Thursday 28 November 2013

Zindagi..

Guzri hui zindagi ko kabhi yaad na kar,
Taqdir me jo nahi likha, uski fariyaad na kar!

Jo hoga wo hokar rahega,
Tu kal ki fikar mein, apni aaj ki hasi barbad na kar!

Palkon mein kaid rehne na de sapno ko,
Unhe to haqiqat main badalna hai.

Zindagi me jeena nahi, jeene ka andaz zaruri hai,
Seene mein lakh ghum sahi, chehre pe muskan zaruri hai!

Hans marte hue bhi gaata hai,
Aur mor naachte hue bhi rota hai,

Zindagi kabhi dhoop hai toh kabhi chaav,
Ye zindagi ka usool hai,
Dukho wali raat neend nahi aati,
Aur…
Khushi wali raat,
Kaun sota hai!


Monday 25 November 2013

Yippie! It’s Another Liebster Award Time!

Okay! So, I am unable to contain my happiness! It’s my second time! *happy dance*


I’ve been lucky enough to be again nominated for the Liebster Award by an incredible blogger, Varun Singh at Simply Said. If you haven’t read his blog yet, do! They’re full of energy and it’s like you’re listening to a friend speak.

So, first things first; thank you Varun! I am honored that you deemed my blog worthy of this. So happy that we are blogging buddies, too! I am highly delighted to accept it!


Festivities aside, let’s get this started! :D

The Liebster Award is intended to promote love and spread blogging goodness amongst upcoming bloggers. The name is German in origin and means “sweetest” “dearest” etc. and sort of operates like a chain email. Here are the rules of the award:
1] Link back to the blogger who nominated you.
2] Answer the 10 questions given to you by the blogger who nominated you. 3] Nominate 10 other bloggers with less than 200 followers. 4] Go to the blogs you nominated and notify them of your nomination. 5] Give your nominees 10 questions to answer.
Q. If you could be anyone else, who would like to be?

 It's completely optional to accept the award. If you want you accept it, answer the questions and nominate others.
****************
Getting to Varun’s questions:

Q. Which food you can eat everyday for the rest of your life?  Just 1.
Ummm.. I would want ‘one’ simple platter, the one that has samples of every type of Indian food. :P You may call that cheating, I call it the perfect dish :D

Q. Your all time favourite movies? Just name 5 of them. :P
Titanic, Andaz Apna Apna, Hum Saath Saath Hai, Hum Aapke Hai Kaun, (that makes me a Rajshri fan :P), 3 Idiots.

Q. Are you single :D
Yes. (That’s maybe because I am an Engineer :P)

Q. Best day of your life (till date)?
When my Engineering results were declared on my parents aniversary and I had topped my class!

Q. Do you speak any other languages?
Except English, yes! Hindi and tooti-footi Marathi! :P

Q. What would you wish for if 3 wishes were granted to you by a genie? :D
a. Get that one person back who got away too soon :(
b. Get my novel published.
c. Take away Cancer from this world.

Q. What quality do you find most attractive in others?
Selflessness, maturity, honesty. (I know, I stated qualities :P Couldn’t stop typing :D)

Q. The most embarrassing moment in your life?
Ah! I don’t remember such moments. They hardly happen with me (or maybe they are too many to remember!) :P

Q. Are you a veggie or a non-vegie?
I am in harmony with both. Lol :P

There’s an entire world out there to experience, and it all requires me being exactly who I want to be. Who I am. Me!
***************

My nominees: Check them all out when you get a chance – they are such talented bloggers and I really enjoy reading each and every one of them.


To the people I have nominated above:
Congratulations! The reason behind me nominating you is, I enjoy reading your blog and you deserve a lot more subscribers. Keep writing.

# My questions for my nominees:
> What is the best thing about you?
> What would you wish to name a movie about your life?
>If you could go back in time to any time period, when would it be and why?
>What is YOUR favorite blog post from YOUR blog? Link please!
> What do you do to unwind?
> Internet is down for a weekend. Your friends and family are out of town. What would you do?
>What is the best piece of life advice you could give to someone?
> Worst thing a person can do to you?
>Give me a description of what you see when you look out of the window this very moment!
> What do you think about my blog? ;)

Now it’s your turn. Waiting for your answers!

Monday 18 November 2013

Health is Wealth, India


‘Immunity’ is that mechanism by which your body is protected from the invasion of external bodies, through its own physiological or artificial means. It is important to build up the immune system and make your body defenses stronger. Blame it on pollution, lifestyle or whatever, people nowadays are plagued more and more with allergies or catch a cold often.  

As we know, there is no one magic cure, one supplement, or one way to strengthen the immune system and fight off the health threats, but there are many things you need to do to help prevent from getting sick in the future and to stay strong and healthy. The stronger your immune system the lower is your susceptibility to diseases and mild infections.

The idea of boosting your immunity is enticing, but the ability to do so has proved elusive for several reasons. The immune system is precisely that — a system, not a single entity. To function well, it requires balance and harmony of many factors.

What I believe is that - it all begins with the kids. If the kids are imbibed with such knowledge, we will soon be an ‘Immune India’~ ‘Swast’ (healthy) Bharat (India); ‘Sukhi’ (happy) Bharat!

A healthy environment is as important as a safe one. Good light, comfortable air, temperature, and ventilation contribute to the health and well-being of the infants and toddlers in the environment.

Nutrition for toddlers should be food that is pure and natural - not processed with additives. Toddlers enjoy finger food. They need a break from purees and cereals. Feed them fruits or vegetable snacks rather than cookies or highly salted crackers. Give apple slices and carrot sticks when they have enough teeth and ability to chew them. Be sure that your kids are up to date on their immunizations.

On a personal level, each one of us can strive for a fearless and immune India. If we take care of the following little aspects and urge the future of our nation, our kids –to follow them. Staying well while those around you sniffle and sneeze is tough. Some of the healthy living strategies for a stronger, healthier and an Immune India, I think are-

-Get enough sleep at night. By not allowing our body sufficient rest, the immune system will sputter, and as a result, not function at full capacity and become vulnerable to common illnesses. A healthy, deep sleep allows our body to release a significant amount of growth hormone that boost the immune system and aids in the growth and repair of the body.

-Consume plenty of water. Water washes away toxins, allergens and wastes from our body. It keeps our immune system operating optimally while improving the way we feel, look and live.

-Exercise. An increase in blood flow associated with moderate exercise helps to circulate antibodies along with white blood cells necessary to fight infection more quickly. As a result, this provides our bodies with an early warning system to ward off potentially damaging germs. In addition, the increase in body temperature as a result of physical activity aids in inhibiting the growth of bacteria; thus allowing the body to fight infection more effectively. Exercise can be something as simple as brisk walking.

-Eat a healthy and well balanced diet. To strengthen your immune system, you need to first avoid the things that weaken it. Cut back on junk and fast food, however tasty it may seem. Stick to fresh fruits and veggies. It is very challenging in the world we live in to obtain sufficient nutrition with the foods available to us. They are over processed and void of many essential nutrients. We Indian kids hate those green leafy vegetables, don’t we?! But, parents should urge their kids to eat such foods that pack the biggest nutritional punch.

-Cut down the stress. Stress can be avoided by partaking in relaxation activities such as yoga, tai chi, meditative breathing and muscle relaxation.

-Stay Happy. Have a positive attitude. If you are always complaining, always negative and always expect that things are bad and only getting worse, you run the risk of compromising your immune system. Instead, think positive, live in the present moment and do not take things too seriously.

-No alcohol, drugs, coffee or smoking. It depletes the immune system and body of important nutrients.

-Increase your intake of antioxidants. Our Indian culture is famous for Ayurveda, herbs. Our generation needs to relive such boons of the past for us to be an immune nation.

-Personal hygiene. Keep your hands washed before preparing foods/eating/touching your face. Use hand sanitizers or use anti bacterial soaps.

Every time a child falls ill, parents make a small promise somewhere in their hearts that no matter what, next time onwards they will take all precautions (about the diet and immunity) and not let the kid fall sick. But, no matter how much we shout on our kids to stop their nuances, but when the same kid falls sick, we begin to miss his talks, his activities. After all, it’s the parents who suffer the most when kids fall sick. It breaks one’s heart to see the poor baby not doing any antics and missing school!

Don’t we all wish there were certain immunity boosting formulas which, if given to our kids, do not have any side effects and increase their resistance power against diseases and common ailments like flu and cold and make them immune!?

Many products on store shelves claim to boost or support immunity. Walk into a store, and you will find bottles of pills and herbal preparations that claim to “support immunity” or otherwise boost the health of your immune system.  Rarely, do they stand by what they promise!

But….

Dabur: A brand nourishing an Immune India since 125 years!!

Dabur Chyawanprash increases NK cells (Natural Killer Cells) which are an essential part of our body’s immune system and fights germs, bacteria and infections by 3 times hence increasing our immunity by 3 times. Thus, Dabur Chyawanprash helps us in fighting against germs, viruses and helps protect against infections, making us free to take on the outdoors, unhygienic surroundings, weather changes and pollution.



* Dabur Real Active Orange Juice

What if one can increase the nutritional value of the first meal of the day? Dabur India Real Active Orange juice does exactly that! It kick-starts your day on a healthy note and its high vitamin C content builds up your immunity and protects you from allergies and infections. Helping iron absorption, it improves skin tone and keeps your teeth and gums healthy. Rich in Beta Carotene and Vitamin A, this juice is just the right nutritional supplement for the kids.


* Dabur Bournvita

Cadbury Bournvita, is the most loved and trusted brands in India and across the globe. It has natural & scientific nutrients that multiply the power of milk & provides children with ‘tan aur mann ki shakti’, thereby preparing them for achievement. It has been the best protein health drink for kids since ages. It has around 40% RDA (recommended daily allowance). It builds immunity and increases strength and memory. 

 


The latest Bournvita ad I love, it is simply so meaningful and well conceptualized. Whenever, I see it, I am moved by the impactive force of how the mom prepares her child for the ‘tayyari jeet ki’ (being prepared for every challenge) with Bournvita.

And the list of Dabur products can go on and on..

Health is wealth, is an old adage! ‘Jaan hai toh jahaan hai’, ‘Sar salamat toh pagdi hazaar’, well say it in any language, they all mean the same, “Save your head first, your possessions should not be your priority. You can buy worldly things anytime later, but not health.”

Let us all strive for a fearless and ‘immune’ India! Celebrate life with Dabur and its value for money magic products.

P.S: This is my entry for the ‘Dabur Chyawanprash, An Immune India’ contest powered by IndiBlogger. For more details, visit  www.daburchyawanprash.com



Sunday 17 November 2013

Fearless Footprints of an ‘Immune’ India!

I want to be immune.. to the thorns of viruses,
And have a strong defense system,
I will never, ever be happy enough,
If I catch an allergy,
And if I can no longer carelessly play,
In the next door’s garden.

No one survives life, I know,
I can hear the voices in my head,
I can hear the noises of the dead.
My immunity does not grant me immortality,
But, I cannot let my world fade to black from this reality.

Trees suffer my share of suffocation,
The network of germs is intriguing,
Slowly, gripping my health,
Until life becomes an infection,
These outsiders glance at my body in amazement,
At that which cannot be solved,
Puzzling enigmas,
How am I able to ward off,
The weakness, the sickness?
They stand strong every time you look their way.

Yet, away from all the stress,
I have a healthy diet,
I skip the junk and stick to veggies,
The best six doctors anywhere,
My momma says..
And no one can deny it,
Sunshine, water, rest, air, exercise and diet.
My momma gives me Dabur Chyawan Junior,
Black gold, by a brand so reliable,
My daily doctor, tasty and healthy,
The natural immunity booster,
With this gun, I fight the germs and infections,
Thus, maintaining my body’s balance.

My immune system is in place,
A network of body cells guarding me,
And protecting me,
Never letting me down,
Rising me with a ring of strength.

I celebrate life with Dabur,
It builds up my front,
Where I come across as unbreakable,

Standing tall, untouched by the harmful,
Taking the defense when they look my way,
Hiding my weakness and vulnerability,
Not allowing them to see me crack under pressure.

Being immune to the pain,
Giving the germs’ hits a miss!
Telling them,
Why expend your energy trying to break me?
My immune system is still intact,
For my safe-keeping,
Protecting my innocence from the virus attack!




Let us pledge with Dabur and work towards a fearless and immune India!

P.S: This is my entry for the ‘Dabur Chyawanprash, An Immune India’ contest powered by IndiBlogger. For more details, visit www.daburchyawanprash.com

Care To Share, Share To Care!

Sharing is a simple lesson that nature teaches us. It is difficult for us to imbibe, though. Many a times, we pull down others in order till climb up. We clutch our possessions and refuse to share the good things of life.

But, what we don’t realize and miss out is that, sharing brings back multiple benefits. Emotions like, sympathy, empathy and consolation brighten our spirits when you share your thoughts, emotions, memories, experiences and even frustrations on social networking sites. This improves health and prolongs life. It is proven by a study, however stupid it may seem!


 
Imagine where we would have been if our ancestors had decided not to share food, shelter and arrangements of security? Sharing resources saves time. It creates trust and makes us feel secure.

Nowadays, we just make stuff enough for us, without caring to share. Most of us don't even know who stays next door! What good is an idea unless it is uttered? What good is a dream unless executed? Spread the happiness and warmth and do good to people around. Share to show that you care!


Thursday 14 November 2013

Kyon Ho Gaye Hum Itne Bade ~ Happy Children's Day

Ek bachpan ka 
Zamana tha,
Jisme khushiyon ka 
Khazana tha,

Chahat chand ko 
Paane ki thi,
Par dil titli ka 
Deewana tha.


Khabar na thi 
Kuch subah ki,
Na shaam ka 
Thikana tha,
Thak haarke aana school se,
Par khelne bhi jaana tha.



Maa ki kahani thi, 
Pariyon ka fasana tha,
Barish mein kagaz ki naav thi,
Harr mausam suhana tha.

Harr khel mein saathi the, 
Harr rishta nibhana tha,
Gum ki zuban na hoti thi, 
Na zakhmon ka paimana tha.


Rone ki wajah na thi, 
Na hasne ka bahana tha,
Kyon ho gaye hum itne bade,
Isse achha to,
Woh bachpan ka zamana tha!!


Saturday 9 November 2013

Keep Loving Her.. To The Point Of Madness!

My wife got sick. She was constantly nervous because of problems at work, personal life, her failures and problems with children. She has lost 30 pounds and weighed about 90 pounds at 35. She got very skinny, would constantly cry. She was not happy clearly. She had suffered from continuing headaches, heart pain and jammed nerves in her back and ribs. She did not sleep well, falling asleep only in the morning; got tired very quickly during the day.

Our relationship was on the verge of a break up. Her beauty was fading away and she had bags under her eyes. She stopped taking care of herself. She refused to go for shoots and rejected roles. I lost hope and thought that we’ll get divorced soon. But then I decided to act.

After all, I’ve got the most beautiful woman on the earth. She is the ideal of more than half of the men and women on earth, and I was the one allowed to fall asleep next to her and to hug her shoulders. I began to pepper her with flowers, kisses and compliments. I surprised her and pleased her every minute. I gave her lots of gifts and lived just for her. I spoke in public only about her. I incorporated all themes in her direction. I praised her in front of her friends. You won’t believe, but she has blossomed. She became even better than before. She gained weight, was no longer nervous and she loved me even more than ever. I had no clue that she CAN love that much.

And then I realized one thing: ‘A woman is a reflection of her man. If you love her to the point of madness, she will become it.
                                                                                                                                     ---Brad Pitt


Thursday 7 November 2013

Puhleeze! Being 'Protective' and Being 'Possessive' are different!

So many men feel they own their women. They tell them what to wear, who to be friends with, spy on them and check their phones.

And strangely a few women even feel flattered by such attention! It provokes me to think, is this love?

Men! There is a big, big difference in between being ‘possessive’ and being ‘protective’. 

Possessiveness stems from distrust and insecurities. And, believe me, it is not desirable at all. Possessiveness signifies that you distrust her. To be possessive is to tether someone, to refuse them freedom because of jealousy or an irrational belief that they are "yours". Possessive is when you want to control her finances and figure her daily movements. Reasons can be many, one of them being insecurity - a fear that your woman will be seduced by another man, or attracted to another man that she sizes up as a "better catch". But, know that it takes a long while to build trust and confidence in a relationship.

On the other hand, ‘protective’ behavior is a sign of caring. It is when a man respects his woman's personal freedom and checks for transport if she is being late to keep her away from harm and degradation and care for her safety. Being protective is allowing the one you love to find themselves within their strengths and abilities, and to nurture them. Protective is when a man loves his woman to look her best and to wear what she feels most expressive in. Protective is when you make sure there is money in your woman's wallet to get through the day. Protective is when you love her.

As the physically stronger of the two, it's instinctual for a man to be protective. As for possessive-only some men are that way. The two should be mutually exclusive!  

So men, keep your male ego aside. Be ‘protective’ of her and for heaven’s sake, trust her!

With that said, there are many, many possessive females too. Jealousy runs as deep with women as it does with men. From having the audacity to open their eyes in the general vicinity of another woman or speaking to another woman or even speaking of another woman or, or, or… Women do get mad at their mates for all this!

Girls, trust him too! It is not necessary to keep your spying antennas on, all the time!

It is sad that many people feel these two things are the same, when in reality protectiveness is based on love and respect, and possessiveness is ultimately a show of LACK of love or respect.



Friday 1 November 2013

Liebster Blog Award Nomination

I logged on to my IndiBlogger account today to find an IndiMail from Nikhil. (http://aficionadolog.blogspot.in/) He has nominated me for the Liebster Blog Award. Thank you Nikhil! It is highly appreciated. How thoughtful of you!

Blogging has always been a nice experience for me. To share what you ponder, raise your concern over what bothers you and get appreciation in return.  By god’s grace, it has been only few months, and I’m being supported and appreciated by my readers beyond my expectation. Some look up to my posts and wait for them. Such people motivate me to write. I feel happy, honored & privileged to have been nominated. I am excited to choose my nominees for the same.  

I also take this opportunity to thank the Indiblogger community for their support :) I am grateful to my friends and fellow bloggers for your visits, kind comments and Indivotes. I feel super encouraged.

SO, WHAT IS A LIEBSTER AWARD?
 Liebster is a German word that means sweetest, kindest, nicest, dearest, beloved, lovely, kind, pleasant, valued, cute, endearing, and welcome. It is said that the Liebster Blog Award started in Germany (probably) and is used to highlight new/recent/lesser known blogs or let say blogs with less than 200 followers.
 Since I am new to the blogging world, I was not aware of the rules in detail. Thank you Nikhil for describing them so clearly.

Here go the rules:  
1.       Each nominee must thank and link back the person who nominated them.
2.      Answer the 10 questions given to you by the nominator.
3.      Nominate 10 other bloggers for this award who have less than 200 followers.
4.      Create 10 questions for your nominees to answer.
5.      Let the nominees know that they have been nominated by going to their blog and notifying them. It's completely optional to accept the award. If you want you accept it, answer the questions and nominate others.
The question/answer phase is one of the most exciting parts about these awards.

************************

Here are my answers to Nikhil’s questions:
>In a dilemmic situation, would you listen to your heart or your brain & why?
Actually it depends on the demand of the situation. In matters of heart, I’ll listen to my heart because most decisions related to the heart matters fail when you decide them using your ‘smart’ brain. Your head tells you the facts, wrongs and rights of the matter in question, your heart quite simply loves or hates. I use the brain only when it is needed for me to be highly calculative and conscious. Otherwise, the heart does it all! Sometimes, you may even need to use both. :P

>Choose between an “Unlimited internet connection for a month” & “1 month of your favorite food delicacy”?
I would go with the former :P In today’s world, internet hai, toh sab kuch hai :P I think, it is unsaid of how our lives stop when we have a slow internet connection or no internet at all. Just the imagination of the thought, gets your mind rolling towards the tasks that would remain unaccomplished if you have no internet connection. And about the food, I can order food online, using the ‘unlimited’ internet connection I would have :P

> 5 rare random facts that most people don’t know about you?
a. Morbid jealousy – my vice.
b. I am a powerful silent observer.
c. Outspoken.
d. Extremely loyal.
e. Shy, mysterious :P

> Fictional character (from a book/movie/tv show) that you think closely resembles you.
Asin’s character, Kalpana (Jadu ki Chhadi) from Ghajini :P

>Congratulations , you have been just given the opportunity to travel back in time. Which year or occasion & why?
Starting my blog! ;)

>Coke or Pepsi?
Pepsi, for the simple reason that it tastes better than Coke :P

>First thing you would do if you win the lottery (amount can be the maximum you can think of right now) :D
A long exhale and then scream ‘woooohhhooooo’ :P

>One thing that annoys you the most?
Lies.

> Something that you would love to do but are too afraid to?
Fall in love.

> A superpower or a lot of money….and justify your choice?
Tricky question.  A super power of making a lot of money. What say?! :P

*************************

The huge task now:  My nominees: (in no particular order)
*a round of applause please :P*
 2. R. Vyas - http://www.renuvyas.com/
8. Bhavya Kaushik- http://bhavyakaushik.com/

To the people I have nominated above:
First things first: Congratulations!
The reason behind me nominating you is, I enjoy reading your blog and you deserve a lot more subscribers. Keep writing.

My questions for my nominees:
> One word for yourself?
> Your Eureka moment?
> Definition of an ideal partner according to you?
> Items on your bucket list?
> What is the thing you do at the end of your day just before going to bed?
> Anything that you would want to change about yourself?
> Do you agree with popular belief that a man is ruled by his head and a woman by her heart?
> Beauty, brains, wealth… rank these in order of importance to you? why?
> Which color / animal / bird reflects your personality?
> What according to you is the problem most of the youths face today?

Now it’s your turn.  Thanks again!

Let’s pass it on. Keep Blogging!