At home you would be surprised to know Dad is in-charge of the washing machine.
Mom had developed a bit of arthritis and that meant less water work to be on the safer side and that made Dad step in. And the BPL semi automatic washing machine was the place. The drier had stopped working but it meant little for the kind of clothes that we had. Essentially it was the washing that was important and the Ariels of the world had made way into our life. That green coloured package yes if you can imagine.
Some three years earlier, we added a new washing machine from Samsung stable and it was fully automatic and fuzzy control the tech term came with it.
So the work would be to put this on, and then the whole process is completed and just need to put them on the clothesline. Ideally Dad’s work remained the same.
The BPL still is a horse that keeps going, used for normal clothes and beds and blankets etal, the second washing is done on hand and this is once in a while when Dad takes over here again.
My tryst with washing started when I started staying alone in Delhi in 2010 and it continued when back home, Mom and Dad went to see our sister at US. Its continuing odd and even if i can say that and take care that do it once a week and help out with the clothes.
I would even suggest that it need not be #LaundryGoesOddEven it could be that we could take over the whole thing. I can tell you from my experience that its a kind of nirvana to finish the whole chore and satisfying because you have done your work in a way. If it means that it can help your other half it is definitely a big plus.
So it can be odd even division of work but whenever possible even it out for your better half!
So when I watched this ad, I think the times are changing with more nucleus family in the cities this is the way to go and the kids will learnt that it takes two to tango well even to do laundry!
And when I got a chance to do this #LaundryGoesOddEven challenge it was absolutely happy moment to share and gave my mom her full deserved rest.
I am taking part in the #LaundryGoesOddEven Challenge by Ariel India at BlogAdda and thanks P&G for the pack of Ariel Matic!
‘So Dad what was here before you built this house?’ Asked the Kid, an innocent question
‘It was a parched land son.’ the father answered.
‘From a land to this beautiful house, how did you build it?’ the kid again asked.
‘That is a joy of building my son especially the home for your beloved ones!’ the father replied.
Like in the anecdote above, a home is a dream come true and there is a certain emotion attached to building homes. Not for the same reason that they call it home otherwise every building would remain a house.
There is an inherent dream that is passed by in families or Indian families to say. Owning a house is a dream that everyone has and it’s a basic trait, a country where millions live and look to make their own roof, the ones who accomplished this enviable task would be relishing the joy of building that dream, however small that may be its his Taj or Antila for sure.
Now looking back, there are times when we would have known who are behind those building that we raise to build those nest for ourselves. Apart from the masons and the workers we have pretty much the cement and the bricks. On the concrete it’s the iron bars that hold the dream in literal sense.
Quite often the director in a movie is the man who holds the script together and extracts the performance but he remains in the background obvious to the star attraction the lead gets. Something like that is the role of the iron bar and there have been brands and brands but TATA the name which speaks trust and confidence has been in the business since long and has been the strength of some of the iconic structures that have been built in India.
On a personal level, the tryst with TATA happened when I was a part of Narain Karthikeyan’s F1 team in India in 2005. It was TATA which catapulted him to the F1 world with its sponsorship for the year. The year that followed and that preceded has taught me the value of trustworthiness, integrity and responsibility.
Each iron rod come with all these for TATA knows that you are not building a house, it’s a dream that is being built. And there in all these they know the joy of building.
TATA Tiscon is the result of some of the best technology being put to use. The technology extends to manufacturing Super Ductile (SD) rebars that are specially designed for construction in seismic prone zones. TATA TISCON 500 grade is the one in case you are building heavy-duty structures. They provide superior strength even while reducing the quantum of steel required.
You have the Fe 500 D grade of steel, which ensures minimum sulphur and phosphorous content leading to fewer harmful impurities in the steel. TATA TISCON corrosion resistance steel (CRS) is made to a unique chemistry – which helps in resisting corrosion and is the used best in coastal areas, or where groundwater is brackish and areas where toxic gas emissions seriously impact the environment. As much as the challenges are given there is a solution that TATA Tiscon delivers.
We all know the joy of building and seeing the house completed is an emotion probably unparalleled… I can relate to it with house that was being built when I was young, I had the privilege of playing in the sand and spraying water to every little wall that was raised, the concrete and the final whitewash though it was in stages and to the place that we call home.
Today, we have a choice to make it with something that is known for its trust worthiness and make it an integral part of the building or rather the building blocks for the home.
An yeah the house has been built on a vacant space of land and home is imagination taken shape to include everyone and that’s all the more better when wireframed by ofcourse TATA Tiscon.
“This post is a part of the #BuildingBlogsOfJoy activity of TATA TISCON in association with BlogAdda.com“
Indian roads have come of age and ever since the Golden Quadrilateral took shape the highways have had it the best of times and that meant the automobile drivers had easy task at hand and could deliver better vehicles and concentrate on making it more driver friendly.
The look and feel of the trucks got a makeover and today they are as customer savvy as much as they sell cars. We have seen the likes of many a brand and even the Mercedes, Man Trucks, and Benz making their presence felt here.
The race to be the best had begun and there is no stopping them now. Mahindra with its #SmartTrucking concept has now started delivering some of the best in class truck options for the sauve consumer.
Some of the features that get a hands up includes great fuel economy, mileage, lesser breakdowns, service guarantee at breakdown point etc. Well technically there is this unique modular cylinders for engines that is responsible for low maintenance and repair cost.
The very thought of the truck is that ‘long drive’ perhaps getting things to people from one part of the country to another. The truck perhaps is a brand ambassador in quite a few places and when we discuss long drives, it has to be without any breakdowns at all, forget lesser break downs.
The long drives make for such an adventure, and when you know you have help at hand you get more confident and enjoy the driving across the terrain of the national highways. The drives have become more picturesque these days and the drivers have become more responsible in a way, and the #SmartTruck is one of the reason, they feel pampered. So #SmartTrucking has you covered when it comes to delivering goods which in turn is delivering happiness, delivering responsibly and delivering trust. And a break down is not just an incident, but reflects on the overall scheme of things and that when you have help at hand. #SmartTrucking doesn’t have break down points but then when there is the most unfortunate thing which happens inspite of you being a responsible driver, well that’s when you appreciate the lesser breakdown and help at hand!
The #SmartTrucking is a travel that is akin to our life journey that we have on this earth. There are places to stop, to reduce the speed, enjoy the road while it lasts and yeah keep looking into the mirror only when needed and yes bring on the better roads as we keep going ahead.
We will love the drive and the way the roads converge and how they look inspiring to lead the way to our destination. The long drives have always have had the philosophical bent of mind.
One of the basic aspects of being inside a truck is the ability to see things far and near. You get to have a view of things in your own style. #SmartTrucking today symbolises the most wonderful way to help those who help us by driving some of the biggest trucks.
Kudos to Mahindra for changing the way Trucks are see, built and deliver.
“I’m writing this blog post for the MTBD #SmartTrucking activity at BlogAdda.”
Its Goa time, and another blogger meet with another new car!
Its become a habit with Blogadda getting you drive the cars around the picturesque Goa.
So when Harish calls you dont say NO! Who would deny themselves an opportunity to be amongst 40 of the best minds from the country. In a sense these meets have enriched the bond of friendship cutting across the country and have given a different perspective on what blogging is all about and the kind of passion it evokes in each one of us.
Probably I was the first to step out of home, early in the morning given I had to reach Chennai and then get to Goa!
In between the WhatsApp messages and tweets which incidentally was trending for sometime with the #LiveLodgycal hastag, we were getting set to what would be a great event the next two days over the weekend.
I am gonna write about the awesomest gang of the Blogadda in a separate post. Thank you all for such a well planned and well executed eventful meet that we were in. Hmm the prizes were awesome and that was the icing in the cake for those who got them and deservedly so.
So this meet let me tell you was courtesy the Renault India, the car manufacturer with a legacy from France. If you know the SUV which set the market rolling by the name of Duster then you know who we are talking.
The foreign brands take some time to get to the bottom of Indian mind and heart and so too Renault has captured the imagination of the car lovers with its earlier versions.
This time we got to test the all new Renault Lodgy, well it got to be Lodgycal and turned out to be one.
After reaching the hotel and warm welcome and some unofficial meeting up later we all assembled to listen to what the car or the MPV as it is called is all about.
The evening started on a wonderful welcome note from the teams at Blogadda and Renault India. We also had a wonderful intro session on all the bloggers and the teams present there.
I was a part of the Team Fleeting Four – accompanied by the traveler with the name @payaniga Prashanth, the ever funny Doctor @pythoroshan who blogged one of the serious issues in the country about his profession and the ace photographer and blogger Sammy @deckle_edge.
(Fleeting Four – Awesome team mates – Prashanth, Dr. Roshan and Sammy!)
Renault Lodgy: The Car with a history!
An MPV from the house of the 116 year old company that pioneered the Turbocharger, the first Hatch sedan, or the steering mounted controls to name a few has done a marvel in the way they have taken Lodgy to the Indian Market.
First things first. The Renault are the pioneers of the MPV cars and that lends a special significance when you try out the car and there is an ample evidence of that factor. It shows when a 117 year young company does things its own way.
Be it the turbocharger or the first sedan, the steering mounted controls, the first hatch back or the first gear box, there is history and a legacy to live by.
So let me go by what are some of the unique features:
Monococoque : The F1 fan in me was so happy hearing the monocoque contruction of the MPV Lodgy. It adds to the safety by default. Well you need to know Metallurgy well enough to do that monocoque is a single steel construction of the body.
Diesel Only Option: Diesel is standard in two variants one with 85 PS generating a maximum torque of 200 Nm @ 1900 rpm. Another with 110 PS with a maximum torque of 245 Nm @ 1750 rpm and comes with a 6 gear box. It has shown a great flair by going only diesel in Indian circumstances and the mileage is pretty decent if you go by ARAI. Leaves the competition by a mile.
Pic Courtesy : Sammy aka @deckle_edge
There is a lot of thought which has gone into the design of the car suiting it to the Indian way. The car has a nice front grill with the logo, and head lamps are pretty and fits nice in the view.
Courtesy: Manjulika taking the picture
The car is nice and just have a look at the interiors and the dont disappoint, class interiors and nice feel of the seats and good feel on the dashboard. The touch music dashboard – and the controls on the steering are easy to use. Well the indicator and wiper are under left right combination as usual Renault style.
So without much of the writing I am thankful to my team mates for recording this video… all the aspects of the car in these videos!
Hmm its one spacious car and well we have to wait and see what the people have to say about the rear, I loved the lamps at the rear but found it very squarish for all the aero styling in the front. But you know they were the first MPV.
The drive was good probably the first two gears need a bit of response but once you get going you are in for a ride. I can understand the first two gears are for the city driving and getting you out to the highway!
The seat variations and the boot space are very comfortable and India will be all arms wide open welcoming such a family gaadi to their household for sure.
The touch screen navigation system, the reverse gear on board camera and a host of features will make you feel luxurious on the car.
Impressions: Very responsive and a value for money car – spacious and you are sure to get travelling at impulse. It doesn’t sound like a diesel car, check out the Lodgy on a test drive you will agree with me.
So the monsoon is all pretty – rains and rains and happiness around. Its all nice except sometimes when the room gets damp and there is a eerie smell if I can call it that.
So what do you do? There is a story on darkness and light and I think it fits in here very well.
How do you light up a room which is filled with darkness, very simple remove every bit of darkness from the room, and what remains?? is again darkness. The easiest way to fill the place is well light it up and lo the whole darkness goes out of place.
Ambi Pur is your light kind of solution for any odor related issues at home or workplace, its that magic wand with a sprayer that’s designed so well, all you need to do is press and then the whole place is filled with the awesome smell of the flowers and it overpowers the odor present earlier.
An easy way to change your mood to a pleasant one, is just spray them a little that’s the best part you don’t have to do it like your normal room freshener which will be loaded and spend the entire container.
Its easy to handle and make it a show case item and bottle is such a nice and beautiful stuff you will love holding it and use it at every opportunity.
This is one chance to make your home a fragrant heaven and have a lasting impression on the guest who come. They would not want to leave, well that’s a possibility.
This is a nice product and I am sure you will fall in love with and yeah well make no mistake it will fill the air with love make you a romantic if you are not one and that’s the power of Air Effects. It gonna sweep you off with its pleasant fragrance that will linger on in the room day long. A perfect start to your day at home or office is gauranteed with the Air Effects and it could be the right start that you so needed.
In case you wanted to sit and write chances are that these fragrance can inspire you to write better and they way you want. Try it and let me know if it work and I am sure it will with the setting of a nice fragrant environment it should be great to work or be at home in leisure.
Bring in the romance in the air with Ambi Pur Air effects!
This is a part of Product Review sponsored by BlogAdda.
We used to have a diary, well I do keep receiving one from my not so digitally inclined clients who think yes the new year is heralded with one diary and I have had the habit of having diaries over the years, I have one from 1998, well that was the year I passed out of my college. Time flies, and things have taken a giant steps.
So it was a bit of delight coupled with amusement when I saw the Exide LIfe My Money Book. Hmm a clean neat utility stuff.
I should admit its been a long time writing these information on paper. It was revealing on how the money-wise thing looked for me. Now that made me do a bit of homework and some more papers are ready to be signed.
I loved the way it has been designed with the customer in mind and the details that matter, well we used to have all these kinda stuffed in one page. Yes all these.
So here goes the 5 best things about it.
#1 Life Insured : All your insurance policies right from yours to your dependents everyone’s details in fact detailed. So you wont miss the dates and the time in case you need to send in your annual subscription.
#Fact: I got to know you had so many types of Insurance policies well the Home wala though I have heard, it was new for me in the sense that we would love to keep track of it and be reminded every year.
#2 Lockers : You have a page dedicated for Lockers, this is new and is good to add to the information.
#3 Loans: There is a section for loan details, and it is again divided into Home, Auto and Personal loans.
#4 Savings Section: You have detailed page for Mutual Funds, those not so cool Public Provident Funds, National Pension Scheme etc.
#5 One book: Well this is one book that will help you write your will if you may! You know where you are and how much is your asset and your liabilities in a nutshell that actually is telling you your worth.
#My expectation: Get a page to set financial goals for the next year – esp from the pages that will reduce the loans and add more to savings or buying a property or a new vehicle. I think that will add the charm of looking at the dates and also get the priorities right.
Or get a page to set personal goals like No credit cards or less credit cards!
It was a great way to analyse the financials personally if you ask me and made me think twice on how I should be plan, quite my Financial planner!
One last thing the designer in me was all praise for the visual layout and the usage for font and clear demarcation of subtle colours in red and blue. Loved the cover design too.
Tidbit 1: The washer man has been an integral part of India’s history if you know. He was one of the reasons who sent Sita to the forest after their return to the invincible Kingdom of Ayodhya.
Tidbit 2: In the early days of the introduction of Washing Machines in India, market survey report had said Indian women would not take a liking to washing machines but the company thought otherwise and rest as they is history.
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It was nice to get a pack of Ariel for this #WashBucketChallenge. That was a reminder of the pledge to #sharetheload.
Dad has been a helping hand to mom. Going back in time, since their marriage perhaps it was he who helped even learn the ropes at the kitchen. and it continues even today if mom makes a trip to native, dad manages the kitchen with little to no help sometimes from me.
But this has had its effect making us very self reliant in the way when we are alone and when we need to help.
I think this is more or so the common thread in many families. may be they would not talk about it. And this exactly is the reason why I like this topic, and this activity has brought to light so many of the adorable men in our midst who are doing things without making the noise.
So when this activity came up I was delighted to be a part of it and sharetheworkload. And after long I did this and intend to continue whenever opportunity arises especially after an outstation trip or weekends.
Now to the interesting part of Ariel and the effort to #sharetheload. So on the Dday which was a Saturday, I took up all the clothes which were supposed to be washed. Added water to the machine and watched it fill to the level needed and then added a spoonful of the Ariel washing powder.
I had a shirts which was going to be a challenge to Ariel, and that one had a bit of tea spill on it. I put them together in the washing machine. I watched as the machine spun and set the process of washing…
After 20 minutes I pulled the clothes out to check how it was and found that they were looking clean and soft. I then put them in soft water which actually is the Siruvani water here for better effect and made them look like new.
The best part was the clean shirt which had the tea spill now had no trace of it. I enjoyed a break infact getting back to washing clothes should be a normal chore instead of it being on and off. The Ariel detergent has a nice effect on the fabric and that shows very clearly when you wear it.
Also you could calculate the amount of calories spent doing this. You will be surprised on this. Check for yourself.
“Can you see the apple?” asked God!
“Oh yes I can!” I replied
“Eat this one and be blessed! There’s going to be no Satan henceforth! ” God said and disappeared.
I woke from my dream with that little session of God. I turn to my right to see apples and oranges beautifully arranged on a glass bowl.
I reach for one apple and take a bite, a surge of energy passed through me and I could feel myself vibrant as if an electric current passed through me. Feeling as if I became a super man I walked to the window and saw a pale picture of the road and a beggar crossing it.
‘How I wish there was no poverty so that the man walking there doesn’t have to beg for food?’ I thought and behold below me on the street were two angels who came and dressed him in best clothes and vanished and then came a road cart full of food near the once a beggar and he was surprised and ate to his contentment.
Oh it works I thought, very pleasantly surprised with myself and not able to conceal the surprise.
I thought may this extend to the whole world, may be it happens may be I may not see them for real, nevertheless I saw the whole world change over in a flash – a timelapse presented in front on my eyes.
Once the food is done what would you want the guys to live for obviously for nothing. Lazy minds are devils workshop. They generate ideas to disturb peace not only for themselves but others too.
The best part is to make them play what they want to play because the food is already there. Lest there be corruption, contentment will be default. Everytime they make money they would ask if its enough, good enough for them and more over if they need money.
When this is done, love happens without being forced. Make them see the other human beings as a part of themselves. So they cannot hurt, and being human is the religion. Make them forget about their God.
The land gets the rain, the food is grown, harvested and cooked, the cycle continues, the sun rises the sun sets and the men go dancing around.
The best part is the technological marvel is left as it and continues to help the people. When the food and education is free and a basic human right, we have a world which will be less fighting and less harming the people. Dogmas are relegated to the back seat simply because the men cannot point to the past for their justifying the present.
As I walked down the road an elderly man came to me and said “Be blesssed! today the world has changed for good!”
As I look back I could see the end of all that is black and negative. The journey continued…
These are crazy times when I would write a post about Valentine’s day. Not that I could do it the way I am gonna explain but I thought I will let my imagination fly and propose to her.
Those three words, well those three words are the toughest to say and you need to be sure that you are saying that to the right person. I am sure you got to have a clear throat before you venture to say that to your loved one. Might be useful to pop in a Vicks goli, and may be have a mouth freshener and be fully agile after a nice drink of Glucon D or munching down a Perk – take your pick. Mind you this is going to be your make or break day! Never take chances.
So on that day, the first thing is taking up the role of the newspaper boy and get the paper delivered with a bunch of red roses. Try playing a song may be without inviting the attention of the neighborhood uncle. Only thing that should be done is to take care she picks up the paper!
Wait at the corner to find that. Get off from there. Surprise to be maintained.
Next stop. Bus Stop! Send a bunch of flowers through may be the nearest florist with a tag. Follow up to the work place. Already a special bouquet is placed at her table.
Chances are she might get to know. I send a video message at 12.00 pm on her mobile…. and the same time there is a delivery of a beautiful Bluestone #SOUNDOFLOVE pendant.
If you thought we were crazy about love imagine the people at Bluestone, they got the wave of the words I Love You and made a design! You ask me are they for real? Well thats a kinda Physics marries emotion and gold eh??? That’s crazy psychology if you ask me. And mind you they have same day shipping that’s really a great way to surprise your beloved.
The best part of the unboxing is when she opens up the box, there’s this back ground music all around and then this is the highlight. Enter the hero, yours truly and kneel before with a Red rose and propose!
Same time will have a cake – white forest to be cut for the day… no points for guessing the design is the new wave design of Bluestone Sound of love collection.
Now that Valentine’s Day is already planned I am now going to see the design in action especially the way they came out with the wave.
There was a time when we could go on with our work without any hindrance. There was a time you had to be at the desk to be on FaceBook well orkut some days ago.
I remember the first mobile some time in early 2000, I had was the Motorola almost the size of the Cordless phone that we had, the closest resemblance is the second one in the pic, the yellow monochrome screen would flash the number of the person calling in digital font if you can understand what I mean.
The cost was also not that cheap some 16 rupees for incoming and outgoing at double the cost. As days passed by, our regional brand Aircel made the first move making the incoming free and everyone followed suit.
The internet story was happening alongside with dial-up and other ISDN and things like that and the early social was orkut and some hi5 and some myspace et al. There were some other Indian sites with forgettable names. So we would wait for the evening to check what is happening to the orkut scraps as they we called and wait for some testimonials sometimes.
The times went fast literally in case of internet adoption it had overtaken all the media, the tv, the land phone etc… The mobile phones especially the smart fancy & most advanced with internet connections were sought after and did cost a bomb; not to forget the Apple series iPhone making it a way of life.
But all this changed when the Indian smart phone manufacturers like Micromax and Karbonn started it with a price that could be afforded by the large set of population and that’s when the Facebook and twitter came inbuilt and well the life has not been same again for the Indian population.
I am also lucky to be a part of that population who had access to a decent feature phone and upgraded to a smart Blackberry out of corporate style and then ofcourse to the Android next. All those times I have been connected 24/7 to internet and FB and twitter.
There was this innate urge to check them out, literally every now and then when there is a beep saying there is a message somewhere on one of those apps. On a personal level it has closed the time gap in being in touch. I know what my friends are upto, the twitter timelines and what to expect that day at the news night.
You will have the best of the updated news and the most important things being discussed. You will feel as if you would have lost a part of yourself if you don’t carry the phone with you. There were times when you missed the phone at home and then felt as if you have lost yourself and get back. Its become a part of you, whether you are working or even when you go for a walk. You need it along with you.
Especially the social going mobile is the biggest thing that happened in this century and the fact is that the next generation would be introduced to the social on mobile and to think we were all a part of the web based Facebook generation. I personally am a big fan of the same. The acquisition of Instagram and later Whatsapp by Facebook is a pointer to mobile first thinking by everyone. (you can read my blog on the same clicking on the names)
That being connected and being engaged got a new paradigm shift with the advent of social on mobile. There is a new generation of millennial who are hooked to the mobile phone and everything is happening out there.
I would be missing out if the video and the messengers are not mentioned apart from the usual social. The songs then the videos from YouTube or any other player has come to be a part of the content consumption so much so that we don’t know how much of video content we are viewing.
As I am keying I have been served ads on an app named “Hotstar” promising to give all the tv content across the mobile screens. The mobile has for once and all changed the way we are, and the way we think perhaps the way we live.
The above is a part of the report that appeared on Jan 22nd 2015 in the Economic Times, well not so long ago.
As we speak we have seen how social is an integral part of politics today with the result of AAP making a big win. We know both the victors in 2014 and now did use social to a great extent and ofcourse with precision that was characteristic of both the winners.
The mobile will today make the internet accessible to the most rural part of the country. And thanks to Mark Zuckerberg, the Founder of Facebook he has initiated internet.org in India today to give free access to internet in some states.
I am sure we can go on and on on how mobile has impacted us so much. I leave you with one small incident, a young techie had taught his mom to use a feature phone especially on how to text. Mom sent a message promptly the next noon asking – did you have lunch?
So much for bringing the family together even with a text. Imagine a Skype call or the voice on Viber or IMO. I am a happy go lucky guy simply because I got to study these and live these as a part of my job! What more can one ask for.
On the professional side there has been a big change with the apps and tools which help you and make things at ease. So you have all those things at the touch of a button or say a swipe or a tap.
Definitely as a professional in digital and internet of things and personally I am sure the mobile is a way of life going forward and ask me, the bandwidth and internet story has only just begun with the mobile enabling it and making it happen all the way!
