Can Men #ShareTheLoad of Laundry?

Women in India take pride in shouldering equal responsibilities with the men in their houses, when we encompass paid employment. Despite working full time like their male partners, women are expected to handle all the household chores when they come home, because this is what they are born to do... But who decided their destiny....the society or their own family? Most men rely on their wives for cooking, cleaning, raising the kids and laundry. As a child, I personally noticed all these jobs either done by my mom or left undone. My dad, who is so helpful and cooperative otherwise, didn't help mom in washing clothes ever. And now I know how much energy and physical effort goes into laundry. Sad, but true story of most household in India, shows that women are undergoing much stress because of uncooperative spouses. The worse part is that this discriminating approach is carried forward to coming generations and there seems no end of the gender disparity.

My good fortune favoured me that I've been coupled with a sensible man who, right after our marriage, declared that instead of scrubbing the collars of his shirts and exhausting myself, I should do something constructive and enhance my productivity. In the same direction, we invested in a automated washing machine that aided me cut down my time spent over domestic chores. The clear-sighted man in my life came forward operating the appliance more readily and helped me #sharemyload. More than a decade ago, this well though-out plan came into action that is on roll till date in my family. 

The reason why I'm sharing this anecdote is to highlight the fact that the time has come to break the stereotype conventions prevailing in the society and bring along a positive transition for welfare of feminine gender. I strongly feel that the couples who share the household chores build stronger sentiments for each other. There is no justification on why and who should perform laundry, cleaning or cooking; but the practicing equality at your own home is a satisfying reward in itself. Men should acknowledge the amount of dedication disposed by women for her family on a typical day and should earn respect by setting an example for their kids by contributing fairly to the 'lady' in the house. 

'Better late than never', is the key message conveyed by team Ariel who has gone that extra mile to underline this prejudice through an inspiring advert and is encouraging men to help around the house and in laundry.

I am joining the Ariel #ShareTheLoad campaign at BlogAdda and blogging about the prejudice related to household chores being passed on to the next generation.”

Exam Invigilation In A Fresher Way

Hey you! just spare a thought for educators like me who are hit hard with invigilation duties during examination period. You might be thinking of poor condition of students actually cramming their syllabus and sitting in exams, but the pressure of mind-numbing boring exam duties gives me a dreaded feel at times.
I enjoy playing the role of secret invigilator busy patrolling in and around the vicinity on the lookout for any crib-sheets hidden away and handling the defaulters in strict manner. But it gets stressful when I am delegated as the chief invigilator for the session and something goes wrong during my tenure like distribution of the wrong exam paper to someone by a staffer, uncontrollable noise in the hall, catching a student practicing UMC and something similar..
And even if everything is working smooth, those four hours feel boring because I have to stand in a silent room stern expressions on my face for hours and hours with no phone or computer to play with, no book or newspaper to read.
You may, though, take it as an advantage that at least you get a few hours during a very busy time of the term when you can do nothing and de-clutter your mind for a while!
During my recent invigilation for a public examination being conducted at my college by an external entity, when I was gazing out of the windows n day-dreaming about my summer holidays; one of the restless candidates stood up from his seat and announced aloud, "Ma'am, I can't concentrate on solving these questions without any music around.." And I was astounded at his courage n thought, "he not only looks idiotic in his weird spiked hairdo, but his brains work the same way as well. How can he expect us to provide him a drawing room ambiance in examination room??"...
Before I could open my mouth to answer his stupid statement, he justified saying, "Ma'am, why is  our examination system so silly. Don't you know that right kind of music cuts down on distractions and keeps our brain engaged at a subconscious level. What's the harm if a velvety voice like Anushka Manchanda does magic to our performance. Infact, we should be given a 2 min break in between to warm ourselves up with some energetic dance moves like my fav star Allu Arjun to put our brains in a bright and breezy frame of mind." 
All present in the room, including myself, listened to him for a while, but I found myself unable to comprehend with his thought. And he again continued, "Ma'am, numerous academic studies have zeroed in on the effects of dance and music to provoke a positive change in the learning
 environment like this examination room."
I was willing to acknowledge this welcome change because I remembered myself studying with my music system on all the time. But I had to make him understand that there is some more time in our country to provide him a classroom with access to music n soft dance numbers ;)

I am blogging for #MaxFreshMove activity at BlogAdda.com. Are you?

Music Therapy May Lead to Well Being

Scared to my deepest soul, I was entering the children’s cancer ward of the local hospital. A dear friend's daughter had been diagnosed with symptoms of cancer and had been admitted for emergency checkups/treatment. Moving every step closer to the cancer ward, I could imagine myself in a dank and unwelcoming place occupied by kids in depressed state of mind due to fear-for-life. But I had to be strong to be on my friend's side in the hour of need. As the gatekeeper opened the door for me, I was back to the moment and managed to fake a smile to cheer my friend up. The scene was something different from what I had been expecting on my way. No!! I am not saying that this children’s cancer ward looked like the happiest place on earth, but the sight of a sad or grumpy child had been a rarity indeed. Instead, most of the kids were smiling and were even excited to see the medical team on the ward round. I could not stop myself reminding that the kids with cancer are still kids. The kids who had been experiencing daily discomfort and exhaustion from their aggressive and punishing treatment regimens were still so wonderfully positive. I thanked God for giving them amazing ability to adapt to the adverse situations with so much of uplifting attitude. I was indeed hopeful that the spirit with which these kids are fighting their disability or ailment will surely help them win over all the misfortune. In the midst of this unbelievably unique experience of my life, I could instantaneously recall that hospital scene from the movie Munna Bhai MBBS where the main character induced happiness, hope and positivism with his peppy dance and music performance. An idea clicked my mind and I thought of giving these kids a dose of great fun. I had heard of music therapy that supports cancer patients through treatment to improve both emotional and physical well-being. On my special request, Allu Arjun agreed to perk up the situation with his sensational moves with magical voice of Anushka Manchanda singing for little fans. The soulful music by Anushka seeped into innocent expressions of children and they swayed with the dance moves of Allu Arjun like no health problem ever occurred to them. The pain was relieved as if it never entered their bodies, the eyes shone like they were never filled with tears.. 
I know a day or a moment of fun cannot change their fate, but dance and music are certainly therapeutic and can fight the pain or isolation of hospitalization. When the singers and dancers can turn into music therapists, they can make somebody's difficult journey a little easier. That is why it is often said that, ‘Music is the best medicine in the world!’ 

I am blogging for #MaxFreshMove activity at BlogAdda.com. Are you?

A Journey from ‘OR’ to ‘AND’

Let me begin by asking you ladies "How happy you honestly feel you are with your life?" Most of you would atleast spend few seconds to think before acclaiming "I am very happy with my life with no complaints".  Many women second this thought that they had been fed up being rolled like a ball from 'either This or That' to sacrifice their dreams n wishes, when it comes to make personal choices...

 She had been no better fortunate... but had no complaints to anyone rather always felt content with her family's happiness n progress. But there is always a time in every women's life when the only thing that helps her is her own DECISION. She had to take a stand that day to ditch "OR" and embrace "AND". She could not dare to abandon her first baby girl AND decided to escort the new life till her last breath.
 
The woman whom I am referring is my loving mommy who had the guts to have her say to keep her baby girl alive with all her inner willingness. And so I am here talking to you :)

I have li'l something to say about her how her "AND" formula worked miraculous for my life...

When she conceived me in her womb, she wrapped in her my body AND my organs.

When I was growing, she shaped my views AND my thought process.

When I was aspiring, she nurtured my dreams AND my talents.

When I stepped out, she counseled me well AND darted to check if my world was safe.  

When I was ready to accomplish, she honed my skills AND my career.

When I was in love, she welcomed him AND gave me happiness of lifetime.

Today, she regrets nothing, to see her daughter successful AND happy.

Her soft hands AND firm spirits I hold that guide me like none other.

Hey, I treasure the parts AND parcels of having an affectionate mother.

Mommy is the one who made my heart richer with this feeling that I can achieve a little bit of THIS & THAT & Everything Else, if determined. 

“This post is a part of #UseYourAnd activity at BlogAdda in association with Gillette Venus“.

The Things That Define Me & Refine Me

Usually I carefully look for right words to talk about and talk to a third person. But today, I'm hunting for something more pertinent for defining myself coz Gillette Venus asks me to encompass things that constitute me & my personality. Sounds like an unusual practice you see ;) But I am grown up enough to know myself and acknowledge 'who am I'... 

In my formal study days, I always wanted to score nothing less than the Highest in academics. I used to feel terribly inferior & cry hysterically if ever failed to excel in co-scholastic performances :( Mom still remembers the tough time she had handling my tantrums year by year. Life has changed all the way in past years, but I feel pretty much similar even today. But yeah! there is something I have worked upon... and it is the way how to control my emotions. I have ended up becoming a calm persona most of the times who is not willing to counter-attack the person looped in the matter. I'm not much of a complicated personality. I may let go many Bigger issues when you expect me to react, but Nah! I can't behave YOGIC at all the time living in ruthless society, so expect me to blast at times when you cross your limits !!

I never believed in the philosophy of making the First Good Impression, coz leaving a lasting impression takes time and gives you countless reasons to prove your worth. I have met people in my life who apparently impressed me with their smart wit, caring attitude n thoughtfulness; but could not stood by when the circumstances asked them to be there :/ From such experiences, I grew up learning to supress my aggression and value true feelings of my loved ones :)

Talking about what I love to do, its a long list that makes me who am I. I am an admirer of Art & Literature in any form. Infact I always wished to earn a degree in English Literature but it is still on my wish list only ;) I have made an attempt to transform my talent of writing into my passion via this blog and happy to see make it work :) I enjoy company of like-minded people and don't mind them speaking their heart out, but definitely flush out those who mercilessly destroy the relationships by bitching n envious feelings. So I am really SELECTIVE about whom to call FRIENDS & get close to ... I am always ready to fight for my fair share of happiness, liberty, choices and undoubtedly my rights at personal or professional spheres. I hate being DISLIKED as we all do, but I am still determined NOT to compromise in my 'Values' to please everyone..

Still in the process to refine myself ....

This post is a part of #UseYourAnd activity at BlogAdda in association with Gillette Venus.

I'm Boltified By Tata Bolt

Chandigarh is facing the wrath of extreme weather at present with no sun showing up for many consecutive days. The fog is taking over the tricity leaving the normal life out of gear. I wasn't feeling like getting out of my cozy quilt Sunday morning (11 Jan, 2015) in such weather, but the excitement of enthralling experience of visiting the iconic Bolt Arena at North Country Mall in my city gave me the courage to brave this chilly cold and got me charged up to make a move ;)

On my way to the venue, I was little anxious about what to expect from TATA’s third generation Hatch. Because TATA’s approach of sticking with similar design philosophy has often backfired at them in recent past. Remember Tata’s first Hatch Indica’s launch.... The I.DE.A’s design was like a breath of fresh breeze that ruled Indian market for quite long, but that is clearly outdated now. The revolutionary design of that time is nowhere in public taste.

Eyeball to Eyeball: But reaching the venue, when I was greeted with that fierce blazing red TATA Bolt smiling at me, my doubts just faded away instantly. 

Even if the car didn’t bear the TATA badge, any car enthusiast could have easily deduced that it’s from none other than TATA, but with its current design and features miles ahead of its competitors.Bolt has a number of elements that seamlessly work together to create a distinct look-n-feel for the car. Let me take you on a virtual journey of what appealed me the most in Tata's all-new exterior & all-new interior Bolt :)

The stretched Projector Headlamps gave me a long look with a promise to enhance safety during night trips. A modern looking TATA’s signature Smiling Grill fitted so nicely in between the headlamps. 

The precisely sculptured air vents give this machine a nice aggressive look with forceful big ORVM with Side Indicators. As always with TATA’s products, the paint job of the car is top class and panels’ gaps are as per industry standards. 

Classical Side Lines:  I just loved the way pillar “A” gets its shape and whole roof ends very neatly at pillar C, Floating Roof as they call it (by blacking out pillar “C” ).  A big glass area and a solid crease right from Pillar “A” to “C” caught my attention. 

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 Observe the side lines at my back that depict Floating Roof Effect :)

This car stood on Bridgestone rubber R15 175/65 Alloy again which gives her very classy looks.

At the Back: My expectations were running higher..keeping my fingers crossed, I glanced at the back side of the car... Thank God, they have abandoned Christmas Tree tail lamps & adopted a pair of stylish, classy & compact tail lamps to replace those. 

Broader rear glasses were the next thing that grabbed my attention to offer extended visibility while parking and reversing the car. The spoiler excellently gels well with Bolt design. The Top-end variant has Rear Defogger and Viper. And I wish this should even be offered by TATA  in starting models because this will be an added safety feature specially in Northern regions during shivering cold foggy days/nights.

Super happy with the first impression of Bolt, I occupied the Captain's chair i.e. driver seat and investigated the cabin area minutely to know the INSIDE STORY ;) 

Cabin Area: This is where this car scores in flying colours. Just open the door and you are amazed by the space it has to offer. The Cabin is quite airy and has ample shoulder room n knee room. 

The interiors of Bolt have been designed tastefully that instantly enveloped me in a luxurious ambiance as I stepped in. The plastic / material used has been an obvious upgrade in terms of the quality that gives the car a very rich feeling. The dark black colour interior complements the fascinating looks of the car. 

Most controls including the the knobs, the buttons under the dashboard are precisely placed keeping in mind the exact place where the driver wants them to be. The 5-inch touchscreen infotainment system supported by eight speakers specifically crafted for Tata Bolt by Harman Music System with SD, Bluetooth, USB and aux connectivity is yet another alluring feature of Bolt and first ever introduced in this segment. 

The features like Voice Command Recognition and Smartphone Enabled GPS powered by MapMyIndia are the most adorable ones. GPS feature is a must have in today’s world where each of us is bound to explore the unexplored places for leisure or work reasons. 

 TATA has put the Instrument cluster on right side unlike Vista where it was placed in the center. Instrument cluster excels to impress me for being so very informative and even features an onboard computer to offer real time mileage and distance-to-empty. The attention to the minute details is clearly visible. 

In terms of design and ergonomics, the multitasker Tilt Adjustable Steering Wheel with integrated smart controls scores really higher as it fits so easily within my palms.

The comfy Buckets Seats with generous cushioning will turn out to be a blessing during long drives for sure. The Height Adjustment Seats are nothing but icing on the cake. 

One thing I was very keen to observe in BOLT i.e. the back seats. If you are spending long hours in the back seat of car, the lack of comfort can spoil the entire experience of travelling. Bolt offers the  rear seat that accommodates three adults comfortably with better thigh support so the taller passengers like me would definitely appreciate the back seat comfort of this car. 

Not to forget that sliding storage tray just under front passenger seat, a worth mention feature that seems so thoughtful and clever indeed... 

Brave Heart: The Heart of this bolt is its state-of-art 1.2-litre turbocharged, multi-point fuel-injected petrol engine that generates 84 BHP @ 5000 RPM with 140 NM torque. Bolt has three power modes to choose from Eco, City or Sport depending upon your mood or requirement. The Eco mode as the name suggests is for better fuel economy, sport for finer performance and city for normal driving. On press of a button only, the engine's computer will alter the specification to match with your driving style and will deliver the output. Yes first such offering in the segment, that truly left me speechless.

I could not stop myself requesting the facilitators at the venue to help me have a closer look of under-the-hood area and appreciated Tata for well-assembled components therein. The long wide hood adds a smart sporty touch to whole car that will be especially adored my youngsters.

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Like most Tata cars are known for interior space and the Bolt is no exception. The boot offers decent space of apprx. 210 ltrs and that is utilized to its maximum capacity as the seats 60:40 split and fold to increase the spacious room. The large boot space has substantially surpassed many cars of its segment while making BOLT a reliable vehicle for long journeys.

In the Lap of Safety: High end model of Bolt is equipped with 9^th generation ABS by Bosch that helps to control car in heavy braking and it also comes with dual airbags, i would prefer four atleast :) So safety is an area which is well thought-out by TATA.  

Overall I found Bolt more smart, spacious & safer than its rivals that will definitely invite many customers to respond warmly as it hits the roads. The dynamics go beyond just appealing to my head but actually to my heart also :) 

By the time, I finished writing about my pleasant first-hand meeting with TATA BOLT, I'm already Boltified ;)

This post is a part of the Get. Set. Bolt. activity at BlogAdda.