Zippy Zica Unveiled on Goa Greens

My association with Indiblogger has been a treasured one since the day I got to be one of its approved member. Indiblogger's wider reach among its readers is one of the reasons why I feel so special connecting with it. I regularly participate in IB activities and campaigns while penning down the topics it publishes. But there was something that I could never participate in and almost felt dejected for the same i.e. Indiblogger Meets. I always considered my fellow bloggers quite lucky when they cover the events conducted by IB with brands.
Recently, when I came across the Gear Up for Great campaign by Tata Motors that was inviting bloggers for a all-expenses paid trip to Goa, I couldn't resist my temptation to apply for it. To be honest, I barely had any hope to get shortlisted. And this is because I had completely forgot about it after applying. But to my utter surprise, my heart actually skipped a beat as I received a call from team IB on 24 Nov. evening asking whether I'm ready for a #madeofgreat Goa trip??
Before I could answer him, my brain started making calculations about will my hubby give me consent to travel alone, will he be able to manage my son in my absence and ofcourse will I be able to avail leave from office etc... I guess this trip and Indimeet was destined for me, so I could work out all my issues and sent my formal consent to team IB. There was still some doubt in my mind to make my way for the event. But all my anxiety got over in next 24 hrs, when the list of fortunate 60 bloggers was published on IB. Can't express how privileged it felt to see my name among those talented people on board. And then started my prep for Goa..I was literally day dreaming all the time about the Zippy Car to be unveiled before our eyes and the lush beautiful Goan land ...
Team IB took good care of all the travel and stay prior to the day of journey and also kept in touch via emails regarding event details.
And then the day finally arrived when I was ready to step in the Spicejet boeing aircraft.

Rising above the city of capital, I started capturing some glimpses of the tiny elements seen on Earth from that height...not only because I was enjoying every minute of my first flight, but it was strict instruction from my li'l boy to forward him the live happenings as soon as possible. ;)  And the pic below turned out to be one of his fav during my flight. I had forwarded him this pic via whatsapp asking "do you see something special in it?" And my boy could quickly point out the Bahai Lotus Temple in it :)

On the Goa Airport, the bloggers including myself were received by representatives of team IB as well as Tata Motors. The commute from airport to the resort Alila Diwa was very well managed in a luxurious van for all the bloggers in groups of 7-8 at a time.

Landing on the green land of Goa, the first thing that I could notice is the rise in temperature that was almost double as compared to Chandigarh ;) After a drive of almost 20 mins, we reached this exceptionally beautiful resort Alila Diwa.

All my fatigue vanished as I sipped in the fresh Kokum juice as the welcome drink. A quick registration on the reception and we checked into our spectacular rooms elegantly furnished with wooden flooring. A relaxing corner in the balcony was my fav corner to relax these two days that offered a soothing view of swaying palm trees...

The hungry souls then headed to the Spice Studio, the dining area of the resort, that served variety of delicious food and desserts. I could instantly relate the name 'Spice Studio' as I had a glimpse of many whole-spices displayed underneath a glass on the dining table. 

Some of us were eager to explore the resort property and other wanted to relax. I, being a photography enthusiast, decided to get into the groove and utilize my limited time of stay there.

In the midst of all the fun, the IB representatives humbly reminded us of the scheduled beach activities for the evening. And so it was time of creating another charming look for me ;) I wore a floor-length maxi dress and bedazzled it with a matching statement necklace. (we gals, you see..) 

Oh my my!! the breathtaking view of the Gonsua Beach in Majorda was calling us .. Super-charged for the memorable eve, we participated in challenges thrown on us in form of games and activities. 

Here I share yet another lovely pic where I scribbled a message for my li'l boy saying "Miss U Shamit" ... no wonder he loved it a load..

With so many wonderful people around and experiencing a blissful time, I had forgotten the world that worries me so much and I wanted to greet life with my arms open in a novel spirit all together different from my usual viewpoint. This candid moment spelled nothing less than Nirwana to me and I could breathe 'hope' n 'spirituality' deeper n deeper within me :) Needless to say, I cherish this moment above everything else.  

Returning back to the resort, a hi-tea invite came with the Karaoke night celebration along with a special presentation at the Locker Room. Frankly, it sounded bit strange to me to attend the presentation in the locker room and not at the conference room. But I knew team IB and Tata Motors masters the art of giving pleasant surprises. It didn't comes to my wildest imagination that a personalized section would be dedicated to each of 60 bloggers with blue Messi jersey and other cool goodies. Aww, my eyes didn't blink for a minute as I saw Cyrus Sahukar entering all dressed in the similar jersey .. The witty guy made everyone giggle with his signature comic style

Team Tata Motors revealed the journey of the making of Zica-The Zippy Car through a informative presentation and this was the most unexpected revelation when the wooden wall slided to one side and we could witness the beauty in Sunburst Orange right in front of our eyes!!

Day 1 ended with tummyfull food and soulful performances by fellow bloggers.. Before saying good night, everyone was asked to get ready early morning on Sunday morning forgetting the usual long sleeping hours ;) I had so much of excitement for the next day's drive that I seriously flipped in my bed all the night waiting to travel through the town in new Zica. 

Relishing the South Indian breakfast on the 6th arranged at Vivo, I met my team members outside the resort. 

Both the petrol and diesel variants of Zica were waiting for us to roar on the roads of Goa. I, with my team members Supriya and Abhishek, got into stylish new Zica after the flag off to gain the driving pleasure. 

Uff, Zica incorporates specs like any high-end vehicle encompassing advance safety features, multi-drive modes, excellent sound quality, rear parking sensors etc.  I exclusively loved the voice-controlled Navigation app and JukeCar app. I found the diesel model more refined than petrol one. The overall feel, comfort, design and performance of Zica spread a smile on our faces. 

Discovering the excellence of the automobile giant, I'm extremely impressed and my vote of trust goes in favour of Tata Motors once again. 

A selfie with the beauty was surely well-deserved before handing over it back to its owners :P 

No pleasures can replace the joy of such fulfilling moments...My heartfelt thanks to the entire team of Indiblogger and Tata Motors for making this #fantastico event happen and also to the humble staff of Alila Diwa for A-one hospitality. 

I swear everything we did on this weekend was wondrously #madeofgreat... and gave us a reason to keep our heads up :)

The City Beautiful In the Zonal War

"Once you lived at Chandigarh, there is no place your heart beats for..." 

This is something I am quoting from my personal experience. Since quite early years of my life, I had a crush upon the city ;) Though its not the place where I have been born and brought up, but I knew I wanted to spend my life in the lap of nature at 'The City Beautiful' surrounded by green landscapes wherever possible :)

A compulsory stop for any architect’s pilgrimage, Chandigarh has highlighted itself in the world map being the first planned city of the country post independence. The Swiss-French Architect and the master designer Le Corbusier amazed the universe with his imaginative plan for the city and came up with a design unlike any other city in India. I personally find the city so easy to commute because of its non-complex grid system to connect all the sectors and have the confidence not to get lost even if I don't know my route to my destination.

Image source

The block-shaped buildings on the baking plains of Punjab soften the effect of concrete roads with its lush green parks in every sector and make it a delight to stay here years after years. The green stripes, which were the part of the city's master plan, are still restricted to walk upon and drive upon to maintain the title of one of the "cleanest and greenest city of India."

Image source

This beautiful city of the North India drives numerous people to make a conscious decision to live at Chandigarh because of its controlled modernity, which happened in my case too. I always experience an unparalleled quality of life here in terms of investment opportunities, hangout places to relax, variety of food items and ofcourse for its cosmopolitan nature. The perfect blend of modernization & ethnicity in Chandigarh invites outsiders to live at this pampered city.
Every time I drive by the official emblem of the city i.e. Open Hand Monument, it itches a feel of hospitality in my heart with the message of “open to give and open to receive” and my obsession for the city becomes deeper and stronger.

Image Source

Growing with the city for many years now, I have witnessed great change in its appearance. But the approach of people has never run out of the place. The City Beautiful, emerging as technology hub, is very well connected to other cities via roads, trains and flights. This easy access via any transportation mode has made the city pass the criteria pertaining to Smart City Project :)

Image Source

Not only that the city is a perfect place to live, but wins over my votes to travel to mountains in close proximity. A weekend can be well-spend enjoying a long-drive with family to the hills of Himachal Pradesh to treasure some lovely memories.

Chandigarh, the dream city of India’s first Prime Minister Pt. Nehru, has remarkable reasons to top the charts when it competes for Zonal War. The lively people, clean surroundings, rich heritage and the development potential are the city highlights that are #madeofgreat and worth applauds !!

Proud to breath cleaner in The City Beautiful!

Holiness of Character is the key to be #MadeofGreat

Personality analysis is a complex subject to understand. Nopes! I'm not encompassing the professional psychologists who are trained to evaluate our behavioural patterns at varied instances. I am just talking about those unheard names n unknown faces who can challenge us to perform the way to make life become a lush productive experience and can exaggerate one's capabilities to potential growth.

Usually parents and teachers have such great influence on us and they help us have a better grasp on reality of life. Yes, I also do acknowledge whatever I gained under their guidance. But today I am taking time to make a reference to one of my neighbour, Sushila Aunty, who nurtured my immature inferences into wise decisions to act smartly in many ways. Since my early childhood days, my sweet but spineless behaviour always put me down as I had a false sense of imperfection for myself. 

This lady, who had come to stay in adjoining building to my house with her family, became a caring companion in my wholesome actions in very few interactions. Can't decide clearly whether I had something in me to attract her or it was some unapparent aura in her that held us together.

With an intelligent brain, I could go great lengths to live up to someone's expectations. But I never knew that I had that encapsulated courage in me. Sushila aunty led me by example and channelized my potential in the direction to make me understand how I could participate in life's unplanned events. She gave me the courage not to fear from mistakes or feel inferior, rather bounce back quickly with a lesson learnt. Her constant boost helped me believe in myself without feeling sorry on my little mistakes. My confidence definitely rose up, but of course, not to the other side of the scale that leads to destructive over-confidence. Even my family could not ignore noticing a positive change in their timid child. God had been kind to bless me with her company for many years to come...

I still recall the days I was preparing for my MCA entrance and used to have scary nightmares of not getting selected in a college of good repute. It was again aunty's motivational words "Nothing in life to be feared, but conquered" that I still imbibe. She made me realize that I needed not to be an expert in a subject necessarily, but just need to be passionately involved in fulfilling my dreams. I know this has been one of the most cliché advice since eternity, but resulted really miraculous for me. Because I always believed that we all are connected to each other in one or the other ways and one of the most influential way is 'our thoughts'. To me, Sushila Aunty's words seem spoken in harmony with God's wish, so had that hypnosis kind of effect on my conscious thoughts which mysteriously heightening my personality with a positive difference. She actually built a better world for me making me master of my thoughts, without which I could have shattered due to my "I am of no value" thoughts. 

Now, as I've narrated my Aunty's saga with so much of passion, I better acclaim that she is #madeofGreat admirable traits of captivating brilliance.. You would be surprised to know that the lady who changed my perspective for life with her considerate behaviour never had any formal education; but is the most learned and clear-headed person. Just few days back during my visit to my hometown on Diwali, I met her for some time and my lowering spirits soared high once again seeing her in same zeal for life at the age of 75+. She has ultimate art to help people heal and in turn repair their future. Her thoughts articulate so intense deep inside my soul that from a weaker & unrealistic personality, I graduated into a personal with firm will and holiness of thoughts.

She may be an un-noticed face to the world, but is an ideal for me. She deserves my regard no less than any famous personality.
Hey! a famous personality who is the talk of the town these days is Lionel Messi, who has fascinated the nation by accepting his first association with an Indian brand Tata Motors. *Lionel Messi the is talent galore with conviction and is an icon for today’s youth. He is a winner who is trustworthy, reliable, pioneering, simple and driven by self-belief, which is what is at the core of as well. Thus, proving to be an ideal fit for the role of Global Brand Ambassador. 

I am super happy to know this thrilling news and would love to know your thoughts on this association. So tell me by commenting below this post --

"What do you think of Tata Motor's association with Lionel Messi?" 

The most interesting answer stands a chance to win an Amazon Voucher worth Rs. 750 from Tata Motors. The contest closes on 24 Nov, midnight and the winning entry will be announced on or before 26th Nov.
**************

Update (25 Nov):
The winner of Amazon Voucher is Ms. Poonam Khanduja.
The winner is requested to DM me the email id to claim the voucher. The voucher will directly be sent by team Tata Motors in due time.