Playing secret elve this Christmas

As the midnight ushers in Christmas…Santa slides down the Chimney of the Indiblogeshwari house. Smiles, happiness and peace for everyone, are the gifts he has brought. And for lucky few blogeshwaris, he has also engaged the “secret elves” for a surprise gift…

Three..

Two…

One…

And the chosen Blogeshwari is…Manogna from “Beeafteryou”

A newbee on the blogging scene (literally, as she introduces herself as a bee in her first post!), I was quite surprised for coincidentally, her blog name matches the name of one of my blogs created during my early blogging days!

Manogna, as she calls herself on her blog, has been in the blogging circuit since March 2013. She has already written 60 posts by now, each one refreshingly different.

The bright green background of her blog welcomes you and the IndiArtist Badge comes to notice almost instantly.

Her first post got me all smiling, for it’s a beautiful yet simple introduction…a very honest post where she thinks aloud and shares her dilemma on what to blog about- a common feeling within all of us when we start blogging.

A blogger with varied interests, she blogs about movies, travel, fashion and just about anything under the sun…I loved the honesty and simplicity in her posts. It’s good to see a blogger who writes for the love of blogging rather than to get a task completed.

By the way, the IndiArtist is pretty good at sketching and has posted some of her sketches on her blog. I particularly liked this one…

After reading her posts, I was intrigued to know more about her, but sadly her profile page doesn’t say anything about her…perhaps she could write few things about herself.

A very uncluttered and straightforward blog, I must say. After long long time I came across a blog which wasn’t cluttered with too many contest entries!

Way to go Manogna! Keep up the good work!

This post is a part of the secret elves activity organised byIndiblogeshwaris for Christmas!

Wish you all a Merry Christmas!

A box full of memories…

My best friend Gracy is my friend, philosopher, guide and partner in crime. We met in primary school – me, a shy 6 year old, late entrant in the middle of the academic session. She, a confident, vivacious, hip n happening gal, who always did what she felt was right….and over the years, passed on her “having a mind of your own” infection to me.

She displayed her daredevil attitude in our first meeting itself when she saved me from couple of classmates who were trying to bully me, taking full advantage of my new kid on the block status. We hit it instantly, our personalities so different, yet complementing each other in our own right.

The bus ride to school no longer remained a crying affair for me, for Gracy was there waiting inside with my seat well reserved. She became my first reason to look forward to going to school.

The fashionista…

While I was the studious, shy, boring kid, she knew her mix n match right. Her house was not far from mine. Whenever mom would get late to pick me up, I would go to her house, and enjoy the yummy south Indian feast her mom prepared for us. Knowing my mom would come to pick me up only by evening, we would quickly finish the homework and create our mini theatre. Her mom’s sarees became our theatre wings and her makeup kit, our treasure. We would spend the entire afternoon trying to drape aunty’s sarees; get the makeup and hairdo right and do our own small fashion show, where we were the models as well as the audience! Pity then, there were no digicams, leave apart mobile phones. Else, watsapp would have come very handy!

My first stint with nailpaint

I will never forget the day I put on my first coat of nail paint. Immense joy and sorrow at the same time…that was what I felt that day. Our moms always kept nail paints away from us. It was also a banned item in school. Being the curious duo, we were dying to paint our nails red. One day Gracy smuggled her mom’s brand new nail paint to school. Since there was a checking of nails in the assembly, Gracy decided we would colour our nails in the bus on our way back home. Amidst the jerks of the old DTC school bus, Gracy somehow managed to dump the red liquid on our nails. We were happy for having done it finally but didn’t know what awaited us at the bus stop. The moment our mothers saw our nails, they got furious. Gracy faced her mom’s ire for spoiling her brand new nail paint while my mom blasted at me for doing stuff that wasn’t meant to be for kids.

Our birthdays

We always were chief guests in each others’ birthday parties. While I ensured mom gave her the big waaala cake piece with the cream flowers and cherry, Gracy ensured she would give me undivided attention in her party.

Life becomes a beautiful journey when you have a best friend who understands the hidden you.

Sharing our passions, secrets, temptations, we grew up and went on to different colleges. While our mutual friends were sad for us, for they thought it would make us part; for Gracy and I, it was a moment to rejoice. For different colleges meant a wider span of boys to checkout at college fests! We would hang out at each other’s college, and leave no chance to be the “pretty gal from other college”. Gracy was a rockstar, for I would receive so many requests from guys for “a friendly intro” with her.

College also meant more pocket money, frequent trips to janpath and Sarojini market, where we would spend hours bargaining and picking up similar clothes!

The three memorable years of college also gave us numerous pyjama parties! These were also occasions for us to organise our own mini “budget” spa sessions where we would share tips, try new hair masks, share knowledge about any new beauty product and display our intelligent self by sharing beauty secrets. Gracy would treat me to a special hot oil hair massage and I would introduce her to new face masks!

Some girls envied us, for girls aren’t supposed to share beauty secrets! But when you have a friend who is a mirror image of your own soul, the word “competition” does not exist!

Sharing our joys and sorrows, we both are now into our late twenties.

Here are some lines I dedicate to the beautiful angel in my life…

From sharing our lunch box,pencils and clips

 to sharing beauty and dating tips,

from advising on a bad hair day

to waiting for me on hot afternoons of May

From sharing secrets nobody else knew

To being one of my closest few

For understanding the unsaid of a person so shy

On bad days, giving me a shoulder to cry

I am blessed to have a friend like you

I know such luck comes only to few

Friends like you are timeless, like wine

Thanks for filling my life with sunshine!

This post is written for Guessing Game contest by Indiblogger and Dove.

#DoveFaceTest

Shillong, get rocking with MindRocks!!!

Unleashing the power of youth across India – well, India Today knows it best. After a rocking youth summit in Delhi in September (You can read my Delhi event coverage here), the event is headed for Shillong.

The event will get together the youth with their favourite youth icons from various walks of life. The daylong conference is a forum that allows bright young minds to interact in an open two-way conversation with their icons. A space where inspirational leaders from different spheres of life share their success stories. A festival that celebrates through ideas, music and art by recognizing the best in the field and also giving youth a stage to create, perform and engage. 

I had a rocking experience at Mindrocks Delhi  this September and I can’t wait to catch the action live from the Shillong event!

The speakers include

·         Dr. Mukul Sangma, Chief Minister, Meghalaya

·         Vivek Oberoi, Actor

·         Zerifa Wahid, Actor, Assamese films

·         Binalakshmi Nepram, Founder, Manipur Women Gun Survivors Network

·         Shazia Ilmi, Politican, Social Activist, Journalist

·         Akhil Kumar, Gold Medallist, Commonwealth Games, 2006

·         Ajay Jadeja, former Indian Cricketer

·         Parvathy Omanakuttan

·         Papon, Singer, musician, composer, record producer

·         Rabbi Shergill, Singer, song writer, guitarist

And…

The very hot n happening Abhay Deol!

 Wats more, there is also a rock concert by Soul Mate!

Seeing so many celeb icons together in a single day was such a treat for me in Delhi (I still remember girls going crazy when Virat Kohli and Farhan Akhtar stepped on the stage!)…can’t wait to witness the icons interacting with the audience live and sharing their secret mantra of what makes them so rocking!

Wanna, be a part of this rocking event? Well, you can register here

Stay tuned for live twitter updates #MindRocks #IndiaToday!

See you at Mindrocks Shillong!

A better way…

So many gadgets floating around,

Promising great features to be found

But when it comes to delivering the same

The big promises hide in shame

If only there was a better way

It would truly make my day

The poet in me was grumbling an impromptu poem as I struggled to revive my tablet, famished due to battery discharge. “And I was promised a lo..ng battery life by the salesperson.” I said to myself, remembering the conversation I had with the salesperson while buying my tablet.

Being a working woman, a wife, a blogger and a daughter in law, I have to juggle various acts together. As the passion for blogging overshot the time available in hand, I had bought a tablet to be “always on the go”. It seemed like the next best thing. I was promised all the good things a woman could ask for – seeing a recipe on the tablet right in the kitchen and preparing the dish right away; catching up on my movies, blogs and e books on my way to work and most importantly, to be able to blog live anywhere, anytime.

But there were few things I was not prepared for –

• I opened the recipe on the tablet and placed it on the slab, and before the salt could go inside the pan, it chose to season the screen of my tablet. Soon after mom in law came and said “Why have you kept on the slab? Anything could spill over.” And my enthusiasm of cooking disappeared then and there.

• In the evening, in the metro, I thought of catching up on some blogging. And that’s when I discovered another irritating aspect – I could either hold the tablet right or could type. For there was no way, I could place it in a position comfortable enough to write.

• At night, I cursed my tablet while trying to type my next post. For, before I could press the upload button, the tablet shouted of a low battery, wasting 45 minutes of nonstop typing.

• Mornings began with a stiff neck. For, long hours of late night in ergonomically unsuitable position played its part right.

As I sipped my morning tea with a pained look one day, Mr. Hubby looked concerned. Life had not changed for good despite the entry of the tablet.

Oblivious to the thoughts in his mind, I said, “I am stressed. Perhaps, yoga could help.”

“Yes, yoga will help you do stuff in a better way”, he said.

“A better way?” I was puzzled.

By evening the puzzle had been solved.

Indeed, Yoga had come to my rescue – Mr. Hubby had bought home the Yoga tablet from Lenovo.

“Another tablet? Why? They are all the same!” I sounded concerned.

“No dear, this time your pain is sure to be over”, Mr. Hubby sounded relaxed.

In the next couple of days, the Yoga tablet indeed proved the better way had arrived.

With its dynamic “multi modes”, my tablet experience seemed to have been revolutionized!

Picture this –

• Me in kitchen - trying out Mr. Hubby’s favourite Lebanese dish. No hassle of spill, for my Yoga tablet offered a stand mode which helped me read out the recipe comfortably.

• The journey to office no longer remained a struggle of holding the tablet right. With its hold mode, I could easily maintain that grip amidst all the jerks and the metro crowd. Soon the crowded metro experience to work became my time of catching up on my e books and articles. Due to the ease of holding, the tablet had also become my companion to the supermarket. Life was changing for good!

• Late night blogging no longer meant ergonomic discomfort. With the tilt mode, I could complete all the blogging and typing work easily, without any compromise on my spine or the blogging deadlines. With a battery backup of upto 18 hours, my Yoga tablet left all other tablets behind.

And this is the poet in me now –

No pain in the spine

No missing deadline

With its dynamic multi mode

Lenovo seems to have cracked the code

With dynamic modes - Tilt, stand or hold

And a battery life so bold

The Yoga tablet is here to stay

And help us do things in a better way

This is a post written for ABetterWay contest by Lenovo, in association with IndiBlogger. Lenovo, with itsYoga Tablet has revolutionised the entire tablet experience. Dynamic multi modes, superb battery life, and the trusted name of Lenovo – the Yoga tablet will surely help us do things in a better way!

An eye for an eye

The newspapers had it mentioned all across. TV channels were overflowing with the story of innocent, brave Nirbhaya. “Has anything changed for us?” I grumbled, crumpling the newspaper into a ball. Mom was quick to catch the ball. “Why do you wait for things to happen?”.

“Hmmm”…I said and rushed for work.

Fully clad in a salwar kameez, with the dupatta right catering to the modesty factor, I rushed towards the metro. “Be draped in curtains, avoid passes…what the…. Does it help?” I was grumbling as I managed the dupatta against the sudden strong wind.

I was just in time to grab the last coach. Going for women’s coach would have meant late entry in office. I stuffed myself in the coach, overflowing with people. The doors closed and the stench of cheap aftershaves and sweaty underarms made for a heady cocktail. As my olfactory senses cursed me for missing the ladies coach, something touched my derriere. I gave a slight turn thinking it would be a crowd and was lost in my thoughts when I felt it again. I turned around and saw his face.

The hand went back to his hair. He pretended to look elsewhere. I was enraged when after few seconds, I caught him looking at me. Shameless smile covered his face, as if he was a lion and me the deer. Avoid, ignore, play safe - was what I had learnt all these years. “Did it ever help?” I wondered.

The doors of the metro opened. A thought flashed my mind, “Go out and board the women’s coach in the next metro.” 2 minutes and the door closed. The decision had been made, to take things under own stride.

The next moment, I was staring him eye to eye, waiting for his next pass, waiting to strike my blow on his sweaty face. The tigress stare worked. The doors opened and he was gone.

Eve teasers beware…this time there will be an eye for an eye.

This post is a part of Write Over the Weekend, an initiative for Indian Bloggers by BlogAdda.

Bespectacled

I was born in the decade when donning specs signalled two things – either you were a studious 90 percent scrorer in school, or you were an ardent follower of the idiot box. Sadly, with my 6/6 vision, I was neither of them. I loved specs; to me the colourful frames lit up a dull face and the glasses around the eyes gave a somewhat intellectual look. Often, I secretly donned my sister’s specs and admired my new look in the mirror; till one day mom caught me and gave me a big gyan on side effects of specs (uncomfortable in summers, monsoon, can hurt if you fall while running etc etc.)

As I grew up, I discovered another aspect of our society. Men who wore specs could easily pass on as the professionally successful groom material, while specs for a girl of marriageable age meant a negative aspect during groom searching. It irritated me when a friend rushed for a corrective surgery only to look perfect on her D day while on that day, next to her, stood her groom, wearing full framed specs. And nobody bat an eyelid! Phew!

I was irritated. In an age when dusky was beginning to be considered sexy and a little extra flab passed on as being curvaceous, the spectacled look still didn’t quite pass the beauty test!

Well, late nights, my penchant for reading, sleep deprived nights during MBA days and a hectic schedule at work finally did it for me! The ophthalmologist looked concerned as he advised me the do’s and don’t’s of wearing specs and even suggested I buy contact lenses for attending functions. “But why, I love the way I am” I protested and he looked surprised.

That evening, with dreams of colourful frames in my eyes, I landed up at the optician and chose 2 different specs for different looks. When people can have a variety of shoes and clothes, why not different specs for various looks? I wondered then.

No matter how much you try to ignore them, some relatives can’t help being their irritating best. My new spectacled look drew strange reactions from some relatives – “eyes weak ho gayee?”, “ye kab hua?” , “Oh, that’s bad, these days life is so stressed at work, eye muscles get weak” etc etc…

However, the more irritating chapter 2 began with their unsolicited advice.

At a recent wedding, I was wearing saree with my spectacled look and quite loving it! Soon, photo session followed and the aunty next to me suggested with a smile that I remove the specs for a better, photogenic look. Already irritated by their reaction, I announced I loved my specs and would never feel shy enough to trade them for contact lenses or corrective surgery. After the photo session, the group on the round table found a new gossip item – my specs. When, where, how session followed and soon I was flooded with advise – “why don’t you go for corrective surgery? These days they have all modern techniques.”, “Why don’t you buy contact lenses? These days, they have disposable ones and you can even experiment with colours!”. The icing on the cake was when a male member on that round table commented “see, no matter how much you call this spectacled look intellectual, the truth is, the spectacled look doesn’t suit the Indian woman, especially with the Indian attire.” 

I was not willing to give up this time and asked him why then he liked the Kareena Kapoor with specs in 3 idiots. Wasn’t she looking gorgeous even then?

The discussion died with the next round of snacks, but left me wondering.

Me wonderzzz…

What will it take the Indian mentality to change? If chosen wisely, spectacles can be an excellent accessory. The Kareena Kapoor in 3 idiots and Kiran Rao are excellent examples. While each woman has a right to choose her look, wearing specs shouldn’t be type casted a beauty killer. For, beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder. Ah! Perhaps the beholder forgot to get his/her eyes tested!

Readers, what say you?

Very Very Cranberry

Best friend’s birthday last year,

Surprise bash was planned by us friends dear,

At midnight, with goodies, we landed at his place,

Poor guy was too surprised, with his cranberry colored face!

Cake, music – everything was set,

Something to drink we asked him to get,

The guys appealed for hard drinks, we girls created quite a fuss,

The typical bitter hard drinks just didn’t suit us.

"Don’t worry" he said as he opened the freezer,

And took out colourful bottles of Breezer

Being a very berry person,

Cranberry to me seemed a safe bet,

Didn’t know it would turn out to be,

The best flavour I would get.

No extra sweet, no extra tang,

No bitterness either. Wow! Said the girl gang!

With the sweet n sour combo so fine,

I knew all cranberry breezers that night were gonna be mine!

It’s chilled, fruity and mild,

So girls can relax, enjoy their breezer and get wild!

No heady feeling next day,

The friend called and asked, “u made merry?”

“Merry” I said “ala cranberry”

“Catch the flavour”

This post is written for Catch the flavour contest by Indiblogger. Breezer is a fruity, mild drink one can enjoy without the stress of a hangover or a high. Cranberry, with its perfect sweet and sour flavour, is my favourite and my saviour at parties where I can’t go for the bitter strong drinks. If you haven’t had Cranberry Breezer, you have missed something…what are you waiting for….Catch the flavour!