Down the memory lane - Happy Father's day

June 21st is celebrated as Father's day, world-wide. But, I don't believe in celebrating Mother's day or Father's day. Do we need one specific day to remember our parents, appreciate them and respect them? Not needed right? Respecting parents and treating them next to GOD is taught to us from childhood. I feel, it's fortunate if we can help and support our parents after we get wings and get independent. It is because of them that we are in this position with good wealth, success and happiness. Since I don't believe in Father's day, I never celebrated it and never gifted anything to my dad on that day. I only celebrate his birthday. But, I feel, the best gift one can give to their parents is a 'Warm Hug' as everything else is material in this world.

After watching this ad, my heart filled with many old memories with my dad. I proudly say I am a Papa's girl :-) Relatives used to say that. I inherited many good habits from him - straight forwardness, dedication to work, interest in book reading etc., I also inherited some fears from my dad like lack of confidence while driving on road or talking in public, but he made me overcome those weakness by supporting and encouraging me to be an outgoing person. Yes, now I have overcome the challenge of public speaking and came out of the shell.

I remember the days when I used to hold his index finger and follow him everywhere to buy groceries, to watch movies etc. I used to be scared for every small thing and needed his reassurance - a dog on the road or a cow in the middle of the road :p, I used to stop,go back asking him to come with me when I go to dance class. Seems so funny if I think now :-) 

I used to be stubborn and cry for every small thing, I wonder, how he has put up with me. He never scolded or beaten us(me and my sis). Silent treatment is the only punishment we used to get. Sometimes, he used to put my sister and me in dark room for sometime as a punishment. He is never strict on us, so we were never afraid of our father. If there is anything that we know he won't agree, we used to discuss and sort out. 

When I grew up and entered college, he shared me his financial details, expenses at home etc., so that I can understand our financial status. I used to prepare budget, discuss on financial management with him. He was always open to new ideas and suggestions and without any ego, he used to take my thoughts. This I feel, is a very important aspect in parenting, which is rare to find in others. My job, salary, career, my marriage - we talked about all these things in detail. I am fortunate that my dad has created a friendly atmosphere for me and my sister to reach to him openly. He gave us freedom, responsibilities and trusted us that we will do better. Trust is the basic building block in a relationship, right?

On this Father's day(though, one day late in publishing this post), I pray to God to give my Father - good health, peace and happiness. I feel privileged, if I can be any service to him and make him happy.

Until next time,

This father’s day, I am expressing my love towards my dad by participating in the #HugYourDad activity at BlogAdda in association with Vicks.”

Smelly to Smiley - How to fight bad odours at home

Fragrance or nice smell lightens up our mood. As per psychologists, a nice fragrance can bring positive thoughts in us. In the same way, bad odours irritate us and sometimes, doesn't allow to concentrate on work. I am not a person who love perfumes a lot, but I know many friends who give select very nice perfumes which are mild and pleasant. Obviously, good fragrance sometimes aids us in getting better concentration and positive thinking.

I love the smell of home after puja. Incense of agarbathi, camphor, flowers, tulasi leaves, betel leaves, turmeric etc., give positive vibrations to everyone inside home. Many of us like the smell before it rains. Of course, it's the smell of wet mud, but feels pleasant right?

Now, coming to bad odours. Smelly socks top the list. Sometimes, in movie theatres, if someone sits near us with smelly socks, it becomes unbearable. If refrigerator is not cleaned periodically, it stinks and we cannot get away with it without cleaning, as we use refrigerator daily. We all know, the worst of it's kind are smells in a bathroom if not properly maintained. 

Here are some simple ways I follow to fight bad odours at home:

Smelly socks : 
Washing regularly is of course the best way to fight the bad odour, but let me tell you one quick tip. Keep used tea bags inside smelly socks and they absorb the bad smell immediately. :-)

Refrigerator : 
We use refrigerator very often and it is very difficult to fight bad odours unless we clean it very often. Wipe fridge often with white vinegar to avoid lingering bad odour.

Bathroom smells: 
We use air fresheners like Odonil, but they cannot fight odour always. One day, I tried a tip given by my Facebook friend, worked well. I boiled water with cut lemon pieces, 2 cloves and 2 cardamom in it. When I kept this solution in bathroom, it worked like a good fragrance. Try this! Another way is to pour 21/2 cups vinegar inside bathroom for 30 mins and clean it with water. Removes all odours very quick :-)

I am allergic to strong fragrances, so usually avoid using air fresheners. Scented candles are very good and mild. I also try lighting dhupstick or sambrani for good fragrance. Try AmbiPur Air. It just doesn't cover-up bad odours, but removes them. There are different variants available like blossoms and breeze, Zealand springs, Lavender, Vanilla, Citrus and Zest and lot more.

So, do let me know from comments, if these tips work for you and also feel free to suggest new 
tips :-)

• I am blogging for #SmellyToSmiley activity atBlogAdda.com in association with Ambi Pur

Until next time,

#SmellyHomes #SmellytoSmiley 

Image courtesy: From creative common license Flickr images - http://bit.ly/1Lkiu4l

The Max Fresh Move!

A peppy music beat with a lovely voice and perfect steps following the rhythm! Yes, this is a lovely combination any time. Isn't it? Melodious music surely lifts our soul and relaxes us, but a peppy music and fast beat rises our spirit. This will surely energise our life.

Being a dancer, I know how a combination of good music and rhythmic dance energises us. That too.. when monsoon season is around.. Dancing in rain is soo much fun!

Whenever I dance, I forget everything in the world and it altogether takes me to a new level. Dance is not easy, it takes a lot of our effort and energy, but while dancing I never feel the pain even when I am weak. Only after the practice session is over, I realize how many calories are burnt :-)

When I watch this Colgate Max fresh ad on television I remember monsoons, rain and dance. 

Allu Arjun who acted in this ad is a Telugu hero. I am not a fan of his action, but I appreciate the energy he puts in his dance. It shows up that he works hard in practising his steps. There was one peepy song in a movie 'Arya 2' given by Devi Sree prasad 'My Love is gone'. Allu Arjun's dance moves are just perfect for the beat. 

Anushka Manchanda is a singer, model and ex VJ of Channel V. She had sung many jingles including Katrina kaif's ad on Titan Raga. I don't know much about her until I heard her latest song from Ungli - Dance Basanthi, which is quite peppy and good. Also, Na jaane song in I, me aur him is of same kind.

So, what if there is a concert in their combination - Allu Arjun and Anushka? There is a contest (#MaxFreshMove contest) to write on how this combination will energise our life. First of all, it's rare, as one is a Tollywood actor and other one is a Bollywood singer. Both can rock the show with their perfect moves and peppy voice. It's been a long time I attended some concert and definitely would love to see them together for a concert. Cool!

Variety is spice of life. Everyone has a different way to bring spice in their life and a combination of good music and dance is one of the available options. A mesmerising spa/ wonderful book/ hot cup of coffee in monsoons/ A movie with family/ an outing/ a perfect vacation, There are many ways to energise of our life and break our routine, right? What say?

“I am blogging for #MaxFreshMove activity atBlogAdda.com. Are you?

Until next time,

The Last Omen : Possessed - Ebook - [Book Review] - Blog tour

Book Details:
Title: The Last Omen: Possessed
Author : Steven Nedelton
Genre: Suspense, Occult, horror
Source: E-book Review copy from Absolutely Book-alicious tours

About the book:
This occult suspense story is about a possessed woman, a journalist/author trapped by her demon and a soldier of fortune hunting untouchables. The journalist/author, C. Adams, inherits a fortune from his uncle. He is pursuing a successful business woman when he discovers that she is possessed by a demon. She warns him, but the demon turns vicious and the journalist is exposed to blood-freezing occult encounters. In a parallel narrative, a foreign soldier, married to a New York City nurse, and desperately looking for employment in the New York City, turns to bounty hunting the most dangerous untouchables. At one point, the paths of the two men cross. Detective Richter is trying to unscramble the puzzle, but cannot control the events. What happens next, when demons possess the naïve—is up to the reader to discover. 

The partly true-life thriller tale contains horror settings, unrelenting action and true demon encounters. If you never believed in the paranormal, you will after reading this entertaining book.

About Author:
Steven Nedelton writes suspenseful novels in crime, mystery and paranormal genres. Author’s published titles are: The Last Omen/Possessed, Dance of Shadows/Dangerous Trade, The Raven Affair, Fear!, A Suitcase Mystery, Nemesis--the sequel and Coma Sins/The Madness of Ben Bluman which he wrote with another author, Joseph F. Parente. Steven’s novels were evaluated by the Amazon reviewers, the Midwest Book Review, The US Review of Books, Book Pleasures, Apex Reviews and were rated Five Stars or the equivalent. Fear! received a special five years recognition from the Midwest Book Review Journal in 2011. Currently, Steven is working on his next novel, a new thriller. 

My Review:
This is my first e-book review and i like this genre - horror very much. So, Iam all excited to review this book :-) 

2 stories start in parallel - one about occult writer Aengun Adams and another about Johan a Norwegian ex-military person. The writing style seemed simple and easy to understand and I could complete reading quick. But, at some places I felt, editing / proofing can be better as I observed some spelling mistakes. Story wise /about the thrill factor, I don't have any complaint, as I thoroughly enjoyed it. 

Initially, reader might not understand how these parallel stories connect, which is good to keep suspense factor. There are some gory rituals mentioned in the book, but of course they should be part of an occult suspense. Overall, a good read for me.

My rating: 3/5
I would suggest this book to readers who love horror and occult genre. 

Please check this special offer from amazon if you want to grab a copy now.
Throughout the week, Nedelton's book will be offered at $0.99 each on Amazon.

Until next time,

My experience with My Airtel App

This is app world, Everyone are using smart phones to get information quick. We want everything on our finger tips - be it paying electricity bill or a bank transaction or recharging mobile on go or booking a cab.

So, here comes an App for airtel users like me. Check this link to know more about app. I have been an ardent Airtel fan from around 8 years or so, had been using vodafone before. Because of good network connectivity i shifted to airtel and I am happy for taking this decision. Today, I have installed my airtel app and here is my opinion on its key features and benefits.

Installed My Airtel app from Google play store as mine is an android phone.  Heard, it is being released for iphones too. Here are some features which i feel are important for me.

Bill Payment:
Basically, i need app to pay my postpaid mobile bills on time. In our busy schedules, we tend to miss the payment last dates and hurry when we find that we missed payment and we have to pay with late fee. So, it becomes easy if an app is accessible to you always, so that you can pay bill at any time when you remember. Isn't it?
I don't use a pre-paid phone, but help friends in recharging their airtel mobile when required. It's very quick and easy with this app.


Track Account usage:
Obviously, this feature is important for most of us. This enables us to choose a proper plan as per the usage. It is good that airtel is providing different packs in each plan. Each pack is specifically for local calling, local sms, STD calls, National roaming, ISD, 3G packs , 2G packs etc., So, if we know how much data we are downloading on 2G/ 3G or how many calls we do regularly, it is easy to choose a perfect plan that suits to us. What say?
For people who use Pre-paid connection, checking the balance regularly is important. So, View balance feature helps them a lot.

Recharge option for broadband/ DTH:
Broadband connection at home is kind of essential these days, as I sometimes work from home too and rely most on the network. So, I would like to use this app to recharge my broadband. Recharge option for DTH is also cool as we cannot miss our favourite movie only for a single reason of forgetting to recharge :-)


So, this is my experience on this app. Overall, app is good. Not very sophisticated, but simple and easy to use. But, I have to try new features yet like tracking service requests, adding new friends etc., Let me try and let you know..

Until next time,

The Silent Scream - [Book Review]

Book Details:

Title: The Silent Scream
Author: Siddhartha Garg
Genre: Fiction
Publishers: Rumour books India
Source: Review copy from author

Story/ Plot: This book starts with the story of a young girl in Benguluru. It is about how the bubbly cheerful girl underwent sexual abuse from her own father and how her mother supported her daughter against her husband and helped her to lead normal life after the shocking aftermath. 
This book takes you through different real abuse stories of several children. The next part covers an interview with child psychologist, which clarifies many myths about child sexual abuse. 

My Review:
It is shocking, but true that child sexual abuse is not very uncommon in our society. Instead of brushing this topic aside, it is better for us (parents) to explain our kids about good touch and bad touch as early as 4 years onwards. One good pointer to be taken is to trust our children when they report abuse. Be open and have patience and let child talk. Else, it is very difficult to get the facts from children. To create an open environment for them to report an issue itself is a great first step against child abuse.

This book is kind of a guide to parents on the preventive measures that we can take to provide a safe environment for our kids. Unlike other books that I have read earlier, this is not a fictitious story. There are many real stories in the book which melt your heart and make you scared of the environment our children are living in. This book also contains some suggestions and pointers given by psychologists on securing our children from sexual abuse .

I appreciate author(Siddhartha Garg) for his thorough research on this topic and his good intention to spread an important message to the world. 

If you want to read a thriller/ fiction book for time pass, you can skip this. If you want to know about child sexual abuse, understand myths behind it, get some pointers on providing safe environment to your kids, please go ahead and read. 

I am not mentioning any negative points about this book because the writing style or language or story are irrelevant in this case and only the final message is important.

My Rating: 4/5

Link to buy this book from flipkart for Rs.139/-

Until next time,

Ramayana - The game of Life (Part 2) Shattered dreams - [Book Review]

Book Details:
Title: Ramayana - The game of Life (Part 2) Shattered dreams
Author: Shubha Vilas
Publishers: Jaico Publishing house
Genre: Mythology
Source: Review copy from Author

My Review:

This part of the Ramayana Series covers the story from the decision of Dasaratha to crown Rama as King to Rama's exile to forests with Sita and Lakshmana and the way how different people react to this and cope up with the situations.

I felt very happy when I received a review copy from the author as I liked the part 1. Please read my review of part 1 - Rise of Sun Prince here. This Ramayana series explains how the epic story is relevant to contemporary world. I have learnt many facts about Ravana which I didn't knew earlier - his birth, his lust for power, cruelty, his arrogance etc.,We can understand his character well when he threatens Narada muni to teach some mantra and when he enjoys his pride while stepping on navagrahas daily to reach his throne. Every character is introduced to us with lot of details and this gives a new perspective of the story even though we might have known it earlier.

There are many wonderful lines in the book mentioned in the footnotes section. I want to note these lines and remember them always. I love this book for the wonderful analogies that author mentions.

Few catchy lines in the book which are relevant to contemporary world too

A teacher is like a tap, and a student is an empty pot. For the pot to fill up, it has to sit below the tap. If the pot sits above the tap, it will remain dry even if the tap is running.

Talent without the right attitude is like sweet rice without sugar. Talent brings one to the brink of the bridge to success and right attitude helps one cross it.

How long can one go on with smiling faces and crying hearts? Either till the smile of the face goes to the heart or the cry of the heart reaches the face.

Life is a combination of hope and despair, the one that dominates you carves your personality.

How true all the above lines are..! Overall, this is a book you cannot miss if you like some motivational reads and want to learn something from books. 

My rating: 4.5/5

Until next time,

Qutub Shahi tombs, Hyderabad

This architecture marvel which is also known as 'Seven Tombs' is very nearer to our residence. We have been avoiding going to this place till now, as many people told it's difficult with kids as we need to walk a lot inside. So, we decided to visit the place without taking kids.

Now, time has come to visit this place on a weekend and I am all excited! 

 History:
Qutub shahi tombs are tombs of seven Qutub shahi rulers who ruled Golconda for nearly 170 years. One of the main tombs is of king Sultan Quli Qutub-ul-Mulk. He is also the person who is responsible for constructing these tombs for Qutub shahi dynasty. There are also some tombs of non-royal lineage like hakims and courtesans.

Old File picture of Seven tombs

Things to visit:

• Architecture - Tombs are famous for the combination of Hindu, Deccan, pathan and Persian style of architectures

Splendid architecture

Mortuary Bath

•  Big well (Badi bowli) - This is a large step well constructed in 16th century. The slopping platform which allows bullock carts to draw water from well is interesting to watch. It is damaged and needs a renovation.

• The mortuary bath is constructed by king Quli to perform last bath for the royal dead. It contains number of cisterns to supply hot and cold water.

• The main tomb and nice lawns with fountain. 

Main tomb under renovation

Unfinished tomb

• Unfinished tomb of Mirza Nizamuddin Ahmed

Location and Timings:

Main tomb and heritage park are under renovation now. So, that part of site is restricted for public visit. This place is in Shaikpet which is 2 kms from Golconda fort. There is a nominal entry fee of Rs.10 and it is allowed to public on all days except Friday. 

I hope, you would add this place to your wishlist and would never regret for visiting it for sure :-) 

Until next time,

My Clingy Girlfriend by Madhuri Benerjee - [Book Review]

Book Details:
Title: My Clingy Girl friend
Author : Madhuri Benerjee
Genre: Humour
Publishers: Westland publishers
Source: Writer's melon book review program

Blurb:

 What is a clingy girlfriend?

A clingy girlfriend will go through your phone.

She will destroy the contact numbers of every other girl on your phone.

She will delete your Facebook profile.

And will give you forty-five missed calls in the sixty minutes you put your phone on silent for an office presentation.

A clingy girlfriend will say

Carry two sets of fully charged mobile batteries so you can be in touch with me. Always.

In my dream, you were flirting with some other girl and then ended up in bed. Dreams are a manifestation of some act that is carried out in daily life. Are you cheating on me?

You have issues. You need to get therapy. Are you cheating on me?

And the worst one - why aren't we married yet?

Obrokranti Banerjee's girlfriend ticks all of these and more. Caught between wanting to break up and the fear that he'll never find another girlfriend if he does, Obrokranti finds himself doing things he never imagined - watching Shah Rukh Khan movies, having to fast with her on karva chauth and perhaps worst of all, having his girlfriend join him on a boys night out!

Plot:

Story is about a Bengali bachelor Obrokanti Benerjee and his girlfriend Radha. She is very clingy and possessive on him - checking all his phone contacts, messages, deleting his whatsapp messages, deleting his facebook profile itself, always checking on his whereabouts and accompanying him to even boys only parties.

Radha stays in Ob's house whole day relaxing, watching tv,  ordering cook to prepare proper healthy lunch to his boy friend and almost managing the house, as if she is his wife. She keeps tabs on him on alcohol, parties and insists him to be at home by night as she cannot sleep alone. She irritates him to the core and nags for everything. So, story is about how he manages life with her. 

My review:

Book seems very humorous but you will feel pity on Ob for maintaining this girl friend for this long. Book has too many references to sex as if it is the only thing that Ob's life focuses on. By the way, this is one of the important reasons for Ob to live in with his girlfriend.  It is very unrealistic to even imagine if a guy can bear such girl friend who gives at least 70 missed calls when he is at work and also shows up at office if he is not reachable.

I didn't like this book because it generalises men and women in many aspects. There are also humorous guides in book on tips to avoid marriage topic from girlfriend, tips to buy gifts to girl friends etc., Might be an interesting time pass for bachelor men. I feel, no sensible man can bear such a girl friend as Radha, even though we can relate a few characters of Radha to someone in our day to day life. 

Liked some of these few lines in the book :-)

Ob says "I am already moulded by my girl friend, owned by my boss and whipped by my landlord."
"The woman in a man's life always want to change him. And a mother will always say the finished product that she hands over to the daughter in law is perfect since she made him! It's quite embarrassing for a man who thinks he's his own man. He never is."

My rating: 2/5
I would recommend this for someone who want to read light hearted humor.

Until next time,

Evade Subramanyam [Telugu movie review] - An enchanting experience

This is the first Telugu movie that I am watching after a long gap. It might be 10 months ago or more when I watched a movie in theatre. 

Evade Subramanyam movie has a thought provoking message. Movie is fun throughout to watch and leaves you with a strong message at the end. I have become a fan of Nani from "Ashta chamma" itself and this is one of the reasons I felt it is worth watching :-)

*** Spoiler alert*** 

Plot is about how Nani, a to be partner of a big company who is always money minded from childhood turns out to be a new person with humanity and good moral values after an unexpected travel to Dhoodh kasi in Himalayas. Subramanyam(Nani) thinks, he has everything in his life and future is bright with awaiting promotion to be a partner of a company and marriage with boss's daughter and super model Ria. Life seems cool with everything he aspired for from childhood. Unexpectedly, his childhood best friend Rishi enters his life. Rishi loves to enjoy every minute of his life. He doesn't want to work for money and doesn't have any ambition to settle in his life. He is sensitive to people's problems and sufferings and always gives his helping hand. They meet a girl Anandi and become friends. Subramanyam maintains friendship with Anandi to get some important shares from her which help him in his business. When Subramanyam and Rishi couldn't save a child who met with an accident, Rishi takes it up to the heart that they could have saved a life if some one would have taken to doctor just 10 mins before. It kills Rishi to see the insensitivity of people on the road when some one meets with an accident. When he expresses his feelings, Subramnayam doesn't agree with him and he sends him out from his house after a fight. 

Rishi dies in an accident after this incident and story takes a new turn when Anandi decides to take Rishi's ashes to Dhudhkasi as Rishi always dreamed of going there with Subramanyam. She somehow convinces Subramanyam to accompany her, considering the trip as Rishi's last wish. Subramanyam realizes the value of humanity, the beauty of nature, happiness in living for others or happiness in giving etc., It was like a caterpillar changing to a butterfly and flying freely. He realizes that, having one person loving you is the most fortunate thing and helping others gives a wonderful feeling than earning millions. 

Veteran actor Krishnam raju played an important role and it is definitely a plus for the movie. The beauty of Himalayas mesmerise us in the second half. Though movie seems to be dragging at some places, it won't make you bored. There are few drawbacks too. We cannot understand how a couple can go for such an adventurous and dangerous trip without much planning - like food, clothing, money etc., Trekking in Himalayas is not easy for a normal person without being trained to bear such dangerous weather conditions. 

Overall rating: 4/5

Loved the movie for Nani's acting, story, direction, photography and last but not the least, the virtual tour of Himalayas :-)

Until next time,

Family time - happy time

Happy moments depend on good company that we have. Time spent with family or best friends will give us more energy and happiness. Do you know why? We will be ourselves with our family or best friends. We show our emotions to them be it love or hatred  without inhibition. Our family or best friends know exactly how to make us happy and what we enjoy doing - travelling or book reading or watching movie together or chit chatting or cooking or any thing else ☺

Beautiful sunset from our hotel

I love travelling and I love it with the company of good friends and my family. Coorg was a such a trip that I planned in last November. Travel rejuvenates me and helps me destress myself from work pressure. I have  planned that trip in the middle of my busy work schedule but still I loved the experience. Before deciding on Coorg, I was thinking of other options like travelling to Lonavala by train from Hyderabad or Goa trip by flight or Coorg or Udupi trip by car. Budget and time were the main constraints as we were also planning this trip with another couple who are friends. We have zeroed in on a car trip to Coorg, as my husband loves driving and it gives more freedom for us to stop by wherever we want and enjoy nature. Since we planned it very late, I enquired about 8 to 10 good home stay options for accommodation and couldn't get any. At last, I could find KSTDC accommodation which was comfortable and economical and also close to the tourist spots. 

A cloudy day

We had many funny and happy moments to cherish in the trip. One of them was using GPS in remote villages of Karnataka. Instead of taking a high way route to Coorg, we followed a short cut and lost our way in the middle. Our GPS misled and we lost our way completely. We drove long distances in the small villages where population density is very less. But, this was a good memory as we enjoyed driving on country side bumpy roads without actually knowing where that road leads to :-) Somehow, we reached Coorg. 

We enjoyed our experiments on different hotels which were good looking from outside and serving pathetic food inside :-) We had adventurous drives on steep unknown roads and peaceful walks in the nights. We enjoyed listening to lovely songs throughout the drive and discussing and debating on various topics starting from politics, education to movies. Watching beautiful sunset from our hotel while eating hot pakoras made those days more memorable. Our friends brought their new DSLR camera and reading the manual and experimenting on different settings was also fun. Giving poses to the camera was never boring though :-)

Every travel is unique and the company of family and friends makes it more memorable. This trip gave me new energy, motivation and optimism in my life. Though I went to the office tired on next Monday, I had that happy satisfied smile on my face :-)

This post is written for housing.com about my most memorable time spent with my family. That's the power of being together. You too share your story.  #Together.
Read more detailed travelogue here - part 1, 2 and 3.

Until next time,

An important decision for a new begining

This post is written for housing.com about a bold step that i have taken which gave a new beginning to my life.

Not a difficult topic right? We face many challenges day by day, especially after college. School days are fun as our decisions are taken by our parents like which course is good, which hobby they can encourage in our free time etc., When we come to college, choosing a course is a main issue for many people as it decides their future. Then, getting a nice job is in our agenda. Sometimes, salary might not be the only criteria. There are many things to be considered - future growth prospects, technology that we are going to work on, career flexibility, work life balance, good environment to support etc.,I too struggled in these phases of my life to take right decision and chose bright path for my future.

After completing engineering, I had to decide whether to continue higher studies or join job. It was a difficult decision, Isn't it? After my engineering, i got admission in a good college for M tech and also an admission for a specialized study on VLSI designing. Yes, I loved all these options, but I was sure that I want to work and not study more. There were many reasons to it, be it personal or financial. But, now I know I did the right thing.

Searching for jobs is tough initially as we have to cross different stages, compete with lakhs of graduates from different places of country. But, later it became easy. Every company used to follow the same formula in 2005. A written test which tests the ability of student in English, aptitude and logical skills, One or two technical interviews which mostly concentrate on project done in the college, basic programming language skills and logical skills and a HR interview which tests our patience, mindset and stress levels. So, after few months of searching, it became easy to get selected into many of the companies. Then, comes the dilemma, which one to choose.

I chose a small scale organization with around 250 employees. This is one of the important steps that I took for a new beginning and I am very happy for it :-) It gave me opportunity to work on different stages of software life cycle, enabled me to improve my technical skills on my own and provided me enough confidence to work on difficult assignments. Small companies might not have a formal training for new hires, which is a golden opportunity for freshers, Learning on the job is good and learning something on our own is better as we learn lessons from our mistakes. Fortunately, my employer is an employee friendly organization and so I could maintain work life balance and enjoy my life too. 

Did you ever take a step that changed your life for a new beginning? 
Share your story :-)

 #StartANewLife
Check this lovely ad too from housing.com..



Until next time,

Optimism in Life?

This post is written for Happy hours organized by Indiblogger and Housing.com. https://housing.com/lookup.

Theme is to write a lookup story that fills you with optimism.
Optimism is a ray of hope that everything is going to be fine in future. 

There are times when I felt depressed and exhausted with my toddler at home and pressure at office. It was very difficult to come home and play with kid or paint with him with a smile on face, when you have deadlines to meet at office or client calls to take from home. You cannot keep your kid away who has waited whole day for your presence and attention and take client call. Sometimes, this pressure hits a working woman and make her guilty for not being a good mother. Who doesn't want to spend whole day playing with kid reading stories and jumping with him/ her? Whoever has told not to bring work to home are true. But, in this contemporary world where work form home option is available, people tend to over use it. Work form office and also work from home :-) Isn't it? Double work. Even weekends, you are available for any urgent office work, that's the strategy of employers. Since flexibility has both benefits and issues, we have to live with it.

When we are nearing any milestone release, there used to be pressure on understanding requirements from onsite people who are available only after 6pm our time and finish work quick after discussing with them. So, all our client calls are usually after 8pm or around that and i have to take them from home as my care taker used to leave at 6pm. It was like walking on a double edged sword maintaining balance. 

Fortunately, I have a supporting family and system around me to beat this exhaustion and pressure. Else, it would have been impossible and it would have impacted my health, me and eventually my family.

My only motivation is to see a smiling kid after coming to home. It is so pleasant. The love that I get from my family is the only reason for being optimistic. I see a ray of hope when my kid tells me all his day's events at school, good or bad, silly fights, new learnings etc., I am always amazed when he learns something new - a new word, a new game,a new habit, a new hobby or anything. Every milestone that my kid makes is important, however small it is. 

I am optimistic about their future. Giving them a security in life and good education is a priority. This keeps me going everyday and alleviates my pressure slowly. 
By the way, what keeps you going in life and be optimistic? Do, let me know in comments :)

Until next time,

Indian passport for infants

Hello all...
After a long gap at last, I could write on my blog today. Hurray :-)
I have been going through an important phase in my life, which is taking care of my new born son. He is keeping me busy away from books and blogs.

Recently, I have applied Indian passport for my 5 month old son through tatkal scheme. Wanted to share my experience as it might help someone else.

Documents  required:
For an infant, proof of age and address are required. Also, an affidavit - annexure H is needed with the signature of both the parents.

We used the following documents:
1. Age proof - date of birth certificate
2. Address proof - original passports of both the parents (if address in parent's passport matches their current address). Else, additional address proof like voter id card of either of the parents or gas connection bill  is needed.
3. Annexure H signed by both the parents
4. 2 passport size photographs of kid

Application process:

• Browse Indian passport website www.passport.gov.in, select respective passport office, download the application form which will be a zip file.
• You should have adobe in your laptop to fill the application form. After filling in the application, it can be saved only in xml format which needs to be uploaded in passport website.
• You should have a profile created on the site to upload passport application. So, register in the site before submission. Infant passport can be applied from parent's profile.
• Filling the application is very simple except for a few tricky ones. All infants come under non ECR category. Select kid's date of birth in 'residing since' field. Everything else is straight forward.

Submission of application and appointment booking :

• As mentioned earlier, register in the site by creating profile, log in and upload the completely filled in application form in xml format. 
• After successful submission of application, site gives an option of booking an appointment to visit passport office for document verification. Take a printout of filled in application form also. Please note that kid's thumb impression is required in the application form. You can paste kid's passport photo in the application,if not, anyway passport office will ask for another photo.
• We can only select the date and passport office while booking appointment, but appointment time will be automatically allocated by the system,
• Print the appointment form after the payment of Rs.1000/- as fee through online. This payment is mandatory for appointment booking. Remaining fee required should be paid at passport office on appointment day.

Appointment:

• Reach passport office at least 15 - 20 mins before appointment time. 
• Carry appointment letter, application form with 2 passport photos and thumb impression of kid, original birth certificate, original passports of both the parents and annexure H signed by both. 
• If current residence address is different, you also need to carry another address proof like voter ID or gas connection bill. For any special case like one parent not present in India, there is another form to be signed and sent by the absent parent. Please contact passport help line for these kind of special cases.
• PSK (Passport seva kendra) will allow 2 people with kid. Don't forget to carry necessary feeding bottles, hot water, formula powder, diapers etc.,
• PSK allows mobile phones, but they need to be switched off.
• In the first counter, officers will verify original documents, take kid's photo from us, take xerox copies of each and arrange them in a file. They also assign a token number.
• After proceeding to 'B' counters after our token is called in, all details mentioned in the application are verified by the officer. They take thumb impression of kid and scan all the proofs that we provide for verification. We have to pay remaining fee (if any) at this counter.
• In counter 'C', another verification of original documents takes place and In counter 'A', final verification will be done. For Tatkal scheme, your token comes quicker than others. For me, it took around 30 mins to go through A,B and C counters.
• We have to collect an acknowledgement in the last counter before leaving the office. This is important to track the status of our application later.
• For Tatkal scheme, it takes around 3 working days for the passport to be delivered. For normal, it might take 15 to 20 days. 
• If you want to get alerts on the status of passport application, you can register for updates to mobile phone while booking appointment itself. PSK will charge around Rs.35/- for the same.

We got appointment on Saturday and passport is delivered on immediate Monday. PSK person told me that if I can go through A,B and C counters before 12 PM on that day, passport will be delivered on Monday. Else, it will come on Tuesday. So, lucky we are :)

So, that's the story. Hope this helps someone who need information on applying Indian passport for infants.

Until next time,