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Thursday, January 19, 2012

Photography of Life


Passing through an amazing moment, I wish I could capture them to relive them when I feel low. That’s what photographs does sometimes to us, the older the better…  I am not a good photographer, coz that’s a talent that not every body owns, but the one’s who have it, are the ones who can capture moments of not only their lives but others too. How lucky…!!!!!
Birth and Birthdays, Lunches and dinners, marriages and anniversarys, fortunates and less fortunates; animals and beaches, laughter and romance…. Its photographs that becomes a mirror to your life… A picture of you smiling at the camera is a postcard gift from the present you to the future you and it says. “ You were having a good time”.
The first dish you prepared, the first time you met your soulmate, the first child, the first birthday…. It’s a the deepest emotions that come out through the lenses.. Lenses know it all…
Everyday may not be good, but there is surely good in everyday… hunt for that good, be it through the lenses or your thoughts. You will surely find a reason to smile and that’s what means clicking everyday in your life…

Click Click, smile please !!!
**smiles… I have got my moment**

PS: **Blog Inspiration came while watching a photo video by Afghen’s photography**

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

A Tour of my city – Lucknow

I have been born and have spent a lot of my childhood in this city. It’s my hometown. While pondering over the thoughts of being home with dad and mom, I toured the city in my thoughts… What’s in it that I love it so much… Though it’s been years since I have left it for work and landed in this big wide metro…but still my heart lies there, where I saw my mom the last time, where I had biryanis and kebabs my dad made, where I fought with my brother and cousins in carom match, where I strolled around with my hostel friends. Memories are immense….. What would it be like if I be a tourist to my own city, a vacation in my hometown…!! I know Lucknow oozes historical interest, cultural delights, authentic and mouthwatering delicacies, chikankari designs and British blended monuments, it has got enough to keep you hooked to it for a few days.
Let’s make a checklist to see what are the 5 most interesting things this authentic and ethnic city of Nawabs offer :

1. Cultural Delight: You experience starts from the railway station itself, which portrays lucknow through its outstanding structure. Hire a cab and take a tour of the other famous monuments whose history will keep you equally amused as its architecture.. From Bada or Chhota Imambada to Rumi Darwaza to the Lucknow Museum ,Residency and the La Martiniere school (yes the schools is also worth seeing  **:-) **). The experience of walking through the Bhool Bhulaiya (Labyrinth) is incredible which keeps you wondering if it was the same floor you just walked through… 

2. Shopping: Even though lucknow shopping is transforming itself to big retail shops but it’s the authentic traditional way of shopping that still attracts the visitors. The city inspite of its politeness, mujras and shayaris, it was also famous for its shopping experience. The major markets of Chawk, nakhas, aminabad, nishatganj, hazratganj still gives you the flavor of Lucknow’s old charm. Must pick is a kurta, suit or sari in chikankari (exquisite shadow-work embroidery on fine muslin cloth) which is an art in itself.

3. Cuisine…. YUMMM:  When in lucknow, you might forget all the diets of the world and wish for a bigger stomach. It all started ages back with the Nawabs who lived to eat. Fill you palatte with different tastes, start from tundey or kakori kebabs with Awadhi paratha, Dumpukht biryani, nihari with naan or sheermal, roasted chicken, murgh achari or kali mirch and end with phirni, shahi tukra and kulfi faluda… am still not satisfied with my list, I want to go on… trust me there is lot more…. the chaat of aminabad is to die for and that paan of hazratganj is too tempting to resist.

4. Parks and gardens: For that naturalist or adventurist inside your visit the colour loaded gardens and parks of lucknow and mind you these too have history behind them. The nawabs that lived here left a heritage of parks for the city to boast of. Located in the heart of city, Begum hazrat mehal park that has witnessed many dusshehra celebrations but now a walkers paradise. When fountains go up and lights turn on, it’s sight is a feast for eyes. Buddha and Hathi parks are the ones where kids attraction lies …(I too have spent many summer evening there with parents, captured in photo memories now), though one of my favourites have been kukrail picnic spot, which is also a crocodile and gariyal conservation centre, a great choice to spend a day in nature.

5. Tonga ride & Ghazals:  How about ditching the hired cab while coming back from the historical tour of old lucknow, instead get on a Tonga, a horse carriage for a ride of lifetime, start from old lucknow to the heart of the city, a fantastic experience. As the sun sets and you get down of the tonga thinking you have seen it all now, but no, there is lot more. Walk in to an authentic Awadhi restaurant, lots of them have special ghazal evenings for the guest. Some soulful live ghazals and mouth melting kebabs with delicious kormas truly make for the best evening.
 Hope I have tempted you enough to choose this city for you next visit and a promise of an incredible experience follows. Best time to visit my town is winter months, so pack your bags and get set and go!!!

** Smiles smiles ***

PS: (Caution – Avoid the boastful posters with Mayawati’s full size photographs.)

Monday, January 16, 2012

Click Click...Let's ... Go... Shopping !!


Following the World, India too has gone digital now, not only in the sense that we are addicted to gadgets like mobile phones, laptops, tablets etc, but now we are much beyond it. I am talking about the alluring world of ‘Shopping’(guess it tempts me more than biryani or momos..**smiles**)
There is a good old saying “ When the going gets tough, the tough gets going”, I would like to tweak it a little bit “When the going gets tough, the tough goes SHOPPING”. What say girls?

Shopping is something that everybody does, some show it as a passion and others do it coz they really need those things. Few years back, there was only one way to shop and that was to get a shopping buddy, stroll around the streets, walk in every shop, try and feel clothes or others and pick the one that suits you best or something that you eyed on. Now the shopping world has exploded into many new options by going digital.

Picture this scene…. your boss has just blasted you for an avoidable mistake and you don’t feel pepped up enough to use your mind on the presentation you have to deliver in next 2 hours... Weird Corporate World!!! Then you get an email and a click directs you to the world of online sales. Your eyes are seeing something hard to believe….. Yes, it’s the same dress you saw few weeks back at that store, showing here at 50% OFF, no second thought and you buy that dress. You actually bought it, can’t believe, now you really own that dress at a stealing price… and suddenly your mood swings and you realize you are over with what happened just a few minutes back with your boss. No awards for guessing that your presentation went off brilliantly.

Sounds so cool noh!! That’s the impact online shopping does to many… the housewives who used to wait for their husbands to take them out for shopping, don’t wait anymore…the pregnant friend who wants to buy the best for her baby but can’t afford walking and stressing herself, can do all that and more sitting on her bed… the small towners who don’t have access to big brands now flaunt their possessions without even visiting metros. 

Haven’t tried it yet??… Lemme warn you... DON’T … coz it’s damn convenient and far too tempting.

So want to be my shopping buddy???.. Here we go shopping !!! Click ... Click... Add to Cart .. !!!

Thursday, January 12, 2012

LIVE LOVE LAUGH : New Year is every one's birthday!!


Since the time we stepped in 2012, I have been thinking of writing something that I really would like to follow this year. Something that can relate to every girl out there. Finally I am done and here is my first post of this new year. New year comes with a fresh air in the atmosphere; a chance for all of us to move on with a fresh mind and a positive attitude. Aptly, a new year is every one's birthday. So girls, it’s time to leave your past behind and believe in the fact that the best is yet to come in your way. Here is a list of 10 things which every girl must consider doing in 2012. Am sure applying any of the below points will only turn your life in a better way.

Fall in love OR fall in hate
Get inspired OR be depressed
Ace a test OR flunk a class
Make babies OR make art
Speak the truth OR say Lie
Dance on tables OR sit in a corner
Life is divine chaos. Embrace it
Forgive yourself. Breathe.
And enjoy the ride….
LIVE LOVE LAUGH….
And earth will become a better place to live in.

1.       Be fit & healthy
Its sale time everywhere and while shopping for apparels, we suddenly realize our original size doesn’t fit us anymore, but still we tend to buy that gorgeous dress promising ourselves to fit into it a few months down the line. That's like a no new feeling. Being lean and good looking is something we girls are eternally putting our efforts into year after year. But this This year, let’s take it other way round, be fit and healthy and its automatically going to show in our sizes. Go on a healthy and doable diet. That's where all the difference lies. Turn your intangible dreams about being thin and sexy into something more attainable and practical like knowing what size actually suits you and what you're comfortable in. Not every one looks good in that skinny image that fashion models display. This year, work on a makeover for yourself, something that looks tailor made just for you. After all looking comfortable in your skin is more striking than looking like a diva right off the ramp.
2.       Follow your passion/ hobby
I know, this again is something we tend to think about every January and then it keeps fading through feb, march and april…. Be firm this time. Following a passion doesn’t mean following your friend’s passion. Be it learning a new activity, a new dance style, a new language, a knew skill or travelling to see new places. It can even be something like leaving your monotonous job to do something that you feel happy in or feel being you. Its important to be proud of yourself in what you do than doing something to show off the world. Your content smile and attitude is enough for the world to understand the happiness in your life.
3.       Be yourself
This world is full of people who fake something or the other, be it the attitude, the style, the expressions, the accent, money or skills. But the best people you come across by are the ones who are honest and genuine, who are happy in what they are. No one fills your shoes better than you yourself. No matter what colour of your skin, however the body shape or features, you are beautiful like none other. Our attitude is what makes us beautiful. This year, make a resolution to be YOU. Be the best for yourself and then you can carry your ownself with whatever you achieve this year, proudly and graciously. Believe You're the best, darling!
4.       Value the Art of Giving
How do you feel when a small less privileged girl pleads you to buy a rose from her and compliments you for every actress she recalls of? We generally tend to smile at her sense and keep walking. And we justify our walking away with different reasons. We have to accept and thank God for what we are today and what we have now. We truly are the privileged ones. This year lets not forget and overlook those who are not born with the facilities we had. Lets keep aside a small percentage share of our income to help the ones in need. Trust me, you will really feel your heart enlarging in your body and a smile of content on your face. A feeling uncomparable!

5.       Set Goals
We do set out goals for ourselves, but do we do anything more beyond our normal to achieve them? Are your goals aligned with your life's current flow? Don't take your goals for granted this year! Evaluate yourself to see what skills do you require to attain those goals? Are your goals still practical and doable? Can you see them as something tangible in near future? Ask yourself these basic questions when working on them. Our Goals, objectives and  aims all play a vital role in building our self confidence. Let’s not fly high, lets aim high! See it as a thought process that continuously mirrors all your efforts and see yourself as someone better than last year.
6.       Sort out Priorities
When we define goals, priorities go hand in hand. Don’t get obsessed with achieving your goal if it doesn’t fall somewhere around your priorities. It’s not only about quenching your thirst for inner satisfaction. So, to give justice to your life, once you have some goals set, sort them out according to how and why they add something to your life. This step is a must do for every girl who wants to live a healthy and constructive life. Don’t forget that with passing times, priorities might as well change. Keep revising your priorities frequently and see if they are still aligned with how your life is going on.
7.       Read more and be aware
Here am not talking about reading general knowledge books. It about reading anything that is worth your time and attention. Start from going beyond your supplements in the newspaper (believe me, the main paper now a days carry some really interesting articles as well, guess journalism has grown) Whats more? Make it a point to start reading books, any genre that interests you – from love stories, to chick lits to intense reads to thrillers. Reading never harms, it only adds.
8.       Soul searching
Today I see everone around so so super buzy with the grinding life that constitutes of work, work and more work. This year, let’s set aside some time exclusively for us. Just when we realise everything is going a little too fast, see that as a signal from your mind that tells you, you're getting short of a leisurely "Me" time. Do some soul searching and indulge in something you have fun in. Go out with your girl pals, do some pampering to yourself, cook or simply tuck in bed with a book in hand. Have we forgotten how good that feels?
9.       Know about a female role model’s life story
Lets go beyond simply copying somebody’s quotes in messages or mails. There are so many wonderful inspiring women out there who made our lives as easy as it is today. We have taken many things for granted that we considered unimaginable like the fact of ‘Women being equal to men!’ There was a time ages back when women themselves laughed at this thought. Today, women have surely come a long way. Pick up a personality that appeals to you and read her life story. A read-through a fun and interesting biography is also a treasure trove of life lessons.
10.   Be the author of your own story
Imagine at the end of this wondrous life, when you’ll look back to summarize your life and see what you have achieved or lost, choices you made, decisions you followed, they will show you the person you have grown into. Lets not be regretfull stage later. Have a plan for yourself because if you let yourself be a part of someone else’s story, chances are they might not have any plan for you. So make sure no one else but you are the author of your story. Roll  the joystick of your with your fingers, so whatever happens you know it was your choice and that should comfort you. No matter if the decisions require you to be bold, step up and be brave and realize it’s not yet the end.
                                                                    
So make your 2012  awesome by doing something that is simply incredible in your sense, do crazy stuff and don't forget to have fun. Happy 2012!



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