Wednesday

Stubble Daddy



The breeze was light
The sun shone bright
Caressing the wisps
Kissing the cheeks
Winter welcomed the little angel
Wrapped in the warm blanket
The couple felt ecstatic deep
The reflection of their love
The beautiful princess brought love and joy
Daddy went to embrace the newly bloomed innocence
But as the baby felt his breath 
Pitched a loud cry 
Stubble came in the way
Of the first meeting of dad and daughter
Daddy felt bad for being itchy to his soft flower
He vowed to be clean and smooth always
To ensure his delicate darling feels loved in his embrace.

¡Salud!
JJJ
 
This post is a part of #WillYouShave activity at BlogAdda in association with Gillette'.
I have written this post acknowledging the tag of Canary
I'm tagging Kitchen Mummy for this activity.

Monday

Beardy Prince !!!

The entire college was absorbed in the excitement of its annual fest. The auditions had started and the students were rehearsing vehemently  to get a nod from the panel. This year's theme for the play was 'Beauty and the Beast'. Raghav and Rohit , the two best friends, the two dudes of the college were  known for their well built physique and good acting skills. The 'Bang-on' group of these two hunks had been winning the 'Best Play' title from past two years. Freshers were desperate to get into this group. One Fresher named Sanchit proved his mettle in front of his seniors and was the lucky guy to become a member of 'Bang-on' group. 

It was the day of audition. All the teams had worked hard to make it to the finals. It was 'Bang-on' group's number. The team members took their positions and enacted their play. The two judges praised the team for its idea and coordination of the team members. But the third judge raised a concern, "The theme is  very well worked upon. But are you sure all are assigned suitable roles??"




"Is there something missing, ma'am?", asked Raghav.

"Yes,  I think the Prince's role should be played by Sanchit. Your beard will not go with the character", replied the Judge.

All were shocked at her statement. Sanchit's joy knew no bounds to play the lead role. All thanks to his clean shaven charming look. Raghav and Rohit then realized that finished look cant be beaten by any of the beardy looks.  

¡Salud!
JJJ
  
   
This post is a part of #WillYouShave activity at BlogAdda in association with Gillette'.
I'm tagging Anand and Ankita for this activity.

Sunday

Santi Claus !!!!


Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle all the way. 

The music was being played, the children were playing, the Christmas tree were lighting. But the Santa was no where to be seen.


"Where is the Santa???" ,the event manager entered the green room searching for the Santa.
"You are still here. Children are waiting for Santa and you are still not dressed up", the event manager shot his queries at Raghav.

"I'm sorry. But this beard is not getting fixed", Raghav said with an innocent face.

"How will it??? You stupid. Your whiskers are not velcro that beard will stick. And if it sticks then your stubble will come out while removing. A clean face is needed for this", event manager scolded him.

"Undress immediately and give me your dress", event manager ordered.

"Whaaatttt??", Raghav got puzzled.

"No one is there for Santa so I have to become the Santi today", event manager chuckled.

Raghav felt sorry for not shouldering his duty.



HO HO HO, Santa Claus is here dear children!!! 
The Santi Claus (event manager) hosted the party and the should-be-Santa stood in the corner blaming his stubble for missing the free hugs and kisses of children.

¡Salud!
JJJ
 
This post is a part of #WillYouShave activity at BlogAdda in association with Gillette'.
I have written this post acknowledging the tag of Kitchen Mummy.
I'm tagging Akash and Ritesh for this activity.

Thursday

Akshaya Patra - Unlimited food for Education


  •                           I am going to #BlogToFeedAChild with Akshaya Patra and BlogAdda.
  I'm very grateful to Blogadda for taking up such a noble cause to feed the children who quell their hunger each day. 

  One day while I was travelling to my hometown, my bus stopped at a city nook. In the hot summers, what all a passenger looks for is a window seat and cold drinks. I was lucky to get a window seat and when the bus halted I peeped out of the window to look for cold drinks. Generally one finds young boys shouting 'Thandaa , thandaa'. A little boy, dark and lean who appeared of 8-9 years came inside the bus with his bag full of chilled water bottles and cold drinks. As he came near to my seat, I stopped him for one water bottle. While paying him, I asked 'How old are you?' He lied so confidently,'14 years'. I stared at him, wished to scold him but I just said,'But you don't look like a fourteen -year old.' He just took the money and hurried towards the end-seats. As he finished selling and made his way to get down of the bus, I again stopped him and said, 'Do you  go to school?' He retorted, 'No, but my brother goes to read, write and eat midday meal.' He continued,'I earn to feed my stomach.' This one-minute chat with the little boy set me pondering how people, even children are made to strive to feed their starving stomach. 

                                                

  Everyday we come across such persons at railway stations or by roadside signals who sit with their little kids begging to feed them. Sometimes passer-by drop coins out of sympathy and sometimes walk through straight,ignoring them sensing it as their daily business. 


  This noble cause of feeding children with food in classrooms has been taken up by an NGO, Akshaya Patra Foundation. They are doing a commendable job aiding the schools with midday meals. The Government of India had started the mid-day meal programme to fulfill two aims at one go, first to improve literacy rate and second to feed the poor hungry stomachs. Neither can I go and teach nor can I feed the hungry children, I can do one thing, I can help Akshaya Patra to grow and expand to feed more and more children in classrooms. While the poor kids come to school in the lure of food, they return home nourished and nurtured.

                              Help the future of nation nourish and nurture with Akshaya Patra. 

                                  


¡Salud!
JJJ

 

Sunday

Godrej Interio Visit

Godrej, on hearing this, what is the first thing that strikes your brain? The old big iron almirahs. As a kid, we were so fascinated by the huge cabinet that we used to sleekly open the almirah and wonder at the spacious wardrobe. How our Mummy used to shelf their sarees, our woolens, the valuables and even our natraj pencils and erasers in it. Everything which we couldn't find in the open shelves were assumed to be locked by our mothers in the only Godrej in the home. This is how I remember Godrej. 

And when I received a call from Blogadda telling that I'm shortlisted for the Godrej Interio activity , I was elated to visit the store of one of the prestigious and trusted brands of India. 

Godrej Interio Store
Unit No. 29, 30 and 32
Super Area 2517 sq. ft. 2nd Floor, JMD Regent Arcade,MG Road, Sector-28
Beside Sahara Mall,
Gurgaon - 122009, Haryana
  
The venue was easy to locate. When I reached there, the entire second floor provided a glimpse of Godrej and just Godrej. The store at the very first sight itself looked beautiful. The furniture pieces were all well arranged to give a cosy comfy feel. I was welcomed by the store manager. The way they treated their customers was appreciable. All were greeted and offered Bisleri water bottles, yes the pure mineral water. He asked me for tea/coffee. I denied but he insisted to give it a try, "we will brew the best for you." And yes, it was damn good. 

Godrej Living room
Well I was the first to arrive and sip the coffee. The store was already occupied with customers. Every new arriver seemed a blogger to me but they were customers most of the time. After a wait of good fifteen minutes, a few familiar and a few unfamiliar faces intruded inside the store and I joined their gang. The bloggers occupied a squishy couch and chit chatted after a long time in person. Served with snacks and coffee, everyone found the store quite cool occupied with different furniture sets. 

WE - The Bloggers
While we were mingled in our talks, the  guest celebrity Aishwarya Sakhuja made her way into the store.

Aishwarya Sakhuja
She was given a warm welcome by the store. Soon our activity began. She told how the Godrej team did the make-over of her home in Gurgaon. A video was played which showed the before-after images of her living room. 

The video being played.
She was contented with the make over of her house by Godrej. She praised the Godrej team for their job. Her drab living room was filled again with life by the Godrej products and their perfect arrangement all going hand in hand with the  new wall colors and furniture pieces. 
Aishwarya answering our queries
Then she threw herself open to the queries of bloggers, We were all set to fire our questions and douse the curiosity. From her army man father to her frequent relocations, from her favourite furniture piece to how she convinced her father to let the old furniture get replaced, from the various choices provided by Godrej to her zeroing in on one final choice were some of the queries she answered in detail. She admired the quickness and readiness of Godrej towards its customers. The entire makeover of her living room was done in just three and a half days which was so quick and to the best, Godrej didnt ask for temporary evacuation of the house. It did all its renovation work so efficiently that it caused no hiatus in the daily routine of the house members. Overall she was satisfied with the Godrej furniture and their cooperation.

Spacious Colorful Almirahs
After that we were taken on the store tour by the store manager. The different cabinets, couches, sofas, beds, dining tables were shown to us. The best thing in the furniture was they all gave a perfect finished look and the shiny surface appealed to the eyes. They were termite-resistant and rust-free. 

Pink Sofa-Bed

These days when people struggle for space in the house, Godrej presented its furniture to their rescue. The sofa-cum-bed with a unique click-clack system was a perfect example. The piece gets adjusted to five different resting positions giving you the comfortable posture to lie down. 

Design your own Cabinet
The portable almirahs were the best. They could be easily dismantled and the customer was given a choice to design his own almirah with the cardboard pieces which Godrej promises to deliver. This was the best I liked, the freedom to design your own piece.

King-Bed

Oh!! Its so spacious
The different beds were on display with cool colours and storage boxes inside them which opened easily just with a slight nudge. No more labour required to remove the bedding and hold the heavy ply to reach the underneath storage area.


White marble Dining-table
The different dining tables with rotating chairs were on display. A white marble dining table was well designed. The vanity mirrors with spacious decks were admirable. The square mirror was especially adored for its look and feel. 

Dine at me!!!
The unseen and one of its kind sofa came as a surprise to all of us when we were asked to sit on it and experience its music features. Yes, this sofa has a unique audio player system with the varied options of phone booster, bluetooth, audio jack and memory card. So how do you want to play your music while relaxing on this comfortable sofa. It also had a small storage area well hidden inside its beauty. This sofa also had click-clack system to set the head-resting position at different angles. Dont worry, the kids in the home will do no harm to it even if they keep playing with it endlessly.

Musical Sofa!!!


Bush in ambush
White lilies 
The added accessory vases added beauty to the furniture. The visit to the store was really good. The Godrej people also told that they will soon launch a scheme asking the customers to dump their old furniture and buy a new piece for it for no penny. And soon they will start accepting Flipkart vouchers too. So start piling your vouchers and old pieces to buy your much needed Godrej piece.

I want to see sunrise!!!
The Godrej, a name so old, a brand so trustworthy always tries to serve its customer with the best and affordable and it was all evident at the Godrej Interio. Thank-you Blogadda for giving us a chance to look at the Godrej products and Godrej family so closely.

The Godrej Team


¡Salud!
JJJ

 

This activity was organised by Godrej in association with Blogadda.

Friday

Quikr Quikrrr - No Fikar Bech Quikrr

Now-a-days everyone feels proud to be called a Netizen. The citizens of different regions are getting united in the virtual world of internet as Netizens. There they interact, they meet, they shop, they befriend, they appreciate, they enjoy their choices. One such platform popularly known as the perfect combination of Buyer and Seller viz. QUIKR has become one of the most reliable website.

In the pretty tight schedule, most of us generally don't find enough time to even go for window shopping. Most of our time flies in traffic while commuting. So why not to utilize this free time. With Blogadda allowing me to go on a shopping spree, I explored Quikr to appease my long yearning of a hard disk. Quikr can be accessed through Android app or Apple App also on cellphone. 

Howsoever large be the internal HDD of your laptop, you will still need an external portable hard disk to store your favorite movies, songs, the most important - your so many Selfies from every possible angle, at every nook you had clicked, in different expressions and the big important documents (in kb only :P) under whose name you buy a HDD to store more of the trivially important documents.

So, here is my journey to Quikr which was unexpectedly so much fun filled with a real Quikrrr moment.
      Quikr Spree

Step I - I logged into Quikr and there opened up so many options to buy/sell almost everything (you  could think of )under the predefined categories.

Quikr Homepage

Step II- I quickly made an account on Quikr and verified my number to receive SMS updates from Quikr.


Registration on Quikr
       
 Step III - I wanted to buy a portable hard disk. I searched for the same under Electronics and Appliances > Computer Peripherals. You can also search directly for your required item by typing the keyword in SEARCH bar at the top. In the left pane, there are many search filters to refine your search and give you results specific to your demands only. I checked the box for External Hard disks under Peripheral type and also checked the Price range for 5000. Many ads  were listed out to browse and choose from.

Search Results to choose from.


Step IV - I zeroed in on an ad which was offering a new 2TB Hard disk at a much lower price of INR 6000 only.
Select your Seller.

Step V - I contacted the Seller and left my number so that I can contact him in a Quikr way.


Contact the Seller.

This is all I did and logged out to doze off. The very next day I received a mail from the person listing the details of HDD and asking me the mode of payment. I was happy to receive a Quikr reply to my feed and replied back. The Seller wanted to sell it urgently and I too wanted to buy it quickly. So Quikr we responded to each other. I requested him to lower the price to 5k for which he resisted initially but then agreed later. I wanted to test the HDD first. So we agreed to meet up at the nearest Mall on weekend. 

I reached the venue on time and waited for my HDD eagerly. But there were no signs of any Quikr guy. I was getting bored, so took out the notepad from my bag to scribble something. But I found no pen to write with. I love paper art. So I just tore out a paper and started making a 3D-star to kill the time.

After some good fifteen minutes , my phone rang. Yeah! the Quikr guy rang and asked me my whereabouts. I traced myself. A minute later, a little girl came near me and asked ," Are you Surbhi?"
I said, "Yes."
To which the boy standing behind her replied," Hi, your Hard disk."
He said pulling out the HDD from his bag. 

I thanked him and asked if I can check it. 
"Yes, please."
The little girl sat beside me and curiously peeped into the screen to figure out what I was doing. 

"Oh!!! Rapunzel", she exclaimed at seeing my laptop wallpaper.
I smiled back, " Yeah, you like her??, I quizzed.
She turned back to show her little pony, " My hair will soon grow sooooo long. Then I will become Rapunzel."

I loved her innocence. Children often pull you back to your childhood and water the dormant seeds of lost innocence and happiness.                                                                                 
                                                             



I gave her the star I had made while waiting for my hard disk. I said, " Believe in the Star like Rapunzel. Hang it in your room and your hair will grow long."

"Reallyyyy ", she asked widening her eyes.

I tickled her. Her brother, the Quikr guy also laughed. 
"She is so sweet",I said to him.
"She is mad", he retorted.
Perhaps every sibling thinks so. 


"Well, I'm satisfied with this hard disk. I will buy it", I handed him the cash and coddled my new  HDD.

We thanked each other and returned back.


And I got my HDD the very next day. Yuhuuu!!!!

I was happy to buy a 2TB HDD at just 5k. Happier I felt to relive the childhood innocence within no seconds. It was a wonderful Quick Quikr ride from shopping to happiness .

Thank-you Quikr and Blogadda for such a  thrilling contest.
                                                                        Quikrrr Quikrrr !!!!

¡Salud!
JJJ
 
This post is a part of Quikr.com activity at BlogAdda.com

Monday

Book Review - Love Lasts Forever

                                                       


About the Book
Title: Love Lasts Forever
Author: Vikrant Khanna
Publisher: Srishti Publishers and Distributors
ISBN: 978-93-82665-17-5
No. of Pages: 248
Price: 150 INR
Genre: Fiction
  
About the Author
Vikrant Khanna grew up in Delhi. He studied at the Tagore International School. He has also penned the bestselling book The India I Dream of… and the Facebook Revolution Begins!! and When Life Tricked Me… And Love Kicked Me. He joined the Merchant Navy as a deck officer and later became a Chief Officer. Vikrant eventually completed his masters to become a Captain. He is also a keen guitarist who composes his own songs and is adept at cooking. He can be contacted at www.vikrantkhanna.com.

The Cover Speaks
The cover page of the book gracefully adorns two wedding rings entwined in each other. Below the rings, the dark shadow of naval ship gives a hint of a love story taking birth inside the waves of sea. 

The complete title of the book, "Love Lasts Forever... only if you don't marry your love" ignites fire inside one's mind. Then the question at the back cover, " So you think your love can last forever...? Get married! " is so intriguing that reader is compelled to think for a while and pick up the book to douse his curiosity for what actually is the other side of love.

Synopsis
Ronit was eighteen years old when he found himself falling head over heels in love with Aisha. He met her on his graduation day, after completing his studies which could eventually get him work in the Navy. Ronit is convinced beyond doubt that Aisha is his soul mate and that their love would last for eternity and a day. They get married after seven years but only after a week, Ronit realizes it might have been a mistake to have tied the knot. His Captain’s poignant love story might just change his perceptions on love and life but it is at that cusp that their ship gets hijacked by the notorious pirates of Somalia. What happens next? Will Ronit’s marriage end or does it get better because of all the events that happen which will change his life?

Book Review
Love Lasts Forever is an endearing romantic novel. It is not just one love story but two love stories of two different generations where one love story guides the other with its light. It is the story of two young lovers Ronit and Aisha, falling in love at first sight and after a courtship of seven years they get married. Then the sudden mind change of Ronit to get a divorce from Aisha brings a twist in the story. Amidst the love story, the pirates seize the ship in Somalia and there Ronit finds the other side of love through his Captain. A heart warming and captivating love story of his Captain with the deep belief that distance binds love together asks Ronit to rediscover his love. But the one-year captivity will either strengthen his love or extinguish the remaining flame. There is a lot more to discover in this book. Grab a copy and you will enjoy this tale of love with lovely questions of  love addressed in a lovely manner. You might have read many love stories ending at either marriage or death of one companion. But what after marriage ??? Does love continues to be sweet even after marriage or it starts losing its flavor. Check out yourself!

This book from the author of Delhi is so absorbing that readers can easily dunk in love while riding metro. You can also enjoy the title track of 'Love lasts forever', a beautifully composed song in this video.



My Rating
 3/5

¡Salud!
JJJ


This book review is a part of The Readers Cosmos Book Review Program and Blog Tours.  To get free books log on to thereaderscosmos.blogspot.com .

Sunday

आँचल




एक मेहरूनी कपड़ा रखता था मुझे हरदम मेहफ़ूज़ 
मेरे माथे की हर शिकन को छुपा लेता था ये 
हर दर्द हर मुशकिल का हल ढूंढ लेता था ये 
ये तेरा प्यार था या तेरी दुआ 
तेरा आँचल ही था मेरा सरमाया 

तेरे आँचल की भीनी खुशबू 
आज भी उतनी ही ताज़ा लगती है 
जैसे तू कल बैठ मेरे पास
फेर रही थी मेरे बालों में हाथ

कुछ कहने के लिए ज्यों ही सर उठाया मैने 
तो पाया सिर्फ एक मेहरूनी कपड़ा 
बेज़ान सूना फीका-सा एक कपड़ा 
मेरे अश्कों से भीगा एक कपड़ा 

वो साया जो था मेरा सरमाया 
छोड़ गया बस एक मेहरूनी कपड़ा 
बस उसी मेहरूनी कपड़े में 
कर लेता हूँ खुद को कैद 
जब भी होता हूँ खुद से ख़फ़ा |

¡Salud!
JJJ
 

Just a Cup of Coffee

So after a very longggggggggggg period of hibernation, my first write-up to overcome 'Writer's Block'. All thanks to a cup of coffee. For all the coffee lovers, a high-five and all the non-coffee lovers a bigger high-five because you will eventually fall for coffee one day. I believe. 




YYY   COFFEE     YYY

The dark frothy steaming coffee always has an 'X -effect'. It pulls me from wherever I'm. The aroma just draws me towards the cup of stewed drink and lingers around me even after it's over. The cocoa smell stays with me till the next cup refreshes back the smell. It's as if I have started falling for the coffee. The more I drink it, the more I feel it.


As they say, "Anything can happen over a coffee." I wonder is it actually true that a coffee can connect hearts Y. May be 'YES' for all those who got their strings hitched over a coffee and a 'NO' for all those whose tattered slippers don't move further towards any coffee shop , instead the burnt umber fragrance rises from their own kitchen and pleases them with their troglodyte status. Well !!! whatever be the case, coffee never leaves you alone. Just a cup and happiness doubles with the heavenly dark drink. Just a cup and all the worries waft into the space with its vapors. 

I think it happens with almost all of us that in the race of life, we get so much busy or say we start giving time to all the unnecessary things that we forget all about the important things and dearly people in our life and end up in a rat-race. Waking up every morning, rushing to work, returning back just to meet the bed and pillow. Comes a Sunday and we spend it dozing off to compensate for all the hours we stayed up late during weekdays to finish off the work. And in all these packed days, what stays with us is a cup of coffee to relax us. 

This very cup of coffee reminds us of some beautiful yesteryear memories which we had shared with our friends and family. The time which was so beautiful that we wish to relive it. When something from the memory lane strikes our chord, we grow nostalgic and there we become human again from the daily slogging machines. Coffee brings back ME to me.

This cup of coffee gives us a break from the chaotic lifestyle and makes us think for a while what we are living for. It often stimulates the dormant seeds. It ignites our lost dreams. It fans the ashes to lit up the fire again. It's truly our much needed booster. Even I too came back to this space , my very own blog after a long break. All I owe is to my dear coffee.

The vending machine at the workplaces is the most happening place among the lifeless workstations operated by human-machines. The mug full of hot coffee is the only interesting thing on our study table between the boring books to be mugged up. The fresh aroma of coffee is the only fragrance to shoo away our laziness. A cup of coffee is the first stepping stone between two strangers. It's the one which unlaxes our nerves and gives a boost to the brain. 


I wonder how proud coffee might feel at seeing her lovers spread all over the world.
(
"I'm a true companion of every soul whether blissful or mournful, I am always there to make them cheerful. I have seen heart beats getting high over me. I have lend my ears to many secret confessions. I have made my presence at long discussions. I have waved my rejuvenating effect over tiresome souls. I have made despair hearts bounce back to life. I have got drenched in laughter of success many-a-times. I have seen tears trickle down to end up in a smile. I have boosted brains to slog more in wee hours. I feel so obliged that people snaffle me while doing their work, perhaps I'm their best companion. I give them the warmth in winters. I cool down their nerves in summer. I really enjoy when I'm grabbed, smacked, sipped, gulped because I'm me. I'm COFFEE." 
                                                                                                                                )

Well !!!! I have said so much about coffee that perhaps you might remember me at your next cup of coffee. Chillax with a freshly brewed coffee and have a relaxed fun-filled day.



Image Source - Google

¡Salud!
JJJ