What Makes Us Selfish? Amir Khan Touches This Issue

The thought has bothered me throughout my life, since I have been there and done that too. I had the competitive spirit which told me that I had to be ahead of everyone, prove that I am better than others and win competitions. The trait diminished with lessons I got from 'Life Experiences' but it still lingers somewhere deep within.

Presence Of Apps Replacing Presence Of Mind

This is one of those delicious food stories that I relish and enjoy as much as I enjoy good food. It took place in those dark ages when people did not have internet or apps to make through the day. They solely had to depend on their skills, intelligence and wit to get out of trouble. Wonder, how people survived back then? But they did and this is one of those stories where internet and apps did not come to the rescue of Susan.

My Indiblogger Badges

Recently Indiblogger sent me an email informing that they had a page dedicated where Indibloggers could access all their badges they had ever received from Indiblogger. I was happy and overwhelmed to see all the badges I had received from Indiblogger.

Winning blogging contest was my first step towards the progress I am making now. I will forever be indebted to Indiblogger for making a huge difference to my life.

Thank you Indiblogger

# ASUS Divas Meet - Bangalore

http://www.flipkart.com/mobiles/~new-range-of-asus-zenfone/pr?sid=tyy%2C4io

It just looks like yesterday when I loving held the Asus Zenfone 5 in my hands. I was bowled over by its features and looks – especially for the mobile in the price range it was offered.  It was a sleek device in charcoal black with amazing features priced below 8000 INR.  . Keeping technical aspects aside, the phone had numerous practical uses for me. Being extremely happy with Zenfone 5, I feel Zenfone 2 is something worth looking ahead for and I did. When Zenfone 2 was launched, I did wait long before going for it. I have been using and loving it for past few months.

Happy Birthday Rayyan

When I Realized I Am Getting Old

When The Sequel Is Better....

Twenty years ago my doctor had announced, "You have breast cancer, stage III". He was very hesitant to talk to me, but I insisted to have the discussion with him personally. I was shocked to hear this, but I had to recover from the shock. Once I found my voice again, the first question I asked him was, " What should I do to survive this?". My doctor managed a tough smile and said, "I think you already did by shifting your focus from cancer to life. I am very happy with your question which shows your spirit of survival rather than the usual questions like - am I going to die? or why did this happen to me? etc"
I divide my life into B.C. and A.D. that is Before Cancer and After Diagnosis. Before cancer I lived a aimless life with no focus or goals. I was struggling to please everyone and not being successful. I realized the value of my life only when I was about to lose it. That is when I started living a more focused and goal oriented life.
I set targets to be achieved, the most important being bringing up my children lovingly. My son was a scared and insecure 4 year old and my special needs daughter just 11 months breast feeding baby. There was no way I was going to die leaving them behind. I geared up for the fight and focused on my goals and target. I often forget the tough challenges I have faced, the suffering I have been through, the hurdles I have overcome or being a cancer survivor.
Today, I stand at the stage in my life where I have almost achieved most of the targets and goals I set for myself. My two children have turned into beautiful and kind people who I can be very proud of. My special needs daughter is now a earning member of our family today.

Personally - from a PUC dropout, I now have a Masters degree in counseling and psychotherapy, I have a blog which has received more than two million views, from running around Bangalore selling soft toys, today I write articles from the comfort of my home or conduct life skill training to be financial independent, I have made my mark with games I play both online and offline, I traveled to USA to meet sisters in survival, I got my driving license, found my dream job, learned to swim and and I have laughed my way through past two decades. That looks quite a productive life now!

I have gained strength to stand up not only for myself, but also for others in the last two decades. I have realized the true potential I have and learned to respect and love myself. I can say the second innings of my life is more fruitful and rewarding than the first one.

I know cancer can be tough on even the bravest. I know because even though I have survived cancer, I have lost my sister and mom to breast cancer. Some of you may still be fighting your battle against cancer. For those of you who are still on the battlefield, my message is - Stay negative (this is true only for us for whom testing positive for cancer can be a nightmare), Think positive and focus on life rather than cancer. Life is definitely worth living and fighting for!

Watch for more survivor stories on YouTube with #hcgselfv. Get Inspired! Get Motivated to get more out of your life.

SelfV - Survivor Stories

Update: The SelfV Second Edition is going on. Log onto to http://selfv.in/ for more information and inspiration. Share your story or those of your dear ones to encourage people to fight cancer better. 

Walking down the memory lane, here is what happened @ last year SelfV contest. 

For once, it was not just the battle with cancer that the survivors won; in addition they won Harley Davidson Super Bike, a Samsung Led Smart TV, merchandise from designer label Armani and many more. 10 winners were chosen by a special jury and I am glad to say I am one of them. 

What Do We Want From Our Children? II

In today’s world when every parent wants their kids to be all rounder and want to fulfill their dreams through them. This courageous mother realized that her son’s happiness and contentment was more important than the ambition of having an all around performer. This post has been picked up by Rekha.

So after seeing the contribution of my daughter to my life in my post What Do We Want From Our Children?, let us now see what my son has contributed to my life. Let me introduce you people to Rayyan once again after bragging about him on his birthday.

What Do We Want From Our Children?

What Parents Expect From Children?

Thank You Blogadda

If you were to ask the question ‘What do you want from your children?’ to a parent, they would find it very tough to answer. Gone are those days when you heard parents expecting the son or daughter to be a doctor, engineer, and many other such professionals; these are the days when parents want their children to be all rounder. They have a list of things which they want their children to excel in. The stupid ‘me’ lived in the notion it was wrong for us to pressurize our children to take certain professional of parental choice. The parent species has left me behind and evolved far ahead of that phase.

From Being Bullied To Being A Bully

1000 Voices Speak for Compassion 

I missed out writing on 1000 voices speak for compassion last month, i.e. on February 20^th. Building from Bullying is a topic I could not miss to write about. This time around I made it a point to share my own experience with bullying, because what I am today may have started with bullying in my childhood. 

Paid in Full (With High Interest)

Back in my naughty childhood days, when I would be a nasty child driving my Mom crazy, disobeying her or acting weird, my family would tell me, “You have to respect and obey your Mom, the heaven lies under her feet. Even if you carry her on your shoulders for a decade, you cannot repay her for carrying you in her womb for a day…………………………. Blah!” The end point of all the blahing was that a child can never repay a mother. I know I couldn’t, but I think my daughter has paid me back for being her Mom in full and with high interest added to the premium.

Once Upon A Time…..

Once upon a time, I enjoyed Diwali to the fullest – bursting firecrackers, eating sweets, having a blast with my sister and visiting friends. Times have changed, so have I. People have moved away from each other and there are not many invitations passing around for Diwali celebrations for me to pick up from. Even if I did have a chance to celebrate Diwali with friends, I would be conscious of eating sweets due to my weight gain and I would not be able to enjoy the firecrackers thinking of pollution and the child labors who manufacture them under harsh conditions.

As you sow, so shall you reap!

A funny incident took place at home recently which was a great eye opener for me. We had issues with fees payment of Rayyan with a bit of confusion thrown in for spice. Finally, the issue was sorted out and a slip given which finalized what we had to pay.

The Country of Million Goddesses...

I was born in a country where people worship millions of different goddesses. They are not just consorts of other supreme Gods, but have immense power of their own that has shaken the whole world so often. Ours is one of those rare nations which believe that a Goddess (and not God) named Shakti was responsible for creation of the universe. She was there even before anything else existed. She is worshiped as the feminine creator, the supreme Divine God Mother who is subordinate to none.

Ours is the land where the power of knowledge, wealth and strength is in the hands of goddesses rather than Gods, yet the women of our country suffer from lack of education, financial independence and empowerment.  Our hypocritical society worships goddesses on one hand, while on the other they suppress their women subjecting them to humiliation, insults and violence.  Though we believe that Goddess Shakti exists as a svātantrya, which means she is dependent on no one, being interdependent with the entire universe; our  society has pushed women be dependent on fathers, husbands and sons which means they are never independent ever in their life.

I am a woman and being a woman has never made me feel weak or helpless anytime in my life. I always knew the pros and cons of being a woman, but then I had strength inside me which made me defend myself against odds. The first promise I made was long time ago, to myself, that I will respect and love myself - no matter who is with me or who is not, I will never let myself down. The promise I made to myself has stood strong for 38 years. I have been right, I have been wrong, I fallen and risen again, but somehow I have been accepting myself with all the flaws I have. Without respecting and loving the woman I am with 24/7 what will I be able to do to someone else?

I have always felt strongly about the violence against children and women all through my life. Off course I don’t have any intention of causing harm to men or other sect of population, but my feelings towards women and children are just stronger. The reason could be the physical vulnerability of women and children, besides most of them being dependent on others, which makes them easy victims of violence.

Mother nature has never given any hint to the women that they are the subordinate to men and therefore should suffer their dominance in silence. I am not a great biologist, but with whatever literature I have come across, there is no other species in which the male dominates and physically hurts a female. But somehow this has become common in the human race. Most of the women silently suffer domestic violence as they have been conditioned to believe that is the part and parcel of married life or precisely the woman's life.

Most of the girls are trained to obey their dads and brothers and be silent when the men enter home. The women of the house are the first perpetrators of domestic violence against women as they take away the self respect, confidence and empowerment of their daughters in the name of disciplining them.
Child marriage is another major contributor to domestic violence. The girls who get married at a young age are deprived of their education and proper development. They often end up being dependent of men for their everyday basic necessities which again make them believe that the men are the providers and their masters. My friend and blogger Anita says that women who do not leave their abusive husband should not be considered cowardly as she believes many stay because they are either brainwashed to thinking that being beaten is a form of love, or because they feel that if they leave or seek help, they will end up poor and homeless. The girls who are married at a young age are caught in the vicious circle with no way out. Where would these girls go from the abusive husband with 2-3 small children when they themselves are just entering the womanhood?

Most of the people do not tend to take domestic violence seriously. Even when they hear sounds of a man abusing his wife and her cries for help, they usually say this is their personal problem and tend to rubbish it all off. It is not uncommon in India to insult the abused woman for creating noise and spoiling peace of the neighborhood in the night. Believe me; this would be done by another woman in most cases.  Most of the people who ignore domestic violence assume that everything will be OK by the time the couple have dinner and sleep. Is this true? Should we really turn a blind eye to domestic violence and maintain silence even when statistics show that nearly 40-70% of women are murdered by their husbands or boyfriends? This is only based on the cases that were reported. Most of the women who are victims of domestic violence suffer in silence due to various reasons. More than the physical violence it is the emotional and psychological torture a woman is subjected to in some relationships that is often overlooked by family and friends unless something drastic happens.

Law can be implemented only when the case of domestic violence is reported. Women who are scared of being thrown out on streets without anyone to care or support them will never gain courage to lodge a complaint against their husbands. Many of them would even consider going against their husbands (even the cruel and abusive ones)  a great sin which will take them to hell to burn there forever. For a educated and liberated woman, it would be quite difficult to think in the levels of those helpless women and for those victimized women it is impossible to imagine that they are respectful individuals who need not be subservient to anyone.

The change has to come in the thought process of the society and women themselves. They need to change their attitude towards self and start respecting and believing in their abilities. Even the women who stay at home and take care of their families are contributing equally as the men in their lives. Let them realize the worth of their work. Women empowerment groups should concentrate more on changing the mind set ingrained in our society rather than asking for stronger laws. Those who are responsible for law and order themselves do not take the complaints of domestic violence seriously as they again belong to the same society.

Time has come for the women who have realized their own potential to help the others do the same. There is no need to look down upon those helpless victims of domestic and ask questions like, “Why don’t you walk out?” “Why don’t you hit him back?” “Why don’t you lodge a complaint with the police?” “Do you really have a marriage there?”  Not everyone in our society is able to answer those questions. Let us not consider the victims of domestic violence as weak and not so courageous women. There is much more that has led to their present condition… there is lot influence and pressure exerted from upbringing, attitudes and circumstances that has sewn their lips. Support the women and let them come out of the vicious circle. When the daughter who has watched her mother being beaten by her father, she slowly accepts this as the part of life. She may not feel it is wrong for her husband to hit or abuse her thus creating a vicious circle for the generations of women to come from which there will be no escape.

My pledge is to create awareness among women about their own potential and power. They are the creators of man. They hold them in their wombs when and feed them with their breast milk when they are helpless and weak. There are the mothers and nurturers of society. Instilling confidence and self respect is what I intend to do for women around me….

My previous posts of regarding rights of women...

Bangalore for Women with Special Needs

I promote Girl Child Infanticide..Yes! You got it right!

From the Land Where Draupadi was Disrobed

Break the Silence… Ring Warning Bells!

This post is a part of Indichange joining hands with Bell Bajao where blogging turns into action .. 

Crossing Boundaries To Enter Digital Zone

#DigitalIndia

It was a welcome news to me to learn that one of the worlds largest and highest valued semiconductor chip makers, Intel, supports the Digital India Vision. It is heartening to know that Google, Nokia, Mark Zuckerberg and Microsoft are just few of the big companies supporting the vision of Digital Vision vigorously promoted by our PM.

I personally know the value and need of Digital world which gives wings to your dreams. I am quite sure through its ‘Digital Skills for India’ and ‘Innovate for India’ initiatives, Intel along with the supportive government will succeed in nurturing and promoting technology as the enabler for creating a digitized India.

Long before Modi Government decided to take the initiative of Digital India, I had chosen to take a digital initiative to change my own life. I have to confess that I messed up with few decisions, ‘very important decisions’ of my life. Few years ago, I found myself in a very sticky situation that did not make me feel happy about myself. That is when digital media came to my rescue like a knight in shining armor.

There came a time in my life when I was overwhelmed with a feeling that I have not done anything much in my life. I had given up on my studies without pursuing graduation, did not have a stable job or financial independence to start anything anew. Moreover, I had to take care of a special needs child, which restricted my activities outdoors. It was very difficult to step the first step towards progress from where I stood at that stage.

When at loss as to how to go about making a difference to my life, I discovered computers and internet. From a tiny village called Byndoor, I started my journey which literally took me around the globe to USA. Things did not work out just at a click of a button, when I logged on to internet. It all happened one step at a time, but miles were covered in no time.

The first step for me was make sure I existed with my own identity. When women get married and move away from their home, somewhere down the lane that identity of who you are can be lost. For me it was more of self-assurance than proving my existence to someone else. That is when I decided to blog about my cancer experience, my life experiences and writing skills in a personal blog I created on Blogger. My whole life underwent a huge change with blogging.

My first major encouragement and sense of accomplishment came by when I won a cash prize of 50,000 INR in a blogging contest. That was my first achievement in quite some years. That gave me enough momentum to pick up the strands and weave a beautiful dream for future. In later months there came along many more blogging contests prizes including the first prize of Dell Inspiron from Intel for their "My Favorite PC App" contest.

Today, with the help of digital media I have a steady flow of income which has given me complete financial independence as a freelance content writer for websites. I could complete my post-graduation, since studying was easy with information available on internet. YouTube, interactive media and other study aids are way ahead of the lectures I had to sit through in my college days.

My son and daughter have both equally benefited from the digital media. My son Rayyan pursues his animation career in Digital Juice Animations as an animator, a career he desired and loved. It is amazing what you can create with computers for entertainment with some effort. My special needs daughter takes her iPad as a window through which she looks at the world. She surfs on net, goes online window shopping (which turns into shopping at times) and keeps in touch with friends through internet. With introduction to digital world, she found a way to keep herself entertained. Working online, I look forward to high speed internet availability in India. It will make a huge difference to the output of my work. Secretly, I also yearn for the entertainment options it would open for us, because we depend on internet for TV programs viewing. With the help of internet and digital media, you can reach for the skies if you have enough drive.

That is just a few things about how digital world made a change in our lives. If this can happen to a family, imagine the impact digital vision would have on a country like India, which has un-trapped potentials hidden underground everywhere.

Today India is divided into two halves of digital know-all’s and digital illiterates. When the bridge between these two sections is created, the country can see tremendous progress in short period. The main aim of Digital India is to reach out to the poor and underprivileged, who at present do not have right access to digital world.

When e-governance, e-commerce and e-health initiative will reach the rural India, we will see an emergence of modernity in our country. Tackling corruption is also going to be a lot easier with rise of Digital India. The transformation will require more than the estimated just the Rs 1,13,000 crores as projected by the government of India. It will require the cooperation of Indian citizens, both the digital literates and illiterates to bring about the change. 

It is going to be possible only when all Indians work as single Pentium chip set to make our society a digital empowered in par with any developed nation of the world. The state governments which are constantly at loggerheads with the center, for once will have to move in tandem if the change is to take place.

I am glad today that instead of arguing whether we should call it Digital India Vision or Digital Bharat Vision or Digital Hindustan Vision, the government is moving forward with the plan. That itself is a great progress for our country. Someday, Department of Electronics and Information Technology (DeitY) will join the huge group of deities in India, bringing in another holiday on our calendar. That will be one holiday I will celebrate and look forward to. Like Douglas Engelbart said, “The digital revolution is far more significant than the invention of writing or even of printing”. Let the revolution begin in India!

Our Digital Planet

Thank you animator Rayyan for creating amazing images for my blog

The Joy Of Lollipop – New Moto E Smart Phone, Smart Choice

There's no denying that candy is comfort food and it's affordable.

Dylan Lauren

Fortunately for me, today Lollipop is an innovative comfort which is affordable within my budget. Nearing my 50s I do enjoy Lollipop, including breaking the ones in Candy Crush game. But here I am talking about Android Lollipop which comes with innovative advantage that will allow me to play Asphalt Airborne 8 without wearing down my phone battery. Though named lollipop, the technology comes with a major difference from its sibling KitKat (another candy). Google is a well-established platform with its own credibility, and here we see with Lollipop it moves several steps ahead. You will be amazed to see the difference of Google on mobile platform. It comes with a refined look supported by great back-end tools and protocols that makes your mobile experience quite sweet. The experience is just like sucking on your favorite lollipop candy. Comforting, soothing and joyous. You don’t have to wait for updates anymore either.

Android Lollipop is a great customize-able  platform which is damn easy to understand and use, especially if you are an android user like me. I can easily transfer all my games and apps without any hassle to my new Moto-E  from my old android phone. I can further customize Moto-E to fit my lifestyle needs from simply altering the size of my phone icons and keyboard to the complicated games and practically functional apps on my home screen.

My work is unpredictable as I am freelancer. I am always running towards the deadlines. Nothing can be worse than having your laptop with all the training program of the day soaked in the highly unpredictable rains that lash out on Bangalore anytime. From the days of making fun about weather reports, today I keep checking on Google weather to know whether I can take out my two-wheeler for the day or not. I don’t have to worry about the phone anymore since it comes with water-repellent coating and Corning Gorilla Glass protect.

People who know me, even know the ugly truth about me that I love to talk. Now with the help of new generation of smart phone, I can use my voice to get things done. Wow! All I have to do is say “OK Google” to ask a question, send a text, set a reminder, and get directions or whatever I need to do for the day. I wish people around me were as smart as these smart phones and listen to me as well.

The design of new Moto E is soft on your eyes. The curved design is gives you an easy and comfortable grip on the phone, especially when someone you called for a tiny information doesn’t give that particular information you need but continues talking about everything else. That is the time when you hold your phone tightly and realize the soft curved edge helps.

Music is a stress buster and Linkin Park can chase away stress, especially if the music is streaming from excellent front speakers of Moto E.

Somehow, I have slipped down from high-end expensive phones to appreciate the latest budget phones which come with amazing features and cost you quite less. You will not even see the shopping reflecting in your bank balance. Look at the latest New Moto-E. Priced below 7000/- on Flipkart, this amazing smart phone has every feature I would require for my daily personal and professional use. The legendary phones are climbing up the price ladder every now and then, making me lose my interest in them.

Check out these amazing feature of New Moto –E 

·         4.5-inch TFT LCD Touchscreen which allows me to read emergency work related notes

·         Dual Sim helps me manage the my personal and professional life on single phone

·         1.2 GHz Quad Core Processor enough to run most of the applications, slide shares and games

·         Wi-Fi Enabled for broadband internet speed

·         Android v5.0 (Lollipop) OS, the latest operative system that updates without delay

·         0.3 MP Secondary Camera for skyping or video conferencing

·         5 MP Primary Camera off course we need that for special photos

·         Expandable Storage Capacity of 32 GB which gets full quite fast nowadays

I cannot convince myself to spend 10 times extra money on a phone when the budget phone gives me all the practical and necessary use of phone. I #ChooseToStart making new smart choices of savings with the new Moto E phone. It is all new sweet and smart experience that comes with using a smart phone which fits in like a glove to both my professional and personal lifestyle.

Being Lazy and Cooking Easy

We all have dual personalities like Dr. Jekyll and Hyde, not to that extreme though. Don’t you see students who hate studying whole the year (Hyde) turning suddenly drowning in books (Dr. Jekyll) just prior to exams? An employee who hates office, showing enthusiasm for work in the beginning of month. A nagging wife going all romantic when she carries a shopping list in her hand. The examples would be unending.

I tend to the Hyde part of me when I have to cook breakfast, only to turn into Dr. Jekyll when I am preparing dinner for my family. I love to start my days by playing games, catching up with facebook posts (which I can’t do anymore), checking out my plans for the day, getting ready for work and reading news rather than spending my time in kitchen cooking food. In the evening when I am done with most of my work, I love to spend time whipping out a grand feast for my family (especially my two children who love any food I prepare for them).

Happy with Mom's food

I know how unhealthy it is for people to follow a pattern of eating no breakfast, medium lunch and heavy dinner. Being a loving mom, I see to it that my children get good breakfast, good lunch and good dinner without compromising on my own lifestyle. I often keep things ready to fix a quick breakfast before hitting the bed. That makes preparation of breakfast easy for me in the morning. I never run out of eggs, fruits, milk, bread and Kellogg at home. I usually cook something along with the dinner that can be had for lunch the next day as well, because there are times when I am working away from home, and cannot be there to cook lunch.

Rayyan loves Kellogg whereas Farheena loves eggs for breakfast. When I have to pack lunch for Farheena, I do get up very early in the morning and cook a good lunch for her which leaves me free in the afternoon. By hook or crook, I get the best of both worlds. Somehow both my children gain weight differently. Farheena, who doesn’t love chocolates, ice-creams or cakes is heavy whereas I don’t understand why all those weight gaining food doesn’t affect Rayyan. But they both have good immunity and seldom fall sick. They are strong and healthy. That assures me they are getting proper nourishment.

If you ask me why I would go Gupta’s home for a breakfast, I would say simply because I am lazy to cook my own breakfast. Any easy way out is always welcome for me, and off course there is the mouthwatering temptation of innovative recipes which I would love to taste. I do love any food that is easy to cook, healthy and tasty as well. I know it is too much to ask for, but Kellogg makes sure that it is not impossible.

After Death, Do We Part?

I have always wondered over the phrase, “Till death do us part”. Do we really part ways with our loved ones when death strikes? We cannot define parting ways until we can clearly define what being together means.

Behind Every Successful Mother Is A Supportive Child

How much of challenges can a person handle? How much can a 4.8 year old child handle? Answering that question was tough on me when I was going through cancer. All the hush hush talk about my surgery was making my 4.8 year old son very nervous. He knew something was wrong with his Maa and that something was not good. We did not have heart to let him know that his Maa was suffering from cancer which was a life threatening illness. Also, I had no clue how to explain the mastectomy surgery to him.

Giving Yourself A Second Chance

Some of my best memories from childhood are from my primary school. My teachers were loving and affectionate towards me, though I was a bit of rebellious and naughty girl. I think I made up for that part by being extremely studious, up to date with my work and also the teacher’s chamcha. I always wanted to study and become a professional, which was a scary thought for my mom, who never stepped in school. She always worried about me losing my head by reading too much. I was seldom seen without a book in my hand, which was not appreciated by my mother.

Are Our Mobile Phones Replacing Other Gadgets?

                                             

Remember the days when 3-in-1 meant a cassette player, radio and cassette recorder all rolled in one? The younger generation would not even know about them because soon CDs replaced the cassettes and we had the cassette players combined with CD players in coming years.

Head Over Heels

All Images are ©  SpikyEye & Animator Rayyan

 #MyAsusZenFone 

Nova - Bangalore IVF Baby Meet

Dad - A Tough Role To Play

It is much easier to become a father than to be one.

Kent Nerburn

Fatherhood is not a relationship that comes naturally as motherhood. I know you are already disagreeing with me and getting ready to argue. I feel that way because in most of the animal kingdom, including our own so called ancestors – I do not see any special bond between the father and child. It is the mother who nurtures the baby and makes them to be independent.

The Rise of the Planet of Apps

The Rise Of The Planet Of Apes Apps

The Planet of Apps

Smartphones with smarter apps are making me smarter with each passing day, or am I wrong? I order my food, book my taxi, listen to music, edit photos or create work related images through my mobile apps. Most of the time I do not have my laptop handy, but smart phones are easier to carry around. Most of the websites give you great offers if you book tickets, order food or buy products through their apps. I get invite to 100s of Mobile/tablet apps every month. Though initially I am tempted by the offer of the apps, later on I realize how easy it is to use them.

The Old and The New

Asus Zenfone 5 – Sleek and Economical

All Images are ©  SpikyEye & Animator Rayyan

Old friends pass away, new friends appear. It is just like the days. An old day passes, a new day arrives. The important thing is to make it meaningful: a meaningful friend - or a meaningful day.

Dalai Lama

For me, it is difficult to let go of old gadgets and opt for a new one,especially when it comes to phones.

I love new gadgets, but letting go of the old ones is tough. At present I don’t think I have any right to criticize any mobile phone, considering I am happily using my HTC wildfire which is about to go into coma anytime. Most of the functions of my old phone have stopped working, but it allows me to make my calls. Hence I am holding on to it.

Entertainment , Entertainment and Entertainment All The Way

The picture says it all..........................................

I have always taken pride in being on time everywhere so far. Lately, it has almost become impossible for me to anywhere on time (give and take 10 minutes). Bangalore traffic has become so unpredictable that either I am quite early or late. It was no different Friday evening. I am not sure, but the roads seemed to be crazily packed as though there was an exodus moving on the streets of Bangalore. My plan of attending an important meeting before registering to meet had to be dropped down half way, yet we couldn’t get to the event before 6.15 p.m.

Pimples – The Tiny Troubles Of Our Lives

I haven’t dealt with pimples or acnes in my life.  It is funny when I think of it - life is rough but skin isn’t.  It was not until Rayyan entered standard 10^th did I come face to face with pimples, literally. Initially, there were tiny buds on his forehead and cheek. They would come up and go away on their own. Neither was Rayyan bothered by them, nor did I give it a second thought. After all, only the burnt child dreads the fire.

Watch closely and you will see budding pimples on his skin

It could be the stress of being in 10^th, or just the age factor, either way; soon the pimples were running amok on Rayyan’s smooth face which was not smooth anymore. We went for all the anti-pimples cream, natural remedies and even a prescription from a dermatologist; unfortunately the pimples continued their assault on his face. Though they say every mother finds her baby beautiful, I recall not wanting to look at him even when he was talking to me.

Making A Bold Statement - Tata Bolt

Note: All GIFs are ©  Spikyeye @animatorrayan

As I drove to Manyata Tech Park for a unique blogging event organized jointly by Blogadda and Tata Motors, I wondered whether I should buy a car at all. The traffic was quite heavy and I was driving from the southern end of Bangalore to the Northern end  which made me wonder whether I should add one more car to the chaos on road. But, one look at the sleek red and black beauty, I changed my mind. I knew I wanted to buy not just a car, but I wanted to buy this very charming beauty and beast - combined in one car.

Reflecting My Heart…

Nothing can match the lovely experience of parenting your child. When a woman is pregnant, everyone around wonders who will the baby look like. Will the traits the parents and family treasures to have in themselves be popping up through this baby? Once born the baby is said to have papa’s eyes, mama’s lips, aunt’s dimpled grin and grandma’s hair to lovingly showoff how they are all connected in making of this lovely being.  But, as this lovely baby hits teenage, no one wants to be responsible for the traits anymore.

The Secret of My Energy

All Indians know the secret of Sachin’s energy through the famous Ad which had children, even those who did not love milk, gulping it down in a jiffy.

When I came across the video   #KhudKoKarBuland I wondered why no one is interested in knowing the secret of amazing strength, patience and selflessness that comes with special parenting. Does it not require some superpower to give a dignified and happy life to a child who enters your life with a challenge? Not many are interested in knowing the secret of my energy because, I haven't scored runs or brought in medals for everyone to sit up and notice me. What I have done is just hold on to hope and pursue my own goal with deadly perseverance. “What great goal was that?” you may ask. Let me share it with you.

Losing a Mom is tough on any day...

I am talking about 2006. I was planning to begin the New Year with hope and smile, because, we finally had glimpse of success at the end of the year.  Two year ago my Mom who was diagnosed with BC had agreed to undergo surgery but no radiation and chemo. Radiation was a bit OK with her but she said a  BIG NO to chemotherapy. Unfortunately her wrong decision did not bring out any positive results.