Dear Dad

Dear Dad,

I don't know where to start. As I reflect back on the 25 years with you, I literally have tears in my eyes. Where do I start? No memory can be more beautiful than the other. I cherish each and every lovely memory I have with you till date. 

Should I ask you to remember the lavish party you threw when I was born? Or should I ask you to remember the time when you refused to hold me for the first time ever after I was born, only because you had a cold that day? 

Shall I ask you to reminisce the time you scolded me while teaching me to ride the bicycle? And then gradually pushing me to drive a car and ride a scooter.

Or how about the time you helped me ace my maths exam in high school; when I was petrified of it?

Can you remember the time I lost your favourite umbrella in an autorickshaw? And yet you didn't say anything but you gave me your other one.

Or shall I remind you the countless times you used to drop me to school in the car when I missed the bus? Even when

Let me remind you of the countless times I waited for your return from your foreign trips bringing me a memento or a gift each time? I still remember you basking in the smile on my face.

In school, do you remember fighting against a teacher’s wrong for me? I admired the power of your writing then.

In college, when I was staying away from home, do you remember the time you and mom took me to the doc when I was too sick with fever to get up?

When I grew up, do you remember you the time I forgot my exam hallticket at home? You rushed to the exam hall and got it for me. And the countless times you backed me even when I was in trouble.

Dad, with tight hug, I want to thank you with all my heart-

For the education you gave me

For the opportunities you gave me

For making me independent

For the values you gave me

For always being my guide

For the friendship we share

For the always treated me as an equal.

For giving me my freedom to make my choices

For supporting me through and through

For trusting me completely

For making me strong, just like you.

I will always always always always love you.

- Your Gondi Gauri

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

#ComeCloser to Radiant Skin

A flawless glowing complexion is desired by everyone and envied by all. Right from a young girl to a gracefully ageing old lady, the skin exudes youthfulness, charm and freshness of one’s personality. But come puberty, one is sceptical of one’s skin, especially the face, as pimples, dark spots and blemishes dent the confidence of anyone. Moreover, our facial skin goes through changes with the change in season – summer, winter and monsoon; in age – puberty, pregnancy and old age; in sickness and with diet as well. Regardless of these changes, it is imperative to take care of our skin, starting from a young age.

Starting young, uncannily it was my father who used to keep advising me to take good care of my skin at all times. I have an oily skin and it is imperative that I keep it clean. An oily skin requires to be kept clean as the skin pores can have dust and grime settle in them, which may lead to pimples and blackheads.

I follow a simple regimen daily:

1.       Wash hands and face after coming home:

This is a basic yet a very important and understated regimen. Whenever I come back home after an outing, I first – leaving all other tasks aside- wash my hands and then wash my face using a mild face-wash. I believe, this step not only helps me keep my skin hygienic, but also keeps my face fresh and clean. Especially, I live in a metropolitan city, where everywhere I go I meet pollution and dust which directly affects my face.

2.       Use a mild cleansing face-wash

An oily facial skin needs to be washed and cleansed often, but not more than 3-4 times in a day. Washing face more than 3-4 times can leave it dry. Use of a soap to clean the face can result in more dryness and can make skin more oily.

3.       Use little or no makeup

Even though I am in a profession where looking one’s best is imperative, I believe and advocate in applying little or no makeup daily. To go all natural! Personally, it is only on occasions like parties and weddings do I apply makeup, albeit just to touch up my face. Else on some occasions I sparingly use kajal, lipstick and lip gloss to highlight my eyes and lips.

These were some of my tips that I carry out to take care of my skin. It cannot be stressed enough that having beautiful skin is truly a blessing, but maintaining it is all the more important.

However, acquiring that flawlessly beautiful and radiant complexion may seem like a daunting task, but truth be told, it is not that difficult to achieve. #ComeCloser and see the benefits of Ayurveda with VICCO Turmeric Cream to perfect the natural way to acquiring radiant skin.

Book Review: The House that BJ built

Book Title: The House that BJ built
Author: Anuja Chauhan
Pages: 408
Genre: Drama
Price: Rs. 259 (Flipkart)
Publisher: Westland Ltd

Thanks to Flipkart and Westland for sharing the uncorrected bound proof copy of Anuja Chauhan's second installment of 'Those Pricey Thakur Girls' with me for the review.

Image source: www.vervemagazine.in

This book is about the the Thakur Girls coming back together to meet their father LN Thakur, fondly referred to as BJ. He is under the care of his granddaughter Bonita Singh Rajawat (Bonu) at his home on 16, Hailey Court in Delhi, who runs a garment workshop under his roof. Samar Vir Singh, upcoming Bollywood director, step-grandson of BJ visits the House to meet BJ and complete the missing piece of the puzzle of his film's story on BJ's parents - Pushkar and Pushkarni. BJ insists that he sell the house worth Rs 200 crores and divide it into 5 equals hissas for his daughters and Bonu. However, post BJ's death, what follows is a series of family squabbles, vehemence unearthing painful past histories, and a full blown property dispute court case on the House that BJ built.

What I really loved is the style of narration- simply superb with right amount of Hindi words that fit well with the situation and dialogues. Some dialogues are simply unique and memorable, for instance:

I'll make them squirm like well-salted earthworms,
I won't sell, Even my jooti wont sell.
And if I die na, then even my gosht won't sell.

You need balls to do business!...Remember, any incomepoop can work in an office...


And some are truly hilarious, almost that I burst out into laughing while reading the book - an instance of perfect comic timing, that is now-a-days very rare in books.

Throughout the book, I loved the usage of stereotypes and similes that one can connect well with. Moreover, every character in the book had a distinct and distinguishable personality, akin to a family drama, yet the camaraderie shown between them was flawlessly executed. My favourite bit was the bonhomie between Samar and Zee and the random banter and gossip among the sisters and their aunt.
The crunch part of the story was superbly glued together with all the other bits and pieces, coming together as a perfect narration.

Though this is my first book review of one of Anuja Chauhan's titles, I am truly in awe of her style of writing. It is zany, peppy and unputdownable. Looking forward for more !

Book Review: The Case Files of P. I. Pojo - The Killing of Mr. Heathcote

Book Title: The Case Files of P. I. Pojo - The Killing of Mr. Heathcote
Author: Meghna Singhee
Pages: 204
Publisher: Penguin India
Price: Rs. 199
Genre: Mystery

Pratap (Pojo) Pande is a teenager who studies at a boarding school in Panchgani called Heathcote International. Son of parents that are creators of a popular detective show, Pojo is a precocious boy who loves to solve and unfold the mysteries behind everyday cases, akin to a Private Investigator (P.I. ). And one such mystery he resolves to unfold is when the mascot and icon of his school, a cat, is said to be killed - Mr. Heathcote. He has his sidekicks as a super senior Radha Rao and Pops - a junior to Pojo, who's also Radha's cousin to help him uncover secrets, search for clues and interrogate suspects. Eventually, Pojo solves the mystery, in a truly Sherlock meets Poirot style - a tad bit eccentric and the use of the little grey cells.

If you've been reading my book review, you'd know I'm a sucker for mystery and a thriller any given day. So when I signed up for the Book Review program with Flipkart, they sent me this book right away. One look at the cover, you'd think it is uncannily representing a children's book. However, abiding with the adage- I judged this book by it's content and not the cover.

And it was truly a delight to read this book at one go ! Meghna Singhee has done justice to the whole idea of representing a hostel life set in a hill station, be it the junior-senior divide, the banter, the pranks, the hostel food, the allowance, the midnight escapades, the social gatherings, the hot shower restrictions, the free time break and the finer and innocuous details of the on-goings of the staff and the students day in and day out.
It brought back nostalgia by transporting me back to the days when I was away from home for higher studies. The characters have be described well, with each of them distinct from the other, as one would actually find in a hostel. Overall, I liked the smooth flow of the book's narration with witty and funny anecdotes, with one chapter after the other connecting the dots of the mystery flawlessly. And in the end, when the mystery unfolded, it was a wonderful surprise!

I would love to recommend this book to anyone who would like a good mystery, age no bar. (Even though the back cover says '10+')

                                                

ZENith - The next Smartphone Level

Now-a-days, buying the right phone for oneself, can be one of the toughest decisions to make. No sooner than you finally decide on a model and purchase it, than a newer and better model appears into the market. Alas! That is technology – ever advancing.

So why should one settle for last season’s smartphone?

Smartphones belong to various budgets and price points against the features. Then again purchasing a smartphone is an investment after all. So get the best value for your money with features that stand out without compromising on quality.

E-commerce sites will help you to refine the top features out of a motley of features.

But, what features in a phone would redefine your smartphone experience?

I just found out about the new ASUS ZenFone2 which claims to redefine the smartphone experience.

Shall we test it out?

Lemme check out 5 features that stand out:

TOP 5 FEATURES OF THE ASUS ZenFone2

5. 4G LTE for Superfast connectivity

Need for Speed? Internet is life and there is no life without the internet! Forget 2G and 3G when there's 4G to propel you to superfast speeds of data-transfer with multimedia messages, video chats. Live lag free. Asus ZenFone2 promises superfast on the move data speed of upto 150 Mbits/sec.

4. 13 MP PixelMaster Rear Facing Camera with 140 degree panoramic selfies.

I believe a camera with a good pixel density is a total must for any smartphone. Besides, one cannot always carry a digicam along to capture moments.

Now-a-days 8MP in the maximum Megapixel density available in most smartphones. ASUS ZenFone promises 13 MP camera with a 5 MP Front facing camera. It also has a 140 degree panoramic selfie mode to compete with Ellen DeGeneres' Oscar selfie capture.

3. 4 GB RAM

4GB is usually the smartphone’s space capacity and no I’ve not made a typo. It is the world's first smartphone with 4GB RAM. Asus pioneering the way for more better, faster phone performance. Upping the ante indeed.

2.  Low Light Mode

This cool camera feature is gonna make all those spur-of-the-moment-I-forgot-to-put-flash-on-auto-mode photos look blur free and blob free. Low light mode increases the light sensitivity by 400% and reduces the noise to give clear and bright shots without the need for flash.

1. 60% battery capacity in just 39 minutes ! 

How amazing is this feature! This is by far the USP of this phone. Thanks to the ASUS Boostmaster Technology no more being tethered to the charger. Less time to wait. Hey, a phone would charge up faster than delivering a pizza!

How cool are these features! Did I make your smartphone choice easier? No wonder it’s at the smartphone ZENith.

Book Review: Ramayana - The Game of Life (Shattered Dreams)

Book Title: Ramayana - The Game of Life (Shattered Dreams) Book 2

Author: Shubha Vilas

Publisher: Jaico Publishing House

Edition: 2015

Pages: 387

Price: Rs 350

To be honest, I haven't read the original Ramayana in its entirety. I can recall reading the adapted form of Ramayana in an illustrated version of the Amar Chitra Katha series way back in school.

I am no epics or sacred texts buff, but when BlogAdda asked me to review this book, I felt like signing up for something that is different from my usual choice in books - Fiction.

Image Source

On first look the illustration on the cover of the book is nice. So I began reading this as soon as I received it. Mind you, it took me time to read it. The author's note appealed to me, when she wrote - 'Have you ever wondered if the age old epics hold any immediate relevance to our lives?’

This book is the second book in the series. The previous one being Ramayana - The Game of Life (The Rise of the Sun Prince ) Book 1 talked about the events prior to Lord Rama and ended with his marriage to Sita.

The book starts with the narration of King Dasaratha and his decision to change the fate of Ayodhya. In subsequent chapters, it talks about Ravana's life and his conquests. And with Manthara's sinister plot, the drama intensifies. Later talks about Bharata's journey after Rama's exile and Dasaratha's death.

Each and every page of this book contains footnotes. In every such footnote is a teaching, which one could sit back and ponder upon after reading through the page narrative. 

For instance - 'An unprotected and unpredictable mind is like an open pot of nectar. One blob of poison dropped into it will ruin all the nectar'

More learnings from the book include on how to handle reversals positively, to handle temptation, to explore beyond our comfort zone and with due emphasis on how human relationships work and importantly how they fail.

On reading this book, on realises the depth of knowledge our ancient texts have and why we needn't look anywhere else to find motivation and value addition to our lives.

The book is narrated beautifully and lucidly with the right emphasis and details of the thought processes of the characters. Through and through this book is a keeper to impart knowledge from our sacred text. 

For me this was a revelation of sorts. I found this to be an authentic rendition of The Ramayana.

Overall, I recommend this book to anyone who wants to understand and apply the learnings of The Ramayana in one's day to day life. Even if we did not have the advantage of grandparents or parents eloquently narrating this epic tale to us, this book can help us understand The Ramayana.

This review is a part of the biggest Book Review Program for Indian Bloggers. Participate now to get free books!

Foodie Heaven - Singapore

I close my note book. My flight lands. 
Without a second look, I await my destination. So I walk towards the conveyor belt, grab my luggage and head towards the doors into - food heaven - Singapore!

This was my motto for the food trail !

As I step outside the airport enclosure a lovely Singapore morning greets me. I was jet, set and ready to go on a mini food trail in Singapore - in 24 hours. I had noted down the dishes I just had to try in my notebook. 

10.00 am
I am told by the cab driver to not miss sampling the breakfast that powers Singaporeans daily - Kaya toast with soft-boiled eggs and a piping hot kopi (coffee) or teh (tea). The Kopi and Kaya Toast culture originated from the Hainanese cooks who used to work for the British as cookboys. This was where they learnt to make coffee and toast. Listening to the way kopi and teh is pronounced reminds me of how it's pronounced in a similar fashion for kaapi and chai back home too! 

(Image source: http://www.hungrygowhere.com/gallery/52-dishes-you-must-eat-in-singapore-*gid-8e493101/e3e40100)

I reach Raffles City Shopping Centre, 252 Northbridge Road to have my breakfast at 

Toast Box. And glancing around the restaurant at others 'breaking their kaya toast' I emulated. I dip my toast into the soft cooked eggs drizzled with soy sauce and a sprinkling of white pepper and devoured it. I wash this down with the syrupy Nanyang-style kopi.

12.45 pm
Some sightseeing and shopping later, it was almost lunch time and the next stop on the food trail was grabbing Singapore's unofficial National dish - Chicken Rice. It is much more than just another tasty dish, chicken rice to Singaporeans is akin to 'soul food'. 

(Source: http://discover.stayfareast.com/post/114023443948/everything-you-need-to-know-about-chicken-rice-to)

I walk to Tian Tian at Maxwell Food Centre and grab a seat and wasting no more time, I order 'Chicken Rice'. I am told that Anthony Bourdain, Gordon Ramsay and Dr. Leslie Tay have graced this restaurant and I cannot wait to sample it. I get a generous serving of chicken chunks with sweet dark soy sauce to accompany steaming Haianese rice. I indulge as any typical Singaporean would - drizzle a generous amount of sweet dark sauce onto the steaming rice, “dress” a chunk of chicken in the chilli sauce, and then heap a dollop of minced ginger on top of it. The condiments balance all the flavours of the rice, chicken and the sauce and give me a wholesome experience.

2.00 pm
'You cannot leave Singapore without tasting our Crabs' my dad had said. How can I miss out on the de facto National dish of Singapore? With that thought I get all nostalgic and remember home. And home food reminds me of my fondness for seafood. 

(Image source: http://ieatishootipost.sg/top-ten-things-to-eat-in-singapore-the-hawker-edition/)

I head to Roland Restaurant and I am greeted with the aroma and the bright sight of Chilli Crab. I bite into the succulent fleshy crab and take my time to grab all the beautiful flavours! Lip Smacking !

4.00 pm
Satiated with my extravagant lunch, I then take a cab to hop over to a popular stretch of eateries along Upper Thomson Road and over to Sing Ming Roti Prata for my next food destination in my trail - Prata. 

(Image source: http://www.hungrygowhere.com/dining-guide/hawker/sin-ming-roti-prata-*aid-04773f00/)

Flaky buttery goodness with chewy insides and a dough that is a fresh mix of flour, eggs, sugar, salt and water is what maketh a good prata. It might sound familiar like the home made paratha and I am told that it is loved by many in the South East Asian subcontinent. I love the fact that the prata is like the south east asian cousin of the Indian parantha -Simply adore the confluence of cultures in food !

6.00pm
After a short break, I continue on and I remember from the geography class back in school of Singapore's famous fruit and local produce - Durian. I cannot miss this opportunity to sample this one-of-a-kind fruit so I head to the market to find it. I notice that the Singaporeans have certainly found ways to include this pungent fruit in many desserts and sweet concoctions and one of them is: chee cheong fun (steamed rice rolls). 

(Image source: http://www.hungrygowhere.com/gallery/52-dishes-you-must-eat-in-singapore-*gid-8e493101/2e1e0200)

I head to 89 Killiney Road and over to Rice Roll & Porridge shop to get my durian fix. I waste no time as soon as I get my order and I bite into the chilled roll that is stuffed with durian flesh and topped with a mixture of ground peanuts and sugar- YUM ! With that yummy treat and ended my delicious supper. 

9.30 pm
Only a couple of hours before I was to leave for home. How I wish this trip wouldn't end !

11.30 pm
Heading to the airport I was still savouring the amazing flavours the culminance of cultures I had experienced in the last couple of hours. I bought a souvenir for myself to remember this culinary journey and mainly Singapore.

When I reached back home, my souvenir sang to life:

Singapura, oh, Singapura, 

Sunny island sets in the sea. 

Singapura, oh, Singapura,

Pretty flowers bloom for you and me. 

Come along join the song in merry singing,

Blend our voices, 

Join in the chorus. 

Singapura, oh Singapura, 

Pretty flowers bloom for you and me.

(Source: http://mamalisa.com/?t=es&p=765&c=112 )

My thoughts exactly! 

My trip was really memorable all thanks to all the information I got through http://discover.stayfareast.com/ to made my culinary trip to Singapore truly unforgettable !
It's a matter of taste after all.


PS. This is a my fictional account of a foodie trip to Singapore.