With the summer starting now, we have to fortify our body against the heat naturally. It is important to maintain the water level of the body because we dehydrate more during summer. To beat the heat, drink these.

1. Tender Coconut water
2. Citrus Fruits
3. Water melons
4. Butter milk

Avoid tea and coffee. They have diuretic properties and reduce the water content of the body.
Have a nice summer!! 

Health mistakes that women make

Most of women nowadays have a full time job, and are also expected to take care of the family. They tend to ignore their health and put their family’s health before anything. It is one of the biggest health mistakes that women make. By not spending enough time for and with themselves, they land in trouble.

These are some of the mistakes that women make.

1.       Underestimating Heart Disease

It is widely prevalent that heart disease is men’s problem and not women. Most women ignore everything and rarely take any precautions. Women should be aware that cardiovascular problems is the cause of 17% female mortality. 

Women should not ignore and waiter longer when they have any symptoms. Women have a different set of symptoms, not the same as men. Please be aware and don’t ignore any symptoms of heart attack.

2.       Putting off Pap Smear

Most women in India are unaware that cervical cancer is one of the leading causes of deaths in women. Pap smear is the screening test for cervical cancer. They are also unaware that pap smear is to be done regularly.

Women should not ignore the symptoms like vaginal discharge with bloodstains, inter-menstrual bleeding, etc.

3.       Neglecting Breast Exams

Cervical cancer was the leading cause of death in women with cancer. Now, breast cancer has overtaken cervical cancer in causing the deaths. Our Indian women ignore the beast examinations and are unaware that breast cancer can be a possibility for them. It is necessary for a women above 40 to undergo mammograms regularly.

20 percent of cancers detected have missed the screening tests. So, it is equally important that women should self-examine regularly. Learn more about the self-examination.

 Women should understand that prevention and being prepared is better than the mental pain of going through the diseases when they hit!

Goodness of Whole grain rice

We have always heard that we should have wholesome food. For us to get the wholeness of the food we consume, we should move from having white rice, white bread, etc to whole grain food like brown or red rice, bread, etc.

The whole grain food are rich in fibers that can reduce the cholesterol and blood glucose. Whole grain rice is better than bread or pasta, according to a nutritionist.

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Bring more whole grain into your diet with the following food.

1.       Use whole grain rice instead of white rice for dosa, idli, appams, puddings, etc.

2.       Red rice, and even black rice is very good for health. Try the rice scented brown basmati rice which has more protein.

3.       Some people will tell you that it takes 45 minutes to cook the brown rice, and it is unnecessary waste of energy. Don’t let that deter you. Cook the brown rice for 8 minutes after the first whistle, and keep the lid of the pressure cooker closed for 15 minutes and let the pressure subside. You can spend little more time in cooking the brown rice for the healthier you.

Start a Healthy Lifestyle!

A video I saw recently. It is an excellent summary of how to start and lead a healthy life. Follow these simple steps, and you are on your way towards a new you!

Too much of goodness can harm you

Iron and copper are two common minerals that are essential for good health. But with a twist! Too much of iron and copper in your body can lead to Alzheimer’s and heart disease. If you are over 50, consider your intake of multivitamins, iron, copper, etc.

Multivitamins formulations for older people might not contain iron. But none of them is devoid of copper. The usefulness and health benefits of Multivitamins are unproven. So, it is better to skip the multivitamins if it is not prescribed by your doctor.

You consume copper from sources that are unimaginable. If you have copper tap or copper dish, your copper intake increases. Copper from these containers gets into the water or your food. If it is a tap, make sure you drain the tap for 20-30 seconds before you consume. This will flush most of the copper that is accumulated in the tap when it wasn't in use. Also, try to avoid the copper vessels. Because of the heat in the food, a lot of copper can get into your food. Copper vessels used for cooking have shown to cause cirrhosis in kids.

If you are anaemic and need iron, eating red meat, pork, beef, mutton can increase the iron in your body. Too much of iron can cause iron poisoning. Limit yourself to two or three small servings a week. 

Don’t let hunger creep in

When you are trying to lose weight hunger is the major barrier. Instead of eating less while dieting, try to stock up low-density food that will fill you up for a small amount of calories. The low-density fibres are high in water and fibre. 

DO NOT EAT THESE! TRY THE ONES MENTIONED BELOW!! 

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Try these.

Eat plenty of green leaves, lettuce, tomatoes, green beans, melons and onions. Add these to stews, soups, pasta sauces. These are high volume, high satisfaction and low calorie stars! Avoid dry fruits and biscuits for munching when hungry. Dry fruits lack water and can pack a lot of calories in a small portion.

Drink plenty of water. Half of your total fluid intake should ideally be water. Make it interesting with soda, mineral water or herbal teas. Remember that fresh fruits and vegetables have lot of water. Stock them up!

Don’t skip starters. They are not just appetizers, they also lowers the energy density of your main meal. Choose a vegetable soup or garden salad with low-fat density.

Take loads of protein. You have plenty to choose from this category lean red meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, beans, soya, and grains. They make you feel full for long period, reducing the intake of other food.

Eat plenty of food containing whole grains. Do check the content for whole grains.

When you have proper and fuller meals, there is a less chance of you feeling hungry between meals. Even when you do feel hungry, never starve. Eat small quantities of low calorie food. 

Burn fat with better breakfast

Just by changing the type of carbohydrate you consume in the morning, you increase the amount of fat burnt by your body the whole day during your walks and workout. Additional advantage is that you will feel less hungry for the rest of the day when you have the right breakfast. The key here is to choose the carbs that are digested slowly, like the unrefined carbs that are high in fibre and not the refined ones which your body will burn fast and produce energy.

Typical Indian breakfasts include cereal and pulse. Both are extremely important during the start of the day.

INSTEAD OF THIS	EAT THIS
Rice and Urad dosa	Mixed dal dosa. Or add soya flour to the regular dosa batter
Plain idli	Mixed vegetable idli
Paratha made with ghee or butter	Paratha made with vegetable oil
Aloo Paratha	Mixed green vegetable paratha
Jalebi and gathias	Mixed fruits with instant cereals, nuts and soyamilk
Poha made with white rice flakes, potato, coconut	Poha made with brown rice flakes, vegetables and herbs

Make these small changes in your breakfast for a more healthy you!

Add the good cholesterol to your body

Cholesterol can be good and bad. The good cholesterol, called the HDL is really good for your body. While the bad cholesterol called the LDL harms your heart and general well-being.

There are some food items which will boost your HDL. Don’t feel bad about consuming cholesterol for once!

Dark Chocolates

100 gm of dark chocolate everyday raises the HDL level by 9 percent in a week. But beware! That’s loads of chocolate, worth 500 calories! Watch your chocolates, but don’t deter from having them. Try, smaller doses (15 gm) over a long period of time. That should be helpful.

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Salmon

Consume salmons, other fatty fishes like mackerel, herring, sardines. 115gm of these fishes every week for four weeks should increase the HDL level by 4 percent.

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Berries

Have plenty of berries, even if they aren’t fresh! A cup of berries every day for eight weeks, increases the HDL by 5 percent.

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Eggs

Eat egg every day for 12 weeks, and the HDL will increase by as much as 48 percent!

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Go ahead! Have a mouthful of these good cholesterol rich food every day! 

Hang out with thin people!

We all know how influential a friend can be in our lives. It is true even when you are trying to lose weight.

A research study indicates that you can actually ‘catch’ obesity from close friends! Weird right? This 32 year study concluded that when you have a close friend who is obese, you have a 171% chance of becoming obese! The theory behind this is: You are influenced by your friends. When your friend overeats, you unwittingly follow their lead and start overeating yourself.

The good news for those obese people out in the world is, this works in reverse as well. Hang out with thin people, who eat extremely less. You will be influenced by them, even be guilty about eating much and you start to eat less.

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Go, find yourself a thin friend who can be influential in making you fit! 

The Best of the day to work-out

The best time is between 4pm and 7pm.

The body temperature is at its highest at this time, and the muscles are warm and flexible, strength is at its peak, while the resting heart rate and blood pressure are at its lowest. At this time, you are less likely to injure yourself, the exertion is perceived to be low and you are more motivated to work out.

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For women

Women get the most of the endurance exercise when they exercise between 7-14 days after ovulation. This is when the hormones are at its peak and the exercise affects how the body uses the fat and carbohydrates.

When you suffer from painful periods, regular exercise even during menstruation can help reduce the pain.

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To progress in the exercise

A given training program is effective and stimulate improvement only for 6-12 weeks. After that, you have to change the exercise, the weights used, reps done, even the feet position for better progression and result. 

The new you

Recently, there has been an increase in the number of people who are obese, and are frantically trying to lose weight. Even otherwise, generally there is an increase in the awareness level of everyone about leading a healthier and fuller life. People have resorted to various ways of living a wholesome life. Some indulge in Yoga, meditation, some go for weight training and aerobics, and some for Zumba which has become a bit hit among the young as well as the older generation. Whichever way you follow, only physical activity is not enough. You need to complement the physical activity with the kind of food you consume. I decided I will share all the health and nutrition related ideas and news that I have collected over the recent years to everyone.