tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-276949302024-03-28T05:23:37.852+05:30RICHLAND TALKRicha Sonpatkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11448555945318773375noreply@blogger.comBlogger153125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27694930.post-49076549261264129072016-02-24T12:18:00.001+05:302016-02-24T12:25:24.218+05:30Book Review - Stolen Hope - Ramayana -The Game of Life<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Ramayana – Stolen Hope is a third in the series of books named The
Game of Life written by spiritual leader Shubha Vilas. Like the previous two books,
this book makes for very easy reading. One can read the book just for the story
or get a lot more from it with the notes on each of the stories and how we can
apply them during our daily lives. While there are interpretations of the
Ramayana, this series covers in parts, both the Valmiki Ramayana and the Kamban
Ramayana which makes for an interesting juxtaposition.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">The story - </span></b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Most of us do know the story of the Ramayana, so I won't really
elaborate on it in this blog but here is a gist of what is to be expected in
this book.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br />The story takes off from its previous version ‘Shattered Dreams’
where Ram, Sita and Lakshmana continue their exile journey into the vile
Dandakaranya forest. The story delves into their adventures with the various
‘Rakshasas’ (Demons), their meetings with various sages and people during the
journey– my favorite was the story of Agastya and Shabari who they meet towards
the end of the book and most importantly the abduction of Sita.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">The turning point in the story as we all know is when Surpanakha,
the demoness sister of the King of Lanka Ravana, sets her eyes on Rama and
wants him for her own. As Lakshmana proceeds to mutilate her, off she goes to
her powerful brother Ravana vowing revenge. Ravana proceeds to kidnap the Sita
using guile and Ram is left disconsolate.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">What I liked</span></b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">The human laments of Ram who has just lost his love, of Sita who
regrets her desire for the deer and Lakshmana’s emotions after Sita gets
abducted make for some interesting reading. Relationships – be it between the
husband and the wife, brothers, teacher-disciple, father and son, and our own
relationship with God, have been well explored in the book and can help us
apply these in real life. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">What I also enjoyed are discovering some new stories that I was
not aware of earlier. The story of Agastya Muni, some dark tales of Ravana, the
story behind the forest of Dandakarnya and the eighteen curses on Ravana kept
me riveted.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">While the story is a light read, since most of us are pretty
familiar with the story of the Ramayana, reading through the notes and
absorbing the philosophies behind the story, may not be that easy even as the
author has provided examples and analogies for easy understanding. But worth
it!</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">What could be better -</span></b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">While the writing is fairly lucid, it is a little too elementary
for me. While I do like to read stories for the love of the stories, the love
of the language makes me long for books that have good vocabulary, and are
better written. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Verdict</span></b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">That being said, I will still look forward to reading the next in
the series where one of my favorite characters Hanuman makes his appearance.
Overall, I will give a 3.5 on 5 stars for this book.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">You can buy the book at key stores or online at </span><a href="http://www.amazon.in/Ramayana-Game-Life-Book-Stolen/dp/8184958242/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1456296047&sr=1-1&keywords=stolen+hope" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: 17.1200008392334px;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Amazon </span></a>and
others. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I have read several of Ravi Subramanian’s books. Having
worked in the financial services industry for about two decades, he boasts of a
series of thrillers all set in the backdrop of a bank. The formula has
certainly worked so far with a fast paced storyline and surprising twists for
many of his earlier stories. But this book had me flummoxed. While I was set to
delve into another conspiracy hatched and shady finance deals, I found a story
about a squeamish and sordid extra-marital affair that was as interesting as
shopping for a bag of potatoes. </div>
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The story: Aditya is the hot-shot middle-aged successful
banker and master storyteller who has never read books apart from his own. Shreya is a student finishing her studies at
B-school (obviously an IIM. Bangalore in this case) where Aditya is an alumnus.
And stating the obvious – Shreya is gorgeous, ambitious, and talented. Most
importantly, she wants to be a best selling author. Shreya adores the author in
Aditya and looks up to him to achieve her means to be a best selling author –
by hook or by crook. Aditya is good looking, successful and a very attractive
‘older man’ and yes..Married to the perfect woman. Interspersed are various other
characters in the book such as Shreya’s friend and confidante, Sunaina, Ashok’s
friend and batchmate Sanjay and others. More than any other plot, the story
revolves around how Aditya and Shreya have an affair and the outcomes of the
affair. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Well, the back page of the paperback did say this –<o:p></o:p></div>
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“What happens when their world’s collide? Is it possible to
love two people at the same time? Can real ambition come in the way of blind
passion? Can trust once broken, be regained? <o:p></o:p></div>
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Ravi Subramanian delves into the glitzy world of bestsellers
and uncovers a risky dalliance between a superstar novelist and his alluring protégé.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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I guess, I shouldn’t have expected anything different really
– no shady finance deals in this book! The entire story is summarized in those
two lines and is easy to fathom!<o:p></o:p></div>
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What may work for some: If you are a reader looking for some
dramebaazi Bollywood style, maybe this is a book you will like. If you like
random twists in the tale that seem pretty senseless, perhaps you may find this
book interesting. And well, this book is purported to become a motion-picture
soon. So if you like to read the book before you watch the movie, maybe you
will want to read this.<o:p></o:p></div>
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What did not work for me - was just the fact that the book had
nothing new to offer and was quite insipid. Perhaps the author has become too repetitive in his
rendition of the MBA story – finishing B-school, the first job, the ambition
during the first job etc. Maybe it was time that he moved away from what he is
comfortable with - the 2 Bs of Banking and B-school to something different.
Something that was a little more intense than a lazy spin of a story woven
umpteen times already.<o:p></o:p></div>
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All in all, I was disappointed in this book especially since
I did get some good thrills from his previous books. I will give this book 2
stars out of 5.<o:p></o:p><br />
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I am reviewing ‘<a href="http://dl.flipkart.com/dl/bestseller-she-wrote-english/p/itmeca2xhvfmtdmf?affid=contactblo&pid=9789385152382" target="_blank">The Bestseller She Wrote</a>’ by Ravi Subramanian as a part of the biggest<a href="http://blog.blogadda.com/2011/05/04/indian-bloggers-book-reviews" target="_blank"> Book Review Program</a> for <a href="http://www.blogadda.com/" target="_blank">Indian Bloggers</a>. Participate now to get free books!<br />
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Richa Sonpatkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11448555945318773375noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27694930.post-38921175296596880672015-09-07T16:22:00.001+05:302015-09-07T16:22:37.197+05:30Book Review: Mrs Funnybones by Twinkle Khanna<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Celebrities are shallow, dumb, rich and have everything on a platter. The Twinkle Khanna that we knew was everything that most celebrities are – a star kid, married a star husband, starred in a movie called Mela after which better sense prevailed and retired from Bollywood and took to making what we all thought is something those rich people do – Make Candles or/and get into interior designing. </div>
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But then, when we thought perhaps we will hear of her making a comeback as a Mom to the younger stars, she decided to don the writer’s hat in a new avatar called Mrs Funnybones instead. When I read her column first, the only thought I had was – Ghostwriter! There is no way someone who is a star kid, star wife, an ex-bollywood heroine, and is pretty gorgeous can write so well! But as I continued to be hooked on to her starry tales all with the eyes of the star wife, entrepreneur and a raving mom, dutiful daughter and DIL, she won my trust over. </div>
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After having her readers hooked to her column, her next agenda was a book with a series of anecdotes in no particular order but alphabetical. The stories range around parenting, diets, moms and mom-in-laws, multi-tasking, babies, unreliable servants, entrepreneurship, family, the battle with the bulge (she apparently underwent a metamorphosis like Monica Geller did in Friends!), and several tales that women can nod their heads thinking yes, that’s kind of my life (or sometimes kind of wish that were my life!).</div>
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Sprinkled with a dash of some starry tales on bollywood parties and being a celebrity, the book mostly deals with challenges and situations that every family faces laced with plenty of humor and a wee bit of philosophy. </div>
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All in all, I would definitely go back and read this book on a dreary day to perk me up and recommend it to my friends. I would rate this book four stars of five for the fun read it was. </div>
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You can buy it on Amazon <a href="http://www.amazon.in/Mrs-Funnybones-Twinkle-Khanna/dp/0143424467" target="_blank">here</a>. </div>
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Richa Sonpatkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11448555945318773375noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27694930.post-44362309386057431322015-08-24T19:36:00.002+05:302015-08-24T19:36:55.830+05:30The Asus Divas Meet<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I was quite excited when I saw an exclusive invite for a phone launch event in my mailbox. Being an avid follower of many things digital, my first reaction was curiosity! I have never been to one of these glitzy events and this sounded like the perfect chance to finally flex those blogger muscles and walk into an interesting event that sounded fun.</div>
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ASUS, the Chinese phone manufacturer was coming out with a slew of interesting phones and had invited bloggers to the ‘Divas meet’ at Mumbai at the ITC Grand Central in August. This event was for women bloggers only and promised to be an evening of banter and plenty of tech talk, beauty talk sprinkled liberally with the fun.</div>
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The highlight of the evening was the theme on selfies. With the launch of an amazing phone for taking selfies, the Asus team demonstrated how we girls could glow in all those selfies using the Asus ZenFone selfie phone. Peter Chang the really cool MD introduced us to the affordable luxury phones with plenty of humor in his presentation. The selfie phone had a range of features that included a 13MP front facing camera with a front flash (yeah you read that right), and an auto-focus laser feature, and a front facing camera panoramic view. A cool ‘beautifying’ feature made the make-up less face look naturally made up. The screen was a good 5.5” HD display. Basically, this phone is a girl’s best friend! The other phone I completely blew me away was the ZenFone 2 Laser. While all the features of this phone were really cool, the fact that it had Corning ‘Gorilla Glass 4’ meant that it would virtually scratch free always! The MD actually took a knife and sliced at the phone but it remained as smooth as ever! Some of their other innovative products were the ‘Lolly Flash’ which is a cool device that is a little flash extension to give that extra light for an even better photo and a sleek power bank.</div>
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The star guest of the evening was VJ Anusha Dandekar who sashayed down in style to dish out her secrets to taking the perfect selfie. Born to talk, she gave the audience her tips and tricks to taking the perfect selfie. Not only did she give us these tips demonstrating the power of the ZenFone Selfie phone, but we also got a chance to try out this device in large groups competing for some funky prizes. Walking the ramp was another fun activity that took place to add to the glamor! She went on to also talk about beauty and make up and how to achieve the perfect selfie look. I never quite ever thought a few tweaks here and there in my photo taking abilities would do wonders!</div>
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And of course, there were some snacks while we caught up with other blogger friends and tried out those wonderful phones at the end of the event. All in all, a fun event. I can’t wait to get the ZenFone Selfie phone (although it will have to wait since I just got a new phone!).</div>
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For more information on these phones, check out their <a href="https://www.asus.com/in/phone/" target="_blank">website</a>.</div>
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Here are some pictures from the evening. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Asus Mascots</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Presenting the phones</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taking a selfie</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The irrepressible Anusha Dandekar</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trying out the phones</td></tr>
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Richa Sonpatkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11448555945318773375noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27694930.post-35049415554408254962015-07-25T16:05:00.001+05:302015-07-25T16:07:50.603+05:30Book Review - Tat Tvam Asi by Pinky Acharya<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Tat Tvan Asi meaning ‘That Art Thou’ is a collection of
little stories that according to the back cover is the author’s ‘viridicial
journey that propagates empathy through inner cleansing’. I honestly don’t know
what I was expecting when I signed up to review this book.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The stories ranged around acts of goodness by domestic
helps, stories of good Samaritans, obvious insights on the thought processes of
the haves and have-nots, technological advances etc. Each story about 1-2 pages
long was followed by a message or a learning the author had from the story. It
looks like the underlying message at the end of the book is little instances
everyday in our lives have a story behind them and a learning behind them. But
isn’t that true of our lives everyday? <o:p></o:p></div>
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Well honestly, I could be wrong but I found the stories something
we have all experience at some point in our lives or read in the local news
too! I didn’t find the insights particularly new or revealing or anything that
would leave a deep impression in my mind. However, if you can use the insights
and moral lessons the writer gives us in this light read, perhaps it might just
inspire you to be ‘good’ and do some good in the world!<o:p></o:p></div>
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I would rate this book 2.5 on 5. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Richa Sonpatkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11448555945318773375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27694930.post-57016170216218550392015-06-19T15:42:00.000+05:302015-06-19T15:42:16.891+05:30Book Review: The House that BJ Built by Anuja Chauhan<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ywdxFQ-AfzM/VYPqsmffBtI/AAAAAAAAJ_Y/1qpoVddslew/s1600/Capture.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ywdxFQ-AfzM/VYPqsmffBtI/AAAAAAAAJ_Y/1qpoVddslew/s320/Capture.JPG" width="205" /></a></div>
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I first heard of this book through the omniscient ever
buzzing twitteratti. Before I knew it, I was one of those wanting to get the
book. I was fortunate to get a copy through a cool online library through an
app. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I had really no idea what I was in for. I had heard the
words ‘sparkling’ and ‘witty’ associated with the author Anuja Chauhan. So,
well, the easiest way to describe the book is a rom-com written by a Delhi wali
writer in chaste Hinglish. <o:p></o:p></div>
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A sequel to her previous work ‘The Pricey Thakur Girls’,
this book revolves around their ancestral house in Delhi’s priciest part of
town that their uncle BJ had passed on to them after he died. Bonita Singh, the
daughter and heir of one of the pricey Thakur girls, is a feisty entrepreneur
somewhat on the wrong side of the law through her pirated designer clothes
business. Sparks fly when her step-cousin Samar who she had a crush on forever
visited to see the dying BJ. Of course he is the handsome talented brooding
energetic passionate (and all that classic Mills &Boons stuff) filmmaker
while she is the sparkling, successful, witty, beautiful, smart (and all that
classic M&B stuff again) heroine of the book. Samar promises to BJ that he
will sell the house and divide the proceeds among all the Thakur Girls. The
other Thakur girls are only too happy to be able to make crores with their ‘hissas’,
but Bonu Singh refuses to sell. But that is the least of their problems.</div>
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Other family members make false claims to the house, and
legal wrangles with oily slick lawyers need to be fought. Tenants refuse to
evict and local goons demand their share. And Samar and Bonu Singh (Bonita) continue
with their simmering chemistry with all the petty squabbling while their aunts indulge in mostly frivolous activities in a jolly get-together.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Overall, was a fun book for those who enjoy rom-coms,
M&Bs and Hinglish. For others, I could classify it as a fluffy read but the
Hinglish can put you off. I would give a rating of 3.5 on 5 for this book<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
Richa Sonpatkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11448555945318773375noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27694930.post-81498803248122218772015-06-12T14:38:00.001+05:302015-06-12T17:14:07.066+05:30The most Accepting and Accommodating country in the world - India<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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In yet another aspect where Indians score over the world
must be the accepting and accommodating nature of Indians. Not only do we value
everything we have, but we also tout it to the world outside as a ‘unique
Indian aspect’ found nowhere else but in India.<o:p></o:p></div>
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It is perfectly acceptable to have foreign MNCs peddle sub-standard stuff to us…afterall we seem to be paying lesser than other countries..where else would you get a Rs5 chips packet or a Re 1 shampoo? Our toothpaste is chalkier, our soap less moisturizer, our ready to eat packets are slow poisons, our cosmetics are skin abrasives. But they are big brands you know. So we use them and will continue to use them. Our ‘export’ quality is the good quality stuff that we can’t buy while the stuff we buy from foreign brands is the worse quality many times the price..but who cares if we get the latest styles right? Some of my friends even get baby diapers from abroad because they are ‘softer’…but then perhaps babies abroad are more delicate right..and need diapers all day long unlike many of our cloth nappy wearing babies?<o:p></o:p></div>
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It is okay if the mangoes and all fruits are pesticide laden. After all what can we do? How can we not eat Hapoos? So we accept and life goes on. And yes, then we even have purifiers that claim to remove all pesticides and ‘harmful elements’. It is okay if cows eating plastic and garbage are milked and who knows our milk isn’t some white powder anyway. But again what to do? Change the milkman maybe?<o:p></o:p></div>
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We pay a lot of taxes yes. But you could say they are less
than many countries such as the US so that is okay. What is also okay is the
garbage strewn on the roads, footpaths, road dividers, and everywhere you look.
So what if the road is terrible on the way to work. It is still better than
what it would be after the monsoons as long as we can drive on it. So what if the
footpaths have encroachments – hawkers, shops, garbage, parking spots, huts and
you cannot walk on them, the roads are there for all to walk. It doesn’t matter
anyway. The bikers can run you down on the footpath as well and get away with
it. Talking of roads and the brilliant infrastructure we have in the city, I mean the eastern freeway,
the bandra-worli sealink (2-3 good roads in the whole city), obviously prices
of Rs 2 crores for a matchbox unit are so justified anywhere in the distant
municipal Mumbai limits. The rest of the connecting roads be damned.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I wonder if it is our ‘Chalta hai’ attitude that has prevailed,
the fear of backlash from anyone or the lax attitude of anyone in the
government office. Whatever be the reason, we learnt to compromise. We
compromised, accepted, created a little noise maybe, but then went back to our
peaceful routine, accepting everything like the Zen masters. On
the side, bad roads will continue killing people, our food, water and air will
be the slow poison to kill us amongst the other things. We can either put up, change brands, use more
home cooked food (still pesticide ridden), get everything from abroad or flee
abroad or maybe create some small movements to change things (which will die
anyway)..forgive me for being so pessimistic!</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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However things are changing. A large organization has been brought to its knees for the poor quality product they have sold us for years. We never believed fried squiggly dough could be healthy, but we didn't think it literally had poison either. Abroad they would have had millions of dollars of
lawsuits, but in India…chalta hai, they ll get away with it, you and I both know. As a result of this case, there are several organizations Indian and MNCs scurrying for cover with products they never should have sold to us in the first place. May such organizations that deem us unworthy of quality products remain
in the covers forever. <o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
Richa Sonpatkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11448555945318773375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27694930.post-38637842036259125782015-03-20T14:19:00.000+05:302015-03-20T14:19:07.146+05:30Congratulations! It's a girl!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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We had moved recently from a different city to Mumbai. We
unpacked our bags, and all the clutter of the domestic life fell out. Ahead of
the internet connection, the other more important requirement was the all-important
cook and a helper to help with the cleaning. <and a="" ai="" call="" i="" in="" marathi="" means="" really="" refuse="" stereotyped="" strongly="" the="" them="" to="" which="" woman="">. Finding a house is extremely simple thanks to
<a href="https://housing.com/lookup" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">housing websites</a> these days, but
unfortunately there is no app to find helpers with a good work ethic and who
have a heart of gold.<o:p></o:p></and></div>
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As we sent the word out for the vacancy, a plump looking decently
dressed humble looking lady accompanied by her young teenage daughter walked
into my house for an ‘interview’. She said she was new to the place and knew no
one and had worked for no one in the area. She had no references she could give
me but she just wanted an opportunity to find some work somewhere. Something in
her sincerity appealed to my otherwise suspicious mind as I thought I should
give her a chance. Looking at her daughter, I wondered if she would train her
to wash utensils and clean houses too. But as I look back to that day, I see
how mistaken I was in my assessment on this front.<o:p></o:p></div>
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It turned out that the lady had three daughters around the
same age and she was working hard to educate the girls to enable them to make a
good living better than what she could manage.
Her husband was fortunately not a drunkard but a good man with a steady
income and a living quarter that allowed them to live with their daughters with
dignity. And both were happily providing for their three daughters to study well beyond the free school education. Vocational courses, a laptop, anything to help the girls learn and get good jobs even while they slogged all day.<o:p></o:p></div>
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On a similar note, another woman I employed had three
daughters too. But she had left them in
the village she came from. She often spoke about how young she was but had so
many responsibilities and mouths to feed. She felt the best way of reducing her
‘burden’ was to hand it over to another in the form of marriage. And even though she lived in the big
progressive city of Mumbai, she had no qualms in marrying off her eldest daughter
at the age of 15 to a lad of 18 to live a wretched existence like she did. <o:p></o:p></div>
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While the second case made me despondent, the first case
gave me hope. Save the girl child, and cherish her is not just another
campaign. It is a very real awareness requirement in both rural and urban
India where girls are routinely killed, treated as a burden and never a
priority. If only, all parents started looking at daughters not as a burden,
but educated them and loved them as they would love their boys, the country
would be a much better place. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Cr4MF3mieHg/VQvd7GSnTkI/AAAAAAAAJ9E/34d_HMYeNoI/s1600/WP_20150214_20_01_57_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Cr4MF3mieHg/VQvd7GSnTkI/AAAAAAAAJ9E/34d_HMYeNoI/s1600/WP_20150214_20_01_57_Pro.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A giant mithai box at the Chembur Festival</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Richa Sonpatkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11448555945318773375noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27694930.post-52498675980332840212015-03-19T15:39:00.001+05:302015-03-19T15:40:12.424+05:30A Day in Dubai<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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It was the month of December and I was deep in the middle of
work at office and work. The last vacation I had seemed to have been years
back, (okay, I am exaggerating). Proposals to be submitted, events to be held,
projects to be completed, I seemed to be drowning in a truck load of work.
Fortunately there was the amazing holiday in the middle-east that I had to look
forward to, light at the end of the tunnel and a glimmer of hope to come back
rejuvenated.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I had made plans with the two SSs in my life (daughter and
hubby) to visit the cities of Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Muscat for a lovely long trip
during the Christmas and New Year break. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Dubai is a city of man-made wonders. I am not the biggest
fan of man-made wonders, but when I saw this glittering city, I thought
otherwise. A city that came up in the desert, a city with few resources, and a
city that is one of the largest commercial hubs in the world is a force to
reckon with. It showed the perseverance of mankind to conquer a hostile
environment and transform it completely, that people now flock from far and
wide to it. Tall buildings do remind me of Howard Roark of The Fountain Head
and make me believe, they truly are testament of the human spirit in achieving
such heights! <o:p></o:p></div>
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With its man-made palm islands, skyscrapers that adorn the
skyline, endless shopping malls, one can only marvel at the rulers who achieved
all of this in a short span of time. Besides these man-made wonders, the desert
and the beaches are natural wonders that can be seen in Dubai. The sheer scale and size of everything here
are mind boggling. Be it the miles of shopping malls, or the ‘sky is the not
the limit’ height of the tall buildings, they did make me feel very small. How I
wish I had a house in one of those tall buildings with fantastic views from up
there or atleast a similar building in Mumbai! Perhaps a <a href="https://housing.com/">housing website</a> will help
me find me a great deal in Mumbai in those coveted towers downtown (the day I
can afford it!)<o:p></o:p></div>
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Apart from the artificial wonders, Dubai is also blessed
with natural wonders of the beach and the sea that are of course humongous and
you feel insignificant when faced with these natural wonders. Our day had us
visit the sand dunes and the beach. It is incredible how sitting on a sand dune
and watching the sunset, or sitting on the beach can make all your stress
dissolve away as you realize how small you are as compared to the vastness of
things around you. I am guessing that going up one of those sky scrapers (esp.
the Burj Al Arab) would have the same effect. The tranquility along with little
SSS troweling her way through the sand and picking out shells made for a
blissful day! <o:p></o:p></div>
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We wrapped up the day with a lovely dinner with one of old
school friends and her family and truly felt thankful for the people I was with
for being such fun and being there.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Richa Sonpatkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11448555945318773375noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27694930.post-13964544583197679902015-02-18T16:51:00.000+05:302015-02-23T11:15:12.652+05:30Reading Bed Time Tales to your Toddler<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Being a working Mom means a hectic evening with the little
one. The two hours I get after I get home is the most precious time of the day.
Strictly divided into three slots of dinner time, play time and bed time, (and
the fourth is my slot of MY Time after she sleeps!). My 1.5 year old SSS is
becoming naughtier by the day and with extended play times, her dinner time and
bed time are fast morphing into play time as well! <o:p></o:p></div>
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While her favorite activity is running around the house, and
opening all the drawers and kitchen cabinets she can, my favorite activity is definitely
not fetching the balls she throws! Being
from a family of avid readers, my personal favorite activity is reading of course
and reading to her is a delightful way of spending time with her. Alas! The
only time I get to do that is at bed time! Dangling a pretty picture book is
the easiest way to divert her attention from ransacking her cupboard for socks and
get her to clamber to the bed!<o:p></o:p></div>
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If you are Mom, you may tell me how short their attention
spans are and how difficult it is to make them read, but patience is key. Here
are some of my tips to make your kids read –<o:p></o:p></div>
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<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li>Get board books with bright
pictures. The larger the pictures the better it is.</li>
<li>Large Pictures of animals, objects
they recognize make for ideal reading</li>
<li>Forget long stories of the Arabian
nights and Gulliver’s travels for now. Read small stories that have very few
sentences on each page.</li>
<li>You don’t have to read. Spin a
different story around the picture</li>
<li>Point out little objects in the
picture</li>
<li>Allow them to turn the pages.</li>
<li>If they start tearing pages, tell
them a firm No and take away the book for a while</li>
<li>Start off for as much time as they
let you read to them.</li>
<li>You read! If they see you reading,
they will want to automatically read too</li>
<li>Patience Patience Patience</li>
</ol>
Of course, I make it sound easier than it really is. Truth
is, it is hard work, but I am hoping it pays well in the long run!<o:p></o:p><br />
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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Now the only problem is, once they start reading, there is
no stopping them. If a juicy mystery can keep me up till wee hours of the
night, the teddy bear tales are just as powerful in invoking tears and tantrums
to not put the book down and to finish the stories! Then the only thing you can
then do is offer that glass of warm milk, change her <a href="http://www.rewardme.in/tag/Pampers." target="_blank">diaper</a>, switch off the
lights and sing her favorite nursery rhymes to lull her to sleep. And that my
dear readers, is how SSS sleeps a cozy night to sweet dreams of crows and
fairies and cows!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>What books do you read
to your child?<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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Richa Sonpatkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11448555945318773375noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27694930.post-75508333710395217902015-01-19T16:22:00.001+05:302015-01-19T16:22:27.692+05:30Book Review: Shattered Dreams - Part 2 of Ramayana: The Game of Life by Shubha Vilas<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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In continuation to my earlier blog on ‘The Rise of the Sun
Prince’(you may want to read the review <a href="http://richlandtalk.blogspot.in/2014/08/book-review-rise-of-sun-prince-part-1.html" target="_blank">here</a>), here is a review of the second part of the Ramayana series titled
‘Shattered Dreams'. This book like the
previous version has tales from Valmiki's Ramayana as well as the Kamban with some sprinkling of folklore which is what makes it worthy of the mythology hungry reader.</div>
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Twelve years have elapsed in Ayodhya since the royal wedding
of Rama and Sita – the next part regales the reader with the tale of Rama’s
planned coronation, subsequent banishment to the forest and Bharata’s efforts
to bring him back. <o:p></o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">The
romance of Rama and Sita is also quite very well depicted without the theatrics
of overwhelming the reader. </span></div>
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In a similar vein to the previous book, the tale has been
dramatized and narrated with a fervor that keeps the reader hooked. The story
takes off with Dasharatha’s foreboding of evil which prods him towards a hasty
decision to coronate prince Rama to be the ruler of Ayodhya. There is
jubilation in the city with this news but for one person, who bears a long time
grudge towards Rama. The evil hunch back Manthara plots a nasty conspiracy to
displace Rama as the crown prince and anoint Bharata, son of Keikei in his
place. This sparks off a chain of events that shape the destiny of many lives
and kingdoms thereafter.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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Again, I am not going to particularly elucidate on the story
of the Ramayana which is all too well known. However, as was in the previous
book, there are a few tales which may be little known which are brought to
light in this book. The story of how Bharata endeavored to persuade Rama to
come back is well narrated revealing interesting nuggets such as, Dashratha’s
promise to Keikei’s father at the time of seeking her hand that her son would
be the crown prince. Although this particular story makes me wonder, if he was
unwilling to abide by that promise, how was it that he was willing grant Keikei
the boon she asked for? </div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 16.8666667938232px;">However, the story aside, some takeaways from this book are what ideal behavior should be towards all, the importance of being detached in times of happiness or sadness, and how to be positive no matter how trying the times may be. Incidents in the story are linked to various life lessons that it is meant to impart and the author has lucidly interpreted various aspects with analogies and examples. </span>The footnotes make for excellent reading to understand the
underlying message behind each of the stories in the Ramayana. Lessons such as the five management mantras towards effective
leadership, solutions to success, and the six anarthas to conquer make for
interesting reading as do the notes on understanding ideal behavior.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
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<br /></div>
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All in all, it makes for some decent rereading of the
Ramayana although I would still say that the narrative style could have been
better. My verdict on this book is the
same as the previous book with a rating of 3.5 out of 5.<o:p></o:p></div>
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If you would like to buy this book you can preorder the book from <a href="http://www.amazon.in/Ramayana-Game-Life-Shattered-Dreams/dp/8184955316" target="_blank">Amazon</a> or any of the other leading book sellers.</div>
</div>
Richa Sonpatkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11448555945318773375noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27694930.post-48536256433783841262014-12-02T18:58:00.002+05:302014-12-02T19:00:58.105+05:30Book Review: God is a Gamer by Ravi Subramanian<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wTlBXFrdSNM/VH295LCrQTI/AAAAAAAAJ5A/7ie2THJzSZ0/s1600/WP_20141201_14_29_57_Pro%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wTlBXFrdSNM/VH295LCrQTI/AAAAAAAAJ5A/7ie2THJzSZ0/s1600/WP_20141201_14_29_57_Pro%5B1%5D.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Y7H1PK72EiQ/VH291r8QEpI/AAAAAAAAJ44/8jnMwhGVAH8/s1600/WP_20141201_14_29_44_Pro%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Y7H1PK72EiQ/VH291r8QEpI/AAAAAAAAJ44/8jnMwhGVAH8/s1600/WP_20141201_14_29_44_Pro%5B1%5D.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></div>
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In yet another of the banking series, Ravi Subramanian comes up with a thriller that spans continents, governments and different companies.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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</div>
<b><span style="color: yellow;">The story:</span></b><br />
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The book starts with various seemingly disconnected events
that happen in the same timeframe. These incidents include the assassination of
a high ranking government official in the US, a Nigerian Phishing scam in the
Indian branch of the New York international bank and a chance meeting of two
acquaintances in a drug exchange in Goa, and an ATM heist. These incidents are
preceded by a major development in the world of banks and the payment industry
and the rise of the controversial virtual currency or the world of bitcoins. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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The story continues with its crisp page-turning pace with
the introduction of several characters at various points in the book. Starting with
the US official who was murdered, his wife Nikki and daughter Gloria, Ashok,
the owner of India’s largest BPO and gaming site, an Indian American who was the
chief operator of the ATM heist, Ashok’s long lost son Varun who returns to
turnaround his dad’s fortunes in the gaming industry, Malvika, the CEO of New
York International Bank and her daughter Tanya, and some recurring characters
from his previous book ‘If God was a Banker’ – Swami, a banker with the New
York International Bank , and erstwhile banker Sundeep who is now Ashok’s right
hand man.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: yellow;">What I liked about
the book:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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I thoroughly enjoyed the concept of the bitcoins and how
they are woven into the storyline. At the end, even if all does not make sense,
the means to get the bitcoins certainly does. Ravi Subramanian true to his
financial industry background has done some justice to this emerging world of
bitcoins. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I found some of the final revelations on the mastermind
behind it all and the motive a bit far-fetched. It was only at the end in which
the by-line which accompanies the name of the book ‘Is revenge a crime’ angle
is disclosed. Although I enjoyed most of the book, the end seemed to be just
not right and just strange! <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: yellow;">What I didn’t like
about the book:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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Well, I have mixed feelings regarding the size of the
chapters and the number of characters introduced. The story flits from one
context to another a little too fast and it becomes hard to keep track at times
of the number of characters that continually get introduced. However, if you do manage to remember who’s
who, the end might just make some sense to you. What I also didn’t like was the
unnecessary incorporation of steamy scenes which this author could have really
done without. His books are really not from the genre where the author needs to
titillate. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><span style="color: yellow;">Verdict</span></b></div>
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To sum up, the story is well built, the bitcoin concept is brilliant. However even so, although all the ends are tied up, I was left with
a sense of too many things being too far-fetched or unnecessary. I wouldn’t say
this is Ravi Subramanian’s best book yet. However, I would still recommend this
as a one time, one shot, entertaining read. All in all, I would give a rating
of 3 out of 5 for the book.</div>
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Thanks Blogadda for the autographed copy of the book!<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
Richa Sonpatkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11448555945318773375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27694930.post-52916817794790109702014-10-20T18:05:00.000+05:302014-10-20T18:05:46.967+05:30Healthy kids make for happy homes<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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As we peered over my little daughter when she was born, all
we wanted to do was keep her happy! And we promised to ourselves, we would do
the best we could to keep her happy always! <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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And then started the flurry of advice as we scurried around
her for 24 hours a day. “Give her breast milk for atleast 2 years” said one. “Give
her ‘Bal-ghuti’ to increase her strength and immunity” said another. “Tie a
black thread around her hands and her feet to ward off the evil eye and keep
her from falling sick”. “Sing the hanuman chalisa everyday to protect her from
all ailments”. “Put a blob of kajal on her forehead, cheeks, leg, her eyes and
near her hairline to protect her” Grrr…and turn my pretty little baby into someone
unrecognizable, I muttered under my breath. “Nazar utaro so she always eats
well” and so on and so forth!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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By and by I realized that the main concern around a child is
her health. An upset tummy, a small cold can delay her from taking the next
baby step in her growth etc. are not good things! A child should never be sick
but be always up and about ready to play, and hungry to eat! Breast milk provides
great immunity, but the immunity needs to become only stronger once kids need
something more once they start mingling with other kids when they get to
school. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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I have seen the tantrums kids this small can throw when it
comes to eating the right healthy food. You may decide to give her amla juice
everyday, but watch her squirt it right out at you and never drink it ever
again! Try that with other herbs used in the popular ayurvedic bal-ghuti for
the same result! I even tried masking the amla juice with her favorite
strawberry jam but she was on the alert and there was no fooling her! And then,
gave her a spoon of Dabur Chyawanprash which she mistook for jam and actually
lapped it up quite happily, Amla and all! In exciting flavors of mango and
mixed-fruit, this magic potion can increase immunity by 3 times and keep your
child safe from those dreaded colds and coughs are so unpleasant and cause such
discomfort. And you can watch your kid gulp down the Amla happily along with
the range of other herbs that increase immunity. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Now that the October heat is on us, the weather is sultry
and the mosquitoes are back! But this time, my little girl seems to be
prepared. As I watch her happily prance
about in the park with the other kids, I know she will be well, healthy and
happy.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Read more on Chywanprash <a href="https://www.liveveda.com/daburchyawanprash/" target="_blank">here</a>.</div>
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This post is written for an Indiblogger contest and is not entirely true! Dabur Chywanprash with all its health benefits can be given to only children over 3 years which I will when my daughter turns three!</div>
</div>
Richa Sonpatkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11448555945318773375noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27694930.post-67191659679433194742014-08-25T15:01:00.000+05:302014-08-25T19:17:51.084+05:30Book Review: Private India by Ashwin Sanghi and James Patterson<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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When two best-selling crime authors come together, the
result’s got to be one helluva novel right? Private India is a part in a
‘Private’ world wide series written by James Patterson and a local author (usually),in this case Ashwin Sanghi and is a super murder mystery set in Mumbai that
keeps the reader guessing.<br />
<br /></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>The Story</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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A murder is discovered in a hotel by a maid, and strange
symbols appear on the site of the murder. The murdered woman is discovered
to be an accomplished surgeon. Tied to her hands are a lotus and a fork, and
tied to a foot is a tiny Viking helmet. She has been strangulated, and a yellow
scarf tied to her neck. Private India, an investigating agency headed by
Santosh is called in to investigate the case in collaboration with the Police
headed by ACP Rupesh.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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After the first
murder of the doctor, the series of murders continue with more women being discovered with strange symbols around them and the yellow scarf around their necks. After the doctor,.a journalist, a famous singer, an
influential politician, a social-worker, and a school principal are all found dead killed by seemingly the same person in a similar fashion. All the women are
found with yellow garrotes around their necks and strange symbols around them. The team is flummoxed and is unable to find the common link apart from a few unrelated people whose names keep cropping up during the investigation. Santosh
and team need to find out how the murders are connected, what the symbols are, what story the murderer is trying to tell and who the next targets are before
the murderer gets to them. The urgency to solve this case increases further as sinister events unfold on the side and the murderer strikes again and again.<br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Other parallel story lines involve a gang lord who is
simultaneously plotting bomb blasts, a corrupt Attorney General whose name
crops up during investigation of several murders, Santosh’s team members most
of who have a troubled past and Santosh’s turbulent relationship with erstwhile
close friend ACP Rupesh.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />
<b>My take</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The mystery in itself is quite a page turner which keeps the
reader hooked and wondering what will happen next while trying to analyze the
preceding murders to see how they are connected. I also enjoyed
the characterization of the many people introduced in the book and could almost
imagine the story unfold.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
However, what I didn’t think fitted with the main
storyline were all of the parallel storylines that I mentioned earlier. Infact, the book could have entirely done
without including any of the other parts even as they added words and more
complexity to the script and tried to befuddle the reader. For example, I found
the terrorist links in the book to be completely unnecessary and a waste of words really.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />
<b>Verdict: </b><o:p></o:p></div>
All in all a thrilling page turner, and a nice juicy murder
mystery you may say, complete with clues, plenty of suspects, involved
investigators and a great storyline. I will give the book 4 stars on 5.<br />
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<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<span style="color: yellow;">This review is a part of the </span><a href="http://blog.blogadda.com/2011/05/04/indian-bloggers-book-reviews" target="_blank">Book Reviews Program</a><span style="color: yellow;"> at </span><a href="http://www.blogadda.com/">BlogAdda.com</a><span style="color: yellow;">. Participate now to get free books!</span></div>
</div>
Richa Sonpatkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11448555945318773375noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27694930.post-34769873108986870602014-08-21T12:02:00.001+05:302014-08-21T12:02:59.523+05:30Book Review: Catching the Departed by Kulpreet Yadav<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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The Indian literary scene seems to have a lot of thrillers
off-late. Some based on stories of the past interspersed with the current age,
others focusing on a particular sector say Banking, and yet some others who
have not carved a niche for themselves yet have a promise of doing so.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-a4xMdE2p3zo/U_WSNh3SoYI/AAAAAAAAI5g/bcTde_t5W5w/s1600/Catching%2Bthe%2BDeparted.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-a4xMdE2p3zo/U_WSNh3SoYI/AAAAAAAAI5g/bcTde_t5W5w/s1600/Catching%2Bthe%2BDeparted.png" height="320" width="203" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Background</b></div>
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The book I am reviewing here is yet another piece of crime
fiction. The author has tried to differentiate himself though by giving us a
new detective – Andy Karan.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Like some books I have read recently, whoever is out on a
killing mission or on a saving mission in India, must have an army training and
Andy Karan is no exception, except that he is no longer serving the military
directly, but posing as a journalist but is really an undercover agent.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>The Story<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Set mostly in Delhi and a village near Delhi, we hear that a
villager has been killed under suspicious circumstances. Andy Karan’s boss,
Monica (obviously female and obviously single and good looking like she would
be in all Indian novels) at the magazine sends him on a mission to find out
after getting a tip off from a random source she doesn’t bother to verify
about. Andy Karan lands up at the village and without much ado raises hackles
without bothering to do anything cautiously and gets beaten up. His boss,
Monica is apologetic about sending him there but Andy wants to go back. Why, because there is this mysterious old man
boss who shows up, and says that he is Andy’s boss and Andy wants to do as he
commands him to. One would think, someone with an army training would be more
cautious, but no, apparently the secret investigation cells of India work so
secretly that detectives like Andy don’t know who they are working for!<o:p></o:p></div>
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The story however far-fetched, was believable till this
point in time, till it revealed the villain who according to me bordered on
insanity although he should have been a really astute person. If you read it,
you will realize how inane the villain is and even less believable are his
plans that follow to unleash terror in India. And then I have my pet peeve..the
story is interesting but it seems to be written for a film with its unnecessary
heroine, good looking army jaawan, and multiple locations of Delhi, Mumbai and
a rural village near Delhi.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>Verdict<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I would say the effort by the author is not too bad. While I
like the idea of Andy Karan, the promising detective, I would have been happier
with a better execution of the story <o:p></o:p></div>
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I will give this book a rating of 3 stars on five.</div>
</div>
Richa Sonpatkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11448555945318773375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27694930.post-10364001085337226082014-08-17T15:55:00.002+05:302014-08-17T15:55:28.422+05:30Book Review: Rise of the Sun Prince- Part 1 of Ramayana: The Game of Life by Shubha Vilas<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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One of the most revered tales that is a part of Indian
mythology, folklore and history is that of the Ramayana. This tale of Prince
Ram has been handed down through ages and is considered to be one of the
greatest love stories and the most dramatic stories of good versus evil.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I have read several interpretations of the Ramayana. Some of
my favorite books on the Ramayana include those by the very popular C
Rajagopalachari and Kamala Subramaniam. However, I am always looking for new
interpretations that provide me with more answers and new stories and am happy
to say that I have found yet another version that I quite liked.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Shubha Vilas who is a spiritual leader and a motivational
speaker has done justice to the Ramayana through this first volume called as
the Rise of the Sun Prince in a six part series called as “Ramayana, the Game
of Life”.</div>
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<o:p></o:p>I was quite happy to receive an autographed copy of the book
that provided a lovely message – “With this book I wish to share traditional
wisdom to deal with the twists and turns of life. I hope this book will bring
you a new perspective on living a progressive life.” And that is exactly what
the book seeks to do. The Author has included not just the story but also
interpreted it with reference to our everyday life and the life lessons we
should get from the various chapters of the book. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The first book of the Ramayana details the story of Lord Ram, prince of the Ikshvaku dynasty, the descendants of the Sun God (and therefore the name of The Sun Prince). In this book you will read about Lord
Rama’s birth, his young exploits in guarding the sacrifice of sages led by
Vishwamitra against feared demons Taraka and Maricha, the freeing of a stony
Ahalya from a curse and ends on a very happy note of Rama’s wedding with Sita.
The book also has a substantial part devoted to the famous sage
Vishwamitra. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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As most of the Ramayana story is well known, I will not get
into more details of the story. But particularly interesting are some nuggets
that the author has imparted throwing light to some questions we have on this
epic tale. To cite an example, I always wondered why Lord Rama’s childhood was
not as extensively covered as was Lord Krishna’s childhood in our scriptures.
The author provides a note –<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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“Lord Rama’s childhood is underplayed in the Ramayana, with
the entire childhood occupying merely 10 verses. In comparison, Krishna’s
childhood has been elaborated extensively. Lord Rama is called Anusthana Pradhan,
meaning the One who has descended to teach human lessons on discipline and
morality. Lord Krishna is called Anubhava Pradhan, meaning the One who has
descended to impart fascinating experiences.
Because Lord Rama had manifested to impart discipline, His childhood was
kept low key.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Let me provide an example of the lesson that he has provided
on the Sage Vishwamitra’s enmity with the great Sage Vasishtha –<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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“Often in life, like Vishwamitra, we are so busy pursuing
our short-term goals, that we do not find any time to pause and reflect on the
direction we are heading toward. Life gives us many hidden doors, which become
visible only if we pause. Most people live their lives by the clock, running at
a frantic pace. A balanced individual needs to use a compass from time to time
to check if one is running in the right direction. Else, the faster you run in
the wrong direction, the farther you stray from your goal.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I also don’t however know how true some of the stories are
although I am sure the author has done his research. For example, I had no idea
Dashratha, Rama’s father had 350 wives apart from the four we know of commonly,
and had married them to escape the axe wielding hermit and Kshyatriya hater,
Parshurama. Apparently, Parshurama had vowed to kill all the Kshyatriya kings
except those who were getting married. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But
well, it may be true too.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
All in all, an interesting book with some good
interpretations. However, I have found
more compelling narratives in other books. That being said, I am glad to see a
book in mainstream publishing that carries more than a story and also provides
readers with a way of life.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
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<br /></div>
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My verdict:</div>
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I will give this book 3.5 stars out of five.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Richa Sonpatkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11448555945318773375noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27694930.post-51124173607261121862014-06-11T10:52:00.003+05:302014-06-11T10:52:51.686+05:3010 Life Lessons Learnt from a Baby<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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It is ridiculous how much babies
can teach you instead of the other way round. Some of the most profound life
lessons come from babies. Here are ten life lessons my ten month old baby girl
SSS has taught me by example!</div>
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<b>1. Try and keep trying no matter how many times you fall </b>(literally!)
- It is truly laudable how tirelessly SSS
keeps trying to make those new movements. Be it sitting, crawling, standing,
climbing or trying to walk. She never ever gives up no matter how many times
she fails, falls, or hurts herself! This is certainly something we grown-ups
need to learn from.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pWn8ZTsK5ls/U5fiLcZQf5I/AAAAAAAAIfI/8w2kPAvuB8s/s1600/WP_20140422_012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pWn8ZTsK5ls/U5fiLcZQf5I/AAAAAAAAIfI/8w2kPAvuB8s/s1600/WP_20140422_012.jpg" height="320" width="179" /></a></div>
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<br /><b><br /></b><b>2. Be Bold -</b> It could be out of ignorance of the unknown or just plain
daring, but babies venture out into unknown territory far more easily than
grown-ups do. Perhaps SSS is telling me to go out of my comfort zone and do
bold new things I haven’t done before!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>3. Find joy in simple things -</b> Splashing in the water during bath
time, untying a parcel, chasing a ball, playing for hours with a piece of
string may sound mundane but are a source of joy for the little one. I need to
sit back, relax and find pleasure in the simplest things I do!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>4. Forget the bad parts easily -</b> She stands up, she slips, she falls,
she cries. You pick her up and soothe her. The next moment she is laughing out
loud! How lovely life would be if we could forget the hurt as easily and move
on with life!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>5. Explore the world -</b> However tiny her world maybe, her surroundings
will always be interesting to her and she will continue to explore every nook
and cranny. I need to start exploring my surroundings – the new park nearby,
the attractions the city has to offer, a trip to the nearby hillstation…<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>6. Find new uses for old things -</b> A tiny box is just a box until she
puts a pebble into it and shakes it to make for a new rattle! A chair is just a
chair till she learns to push it around to learn to walk! Babies are born
innovators not knowing the intended use of things, and manage to use things in
ways we grown-ups cannot imagine! I have learnt to convert all sorts of
household objects into toys for her and had fun along the way!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>7. Surprise us</b> – This element of babies is one of the most endearing
aspects. There is never a dull moment with her. You may think a box of
expensive toys would wow her, but surprise! She puts the toy aside and plays
with the wrapping paper! How fun life would be if we started surprising one
another with the smallest of things and putting in efforts towards goals to
surprise ourselves!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>8. Ask questions</b> – Although SSS is too young to start probing
verbally, her curiosity in the smallest of things is amazing. The look of
wonder on her face when cars go by, or the baffled look when she sees anything
new tells me I need to start getting ready to answer a host of questions. And
also start asking some pertinent questions I have ignored in my general life. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>9. Exercise -</b> Right from the time the baby develops arms and legs in
the womb, they are continuously kicking them and exercising. SSS is never still
in one place and forever wants to move around tirelessly. I need to take a leaf from her active
lifestyle and get mobile for a fraction of that time for a slim me!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>10. Eat only as much as is required</b> – Last but not the least, babies
know exactly how much they should eat and refuse a morsel of food beyond. Now
if only we could apply this when presented with a buffet of the most
deliciously fattening fried and sweet stuff, life would be much fitter than it
is!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Richa Sonpatkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11448555945318773375noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27694930.post-75370254557973593652014-04-30T10:34:00.001+05:302014-04-30T10:39:59.416+05:30ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzz<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: yellow;">Z of the A to Z Challenge</span></h3>
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The last letter of the alphabet and the last blog of the month! I am so super excited and happy to announce that I completed the A to Z April Blogging Challenge! All I can think of right now after all that writing, reading and thinking about what to write next and my baby daughter SSS keeping me awake till 2:00 a.m. yesterday is ZZZZZZzzzzzzz sleeping!</div>
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<br />Thanks ladies and gentlemen for following me through the challenge. I hope you liked reading my blogs as much as I enjoyed writing them. I hope I continue to see you again on this space even if the challenge is over. Here is signing off and ZZZZZZzzzzzzzzz! </div>
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To read all my A to Z blogs do visit <a href="http://richlandtalk.blogspot.in/search/label/A-Z%20Challenge" target="_blank">here</a><br />
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Richa Sonpatkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11448555945318773375noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27694930.post-15469133180576205022014-04-29T23:36:00.003+05:302014-04-29T23:36:45.831+05:30Yosemite National Park<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b><span style="color: yellow;">Y of the A to Z challenge</span></b></h3>
One of my most memorable trips so far has been a visit to the exotic Yosemite National Park in the United States. The onset of the winter season had begun, and the night we arrived at Yosemite, it first snow of the season fell. We woke up to a sheet of snow outside the window of the hotel. Having stayed in hot tropical countries all my life, it was my first experience of snowfall. And it truly was as lovely as the books describe it to be during Christmas time! The whole world looked pristine and white that winter morning and I could not stop gawking at all the loveliness around.<br />
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Winter has a different sort of beauty and I am glad I experienced the first snow of my life at Yosemite! Although pictures hardly do any justice to the beauty that took our breath away, here are a few pictures that have remained etched in my mind forever.<br />
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You can read more details on the Yosemite trip <a href="http://richlandtalk.blogspot.in/2010/12/trip-to-yosemite-valley.html" target="_blank">here</a><br />
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Richa Sonpatkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11448555945318773375noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27694930.post-5722228913876417252014-04-29T23:35:00.002+05:302014-04-29T23:36:04.805+05:30What does X mean to you?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: yellow;">X of the A to Z Challenge</span></span></h3>
Honestly, I have run out of topics to write on as this challenge having written a blog nearly everyday! Therefore, my topic today is the very letter X!<br />
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X is one letter in the alphabet that means so many different things!<br />
While it is used to make weird sounding words that are generally used in playing Scrabble, or make words that sound as though they start with Z rather than an X -for example, Xena (remember the warrior princess?) or Xenophilius Lovegood, or Xavier the letter X itself has several interesting facets and uses that no other letter of the alphabet has. <br />
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Here are a few uses of X<br />
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x - sizes are denoted in XL, XXL. Here X stands for Extra.<br />
x - differentiator - The X-factor, The X-Men<br />
x - Used as a multiple 2x, 3x etc. or used as the multiplication sign<br />
x - cross mark/ incorrect<br />
x - unknown variable in algebraic equations. This was always the dreaded letter back in school where the question to a complex algebraic equation was as simple as find the value of x!<br />
x - In Roman language, X means 10<br />
x - rated movies are meant for adults<br />
x - represents the unknown or to cite an example - Person x<br />
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These are some of the uses of x I could think of. Let me know in your comments if you can think of any more!</div>
Richa Sonpatkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11448555945318773375noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27694930.post-72210805995927779462014-04-29T14:23:00.001+05:302014-04-29T14:23:37.363+05:30Working from home<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: yellow;">W of the A-Z Challenge</span></h3>
It never ceases to amaze me what technology has done. People separated by thousands of miles are a phone call away. One can not just speak to these far off people but also see them! Gone are the days of snail mail where letters would take months to get delivered. Internet speeds have gone up radically and have changed the way we communicate, watch tv and even work. Working across borders has become so much easier despite different time zones. <br />
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I work for a company that interacts with other countries may thousand miles away. But what makes it easier is the flexibility that allows me to work from home. All I need is my laptop, a high speed internet connection and I am set. I don’t really need to travel every single day all the way to my office on congested roads where all forms of transport jostle for space. Working from home is a boon for many like me who prefer to not spend their time traveling, atleast not everyday! But the problem of working from home is that everyone around you thinks you are on a holiday and that I am free to do everything else!<br />
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And yes, it can become a holiday if you don’t have the right attitude to working from home. It is extremely easy to flop on the sofa in your pyjamas with the laptop and find yourself reaching out for the remote…or start cleaning up and clearing up the kitchen and rearranging things…or opening the door to the neighbors and engaging in long conversations…or getting your kid home and starting to play with her! Well, no one can be blamed, if they think you are on a holiday then!<br />
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A few tips for people to not succumb to the many temptations of wfh (working from home) –<br />
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<li>Get dressed as if you are going to office</li>
<li>Set up a home office – a table space in the quietest room in the house, a phone connection, a high speed internet access, a printer if need be are all musts</li>
<li>Get a back-up internet source and a power supply source if you work from India where there are power cuts</li>
<li>Don’t get your kids home</li>
<li>Don’t run errands and stop cleaning and clearing up the house!</li>
<li>Work during office timings as you would at office and in the same routine including breaks</li>
<li>Be available on phone or office messenger</li>
<li>Tell everyone around you that you are working and have deliverables just like office going folk do and you are not available to do anything else</li>
<li>Deliver the goods without getting distracted</li>
<li>Go to office if you have one sometimes at least or it can get boring to work in solitude every single day!</li>
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Richa Sonpatkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11448555945318773375noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27694930.post-40741304072271232412014-04-29T13:37:00.002+05:302014-04-30T15:46:37.744+05:30Voice of a Billion<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b><span style="color: yellow;">V of the A to Z Challenge</span></b></h3>
I know I said that my earlier election post would be the last, but given the election fervor and fever that continues to rage in the country, I can't help but wonder now what is going to happen.<br />
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I hope people have <b>Voted</b>. I wonder if people truly have a <b>Vendetta </b>against the current crop of politicians, or if they want <b>Vengeance </b>on the <b>Vile </b>rulers who have done nothing but <b>Vacillate </b>on key decisions. Can people find a more <b>Virtuous </b>set of rulers who will be <b>Veracious </b>and truly deliver on their promises instead of being merely <b>Vociferous </b>during the elections?<br />
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We don't need <b>Vainglorious </b>politicians who in reality have delivered nothing apart from a <b>Vulgar </b>display of their indifference. We certainly don't need <b>Villains </b>as our rulers who smile during the elections and <b>Viciously </b>loot the country in scam after scam after that. We don't need rulers who don't even have a <b>Vague </b>idea of what they need to do and are only out to line their own pockets. What we need is a <b>Visionary </b>leader who believes in the <b>Vibrancy </b>of India and who can <b>Vigorously </b>embark upon true development with a <b>Viable </b>plan. We need someone who is not perpetually <b>Vexed </b>about how to go forward, and someone who is far more <b>Vocal </b>than our current prime minister.<br />
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Who will finally be <b>Victorious </b>in this <b>Vicious </b>competition for <b>Votes</b>? What does the <b>Voice </b>of a Billion people sound like? We will find out on May 16!<br />
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Richa Sonpatkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11448555945318773375noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27694930.post-59257661394939730312014-04-28T17:48:00.002+05:302014-04-28T18:26:07.343+05:30Unspoiled Getaway - Matheran<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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The sweltering heat of Mumbai in late April, an anniversary gone by in the hectic work week that was, a required stress buster, all made us want to go away to somewhere cool, somewhere unpolluted, somewhere natural and somewhere near.<br />
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Not far from the bustle of Mumbai, we zeroed on a hillstation that we had never been to together. The hill station of Matheran is a 2 hour drive from Mumbai and a delightful get away. The government of India has made this cosy hill station into a protected sanctuary where vehicles are not allowed…which means air that is as fresh as it can get without the fumes that vehicles bring about. I was quite surprised to see such a lush green cover in this heat and it was quite pleasant even in the hot summer month of April. I never realized how refreshing unpolluted air can be. Even though it was hot when we reached, and we were tired with our baby SSS and the 40 minute walk uphill, we were instantly recharged after we dumped our luggage in the hotel and stepped out in a few minutes.<br />
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What to see- There are several picturesque points in Matheran that offer spectacular views of the valley and the hills. The popular ‘points’ are marked on the map below. Sunset Point, Porcupine point, Monkey point, Panaroma Point, and Heart point are some of the popular points to visit although I prefer to visit the quieter places that are along the way but less noisy and cleaner. The toy train was remarkable of course climbing that steep incline. Waterfalls can also been seen near the Charlotte lake, but since it was summer when I visited, there were no waterfalls to be seen. It is a nice place for adults looking for some greenery and a respite from the heat. It is a fun place for kids with monkeys, horses, sheep and various animals to be seen, a fun market to head out to. My baby girl was absolutely fascinated with all the monkeys monkeying around and laughed her heart out at their antics!<br />
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A common sight in Matheran is that of horses and monkeys. With no vehicles allowed, the transport of the yore..the horses are used in this hill station. One can see horses almost everywhere. I was told there are about 400 horses that are used in this scenic hillstation to ferry people, building material, food and almost everything!<br />
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There are two ways to get to Matheran. By road and by train. By road, which we took, there are two routes that lead there from Mumbai– one through Badlapur onwards to Matheran, and the other via Panvel that we took. A two hour drive leads you to the foothills of Matheran where you are supposed to park your vehicle in the parking lot. A bevy of porters, horse owners and handcart rickshaw pullers will besiege you and tell you various options to go up. You can trudge upwards on a 40 minute walk on foot or on horse or on a hand drawn cart. You can also hire porters if you want your luggage carried. The second option is to take the train to Neral station (Central Railway local train) and then take the toy train that winds its way up through a scenic hill offering fantastic views of the hillside right upto the station of Matheran.<br />
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Notes: All prices for horse, porters, hand drawn carts and even hotels are negotiable. They typically ask for Rs 450 per person for anything. But you can negotiate to bring this price down to 250-300 per person.<br />
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There are hotel options for all budgets offering varying facilities and locations. You can even reach on the spot and find a suitable hotel.<br />
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All in all, I loved the place and I will be back there soon!<br />
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Some pictures from my trip -<br />
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Richa Sonpatkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11448555945318773375noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27694930.post-1227314536222545982014-04-23T10:44:00.004+05:302014-04-23T10:48:49.148+05:30Time for Change<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: yellow;">T of the A to Z Blogging Challenge</span></h3>
This is my last blog on elections and voting in the A to Z challenge. Tomorrow is an important day, the day Mumbai goes to vote in the Lok Sabha elections in the biggest democracy of the world.<br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Why should you vote?<br /><ol style="text-align: left;">
<li>You can avail discounts at enterprises that are promoting voting!</li>
<li>You can take a selfie and post it on facebook, twitter, Instagram and all the social networks you are part of!!!</li>
<li>Get some value from the money that has been spent on the election. It is your own money you have paid in Taxes.</li>
<li>You don’t think the current government has done enough in developing the country. Roads are still bad, power cuts are still long, education is not for all, security is weak, women are not empowered, jobs are few, corruption was rampant, the neighboring China has skyrocketed its development when we were at the same starting point but we are where we were 10 years back, promises are many but actions are few.</li>
<li>Voting brings about accountability. If the government does not perform, it can be voted out. If however, it knows people don’t care enough to vote if it performs or not, corruption will continue and development will not.</li>
<li>Each vote makes a difference. Really it does. If you don’t vote, it increases the chance of a bad candidate to win. Take responsibility for your actions if governance is bad then. Shed the cynicism and vote!</li>
<li>Vote for a candidate or party you think will make for a stable government, a responsible government, and one who you think will bring true development to the country.</li>
<li>You have the right to choose who will rule you. Unlike non-democratic countries where citizens cannot choose who will rule them and may get tyrannical leaders or ineffective leaders, Indians get to choose. It is a privilege no less. </li>
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Your office may or may not have declared a holiday. You may have a train to catch on the voting day, you may have an important meeting that day…time will never be enough for our routine tasks, but this is an important occasion to celebrate once in five years..so make time for it! You can start as early as 7:00 a.m. and vote till 5:00 p.m.</div>
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Richa Sonpatkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11448555945318773375noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27694930.post-9378653967206828132014-04-23T10:39:00.001+05:302014-04-23T10:39:38.718+05:30Scenic Switzerland<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: yellow;">S of the A-Z Challenge</span></h3>
I visited this gorgeous country many years back and can still vividly remember the beauty that it was. Images of green pastures, spotted jersey cows, ice peaked Alps, misty mountains, scenic water falls, cosy churches, and every road prettier than the last come to mind. Here are a few pictures from my visit. It is little wonder that so many romantic movies in Bollywood have been shot here! You can also visit my post of long ago for more pictures and the journey <a href="http://richlandtalk.blogspot.in/2008/06/heaven-on-earth-swtizerland.html" target="_blank">here</a> -<br />
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Richa Sonpatkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11448555945318773375noreply@blogger.com3