Skyping Over Airtel 4G

Airtel 4G is something I have been waiting for since the time it was announced about six months ago. I am sure many of you are too. 3G has served us well but sometimes especially over the most used apps like Whats app  or Skype the connections go slow and you have an interruptions during your chat which is not what you want especially when you are talking with your loved ones and they have better connections than yours and lesser time.

Connections breaking up can also lead to bad mood and sometimes therefore I myself avoid calling someone over skype when the internet is not so fast, as from previous experiences though you are really eager to talk to someone and you find that person is online. You connect and after a few minutes it starts breaking down, the speed slows, leaving both the parties angry and disappointed. On one such incident when my son had won chess championship and call me he was so excited, but I could only see his happy face for a few minutes, the connection went bad and he was upset. On a later conversation on the phone, his pitch had dropped, his enthusiasm a little less and mine too as it was great to see his happy face and animated description of the match, voice could only tell so much.

So when Airtel announced the 4G, I got myself a smartphone which is compatible with the same. Luckily, Airtel had partnered with it and I got an Airtel sim as well. Now I just dream of the day I could talk to my children for as long as I want, stress free at their time. Also relatives abroad who always boast of a better connection and I hang my head every time a connection breaks as if it was my fault. No more now. India will no longer be behind thanks to Airtel.  If Tagore were born in the technology era he would have re-quoted himself for my situation “where the mind is without fear and the head is held high”. Thanks to only and only one connection – Airtel.

Are you someone with similar issues such as me? You want to Skype with your children living away from home? You wish to see every expression on their face as you, the parent know them better than anyone else? You have relatives abroad who have always boasted of being more advanced than you? Who always made you felt bad for a bad connection, each time proving their point that you made a bad decision of staying back in India? Well, if your answer is a “yes” to any one or more of the questions above then, it’s the time you buy a 4G connection. It saves time and you of all the embarrassment. All you have to do is log on to http://www.airtel.in/4g/, apply for one and get it delivered at your door step. It’s that easy. So what are you waiting for?

Parenting Gives "Khusi Ke Pal" Being Friends

I have cherished each moment being a mother with my son, right from his gurgling and making his first sound to his first laughter, even his cries, him coming running to me after winning a match of chess, I was his best friend and he told me everything first. Children get that naturally for their mothers I believe, for that is what happened to us. However parents treat their children as children more often and slowly as they grow they realize they are smarter and quicker in a lot of matters than themselves. That is point where it begins that parents treat children as friends.

To me it happened in the last few days before my son was to go away from home for the first time and live on his own in the hostel. I was not happy though I knew that was what he had worked the last two years for. Hardly slept both of us, for the dream was that he clears the entrance to one of the top institutions and secures a seat for Bachelors in Engineering degree. That came true and now the harder facts were pressing, my little child was to go off away into the hostel and live alone. I was worried about the smallest thing. How would he be there? What kind of rooms were they? Will he be able to tackle the bullies? Will he like the food?

All this was on my head and then a friend of mine told me to teach my son basics like washing clothes, making a little bit of instant food and a cup of tea or coffee for himself so on the worst days, in bad food conditions he doesn't starve. It was around the time when my son too realized that he was going to miss me and though acting all grown up boy, he didn't but he surely felt so. He would avoid his friends and spend more time with me. When I had to scream to get things done earlier over the loud noise of his computer games, my calls were answered in one go.

So I began teaching him how to boil milk, make coffee and warm up instant food packets. That was his limit. The next day I taught him how to wash clothes and then to iron them. But the day my lessons began so dis his. I wasn't aware my son had really grown up. He had saved through out last year and he gifted me a smart phone. He installed an app called skype and another called whatsapp. H also recharged it with a 3 months internet pack, knowing well that I would be slow at learning technology. Then he taught me how to use skype and video chat. While I would teach him to do the household chores he told me to take a selfie and send it via whatsapp. Though initially what I taught him was boring to him, later he realized that I was learning really well despite of being technologically impaired. So not only did he learn to do little things but helped me making all the snacks I made for him in the kitchen and trust me for us Gujarati's it is an endless list viz. papdi, gathiya, chevdo, chakli, puri, thepla, etc. In the last few days where my agenda was to feed him with as much food as possible, he taught me to be better at skyping, we found where the network was best at home and he learnt to make bhakri-shaak (Bhakri is a kind of Gujarati bread and shaak in Guarati means vegetables).  We became friends and that helped us understand each other better and enjoy our time together. Now looking back that moment when I was sad initially that my son was going away was as memorable a moment with him for it was our first moment of friendship.

So at last as we bonded over, with me packing his bag and he setting up the computer passwords to uncomplicated one so that I could use it, I slipped a box of Kellogs chocos that has been his breakfast and guess what the day his hostel food is bad he always skypes me with a bowl of chocos in his hand and he doesn't look sad, something I had been so worried about. I am happy we have the equation of friendship, try it with your parents/ children and they will learn faster, grow happier. Today I can write this blog for he taught me how to blog too, once I could skype and use facebook and I am glad I can. Its the second best thing I do besides being with my family. So Khuljaye Bachpan with Kellogs Chocos? Watch this video and you will know what I am talking about:

And if you are sad today, have a bowl of Kellogs chocos, its nutritious and chocolate always enhances the moos. Fore more information log on to https://www.facebook.com/mychocos.

Diet with Balance

"Lets grab a burger or a sandwhich". "I am craving for pasta today and I have worked so hard", "lets just eat anything as long as it doesn't make us sleep, there is a lot of work to do", "Grab me that pepsi, I can't have my pizza without it". Can you relate to all of this at work. We just consume anything as long as we tick and suddenly when there is a friends wedding or some jeans to be bought you realize with shock and horror that within three months you put three kg's and then suddenly you stave yourself to death as guilt consumes you. Next day on you survive purely on coffee and that makes you tick, you avoid all kinds of fried and oily food and that's good, but you eat too less and feel low on energy. You are not as smart , attentive and focused as you only thing about the hunger pang in your being most of the time. Can you do this for long? No! So one day you realize much to your horror again that your performance has dropped and you are far from that promotion or the position you have been eyeing. Your career graph goes downhill and you think what for? You choose work over yourself and the result alarms you again into a crash diet. This cycle continues each time but you don't end up loosing weight, looking and worse feeling terrible about yourself. Sometime you develop deficiency when on diet. All of this just tell you one thing "Crash diet is not the solution".

Our body is like the machine and food is its fuel. It cannot function without food as that is our energy source. So stopping to eat altogether is the greatest punishment for your body and in the long run does more harm than good. So the most important thing to understand is to always eat a balanced diet. They tell you that low on carbs is the way to go , but have you ever thought why you feel dizzy when you are low on carbs or rather technically and accurately carbohydrates? That is because the fuel that can give you energy fastest are carbohydrates. Simple sugars like glucose and fructose. Therefore fruit juices are recommended. Think of this, when you faint or feel dizzy what do they give you? Glucose! So now I think the point is clear that you do need carbohydrates although you should avoid eating too much sugar as these later get converted into fats and are stored in the body. Eating at regular intervals also thus helps. 

So what should ideally be a healthy, wholesome diet? One that has Carbohydrates so cereals, protein therefore pulses, vitamins and minerals hence green leafy vegetables and nuts. Although apart from all of these there is also honey that should be included in diet. Honey is an instant source of energy as it has raw sugars. It has added anti-microbicidal, antibiotic activities. It can also be added to foods like your breakfast cereal, your fruit bowl or that lemonade. Some reports also suggest that about three weeks helps you reduce an ounce. 

To know more about the benefits of honey from a brand I have trusted always - Dabur, please visit their site http://www.daburhoney.com/ and do let me know in your comments if you now are convinced to have a balanced diet with honey.

#MyAirtelApp

A smartphone is a gadget that helps to do just one thing, make your life easy. We download all the apps that make ours fast. We communicate with friends on facebook, share our thoughts on twitter, post our pictures on Instagram that can in turn put it on both twitter and facebook. We want to go fast as time is precious, rare and in-fact everything. So when you can use this time do better things, like play with your children, talk to your aging parents or perhaps cooking that satiating meal for you have only been eating out all day, all time. If you are a twenty first century professional, the next thing you need after a smart phone is the right app. Ofcourse assuming you have the right connection with great connection strength and speeds, courtesy - Airtel. 

So just log on to  http://www.airtel.in/myairtel, know all about the app, various benefits, download the app, save your time and money and hey, shake that thing! When you do that you get a lot of advantages, here are the three that tops my list:

1. Cool Offers:  Many a times it so happens that my data pack is expiring and I shake the app, sometimes it so happened that I got free data. Not just that at the end of the month when pockets are tight I have found full talk time for low value recharge which meant I can call my loved ones far away and talk without worrying about the balance. Isn't that a boon?

2. Contact Storage and Recharge: My parents live in smaller towns and the internet connection there is bad. They do not either have a smart phone. So mostly they ask me to recharge their phones. As I am always on the go professionally, I have saved all their contacts in one list and all I have to do is refer to that when I need to recharge their phones. This saves me from all the pain of going through the internet, then feeding their number etc. There are also express heck out options so that you do not have to feed in your credit or debit card 16 digit number again and again, etc. So you can practically recharge on the move.

3. Timely Notification and Check: You can keep a complete check of your usage and recharge with this app without saving a million sms that helps you keep a track of your mobile usage and expenditure. Also it gives you notifications when the balance is expiring, etc. so that you are never out of balance. This is especially important for women, working late, travelling alone, etc. A working phone is the first thing you need when in danger.

 So what are you waiting for? Downlaod the app today! 

You can also watch this video and decide:

#Sharing The Load

A son is a mothers pride. He is burdened right from the day he is born, to carry the weight of the surname, the reputation his father built or the success his father couldn't. In either case he is the one everyone's eyes are on. Its a proud moment when he does well for himself in his career but when he becomes a fine gentleman, a human being; a mother is more proud of her creation as that is what speaks for her upbringing. I am happy I raised a fine human being in my son, but the day I realized it was the best one of my life.

I had been feeling unwell for a week now. My son was coming back from the hostel after six months and I was spending all my time in getting his favourite things in place, ingredients for everything that was to be fed to him, setting up the wireless for he cant live without the Internet, cleaning his room etc. It had consumed me and just after the day he landed fatigue caught me. It was his first break after he had left home for the first time in the hostel, but like every mother I was fretting if he was getting well nourished for he had just lost much weight because of terrible food and bad hygiene standards there. I felt terrible the evening I couldn't get up from bed when I fell ill. He just told me to sleep and gave me medication. What he did next surprised me. With a little help from the aunt next door he managed to find, rice and lentil and made me worlds best khichdi ever as I wasn't able to eat much. He also made soup. 

Not just that when his father returned he ensured he was fed well, washed all the utensils, cleaned up the kitchen and everything was perfectly in place the next morning. I took ill for about four days in which he cleaned, cooked , did the laundry and everything. I never felt I wasn't the one running the house. His father was surprised too and helped him. I never knew my son was so capable, that he could manage a family and not just himself. When I told him I was proud, he just said my sister would have done so and I am no different, when we care we share everything.

For the entire break-time then he would spend more time with me helping me side by side and that is the time that we work together for our home is what we look forward to, each time. Now I don't worry about him that much. 

 “I am writing for the #ShareTheLoad activity at BlogAdda.com in association with Ariel.” 

#ShareTheLoad With Love

The era in which we were born and brought up didn't have equality as a basic right for women. Women were left to the kitchen and had to ensure the needs of the family are met. Families, big and small; with lesser or many women was the women's problem. The men like bosses in a corporate office would only see if they got what they wanted, their comfort. Things have recently changed however. Not just the fact that women can speak what they want, men are now being very considerate and the couples now-a-days help each other with everything. Life is always better that ways.

My husband was brought up in a family where women were to do all the chores. I accepted the norm in his family as mine was similar. My daughter however had different thoughts. She was bold about expressing her opinion and as the time changed, she not only grew up to be responsible but trained my son (her younger sibling) to be completely independent. She could of course manage things more than he cool, be it food, cleaning or laundry but he could manage breakfast. When they left home for their careers no wonder they adjusted very easily to the surroundings. I always wanted to go and visit them but my husband being a doctor believed in serving more. He wouldn't take an off and he was dependent on me. He couldn't even make his own tea and so I couldn't go anywhere, not even to visit my children. Even for events, parties and weddings I had to ensure all his things are set and then I would go. I had to return back by night. My daughter was once visiting us and she me tired returning from a wedding and my husband said "I am craving for tea", I instantly got up to make it. Being someone who would never think of failures, she just told her dad "Let me teach you how can you make your tea, yourself". Fathers listen to daughters and she rarely came home, so he went thinking of it as time being spent with her. She however had other goals. She made her father learn to make tea in the next three days. 

It was the time when I could really get a break when I came from work as my husband would now not demand for tea. I could lie down, read , do whatever I wish to as compared to earlier when I had to do other duty, that of a provider. She also taught him basic cooking like instant foods and so now I can go anywhere I want and I am not complaining when I am back for my husband takes care of everything. I am happy though late even our generation has learnt to share life and the load. 

 “I am writing for the #ShareTheLoad activity at BlogAdda.com in association with Ariel.” 

The Himalayan Earthquake That Struck Nepal, Tibet and parts of North India

 Nepal, parts of Tibet and several states in North India were hit by a 7.9 magnitude earthquake on Saturday morning that has resulted in widespread devastation and loss of life. People are scared, there are many who are still alive but not yet rescued from rubble, others who might be safe but have lost contact with their friends and family.

At times like these, it is very easy for rumors to spread, especially through social networking sites and apps like Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, etc. Immediately after the earthquake, there were rumors being spread which resulted in widespread fear which kept people out of their homes and offices. Here's the Indian Express Report on Rumors that were spread. Please do not spread rumors using social networks.

Instead let's use these platforms for aiding rescue and relief by spreading relevant information about helpline numbers, information about fund donations, donation of material, etc.

The most important and extensive information on everything that general public, rescue and relief workers, volunteers and government agencies would find very useful is from The Humanitarian Data Exchange website, which UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Asia and the Pacific is using to direct it's operations in the affected areas.

Here are few other options for you to support in rescue and relief:

1. All the relevant information about this earthquake on United States Geological Survey webpage

2. To locate or know about missing person, please follow The Logical Indian's FB post where they have compiled a list of things you can do if you are trying to know about a friend/family member or are looking to volunteer.

3. Here's Quartz India's post showing how you can help.

4. You can follow The Guardian's Rolling Report on Nepal Earthquake.

5. Here's MEA India's press release mentioning contact details of the Control Room they've set up in South Block in response to the Nepal Earthquake.



6. You can follow NDTV India's Live Updates on the Earthquake.

7. Indian Express's Report on Predicting quakes yet to come of age.

8. Here are some useful twitter accounts to follow regarding information related to the earthquake: Shiv Aroor

Narendra Modi

Vikas Swarup

Sushma Swaraj

Embassy of India Kathmandu

Asian News International

 Sitanshu Kar

Do follow the twitter hashtags like #NepalEarthQuake and #NepalQuake to keep receiving all updates and information about this earthquake.