One love. One heart.

"ऐ काश कहीँ ऐसा होता के २ दिल होते सीने में"

Well this song may serve as an anthem to those who have had their hearts broken. But heart is one. And unaware we are constantly tinkering with its health. The teenagers may be doing it emotionally, the adults may be doing it physically. It shouldn't be hurt- not emotionally not physically. Lets pledge to put an end to the horrific treatment that we render to our helpless heart. But before that lets understand what makes our heart unhealthy. 

As we all know, heart is a blood pumping organ that transports everything important to our body cells for sustaining life. It carries oxygen, it carries waste material, it carries nutrients, it carries hormones and what not. Life will come to a standstill if these don't get transported to different organs- specially to brain. Now lets take an analogy: "the drainage system of your building". What shall happen if there is any kind of clogging in the pipes or if the pressure is low? It stops functioning or faces difficulty in pumping the water. Our circulatory system works exactly in the same manner. The blood vessels need to be cleaned from inside so that it allows free-flow of blood. 

Here are the few tips that I believe should be followed to keep a healthy heart:

Staying Active: We all know it is the cholesterol that gets our vessels clogged. To avoid cholesterol the best way is to stay active. Either by exercising daily or by choosing a profession that requires some kind of physical activity. If physical activity is not possible at least walk to your office. This is the least one should do. Staying mentally active is another dimension which should not be ignored.

Eating Better: No alternative to healthy diet. Fruits, Salads, low fat alternatives. The options are endless. The point to note is that diets are always very personal. So instead of advising I must ask you to find the best diet for yourself. Read online articles. Take help from people from your community or people who share similar eating habits. Or best go to a dietitian. It will definitely save you thousands.

Staying Happy: Now emotional stress can also lead to ineffective circulation. Laughing helps us circulate better so subscribing to laughter shows of Kapil Sharma or John Oliver should be a very good option. Other advice that I normally give is to follow short series which are in abundant in youtube.

So what are you waiting for. Lets pledge for a healthy heart and let the ball rolling.

“I am joining the Saffolalife #ChhoteKadam initiative in association withBlogAdda and follow these small steps for a healthy heart.”

Wealthy health

Maintaining health is not an alien concept. The notions such as 'Health over wealth', 'Worship your body', 'Healthy outside starts from the inside' are acknowledged by almost everybody but how many of us actually care. 

The situation is pretty serious for the urban population of India. The focus of urban lifestyle in India is not on 'fitness' unlike the Americans or the Europeans who embrace physical activity as a necessary part of their life. The local concept of lifestyle is mundane and full of erroneous pretensions. Some of us do get motivated by the fantasy of a muscular body but it doesn't last long. How can the motivation that lays its foundation on transitory fantasies can sustain for a long duration? 

How do we exactly deal with this? In my opinion, only if the basic concept "Health=Wealth" can be infused tactfully in the DNA of the society, there will be a visible impact. This has to be the primary step. A good analogy would be the obsession towards diamond rings or going to a restaurant; like there has to be a diamond ring when you are engaged or there has to be a posh a-la-carte outing if you are taking someone on a date. Who has set these rules? Nobody knows but are still accepted by the society. Similarly if the rule of wealth determination can be linked to the health and fitness of an individual, people would start taking health more seriously. No external motivation will then be needed. 

The changes in the lifestyle has to be filtered through the funnel of habit/discipline. Some of the routine level changes that should be done to enhance the fitness score of your heart could be

• Staying Active: Running: As someone has rightly said, "Obesity doesn't run in the family. The problem is nobody runs in your family." Running is a very basic need of our body to maintain our sedentary lifestyle. A half an hour of daily running should be enough.

• Eating Better: Diet: I concur with the temptation of eating food that are total disaster to our body. But the least that we can do is to adopt few resolutions that can really give us results. Some of them can be absolute rejection of colas, less sugar in the beverages, less oil in the food and no or limited cheese. Once in a while is fine, but it should always be kept under control. Eating habits: Some people are compulsive eaters. They need something to munch. Something should go down the throat every now and then. For them my suggestion would be to keep fruits at home, at work so that whenever the desire to eat erupts, the fruit can be the savior. 

• Being Happy: Subscribe to few youtube channels which promote comical gigs and stand-ups. The talent that we have is simply unbelievable. Stay happy. Stay away from depressing thoughts.

No need for hundred of tips. If the above three can be internalized, the results can be seen in few weeks. So bunk the idea of joining a gym for quick results rather embrace the above steps as improving and maintaining health is not a one-step manifestation but a non-stop carnival.

“I am joining the Saffolalife #ChhoteKadam initiative in association with BlogAdda and follow these small steps for a healthy heart.” 

BLINDED

To someone special -

"Why can’t I get my mind off you,
Or is it a trick that you often do?
It’s like a spell that locks me into

I fight hard, and off I go
And then it seems endless, deep and low
I feel the urge I had moments ago

The urge to have you with me
To make the dreams you want to see
To mean the one that none can ever be…

And then, you only smile at me
You show me oblivion, knowingly
I hate it, yet make peace with myself
For I have always known you my destiny"

Credits: 

"Atrayee Chatterjee" (mightychatt.blogspot.in)

Making my own Zapstore

The way that I look at Zapstore is that it's definitely a fresh concept. The idea to merge social networking with e-commerce is something that I feel should work. Whether it happens or not depends highly on how the idea is received by the general public. The driving factor would again be the users just like how a normal online forum is dependent on the number of users rather than the content.

Coming straight to the point, in continuation to my last post, let me share with you few more items that I have added to my store:

We are so disillusioned by our life that we fail to appreciate the value of time. Only in retrospect that we wonder that we could have done this and that. Weekends come and go and we have no answer to the question "How did we spend the 2 day off from work?" Envy those bike trips that your friends are taking every weekend? I think it's high time that if nothing else at least start with a bike trip early in the morning. There is no traffic to stop you and very less crowd to bother you. And mornings look so beautiful. But you need that perfect bike for the adventure. Here's a deal which I find very attractive.



I have used printers at home and trust me it's a task to manage your printer if you are not printing regularly. If you buy a normal printer you'll end u wasting a lot of money on cartridges and inks. Seriously. The value of the printer is nothing if you are being harassed by those expensive and useless printer cartridges. The best thing in my opinion is to buy an expensive printer- a laser printer- which gives you a piece of mind. The printing cost per page is less and the hassle to manage is almost negligible. Here's a laser printer you can think about buying:



Voracious reader? This term used to define you but you are so lazy nowadays that you don't spend time on a new book. But there's a way to re-ignite your passion for reading. Buy a kindle. This will force you to read a new book. Of course it will, particularly because now that you have already spent money over it. And steadily you can get back to your hobby of reading.



Now that I have shared my desired products with you, why don't you go and create a profile for your own. Who knows you might become a celebrity in this space! People may start following you and you keep getting the credits that you deserve.

Once again to reach out to my store, click here.

The route to my store picks

Often I have found myself at the confused juncture when it comes to buying something for myself or gifting it to special people in my life. It only exacerbates during critical occasions of gifting when I am not able to find the right product. And then there are times when I feel like buying but I don't know what to buy and where to buy from.

There is however a social platform where people can share products from different e-commerce websites. This is an excellent idea as it helps you to pick products recommended by the consumers itself rather than the marketers.

On the other side you can also post products which you intend to buy or have bought and liked it. All you have to do is create a profile in www.zapstore.com and start posting your products.

Here's a list of products I have collected in my store:

Badminton is the flavor of the season after PV Sindhu won a silver in the Rio Olympics. We have a lot of badminton enthusiasts in the country and the first step towards further promoting the sport is to get outside and play. We need that perfect Racquet. Here's my choice: the coveted Yonex model. Go for it.

A running shoe is a must in today's living culture. I found the product in this image to be the perfect choice. Here's for Reebok Men's Speed Set running shoes.


One of the tee I am very fond of. From the pic it may not look great but the fabric is just too good to resist.


If you are still using a wired landline box, it's high time to get over it. Buy a cordless phone and the one in the picture would be the perfect buy.


Another tee which I would like to buy. The color looks royal and the price is too tough to resist.


A hair straightener I recently gifted to my sister. Given the fact that there are so many models which have the same function I chose the model as in the picture. It is economical as well s value product.


I think girls would love this product. I gifted it to my sister and she was very happy with the quality. A recommended watch.


The cellphone I would recommend to anybody and everybody. My friends have been using one plus products and they are very happy. This should be a prized catch.


For full list and links you can get to my store, click here. Go explore. Happy shopping.

'Find an Idol' but follow your philosophical guide

Those days "Find an idol" was the ideal way to boost your career. Be like someone. Look at that cousin of yours who is doing so good in life. He topped the college and now he is doing wonders at the corporate level.

We all have that one cousin or uncle who makes everyone envious in the family. And suddenly for no reason they get inaccessible as apparently they are too busy to talk.

We can idolize them but they never turn out to be our true guide. In fact this is the reality that we must accept. The true guidance doesn't always have to come from the most successful people. But those who failed are more truthful. They can be your true guide because they have explored something which successful people haven't - the experience of failing, the reasons of failure and the small successes that they have been able to enjoy. They always have time to guide you. They are always present to share their stories. Their stories are always accompanied by a message- a message which warns you to not commit the same mistakes. 

In my experience I too have come across both kind of personalities. I won't call them successful or unsuccessful only because they could achieve something which society finds very attractive. Lets call them people with different experiences. And if you want to gain something big in your life, you should be ready to experience everything- from the highest high to the lowest low. This is important to understand there is nobody in this planet who have tasted success all the while. People learn from mistakes. The learning is what makes them grow bigger. 

A senior friend of mine was someone who helped me throughout. He helped me make the right choices. Apparently he had taken some wrong decisions which he was trying to correct. During the peak of his career he was not able to prioritize and couldn't balance his personal life with the career choices. The time he should have spent in defining his career, he spent over a girl he got too attached to. The experience ruined him from within. The 6 months period following his break-up destroyed his mental as well as physical peace. And this was not the only wrong decision he took. Because of his relationships he chose finance as his career line which was not his calling. He was an exceptional coder and he loved doing it. But he made a lot of wrong decisions by not following up his dreams.

Everyone needs a philosophical guide in their career. The counselor can tell you what to do and what not to. But only a philosophical guide can show you- 'why' and 'how'.

Counseling and career choices in India

The definition of career is different in a country like India. It starts right from your school days. The choices that you make early in your career defines how easy or hard it is going to be towards the success as you grow more responsible. And the choices are not limited. How would a teenager who has just crossed 15 be able to decide what he is going to do rest of his life. In most of the cases they rise up from their childhood fantasies of becoming an astronaut or an actor. And when they are at a junction where they have to decide upon their career, they have no other choice than to look for a proper counselling. 

The first choice after secondary schooling that the child has to make is the subject that he is going to take for the higher secondary. The choices in India are normally Arts, Commerce, business, Maths, Biology etc. The counselling generally comes from the elders in the families who have been successful in their career. For those who don't have any experts within the family, the advice can come from their immediate friends and their family, or the neighbors or the seniors from the schools. I faced a very similar situation where I was the first one to show interest in engineering. Interestingly there was not even a single immediate family member who had done engineering. There were doctors and chartered accountants but no engineers. I had few people to take advice from. I relied on my friends who were also thinking about having a career in engineering. They guided me with what and why of this field which was enough for me to decide that this was what I wanted to pursue. 

Now the second dilemma that occurred was which school to join such that the time spent in school is fruitful in addition to the time that is required for self study. Again the help came from the friends who came up with the right list of schools that we should join.

The advises kept on coming throughout my career. From the engineering days to the completion of my post graduation, I am thankful to all the people who helped me progress in my career. I won't say that all the advises came through well but the way they guided is what I am thankful of. Ultimately the decisions were mine and I am more thankful to those people for helping me arrive at the right decision.

Goal of Universal Education

One of the sad truths of life is the fact that our larger population is still buried under the weight of destitution- limited access to the supply of food, drinking water, healthcare and other basic necessities. Basic prosperity existed even during the prehistoric civilizations of Mesopotamia or Indus Valley. Men used to live in caves thousands of years back and they were equipped enough to survive with dignity. Tell me why should I not compare the life of the poor countrymen from the African countries with those cave-men from prehistoric times. 

Having said that, it's imperative to lay stress on the fact that various institutions across the world are working harder to find solutions to all such problems. They have found success in many of their initiatives. But is that enough. May be or may be not. What's important to analyse is whether the progress is on the right track.

One such global initiative is the objective of achieving universal education. In my opinion this is one area where the progress has been concrete. Education can become the sound base for the next level of solutions.

As per 2011 data there were still about 57 Million children of primary school age who were not in school. It is a known fact that children with no quality education are exposed to physical as well as mental exploitation. The situation is severe for female children as they are exposed to a greater risk at different time points in their life. However data suggests that this problem, that has been a part of world's millennium development goal, has shown good progress and the world is likely to achieve the goal of net enrollment ratio of 100%. The improvement is particularly encouraging in the Sub-Saharan African countries where in a period of 5-6 years, the net enrollment ratio has increased from 65% to 77%. Overall this figure hovers around 88-90%. 

The root-cause of the problem is quite evident. It is nothing but the existence of sheer poverty and marginalization that is responsible for poor state of primary education. Digging deeper into the source of disparity would reveal three major factors: Income, Gender and Location e.g. the children from the poorest households are at least three times as likely to be out of school as their richest counterparts, rural children are nearly twice as likely to be out of school as urban children. Statistically, the largest income & gender disparity is seen in the South Asian and Sub-Saharan countries while the rural-urban disparity exists in all the countries. 

Different forums at the world level have come together and have embraced the mission of global education as one of the top most development priority. Countries like India have launched development schemes such as Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan to attain the goal. Some of the actions that are being taken by all the institutions, in particular UNICEF, to reach to the goal are: 

• Awareness Campaigns: UNICEF has committed $233 million to stage global awareness campaigns on the importance of children going to school. Different campaigns also highlights the issues of gender discrimination and forced child labour. 

• Investment on improving facilities at school: In many places, schools are safe haven for children where they can find latrines, clean water, meals and possibly health care. "UNICEF has a strong presence in school-based water, sanitation and hygiene projects, supporting initiatives in 73 countries such as supplying hand pumps to primary schools and training teachers in hygiene education".

• Ensuring 'Right to Education': The support is being provided in the area of community-based early child care, parent education, nutrition, hygiene and other intervention initiatives.

The world is in the right path and pace of achieving the goal of universal primary education and would be achieved if various institutions keep implementing different initiatives on a mission mode basis.

Filing your tax: The indirect incentive

The common notion about filing tax return is that the government needs money to build the nation and the money should come from the public only. Well there is nothing wrong about this notion but we always miss the larger picture. 

If you look at the bigger picture you would find that only 3-4% of our population is paying income tax. Do you really think only 3-4% population is earning enough to pay tax? And the nation is resting on the shoulders of these 3-4%? No. The tax that the government receives from this percentage is not enough to run the nation. Forget about building infrastructure, this much money is not enough to meet even the government expenditure. The government is left with no choice than to increase the indirect taxes and the corporate taxes which have a toll on the spending behavior of the public and the investment planning of various corporate houses. In addition the government has to borrow a significant sum.

What we fail to realize that we are paying taxes for our own good. The tax that we pays greater return in an indirectly through the road infrastructure, the sewerage, the police security, law and order, the railways, and what not. Who should pay the bills if not us? There are still more than 60% of population who are living at a daily wage of Rs. 100 or less. Who would take care of them? Who would fight if our borders are attacked? Freedom is not free. It comes at a price and the earlier we realize this is best for us.

There is still a large chunk of population who don't file their return either because they don't know how to file or they don't have taxable income. No matter what it is important that we still submit our returns. Especially the businessmen who fail to file return. Think about how much damage you are doing to the nation by not contributing your bit. The salaried people are paying taxes through TDS but failing to file return would be foolish as there are numerous personal benefits of filing return other than the indirect benefits mentioned earlier. (you can find it here)

“I’m taking the #TaxPledge to file IT returns with the easy Income Tax efiling option from H&R Block at BlogAdda.”

Filing your tax: Personal benefits

How do you feel when your employer deducts TDS from your gross salary and your net salary plunges to a figure you feel ashamed of? Just to explain through an example, if your annual salary is 6 lpa, the simple calculation is that you should get 50 thousand every month into your bank account, (at least this is what the elders think). Sadly you see around 10 thousand less every month in your bank account because of PF and TDS.

Suddenly at the end of the year you find that you have received less net salary than your peers who are receiving the same gross amount. Apparently you had not done your tax planning properly. The other reason can be that you forgot to declare some of your expenses and investments and missed the tax exemption from the government. You ended up paying more tax. But there is still a way to get the excess tax back from the government. You file your return and include all the valid exemptions under different sections of Income Tax rules. 

If I stay politically correct, I would say that you should pay as much tax to the government as you can afford. But I also realize that when you are spending your money on various items such as conveyance, food, rent etc. you are already paying other indirect taxes and hence there is no reason why you should be taxed twice.

Numerous other reasons that should prompt you to file your return, other than getting back the excess tax you paid to the government like Your child want to apply for a scholarship, You want to apply for a home loan or a car loan or a personal loan, You want to track all your previous investments and their return including interests and dividends, You want to track how much you spent and how much you saved etc. There are so many personal benefits other than the fact that you are paying tax for the good of the nation (details of which in my post here)

"I’m taking the #TaxPledge to file IT returns with the easy Income Tax efiling option from H&R Block at BlogAdda.”

Growing at the right age

Remember those cute little friends you had when you were in school (of course you were cute and little yourself too). But ever noticed some of those little friends of yours grew up to be larger than you had imagined and then you kept wondering, 'In what world!' 

There's always a school mate who turned up to be taller than u had expected him/her to be. Was it random or something was at play? 

I remember a friend who was quite short as compared to his age. But by the age he was 16 he turned up to be one among the tallest. Apparently he had joined a Karate class which helped him grow taller when his growth hormones were most active. Yes! There is a age period when you are supposed to grow, when you are supposed to take care of your diet and your exercise routine. There will be a limitation to the extent you can grow because of genes etc but at least you can attain your maximum.

And not just physically, a child needs to grow intellectually as well. I recollect an example from my college. There was a guy who was literally a genius- to me and to others from the batch. We tried to understand the secret and it turned out that he had learned everything at a very young age. Apparently he was perfect at many programming languages by the time he completed class 8. By that time he already was a master at calculus and other topics, we hadn't even heard about it. He was qualified enough to clear IITJEE by the time he passed class 10. Another example would be - The Japanese. They are very good at mathematics and in my opinion the reason is because they exercise their neurons at a very young age. There's no denying the fact that a child can pick up new technology way faster than an adult. This is true because the brain cells are most active then. 

In short, no debate on the fact that growth - both physical and psychological- is extremely critical to be taken care of during the right age stage. Once you don't capitalize during that stage, it's impossible to reach the zenith one would wish for. One can become a genius if trained at the right age. One can build a strong core and stay fit.

It's important to keep a track if the child is growing at the right pace or not. If he/she is not growing at the rate you had expected you better make them work towards it. The regret of not doing it when you had the opportunity is very painful. Less than expected physical growth has a direct impact on the confidence of a person which will have a lifelong impact and may be much harder to regain the same confidence.

So what all can be done if you find out that the growth pace need to be checked. A list can always be made but the following two would be most critical:

• Building a discipline- such as exercise routines and play time- depending on the age stage (<10, <10-15)
• Diet which doesn't add junk to the body. More of growth nutrients, protein etc.

For child below age 10, it may be difficult to bring the required discipline. A fun way would be to include solutions like Horlicks Growth+. For details check out: https://growthplus.horlicks.in/.

Datsun RediGO: The buzz

India's first ever urban cross as claimed by the DATSUN team. Let's review how this car would match up with the consumer need in general.

My first encounter with the brand was an indirect reference from a friend who talked about a new car being launched at a price that seemed quite untrue to believe. My first reaction was of course an allusion to the pricing strategy combined with the philosophy of marketing by plying as many cars on the road. The same brand is about to launch another car: RediGo.

The first look and feel of the car is definitely positive. But if I have to pick three features of this product that appeals to me the most, here's shall be the ones:

1. Look and feel: At the price range of 2.4-4 Lacs, I feel this car is worth flaunting. Nano and other cars in that range couldn't bring the 'proud factor' to the fore. This is being compensated here, of course for a premium but not that it shall hold the customer back. A beast of a hatchback, if I am allowed to label it. From the pics the car looks very spacious from inside, in particular the headroom which shall allow people to enter the vehicle comfortably. The colors are quite vibrant which is imparting it a very youthful look.

2. Mileage: The consumer class that is being targeted for this car would place a lot of value in the post purchase maintenance cost for the car. A major part of that cost would be the fuel charges that one would have to pay which is directly proportional to the mileage performance. As claimed, 25 km per litre is an enticing offer. Even at worse driving conditions, the mileage performance should not go down by a big margin.

3. Ground clearance: The problem with many hatchbacks and small cars is that fact that the ground clearance is not good enough to take the car on bumpy roads. The Datsun model however boasts of its tall feature and good ground clearance. This should help the small families in taking the car outside the city for weekend outings. 

Now the launch description is definitely making me curious. It looks a lot like its twin brother but we shall be able to gauge that only once the car is put up for sale. A test drive is what we all desire at this stage given the range of features and the price tag. If I get a chance to do a test drive, I would try to test it in a metropolitan at a time when the traffic is at peak. The feature that I would try to test is whether it is giving me the desired mileage and whether its compact and small enough to cut through not so dense traffic. 

I just hope the car stands up to the buzz it is creating. I hope it shall be able to take on the urban driving blues by offering a sleek and comfortable ride. The biggest problem for me in an urban setting is parking. This car should be able to solve that. All in all, it should be able to be fullfill the promise of 

"Fun. Freedom. Confidence. The ultimate Urban Cross - Datsun redi-GO - the capability of a crossover with the convenience of a hatchback."

Idea of a perfect holiday

Ever wondered what goes through the mind of a Chef who is about to make a perfect dish. Is it really the recipe or the ingredients? Or is it about the spices? 

You have got it wrong if you think the recipe is enough. It's the journey that matters at the end; the journey from the chopped vegetables to the final garnishing. The journey that can be described only by putting the whole process in perspective, by the amount of time the raw materials were put to heat, the variety of spices that were added, the stirring or the baking process that gave it the required texture. Only the chef understands this process. He can't simply write it down and get it replicated by someone else.

Similarly for a traveler the idea of a perfect holiday is something which stays at his core. There is lot of planning involved. And most of the planning happens in his mind. Whether he is able to execute exactly the same way he thought of is a different question altogether. In reality it can never happen. He can't control the nature, he can't control the journey. It's the journey that controls him. But he can definitely plan one.

I too have something in mind- although not as wild as Life of Pi or as unexpected as NH10. 

The destinations include an Arabian town and the famous city of pyramids. The fascination of these place has its origin in my childhood. The source of one lies in the tales of Arabian nights. The tales that wandered through the narrow lanes of city market watching people shout and selling fruits and dates and Alladin carrying out his mischief with Abu and Iago. The source of other lies in the curious stories of mummies wrapped up in white bandages walking dead inside the pyramids. Of-course these are just stories but the desire to experience the market filled with the visuals of people wearing tapered cones on the head and the sight of magnanimous ancient constructions is still there.

Though the journey is better when you have a partner who shares similar enthusiasm, I will prefer to go for this one rather alone. 

The journey shall begin from Kolkata, my hometown. There are quite a few direct flights to Madinah. And then there are quite a few from Madinah to Cairo. 

The first step is obviously to get my backpack and stuff it with everything I could think of. It might miss my clothes but dare it miss my camera and the charger. The passport is ready to get stamped on one of its pages. I'll of course take care of the Umrah Visa which is a must to visit the city. The whole itinerary would look something like this:

Day 1: Booking a flight ticket from one of the International Airlines for Kolkata to Madinah

Day 2: Finding a hotel/room, getting some rest and heading towards the famous old market of the city

Day 3: Visiting famous mosques (e.g. Quba Mosque) and other historical monuments trying to strike a balance between childhood fantasy and reality

Day 4: Camel ride in the dense of the desert in the first half followed by flight to Cairo.

Day 5: Finding a place to stay and a tour to the Pyramids of Giza

Day 6: Visit to Pharaonic Village in the morning followed by a visit to the Sufi dance performances in the evening.

Day 7: Booking the final ticket of the journey and getting one of the International Flights from Cairo to Kolkata

At the end all I can say is that just like the chef the fantasy is in the mind. I am not sure if I will ever be able to recreate it. But if I do, there will be pages to do justice to each and every moment of that fantasy.

When morning smiles

"Last night was painful. I couldn't sleep. To divert my mind I had very few options. Food was not one of them. Nobody was online to chat. No new movie in my laptop. Had already watched the latest subbed episode of Dragon Ball Super. I was out of options. Watching random Youtube videos remained the only option", remarked Sanjay. He had come for an advice to me as he was going through a lot of emotional turbulence. I could sense his helplessness. He was a tough guy and seeing him going through such phase baffled me. But I think life is not humble towards everyone. In-spite of this, he always managed to divert attention from depressing thoughts. But that didn't spare him from exhausted mornings.

Many of us pass through similar emotional expressions. And most of us end up wasting the next day that starts from early morning. How to deal with the next day's tiredness? Leaving bed later than usual is a natural option. But not everyone is blessed with flexible office timings. But why let sleep come in between. There are people who sleep very less and still cherish cheerful days. I think the secret lies in the way they start their morning. 

So the real question is: How to construct a golden morning or in other words How to turn bad to normal mornings into a golden one? 

Wouldn't be awesome if one can turn a good morning into a golden morning by following few simple mantras? Few tips from my side:

1. Forget what were you going through last night. If you are blank, good for you.

2. Live in the present. Don't try to recall the past. In fact keep your mind blank during the early hour of the day.

3. First thing you should do when you wake up- splash water on your face. Get away from the habit of morning tea or morning coffee.

4. Stay silent for the first half hour. 

5. Exercise. There cannot be a better anti-depressant than exercise.

It's not that tough to turn a good morning into a golden morning. But the problem is our lazy attitude towards life in general. Too much concentration into lifeless stuffs which result into a vicious cycle of depression, anxiety and tiredness. The least we can do is improve our mornings. Colgate has recently launched a new mission to achieve this objective. I hope their new product will help the customers improve their mornings. #Colgate360GoldMornings

Chikmaglur - the road less traveled

Going back to school after a tiring stint of corporate monotony is always refreshing. But this was no ordinary school; the future trajectory was based on the success of its launch. As potential future leaders we were expected to be ruthlessly sharp and focused. The beginning of the course was excruciating for most of the students. Term-1, although ended after a brief period of 6 weeks, was nothing less than equal to the semester of a sophomoric life. Needless to say it was extremely exciting as it pumped out the real passion resting inside us for so long. But the sudden death of term-1 created a huge vacuum in our all-time-occupied life, as if the busyness had become the new business of our life. The term gap was hardly a gap but it successfully started eating into our emptiness as the planned trip of our group got canceled. I had very little option then to choose from and fill the void. The only resort was to get along with other moving groups. Luckily, I found a group that was going to "Chikmaglur". And so just like that another exciting journey began.

The journey from Hyderabad to Chikmaglur was long but we chose the option of 4 wheelers to make it an everlasting memorable journey. The journey started at night. Six of us are sitting inside the car and it looks like I am the only one who is not well introduced to others. Naturally the initial hour went introducing each other and knowing each other more closely which was then followed by some useless and funny chitchats and gossips, thanks to the three ladies who kept the whole car journey very lively.

The next morning added to the adventure as we lost our way. And we were quite late to realize that. We had to check the navigation tool- our very own google maps to locate us and the destination.The choice was between two route- one crossing the Bangalore city and the other known to none of us. The Bangalore path was not so encouraging as we could imagine the magnanimity of the traffic that can potentially delay our trip. The obvious choice was the other route. Thankfully it turned out to be the right decision in the end, although we were still late by some margin.

The next 3 days were full of peppy mastikhori. Some exciting games that I had never heard of before. The most exciting part was of course the pool attached with the room. Initially there was no plan to enter the pool as I believe but once it was attacked there was no looking back. This was complemented by awesome mimicry of the professors by one of the dudes and game-chats full of non-sense. There was an opportunity to explore the coffee fields as well.

In summary this was a trip to be remembered for sure. I wish I could share everything from the trip but the best things are better to be kept a secret. 

This blog post is inspired by the blogging marathon hosted on IndiBlogger for the launch of the #Fantastico Zica from Tata Motors. You can apply for a test drive of the hatchback Zica today.

Return of Childhood

''How would you define an ideal Sunday". 'Watching Disney cartoon in the early morning while eating sandwiches - followed by a cricket match against the rival team in the early evening?'. I don't think this definition is applicable today. The definition is long lost - as I see the kids stuck to their smart devices. The playgrounds look almost deserted. It is disappointing to be a witness to such a displeasing display of sheer indifference towards outdoor games. Children don't fight for batting anymore. There is no stack of bricks as a replacement for the triplets. There is no taped willow hitting tennis balls out of the ground. The complain was different in our times. We also used to skip outdoor games for TV video games but the craze for playing a cricket match was always there. The situation is totally different today.

But today's morning was different. Today is Republic day which pushed me to the good old days of my school. The navigation to my childhood brought so many good memories to the front.

The air is filled with melodious Bengali music. The sunshine is just enough to cancel the cold breeze. The playground has got back its old mates. A stage has been set for a speech from the local politician. The ground has been embraced by cyclists too. Two kids (most likely siblings) are trying to learn cycling. Their father is helping them with the balance. It looks like the boy has already laid down few attempts earlier and doesn't need much help while the girl is looking a bit uncomfortable. Other cyclists are just taking a round down the ground. A group of six friends are chuckling at the corner. The bench is good for three but the group knows how to adjust around. That pair in their 40s are enjoying the holiday as well. The smile on their faces is hinting at good times. A perfect reminiscent from the past. I couldn't help but led myself to cherish that feeling for some more time.

It has been more than 15 years but I can still remember the way we used to plan a cricket match a day before. The first step was ofcourse to confirm who all will be coming to the ground. Since the only meeting place to discuss was our school we used to do it just after the last period was over in the school playground itself. The next discussion was on how many bats, balls and wickets do we have among those who have said yes for the next day's match. Plan for extra bats and balls was a necessity in case somebody decides to opt out at the last moment. The biggest problem in the planning and the execution was to wake up everyone at 5 am to come to the playground. Few were disciplined enough to come to the ground on their own. Few required push from the others. Going to the playground while the cold breeze is still playing with the grasses was such a nice feeling. I miss those times. But I wish I dont have to navigate to my childhood to enjoy that feeling. I wish I could gather all my friends to plan another cricket match. I wish.

This blog post is inspired by the blogging marathon hosted on IndiBlogger for the launch of the #Fantastico Zica from Tata Motors. You can apply for a test drive of the hatchback Zica today.

End of 'Comedy Nights with Kapil' -- really?

"It's cheap comedy, it's physical comedy, its mindless comedy. You should not watch it". The comment made me angry but I had nothing much to say as it came from a very elderly person. Apparently for him a comedy should include some deep intellectual element. But he missed the fact that the level of wittiness in that show cannot be easily matched. Exactly what percentage of CNWK is physical comedy doesn't need any debate. To come up with that kind of package is an achievement in itself. And kudos to Kapil Sharma for persuading away from the boredom of saas-bahu soaps. His jokes may be silly at times but it made us all laugh. He did make fun of a few from the audience but I hope it was not grossly offensive. I would love to believe when the celebrities said that the show is regularly followed at their home. And the fact that celebrities come to the show even when they have nothing to promote. Promotion is just an excuse to watch the love show.

But has it really come to an end - a show which I thought would continue for years? The concept of this show is such that even if the humor quotient is less some day, it shall continue to entertain the general populace. I am really not sure why Kapil decided to end this show. There must be something new and exciting in his mind. To me he is beyond formats. From Laughter challenge to CNWK he has only evolved. And I am sure he will construct new pillars of success whatever he is up to.

But all good things ultimately come to end. Lets accept that there will be no Kapil to make us laugh to the end of our weekends. But the thing that is bothering me is the way it is coming to an end. In my opinion, if this was suppose to end, the brand shouldn't have been taken by someone else. No point in destroying the brand. Else if it was supposed to continue it should have been taken by Kapil himself in the form of a new season. Not only that it was initially reported that Colors would not air the last episode. There is definitely something fishy. Something must not be well between the production and the executive team. Only time will tell.

And why just Kapil. There are excellent actors who were part of that team: Ali Asgar, Kikoo Sharda and not to mention Sunil Grover. I don't think I can ever forget his performance when Salman came to promote his movie Prem Ratan Dhan Paayo. And that 'rang de tu mohe gerua' performance was hysterical.

So what next? What can be expect from Kapil now? He made a movie but he is not exactly a movie material. That form of art doesn't allow you to be spontaneous and witty whereas these are his strengths.

This blog post is inspired by the blogging marathon hosted on IndiBlogger for the launch of the #Fantastico Zica from Tata Motors. You can apply for a test drive of the hatchback Zica today.

Life of an Introvert

There is no fun in being an introvert especially if you are not so smart not so cool type of introvert. An introvert just keeps hopping through different struggles. What to say, what to wear, who to approach, who to avoid. The best he can do to avoid these struggles is to avoid everything- the surrounding, the neighbors, the people, the human interaction. Ultimately it results into a vicious cycle- a cycle that just sucks that individual into the deeper self. This is the point where the true creativity of an introvert emerges. But the struggle remains. How to share that creativity with the world? 

The struggle never ends for that person. It's not like that person hates people's companies. But most of the times he doesn't have much to say. And when he speaks it's not that he turns out to be very impressive. Lets think mathematically: I speak 10 times out of which 7 are plain and monotonous, twice I make awesome remarks and once I really dumb myself down. On the other hand if an introvert speaks just 3 times out of which once he is plain, once he makes good comment and once he dumb himself down. So the chances that he shatters his good impression is 33.33% whereas an extrovert has just 10% chance. Of course this is a very hypothetical situation but very similar happens to a lot of people.

And the struggle just continues. Of the one hour he interacted with the social world, 10 hour he would waste to recreate the same situations and speak what would make him look cool in that situation. And he will keep on recreating the same situation again and again till he has perfected himself into it. The idea is to be perfect when he faces the same situation again which of course never happens. 

And there are so many things that have happened in their past that they fail to let it go. They keep on practicing to make themselves look perfect or just to feel plain embarrassment. I would give full marks to the extroverts who move so easily over the past. Nobody cares about your past. It's just your inner conscience that makes you aware of your insecurities.

It would be interesting to conduct a survey to understand if the introverts are happy the way they are. Do they enjoy their own company or it's just another form of compulsive behavior? The same survey would be irrelevant for the extroverts. 

Sometimes I really feel that there should be a platform which could help the introverts get over their insecurities. The kind of creativity that an introvert can bring to the world is limitless. If we can unleash that potential, just think about the end possibilities and exciting innovations that can be brought into existence. 

This blog post is inspired by the blogging marathon hosted on IndiBlogger for the launch of the #Fantastico Zica from Tata Motors. You can apply for a test drive of the hatchback Zica today.

Music is Life

I am sad and depressed
- When lyrics become more pronounced than the music

I am happy and joyous
- When lyrics with the deepest theme isn't making sense to me. Just enjoy the tune

I am relaxed- neither happy nor sad
- The soothing music is just adding to the mood

I am enthusiastic and determined
- 'haaan yahi rasta hai.. ter..... ' oops! The beats are matching my heartbeats

I am travelling
- Why the hell didn't I create 'my playlist'

I am indifferent
- What was that song that I played on loop?

I got a new song
- I am gonna play it 200 times and ignore the mood of the surroundings

Shotgun
- Shut your music. The music system is mine and I am gonna play my music. (after 5 mins). Ok last song.. This one is going to be better.

I am in a mood to dance
- Please don't play baby-doll.

I am in a romantic mood
- %$*@)#^Q(#

I am in nostalgic mood
- Aryans, Bombay vikings, Euphoria

So much music in my life that I sometimes feel 'main bajj raha hun ya music'. What would the life be like if there were no music. Few days back I was watching Bajirao Mastani that made me think. How people used to enjoy music when there was no way to record it. It was the luxury of the kings and their ministers. Life must have been monotonous without music. We are so privileged that we are in a generation where the music database is so rich and wide. We can associate almost all our emotions with them.

It would be wrong to say that yesteryear's music was better and today's music is crap. I almost had a fight with an Uncle who said that you don't listen to A R Rahman's music more than once but the music of RD Burman is timeless. I agree with what he remarked about RD Burman's music but he can't say so about the former. Each of the musicians have their own position in the music world. And not saying that Rahman is the best musician we have. I like Amit Trivedi. I like Shankar Ehsaan Loy. I think they are nothing less than genius in their craft. The opinions may be divided on Honey Singh's music but one cannot deny that he does produce peppy songs. 

The dimensions of music are endless. When they say music can exploit emotions that are sometimes very hard to explain. Isn't it interesting how we associate a particular song with a person or with an event. Like I used to play a song on repeat mode while playing GTA. Now whenever I hear that song the image of GTA flashes in. Favourite song of your first relationship, favourite song of your first crush - they do make you remember the old days.

This blog post is inspired by the blogging marathon hosted on IndiBlogger for the launch of the #Fantastico Zica from Tata Motors. You can apply for a test drive of the hatchback Zica today.

Funding Dilemma

"My plan is to start a startup that is going to revolutionize the way people avail that particular service"- a very common line among the young generation entrepreneurs. If we look at the startups of the last 5 years we would only find internet based startups. It may be that the service aggregators are the logical answer to the already fragmented Indian market but can they survive without pimping into the already established ground businesses. It may be that few have emerged very strongly in their respective industry but was it possible just by bringing a brick and mortar model into the ecommerce world or was there something more?

Lets talk about the unicorn startups which have started reporting profits. Oops! I think we aren't at that stage now. But how long can the companies continue reaping for more and more customer base. With such ease in funding rivals will keep on coming and create a price war. The players will keep on fighting for the market share until few of them ultimately give up. Lets take few examples. Uber began with an idea to acquire as many customers. They offered free rides generously. I would say they did succeed in acquiring a good customer base but then came the rival Lyft and now Uber is struggling to maintain the same price chart for its rides. It hasn't earned a single penny of profit and now it will only get worse unless they do something really different with their operations or have a price understanding with its rivals. Lets take the case of Paytm. Certainly the most popular e-wallet in the market but then the competitors with their more generous Cash back offers are only going to make it difficult. Lets not talk about the plain ecommerce portals. I clearly don't see any model for earning profit. Amazon has been in the business for more than 15 years now and still no profit from its core business. Flipkart too is expanding the revenue only with an idea of making it a profitable venture down the line. The question remains- For how Long? There can be a 2008 like situation when the funds will stop flowing. How would these companies survive if such a scenario occurs. Till then the whole startup industry is a zero sum game for the investor pool. The fear is if the current situation be not like another dotcom boom. However there is optimism as well.  What happens to the traditional businesses where the opportunity to differentiate with their service/product is more likely than the current e-commerce setting. For example there are so many players in the cellphone industry but every player is bringing something different on the table. Why can't we have a new clothing brand or a new tech device - something innovative as well as commercial.

We can only choose one side of the debate but we can never be sure. Only time will tell where this whole industry is leaning towards. Till then wait, watch and enjoy. :)