5 Songs You Must Hear Before You Die

This won't be another listicle on how to enjoy the world outside. This one is for your inner pleasure. You do so much to keep your body fit. You exercise, you control your diet and take appropriate rest. You also know how to look good. You follow fashion trends and buy new stuff almost everyday. You know how to travel the world, what to eat where and which activity to pursue. But how do you take care of  your mind? Do you know how to relax? How to unwind? Today, I will share with you my personal list of songs from my music collection that help me feel better.

Some songs should relax your soul

Song #1: Set Fire To The Rain by Adele

This is the ultimate breakup song! When your wound is still fresh and you are longing to go back to your ex, you feel one with Adele's song. You are reminded of the pain and the love you lost. What makes this song so beautiful is the powerful music and the strong voice of one of my favourite singers.

Song #2: Party For Two by Shania Twain

This is my favourite hot date song! The tempo of the music is upbeat and Shania and Billy Currington do a great job with the singing. This song should ideally be played when you are a few dates down and are hoping to get to the next level. A nice number to play if just the two of your are going to dance.

Song #3: A New Day Has Come by Celine Dion

Celine has been one of my favourites since childhood. She taught me to love music. 'A New Day Has Come' was released when she had a baby. This song is so uplifting, it is perfect for when you learn to love again after your heart has been broken. The song's redeeming factor is the power in Celine's voice.

Song #4: Party in the USA by Miley Cyrus

This one came out way back when Miley was still a teenager. The song is a perfect party track and excellent if you want to create a club atmosphere at home. The song sends out a signal of courage. Listen to it when you are about to try something new or when you have to go a new place on your own.

Song #5: My Sacrifice by Creed

I love the amazing combination of chords and drums in this song. The lead singer of Creed is also a guy I have a slight crush on. He gets bonus points from me for his sexy baritone. This is a love song, and one of my favourites again.

What are you listening to at the moment? Don't forget to share your playlist with me!

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

Music in Our Lives

What is music? Is it merely a compilation of tunes, a set of strings strummed together, a dalliance of different octaves? Or something more? Does music help us feel the way we feel? Does it change or affect our mental state? I will explore these and more questions in my discourse on music today. Join in the reflections!

I feel music enhances our experience of life as a journey. Music helps us remember events, ideas and people. We have a better chance of recalling arbitrary ideas and conversations when we have inextricably linked them to a song or a tune. Ever wondered why a certain song gets into your head when you are looking at a certain part of a wall or thinking of that certain someone? ;-)

Aside from reinforcing our memory-associations, music helps us define ourselves and what we stand for. The influence of music stretches farther than mere stereotyping of characters. We realize with time that a death metal lover need not be a drug addict, or a soul music lover a peace activist. The kind of music people listen to in public also differs from what they enjoy in private. I for one, love Latin ballroom tunes and pop dance numbers at parties, but listen to soft country sounds on a solo trip.

I found music in the middle of the night in an otherwise empty street in Prague

If you understand music well, you learn to refine your taste in it. You search for better music beyond the chartbusters. You learn to look for unknown artistes and unique tunes. You appreciate music so much that you pity those who haven't cultivated a taste in it. Music becomes just as luxurious, if not more, than vintage wine, rare art or an exotic vacation.

Music lovers are seldom lonely. Whether they are driving across countries, dining out alone, solo-kayaking downriver or taking that day-long flight. They know they have a friend in music. Sometimes also a lover. Perhaps they enjoy the music playing on their laptop more than the actual lovemaking they do with their partners. And they certainly are stirred by the background scores of movies more than the action on the big screens.

Music is not just a companion. It is more. It has unforeseen power. Foetuses have known to respond to music from the womb! Babies have a stronger sensory system if they have listened to classic compositions. Research gives a thumbs up to Mozart and Beethoven for making babies intelligent. Marathoners have attributed their perseverance to music in many cases. Music is also famous for bringing people back from death! Well, almost. There have been instances of people coming out of coma when they've listened to their favourite bands or tracks. The power of music also extends to love. You have a higher chance of falling in love with someone if you have a nice score playing when the two of you meet.

When music has been together with us through everything - our birth, pain, love, struggle and death, can it be reduced to a "background" score? Music takes the centre-stage in our lives. And we must recognize it for what it truly is.

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

AskMe about Salt Water Cafe

Have you ever had that sudden craving for food? And that too from a particular restaurant? Being a foodie, I get that craving quite frequently! A few days back, my tastebuds were itching to taste some Italian. So, I caught a friend, grabbed my phone and started for Bandra. Now, Bandra is a huge place dotted with hundreds of little eateries that serve multiple cuisines. My friend particularly wanted to go to Salt Water Cafe. Not wasting any time, I fired up the AskMe app on my Android phone.

It automatically picked my city - Mumbai, and let me search for what I wanted. As soon as I keyed in the name of the restaurant, the app showed me two entries, only one of which was in Bandra.

The app is quite neat and shows related deals along with the outlet list. I tapped the restaurant we were eyeing, and the next page had a crisp summary of the place - the address, menu and description.

The copy of the menu was quite helpful as we were really hungry that night. We almost shortlisted our orders before we reached Salt Water Cafe.

There is also a cute phone icon on the app that lets you call the outlet directly. How convenient!

Finally, when we reached the restaurant, we were please to see that there was ample space to sit. It being  a weeknight, we did not find the crazy rush that this place otherwise witnesses. The place is quite spacious and has a soothing decor. The interiors are mostly of veneered wood. After we placed the orders, the bread course was brought to our table first.

The breadsticks and pieces of bread arrived in a jute sack - a very interesting presentation style! The soft cotton lining inside the jute bag kept the breads free of moisture. The butter was not flavoured though. I would have liked some kind of herb infused butter, which a lot of eateries provide now a days.

The soups arrived right then. Mushrooms are my favourite and I always end up ordering dishes that have mushrooms in them. The soup naturally had to be mushroom based - and really delicious! They used shiitake and champignon de Paris in our broth.

The main course was a creamy and very appetizing risotto. The quantity was so good that we couldn't finish it together between the two of us. I noticed that this place uses real arborio rice and not just any similar looking Indian variety. The dish was garnished with thinly sliced toasted bread. I really loved the big pieces of button mushrooms and cherry tomatoes in the risotto!

Finally, we ordered a couple of mocktails to spend some more time in Bandra over our conversations. My drink was a light ginger and lemon mix - very refreshing after all that cheesy food! My friend ordered a blackcurrant smoothie which was served in a cute jar. Restaurants these days are making good use of jars to serve their guests, I have eaten desserts and pickles and even a salad in a jar so far!

All in all, it was a day well spent, and special thanks to Askme.com! This newly launched app is a really nifty tool!

I’m participating in the #RnMOnAskMe activity at BlogAdda.

The Power of Speed

I have always been craving speed. Speed in how fast I can shower, brush my teeth and get dressed for work ( I am always rushing to catch my office transport every morning); speed in how quickly I can read and understand complex concepts in the word of Finance and Risk (I learn many new terms and calculations on a daily basis); speed in how frequently I can write articles and churn out interesting posts ( I run two blogs and am always falling behind my post targets).

There is of course some speed I like in external entities too. I wish to be able to travel really fast (from work to home and vice versa, so I am never late for anything; from one place to another, so I never have to take extra holidays on my vacations; from one country to another, so I am never tired after a long haul flight). But one thing which on which I just cannot compromise is the speed of my internet connection. It becomes extremely frustrating when I am trying to browse for some important information which I need urgently, and it takes ages for the webpage to load. I also hate it when my existing 3G connection fails to work at many places and I am waiting for videos to buffer when they are ideally supposed to play realtime.

But thanks to Airtel's latest 4G network, things are going to be different. Now, I will have the power of speed! Airtel is the first telecom provider in India to roll out the 4G network. It is not just for one or two metro cities, but almost two hundred and ninety six cities! The best part is, the charges will be same as that for 3G. With cheap rates for higher speed, I will now be able to do many things which I previously would not have been able to. I can now watch movies on my long train journeys without worrying about the video to buffer or having to pay a lot of money. In fact, I won't even lose connectivity hopefully as the 4G network will be available at most places I visit.

This also means, I can work while on the go. I will not have to wait to reach office for the high speed internet. I will also not actually have to stay at home when I work from home. I can just hop on a car and go on a long drive while I work nicely in the backseat while waiting to reach my destination. Faster speed means, faster browsing experience, being able to Skype really well, having better quality images and videos during live streaming. All of this will be believable and a possibility with these unbelievable speeds under my hood!

A Fresh Look at Traffic Jams

Any Mumbaikar will tell you how much we hate our roads. There is either a pothole every few metres apart or an ensuing jam that will keep you behind the wheel for eons. While the average person stuck in a traffic jam would just remain frustrated and have a bad day ahead as a consequence, I have an interesting idea for you all to turn a traffic jam into a "jam-session"!

When all the vehicles around you are honking and the traffic is still, do not just sit there and curse the roads or the drivers. Get out of your car or bus or auto and off your bike or scooter. Go out, play some music and dance! Or if you are lucky, call Anushka Manchanda to sing for you in the middle of the streets! She will cheer up every angry passenger in the bus and make them sing along. While you are at it, make a call to the Southern star - Allu Arjun and get him over to teach you some cool dance moves! If you are not yet convinced of this electrifying pair of singer and dancer, watch this video of Bezubaan Phir Se, one of the songs from the upcoming movie - ABCD 2:-

ABCD in the title of this movie stands for Anybody Can Dance. Allu Arjun is terrific in his new lean look. Anyone would be amazed by his flexibility and the agility with which he commands over the dance floor. We must not forget that he has Anushka Manchanda's crystal clear and powerful voice to infuse a new life in the dance.

Being a dancer myself, I know how wonderful it feels to be able to move your body in a rhythm of your choice. You must mot wait for moments in which to dance. Instead, you should just start grooving when you hear some good music or catch some nice beats. A couple of years back, I was at an amazing party but I was too shy to dance. A shot of tequila later, I hit the dance floor and showed off my moves. I danced not only until the last song was played, but also with some very hot guys I would otherwise have never had the courage to approach.

So, take my advice. The next time you are stuck in traffic, hop out and dance like Allu Arjun to Anushka Manchanda's music! ;-)

I am blogging for the #MaxFreshMove activity at BlogAdda.com. Are you?

A Fresh Move on a Boring Day

You will not believe how boring my office days usually are! To add to the boredom, my weekdays are tiring too! Let me take you through my schedule on the average workday:-

7 AM: I wake up after snoozing my alarm for half an hour. And I am woken by my screaming parents who cannot believe I have grown up and am not a school kid anymore.

7:30 AM: This is when I am actually awake and ready for a shower.

8 AM: I frown at my wardrobe and manage to fish out a half-decent outfit for work. If it's not well ironed, I have to iron as well. Then I throw in my hairclips, lipgloss and lip balms in my tiny pouch and decide I can do my hair and lips at office. I only wear some sunscreen and scrunch my hair up in a bun.

8:30 AM: My mum screams again to get me to have breakfast, and I realize then that I am late for my office cab. I take one bite into a fruit and ask her to pack the rest. She throws me a dirty look and curses me again. I rush out of my house, but remember to take my phone out of the charger just at the last minute. After getting irritated by the lifts that will take ages to arrive and the auto-rickshaw drivers who will never want to go anywhere, I finally am on my way to office.

9 AM: I reach office looking like I was stuck in a cyclone. Then I log on to my computer and am bombarded with a series of emails that make my heart sink. I cannot believe I am loaded with work again! I work non stop with only some loo breaks and a lunch break.

1 PM: Lunch is again something that makes me depressed. I wonder why nobody wants to change the caterers.

1:30 PM: My colleagues in London walk in and we have back to back meetings while my backache gets worse sitting on my chair for so long.

6:30 PM: It is finally time to leave for the day! But the traffic is just pathetic! To add to it, the rains beat mercilessly.

7:30 PM: I return home damp from both outside and within. I wish to do a bit of blogging, but my body is so tired, I just want to sleep. I carry my tired self through snacks, a lot of nagging from my mum and dinner.

Midnight: If I am lucky, I manage to sleep. Or else, I keep working until it's 1AM.

The only way to energize my dull day is to have Allu Arjun dance for me every morning with Anushka Manchanda singing a melodious number. This power packed duo can certainly charge my boring office day with some excitement with their glamorous presence. I would love to have them over at office too! They would totally rock the office and get us off our PCs and on the dancefloor!

I am blogging for the #MaxFreshMove activity at BlogAdda.com. Are you?

Lusting After Lodgy

Renault recently launched its swanky SUV - Lodgy in India. All this while, I have been dreaming about a romantic ride in this mean machine. The lovely weather, with the intermittent rains, cooling breeze and a fresh looking environment, only makes me dream even more about a long drive! My wishful thinking is all done, and today I am going to share my packing list with you. I will only talk about the five things which are most important to my world.

Source: https://www.cdn.renault.com/content/dam/Renault/IN/vehicles/Renault-Lodgy-2015/product-brochure/Lodgy-Brochure.pdf

Item #1: My Close Friends

I have been travelling for the better part of my life. And in all my trips, I have realized that your company makes a huge difference in how much you enjoy your trip. The Renault Lodgy has a fantastic seating capacity of seven or eight. This means, I will never have to choose between any two friends of mine. I can take them all along on a wonderful and long drive with me.

Source: https://www.cdn.renault.com/content/dam/Renault/IN/vehicles/Renault-Lodgy-2015/product-brochure/Lodgy-Brochure.pdf

Item #2: Travel Gear

Most of you know how much I love the outdoors. I would rather camp in the wild than stay cooped up in a boring hotel. Thanks to Lodgy's 207 litres of boot space which is also expandable to 1861 litres, I can squeeze in a foldable waterproof tent, sleeping bags or  air-beds, solar powered lamps, a portable barbeque, a first aid box and trekking poles. I am a huge fan of trekking and a big foodie!

Source: https://www.cdn.renault.com/content/dam/Renault/IN/vehicles/Renault-Lodgy-2015/product-brochure/Lodgy-Brochure.pdf

Item #3: My Smartphone

A blogger and socially connected person like me can never go anywhere without a smartphone. My phone is like my lifeline. Not only can I always stay in touch with the world, but I can also share my amazing travel experiences with everyone. I actively use Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and LinkedIn to inspire people to travel. I also use my phone for navigation as my street sense is quite poor. I like how efficiently Renault Lodgy has integrated phone and audio controls so I can manage calls and music while I drive using the MediaNav system. No road trip is complete without some peppy music that gets you pumped up for the weekend ahead!

Source: https://www.cdn.renault.com/content/dam/Renault/IN/vehicles/Renault-Lodgy-2015/product-brochure/Lodgy-Brochure.pdf

Item #4: My DSLR Camera

I love to capture the unforgettable memories of all my trips through my Canon lenses. This is also the reason why I carefully pick out my clothes and accessories for every travel. I believe that you look good only when you feel good from within. Just like me, Lodgy looks great from outside with its stylish roof rails, sporty alloy wheels, chrome tailgate garnish and arrowhead-style taillamps, even as it feels fantastic inside with the premium two-tone dashboard and door trim and leather and chrome touches on the steering wheel, instrument cluster and upholstery.

Source: https://www.cdn.renault.com/content/dam/Renault/IN/vehicles/Renault-Lodgy-2015/product-brochure/Lodgy-Brochure.pdf

Item #5: Safety Gear

Safety is paramount to me on any trip I plan. If its a night trek, I will ensure I have a torch and a power-bank for my phone. In cases of emergency, your phone can be your first line of defense as you can call or send a message out for help. The Renault Lodgy is my perfect safety partner as it has dual front airbags, adjustable seatbelts and ABS with EBD and brake-assist.

Source: https://www.cdn.renault.com/content/dam/Renault/IN/vehicles/Renault-Lodgy-2015/product-brochure/Lodgy-Brochure.pdf

Do you think my dream of going on a joyride in the Renault Lodgy will come true anytime soon?

I’m participating in the #LiveLodgycal contest with Renault in association with BlogAdda to get a chance to be part of the #LiveLodgycal Drive in Goa.

A Fair & Lovely Day

Last weekend, I was invited to an exclusive bloggers' meet at the Novotel Hotel in Juhu. We were intrigued by the secrecy that surrounded this event sponsored by Fair & Lovely. We were ten pretty bloggers, mostly beauty and fashion bloggers.

When we entered the banquet hall, we were greeted by our beautiful host, Freishia, a VJ and video blogger. She broke the ice by pairing us and getting us to introduce our partners. We had to find out three interesting things about our teammates, one of them related to beauty.

Glasses of sangrias were brought to our tables to get us to loosen up. We played a round of "passing the tiara", a refreshing version of "passing the parcel". Freishia read out verses describing certain characteristics, and the lady who was best described by those lines would get the tiara. At the end of the round, the lady who wore the tiara would get to keep it and also win a Shoppers' Stop voucher.

We played another game in which a set of cosmetic items and accessories were kept in a basket which was shown to us for ten seconds, after which we had to recall from memory as many things as we could.

While we played more fun games in the hall, each of us was pulled out one after another for the Fair & Lovely BB Cream experience and interaction session. I was whisked away to a suite on another floor and seated on a couch facing the Marketing Managers of the latest BB cream in town. They introduced  me to their latest offering, and I was pleased to know that the focus of this cosmetic item was not on skin-lightening. I personally love the colour of my skin and rarely wear any sort of makeup.

The BB cream is a combination of sunscreen lotion, concealer and foundation. Fair & Lovely's blemish balm or beauty benefit cream has a smooth consistency and is very light on the skin. After the makeup artist applied it on my face, I could see visible difference in the coverage. My face looked more even and bright. The cream also has a nice sweet fragrance to it. After my interview on my beauty habits and how I feel about this product, I was taken to the prop room and asked to dress up for any occasion of my choice. I dressed for a brunch with my friends and picked up a dark jacket, large glares, a statement neckpiece and a metallic clutch. I was being filmed throughout the interaction session. Finally, I was given a "look challenge". At the end of this post, you will read about how to dress for an office party or offsite. Watch out for that!

I re entered the banquet hall to a word search game. We were split into groups of four and we had to find certain beauty related words from the alphabet-maze. We did not win that round, but the food at Novotel sure won us over!

We had a breakfast of brown and white sandwiches and chamomile tea. Lunch was an elaborate spread of mushroom soup, an array of Thai and Italian starters, rice, pasta and a vegetable dish for mains and delectable pastries, ice cream and carrot halwa for dessert. In the evening we broke for some coffee with assorted cookies and spring rolls.

The next game was called "What's in your purse?"  We were given a checklist of unusual and obvious things and we had to calculate the total points as per the number of the listed items we had. We almost thought we would lose again when our lucky teammate brought out her pack of forty safety pins and made us the clear winner. Our loot was a box of chocolates wrapped in a glittery pink butterfly-topped package.

We played an improvised version of name-place-animal-thing post that. The categories were shoes-makeup-bags-perfume, and we had to write down brand names in the columns. This one almost got us into some catfights! ;-)

For the next round, we had to nominate one person from each team to go to the stage and deliver an extempore speech for a minute on topics selected by Freishia. I spoke on preparing one's skin for the summer, and eventually won the prize! I took home a mini French manicure kit.

After that, we played a couple of memory games. In the first one, we had to remember fashion and beauty items which we hypothetically bought from the market and repeat each of those in alphabetical order. We had a tie eventually. The next game was to create and finish a story by repeating the previous lines and appending a new one.

The final round was perhaps the most happening one! We were given songs and were made to choreograph a piece and dance as a team. My team danced on "Bang Bang" from the eponymous  Bollywood movie.

The launch of the Fair & Lovely BB Cream concluded with each of us being crowned a tiara for a special characteristic we have. I was crowned the "Most Talented". :-)

I had a wonderful day with other lovely bloggers and made some new friends as well! The spoils I took home in the paperbag were several pictures which we clicked at the photobooth, a manicure kit, a box of chocolates, a tiara, a jewellery box with a pearly white string necklace, a pendrive and of course, a pack of the BB cream!

We have finally arrived at the end of this post, which means you will see my response to the "look challenge".

I chose the theme of office offsite and dressed accordingly. In this hot and humid weather, a light, cotton sundress was my best bet. I picked a pink floral pattern in a white base to reflect maximum light and keep me cool. I picked up a pair of breezy gladiator-sandals in orange, brown and yellow to match the bright and chirpy mood of my attire. I wore a brown leather strapped wrist watch to go with the brown strap on the shoes. I donned a pink stone necklace to match my dress and added a white shell bracelet to the look. I carried a multicoloured striped sling bag with a long knitted orange shoulder strap and leather trimmings at the lock. I also used the Fair & Lovely BB cream on my face to protect me from the harsh sun. I left my hair open with only a clip to secure the smaller strands.

Overall, I focused on balancing all the colours and elements of my outfit. The look is professional enough for work and casual enough for a day out. This is why it is perfect for an office offsite. Do you think I passed my look challenge?

Destressing Mummy

My mother is a constant worrier! She assumes that she and only she is accountable for everything any member of our family does. She might come across as a control freak to some, but what she actually does is simply care a little too much for all of us.

My mum has a habit of making sure every day goes like clockwork. She has to wake up at four in the morning and meditate. Then she sleeps again for a couple of hours before waking up finally to make lunch for my father and sister, which they carry in their tiffin. Mom then prepares a sumptuous breakfast for all of us, consisting of a variety of cut fruits, nuts, a hot beverage and a protein-rich filling dish. On the days that I get a little late for work, she insists on packing my breakfast so I can eat it on the go. This super-homemaker then manages the housework by coordinating with our various housemaids - the cook, the sweeper and the dish-washing lady.

My mom attends to the door-knocks of umpteen visitors on a daily basis - the milkman, the newspaperman, the laundry boy, and several of her friends who drop by to say hello. I keep wondering how she manages to stay so active throughout the day. When we are back from work, she always has a hot meal ready for us. Then she goes out to buy groceries. My mum is a singer and she routinely attends her music lessons. She is also an environmental activist and joins her NGO founder friend on her numerous campaigns and events.

You will not believe when I tell you she is over fifty years old! Despite her busy schedule, she manages to groom herself well and is one of the trendiest women in her circles. My mum loves to match her clothes, bags, shoes and accessories. She never forgets to wear her makeup before leaving the house. I cannot even begin to imagine the kind of stress my mother goes through. Her lifestyle has led to her developing ulcerative colitis and she has been on a strict diet and medicine regime for the last few years.

I feel that a supermom like her deserves to destress! This is why I wish to give her a Parachute Advanced aromatherapy oil massage so she can relax. After all, she gives me hair oil massages at least once a week. It is time I pampered and indulged her a bit.

I’m blogging about why my mother needs to de-stress with a Parachute Advansed Aromatherapy Oil massage for the #StressFreeMom activity at BlogAdda.

The Best #CrashThePepsiIPL Ads

I have already blogged twice about how creative and wonderful the ads made by many Indian Premier League (IPL) and Pepsi fans are. And today, those ads have been shortlisted and we, the common people or the junta of India have to decide which ads win the CrashThePepsiIPL contest. These ads have been running for a few months now. And today is the last day to vote for your favourite ad. Have you caste your vote yet? Have you picked out your favourite videos yet?

Well, I have! And I shall present to you two videos which I think have the potential to win this grand contest! The first one is :-

1. Dinner Time Magic

The protagonist in this video seems to have the magic power of conjuring up anything from thin air! First, he changes this room furnishings from some drab old things to shiny new upholstered cushions and floor seats. He snaps his fingers like a wizard and his stinky old clothes change into fresh, nice looking ones. With another snap of this fingers, he fills his duvet cum table with platefuls of mouthwatering food. Another snap, and he has friends for company. Then he realizes that he only wants the hot girl with him. He snaps his fingers again and all but the girl disappear. The main guy realizes now that something is missing. And then he has a tubelight moment when he realizes there is no Pepsi! He quickly conjures up a bottle of Pepsi. This is when the girl holds on to the bottle and starts drinking. The guy doesn't like to share his Pepsi. So, he snaps his fingers and makes the girl disappear. In the end, the boy is alone with himself and his Pepsi! :-)

I loved the acting and the concept here. The entire video was well executed and edited.

2. The Pepsi Rap

This is another great video with a twist! In this ad, there's a guy who goes to a shop to get some Pepsi. He is actually sent by his parents as they have unsolicited guests over the house an nobody knows when they will leave (or if they will leave at all :-P ). While going through the Pepsi options, the guy is confused whether to buy a plastic bottle or glass bottle or can. He finally decides to live in the moment and drinks up his own Pepsi!

The winning factor in this video is the rap. This is quite refreshing and something I did not see in most other videos. To add to that, the rap is actually quite good! I certainly wish luck to the creators of these two videos. Hope to see them win!

I’m voting for the best ads in the #CrashThePepsiIPL activity in association with BlogAdda from 8th May to 14th May. Are you?

They've Got the Power!

Now that the IPL season is almost drawing to an end, it is time to vote for the amazing and talented creators of videos for Crash The Pepsi IPL contest. If you have not already been watching several Pepsi IPL video ads created by IPL viewers (and Pepsi fans), you should definitely start now! Today is the last day we all have to select the best video and vote for it. I have picked out two which I like:-

1. The Office Excuse Master

I particularly loved the concept and the high quality acting! Also, because the setting is a formal office interior, I could relate to the scene very well. The office goer in this story needs a good excuse to leave early from work so he can catch the cricket match at home. He fakes a tragedy over the phone and leaves swiftly without talking to anybody. After a few days, he has the same dilemma again. He uses  a similar pretext and escapes office. This is how he becomes the "escape king" at his workplace.

2. Emotional Taxi Ride

I picked this ad because it was the only serious ad that I liked. Most if the entries are humourous and with the same background score. In this story, a young boy rides in a taxi in the heat of summer. The taxi gets stuck in traffic and the old driver is frustrated. The young boy lovingly offers him some Pepsi which the driver graciously accepts and drinks. When he drops the boy, he refuses to charge the boy for the ride as he was the only one who cared about his thirst. The driver only wants another sip of Pepsi. To that, the boy is enraged and declines the offer. However, he does that only in jest. He quickly giggles and gives the driver another bottle of Pepsi.

The video is bittersweet and melodramatic. The scene captures Mumbai - the heat, the dust and the pollution. To add to that, the traffic situation here is pathetic - we are almost always stuck in traffic jams. This gives rise to a lot of frustration and anger. I thought one thing was a little inconsistent about how the taxi driver is actually nice and polite. Most of the real drivers flatly refuse to ply and are quite rude. Anyhow, the video was well shot. I wish both the videos luck in this final voting round! Make sure you cast your vote! A lot of hard work has gone into all of this.

I’m voting for the best ads in the #CrashThePepsiIPL activity in association with BlogAdda from 8th May to 14th May. Are you?

Book Review - The Guitar Girl

Today, I finished reading a novel that took me back to my teenage years! I really love feeling that way again. For that, I must thank and congratulate Aniesha Brahma, the author of 'The Guitar Girl'.

Fast Facts:-

Title: The Guitar Girl 

Author: Aniesha Brahma

Genre: Young Adult Fiction/Romance

Publisher: self published through Kindle Direct Publishing

Pages: 193
File Size: 932 KB (PDF version)

Price: Rs.61 (Kindle Edition ebook)

Key Characters:-

1. Rhea Shah: A sixteen year old schoolgirl who regularly writes in her journal.
2. Sophie Ghosh: Rhea's best friend, classmate and confidante. 
3. Arjav: The third friend and classmate who completes the trio.
4. Robbie Shah: Rhea's elder brother who goes to college and has his own band - Blitzkrieg Bridge.
5. Joy Fernandez: Robbie's best friend and another member of the band. 

The Review:-

This is the story of Rhea, a high school girl who has a huge crush on Joy, her elder brother's best friend. Sophie and Arjav, Rhea's best buddies, are the only two people who she can confess her feelings to. Robbie, Rhea's brother, is in college and only visits home on weekends when he usually gets Joy along. They have a very popular band which Joy plays the guitar in.

Unable to gather the courage to confess her love, Rhea starts a blog under the assumed identity of 'The Guitar Girl'. On her blog, she posts poems and songs that reflect her true feelings for Joy. Coincidentally, Joy comes across her blog and finds The Guitar Girl's lyrics to be perfect for their band. He offers her a contract which Rhea/Guitar Girl accepts on the condition that her anonymity is kept intact. Meanwhile, in her real life, Rhea ends up getting secret guitar lessons from Joy after a serendipitous incident.

Rhea's dual identity makes the situation very interesting and the story takes unexpected turns. To thicken the plot, her friends too have something to tell her. The book keeps you guessing if Rhea will have her happily-ever-after while she tries hard to manage her studies and tons of homework that she is assigned almost daily as punishment for passing notes to Sophie and Arjav in class.

The narration is youthful and in line with the media teens use to communicate. The entire book is a compilation of text messages, Google Talk chats, Facebook messages, notes passed in class and journal entries. The lingo is spot on and the characters lifelike. There are some typos in the book, but I'm not sure if they are deliberately placed to simulate real chat-scenarios. The editing, otherwise, is quite good, and the style consistent with that associated with the 16-18 age group.


My Verdict:-

This book is the perfect chick lit novel for preteens and teenagers! It is almost India's answer to Princess Diaries. The dialogues, levels of maturity and tones are carefully matched with the characters. The Guitar Girl is, not surprisingly, a pageturner! The story is light and an excellent palate cleanser if you have been reading critically acclaimed books. There could have been more layers to the story, but I like it the way it is. Simple, happy and light.

This book gets an overall rating of 9 on 10 for making me walk down my memory lane and reminisce the innocence and youthfulness of my teen years. My rating is biased as I am a huge fan of teen fiction and romance. However, even the unbiased reader would have generous and positive feedback for this story!

A Night to Remember in the Maximum City

If you follow my blog, you will know that dancing is my secret passion after traveling, writing and running. I started learning to dance at the age of five, but I entered the realm of couple dancing two years back. In early 2013, I joined Latin ballroom classes in Powai and learnt the delicate art of dancing the rumba.

As my dancing improved, I advanced to higher levels, and went on to learn cha cha, jive, foxtrot, waltz, bachata, samba and paso doble. I also joined salsa to learn some street dancing. The best thing about joining the dance class (apart from having a great time, of course) was the grand party we would have every three or four months. This Latin party would be held at one of the best nightclubs in Mumbai where dance students from all over the city would gather to enjoy a night full of crazy dancing and mingling with dance students from other parts of Mumbai.

Through these dances, I had the distinct opportunity to taste the colourful nightlife of Mumbai. My first dance was at the Flaunt night club in Holiday Inn, a posh hotel in Andheri East. I remember how nervous I had been, worrying if I would remember my steps and be able to walk in my towering heels and swirl in my sheath dress. The glitz factor was very high on the dance floor - there were students from the advanced levels of Latin ballroom and salsa. They were decked up in glittering short dresses and wore makeup that shimmered in the lights reflected by the disco ball. I had started feeling a little out of place, but then one of my dance partners from the class spotted me and asked me for a dance.

One dance led to another, and I forgot everything else when I realized how much fun I was having. I danced with several men that night, many, experts in the art! I even danced with a gal pal who sat alone without her partner who couldn't make it at the last moment. I have been to many a discotheque in Mumbai since, and have sampled the fine lounges and restaurants with ample dance floors in Powai, Juhu, Bandra, South Bombay and Andheri. Many of these places have a unique charm and an ambience that keeps your coming back for more. However, my first experience at Flaunt remains my favourite for it was there that I learnt to lose my inhibitions and dance like no one was watching.

Simple Things that Make Me Happy

Happiness, they say, is elusive... a figment of one's imagination... transitory... and hard to grasp. It is true that you cannot see, hear, smell, taste or touch happiness. But you can surely feel it. And, that feeling is all that matters.

We tend to search for happiness at all the wrong places and in all the wrong things - money, bigger houses, more expensive gadgets, extravagant vacations, swankier cars, and the works. All of the aforementioned things make us happy, but only for a while. When the entire neighbourhood has still bigger houses, better cars, more tech toys and plans for yet more exotic holidays, we find happiness slipping out of our clutches. This is because we seek happiness externally. Whereas true happiness lies within us.

Happiness is an energy we all possess. It is only a few of us who know how to harness this secret energy that resides right under our noses. Research shows that people tend to be happier when they make others happy. Happiness increases manifold when we buy things for others, when we gift people and watch them smile. Charity is one of the largest sources of happiness that is known only to the fortunate few who are benevolent enough.

To me, happiness means finding pleasures in the simple things in life. I love to travel and explore the world. I am happy when I see the sun rise in the mountains and paint the sky gold. I am happy when I dive into a pool of cold water and swim on a sunny day. The cool caress of the water makes me cheerful. Happiness is anything that brings a smile to my face and the faces of those I love. I feel one is happy when one is satisfied and free of any tension. Satisfaction comes from contentment and lack of material desires. I am happier at cosy, friendly hostels where I can interact with fellow travellers than I am at star hotels where I sit aloof in my room.

Music is another thing that makes me happy. I love how soothing tunes can calm my senses and fill me with pleasure. I am happy when my mind is. Good books contribute a great deal in refreshing my mind. There is nothing like curling up with a nice, thick book with some hot chocolate to go with it. And the mention of chocolate reminds me how much I love to eat! Food prepared with affection and great ingredients never fails to lift my mood. I like my food to be simple, made with natural ingredients, with the vegetables retaining their true flavours. I also like to spend time with people who are good spirited. I have discovered that good company can do wonders to my level of happiness.

Lastly, volunteering makes me happy. I love to see the smiles on the faces of the children I teach. Kids have a kind of rare innocence and genuineness in their behaviour. The happiness I find at NGOs cannot be matched by all the gadgets in the world!

The Coca-Cola India video ad

What makes you happy? Share your happiness mantras in the comments below.

Oindrila's 5 Mantras to De-Stress

I have to catch a late night flight to Moscow tomorrow, and guess what! I am down with cold and breathlessness. :-( This is what stress does to me. My mum keeps scolding me for my erratic schedule and lack of sleep. I am always just working or traveling or writing. And she is right about the harm that stress is causing in my life.

The good news is...  I am not always this stressed. And I have some fantastic ways to beat stress, which I use frequently and from which I benefit tremendously. So, presenting my 5 Mantras to De-Stress:-

1. A good night's sleep:
   
   
   Sleep is one of the most underrated antidotes to stress. Many of us actually think sleeping is akin to wasting time! This cannot be further from the truth. Research shows that sleeping brings your body temperature down and lowers the secretion of stress hormones such as adrenalin and ghrelin. If you get sweet dreams, then even better! That will ensure you have a good supply of endorphins and serotonin (the feel-good hormones). Make sure you keep the room completely dark when you sleep in the night. Darkness regulates the release of melatonin, the hormone that improves sleep and increases immunity. They say, people grow taller if they sleep well as rest is what helps your proteins repair and build the body. Good sleep also reduces the chances of overeating as you feel satiated.
   
2. A relaxing weekend trip:
   
   The travel blogger in me will always tell you to travel if you want to bust stress. Make sure you keep your trip relaxing. Don't try to cram in too many activities. Watch the sunset, walk on soft sands, breathe in the mountain air. All of this will surely make you forget your stress.
   
3. A good body massage:
   
   Physical stress can best be cured with a good, long massage. Splurge on a spa weekend and get that exotic Swedish massage to soothe your tense muscles. You don't always need to spend so much, actually. Get your partner to join a massage class, and you'll get free professional massages for life! ;-)
   
4. Listening to soothing music:
   
   There are few things that music cannot melt. Stress is the first thing to buckle under the influence of powerful music. Instrumental tunes, especially classical ones, can relive your stress in just ten minutes.
   
5. Curling up with a nice book:
   
   If you are a bibliophile like I, you will know the comfort that envelops you as you lose yourself in a happy-themed novel. Make sure you have some milk and cookies to go with your long read.

These five ways will make sure you slow down in your life when it all becomes too much for you to handle. I am going to try a new quick way to De-stress & #SlowDownZindagi using Parachute Advansed Aromatherapy Oil in association with BlogAdda. Watch this video to see how:-

Contest Alert!!!

I'm sure you too have interesting ways to remain stress-free. I would love to hear how you relieve stress. Leave your answers as comments below and the best comment shall win a voucher! :-)

Good Night! Sleep Tight!

Did you know that babies sleep better when they are happy? I know this through numerous experiences with my younger sister (when she was tiny and crawled on all fours) and my sundry nephews and nieces. Even my own mother keeps sharing some of my stories from when I was a baby.

My first hand experiences with babies have made me aware of interesting and useful activities in which mothers engage their babies. These bedtime rituals are very special and help in strengthening the bond between a mother and her child. Many of these bedtime rituals also help the baby have a good night's sleep.

Off the top of my head, some fun bedtime rituals for little ones are:-

• Talking to them : Your baby need not understand anything you say. The very act of spending quality time with your child will go a long way in giving her a lot of contentment. A satisfied mind stays happy and has no trouble falling asleep at night. I will always make sure I talk to my baby and make her cackle with laughter for a few minutes before I tuck her in.
  
• Tucking them in : Now this is a ritual my father would religiously follow until we went to college. And this is a very powerful way of forging your relationship and creating a strong bond of trust and love. It's a very simple gesture. You can just pull the blanket over your son or help him set up the mosquito net. (We had those nets until a few years ago. I suppose, every Bengali family swears by these mosquito nets.)
  
• Reading them a story : I am an avid reader of novels and an aspiring author myself. Every child in my home will have the privilege of listening to a bedtime story. Stories with happy endings help your child feel better and they naturally have happy dreams. Avoid scary or negative stories around the night time.
  
• Milk and cookies : Quite a few mothers I know give a glass of warm milk to their toddler before they hit the sack. Milk has a calming effect on the mind and body and keeps the child satiated throughout the night. This ensures you don't have babies waking up in the middle of the night due to hunger. If your child is not fond of milk, serve an attractive chocolate chip cookie that she can dunk in her glass full of milk and enjoy the ritual.

Research says that the soothing compositions of Beethoven are very beneficial to children. The unique frequencies of the soundwaves make babies intelligent too. Such compositions help even when your baby is still in the womb. The pleasing music also helps put babies to sleep.

An important thing to remember here is that children retain in their dreams the last thing they do before they sleep. This is why a good bedtime ritual goes a long way in the growth and rest of your young one. The better your kids sleep, the better will be their concentration and physical and mental development!

Zenfone - My Ideal Valentine!

Yesterday was Valentine's day! Many of my friends badgered me to tell them who my valentine was. They suspected every hapless friend and colleague of mine, but they could not find out the identity of my valentine! Fortunately, you, my readers, will find out about my ideal valentine today! Watch this teaser video (the #UnconditionalLove advert) before I reveal the name of the special someone:-

After the short video clip, you all must have guessed who my perfect valentine is - Asus Zenfone! And this decision is not just my heart's but also my brain's. I have five reasons for choosing the Asus Zenfone to be my valentine:-

1. I can click endless selfies (thanks to the front camera) and pictures of beautiful landscapes (with the high definition thirteen megapixel rear camera) no matter where on earth I am. I am a travel blogger and I jet off to a new place almost every month. With my endless urge to record every memory in photos, I can't rely on random guys for the perfect shot. This is why I need the Zenfone to accompany me on my trips. This glamorous companion also pays attention to detail! Its five-element optical formula lens has larger photoreceptors to capture more light and enhance the intricate details of your face or object of attention.

2. This phone can multitask! The hyperthreading feature ensures that four threads can run simultaneously. What this means for me is that I can listen to music while I download a movie and upload the latest pic of my lavish meal on Instagram! And I can perhaps have my running app tracking my run too! A regular date cannot even do one thing at a time! Most guys look flummoxed when you ask them to take a video while they eat.

3. I can play and watch movies to my heart's content! The powerful Intel Atom processor delivers a power-packed gaming experience with mind blowing graphics. I'll never have to watch boring sports matches when I can watch a lovely romantic movie or an entertaining video in peace.

4. It will last longer! Unlike the average man who tires easily, the Asus Zenfone will stay charged for long hours. The phone is very power efficient, and despite my compulsive talking and taking pictures, it will not desert me.

5. Good looks! The Zenfone is the most elegant partner and arm candy these days. Who needs a constantly nagging and complaining guy when you can have a classy and sleek phone for your consort at the Valentine's day party!

I have already expressed my desire of dating the Zenfone. I hope it will be mine someday. Who was your valentine this year? Don't forget to share the details of your date with me! For the singletons, who would you like for a valentine? Let me hear your stories!

The Sound of Surprise

There are very few days remaining for Valentine's Day. This is a good time to tell you how I proposed to my better half last year. I had been preparing for some days before I executed the grand plan on his birthday.

I had planned a treasure hunt for my dear one. We both are explorers and I knew he would love a good search. I rang his doorbell and when he answered the door, I took him by surprise and blindfolded him. This gave me ample time to quickly put the post-it notes (which acted as clue markers) on the predefined clues in his house.

When I was done, I unfolded his eyes and handed him his first clue. All the clues I wrote were in verses. My boyfriend and I are into poetry and there are few things that good poetry can't do. ;-) He had turned twenty five, and I celebrated his age by planting twenty five clues across the house.

Now, my companion is quite smart, but even he would get stuck at a few clues. This is when I would grant him bonus clues for which he would have to pay with a kiss (I'm smarter! :-D ). After half an hour of searching and laughing and smooching, the birthday boy had finally found his gift. I waited with bated breath as he unwrapped the giant package and wondered what I had stashed inside.

He jumped with joy when he pulled out the camouflage-print forty litre rucksack I had selected for him. But the surprise wasn't over yet. The bigger surprise was the reason for the backpack - we were going to do a long trip to Delhi, Dehradun and Mussoorie in a couple of months! :-) He hugged me, not believing the news I had just broken to him. Travel is a passion we both nurture, but he has a special fondness for the mountains of the north. The Himalayas had been on his bucket list for many months.

As the evening gave way to an enchanting night, I took my boyfriend out to a romantic fine dining restaurant. His happiness knew no bounds when he saw it was an all-you-can-eat buffet with items he had been craving for! We celebrated the night with some wine to go with the sumptuous fare.

My love made me  ponder over the sounds that make me truly happy - the sound of his laugh when we think of our funny moments, the clinking of the glasses after we raise a toast to each other and our relationship, the sound of the music he plays on his mouth organ, the sound of his breath against my skin when we slow dance together. I believe this is what love sounds like. My favourite sound is the sound of togetherness. When we two are together, there is only silence - a sound that only we can perceive. It is our sound of love!

I am participating in the #SoundOfLove activity at BlogAdda in association with Bluestone.

The Valentine's Day Proposal

I was watching "Mera Pehla Pehla Pyaar" the other day (if you haven't, you should definitely catch this movie. It's a must watch for every lovestruck teen!) and I realized there is less than a month for Valentine's Day!!! :-)

And while I would love to receive a proposal, it doesn't look like "that" guy will ask me out. So, I'm going to have to be the courageous one and propose to my crush. I have already gotten over the cold-feet-and-clammy-hands phase, so I can now actually plan how to pop "the" question. My first idea was to put on a pretty dress and walk straight up to him. But that would be too boring, I thought later. So, I've come up with an elaborate plan to propose to my special someone. (I figured I should at least have fun proposing even if he turns me down in the end.)

On the 14th of February, I would rise at the crack of dawn and knock on his door before breakfast. (I'm lucky Valentine's Day falls on a weekend this year!) When he wakes up groggily and answers the door, I'd surprise him with a quick hug and wish him good morning. My citrus perfume would start working its magic by then (it's his favourite scent) and I'd have transformed his mood for the better. I would then tell him about the lavish Saturday brunch at the nearby ecotel hotel, and casually ask him if he would like to accompany me. (My crush is a huge foodie, and the mention of buffet would certainly fetch a positive response from him.)

I plan to book a sea-facing private table done up in white and blue (his favourite colours) for the two of us. Once we are seated, I'd tell him we both should sit on one side to get a good view of the sea. This trick will get us closer to each other and make it easier for skin-contact! ;-) We would share some laughter and keep eating at a very slow pace to spend maximum time with each other. And just before the dessert, I would clap my hands, and the hired guitarists would enter our dining area and play "Party for Two" by Shania Twain and Billy Currington.

Will you be my Valentine?

I'm hoping by then all the glasses of wine will have played their part and I'd be able to drag him on to the dance floor to shake a leg with me. At the end of the song, I'd hold him by his hand and pull him to the railings that overlook the sea. And that is when I'd ask, "Will you be my Valentine?"

I hope he'll say "yes". I will then be able to spend the evening on another date with him. How are you planning to propose to your crush on this Valentine's Day? Let me hear your ideas!