Dream Destinations

Here goes my wishlist

Cambodia

Ever since I have seen the Angkor wat temples of Cambodia in pictures, I have been hankering to visit that beautiful country which hosts such an elegant temple complex. I love visiting ancient temples. Hence Agkor wat would be a perfect choice for me. I wish to explore those labyrinth walls which have huge sculptures of Hindu gods and goddesses.  Those temples are indeed an architectural masterpiece. Their balance, composition, proportions, sculptures and reliefs are etched on the reel of time as epitome of human creativity and labour. I wish to pray in that temple complex which is perhaps one of the oldest temple complexes in the world.

Switzerland.

Blame it on Yashraj that I want to visit Switzerland. I have seen the country so many times in Bollywood movies and I want to see it with my own eyes. I have heard that no matter where you place the camera, the frame becomes beautiful in Switzerland. Don't worry I will buy Switz chocolates and watches for you my dear readers as well.

Bali

I do have some strange connection with Bali islands as well. Tri Hita Karana means a tripartite concept which includes spiritual relationship between human and God and their environment. Life in Bali is always related to Tri Hita Karana. I am an evnironmentalist. I  have keen interest in spirituality as well. No wonders Bali features in my list of dream destinations. I wish to visit those beautiful islands and I also wish to visit that medicine man from Eat Pray Love and ask him as to what is stored in my future. Like the temples of Combodia, I feel I have some karmic connection with Bali as well.

Australia

Though attacks on Indians are on rise in Australia, Indians seem to have a strange attraction for this land of Kangaroos. I am no exception. I wish to visit and see the animal which carries its baby in its natural pouch and hops around. Sydney too is too familiar to me. Thanks to the movies and the photographs in newspapers and magazines. I wish to have a first hand experience of living in Australia. I wish to explore marine tourism circuit of Australia

Egypt

Like India it is one of the oldest cultures in the world. Egypt the land which houses one of the seven wonders of the world Pyramids. As a child when I learnt about them in the text books, I visited them many a times in my imagination. I was intrigued by what all would have gone inside a pyramid. I also remember reading that paper was invented in Egypt. It was made from a tree known as papyrus and hence the word paper. The land of Cleopatra, Alexander, Archimedes and Hercules calls me.

My dear friends thanks for reading this post. In order to satisfy the wanderlust within you I give you Rs. 1545. For more details click here

As big as Luftansa A380

Post by Lufthansa India.

“What happened you seem to be in a bad mood?” I asked my niece Seema who had just returned from Frankfurt.

“Mamaji why don't we have a bus or train from Frankfurt to Delhi?” She asked with a crease on her forehead.

I was baffled at her question. But I must admit that the very thought of travelling from Frankfurt to Delhi in a bus was creating ripples of laughter in my system. However, I tried to bury them considering the mood of my beloved niece.”

“What happened honey? Hope you had a pleasant journey.” I said in a soothing voice.

“Don't you mention about the journey.” She snapped me back.

“Why Seema? Didn't you have a pleasant sleep?”

“Don't you talk about sleep Mamaji”
was her reply.

This is the problem with the parents of teenagers. They don't know what to speak with their children. Whatever they say the younger generation disapproves it. Silence is golden I said to myself and kept mum.

Seeing no response from my side Seema continued, “The airlines have started shrinking the leg-space in order to accommodate more passengers. The result is passengers are literally squeezed like tomatoes being carried to the market.” This time I was unable to control my laughter and my face turned red like a red tomato.

“I tried to recline my seat in an attempt to get good sleep. But the moron who was sitting in the back prevented me from doing so saying that it was hitting his knees.” With a stoic face I said to Seema, “Yes, I remember reading somewhere that there are only two kinds of passengers who fly. One those who recline their seats to the maximum thereby causing great inconvenience to those who are less fortunate and get the back-seat. Second those who vociferously guard their leg space.”

“Mamaji are you saying that I caused trouble to him?”

“No. I am saying that the man was quarrelsome.”

“The only solution is shelving out extra bucks to secure the seat with more leg-room.” Seema said with a grim face. Like her mother she too was stingy when it came to money. I did not voice my thoughts.

“Mamaji why are you quiet? Your face is utterly relaxed. Have you attained enlightenment or what.”

“Yes, I have been enlightened at least when it comes to flying.”

“Mamaji please share some pearls of wisdom with me.” Seema said as a smile broke on her face.

“Lufthansa is your mantra.” I said gesturing my hand into a shoonya mudra.

“That German airline.”

“It may be German, but it is more Indian than you think. Recently it has started its Delhi to Frankfurt flight.” I said.

“What is so special about it?” Seema asked.

“It has Airbus A380. It is Lufthansa‘s new flagship. You know when it comes to flying the bigger the better. Lufthansa A380 is the largest and heaviest passenger aircraft in the world. Its length is 73 meters and its height is 24 meters. It has take of weight of up to 560 tons.”

“Sounds like a beast.”

“Yes but a pleasant one. It has 526 passenger seats. Given its size unlike any other airlines you don't have to worry about legs leg space and reclining of your seat. You will have a very comfortable journey.”

“Yes being the largest aircraft in the world I am sure it won't have any space related issues. Please tell me more about it. I am all ears.”

“It has four Rolls-Royce engines. It has three classes first, business and economy. Even if you are travelling by economy I can assure you that you will have a comfortable and peaceful journey”

“Wow.”

“You are an environmental activists, aren't you?”

“Yes I am. So there is some good news for you. Lufthansa A380 uses less fuel. Moreover it can even think for itself.”

“What do you mean?” Now it was Seema's turn to get puzzled.

“It can automatically apply the brakes after landing on the runway.”

“You are coming with me to Frankfurt.” Seema said.

“I did not understand what you are saying.”

“I have booked tickets for both of us.” I could sense the excitement of travelling in the largest aircraft in her voice.

“When did you book the tickets?”

“Just now. On my smart-phone.”

“Which airlines?”

“Do I have to tell that?”

“Of course Lufthansa A380”

“You are the one who introduced it to me. You are the most valuable person in my life. I can't enjoy the luxury of flying in the largest aircraft in the world without your company.” Said Seema.

“You have become a big girl now. Nice to see that you have a big heart.”

“Big heart? As big as Lufthansa A380?” Quizzed Seema and both of us drowned into giggles as we indulged into our pillow fight.

#LufthansaA380

Rescued by Love - Book Review

Rescued by love is a novel by Shilpa Suraj. It is a mills and boons novel published under the Indian author series. Being a mills and boons novel you know what you should expect and what you should not.

Beautiful Naina Ahuja is the heroine. Her father is a Supreme Court judge. Naina is his only child. Still he hates her for he wanted a son. Her mother is a typical Indian woman who considers her husband pati parmeshwar and obeys his orders meekly. Her marriage is arranged against her wishes. She runs away to Ladakh without telling her parents. Terrorists kidnap Naina as her father is going deliver the judgment in trial of one of their colleagues. Our macho hero Lt. Col. Arjun Rathore is on a mission to rescue her. On the rescue mission they get cosy. Naina falls for him. For him it was just a little dose of adventure which she needed. Naina calls off the wedding. Her father sacks her out of the house. Once the mission is over, Arjun does not wish to keep any contacts with Naina. Naina takes up the job of a hostess in a hotel in Goa. After six months there is an engagement ceremony in the hotel. No prizes for guessing that the would be groom is none other than Arjun. Sparks fly again and with a little resistance the lovers are united.

As stated earlier this is a mills and boons novel. So the story has to be written in a given frame, incorporating all the quintessential elements of mills and boons. Then too Shilpa does a decent job by having Naina in captivity in the initial chapters. Though you keep on expecting that there will be confrontation between Arjun and the terrorists, it never happens. Naina and Arjun getting cosy on the rescue mission sounds bit unrealistic. A Supreme Court judge hating his only daughter that too when he is about to retire too sounds cliched. Can you believe that he eats up all the dosas without carrying whether there are any left for his daughter. Arjun's family life crisis is the end which the author seems to have forgotten to tie.

As regards the writing style is concerned phrases like “Arjun's quite voice”, “smiling sadly” etc. mar the narrative. How can a person have a quiet voice and how can he smile sadly? I think the author should upload videos showing the same. Similarly when the author says “With one last smile over his shoulder, he left” I kept on staring at my shoulder for hours together expecting that something would smile over it. The line “I'd rather it didn't come to that,” in my opinion is grammatically incorrect and does not make any sense.

The frequent references to erections are bad in taste. See “Every time he looked at her, his heart tightened, while other parts of his anatomy stood up and did a happy dance.” “Anything but the fact that a certain part of his anatomy was standing up and waving for attention,” comes another pearl of wisdom.

Don't think that merely because the woman is working here, the mills and boons heroine has been empowered. She is not doing well in her life and buys second hand goods including a TV set which she mounts on the floor.

To conclude this is just another mills and boons novel. We never expected it to be a literary classic, did we?

Show-stopper

 “You are going to be the show-stopper for this show.” The choreographer broke the news to me and my joy knew no bounds. I had walked the ramp on a few occasions but I never had got an opportunity to be a show-stopper. In the fashion business though the show-stopper is the costume and not the model, it has been a protocol to make the most successful model the show-stopper.

So in a way this was an acknowledgement of the fact that I had arrived on the Indian fashion scene. Since my teenage days my sartorial tastes were admired by many. Little had anyone thought I would take my passion to a professional level that too so successfully.

I decided to keep my excitement in control and concentrate on the steps I practised with all my colleagues. Fortunately for me we shared a good cameradie. There was no bitching or rivarly as is shown in movies and serials. We were a bunch of young men and women who were having fun and being paid for it!

The stage was set. This was going to be the happiest day in my life. The female models had already walked to the ramp and within a few minutes we men were going to join them.

As the assistants were busy helping us with our clothes, the designer took me into a corner.

“I really wished that you should have been the show-stopper.”

“I am going to me the show-stopper” I said disdainfully.

“You were going to be my dear, had it not been for your unkept beard rather stubble. Some how I feel that it does not go with the texture of the costume. Had you been clean shaven I was petty sure that you would have carried it with an elan. But not today with that stubble. You look good cleanshaven.”

As I was unshaven I had to wait for yet another opportunity to make it big.

Dear friends you too can participate in this contest and win prizes. Don't forget to acknowledge this post while submitting your entry.
This post is a part of #WillYouShave activity at BlogAdda in association with Gillette'

Ab Montu Bolega

For the past few days on my way to my office I have been seeing piles of garbage. What was saddening is that the piles have been increasing in its length and its width. We all have been hearing about the Bharat Swatch Abhiyan for all these days. I wonder why the authorities are not doing anything with regard to it. Why a strip of land adjoining the tar road, which is actually being used by pedestrians is being used as a dumping ground. Mind you this is not happening in the outskirts of the city, but in its heart.

This squalor and the emptiness of the cleanliness drive had been pinching me for a very long time. But I did not really know where should I raise my voice. But now I have found a platform to raise my voice that too vociferously.

RB (formerly called Reckitt Benckiser) is the global leader in consumer health and hygiene. In tune with its corporate social responsibility it has launched a new campaign on Strepsils "Ab Montu Bolega". Strepsils is the world's leading sore throat medicine. It is encouraging people to speak their mind without any inhibitions Keep calm and speak up. Speak up and be heard is the tag-line of the campaign.

Film actor Saqib Saleem of Mere Dad Ki Maruti and Hawaa Hawaai fame is the face of the campaign ab montu bolega.
Through "Ab Montu Bolega", Strepsils aims to give a clear voice to all the citizens so that they can raise the voice at the right time and right place without any hesitations. The campaign is digital at heart and resides on an exclusive online platform www.abmontubolega.com The protagonist of the campaign - Montu, played by Saqib Saleem, is a boy next door who has inhibitions to express himself on various occasions in front of his family, friends and colleagues. The campaign captures his journey through various interesting situations in his life where Strepsils provides him with a clear voice and courage to speak up on issues which must be spoken for the welfare of every individual and humanity at large. You can follow Strepsils on Facebook and Twitter as well.

Through ab montu bolega I am sure every youth of this nation will speak up. Clean up drive is a good idea. However the worst part of it is that it is staged only for photo-shoots and the filth, the squalor lies at the place where it was. I am sure this was not the intention of the Hon'ble Prime Minister when he launched the Bharat Swatch Abhiyan. His noble object is definitely laudable. Now it is our turn to make our participation in the programme. The least that we can do is to raise our voice. We should point out the dirty places in our city and our neighbouring area. Today everybody is armed with a smart phone. I am sure the least all of us can do is to raise our voice through ab montu bolega campaign.

#AbMontuBolega

Feed a poor child

Hunger is the most primordial instinct. It is the birth right of every citizen of our country to have at least two square meals in a day. It is indeed unfortunate there are many unfortunate souls who have to got to bed with empty stomach. My heart goes out to all of them.

If children do not get the necessary nutrition their entire youth will be adversely affected. They will fall prey to the evil called malnutrition which in turn gives birth to many other fatal diseases. It has been more than 60 years of independence. Regimes have changed, but still hunger remains the same.

We spend a few hundred rupees notes to buy a pizza, sip a coffee or watch a movie in the multiplex. If we sacrifice the money reserved for one weekend of every month to feed our poor countrymen we would go a long way in quenching their hunger.

Children of poor families have to work so that all the family members can be fed. Children are to be seen in schools and not at workplaces. School will shape up their lives and protect their children from being drawn into the vicious circle of poverty.

They say anna is purnabrahma i.e. food is entire universe, God included. I pray to the Almighty that He may see to it that no creation of His sleeps hungry. That there are smiles on the faces of children as they are relieved of their hunger and fed without being forced to do hard labour. They God resides in children. So isn't feeding these tiny tots on various festivals and days of religious importance ensure that every morsel reaches to the God. So will all of us resolve today that on their birthdays, anniversaries, festivals and other days of special importance, they will feed the poor and see to it that at least one child goes to school. If all of us decide to take care of only one poor child, then too we will protect their innocence from being crushed by harsh realities of life.

Thank you blog adda and akshaya patra for giving me this opportunity of joining your noble initiative. 

I am going to #BlogToFeedAChild with Akshaya Patra and BlogAdda.

A missed chance which still pricks me

That night I was unable to sleep. The following day was going to be one of the most important days in my life. It was my dream to work for a multi-national company. I had got a call for interview from the number one player in the industry.

The job profile involved travelling abroad. I was happy that my would be job was going to satisfy the itch in me to travel all the wonderful places on the earth. I had always hankered to visit the leaning tower of Pisa, the Eiffel tower, the pyramids of Egypt and many more wonders of the world. I kept mentally visiting those places again and again.

I don't know when I skidded into deep slumber. By the time I woke up it was already 9 am. Oh Gosh! I said to myself. My interview was scheduled at 10 am and at 9 am I was still in my bed. I could see my dreams being shattered into pieces. Some how I gathered my composure and rushed to the bathroom. With the little time that I had to get ready I decided to give a go by to all personal grooming including shaving. I stood into the shower and drenched myself in the splashes of water. I wiped myself and shifted into clean pressed clothes. The stubble was visible when I looked into the mirror. But I had no time to shave. I got out of my house and drove as fast as I could.

This is how I looked

But something was wrong with me. I kept on rubbing my stubble. I kept on feeling unclean as I was not shaved. I was going to face my interview with that stubble on my face.

I entered the room where the revered panel was sitting. I entered the room running my fingers through my face. Hand to face gestures imply lack of confidence, I remembered reading in the book of body language. The panel asked me the questions whose answers I knew. However given that all my attention was fixed on my stubble I was unable to articulate my answers. My stubble was bothering me too much. Needless to mention I lost the position owing to my unkept beard. I swore that day I would not step out of my house ever without being shaved. 

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