Marvellous Manali

For corporate professionals, a three day holiday calls for a vacation, and there is nothing better than hill station to rejuvenate yourself! Hubby and I chose Manali in Himachal Pradesh for a short trip.  The beautiful hill station is more than five hundred kilometers from Delhi, which takes 12 hours+ to reach. Book your Volvo tickets from Himachal Pradesh Tourism Desk in Himachal Bhawan, Mandi House (Delhi) or Chandra Lok Building in Janpath, (Delhi).  The latter also books hotels for Himachal. Bookings can be made online as well from http://hptdc.nic.in/bus.htm

Rohtang Manalsu

Carry food with you for the long 12 hour journey. Volvo leaves from Kashmiri Gate/Himachal Bhawan at 10:30 &10 pm respectively and reaches Manali next day around 11 am.

Instead of hiring a taxi, we chose to walk with our bag packs from the bus stop to our hotel. Vibrant flowers, warm sunshine and fresh breeze (the perks of walking) welcomed us as we checked into Rohtang Manalsu  located on Circuit House road, a little away from Mall road.

Itinerary Day 1

1-Himdimba Devi Temple

Hidimba Devi temple

Post lunch, we left for the famous Hidimba Devi Temple, just 1.5 km from our hotel. 

I love road signs 

The Mahabharat History says, Bheema (the strongest Pandava) married Hidimba during the Pandava exile in forest. Hidimba stayed back in Manali and continued to meditate as Bheema left. The temple dedicated to Devi Hidimba, is believed to be centuries old, carved on stones and deodar wood. Make this place a must visit during Manali trip.

2. Great Himalayan Forest

Few meters away from the temple is the open worship place of Ghatotkach (Bheema’s son). The tranquil place is surrounded by Dungri Forest, also named as the Great Himalayan Forest, entry for which is 5 rupees person.

Dungri Forest

Walk through the forest trail, let fresh air wrap you while you soak the refreshing greenery. The sun shines through the thick tall trees, offering a marvelous natural view. Managed to get some amazing pictures as we spent quality time there.

Beware of hawkers selling saffron and shilajit to every couple they spot. Also, politely refuse the ladies loaning mountain rabbits at 20 Rupees to pose for a picture with you. F.Y.I. it is against Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. I did not raise a hue and cry over it because law & order is not strict in H.P, and the ladies were earning a living for themselves. Thirdly, I did not want to spoil my vacation. Seeing a white lady renting a python for picture, did not surprise me.

3. Mall Road

Mall road bustles with life all day long. Dotted with restaurants and travel agent shops, the entire stretch of road offers you everything from grocery to fancy clothes. There is also a flee market on the left where you can go shopping without burning a hole in your pocket. 

Do buy Fruit Burfi there, which is a specialty made of fruit extract, very low on artificial sweets. You’d love the guava burfi for sure! Looks like aam-papad, but it is a pure fruit pulp extract.

Guava Barfi

Bought this delightful box of sweets from Nature's Hut, Mall Road. 

4. Tibetan Monastery

Take a right turn on Mall Road for Tibetan Monastery.   The small neat temple houses a large Buddha statue and is decorated by Tibetan artefacts. (Photography restricted inside the temple) 

The rolling bells or prayer wheel surrounding the temple is said to bring good luck when rotated in the right direction, coupled with the chanting “Om Mani Padme Hum.” A true delight to your senses.

                            

And not to forget my furry four legged friends who shook hands, err paws with me. This one made my day. They photo-bombed us as well.

Late in the evening, we approached the Hiamchal Taxi Operators Office, Govt authorized place for tourist transport. The board on display clearly mentions the rates of transport to Rohtang and Solang. However, here is a fresh update. National Green Tribunal has recently banned all snow activities in Rohtang (skiing, snow mobile, horse riding) to curb pollution. Also, there is a limit to the number of taxis entering Rohtang. Against the fixed rate of 2400 (on display board), the taxi driver asked for 1500 INR to ferry us to Rohtang as well as Solang Valley. You need not book a taxi for early morning and leave at 4am for Rohtang. Though the ban may be lifted in near future.

Fantastic Fatehpur Sikri

Having one of the Seven Wonders of the World in our own country draws tourists from across the world. A proud thing to flaunt indeed! Thousands of tourists flock to visit the dreamy Taj Mahal in Agra; A must see for every Indian at least. However, very few visit the other historical monuments in Agra, like Fatehpur Sikri, which I visited in July  2015.

40 kms away from Agra, Fatehpur Sikri is a city which was built by Emperor Akbar in 1569. Known for its hybrid architecture of Mughal and Hindu era, the place will not fail to awe you.

The moment you enter the city in your own vehicle, locals will try to extort money, calling it MCD tax. Since hubby has dealt with situations like this before and being the son of an Intelligence Officer, we managed to shoo the "tax collector" away. DO NOT PAY ANY TAX. If they insist or stop your car, ask for their rule book or say "your dad is a cop". They will flee from the spot within seconds.

Fatehpur Sikri Mahal has a separate gate for entry where private vehicles are forbidden (reasons unknown). We were not allowed to enter in our car and charged 80 INR for car parking. Near the parking, you are made to wait for a bus that ferries you to Fatehpur Sikri Palace. Surprisingly the bus service is also not free!

Beware of the shopkeepers around the parking area who plead you to visit their shops and force their visiting cards on you. Be polite but assertive in refusing them. This kind of stalking and repeated pleads is unpleasant, leaving you feel unsafe and turned off. 

We made an entry through the Buland Darwaza but could not take its picture.

The imperial palace complex has a number of geometrically arranged independent pavilions on a piece of level ground. It is believed that this pattern was derived from Arab and central Asian tent encampments. You can see prominent inspiration of of the Mughal and Rajput architecture in Fatehpur Sikri. The entire building complex construction has been done with red sandstone.

Here is the Diwan-e-khas- The place for private audience of King Akbar. He held meetings in this special court with his royal men.

Khwab-gah or the place of dreams was the private place of the king with beautiful spacious rooms. The double story structure had a library, bedroom, bathroom and meeting room for the king to hold his secret meetings with his officials.

Along side is the picture of Anup Talaao, a beautiful structure amid the water tank in the royal palace. The center of the structure with raised seats is a romantic place to spend time. The pond is situated right across Khwaab Gaah.

Along the perimeter of the palace complex

Jodha, Akbar’s wife had a beautiful palace to herself. Few glimpses of the Jodha Palace-

Jodha Mahal

Jodha's Kitchen

                        The backyard is not accessible to public and lies in ruins.

Fatehpur Sikri city is beautiful with a great architecture and cultural heritage to learn from. It is a fantastic place for photography enthusiasts and art lovers. The city makes a perfect weekend getaway from Delhi or nearby places. Best would be to travel in your own car. Don't rely on public transport because of less frequency and are are overcrowded. 

Wear cotton fabric or lose clothes, not too tight or hugging. The place is VERY warm. On rainy days the place is hot and humid. July was quite warm, but the onset of rains made it little pleasing for us.

Chaayos - Review

Delhi NCR is known for numerous eating joints and variety of food. Delhi-tes are passionate about food and are constantly in pursuit of good cuisines. So hubby and I carry forward the legacy by keep trying out new restaurants or food corners, to refresh ourselves and to quench the thirst of the foody within us.  And this time it brought us to Chaayos, in Galleria Market, Gurgaon.

What attracted me the most was the concept of a huge tea variety in a comfortable tea-shop. Having tried tea from small tea stalls by roads, this one seemed to be a hygienic idea of sipping tea. Considering my love for tea, I was instantly hooked to the tagline “Experiments with chaai”. As we entered Chaayos, the ambience with warm lighting, wall graffiti of old times, tea glass holders used as bulb holders appealed to us.

The menu had a large variety of tea. Beginning from kullad and masala chai to chamomile tea, ice tea and English tea, they had an amazing variety. Masala or desi chai had options of spices to choose from. The menu had a decent number of snack items as well.

 

The staff was quick in taking orders and suggested us the tea that we wanted.  We choose kullad chai, kadhaai paneer wrap and keema paao. To our disappointment, the waiter came back with an apology as they had run out of kullad. We settled with Desi tea choosing from spices of ginger, basil, cardamom, cloves and fennel seeds (saunf).

The order arrived after  20 minutes. Tea was served in a good quantity and smelled of nice flavors. I loved the

tea! Sugar was not added by the staff. A plus point for that! However, snacks were utterly disappointing. The kadhaai paneer wrap filling was partially uncooked. A layer of aloo bhujia and mayonnaise wwere big turn offs. Never had such a bad veg wrap ever! I hate to waste food but I left half the wrap uneaten on the plate.

Same was the case with keema paao. With the first bite, husband’s smile vanished and he reluctantly finished the rest. “Barely any keema filling in the paao, tasteless” was his feedback.

While the waiter claimed that they were short of kullad, he brought our bill in a kullad! Heights of irony. Post a bad eating experience, we paid around 500 INR! It was way too high for snacks.500 INR can feed thali combos to three people. Come on! Just because you are located in a posh area, doesn’t mean you get the right to plunder customers. We landed up paying for 4 tiny items out of which we hated 2. High taxes, VAT and what not. An overall below average experience it was. We liked the tea but everything was overpriced. Who wants to burn a hole in their pocket like this? Atleast I don’t.

• Ambiance- Good
• Service- Slow
• Tea- Excellent, Quantity- Good
• Snacks- Extremely poor, Quantity- Okay
• Price- Too high
• Repeat visit for me- YES, Only for tea

PepperTap - App Review

Tap the Pepper Tap

Mankind has evolved. From a raw meat eater to landing on the moon, the evolution has come a long way seeing many changes, both good and bad. Today’s generation has higher power of income than before. Professionals work hard to earn their living and make their lives comfortable. Torn between work and family, sadly we are pressed for time. No matter the levels of evolution, one can’t have more than 24 hours in a day! So how do the time pressed people manage to look after their homes, especially the working women? Ah! Pepper Tab comes to our rescue.

Grocery shopping is not only time consuming but a tiring activity too. Staying away from family for studies and job, taught me managing my bachelor life. Trust me, I hated it! Those long queues at the billing counters of shops, those stinky vegetable markets, haggling with hawkers over change, unclean dirty roads, the noise, the pollution; I was growing sick of it. The saga continued for me post my marriage too.  I had seen my mom going through the same ordeal all her life. Why do all husbands think that grocery shopping is a woman’s job only? Then one fine day, while killing time in a mall, I noticed a big poster of Pepper Tap. A shudder passed through my body when I learnt about a shopping app for grocery shopping. Bingo! That was a dream come true. Not that I dreamed of something like that day and night, but it was definitely a blessing. I tried the app, only to make me a big fan of it.

Shopping from the app is a piece of cake! The categories are marked under breakfast & dairy, fruits & vegetables, food & drink, bath & body, home & hygiene, baby needs, staple & spices and popular. With the swipe of my finger, I shopped for few items. To my surprise, onions were available at lower price than market price. What could be more delightful for a girl on saving a little money, as this comes naturally to us. The payment options are cash on delivery or Paytm. I choose cash on delivery and set a delivery slot for the next day.

Shopping list

After discount

The most exciting part was a discount code that was applied while checking out. TAP20 gave me a 20% discount on my first shopping! How easily half my life is sorted with this app. You get a free delivery on purchase worth 250 INR. I shopped for a lesser value and felt okay to pay a minimal delivery charge, without moving in the dirty lanes of the markets. (How much I hate those streets).

While running late for home from work (which is a usual scenario almost every day) I conveniently shop for groceries on Pepper Tap, without visiting the market. Mankind has indeed evolved for good!!!!

Pros of PepperTap- 

• Can be browsed and used very easily (Given that even kids can operate smart phones these days, your kid can do that too!)
• Category named clearly
• Secure payment method
• Lower prices than market price

Cons of PepperTap-

• Need to include more variety. I found flax seeds, fruits variety, raisins and more missing.

I would rate this app 4 on 5

My top 5 travel destinations

Travelling thrills me and I admit being bitten by the ‘traveler bug’. I have travelled to quite a few places and dream to travel to many more, because I just don’t get enough of the “bug”. Sharing few top destinations of my choice-

Dalhousie- Visiting Dalhousie was on my wish list since a long time till the dream came true in April of 2014. An all-girls trip to this pretty hill station was fun and mesmerizing. Known for its beautiful landscapes, serene splendor of nature and amazing weather, Dalhousie charts as one of the most romantic places in hill stations. At a distance of 558km from Delhi, there is no direct connectivity of the places. We boarded an overnight bus from Delhi to Pathankot covering around 480 km and hired a taxi from Pathankot covering around 83km. The tiresome journey and patience finally paid us when we entered Dalhousie. The place is breathtaking. Before checking into our hotel, we detoured for Chamera Lake, a major boating point and hydroelectricity project for the district. The entire alley was scented with beautiful pink roses. The foggy hills, the lavish greenery, the sparkling waters, the cloudy sky, made us speechless. As the taxi ferried us to our hotel, I was absolutely stunned by the location of the hotel Silverton estate.Post a refreshing welcome drink and tour of the marvelous property built during British time, we headed for sightseeing. We covered Subhash Chowk, the little Gandhi market and Panchpula waterfalls on day 1. Every place is a must see for all.

Khajjiar

Diankund

Day 2 was trip to Khajjiar,DiankundandKalatop. Mind you, it was the 3rd week of April and was surprising chilly. Against our expectations, we experienced snowfall in Diankund. Ah it was a place to die for. Khajjiar, called the mini Switzerland of India was the cherry on the cake. A huge pastureland surrounded by coniferous trees and a little pond in middle, sheep grazing by, cold winds from the hills and an array of colorful flowers were remarkably astounding. One would be awed by the natural beauty of Dalhousie. A must see destination for nature lovers and a superb place for honeymoon

Agra- Every Indian must visit Agra, because it is has one of the Seven Wonders of the World and was declared UNESCO world heritage site. One does feel proud to see the great Taj Mahal that was built in 22 years (1631-

Taj Mahal

1653) with the orders of Shah Jahan, dedicated to his wife, Mumtaz Mahal. The white marble structure stands as the symbol of love and clever architecture of an era without technology. Easily approachable from Delhi via Noida expressway, Agra is at a distance of 232 km only, which can be covered via bus, own vehicle, train or flight. As you spend around 3 hours in Taj Mahal appreciating the beauty and the grandeur of the bygone time, you would also feel sad for the depreciating structure and the physical harm done to the Taj. If only the authorities were not looking after the monument, it would have been in ruins today. Besides Taj Mahal, one must see Old Fort just 2.5 km apart. I was speechless the moment I entered it. The huge monument still stands tall with pride and sets a remarkable example of perfect ancient architecture. Be it the Deewan-e-khaas , Deewan-e- Aam , Jahangiri Mahal,Sheesh Mahal or the entry gates for the Army, I was mesmerized by the beauty of the fort comprising a blend of white marbles & red sand stones. The ancient engineering has no equals and nobody can reproduce the magic with the same grace and perfection. Some portions of the fort are not accessible to the public, of course for security reasons .The portions which are open for all, are masterpiece of creations.  Once you are in Agra, don’t miss trying various sorts of petha (angoori, pan, saada) and moth-kachori, a staple snack.It is out of the world! Avoid Agra during April to June due to peak summers.

Jaipur- Named as the pink city, Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan, is a seamless blend of History and modern lifestyle. Formed by Raja Man Singh, Jaipur offers some of the finest forts and palaces that attracts tourists from the globe. One of them is the Jaigarh Fort. Located at 400 meters above the Amer Fort,  the fort offered a bird’s view of the city to the army of Jai Singh. The main attraction of this fort is the giant canon, referred as Jai Vaana in Hindi.

Jaivana

Hawa Mahal

Its 20 feet long barrel that weights about 50, and has a diameter of 11 inches. With a range of 22 miles, the cannon is said was fired only once. The specialty of this cannon was its free rotation in any direction. Imagine mounting such a heavy piece on wheels and rolling up the hills during those that time! Beautifully carved at the mouth scroll and body, the cannon stands protected as a masterpiece made by the skilled craftsmen then.  Indulge in the royal Rajput architecture of the massive Amer Fort that takes more than 3 hours to stroll around. The fort houses artifacts of Rani Jodha’s paalki, the king’s lifestyle, handcrafted trunks, beds, entertainment rooms and many more. One can enjoy live puppet shows, an art that is slowly fading. Among the other must see things in Jaipur are Hawa Mahal, Rani Padmawati Mahal, Nahargarh Quila, Rajmandir (a movie theater built in British style) and Choki Dhani ( A modern reconstruction of old Rajasthan with culture, food and games on display). In 400 INR entry fees, Choki Dani offers you a lot more than what meets the eye. Because of connectivity to adjoining cities like Ajmer, Pushkar, Neemrana and Alwar, Jaipur contributes a lot to Indian tourism. Avoid visiting Jaipur during April to July when temperature soars higher than 50 degrees.

The Great Barrier Reef, Australia- Apart from serious sports, Australia has great places too. The Great Barrier Reef is an absolute must visit for every human on this Earth. This water body on the planet is the largest structure visible from outer space! Need any more reason to be there?  This 2,300 km-long ecosystem encompasses countless reefs and islands made of over 600 types of hard and soft coral. The reef structure was built by tiny organisms coral polyps thousands of years ago. Sedimentation of rocky deposits, volcanic eruptions and other geological shifts formed the barrier reef which eventually became a popular tourist destination.

The barrier reef is home to a wide diversity of life. Among the seven natural wonders of the world, Barrier reef’s crystal blue offers breathtaking view of islands and marine life. The Great Barrier Reef is a breeding area for humpback whales, migrating from the Antarctic and is also the habitat of a few endangered species including the Dugong (Sea Cow) and large Green Sea Turtle. In recognition of its significance, UNESCO listed the Great Barrier Reef as a World Heritage Site in 1981. With activities like scuba diving, sky diving, sailing and many more, the natural wonders are experienced. Personally I feel awed by how much the creator has blessed us with so much to see and appreciate! This place has been on my travel list since childhood!

(Image source: www.great-barrier-reef.com and www.australiangeographic.com)

Amritsar- My workplace demanded me to travel a lot during the initial stage of my career. One of the destinations was Amritsar, Punjab.

Golden Temple

I have been lucky to visit the place twice and soaked in all that I could. Connected via Volvo and train, Amritsar sees a mahor footfall each day towards the majestic Golden Temple and Wagah Border. At a distance of about 450 km from Delhi, Amritsar boasts of a closely knitted culture along with hospitality and warmth in people. A memorial in Jallianwala Bagh speaks of the tragedy meted out to thousands of people by General Dyer which holds a very important place in History. These three places in Amritsar are major crowd pullers. As you start your day with a dip in holy water in Harmandir Sahab’s pond, the serenity of the Gurudwara instantly fills you with devotion. A long queue at the Gurudwara entrance is managed by the management very efficiently. It is believed that an ardaas (prayer) is always answered by the almighty if done with pure heart. The Gurudwara is home to several homeless and poor and thousands volunteer to participate in Gurudwara maintenance, as it is believed that sevaa to mankind is sevaa to God. Half a day at the Gurudwara spending peaceful moments followed by langar, again managed so efficiently, makes you come back here each time.

The retreat ceremony at Wagah Border every evening is something to watch for. Wagah border between India and Pakistan where high tension prevails, is guarded by Border Security Force (BSF). The borders are barred by gates where the flags of both the countries are retreated in the evening and thousands gather to watch the cultural ceremony that takes place with great enthusiasm. Mind you, one needs special permission or pass to sit in the VIP block and watch the function from a short distance. I have witnessed the entire saga that comprised an opening march by lady officers, dance on patriotic numbers, BSF soldiers’ aggressive salute, face off with Pakistan Rangers and roar of slogans from both the countries. The ceremony is a treat to eyes and certainly gives you goosebumps! The energy, the colorful life, great food and beauty of Amritsar keeps seeing me visit frequently.

While booking travel packages, use 27coupons.com. You can get coupons offers which can be used to book trip and travel at special discounted prices. All you need to do is register at 27 coupons.com, explore the deals and subscribe to the best deal of your choice.

I prefer MakemyTrip.com for all travel bookings. The website shows me different mode of transport and hotels available. It makes very easy to compare the prices and book with a click. While checking out, the applicable discount is calculated! What a time and money savior! I have planned a trip to Manali in September end and this time I booked my hotel from Oyo Rooms using the discount coupon from 27coupon.com. A flat 300 rupees discount was applied. Thanks27coupons for the amazing deal! Will surely post pictures of Manali trip once I am back.

Discount coupon

After Discount

FitBit Bloggers Meet

Blogger meets by Indiblogger are always fun, well organized and substantial. We eagerly look forward to such brand engagement activities because of the knowledge we are enlightened with, networking with great bloggers and take a break from hectic schedules. Post successful meets like Wordup, AmbiPur, Nokia, Dove and many more, FitBit anticipated a successful bloggers meet and joined hands with Indiblogger.

For beginners, FitBit is a San Francisco based company that makes wearable fitness bands which monitor your fitness. On 25th August, the Oberoi ballroom bustled with fitness experts, physical trainers, media and bloggers waiting for the event to begin at 11 am. Thankfully I made it in a nick of time with fellow blogger Ruchi. Show host Archana Vijaya savored all attention as she hosted the show in her smart blue dress. Importance of fitness and ways to keep fit was then introduced by Jamal Shaikh, editor Men’s Health Magazine. (He is cute :-)

Woody Scal

With Jamaal and Ruchi

FitBit Chief Revenue Officer Woody Scal then spoke about the company and the products they have launched in India. His presentation opened with a concern on growing obesity in the United States. Also, health reports have shown a trend of weight gain among many Indians, making them obese and pushing them towards various health risks, including cardiac arrest. That’s where FitBit fits in with their tagline “Discover a whole new world of fitness” where they bring a range of wearable bands. The slim wrist bands track the number of steps you take, number of active minutes, counts the calorie you burnt. Not only that, it also tracks your sleep hours, quality of sleep and wakes you up with silent alarm without disturbing your partner. You can sync your stats to your mobile, see real time progress and help you challenge your buddies to achieve fitness goals. Fitness routine turns absolutely fun with these FitBit bands.

The bands are categorized as

–Zip, One, Flex and Charge- For everyday fitness- Ranged between 4000 to 12999 (With basic features catering to daily activities like walking or light jogging, people like me who don’t do strenuous exercise)

-Charge HR- for active fitness- Priced at Rs.13,000  (Suits people who workout daily or are active in gym or running)

-Surge- for performance fitness - Priced at Rs. 20,000 (basically suits professionals or sportsmen) A detailed comparison of features is present in - https://www.fitbit.com/in/compare

Selfie with tech Guru Raiv Makhni

Post Woody’s detailed presentation, Tech Guru Rajiv Makhni took over the show. Any gadget launch is incomplete without the expert’s words. He infused energy among the audience with his wit and questions to all. Jamal and Rajiv together engaged the audience quite well. They invited two FitBit promoters on stage with their Fitbit bands asking them to workout. Real time stats was displayed on screen for us. The session was thorough fun and enjoyable. It ended with questions from audience to Woody followed by networking lunch. No Indian food in lunch disappointed many like me. We settled for cakes, spring rolls, pastries, cookies, sandwich and juice.

Photo-bombed Shwetabh

Got to meet many wonderful people during that time. Its always nice to catch up with old friends Dipali Sharma, Shwetabh Mathur,  Dr Manoj Dubey, Rahul Prabhakar, Yogita Agarwal, Judy . Photobombed Shwetabh and I promise I will do that every time! Was introduced to the lovely Dr Mandira Adhikari and Dr Preeti Chauhan. Dr. Mandira had recognized me through my photos and met me like an old friend. A good observation she has!

Had I stayed back a little longer, I would have met Shraddha Kapoor and Tiger Shroff who were invited during the press meet of FitBit in the second half. 

The Fitbit brand launch was overall exciting and the products too are of my interest. I exercise moderately every day. So I feel, the bands are a good way to keep a check on fitness level. If only they were a little discounted for the Indian market. Another limitation of the bands is they aren’t water proof. A little disappointing for swimmers here.

We happily headed home with Fitbit Tshirts, dreaming to own one band soon. The products are available on Amazon.in for now. Go find  your fit!

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd- Book Review

Set against the backdrop of the old English times, Roger Ackroyd is a wealthy man, suddenly murdered one night and his death becomes the talk of the town. His missing stepson Ralph Paton was suspected to be the murderer since he was to inherit lot of property from the former. Suspects are named randomly, including late Roger's second wife, the maids of the house, Flora  (his relative who was to be engaged to Ralph) and many more. The murder is a complete mystery to the incompetent local police. Fortunately, though, the famous detective Hercule Poirot has just moved into King's Abbot and agrees to take on the case, even though he has already decided to retire from detective work.The beauty of the story is that the readers keep guessing the name of the murderer till the secret is revealed in the second last chapter by Hercule Poirot. This is certainly a masterpiece from Agatha Christie. No one could guess the murderer till the last chapter!

The book is a page turner!

Many characters are brought into the plot, making the story little tight and confused. That's when you start losing interest in the characters. However the number of characters are gradually cut down to minimum and the story grips you again. The second half is rather interesting when the suspects pass the test one by one. Imagine solving murder cases during an era sans mobile phone, apps, biometric scanners and tech gadgets. But Poirot does it beautifully, by solving the case of missing Dictaphone. What is a dictaphone? Well, read the novel to find out! I will not reveal the story here.

Narration is easy & interesting. Language is the usual Christie style. A thorough thriller this is! A must read for all Christie fans.

An easy 4 on 5 to this thriller novel.

"T" for Twist to Tea

I discovered my love for tea when I relocated to Delhi a decade ago. The pressure of studies initially and late night shifts at work later , made me addicted to tea. Be it dry winters or sultry summers, I love to have tea in any weather; Undoubtedly during rains.

I began consuming tea from beverage dispenser in offices initially. Few dispensers come with an option of milk and water only, wherein you dip the tea bags. Honestly, dip tea did not appeal much to me. Invented and much consumed by English, dip tea seems a convenience tea sans the taste. Dip any tea bag in warm water and let the color ooze out. Add milk or/and sugar as per your taste. Avoids mess, avoids soiling of utensils, yet I don’t like this type. I end up using the used tea bags to place on my eyes, to avoid dark circles or puffiness (This is the best use of tea bags for me)

While traditionally prepared milk tea (on stove) still tempts me, I love to experiment with tea in various new forms. I was mesmerized to see the types of tea available in our own country. Since, tea is a storehouse of benefits, lets sip a healthy cup, prepared in different ways.

The Golden Lemon Tea

Lemon ginger Tea- Morning wonder

I have seen my dad having lemon tea routinely for many years now.  A pinch of tea leaves is boiled, strained & poured in a cup, sugar added as per taste and about half a lemon is squeezed into the cup. This is the simplest and one of the healthiest teas of the world. The golden color of the tea and tangy aroma of juicy lemon mesmerizes me. I love to have this tea in summers after morning yoga for instant refreshing feel.

I gave it a little twist with ginger. Boil water with ginger and  tea leaves (quarter of tea spoon). Drop half a lemon's juice into the cup. Have this in the morning on empty stomach, without sugar.

Benefits? Packed with anti oxidants, this tea keeps a check on blood pressure, sugar level, enhances digestion, keeps you active. For all those who want to lose belly fat, try this every morning and see a new you!

Tip- Add a pinch of rock salt or black pepper for a punch of saltiness.

Rejuvenating Cool tea

Come summers, and we crave for cool drinks. Chilled version of lemon tea storms the market as ice tea. A hint of pudina (mint) or lemon gives the tea a different flavor. Packaged tea is available in all stores these days. However, I would advise to prepare this at home. (Bottled or tinned drinks should be avoided if you are a health conscious person).

Cut ginger in thin slices or grate it. Throw mint leaves and ginger together in water and boil it with tea leaves. Alternatively dip tea bag in the water after boiled with ginger and mint. Leave the pot to cool. Have it chilled or warm, the way you like!

Benefits? This preparation if consumed on an empty stomach clears bowel movement, helps reduce belly fat, improves digestion and builds immunity against cough or common cold.

Tip- Not more than half teaspoon tea leaves should be added, else it would turn bitter. Squeeze in half a lemon for a zesty fresh drink. Avoid sugar!

Two drinks, empty stomach, everyday= good health

Stay healthy stay blessed!

Tips to be star blogger- WORDUP meet, Gurgaon

Strikers Pub

My blog server was down with flu I guess, which refrained me from writing my experience about the awesome bloggers meet, powered by Big Rock and dot me. The flu part is believable because it was pouring throughout the day on the day of the meet, and many bloggers could not make it to the event at Strikers Pub, Gurgaon.

Pertaining to scanty footfall and thin attendance, the event scheduled for 9am began at eleven. A nice breakfast and networking with new bloggers was the best way to begin a Saturday. Team Big Rock did a tremendous job of organizing a smooth event and bringing on stage a handful of people who shared useful insights on blogging and digital media.

Veteran advertising expert and Chief Creative Officer of SapientNitro India, Mr. K.V. Sridhar enlightened us with his industry experience and the dynamic changes of the advertising industry. His words of advice- Be innovative, be honest (do not copy) and engage readers. Gone are the days of conventional advertising which had ruled the media once. 360 degree approach is today’s need, including digital media. Every word of the gentleman struck my grey matter and I kept begging for his presentation slides from Big Rock throughout the event. Ok, this reminds me, where are the slides Big Rock? L I am still waiting!!!!!

Mr. Bhatt

A short but very useful session with Lakshmipathy Bhatt proved to be an eye opener. His speech scared me; actually taught me to furnish disclaimers, image source and credit on our blogs, lest it should raise legal implications.

Just before lunch Nandita Iyer took the stage. Iyer is a Bangalore based food writer & columnist; who blogs at Saffron Trail. A cheerful lady who almost spoke nonstop on the stage was fun to listen to. She listed out the do’s and don’ts for bloggers including “Be consistent, focus on quality and educate yourself”. Following her words of wisdom, I immediately changed my profile picture across all platforms to one similar picture (Facebook, FB page, twitter, blog, G+). “Keep updating your blog often” she advised. But my blog server had rendered me disabled then.

Among other speakers were Vishal Shroff from Google, journalist Kiran Manral, founder of Indian Eye org Arun Nair and motor journalist Rachit Hirani who answered blogger’s queries and shared useful tips on the digital media world.

My favorite speaker among all was Ashish Chopra, an award winning viral video

marketer who works at ixigo.com. I wish I had half as his energy! A jovial, super creative and fantastic person, he scribbles ideas whenever they strike. Any idea is not stupid. If executed creatively, it can get lot of attention. His videos made at the right time got him millions of viewers and subscribers in past one year. Man! I salute his ideas and the way he is progressing with digital content. Watch his captivating videos on youtube at http://bit.ly/1flvmgd

Let me sum up what I garnered from the experts’ sessions-

1. Never write for charity. Your work goes unnoticed and hard work goes waste.
2. Mention disclaimers in your blog. You never know when you get a legal notice from the content owner (be it a picture, video or text)
3. Be consistent & frequent in updating your blog. You need to make time. Blogging is a serious business after all. Schedule your posts if you can.
4. Write on relevant trending topics and hit the nail. Example Poonam Pandey released her yoga video right around Yoga Day (irrespective the content) or Ashish Copra made his toll tax video right when Delhi Gurgaon Toll closure was announced.  Timeliness is the key hence.
5. Read other blogs. Just like a good speaker should be a good listener, similarly a good blogger should read others’ blogs. It educates you, helps you know what’s trending and gets you connected to them.
6. In blogging events, one should talk, share and network. No point sitting in one corner. Knowing other bloggers is as important as writing.
7. Keep your profile picture and description the same across all social platforms, because that’s your identity. (I did mine on the day of this meet. 11th July marks as a golden day of enlightenment :)
8. Keep yourself educated and updated with latest news. Else you cannot be creative.
9. Always leave comments on others blog. That’s the biggest appreciation for bloggers and best way to network too!
10. Have interesting pictures or videos in your blog to make it interesting. People keep away from boring blogs or too much text with interesting visuals.
11. Always caption your blog with a catchy headline.
12. Use keywords diligently. Remember your blog will be searched via keywords. Better the search words, higher is the visibility of your blog.
13. Go for blog giveaways. It drives traffic and brings loyal readers!
14. Make your blog your work portfolio. Nothing better than your hobby turning into profession.
15. Take your blog to a website domain if possible. You are the owner of your blog and you need to ensure that it is maintained and updated like your own property. When a blog server is down, you constantly lose your visitors. A domain will not be down like blog. 

Did I miss anything from the event? Yes, stand up comedy which went awry and scrumptious lunch served at Strikers Pub. It has been the best Indiblogger event I attended so far!

Pudina Raita: Digestive Agent

Indian cuisine is known for the spices that add taste and aroma to food. Pudina or mint leaves is one of them. This herb is easily available at vegetable vendors and distinguishes itself from others with its refreshing aroma & small leaves.

Pudina is known to cure bad breath, cough, throat congestion, acne/pimples, respiratory disorders and digestion (Remember Pudin Hara?). High content of antioxidants and vitamins in Mint makes it popular in every cuisine, globally. Sharing a refreshing recipe of pudina, which is healthy and super easy.

Ingredients-

• Bunch of mint leaves, coriander leaves (optional)
• Medium sized onion, tomato
• Black pepper, black salt, sugar

Preparation time- 5 minutes

Method-

1. Wash the bunch of mint leaves and cut off the roots. Separate the leaves and finely chop them.
2. Finely chop a medium sized onion. Chop a medium tomato as well (optional)
3. Beat curd in large bowl with water. Add one third teaspoon of black pepper and half teaspoon of black salt or rock salt for taste and pinch of sugar
4. Mix pudina leaves and chopped onion/tomato in whipped curd. Garnish with coriander leaves if you like. (Many people don’t like coriander leaves. One of them being my husband)

Tip- If you don't like onion in curd, you can grate or fine chop cucumber instead of onion. Cucumber is another cooling agent which refreshes and hydrates you body. Opt for fat free or curd made of toned milk.

This cool curd raita is a nice appetizer, cures digestion and leaves you refreshing. A simple, zero cholesterol dish is ready in 5 minutes only!!!!

Kelloggs teaches buddy parenting

Little Rahul filled in the slam book slowly, reading every question carefully. It was a cute thing for an eight year old kid to fill in “MY DAD” in the blank for “Your best friend”. I asked him how was dad his best friend, to which he replied innocently, “He plays football with me. Dad lets me buy fruits of my choice. I eat and exercise with him.”

“Exercise? You exercise with your dad?” I was stunned.

“When he goes for jogging, I also run with him. Dad told me jogging is the best exercise” Rahul said licking his chocolate. His dad arrived in some time to pick little Rahul from the crèche and he ran to him, dropping his lunch box. Rahul’s father picked up the lunch box, nodded to me with a smile and politely asked me if Rahul was naughty or misbehaving in the crèche.

“Not at all. He is friendly, shares his stuff with other kids, and does not fight at all. You have given him the right values with buddy parenting Mr. Kapoor,” I appreciated Mr. Kapoor, Rahul’s best friend.

That is how every parent of modern time. “Getting involved” is the key to the same. Unless you step into the world of your kids, how on Earth would you understand him/her? Likewise, get kids involved you, behave like their friends, else the generation gap might keep increasing, and you would say “Kids don’t listen. They are beyond control”.

Spare the rod and spoil the child, many years ago had raised questions everywhere. So, buddy parenting is the safest bet, where an active participation of both parents and kids actually unlocks childhood. Unfortunately, the upbringing of kids was very different during my time. There was cordial relation between my parents & me sans friendliness. To me, my parents were my guardians whom I was scared of, but not someone whom I could share my secrets with. Yes I loved them, but could not express. Same was for my parents. Today when I look back into time, I realize there was a lack of openness, unlike the current times, where parents treat their kids like their buddies.

Today's mothers, whether working or housewives, get involved in their kids’ lives actively. Befriending their kids friends or helping kids with their homework and in return learning the latest gadgets creates a strong bond between the two. Such things actually nurture kids with the correct values from the beginning. One of my close friends' mother proudly shares with me her secret of kids' bonds and her. She taught her daughter unique easy recipes and in return learnt computers from her. Auntie does not depend on anybody for a printout or google an article, while Nidhi, my friend has won several hearts with her cooking skills taught by auntie. They confide in each other and guard each others' secrets. Nidhi grew up as a happy kid, with her mom as her best friend besides her.  They play video games together! Such is the magic of buddy parenting.

I have often heard parents scolding their kids when they ask for a cycle or bike. The argument that parents went to college in bus or walked for miles to reach school, is absolutely irrelevant. Times have changed. You might have used typewriters in your young days. Your child will not use a typewriter just because you did. So you see, a bike or a cycle may be a necessity for children. Ask them, understand their needs before shutting them up.

Chocos ad featuring Juhi Chawla is a perfect embodiment of the right values. As Juhi’s son teaches her palying video game, he loses to her. The smart mom subtly teaches her son that to win or lose is a part of the game. And the duo spring to their feet for another match! A mutual and loving relationship with buddy parenting is displayed here.

Lets be buddy parents to our kids so that they are confident, happy and open.

Hug your dad

As I write this post, my eyes are welled up already. It’s been a long year of illness and recovery for my dad. As my whole family is constantly on toes to make him feel better, it just took a warm hug to see him smile and feel positive. Last year when dad underwent a by-pass heart surgery, something very strange happened. While in ICU recovery post operation, dad witnessed a man die on the operation table. The deceased gentleman’s family raised a hue and cry and blamed the doctors for the unfortunate death. The entire scenario shook and scared dad. Fearing for his own life, he removed the drips and walked out of the ICU. The doctors or nurses could not calm him as he demanded a quick discharge from the hospital, refusing to enter the ICU room again. The staff called me to handle the situation. I rushed to the 3^rd floor, where I found dad sitting outside the ICU, tired, upset and scared. He whispered into my ear about the patient’s operation that went awry, calling it a conspiracy of the doctors. He feared the doctors would poison him as well. The nurses were warned by my dad to stay away from him. I felt helpless and worried when a sense of responsibility ruled my senses. I stepped into my mother’s shoes that moment. When my constant consoling and assurance did not budge him, the only thing I could think was a hug. I pressed his palm gently and then hugged him tightly. It calmed him down a great extent. The warm embrace did the magic, what doctors or my words could not do. That hug was a life-saving hug for dad. He felt assured and safe after my hug and entered the ICU.

That stage was, what the doctors later told me, a psychosis attack.

I want to hug my dad every day to assure him of good health, to make him feel positive, to support him emotionally and moreover to thank him for everything. Thanks is a small word in return of all the gestures and his acts of responsibility towards his family. 

During my school days when my mom made me learn riding a cycle, it was dad who taught me saving money for situations like cycle breakdown. I owe a hug to him for the sense of caution he instilled in me.

When my mom was reluctant to send me to Delhi for job, it was dad who supported me. He brushed his emotions aside and allowed me to shift to the capital city so that I turn independent and strong. I owe a hug to my dad for shaping me into an independent bold person.

My first job in Delhi was not easy and the thought of quitting had clouded my thoughts. It was dad who encouraged me to stay put and lectured me on not giving up. I continued my job amid all hardships and turned the tough ways in my favor. I owe one hug to him for standing by me patiently and inspiring me.

An honest, grounded and patient person, my dad has given me all the joys and love I could ask for. I cannot stop thanking God for blessing me with a father like him. A hug to dad will be the smallest thing in return.

This father’s day, I am expressing my love towards my dad by participating in the #HugYourDad activity at BlogAdda in association with Vicks