Wellington (Ooty)- My #DreamTrail

I often dream of being in Wellington-a heaven nestled near Ooty (now Udhagamandalam) and Conoor.  I was there over two decades ago and a visit to that paradise heads my bucket list. Having been there for 11 months, my treasure-trove of memories has to be revisited before I kick the bucket (how trite!). The bounties of nature were mesmerizing- the tall stately eucalyptus trees lining the narrow roads, filling the air with their wonderful pepperminty fragrance, their trunks exposing myriad hues from fawn to pistachio green and all shades of russet to fawn. Rivaling them were the low hilly slopes covered with a carpet of flowers, the hedges brilliant with the poinsettias in full bloom, adding just the right tempering to the pastel palette adorned with the muted silvery green of the silver pines, the differing hues of green, of the surrounding tea gardens, the soft browns of the glossy pine cones which my little daughter would gleefully run and gather in her tiny arms!

(A sunset I will always want to relive at Pykara Lake- Photo credit my husband and his 25 year old Minolta!!!)

Wellington to me was the jewel in the crown of the Nilgiris but the surrounding areas were no less- the Pykara Lake with its placid waters, the tea estates like Glen Morgan to which you went up in a thrilling winch ride, the thick gooseberry forests where we picked the ripe amlas ( gooseberries ) straight from the trees, the steep ride down to Mettupalayam the nearest connected railway station, the toy train to Ooty  chugging at such a leisurely pace that you could hop off the train, pick some flowers from the grassy glades and hop on again. Also the clouds wafting into the house during winters, the exhilarating windy rainy days during the north-easterly monsoons, all these are embedded in my memory. Ooty with its meticulously maintained Botanical Gardens and places with names like Charing Cross felt quaintly olde world and very British. It had already been renamed Udhagamandalam when we left Wellington,  but it would be no surprise if politics has taken its toll and Charing Cross has been rechristened after some politician.  The tribal Toda huts above the botanical gardens gave an insight into the lives and weaving art of the original aborigines of the area.

(My daughter 20 years ago pretending to be a butterfly at the botanical gardens-Photo credit my husband and his 25 year old Minolta!!!)

Wonder what changes have been wrought in the food we ate, since we were there. At that time the food was uniquely wellingtonish- the Chinese food at the Gymkhana Club was flavoured with, believe it or not, curry leaves and mustard seeds instead of ajinomoto!  The crisp, long banana fritters jackfruit chips and Murukku you could buy at the Conoor market was worth killing for! Surely all this would have sadly made way for the ubiquitous fast food burger and pizza joints now.  Hopefully the milk with freshly- mown-grass-flavour which was supplied by the local milkmaid would have remained the same, unless that too has been replaced by the “Avin”pasteurized milk. The freshly brewed tea which we consumed gallons of, at the tea stalls dotting the hillsides of the surrounding undulating tea gardens, had the very appropriate brand name of “Non-Such” tea! Till date we have not found such tea anywhere else! Truly it was non such!

(My cutest picture of father and daughter bonding- Picture credit yours truly with you know what, our 25 year old Minolta!!!)

Wellington also offered umpteen opportunities to travel to some of the best wildlife sanctuaries of our country- Bandipur and Madumalai. Spending a few days  there, travelling through the thick forests, being accosted by a herd of elephants or being surrounded by a gorgeous herd of endearingly charming and friendly deer in the forest guesthouse at night, is an experience anyone would want to relive.

Besides the wildlife sanctuaries, Wellington is not too far off from Mysore (now Mysuru) where you can appreciate the beauty and grandeur of the Mysore palace, the lovely Brindavan Gardens with their magical,  musical fountains, the goddess Chamudeshwari’s  temple with the imposing Nandi bull statue facing it.  St. Philomena’s church with its admirable Neo Gothic style and architecture inspired by the Cologne Cathedral in Germany would be worth visiting again.

(My daughter having the time of her life with both parents looking on- Priceless memory captured by doting parents- witness then priceless now useless Minolta)

Being in Wellington or a place near it would give wings to my dreams to revisit places like Raja Ravi Verma’s art gallery in Thiruvanantapuram, pray at the Padmanabhaswamy temple, explore Thekaddy once again and live on a houseboat in the backwaters of Kerala. If only I had a Club Mahindra membership to make these dreams come true! Because I still don’t have a Club Mahindra membership,

“I am blogging about my dreams and passions for the Club Mahindra #DreamTrails activity at BlogAdda. You can get a Club Mahindra Membership to own your holidays!”

Why file your income tax return

As citizens of our wonderful country, most of us are guilty of a favorite pastime known commonly as “criticizing the government of the day”. Every pothole we see on the road brings forth a tirade on the inefficiency of the powers that be. Whether it is shortage of water, power outages or any other civic mess, most of us armchair critics just love to hold forth on how things should be run.

Most of us may be guilty of the above but there is one thing those of us who file our income tax returns ought to be proud of, and that is our contribution to the cost of infrastructure and welfare  of our country. There was a time when the annual filing of income tax returns was a big headache and the Income Tax Department a big Bogey Bear. The scene has thankfully undergone a sea change now.

The whole system has become so user-friendly that now income tax returns can be filed without stress, without tension and happily especially with the e-filing option now available. So “I’m taking the #Tax Pledge to file IT returns with the easy Income Tax e-filing option from H&R Block at BlogAdda”. With a smile on my face and a tune on my lips, I intend to e-file my return much before the deadline of 31^st July 2016 with the ease provided by H&R Block. I would suggest that this advice be followed by all Tax Payers for if you wait till the last minute to file your returns, the network will be as jammed as it is when we try to send greetings on festive days.

Enough about how now lets go to the whys of submitting returns. We know that you are required to submit your ITR only if your income exceeds------ in a financial year. If it does, do not be chary of filing your return thinking that it is too much of a hassle-instead with experts like H&R Block to help, no one should hesitate even for a second to file their return but rather wear it as a badge of honor-you are in your small way contributing to the growth story of your country while at the same time are opening many doors for yourself which would otherwise have remained close on your face: getting loans because your ITR shows your repaying capacity. If travelling abroad your ITR comes in useful to prove that you can finance your trip. Wanting a vehicle loan? Once again your ITR proves helpful! Besides these there are umpteen other ways in which your ITR will smoothen your life and give wings to your dreams. So, go ahead, connect with H&R Block and file your return.

CatchUpOnGrowth Indiblogger Meet

The more things change, the more they remain the same was my foremost thought when it came to the question and answer session of the panel discussion very ably moderated by Ms Natasha Badhwar (media professional, blogger and entrepreneur),  a mother of three young daughters.

My thoughts immediately went back to about 30 years ago when both my husband and I used to get panicky when our firstborn precious daughter wouldn’t eat properly. Really wish something like HorliksGrowth+ had been available those days and there had been forums like this CatchUpOnGrowth Indiblogger Meet, which, besides being fun and happening, threw light on many aspects of a child’s proper nutrition and growth parameters.  Avid bloggers from Delhi (and even some from faraway places like Chennai like the lovely young Maithali) attended with great involvement and zest, charging the whole event with palpable energy.



This long-awaited meet was organized on the 15th of May in the luxurious environs of the Lalit, Delhi. Registrations were followed by a lavish lunch after which we all settled down comfortably in the well laid- out conference hall which was abuzz with the bonhomie of bloggers thrilled to meet each other, picking up threads from the last meet. As quite correctly brought out by Ms Badhwar, it was as if the internet had really come alive –seeing in person those whom you knew only through
their blogs - a pretty surreal feeling!

The session began with an enthusiastic and energetic introduction round conducted by Anoop with his usual panache. It was fascinating to see the myriad fields this congregation of bloggers came from - fashion to travel to lifestyle to food-you name it, and there was a blogger blogging about it! There were doctor bloggers who looked more of fashionistas than doctors. The majority of the crowd was young and hep but there were a few senior citizens whose presence, though heartening, emphasized the generation gap. There was a very poignant moment when a senior blogger mentioned that in earlier days, food was worshiped.  He met with the retort that food may have been in short supply and was therefore worshiped! He tried his best to explain that it was not due to poverty but due to the earlier values of considering food sacrosanct that it was worshiped!

 The panel consisted of Dr. Rajeev Chhabra, HOD pediatrics at Artemis Hospital, Gurgaon, Ms Satinder Kaur Walia (who is working with individuals with disabilities both in India and as well as in the USA), and Dr. Jyoti Batra,Head Dietician at Batra Hospital Delhi. Pertinent queries were raised by bloggers on issues concerning inculcating healthy eating habits in children, the importance of healthy nutritious meals and weaning children away from junk food by being their role models. The importance of creative ideas to make nutritious food interesting for children was emphasized.

Values have changed, times have changed. What has not changed is the concern every parent has about proper nutrition for children so as to ensure their proper growth. No parent wants a child to lag behind in growth and suffer the consequent lack of confidence. This #CatchUpOnGrowth Indiblogger Meet was an eye-opener, busting many prevailing myths about growth in children. Every child’s bogey monster of a glass of milk was permanently laid to rest. Exclusively launching, Horlicks Growth + through digital media, the team from GSK consisting of Mr Armaan Khan, Marketing Lead for Horlicks for the subcontinent and Dr. Aditya Kaushik , heading Medical Affairs for the Indian Subcontinent at GSK consumer healthcare revealed that GSK Consumer Healthcare has extended Horlicks, India's leading Health Food Drink (HFD), into the advanced nutrition category with the launch of Horlicks Growth +



Targetting 3-9  year old children who are shorter or leaner for their age, the deliciously chocolate/vanilla flavoured  Horlicks Growth + contains high quality whey protein, growth amino acids as well as minerals from natural sources. It is also gluten-free, an added benefit for gluten intolerant kids. It also contains Arginine, Glutamic acid,Leucine and Lycine 16 besides Calcium  Iron and  Zinc. It also provides immunonutrients like Vitamins A, C and D,which are all known to support a healthy immune function.



Having it is akin to slurping melted ice-cream which no child would want to refuse. The best part is that the physical results can be seen in your child within 6 months!

The panel discussion and the question and answer session were followed by a small tea break after which we all came back to the conference hall for a round of fun and games, video making by the different teams and lots of hampers and gifts for the lucky ones. The meet concluded with everyone carrying home warm memories of the fun and laughter and the knowledge gained, looking forward to the next such Indiblogger Meet!

#ShareTheLoad to reduce gender prejudices in Gen Next!

 

Stained clothes? Immediate thought- Mom will know how to get rid of them! Why is it that for years we have been conditioned to think that only women will be able to handle laundry? Many schools have Home Science as a subject and you’ll rarely see any boy student being a part of any such class!

If we ponder to think back to the situation existing about thirty years ago, before washing machines and Laundromats became household words, in a city like Delhi, it was very common to have the “Dhobi” coming home every Sunday to collect the week’s soiled laundry and give back the beautifully starched and crisp clothes of the previous week.

 

 

With the advent of a much busier lifestyle and the coming of synthetic materials, the good old leisurely days of the weekly Dhobi have vanished (though it’s another matter that even then, the Dhobi book of the house was maintained by the very efficient housewife!). Now the clothes are washed at home and when ironing is required, they are given to the local presswala or presswali as the case may be. Even here the main backbreaking work is done by the presswali though we may often see the heartening sight of both sharing the load!

Why is it that when women have been given equal education as men, and work shoulder to shoulder with them, earning as much, or in some cases, even more than them, the laundry load is entirely their responsibility while the Lord and so called master busies himself with his latest mobile or something of equally earth-shattering importance on television or in the newspaper?

 

Sometimes it’s not the poor bloke’s fault entirely-his better half wants to prove (nobody cares really!) that she can do it all-he’s a poor sod who is no good at anything around the house and is sure to make a mess of this simple task of putting the clothes in, the washing powder in the required compartments and switching on the machine at the right settings.

This entire charade does not go unnoticed by the young tykes in the house. Like sponges they absorb each nuance of the unsaid, unspoken charade being played out daily for their consumption! They see, they know, they feel!  So without a single word being spoken, they have fully digested for future consumption that girls and only girls can/take care of the laundry. Period. This picture stays with them till they grow up, have their own house and start playing out the charade they have absorbed in their growing years.

This situation has to end and a new phase of actual life partnership has to start. Men have to move forward, break the barriers of their childhood and the women too have to give them space-let them mess it up a few times, praise them lots and see the transformation- what a wonderful world we will have where we understand the load each is bearing and become a part of sharing that load.

“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.”

#Colgate360GoldMornings - Good Mornings turning to Gold Mornings

What fun it would be to have the touch of King Midas and be able to turn everything into gold! That was a fairytale of course and we all know the end King Midas faced when even the food he touched turned into gold and the poor man had to starve!

In a gold obsessed country like ours, many people would love to have that magical ability to turn things to gold with just a touch of their fingers.  Not possible of course and of no use too, but what if you had the ability to reach the gold standard in one of your early morning routines? It would surely be fabulous!

We are all familiar with that early morning sluggishness which does not seem to go away until we get over with an essential early morning habit–you guessed right! The quick brushing of teeth before we are ready to face the world. This is such a mechanical routine action that we do not spare much thought for it as we rush headlong into our crazy hurried lives!

But hold on, just think for a second. Suppose you were to turn this mundane action into something that helped you start your day in a golden glow- wouldn’t there be a tra-la-la on your lips and a spring in your steps? As they say, well begun is half done. So if you can start your day in such a positive way, nothing can hold you back from achieving what you have set out to.

There is just one simple step to achieve this-adopt the Colgate Gold Standard with #Colgate360GoldMornings! Your Midas –like feeling will start as soon as you hold this wonder- its stunning gold looks exactly convey the promise it holds- of guaranteeing your whole-mouth cleaning. The Colgate 360 degrees Charcoal Gold cleans your whole mouth-teeth, tongue, cheeks and gums. It is literally the Gold Standard of Whole Mouth Cleaning. This mere action is likely to suffuse your mornings with a glittering golden glow, making you ready and fit to face the challenges life will throw your way during the day.

With your teeth sparkling and your mouth feeling minty fresh, nothing can prevent you from a positive start to your day. This feeling of inner squeaky-cleanliness will permeate your whole being. The sunrise will appear rosier, the thunder clouds less daunting, the flowers in your garden (or balcony or whatever, okay okay, even the flowers on the road dividers) will seem to smile cheerily at you. An imaginary rainbow may also seem to appear if you are seeing both sun and clouds together. Any drizzle at this time is likely to make you want to drench yourself with your face, tingling fresh turned upwards towards its full force! In such a situation you are likely to hum a little tune to yourself even if the toast gets burnt while you’re watching the flowers outside and taking in the beauty of the weather! 

Looking at the burnt toast may turn your thoughts to charcoal, emphasizing again the fact that diamonds come from coal and your teeth which are now glittering like diamonds, owe their shine to 360 degrees Charcoal Gold! 

Nani ka Gajar Ka Halwa the sugar free natura way!!!

Recipe for Nani’s Secret Quick Carrot Halwa

This is make in a jiffy yummy carrot halwa which was a secret so long but is now being shared with you with a small but very healthy change-Sugar free Natura instead of sugar.

Ingredients:

·         3 cups juicy red carrots grated from the coarse side of the grater

·         11/2 cups malia (cream) saved from the top of boiled milk (It needn’t be too thick-should not be too old but can be the runny type saved from the top of boiled milk kept in the fridge)

·         ¾ cup Sugar free natura

·         10 almonds cut finely

·         20 raisins, washed and stalks taken off if there are any

·         2 silver foil (warq) sheets

·         Seeds of 2 cardamoms ground coarsely

Preparation:

·         Heat a thick- bottomed vessel

·         Put the grated carrots in the vessel

·         Turn the gas to medium

·         Stir the grated carrots a few times till their water is released and dries slightly

·         Add the malai

·         Let the carrot and malai mixture cook for 10 minutes

·         Add the sliced almonds and the raisins

·         Keep stirring and cooking it uncovered till the malai starts releasing ghee and the carrots are cooked

·         Add sugar free natura and stir the halwa till it is nice and roasted and leaves the sides of the vessel. Your halwa is now ready

Serving Suggestions:

Take out the halwa in a serving dish, sprinkle it with the cardamom powder and garnish it with silver warq to give it a royal touch.

 

(Image Source)

 

Enjoy guilt free!!

 

 

Delhi oh Delhi ! #madeofgreat

Image Source

My city of choice is my beloved Delhi, falling under North Zone. Let me think now, how many cities have I seen in my long life of over 50 years? I belong to Delhi, but the cities I have lived in are Mumbai,  Bangalore, Pune, Geneva, Paris, London, Berne, Zurich, Los Angeles, Monterey, San Francisco, Panjim, Ahmadabad, Jamnagar, Chandigarh, Shimla, Mussoorie, Mandi, Manali, Nainital, Cochin, Tiruvananthapuram, Wellington, Ooty,  Conoor. Kodaikanal, Madurai, Chennai, Kolkata, Allahabad, Nasik, Belgaum. Each is unique, but for me, Delhi is the best in terms of all three-Drive Design and Connect. It truly is “made of great “as epitomized by http://madeofgreat.tatamotors.com/

You may taste the most fabulous cuisines of the world but the ultimate comfort you get from the home-cooked food you have grown up with, cannot be replicated. So is the case with the city you have been born and brought up in. It may not seem great to many, but those who have grown up in it tend to automatically wear rose-tinted glasses when comparing it with any other city.

Over the years, I have witnessed Delhi becoming the melting pot of the country-pulsating with drive; it attracts people from all over, beckoning them to become a part of its throbbing growth. So we have migrants from Bihar, from Kolkata, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab and Karnataka who have made Delhi their home and added their vibrancy to the city’s rich tapestry-it is no longer peopled by the rich “haveliwalas” with their leisured lifestyles but with upwardly aspiring youth from all corners of the country, bent upon achieving what they have set out to: maybe higher studies at Delhi University or JNU or a job at an MNC or call center, or the eagerness to learn English and get that passport to the life they want. Kudos to their drive to overcome all   barriers in the way of their progress.

Delhi is also the place where many thousands relocated, leaving all that they had, behind in Pakistan in the aftermath one of the bloodiest partitions in human history. They came penniless but with sheer dint of hard work, set up successful business empires. The drive to succeed in the face of all adversity and ability of overcoming all odds has been the leitmotif of this city from ancient times- it has always had to fight for survival and emerged a winner against numerous invasions right from the days of the Mahabharata.   

 Which other city can surpass the regal splendor of Rashtrapati Bhavnan, Rajpath and Lyuten’s Delhi? The magnificence of Shanti Path where the High Commissions of all countries are located, would be the envy of any city. No shopping mall can stand competition to the majesty of Connaught Place. Delhi’s design is unique to itself-the aristocratic posh colonies like Golf Links and Nizamuddin rubbing shoulders with the stacks upon stacks of similar-looking Government houses, the identical DDA housing blocks  and the region- specific colonies like Chittaranjan Park(for Bengalis), R. K. Puram teeming with Tamilians! The chance to taste authentic dishes from the four corners of the country is thanks to these colonies-sandesh, shighara and Macher Jhol from Bengal and Littie Chokha fron Bihar, Wazwan of Kashmir, Bisi bele bhaat from Karnataka, all are available in Delhi.

Worth mentioning are also the study-specific student villages-Sarai Kale Khan for IITs, Ber Sarai for IAS aspirants, Rajendra Nagaer for CAs and so on- the design of the city formulates on its own, according to the existing requirement, resulting in a win-win situation for all. Reams can be written about the magnificent historical monuments dotting Delhi from the Red Fort to the Purana Quila, from the Qutub Minar to the Bahai Temple.

The beautiful Design of Delhi can also be seen distinctly in each season not only in the changing colour of the foliage of trees and bushes, the birdsong but even in the wares of the roadside vendors-. The heaps of ripe emerald-green watermelons (with their lovely red slices displayed to literally quench the thirsty eyes of the summer-worn citizens) augur the harsh summer months. You can also see cartloads of cool cucumbers. The roasting corncobs on coal herald the onset of monsoons after a parched hot summer and onset of winters is proclaimed by the mounds of water chestnuts and roasted peanuts, popcorn and gajak.  

All other cities in India envy the connectivity of Delhi being easily accessed by air, train, and bus. This is the reason why conferences and exhibitions from all over the world are held regularly in Delhi. With the coming of the Metro-no place is too far now. Even the well-heeled ditch their cars in favour of the metro when it involves long-distance travelling to crowded places. So connectivity whether intra-city, inter-city or internationally, is just superb. The impressive flyovers bypassing the crowded localities of the city have also contributed to cutting down travel time. There are glitches in some places but with time, these too shall be ironed out.

The physical connectivity apart, a lot can be said about people’s connectivity- you can’t come across a real Delhiwala without them wanting to know each detail of your life, your social standing (as evident from your residential address), your family, et all-very different from Mumbai’s professional types where everyone minds their own business.

So Delhi stands top in all three parameters- drive, design and connect!