From time immemorial, it is repeated that Health is Wealth. It is true that of all the assets of the Universe, the health is the greatest asset and nothing can beat or substitute it. We should take extra effort to take care of our precious body and a healthy body leads to sound mind and a happy soul, that is the importance of Health in our life.
We all know that Health is the most important. A regular regimen to maintain a healthy lifestyle is a must; still, most of us ignore and stress more on earning bucks.
“Mumma, did you stick to your resolutions this year?” My son asked.
“Hahaha, Resolutions
and your Mom are two banks of river and they never happen to meet, Beta.” This was
my hubby.
“Aisa kya Mumma, why
do you write so religiously? You ask us to be true to our thoughts and words.
Is the thumb rule applies to us only? You are excluded.” M enquired.
I felt like I was
short of words. I didn’t feel awkward what my hubby said but the words of my
son who was giving his boards embarrassed me. I started searching for excuses
sounding real.
“Hey, don’t make me a
laughing stock, Varma? I have so many duties and household work to take care of
along with my professional responsibilities, where do I get time for myself,
Dear.” I winked at my hubby to stop him from spilling out the beans.
We had spent two decades together and he knew well of my aspirations and failures, my ambitions and craziness and I do admit that I was really lethargic to fulfil my few resolutions.
Let me brief you
about my Resolutions, which was scribbled in my diary every year and I did try
to put in my effort in the beginning of the year but by the end, the words
looked at me with a grand smile teasing me, “Babe,
you failed this year, too, but don’t give up. You have another year to fulfil.”
My Resolutions inscribed artistically in my diary said:
1. Physical Exercise – Everyday
2. No Sugar & Less Sugary Items
3. No Scolding to Kids
4. Control Cribbing to Hubby
5. Adding Greens in Meals
6. Eating Fruits giving up tempting snacks
“Mumma, we are going to check your resolution assignments.
We will assign a definite score.” Both my son sung in unison.
“Hmmm, don’t try to
be my Dad. I don’t get time to fulfil my resolutions after taking care of job,
house and you three indefinite characters.” I said giving valid excuse.
“Ok, no problem. We
will take care.” All three Men of my life said.
My 2018 Score card:
Physical Exercise – Everyday – One hour spent on mobile talking could have been used.
No Sugar & Less Sugary Items –
Bought in our name and consumed by you. Be impartial next year.
No Scolding to Kids – Doubtful?
Control Cribbing to Hubby – Erase
from list
Adding Greens in Meals –Greens
are bought and maids are fed, take green helpings & let skinny ones enjoy
meat.
Eating Fruits giving up tempting
snacks – Be kind to US and Exchange plate with us.
“Mumma,
this year, we are writing resolutions for you in your diary and as you monitor
our assignments, we will do yours. It’s for your benefit, you will lose extra
flab and be energetic.” I submitted to their request and hoping Resolutions of
2019 don’t see the fate of Gone With the
Wind. Time to save my Skin.
If you could stay just a little bit longer on holiday, would you take that opportunity? It’s a no brainer, of course you would! Everyone would like to able to extend their holiday while actually on holiday and not be afraid of missing their obligations back home. But that’s life, you can only do so much and have your way half of the time. Well, that can be one way of looking at it or you could explore the reasons for why you could extend your holiday. The first thing we see in our minds when we hear of holiday and extension is doing more of the same. Why would you want to do the same thing you did the day before, and the day before? If you just want more resting time, then perhaps you might need to go home and get back to normal life. You’ll have plenty of chances to get some sleep that way too. But, if you want to explore, have more experiences, take a few risks and truly immerse yourself in the foreign land you’re in then you have to extend your holiday further. It’s strange but we can find it difficult to integrate into the local life when we see ourselves as tourists. If you stay longer you’re bound to feel more like a local and thus have far better experiences.
You just
can’t get enough
As the late Michael Jackson once said, ‘don’t stop til’ you get enough’. When it comes to the sightseeing this rings true for many people. Most of the time when you go on holiday and travel a new land, you’ll end up in a city somewhere. You’ll be walking around or using the public transport to look around art galleries, museums, go to different theatres and generally consume what the city has to offer. Since you are in a city all of these places are usually close together. At the very least you can visit all of the most important locations in a week pretty easily. So what could be a valid reason you should extend your travels?
Going out into the countryside to find different parts of the landscape that are important, is a very good reason. It’s one thing to explore New York City but once you’ve been to a few restaurants and seen a few theatre performances, you get the gist of the city. However, gazing over the Grand Canyon is a totally awe inspiring experience. You’ll never look at the earth or the country you’re in the same again. This is an experience that is worth extending your holiday for.
Considering
a life change
Every now and then when you speak to someone who is fond of traveling, they will have a story for you of someone who went traveling in another country and never came back. Hopefully it’s not a gruesome tale but rather, the person loved the country and culture so much, they picked up their life and moved halfway across the world. If you have ever felt this way in a country you have visited, before making any drastic moves, consider renting an apartment. In Singapore for example, you can rent an apartment for around half of what you would in let’s say America. For the same size apartment, you would be paying around $400-300 a month. On top of this, some cultures and civilizations have just gotten used to living a certain way. In Singapore you can expect to get an apartment with a brilliant view almost every time. It’s a small city-state and thus, living space has literally grown taller rather than wider.
Situate yourself in one of these apartments for a month or two, or possibly half a year and see if you like it or not. It might seem like a good thing to do when you’re actually living as a tourist but once you’re immersed in the culture, are going to work regularly and paying bills, then you’ll get feel of it on a deeper level. Once the glamor of the new country wears away then you get a more accurate picture of what your normal life will be like if you did choose to permanently move out there.
You need the emotional break
Holidays aren’t just for relaxing physically but to have mental break
too. When your life is in turmoil and you’re going through something that is highly
emotionally taxing, having an extended holiday is just what you need. Being far
away from a situation that you don’t want to live in is a good temporary
escape. By no means does it mean you should rely on it but it can help you to
sit back and observe your situation more clearly. With the clarity gained from
taking things slow in your life and experiencing some of the better pleasures
that holidays have to offer, you can come back to your normal life with
solutions to your problems.
It’s also great if you have a family, to extend your holiday which could
give you all a better outlook on life. Rather than focussing on the pressures
that are on a family such as moving homes for a job or for school, perhaps even
that the home is undergoing construction and you can’t live normally until the
work is done are all good, ideas and reasons for why you should extend your
holiday. It can also help the children
to relax and forget about their worries such as having a long year of exams and
tests. Their young minds can refresh and learn to appreciate the smaller and
simpler things in life before they go back into full-time studying. Who knows,
having a longer holiday might actually strengthen your bond as a family.
There are plenty of reasons for why you should take a longer holiday
than previously planned. However, there are really only a few good reasons if
we’re honest with ourselves. When you need an emotional break then you should
extend your holiday if you can. Moving out and perhaps wanting to become a
permanent resident in the country you’re visiting is another great reason why
you can extend a holiday as a test.
Saree is the traditional drape of India and the history of Sari dates back to Indus Valley Civilization roughly around 2800 – 1800 BC. The statue of Indus Valley confirms the existence of Saree in their period.
Saree is a drape of five to nine-yard in length, traditional wear of Indians. The Saree is worn by 80 different styles and as you travel from one region to another, you will discover a different way of draping Saree. Isn’t it interesting?
The Indian Goddesses are adorned with beautifully rich and bright hues Sarees and in religious ceremonies, Saree is offered to Goddess and priests.
Saree is the only garment in the industry which has never been out of trend since its existence. Many new trendy styles of women clothing came into vogue, exited and reappeared. Saree never saw such fate rather its charm and grace crossed the boundaries of India to reign in neighbouring countries and abroad. The traditional Sarees are transported from one generation to another as a legacy and they are sacredly maintained in a woman’s wardrobe.
The elegance and poise of Saree and the different types available made it famous worldwide. Women across the world picked up as an attire to wear on special occasions and admired to drape and flaunt in weddings, get-togethers, and celebrations.
From young starters to old, from field workers to models, Sari is the most preferred drape. It is aesthetic and sensuous and enhances the charismatic beauty of a feminine. It induces her sex appeal in spite of covering her curves in a most dignified manner.
Saree is the drape found in the wardrobes of a traditional and cultural rich family to modern age woman…the drape remains the same only the way of wearing and carrying differs from one individual to another.
Saree requires time to wear, hence women nowadays prefer Indian and Western wear for daily use…still, the footing of Saree is strong and the designs and texture are been improved and the industry is seeing manifold growth.
Saree is worn maximum by the Indian traditional women and Saree is an only choice for weddings, party wear, religious festivals and celebrations. This five to nine-yard drape did saw a downfall in their popularity in India because many young generations were influenced by western and their fashion wear. The dignity and craze of Sari crossed India and it has found a place in export business and online websites and stores helped to reach in the remote and far corners of the world.
Home Shop 18 has a wide range ofCotton Silk Sarees of different designs. They have a grand collection for women of all age, from bright hues to pastel, embroidery work to sequins, full design or borders etc. the grand collection of Sarees is available for different occasions. You cannot take your eyes off from the fascinating collection.
The price ranges from INR 250 to 16,000 plus, suitable for people of all income. A mere click on Home Shop 18, you can enter the dream world of Sarees and you will love to indulge in a shopping spree for yourself, your mother, sister, daughter or friend. A wonderful gift for a woman by the woman and for the woman. Many men are gifted with a special quality of buying sarees for their loved ones but still, it remains a grand kingdom for women.
I am a regular shopper of Home Shop 18 and my friends, relatives and loved ones envy my Cotton Silk Sarees collection and I love to say, the credit goes to Home Shop 18.
If you are a keen traveler, chances are that you often struggle going as far as you always wanted, as you don’t have a big enough budget. Just ask yourself where you would wake up in a week if money was not an obstacle? Thanks to the recent developments in search engines and software, it is now easier to locate deals than ever, and you can save money without employing travel agents. No matter if you are planning on visiting remote villages in Africa or Asia, or want to experience the urban environment of developing countries, you can save a lot of money by doing your research. Find out more below.
If you want cheaper deals, chances are that you might need to go off season. In Asia, you can pick a date at the beginning or the end of the Monsoon, so you get better deals on flights and accommodation as well. No matter if you are traveling for work or pleasure, you will need to make the most out of your budget. You can save up to 50 percent if you are ready to put up with a couple of rainy days.
Long Term Property Deals
In case you are planning on staying longer than a week, you might not get the best deal by booking a hotel. Instead, you should look at the property listings and see if you can find great luxury apartments for rent and enjoy the comfort that equals the one you have at home. You will also save money on food and services, and may even use public transport to see the city or the surrounding attractions. You might need to engage with local property agencies to get an idea of how they can accommodate your budget.
When you are trying to arrange a trip to Asia or the Caribbean, you will find plenty of offers online provided by agencies in your own country. The truth is that these agencies are taking a cut of the price and are simply reselling local providers’ packages. The same applies to car rentals and tours, as well as transportation from the airport. You should always find time to engage with people locally, so you can get a better price and get insider information on the culture, customs, and the best ways to make the most out of your trip.
Invitations
You will be surprised, but there are several ways you can make the most out of your online or offline network. Indian people, for example, love guests, and you might get invited to a wedding any time. This means that you will benefit from the knowledge of the locals, and always have a couple of people around you who speaks the language, no matter how remote the location is. Invite some of your friends to your home and see if they return the favor. Likewise, you can spend a week in stunning Ireland, provided that you have friends over there. You might even end up in Kochi and spend a long weekend at the backwaters.
Festival Bookings
There are some funny things you need to know about festivals in Asia and the Caribbean. While foreigners are accepted and welcome, you will benefit from locals’ company. Be friendly and engage with locals. Sometimes – more often than not – the best way to find out about local festivals is sitting down and listening to conversations. You should try and learn a few words of the local language, so you can engage with locals and get invited. This will make you feel safe and one of the locals, too.
Attraction Hot Spots
One of the things you should avoid when you are looking to improve your business is booking a hotel near attractions or in the city center. It will cost you much more than staying in the outskirts, not to mention that you will have to put up with the road traffic and the noise. It is always better to get a hotel in the outskirts and travel to the attractions, instead of having to fight your way through the crowd.
No matter which part of Asia you are traveling to, or where you are staying, you will need to experience traveling overnight by train. There is something so unique about the journey and sitting back, talking to locals and listening to their chatter. It is, however, important that you use a local agent to complete your booking, especially when you are traveling to India, as the process can be complicated, and you will find it hard to get it right. There are different classes on trains that only locals fully understand.
Group Travel
To save money on your travel, you can also sign up for group deals. Most hotels and hostels will offer group booking discount, and you can even get your private transfer costs reduced while having the convenience of getting door-to-door service. No matter if you join an existing group or would like to arrange a gateway and cultural trip with your friends, you will certainly have a better deal and spared the cost of your private tours and accommodation.
Villa Rentals
If you are interested in having an environment that is away from the tourist strip, you can also rent a villa or apartment. Before you travel, especially if you are planning on staying longer than a few weeks, you will need to search local websites for apartments for rent so you can work out the cost between all the travelers and do your location research, which is always important when you are traveling to an unknown country.
Connecting Flights
The good news is that you can get connecting domestic flights at a low cost so you can make the most out of your budget and your holiday allowance. While traveling by train and on the road will help you get up close and personal with people and see more of the culture, sometimes you will have to cover hundreds of miles between places you want to visit, and you don’t want to spend it on the train or the back of a car or minibus. Sometimes, the roads will simply be too rough to travel at the speed you want to. Find out more about the airports and the domestic flight services, prices to be able to make an informed decision.
Self Transport
If you are brave enough, and have enough driving experience, you might also drive yourself. The good news is that car rental is pretty cheap in Asia and the Caribbean, especially if you manage to avoid large international companies. There are several great local travel agents that will provide you with a guide or help you make the most out of your trip by giving you driving tips. You can visit remote places usually not accessible without a car. Driving in Asia, however, is not for the faint hearted, and you will need to have an international license that is accepted locally.
No matter if you are looking to travel to Africa, Asia, or the Caribbean, you will need to be prepared for a culture shock. You can, however, make your budget stretch further and stay safe at the same time, if you stay flexible. It is crucial that you understand the differences and the power of personal connections in these cultures. Getting insider tips is extremely valuable when you are looking to experience the culture and engage with it.
Do you remember those days when you were in your preadolescence, those hormonal roller coaster rides, being emotional and cranky at the same time? Fortunately or unfortunately we all have experienced that pre-teen period and we all had done our share of mistakes; cute little mistakes. Sometimes the situation gets worse with lack of proper guidance and a gap between parent-child communications; and this lacuna should be filled up with wits, love, patience, and care.
Typically when our notorious and cute kiddos reach the age of nine and plus who were once so willing to climb into our laps and share their secrets that how he ate the jam from the refrigerator, how he broke the egg etc. suddenly start drifting from us. They love shelling in their cocoons.
A child in preadolescence stage is not the same person he was just a year or two ago. He/She goes through numerous transformation – physically, cognitively, emotionally, and socially. He develops to enjoy new found independence ( even the freedom fighters wouldn’t have got that much excitement after India’s independence). All they want to do is to see how far he can push limits and boundaries set by parents…Don’t howl at them, Parents, recall your stage as a preadolescent and the helplessness writ on your parent’s face.
The innocent mind doesn’t know that he needs you besides to dodge the hurricane of adolescence. It isn’t an easy task because you need to ensure that you as a Parent respect your child’s need for greater autonomy in order to craft a successful relationship with this “upgraded” version of your kid.
According to experts of Child Mind Institute, to prevent the bridge between you and your kid from receding, you require to pad up the communication gap and for that,
Parents need to follow a few steps:
Don’t take their withdrawal as rejection. The child turns rebellious, outspoken or introvert in the Preteenstage. They behave callously with their parents and relies more on friends or trust those people who speak in favor.
Take time out from your busy schedule for your child. Convincing Preteens to talk and open up is tedious. Try to establish a bond, a special period every week when you can give unadulterated attention. Utmost patience is required on part of Parents else it can misfire.
Always opt for an indirect approach to chit-chat. The time has gone when they were answerable to those direct questions, now it doesn’t work. They feel it is an encroachment into their personal space. Overindulgence can turn things upside down.
Keep your judgmental mind in the backseat. Being judgmental can never mend the scratches of puberty of your child.
Start conversing about sex and drugs. Sex is a taboo in our society but our children live in a world where they get exposed to sexual languages, images, sexual changes in their body; all these make them curious and it is your duty to extinguish this fuel of curiosity, keeping aside what society will say or think. Right guidance on the subject will educate them and prevent them from straying.
As a parent, it is not easy to figure out the emotions erupting. A friendly bond can vanish the difference of age and relationship and you can help them out, answering all their queries and educate them about the undiscussed zone, which is considered taboo in our society.
We as parents of new age need to break the barrier and help our children to grow with values of life and morality.
I despise parents who state ” We were not of your type.” Indirectly, you are abusing your child. Ask your Mom how tough nut you were to crack. Each stage of life has its own hiccups and when we outgrow, we forget the turbulence.
I raised my kids remembering all the instances of my preadolescent stage, my reactions etc. and it was a lesson which helped me to raise them gracefully.
Today, 05-01-2018, we, Ila Varma and Paresh Godhwani started a spontaneous storytelling series with the blogger fraternity with the hashtag #tweetfables.
The story is the spontaneous amalgamation of thoughts of different people in sync with the opening lines. The marvelous storytellers weaved two different stories with the following open lines.
One by one, the lights went out and echoing footsteps died away in the distance…
Tweetfable – I
One by one, the lights went out and
echoing footsteps died away in the distance. I was scared but preferred to go
in the direction of echo. There was no other way out in that haunted house. I
was hoping that these footsteps will give me inmate in that house.
Chills ran down my spine, sweat down
my face and my hands trembled. An unknown force was asking me to walk towards
the ending footsteps. Some kind of force was driving me.
I kept on moving as if it wasn’t me
at all. Never minding the everlasting darkness, screaming foxes, wind gushing
and the snow falling. The darkness attracted me as it was the other part of me
that was unveiled till now.
My mind knew to stop…But a voice
in me kept telling me to move forward. It kept assuring and luring me ahead.
The shadow was eerie, cold and
unfamiliar. It was something I have never seen before. It seemed like a person
but not from the mortal world…I just stood holding my breath.
With utter fear on my mind I
gathered courage to turn my head wearing my heart over my sleeves. Soon I
turned and the shadow disappeared.
I was perplexed. How a nightmare
could turn into a dream, or was this a beautiful reality? Had I dreamt up what
I thought I had experienced? Was I dreaming now?
I turned and it meowed. Chill ran
down again and what I saw in front of me? I got a lump in my throat. My wee
little kitten was wagging its tail behind her. It gave a nice meow sound as if
teasing me saying “I am successful in scaring the shit out of you!”
I picked up, ran and ran. I could no
more hear any footsteps. No more wind gushing and snow falling. It was a no moon day and I could hardly see
anything.
I kept moving thinking whether it is
a dream or a nightmare. As I went ahead, I saw a light. “Finally a ray of
hope” I rushed towards it without thinking much.
A little trembling I stood up and realized that it was all the nightmare ……Happily, I enjoyed the festivities with my family, vouching not to watch a horror movie at night. That night I slept but the echo of the footsteps never left…
TweetFables II
One by one, the lights went out and echoing footsteps died away in the distance….
The echo of the footsteps died down and it was dense dark. I could not see anything further. But this did not deter me from moving towards unknown destination…I felt as if someone was calling me from a distance.
I could not understand how a fearful
creature like me had suddenly developed so much of confidence. With full
conviction, I was moving forward like a lone wanderer in a desert.
I stumbled but someone held me which
helped me to stand straight…Sigh…
“Who is there?” “Who
is there?” No reply came forth. A screeching shrill disturbed the eerie
silence of the night and a faint bulb glowed at the other end.
I lost all the courage and started
running without thinking about in which direction I am heading. When I stopped,
I saw a shadow on the wall in front of me.
For a moment I thought, is it a real
shadow or just a mental imagination? I wasn’t sure if I was in the real state
of mind. Fear had a strong grip.
Was it shadow or was I
hallucinating? I shrieked with fear n fainted then n there. When I opened my
eyes, I was in my living room surrounded by my friend’s n family. One by one
the lights turned on…and I was amazed to see the decoration of lights n flowers
done.
A loud clap thundered the living
room and others joined in and my Father played my favourite song on the piano
congratulating me for my promotion which wasn’t disclosed by me.
“Is this the way to congratulate
me” I asked them.
“I was utterly scared you all are
taking as fun, not fair.”
I was scared, surprised, and happy
all at the same time. While giving my father a hug I was wondering who told him
about my promotion. Then I saw my friend Rishika behind him. Then I understood
that Rishika planned that whole thing.
Rishika was watching me with
squinted eyes.
“Hey, you…how can you be so
stubborn….wait for your turn” I whispered.
“Just as you acted, you kept
such information as confidential from me & Uncle. Your boss told me & we
planned.
You say, “I am brave” We
tested.
“You failed” Rishika
teased me.
My reaction was mixed. I hugged my
father and his blessings comforted me & tears of happiness welled up.
“Beta, we are there with you, celebrating with family means a lot. We did it to amuse you & drift you from the pressure of work, Look at the flowers, they smile Even if they know that they will perish tomorrow.” A wide smile sailed on her face and she forgot all the mess.
Meet the genius writers who shaped such interesting stories.
Stay Tuned to #Tweetfables on Saturday 5 pm and join to weave new stories.
ZEE5 Kumkum Bhagya serial is somewhere inspired by the novel of Jane Austen, Sense and Sensibility. The serial is produced by TV Czarina Ekta Kapoor under the banner of Balaji Telefilms, directed by Sameer Kulkarni. Banner Balaji Telefilms is renowned for midday family soap operas in Indian Television Industry.
Kumkum Bhagya is based upon matriarchal society and the pivotal roles are played by strong, witty and powerful women. The sequential revolves around the lives of two sisters who dwell in Mumbai and portrays their desires, aspirations and dreams.
It was first aired on 15th April 2014 and it is running successfully till date. Over the years, there have been quite a few twists and turns in the show which have constantly raised the interest bar of the viewers. Thanks to which, Kumkum Bhagya has been successful in creating a niche for itself in the entertainment television industry and developed craze among the viewers, especially the women.
The lead characters of Kumkum Bhagya are the rock star Abhi enacted by Shabbir Ahluwalia and the bespectacled girl-next-door neighbour character Pragya played by Sriti Jha. In the past 3 years, they have emerged as one of Indian television’s most popular and iconic couples.
In January 2018, Kumkum Bhagya successfully completed its 1000 episodes. To give a big surprise to the viewers, the producer took a grand leap of seven years and the total dynamics underwent a major transformation.
After the leap, Television heart-throb Mishal Raheja was introduced in the show in the role of a singer called King Singh. He was given a strong role which resulted in affecting the dynamics of Abhi and Pragya in unbelievable ways.
The character of King Singh in Kumkum Bhagya is quite interesting and is portrayed as a witty fellow with an incredibly complex personality. A great singer who lives life king size as his name, King is famous for his quirky style. Personally, I find King’s character is a well-written one with many shades to it. His macho persona, coupled with interesting character dynamics, has really hit it off with the audience, especially young ladies watching the show.
I have been watching Kumkum Bhagya for a long time but the entry of King Singh has made the serial’s plot a lot more interesting. With time, he is becoming a strong rival of character Abhi with his close proximity to Pragya.
So as of now, I and my friends are incredibly happy with Mishal Raheja’s track as King in Kumkum Bhagya. So, while I rewatch some of my favourite King episodes from Kumkum Bhagya on ZEE5, let me know what do you like about King Singh from the show.