My Random Thoughts

A Special Gift for all my readers!!

2009-11-06T18:32:00.003+05:30

Gifts are always welcome, in whatever form they may be. So I thought I would give out this special gift to all my readers and visitors as a sign of appreciation for visiting my blog (for new visitors) and for being there for me through thick and thin (for my old friends).

I am offering a flat 15% discount coupon for my store CraftVogue, http://www.craftvogue.com/ for all my readers, old and new. The Discount Coupon code is RT15. I hope with this little effort I can make your holiday shopping a little more enjoyable....Happy Shopping!

If there is anything you would like to tell me, feel free to drop me a mail at priyanka(at)craftvogue(dot)com

A Ray of Hope!

2009-10-22T19:04:00.003+05:30

Today is a special day for me. After my site's official launch, there has been not much activity as per sales and I was getting a little worried and anxious as to if I had taken the wrong step (I have put in all my savings into this). I understand that in online business, it is not easy to grab attention, even for the Search Engines, forget about customers. Every morning I wake up with a hope that today will be a better day and as the day progresses, the hope also dies out.

But today is a special day. Not that I got my first order, but my first enquiry!. I know it isn't much of a thing to rejoice, but at least I know that someone somewhere is interested in what I am selling and has taken the initiative to mail me and enquire for more. This is a great feeling and I thought I should share it with you..my readers who have been with me all this while.

I hope this ray of hope turns into a full daylight and more and more people start noticing CraftVogue and use its products.

The CraftVogue Newsletter

2009-10-19T22:23:00.002+05:30

Days of Hardwork and Determination have brought us to this point in time. My long cherished dream of doing something of my own without forgetting my social responsibilities has finally come true. Although sales are yet to pick up and people are yet to know more about it, I am sure with the right motivation and the right intentions, God will surely take me ahead and help me make a difference that I want to....towards the society, towards the environment and towards my family. Please help me promote my site and let your friends and family know about it. Here is a link to my Newsletter: http://www.craftvogue.com/newsletter/ so that you know more about what CraftVogue is and why it is here.
Lastly, a very Happy Diwali to all my readers and hope this Festival of Lights brightens up every one's life.

And we are ready to go!!

2009-09-19T15:33:00.003+05:30

Hey friends, Thank you for your continued support. After months of perseverence and hard work, I am finally all set to get started and bring to you some of the most exquisite art forms from the remote corners of India. With this effort, I hope we (you and me together) can do our bit towards Rural Employment and also the Environment. I hope you will enjoy the products and give me an opportunity to serve you. Do visit my store http://www.craftvogue.com/ and also let your friends and family know about this new store in town.

See you there!

Happy Birthday to Me!! :)

2009-09-01T10:41:00.003+05:30

Happy Birthday to me...happy birthday to me.....happy birthday to dear me...happy birthday to me....clap clap clap.....
:)
Sadly, while all relatives and friends have been wishing me since morning...my parents forgot my birthday :'(
I think everything changes with time.....there was a time when Mom used to be up since mornign preparing my Birthday Party and today she doesn't even remember to wish me..... :(

Caught in the wrong relation?

2009-07-24T10:54:00.004+05:30

She had everything she had wanted from life--a good job, loving parents, cool friends, interesting lovers, and the best of all FREEDOM--what else could a girl of today's generation ask for. For her, her life was perfect and she was happy the way it was. The only thing she went wrong were her one-night stands and affairs which landed her up with guys who weren't quite right. Of course, she did come across some good ones but she could not understand their value then.

Then one fine day she gets committed to an old school friend who co-incidently was just the opposite of her---conservative, reserved, society-conscious, never indulged in anything wrong---a complete No-No of what she had been doing and believing so far. Everyone was amazed how she fell in love with such a person. They felt maybe it was time for her to understand life more seriously and leave behind her playful nature. As they say, Opposites Attract; they believed he is the Mr. Right for her for whom she had been waiting so long.

But Alas! He wasn't......they got married after a lot of opposition from both families but immediately after that problems started cropping up. He started showing his colors. The girl who once was never seen in dresses other than shorts, jeans, skirts was now made to wear traditional Indian dresses even while sleeping! Her life was getting miserable. Change is always welcome in life...but change such as this is more of a curse than a welcome note.

The most surprising thing is the poor girl is not even allowed to go to her parents for a week's stay since he believes that after marriage a girl should forget her parental house. How ridiculous! How can one forget the people coz of whom she is with him today???

I really wish she could step out of this mess and start a new life. But even that seems a far cry now with a new life breathing inside here. I don't know what advice to give to this very special friend of mine but surely pray to God to give her all the strength and happiness to make her life better.

Fan my company on Facebook

2009-07-11T13:53:00.002+05:30

Hey friends... as a step towards promoting my company and its mission, I have created a Facebook page and will be really happy if you can Fan my Company and help me in my new venture. Fanning me there will also ensure that you will be the first one to know all the latest updates on the company and be a part of my Family.
I hope to see you all there. We are already a one big blogging family......I hope you will support me in this new venture and let your friends and family know about it. :)

Narrow Escape!!

2009-06-29T12:00:00.002+05:30

It was a regular morning....I was preparing breakfast for my Father-in-law while getting myself ready for the day and cleaning the house. Just then the phone rang. It was my husband. His voice sent a shiver down my spine and the next words that he spoke totally took me aback. "P (that's what he calls me)......I met with an accident. The car is smashed. I have been hit by a bus and a college going kiddo has been killed in this mishap". I could not believe my ears. I slowly asked..."Are you safe?"......his words brought a sigh of relief...."I am".

The bus was speeding in heavy rain and lost its control and went and hit a college going teenager while he was standing to cross the road. The boy was spot dead and the bus went ahead and hit our car. Thankfully, my husband had his seatbelt fastened and while the bus came right upto the driver's seat, my husband had a Narrow Escape by an inch!!! God bless the teenager's soul and may he rest in peace and may He give his family the strength to cope with this misfortune.....Amen!

Seeking designers....anyone interested?

2009-06-24T10:32:00.004+05:30

I am in dire need of a designer who can help me with some designing stuff like screensavers, banners, widgets. The designer will be given full credit for his works on the site and also a link back to his blog/website/portfolio. For now, I may not be able to pay up for the services due to the current economic scene but his works will get full exposure on the site and will thus help him to popularize his skill. If anyone would be interested, please contact me at priyanka (at)craftvogue(dot)com.

Look forward to some eager responses......

Sorry........for being out of touch! :(

2009-06-18T15:55:00.002+05:30

I know I haven't been posting lately and there aren't any updates coming in as well from the development side of my business. But this is all due to the strenuous work schedule I am having currently. I have been constantly in and out of my attache travelling to different places every weekend and meeting the social organizations who will be my suppliers. I have so much to speak and share with you all, but so little time to do so. Whatever little time I manage for myself, I am so tired that I have hardly any energy to do anything. Please excuse me for this and I promise to be back with so much to read........I know you will stand by me as you have always done....

Love you all :)

Staying abroad....cool or not cool??

2009-06-02T11:55:00.002+05:30

Staying or working overseas has always been an attraction for me. When I was in my small hometown, coming out of it and staying in a metro was very appealing to me. I would keep imagining the kind of life people lead in a metro and would be weaving dreams of staying in a metro oneday. My wish got fulfilled-- I got married and started staying in Mumbai, a cool metro to be in. Now my dreams have got bigger....I now dream of overseas locations and hope that I can oneday stay there and enjoy the lifestyle there.

But on second thoughts, is it really cool to be staying so far away from your roots? Leaving your hometown and shifting to a metro is fine. You are in your own country and you can anytime go back and meet your loved ones back home. But staying overseas will be different. The people around you won't be yours, you won't be and can never be a part of that country...you will always be considered as an outsider. With the recent attacks on Indians in Australia, it has made me really think again if I really want to shift out of my own country and work for a country who will never own me.

Indeed those places are beautiful and the lifestyle is appealing, but is it worth it? Will it not be better for me to rather stay back in my own country and instead take a yearly holiday and visit beautiful locations abroad. I guess that will be a better bet....What do you say????

do we Eat to live or Live to Eat???

2009-05-26T16:47:00.003+05:30

These days me and my husband are constantly having an argument over my eating habits. He feels I am not eating enough due to which I am losing constant weight and some times getting weak. The problem is I am not being able to make him understand that I am having the right food at the right time and in the right quantity. When you do everything right, you ought to have a fit body. Regarding feeling weak at times, the work load has increased so much......starting a business on your own is no child's play! So much to think and plan and to top it all...I have a regular day job as well. Although I work from home, it's nevertheless tiring and staying with family you also have to look after the house.

In the midst of everything, I do take utmost care to eat at the right time and in the right quantity and the right food of course. But issue is he never sees me eating since he is away during the day and at night when my food intake reduces as it should be, he thinks I am not eating!!! Now whose gonna go and explain to this man that I am infact eating more than he does......I am tired of explaining this to him......

Why don't people realize that we Eat to Live...and not Live to Eat!!

I am loving it!!

2009-05-20T12:25:00.003+05:30

I never knew it would be so much fun to work for yourself. Finding the small small things that would benefit your business, negotiating deals, thinking of new ways to make things look better and all that it takes to build a strong foundation.......the excitement is amazing and I am loving every bit of it!!! Today I shall be signing the contract with the web development company and I have been thinking since morning and re-reading every aspect of the contract in case I overlooked any. I never even recall reading my own contracts with my employers in the past!!! All in all it is a wonderful experience and you get to learn so much about things you never really cared for.....I hope I can materialize all this experience into a successful business venture!

The first step!

2009-05-13T15:56:00.002+05:30

The first step towards my entrepreneurial attempt has been laid. I have registered my domain and website development work has started. Please wish me luck and success in my endeavor. Need all your wishes and support. :)
Will keep you all posted with my progress.....till then wish me luck! :)

Holidaying.....Naturally!

2009-05-06T14:39:00.011+05:30

Last weekend was a long one with Friday being a holiday on account of International Labor Day. Me and my husband took a flight to Calicut and from there went on to a village in the Waynad district of Kerala. It was an amazing experience, one that will always be dear to my heart and by far the best holiday I have had in recent times. It brought us close to our Mother Nature and made us realize how lucky we are to have such beauty on earth. Kerala is indeed very rightly called as God's own Country. The lustrous green paddy, the tall coconut trees, the rubber plantations, the coffee shrubs, the banana cultivations....everything was so heavenly beautiful.

We stayed with a local family in "Bamboo Village", a village that is working towards creating a sustainable income for the local people by making bamboo products. In fact, one of the reasons for visiting the place was to procure some of their items for my shop.

The people were so hospitable and so warm in welcoming us that we never felt that we are not a part of them. Although their language is entirely different from ours, they tried and communicated with us in whatever English they knew. It was in fact fun and exciting to communicate. Every time we communicated it was a challenge in itself....... :)

What was interesting to see there was people ate everything homegrown......rice, lentils, vegetables, fruits, and even coffee! Even pain oils and other stuff were being made at home.

The two days that we spent there were fantastic....we breathed fresh air, no stress, no tension, no hurry in getting things done.......what we and others do there is just relax and Live Life in the literal sense of the word.

Below are some of the pictures we took there.....hope they give you a feel of what we had been through in those two days! :)

The house where we had put up. The lady at the door is the hostess and the person working with flowers her husband.

The welcome snack...the white stuff and the jackfruit fries were delicious to have with coffee.

The morning sun.....It was so amazing to see such a view as soon as you open your eyes!

The cow shed....

Brinjals....we had it's curry in the afternoon and it was yummy!

Coffee, banana, vegetables everything at the reach of your hand!

Rubber plantations...we used this way as a short route to reach the main road

Bamboo artisans at work

Out of words or Out of Touch???

2009-04-22T11:05:00.004+05:30

I have been wondering since a few days what to blog about. The latest political happenings (too boring, already so much has been said about them), celebrity gossip (not of my interest), some cool updates on my own life (none really!) or anything else which might be of interest to my readers. But sadly enough there is nothing which is intriguing enough for me to write. Is it because I have been giving too much of a gap between my posts or is it that I have lost what it takes to write and make even the uninteresting things interesting!

I have however started a cooking blog primarily for me to remember my experiments in the kitchen :). But I am still looking for something really to blog about here and just can't find what it is... :(

However, as they say, Where there is a Will, there is a Way....I will soon come back with a nice interesting post. Till then, please do keep visiting my blog and keep my motivation up :)
I am what I am today as a blogger because of all the love and support I have got from you, my readers! :)

Love you all!

Malpua--A sweet tea-time snack

2009-04-14T13:07:00.004+05:30

Ingredients:

Maida (refined Flour) 1 1/2 cups

Cold milk 1 cup

Castor sugar 1 cup

Crushed cardamoms 2 tsp

Raisins 10-15

Baking powder 1 1/2 tsp

Oil for deep frying

Procedure:

Take all the flour in a bowl and add all the dry ingredients and mix well. Slowly pour in milk until the consistency is similar to whipped cream. Heat oil in a pan and scoop out small proportions and fry one by one. (Tip--to ensure that it is cooked from inside, prick with a toothpick while turning sides). Fry until golden brown and keep monitoring the heat so that they don't get burnt.

There are many other variations as well which end up making it very high in calories.

Enjoy this quick and easy tea time snack--guilt free....Serves 12

An Unexpected Reunion :)

2009-04-03T10:46:00.002+05:30

Few days back I got a call from one of my college friends.....one of my best friends. But the person at the other end of the line was not him. The voice was familiar....many names were going on in my mind. I was certain I knew this voice, yet could not make out who it was. Finally, the name flashed in my mind and I was taken aback. It was none other than my closest friend....my soulmate (that's what we were called in our college days) with whom I hadn't spoken for the past 4 years.

In one of my previous posts which you can find it here I had mentioned how and why we had mysteriously stopped talking with each other and got on with our lives. Now after four years when we spoke, believe it or not, we picked up the threads right from where we left them.

Although there was a long gap of four years and our lives had taken a different path since then, it was not at all evident in our conversation and we spoke for hours recalling the old days when we were together and relived those happy moments again and again. After long long long years I laughed the way I always used to do (my laughter was very typical and I was known by it :)).

I am really glad that we are speaking again! Life is indeed beautiful and has so many surprises in store for us.

Did you have a similar experience as mine? Do you also have someone whom you left out long back and wished you could meet them again? Share it here....who knows they might be reading this!

Don't lose your mind, lose your weight: Review Part 1

2009-03-30T11:26:00.003+05:30

This is a new book which dares to alter the predominant myths of Dieting and shows the easy rules to keep yourself fit and at the same time enjoy our favorite food......Interesting isn't it? Losing weight while eating.... :)

I haven't yet completed the book....a slow reader :( But whatever I have grabbed till now, I am listing it below. Hope it helps all those who are fighting weight loss.....There's more to come :)

Our Stomach is the most active between 7 AM and 10 AM. That's why it is always advised to have a heavy breakfast.

There is no use in going on crash diets once you have done the damage. The amount you lose in Crash diet is gained back in double quantity in a short time span. If on any day you overdo your eating, just go back to your normal diet the next day. There is no special place in our body which stores the excess amount we had the other day.

Have mini meals every two hours. These meals can also include small quantity of your favorite foods.

Sweeteners and low calorie foods do us no good. They are just marketing gimmicks. It is rather better to have full calorie foods because then we know that we are having something which we aren't supposed to and so we will stop at one or two bites. But with low calorie foods, we will be in the wrong notion that it is low calorie and tend to eat more and thus doing more harm.

While having food you should always be sitting in a cross-legged position.

Go without salt atleast once a month.

Exercise, exercise and exercise.....there is no alternative to exercise! A regular 1 hr exercise and a proper balanced diet will do wonders for your body.

There are many more to come......I will keep you all posted and blog in the new tips and tricks that I come across...

Till then follow these and keep fit!

Back from a Break!

2009-03-23T09:57:00.002+05:30

Sorry friends...I haven't been blogging lately. Reason being I took a week's break from all my daily activities.....no work, no excercise, no diet, no tensions....just eat, sleep,and relax! My darling had also taken a week off and we both went to Goa for a few days and after that stayed at home enjoying with each other and reviving the old times. It was so much fun and relaxing to be just the two of us. I think every one of us needs to take a break like this once in a while to revive your relation which otherwise gets so lost somewhere in the daily run. It brings back a new zeal to your life!

A to Z of me....

2009-03-12T10:56:00.005+05:30

This post is inspired by Lisa S from http://momof2boyswifeof1.blogspot.com/ who was also inspired by someone else.... :D Here's a peek into the person I am...
A---mbitious....sky is the limit for me....:)
B---eautiful....I am not blowing my own trumpet, but I believe every person has a beauty of his own :)
C--urious...I am a curious cat...I don't get peace until I get the truth out :)
D--ominating....not that I rule over my family...but I like to take the lead
E--nthusiastic. I get excited very easily and a very enthusiastic person when it comes to doing something new
F--un-loving. I am a happy-go-lucky person.
G--od-fearing. Truly believe in Him and never forget to thank Him for all the good things in my life
H--oliday. I wish life was always a holiday and I could go on visiting one place after another and enjoy the beauty of the different places without having to worry about anything else. :)
I--maginative. I love to imagine things and places and situations. In short, I am a dreamer! love to see dreams and work towards making them true
J--unky. I love junk food....pizzas, burgers, pastries, ammmmmm...yummy!! I miss them so much ever since I started my diet :'(
K--ooking....I know I spelt it wrong...but there is only one C.. :) Not my fault :P I love to try different recipes..specially health recipes and most of all, I love to kook (since my cooking starts from 'k') my husband's favorites
L--ove....the best thing in my life. I had made many mistakes until I found the right one, but as they say you don't know you did a wrong until you find a right! :)
M--arried...happily to the love of my life. We have been in relationship since the past 8 years and got married a year ago but it still feels like it was yesterday...
N--aughty. A very naughty person...not in the wrong sense though and without harming anyone...i love to play pranks and make my way out whenever I want anything
O--ver-weight. I was very heavy till few years back and have lost a lot since then. However, few more lbs to go till I am in the desired shape :)
P--assionate about life and everything about it. Whatever I do, I do it with passion and a lot of determination. This is what has helped me reach my goals in life.
Q--uiet....When I am low and not sure what to do and where to go, I like to be in a quiet place all by myself to understand the situation and find a solution.
R--ome....I have a fascination about this place and would love to visit it someday
S--imple. All said and done, I am a simple girl at heart and do not much understand the complicacies of life. I believe in the saying: Live and Let Live!
T--ravel...I love it! Enjoy being in different places and meeting different people
U--nderstanding. That's me!
V--odka...that'smy favorite drink!! love it...:P
W--ork from home. I am currently looking for new opportunities as SezWho got acquired :(
X--ams always dreaded me and although I was a good student, I hated studies!
Y--oung....just 27 years old and hope to remain young all through life....no, I don't know black magic :P
Z--odiac sign is Virgo...:)
So that's all about me....I hope you enjoyed knowing me as much as I enjoyed re-discovering me :)

Holi: the festival of colors

2009-03-11T12:10:00.003+05:30

India is today celebrating the festival of colors..Holi! A wonderful festival where people irrespective of caste, creed, color greet each other with color and play all day long with friends and family. So hoping that this day brings color and happiness to the lives of all my dear readers and friends...here's wishing you all a very Happy Holi!!!

Being a woman!

2009-03-05T15:54:00.003+05:30

I was thinking about this few days back that how great it feels to be a woman. We pass through so many phases in life from being a responsible daughter, a loving sister, an adorable lover, a matured wife, a caring mother, and finally the most loving grandmother. It's amazing to see how we grow from phase by phase into a completely different person and get so easily adapted to our newly discovered roles. Without any disregard to the opposite sex, women are god-gifted with a lot of patience and self control and always face difficult situations with a lot of courage and determination. Men maybe stronger than us physically but whenever any problem confronts them, they always fall bck on us for support. No wonder they say: Behind every successful man, there is a woman....

Although times have been changing and men and women have been in the same levels, the essence of a woman still remains and her existence will always have the same meaning: an epitome of love, care and forgiveness.

Come let's together celebrate the essence of a woman!

Cheers to womanhood......

List of online shops

2009-03-03T15:30:00.002+05:30

Hey friends, many of you have your own online retail stores either hosted on some e-commerce platform or have created your own website. As a start-up, I do not wish to immediately plunge into investing in a website but rather get a feel of the customer requirements by selling online through one of those online retail stores available. I visited a number of sites like Etsy, eBay, etc. For Etsy, they want you to sell handmade goods made by you only. As I told earlier, this initiative is meant to help in the upliftment of physically challenged people and sell things made by them. So Etsy isn't happening for me. Would you know of other online stores where I can start selling and then later start a website of my own?

Help me help a woman

2009-03-01T00:26:00.003+05:30

Hey friends, with Women's Day approaching, I suddenly had this thought in my mind this morning that why not help a woman using my internet skills and her creative skills. Motive is simple: Help a woman grow!
So to move this forward, I have put up a poll. Please vote and let me know your views. Your contribution is very important.
Remember....Together we can! :)
Jai ho!!!
Update: Initially, I wanted to help a woman and try and make her life better. However, after a lot of search and enquiry, I could not get details of any such lady. The good news is I have come to know about an NGO in my area which takes up such work which I am planning to do. Better still, the NGO helps mentally retarded children and helps them to lead a respectable life by training them on various arts and crafts. I hope things work out well and I can contribute something for the betterment of the society. With a good motive in mind, I hope God helps me with my work.

Life's lessons

2009-02-26T16:27:00.003+05:30

At times, life takes its turn as a teacher and suddenly confronts us with such lessions and sudden tests that it takes time for you to understand what's going on. By the time you realize you are actually in a test, it becomes too late to ammend your mistakes. The only difference in having a sudden school examination and a real life examination is that there is no second chance. While you can do better in your second examination at the school, Life does not give you a second chance.

The wise men learn from their mistakes and move on. Those who don't, get stuck there and keep pondering why and how it happened. As for me, I have decided to move on (not that I mean I am wise :P) since I wasn't getting anything out of it. What's the point in thinking about something which can't be undone? It's better I think about something which can be made better.

So here I am back to my own self full of spirit and joy and with a smile on my face (as it is I look very odd when I frown :))

Now I have also to take care of my new travel blog. Lots to do and write. I hope you are visiting that blog too and will help me build it like you did with this one...

Love you all for all the kind messages and support... Muah!

A little diversion!

2009-02-24T14:39:00.005+05:30

Depressed as I am, I have been trying to think of something else since morning but the same things are going on and on in my mind. So I thought maybe blogging would be the best way to divert my mind and think about the good things in life.....while there are many, the latest good thing in my life is to be awarded the Passionate Blogger award from my dear friend Lisa. Yipee! my first blogger award!!

The rules of this award are:

Put the award logo in your blog
Write about the 5 things you are passionate about in life
Pass on the award to 5 more bloggers who you think deserve this award

So the five things I am passionate about? Well, pretty simple....

My darling husband
Travelling
Blogging, a newly discovered one :P
Havign a fit body. I don't exercise one day and I feel so guilty...lol!
Cooking

It's been just a month for my blog and although I have got a fair number of visitors, I have only a few regular visitors. Since I need to nominate people who truly deserve it, I am passing on this award to three bloggers whom I know truly are Passionate bloggers!

My dear friend and doctor, Sparsha from http://ourtravelindia.blogspot.com/. He is the one who motivated me to start my own blog and kept on following up until one day I opened it and was introduced to this wonderful world of blogging...Thanks, Sparsha! I owe you this award... :)
Priyanka from http://chirpyparo.blogspot.com/. She is my aerobics partner and is an awesome person and a friend
Lisa from http://alterityart.blogspot.com/. She is a great motivator. At a time when I was confused about my business plans, her one comment enabled me to think straight and focus on what I truly want and desire...Thanks Lisa! Do visit my other blog http://travelplannerdeb.blogspot.com/ which is the first step towards my goal

Life can be harsh at times

2009-02-23T09:47:00.002+05:30

Life isn't a bed of roses and so true it is! Last Friday something terrible happened which put me in deep trouble and unless the problem gets sorted out, I won't be getting a piece of mind. I will definitely share my troubles with you but for now please pray for me that the issue gets resolved and I am a happy person again.
BTW, in these trouble times, I was delighted to know that I have been awarded the Passionate Blogger award by my dear friend Lisa from http://momof2boyswifeof1.blogspot.com/ .
Right now, I am going out a little to meet someone regarding the issue but I promise to get back and post more on the award...till then, please keep praying for me. I need your best wishes!

Please help!

2009-02-20T09:53:00.002+05:30

Guys, something wierd has happened to my template. It as working fine till yesterday and suddenly today morning it is looking like this. Could anyone please help me with a solution urgently?
Anyone out there?? :'(

And they lived happily ever after....

2009-02-19T22:47:00.007+05:30

That's the kind of movies I love to watch and that's exactly the movie I just watched! Happy Gilmore. I was surfing through the channels feeling rather bored and nothing good to catch up with. The news channels were all showing the same things...who killed whom, who is responsible for what, who did this and who did that....depression everywhere, problems everywhere....no one seems to be really happy. Then I suddenly caught a glimpse of Adam Sandler of American Pie fame (really liked that movie too :)). HBO was showing Happy Gilmore....I knew this had to be good and good it was!
The movie had already started when I had got onto it but it wasn't tough to catch up with the story. Gilmore is just a normal happy go lucky guy who loves Hockey, lives Hockey and eats Hockey. He has a very adorable Grandma whom he loves the most. One fine morning he gets a call from her saying that the Government is taking away her home and belongings due to non-payment of taxes. With no money to re-pay, Gilmore is forced to shift his grandma to a weary old age home but with a promise to get back her home, no matter what. Now as his grandma's house was getting vacated, Gilmore suddenly suddenly discovered his golfing skills and went to a nearby golf course for making some quick bucks out of his long shots. Here he was spotted by a one-time famous golfer and he persuaded him to participate in the qualifying round for the national tournament. Gilmore was at first amused at the fact that he was mistaken for a Golf player where he was a Hockey player. But the huge bucks involved in the tournament award reminded him of his promise to his grandma and he went on to become a golf player.
Gilmore's style of playing Golf mixed with funny gestures soon made him a favorite among the masses and came to be called Happy Gilmore. The other senior players could not digest his success very well and tried to create obstacles. But Happy Gilmore faced all difficulties with a strong determination and a happy heart. He won the Tournament, kept his promise made to grandma, got a sexy girl friend....and they lived happily ever after! Amazing!!
Moral of the story? Always face difficulties with a smile. Do your best and do not worry about the result. Success is bound to come to you. It takes more muscles to frown then to smile!
So keep smiling and keep spreading happiness.....
Good night!

Cervical Cancer-- A growing concern for women

2009-02-18T09:14:00.003+05:30

I had been hearing this word quite many times in the recent times. I have also seen campaigns run by celebrities to create awareness about this deadly disease. However, I never really went about to actually check out the details and know more about it. I read in the newspaper today about Jade Goody who is inflicted with this disease and has been left with very little time due to late diagnosis of the disease. So without any delay I set about knowing more about the disease so that I and my dear readers can also be informed of the symptoms and prevent the spread of this sexually transmitted disease.

Cervical cancer is a cancer which occurs in the lower part of the Uterus (womb) known as the Cervix; hence the name Cervical Cancer. It starts with the abnormal growth of cells in the cervix and can be cured if diagnosed early with a PAP test.

Cervical cancer is caused due to a virus called human papillomavirus (HPV) which is generraly transmitted while having sex with someone who is bearing this virus. All HPV aren't dangerous. While some cause Cervical Cancer, some cause genital warts and some go without any effect. However, HPV does not start its work immediately. You may not realize its presence in your body for many years and discover it at a very late stage. Regular PAP tests are hence very important. PAP tests detects any change in cervical cells before they can turn to cancerous cells and thus prevent the Cancer.

The symptoms of abnormal cervical cell changes aren't really that obvious until the cancer starts. Symptoms of Cervical Cancer includes:

Abnormal bleeding from the vagina or alteration in your menstrual cycle for no obvious reasons

Bleeding from the cervix during sex or if any other thing comes in contact with it like while putting a diaphragm

Unusual pain while having sex

Vaginal discharge tinged with blood

As pointed out earlier, the best way to diagnose the cancer is to have regular PAP tests while having your regular pelvic checks. Cancer that is detected early is curable and you are still able to have children after that. However, in late cases, the cancer is removed and the process involved makes you unable to conceive thereafter as both your ovaries and fallopian tubes might be removed during the hysterectomy.

So dear friends call your doctor today and conduct a PAP test. Also, spread the awareness among your friends so that together we can help people to lead a healthy and happy life.

Cheers to good health!

Weekend Getaway Trip to Lonavla

2009-02-16T09:27:00.010+05:30

As promised, here I am with a brief account of my relaxing weekend getaway trip to Lonavla. We started quite late as we were waiting for one of my husband's friends who eventually didn't turn up. Nevertheless, we had a smooth drive on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway and reached Lonavla in just under an hour's time. As we didn't have any prior bookings at any of the hotels, we started off looking for the 'cheap and best'. The first few hotels that we enquired were not at all worth the money they were asking. Finally, after a lot of enquiries, we ended up at a place which we had visited around 2 years back. The hotel had undergone renovations recently and we were really amazed to see what they had made out of that small hotel. The price was equally attractive. It's called Citrus and belongs to the Encore group of hotels and restaurants, the same group which owns the Rajdhani chain of restaurants.

At just INR 2000 per night, we got a nice cozy room with LCD TV, Locker, Tea-Coffee machine, and a very very comfortable bed and not to forget the DJ who was playing us nice music in the garden. The hotel staff were very courteous and provided with quick and efficient room service.We had a lovely time partying in the night with lots of food and drinks. :P

The next day we spent lazily in our room discussing the business opportunities that we can explore and which we feel we are passionate about. The day ended very quickly and before I could realize I was at home and planning my next holiday trip. This me and my husband always do--whenever we are back from any holiday, we start planning our next one. :)

Below are some pictures of this sweet and simple weekend getaway.

The garden area in the hotel.

The Hotel lobby

The market area. Lonavla is famous for its Chikkis, a sweet and delicious snack.

Lonavla Lake

On way back to Mumbai

Mumbai-Pune Expressway

So that sums up my small weekend getaway. Hope you enjoyed it as much as I did!

Happy Valentines Day, Friends!!

2009-02-14T14:33:00.002+05:30

Hey friends, wish you all a very Happy Valentines Day and wish that all of you have a life full of love and happiness today and always. Love and be loved! :)

As for me, I am off for a weekend holiday to Lonavla, a nearby weekend getaway with my darling and few of his friends. I will get some pictures of the trip and blog about it as well. It's a nice place about an hour's drive from Mumbai.

So here's wishing you all once again a very Happy Valentines Day. Have fun!

P.S.: I was thinking how cool it will be to have someone birthday/anniversary on this day. I know one person who was born on 14th Feb. Do you know anyone who celebrates his birthday or anniversary on 14th Feb?

Happy Birthday Daddy!

2009-02-13T10:35:00.003+05:30

Hey friends, it's my Dad's birthday today..:)

Although he lives far away from me, in another part of the country, and I can't celebrate this day with him and my other family members, I thought why not celebrate it through my blog with my fellow blogger friends. Nice idea, right? This way he can get sooooo maaaany good wishes from people whom he doesn't know but they know him through my blog... :) Now let me tell you a little about the first man in my life...my Dad.

Born in a respectable family with 11 brothers and sisters (I wonder how my grandma achieved that number..lol), he grew up to be a Doctor. He was working in a Govt. Medical College when he fell in love with my Mother (no she is not a doctor nor a nurse ;)) and they both got married. Soon after they had a pretty baby girl (not me...we are three sisters and I am the youngest) and life was at its best. But as they say, Life is not a Bed of Roses, Dad suddenly had a paralytic attack and was bed-ridden for six months. My Mom was the sole bread earner then and had to take care of Dad and the three month old baby. Fortunately, life couldn't have been so harsh to him. He came back with a bang! He recovered miraculously and gave a fresh start to life.

Things went on smoothly thereon. After my second sister was born, Dad was really eager to have a baby boy. But as luck would have it, he was again blessed with a baby girl (that's me)! My Mom tells me that he didn't come to see me the whole day...lol!

However, he soon realized what a lovely gift he has got. :) I was the most pampered in the house and his "Favorite" (I love this word :)). I wish for something and it was there....the best days of my life! I was the Princess of the house.

Today he turns 69...a regular smoker, a diabetic, weighing 120 kgs and left with fairly any enthusiasm to lead his life. Just yesterday he got the sad news that his best friend, his room mate during his medical course, passed away.

The only thing which makes him happy is Travelling. He has been to many countries and travelled widely. The only place he wishes to visit before he departs (I hate this word) is Australia....I really want to gift him this trip and pray to God that he lives till the time I am capable of sending him for an all expenses paid Australia trip. He has given me all that I have asked for all my life and now I wish I can give him this little bit of happiness which he rightly deserves.......I love you Daddy..you are the best!

I Can't Find It!!

2009-02-12T09:42:00.003+05:30

It's been quite some time since I have wanted to start something of my own. Something where I can use my skills and creates my ideantity as a person. Sadly, I still can't find what it is. Ihave been thinking and thinking very hard but nothing concrete comes into my mind for which I can say...Bingo! I got it.

I have a lot of ideas floating but all of them have some problem or the other, some shortfalls which makes me unsure of its success. I know you cannot ascertain the success or failure of a business before getting started, but the cons get so heavy that the idea gets abandoned.

My work requires me to visit so many blogs everyday and meet so many creative people who have started on their own using their skills and talent. This sometimes makes me think that don't I have any skill which can help me get started or is it that I am still to identify the real me.....ohh, so many questions going on, so many thoughts floating.....Will I ever be able to come to a conclusion? Will I be able to start something?

Eureka! Eureka! Eureka!

2009-02-11T10:08:00.003+05:30

Hey dear friends, I finally got my template up and thankfully its working fine with all my widgets (have to get back the ones I lost earlier).
What do you think of my new template and the new look?
When I started with this blog I didn't have any idea what I am going to write. Now that I have a theme in mind, I have made my blog into what I want it to be. Please let me know your feedback on how you liked my new look (there is also a poll on my sidebar).
Look forward to your comments...gosh, I am so excited about my new template!!

Changing my template

2009-02-09T16:47:00.002+05:30

Dear readers, I am changing my template. Sorry for any issues that you may see in the blog during ths time.

Please check back again and let me know how you find the new look of my blog.
Till then,
Priya
Update: I messed it up all...could not change the template :( and I lost all my widgets and other changes I did. :'(
Someone help me!

Recession woes!

2009-02-09T10:03:00.002+05:30

The most common word in all news channels and news papers these days is recession. Everyone seems to be talking about it, everyone discussing the ways to handle it. Some have even come out with theories and studies regarding it. But all theories and discussions cannot woo the families and the people who have been directly affected by this sudden change of events. Happy, well-set families have now been forced to think each day....What next? Some desparate families unable to cope with the situation have even resorted to suicide, killing not only themselves but also their families. Unemployment has risen to 7.5% in the US which is the highest ever. Thousands of people turn up for any vacancy that gets published in the newspapers. All attempts from the Govt. to lessen the impact have still not been able to bring things under control.

People who still have their jobs safe are happy with just the fact that they have something in hand to provide their families with, even though with a pay cut.

Till one year back, life was like a dream to many........today, it's a living hell with families dying, relationships ripping apart, distress everywhere!

But life is such! You cannot always continue to enjoy the good things. When there is an Up, there ought to be a Down, else how will you go Up. The darkest time of the night is when it's just about to dawn. So let's all keep our hopes intact and keep trying. Unless we go through bad times, how will we value the good?

Keep faith and keep trying!

It's Weekend Time Again..yayyy!

2009-02-06T14:31:00.003+05:30

I am sure all agree that weekends are the best part of the week...get up late in the morning, have a lazy cup of tea/coffee, have a nice breakfast, spend time reading the newspaper, make plans for the day, spend some time in cleaning the house, do some elaborate cooking, have a great nap in the afternoon, go for a nice family dinner, shopping or just stay back at home and enjoy some good movies......wow, the very thought of it makes me feel great!

Now, that's what I generally do on my weekends....what about you? How do you make your weekend special?

Have a rocking weekend!!

Dreamz Unlimited!!

2009-02-05T16:16:00.005+05:30

How often do you dream? How big do you dream? What do you dream to do to make your dream come true? aah....too many dreamy questions, right? But the main question is do you really go after your dreams. Not many of us do!

Most of us get so busy with our daily lives and responsibilities that our dreams only remain within us and eventually get burried with us. But there are some people who have the courage and the determination to think beyond their limitations and achieve what they want in life. The most recent of such people is our very own President Obama. We all know his story and how he rose to such levels where he is today. There are still thousands of untold stories of people who are achieving their dreams everyday!

Personally, I always wanted to be an Actor from my childhood. I grew up with this dream and I still live with it hoping that I can get it fulfilled one day.

What's your long cherished dream??

Life's best!

2009-02-04T13:05:00.004+05:30

I read my friend Lisa's blog today and happy to know that she has been awarded the Life is Grand award. This award made me think which are the best things in my life and which I value the most. Not that I have to really think hard to get those out, but it's sometimes good to realize the importance of the best things in your life which otherwise go unnoticed. So let's all share the 5 best things in our lives and feel good about having them. Here are mine:

Without any doubt, my beloved husband

My ever supporting, my pillar of strength, my Mother

My way to discovering my inner potential, my work

My closest friend since 8 years, Santanu

The place I stay. It has given me so much ever since I left my hometown

Like life, it's best things are also bound to change and new things will keep adding up to the list. For now, these are the things I cherish and really grateful to God for giving me life's best!

I have shared mine....how about you?

Love is in the air!

2009-02-03T15:06:00.005+05:30

And true it is. This is the month of love and affection, be it towards your beloved husband, boyfriend, best friends, or even your parents or kids. Love should be expressed and not kept to yourself. Personally, I have been noticing that my husband has been keeping real good care of me from the beginning of this month--giving me calls from office, hanging around me after coming back home, always wanting to take me out for a drive, buying me things, doing small stuf for me and even helping me in the kitchen, and not to mention those prompt hugs and kisses everytime he comes near me. It feels so good to be loved!!

Love to me is an expression, a feeling, an urge to do something special, a passion, a prayer that you say every morning thanking the Lord for giving this precious gift in your life.

I don't believe in bestowing gifts on your loved ones and measure your love by the number of gifts you receive or the cost borne in buying those gifts. It's the effort that you make to make him/her feel special and loved that matters the most and is infact cherished the most.

That's my definition of Love...what's your's?

February 2: Groundhog Day

2009-02-02T10:57:00.004+05:30

This day is celebrated as an annual holiday especially in US and Canada where the fate of the next six weeks is decided by a groundhog and his shadow :)

The logic goes like this: The groundhog comes out of his burrow and if he fails to see his shadow because of cloudy weather, then winter will soon end. On the other hand, if it sees its shadow due to a sunny weather, the groundhog will retreat into its burrow and winter will continue for six more weeks. Not sure how correct it is, but nevertheless, this is the custom behind the Groundhog Day which is celebrated widely in Pennsylvania where this custom had originated.

Infact, as many as 40,000 people gather in Pennsylvania for this event.

The most esteemed customer of Fairness Creams!!

2009-02-02T10:10:00.004+05:30

Excellent marketing :) I guess he is using some hair raising products as well :D
Enjoy!

January 31: Sdrawkcab Yad

2009-01-31T08:27:00.003+05:30

Thinking what have I written in the title up there? No it's not a new language I learnt overnight. So what is it that I have written there?? Yes, you guessed it right...It's Backwards Day today! Never heard of it? Well, the origin of this day is still to be known and discovered but for now lets be happy with the little information that we have at hand and be creative with this day. It's a great day to play pranks on friends and family. Use your imagination and the fun you can have will know no bounds. Think of games and challenges you can put your friends to and make the best of this special day today...

Do write in your fun moments of this day.....eager to hear from you :)

Yojne!! :D

Good one! The first 100 minutes of Obama....

2009-01-30T11:40:00.002+05:30

Found this while surfing yesterday....excellent caricature!!

No comments??

2009-01-29T11:34:00.004+05:30

Hey my dear readers...I have been writing and working so hard to keep this blog updated. Now you need to show your kindness and post some comments. Come on...be a sport and go ahead and motivate me and make my day special! :)

Eager to see your comments....

January 29: Puzzle Day

2009-01-29T10:06:00.003+05:30

Interesting, isn't it? A day celebrated for playing puzzles.. :)

Puzzles of any size, shape or form should and are to be played today. Puzzles have been a subject of interest since yester years. There have been many mythological tales where heroes have been set to difficult tasks for solving puzzles. Although the reason for solving puzzles have been changing through times, people still love puzzles and it's been gaining popularity constantly and now puzzles are even played at National and International levels.

Whatever the cause for your interest, do hone up your skills and solve a puzzle today to celebrate this intelligent and interesting day!!

Have fun.. :)

Feeling lonely, are you??

2009-01-28T14:40:00.004+05:30

This weekend I visited a very close friend of mine who had moved to another city last year. Meeting her brought back old memories and the fun we had together, the frequent visits to each other's place, long calls, making plans for the weekends, and so much more. Now when I think of those days, it makes me smile and also sad when I come back to reality where I have no one to speak to, no place to visit, no plans to make. Today, I am also missing a really close friend from my college days. We were together from the vry first day in college and separated on the last day. Those four years in college (I am an engineering graduate) we were always spotted together--in college (we were from the same stream and so even sat together during classes), in market area, in events, and every other thing that we could do together. We were the best of friends. We had so many plans, so many drams which we saw together once we are out of college. But Alas!! When finally we graduated, all those dreams were forgotten, all plans discarded and we parted. Why, how, I still don't know? Who was at fault, who wasn't, I don't know......The only thing I know today after 4 years is that I still remember those days and still miss her and still wish we were together.....

Gosh! feeling really down today.....hmmm

Chocolate cake

2009-01-27T14:02:00.003+05:30

Ingredients:

Refined flour (Maida) 1 cup
Cocoa 1/2 cup
Baking powder 2 tsp
Eggs 3
Unsalted Butter 200g
Castor sugar 1 cup
Milk 1/2 cup
Vanilla essence 2 tsp
Chocolate chips 1/2 cup
Procedure:

Seive the flour, baking powder and cocoa together and keep aside. In a big bowl, put in the melted butter and the eggs and beat well till a froth is formed. Beat in the sugar and mix till it desolves. put in the vanilla essence and mix once. Now slowly fold in the cocoa and flour mixture and keep strring constantly while you add the flour so as to avoid any lumps. Once all the flour is added stir it well and make sure no lumps are there. Add the milk and stir again. Add the chocolate chips and stir gently.

Now grease a cake tin of your desired shape and pour in the cake mixture. While pouring, make sure no air bubbles are formed. Pre-heat the oven to 250 degree celcius and with both heating rods on for ten minutes. Thereafter, put in the cake tin and set the temperature to 150 degree celcius for 30 minutes. Halfway, turn off the upper heating rod. When done, prick the center of the cake with a long knife to make sure it's cooked. If not, place for another 10 minutes, else remove on a wire rack to cool. You can do a chocolate fudge icing or have it as is

Enjoy!

January 27: Chocolate Cake day

2009-01-27T11:00:00.004+05:30

What a yummy day!! So for all you cake lovers out there go out and have a nice chocolatey, yummy cake or pastry today. Not vanila, not strawberry, not half chocolate...Only and purely chocolate cakes!! And all those who love to bake..go ahead and bake a lovely yummy chocolate cake with lots of chocolate icing!! I will soon post a simple chocolate cake recipe later today.

Have fun with those calories :P

January 26: Chinese New Year and Indian Republic Day

2009-01-26T09:30:00.002+05:30

Chinese New Year

January 26th, 2009 is celebrated as Chinese New Year. It is one of the most important Chinese traditional holidays and also known as the Spring festival or the Lunar New Year. The festival traditionally begins on the first day of the first lunar month in the Chinese calendar and ends on the 15th. The dates for celebrating the New Year varies as per the calendar. The 2009 date for Chinese New Year is January 26.

According to tales and legends, the beginning of Chinese New Year started with the fight against a mythical beast called the Nian or "Year" in Chinese. Nian would come on the first day of New Year to devour livestock, crops, and even villagers, especially children. To protect themselves, the villagers would put food in front of their doors at the beginning of every year. It was believed that after the Nian ate the food they prepared, it wouldn’t attack any more people. One time, people saw that the Nian was scared away by a little child wearing red. The villagers then understood that the Nian was afraid of the color red. Hence, every time when the New Year was about to come, the villagers would hang red lanterns and red spring scrolls on windows and doors. People also used firecrackers to frighten away the Nian. From then on, the Nian never came to the village again.

So to all my Chinese friends...Wish you a very happy New Year!

Indian Republic Day

Today is also celebrated as Republic day in India. Although India obtained its independence on August 15, 1947, the Constitution of India came into effect only on January 26, 1950. During the transition period from 1947 to 1950, King George VI was the head of country. C. Rajagopalachari served as the Governor-General of India during this period. Following January 26, 1950, Rajendra Prasad was elected as the president of India..

Jai Hind!

January 25: Opposite Day

2009-01-25T09:39:00.001+05:30

That's a fun day to be! Whatever you say, do, see, hear is to be considered as opposite today. Its a fun day usually celebrated among school kids. Today is also a Sunday (if you do not already realize it) and also Opposite Day...wow, what a combination to have fun at home with family...so go and have fun with your loved ones (kids, husband, friends) and make this day aweful (keeping the spirit of opposite day :))!!

Have fun..

Namaste! :)

Friends....by the way

2009-01-24T15:40:00.000+05:30

I have not been lucky like some of us who have experienced long lasting friendships and who have been with friends all their lives. For me, friends have come, stayed, and gone leaving me lonely and sad everytime I separate from them. As an emotional person, I get bonded with people very quickly and thus take some time to come out of the loss.

Today when I look back at those days and recall the kind of friends I had at each stage of my life, it brings a smile to my face. Each stage was a golden time and each of those friends to be treasured for life. They may not be with me now physically, but their thoughts and the fun we had together always makes me feel warm and thankful to God for bestowing me with such friends.

In a way it's good that I never had the same friends all my life. Else, how would I experience the different flavors of friendship as Ihave done now. God bless them all and give them every happiness in life.

I wish I can have them all together once before I depart!

Namaste! :)

January 24: National Compliment Day

2009-01-24T09:58:00.000+05:30

Yes, you read it right...this day is celebrated as National Compliment day. It was started by Kathy Chamberlin, of Hopkinton, NH. and Debby Hoffman, of Concord, NH in 1998.

We all love to receive compliments but how often is it that we give compliments to others. The male counterpart may be excused in this regard as they are always the first to compliment, specially females. But how often do we females go out and compliment someone...not very often I must say. So today is the day when you can reach out to those who matter the most to you or rather anyone whom you feel you have never bothered to say anything good till date. Go ahead and make their day special!

Wheat Flour Halwa (Aata ka Halwa)

2009-01-23T10:57:00.010+05:30

Ingredients:

Wheat Flour (Aata) 2 cups

Castor Sugar: 1 cup

Water 2 1/2 cups

Ghee for frying: 1 cup

Dry fruits for garnishing

Procedure:

So how to make halwa with these ingredients? Very simple!

Heat half of the ghee in a nonstick pan and add the wheat flour. Stir constantly in low flame till a pleasant aroma starts coming and the wheat starts turning brown. Remove from flame. Keep stirring for some more time so that the over burnt wheat gets mixed nicely. Put in sugar and mix well. Make sure no lumps are formed. Put it back on flame and start pouring water while strring constantly. This is the toughest part. The whole thing will start sticking. Make sure you keep strring continuously while slowly pouring water from the side. Keep a little water for the end. Now after mixing well, add the remaining ghee and mix well. If you want it a little loose add the remaining water, mix and remove from flame. Add dry fruits on top before serving.

Today's Special

2009-01-23T08:37:00.001+05:30

I believe every day is special and we should always make an effort to make it special for ourselves as well as for others around us. From here on, I will be posting about the speciality of each day and how we can make it special...so the first one goes like this....
January 23rd is also known as the National Handwriting Day. Not many people know about it since it has not been officially designated as such. It was an initiative started out back in 1977 by the Writing Instrument Manufacturers Association (WIMA). According to the website "The purpose of National Handwriting Day is to alert the public to the importance of handwriting. National Handwriting Day is a chance for all of us to re-explore the purity and power of handwriting."
January 23rd was chosen because this is the birthday of John Hancock. John Hancock is regarded as the Founding Father of the United States and was the first person to sign the Declaration of Independence.

Now, given this history, how do we make our day special? The answer is simple! Take a pen and paper, find a nice quote from the internet or write on your own, and jot it down with your best handwriting and put it up somewhere in the house or your workplace where you and others can see it. See it's that simple! Remember those kindergarten days when we used to be told how to hold the pencil? Today is the day when we can relive those memories by writing out our best handwriting and make this day special! Do let me know what special you wrote today and how it made you feel good...
Namaste :)

My first blog post!

2009-01-22T16:09:00.001+05:30

Finally the day has arrived when I am writing my first blog post. It's been quite some time that I have been pondering over starting a blog where I can make some cool friends and share my experiences as well as hear and learn from what others have to say...So here I am with my first post (three cheers to me..Hip Hip Hurray! Hip Hip Hurray! Hip Hip Hurray!). I will soon be back with more to read and share..till then take care and do keep visiting. You would not like to disappoint me with zero visitors, right? Right? Oh yess!!!
Welcome to my World..
Namaste :)