Travel - Inspiration from Fragrance #InspireAFragrance

This post is written for contest #inspireAFragrance from Godrej and indiblogger.

Who doesn't love taking a break by going to a misty hill station? Iam thinking about what all the memories that we enjoy other than travel while visiting hill stations. This contest from Godrej made me think about fragrance. Of course, there are many memories attached to different smells that we experience during travel. Iam talking about good smells only here :p

Refreshing eucalyptus oil fragrance: I love the refreshing smell of Eucalyptus oil when i travel to hill stations or having a walk or trekking in forests. We all know, this oil has many medicinal benefits and one of them is to cure bronchitis and nasal congestion by breathing its vapor. It is also effective in reducing fever and treating fungal infections. But, i feel, just breathing it gives peace to the soul. Isn't it refreshing? 




Smell of mud in rain: Wow! i hope, many of you love this smell like me :) The smell from mud that comes just when it drizzles or just before it starts to rain is too good..

The smell of Flowers: Jasmine flowers are mostly wore by Asian women in hair. Their sweet smell spreads to hair and also cools the brain. Also, jasmine flowers are used in many perfumes and to prepare tea. Rose is the king of all flowers, what say? Their fragrance might be the reason why men choose it to propose their love :) Extensively used in spas also right? Usually, we will have flower shows or rose gardens in many hill stations like ooty, kodai and Shimla. Visit for sure next time..

There are many other smells that inspire me - mysore sandal agarbathi, sweet smell of hot chocolate, oils/ creams that they use in spa and massages etc.,

Thanks for Godrej for this cool contest #InspireAFragrance which made me re-live those memories with sweet fragrance :)

Until next time,

Image courtesy: From google images(labeled for commercial reuse).

Experience social banking - Kotak Jify

• A bank account with no minimum balance!
• Gain points whenever you like a post/ comment on Kotak Jifi facebook page, these points can be redeemed for online shopping !
• World's first socially powered bank account !

pic courtesy: https://www.facebook.com/KotakJifi

So, these are the things that excited me when i read about Kotak Jifi bank account. Does this excite you as well? 
Then, i would reveal you few more features of this Kotak Jifi to make banking easy and fun :) Here is their home page which has a video to explain all the features quick.

A brief :

Zero minimum balance: You can create a non-interest account with zero minimum balance without any problem of tracking monthly balances. If your balance is more than 25k, you can earn interest on spare cash by automatically creating a term deposit.

Social Banking: Track account details and transaction history, order a cheque simply from your mobile twitter account. Don't worry much about security, all details are saved in secured location and bank will send direct messages only.

Are you a Facebook fan? Earn points by liking or commenting on Kotak Jifi fb page or by referring a friend! These points are also transferable to your friends in need, and are redeemable for online shopping.. Isn't that cool?

Signup Benefits: You will receive platinum subscription free for one year, can earn reward points for every online transaction above Rs.500 and 250 transaction points for each successful referral. 
Platinum subscription will enable you to use 'Kotak Money Watch' app, which will allow you to track your expenses at ease. 

Last, but not the least. Own a platinum chip based debit card on creating a new account. 

Want to know more about Kotak Jifi? Here is the link to their Facebook page. Hope you like this new social banking experience #JifilsHere :)

Until next time,

This post is written for indiblogger contest from Kotak Jify.

Living life with Zest

Zest is living life witch excitement, anticipation and energy as per Wikipedia. What a positive word it is? Life becomes routine by eating food, going to office, working till night, eating and sleeping. Everyone needs something to relax, rejuvenate and hope for.  Many spend time on spa, shopping, adventure, travel, books, movies whereas, few just need to rest and spend time with close ones on weekends.

There is a cool contest by TATA motors to blog about 5 things/ people/ objects/ memories / situations that add zest to our lives.. Here goes my list of 5 :-)

Travel : First and foremost thing is travel. Exploring the nature, trekking, bird watching, enjoying waterfalls, misty mountains, rainy forests, going on nature treks, forming castles on beaches, playing hide and seek with water on beaches, watching early sunrises and sunsets.. there are many more experiences that travel gives you. Just a pollution free, pure nature heals everything and gives you a positive energy. Don't you think so?

Family time: We all work hard to earn money only for the benefit of our family, to make our family members happy, to make our lives more comfortable. So, spending time with them gives more energy than any other thing. A lovely outing with family, a candle light dinner, a small party/ get together with close ones, watching a comedy movie with family and friends having popcorn and cracking jokes, playing carroms, cooking and eating together.... there are many in the list :)

pic courtesy: http://www.pinterest.com/pin/452471093784879059/

Work: Don't misunderstand me! iam not talking about office work. Any work that interests you.. i love software testing, i enjoy my office work too.. this field is interesting, as you wont use bookish knowledge to find issues and you feel more than satisfied when you try new ways to find critical defects. I also love writing. It gives me energy. It makes my heart light penning down my thoughts. It is one creative way to vent out frustration :p I believe that an idle brain is devil's workshop. Yes, it will be difficult to work all times, but no work also makes me depressed. Our brain is designed to think and we cannot keep it idle for long time. What say?

https://www.flickr.com/photos/lorn/8296347092

Creative side of you! Check the creative side of you. Many people think, they don't know any art/ they cannot learn any/ they don't know what will make them happy. Music and Dance are best stress busters and give you instant energy. There is a proverb, Dance like no one is watching. Try it. Preparing crafts with something useless, cooking a tasty meal, trying out a new snack item, preparing greeting cards, writing poetry, listening to music, taking up a new hobby like stamp collection, reading comics, books.. what not.. Every individual is unique and each one may have some specific interest.

jscreationzs / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Aroma therapy/ Spa: Few people are very concerned on the perfumes they select. Ofcourse, there is a reason. Some specific scent  might give you peace or some specific smell may irritate you. I love spas not only because of massage, but also because of the smell of creams they use. Try lighting the room with only scented candles one day, of course we have to choose the aroma that we love. Aroma therapy or spa soothes our body and relaxes it. You will be surprised of the positive vibes it creates around you.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/naomi_king/

What are the situations/ objects/ things that make your life exciting? Please do share in comments. Would love to know :)

Until next time,

This post is a part of the #ZestUpYourLife activity in association with TATA Zest and BlogAdda.com
pic courtesy: All images except one (which is by mine) are under Flickr creative common license

Black is beautiful!

Many of us love black. 
Few people say, black makes anyone look more beautiful. 
Are you in that category?
A few also relate black with secret and mystery.  
Psychologists say, people who love black are introverts. 
Whatever explanation any one gives, this color is special for the most.
Even, i love black, but from childhood, we are suggested by elders not to buy a black dress on birthdays or festivals or any important occasions as they consider it as a bad omen. So, restricted my black favoritism only for things other than apparel till now.

Here is my wish list of black things for a contest from blogadda.com.

Black Wallet:
I own one, surely this looks cool. What do you say?
I like Calvin Clain and Hidesign wallets, they will have some interesting design to make them cool. Iam not used to change my wallet often, so will prefer something which is sustainable for long time even if it is expensive.

Black iphone:
Until recently when iphone 5C was announced, we used to have only black and white iphones. Mostly, people prefer black iphone for decent look. Do you like it?
















Black dress:
A curvy black dress for partyware.. wouldn't be nice for a special occasion? (If you are curvey enough though :p). I agree, it doesn't suit for many. How about an embellished black gown or a beautiful black maxi? Surely, increases our style quotient. Isn't it?


Black kajal to the eyes:
Won't it make our eyes look beautiful? I love the impact kajal and mascara gives to women's eyes. Kajal makes look eyes sharp and large. 


















Black shoes:
Last, but not the least. Black shoes which match most of the dresses and look special. I have simple black ballerina shoes for official ware. 

So, there goes my simple wishlist in black. 

Until next time,

Image courtesy:
Under creative common license Flickr photos:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/idhren/5584522755
https://www.flickr.com/photos/ivyfield/4736264846/in/photostream/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/rococo1727/6265902940
https://www.flickr.com/photos/pumpkincat210/3336793227
https://www.flickr.com/photos/14501039@N08/2104596624

This contest is a part of #WhatTheBlack activity at BlogAdda.com

Plan for a dream trip through skyscanner - Malaysia

As you all know, i love travelling to the core. Planning before travelling is very difficult task, that too if you are going for a trip with a toddler. Cheap and comfortable flight, hotel, local tour operator, selection of tourist places which are safe for kiddoo, getting to know about good food joints, which are healthy and not so expensive etc., there are many to the list.. It's kind of tedious task. 

What if there is someone who can help in planning? Atleast, help you to compare and book inexpensive flights and comfortable accommodation with no extra fees? That's when i found this site - skyscanner.com. As you know from my old post that i have already planned my dream trip to Malaysia here, this is the next step to make it realize!

Step 1:
Navigate to www.skyscanner.co.in. Search for the flights from India to Malaysia by selecting dates and airport.

Step 2:

Compare prices from different sites and choose.

Step 3:

Click on 'Hotels' tab, which will automatically show accommodation options with deals which suit our search criteria. Don't forget to check ratings before choosing one! There is a 'Map' option so that you can choose a hotel nearer to the maximum tourist places.

Step 4:

As you already have decided upon the places to visit(list of places in my wishlist), it's time to plan for a car hire. This will help you to compare car hire prices from different sites. Next tab 'Buses' will allow us to plan transport between different places in Malaysia.

Isn't it helpful? So, next time, be sure to remember this site while planning for an international trip :)

Until next time,

This post is a part of Skyscanner travel wizard activity at BlogAdda.com

Women standing up when needed - A mardaani

Have you seen the recent ad in television, where a girl shrieks at eve teaser in a bus stop? Its very simple and straight forward solution to the problem. She shrieks at him more than 2 times, until he feels humiliated and runs away from the spot. Didn't remember the brand though.. 

Women are not safe in India anymore. They have to learn taking care of themselves and solving their problems. There is no use in feeling shy or humiliated when someone touches private parts in a crowded bus/ street. There is no use in feeling depressed as victim when something wrong happens to them and whole society blames victim instead of abuser. It is time to stand up for ourselves, even at the cost of opposing our entire society's mindset. This below incident is written as a part of I am Mardaani activity exclusively at BlogAdda.com for Indian Blogger.

Sushma was in her first year of 12th standard and so, she is very much excited to go to the college. Since it is first year and first day of the college, didn't have any friends yet, so travelling alone. College is around 40 mins from home. Slowly bus is becoming crowded and loud music is playing in the city bus. People are getting in and getting down and she didn't concentrate on people in the bus, until one person sitting behind touched at her back and looked away. He is repeating the same thing and she doesn't know what to do. Everyone are in their own world, listening to music or waiting for their stop to push the crowd to get down or engrossed in reading news papers. She turned back and shouted to him to behave properly, but he holded her hand and challenged her to do whatever she wants to. He seemed to be a senior in the college and since most of them are from the same college, they were staring silent afraid of him. Some women also suggested her to cool down and move to some other place. 

She doesn't like to move to some other place accepting the defeat when it's not her fault. She stood at her place and slapped him hard when everyone stopped and watched in shock. She shouted that he cannot behave like this and threatened him that she will complaint to college principal and also would call her uncle immediately who is a DSP(lied on this fact just to threaten him). Then, people in the bus started reacting, scolding him to get down. She knew it will have impact as he is from same college, but in her opinion, not reacting to something wrong is equal to encouraging the wrong. Yes, she is a mardaani.

Do you agree?

Until next time,

Image courtesy: post.jagran.com

Thief of my heart - Drabble week - Day 6

Days passed, years passed, they like each other's company 
there is still attraction  between them even after 6 years of their married life
He told her, 'you are thief of my heart', 
She teased him saying, 'heart can't be stolen, don't be silly', 
while smiling to herself and thanking God for her love and luck.

P.S: Written in response to Drabble week - 55ers by Marathon bloggers for Day 6 prompt 

'Thief of my heart' #Marathon bloggers #Drabble week


Until next time,

Claws - Drabble week - Day 5

We are afraid of many things which are insignificant.

This is from a mythological story that i grew listening from childhood

When Lord Vishnu tore apart his father's veins with claws in the form of Narasimha,

Child devotee 'Prahlada' praised the Lord and made him cool his anger without being afraid.

Faith removes all fears.

P.S: Written in response to Drabble week - 55ers by Marathon bloggers for Day 5 prompt 'Claws'
#Marathon bloggers #Drabble week

Until next time,

Her Face reddened - Drabble week - Day 4

They are best buddies from childhood

Studied together, played together, enjoyed the company of each other

She saw an ideal partner in him for the rest of her life, though not expressed to him yet

Today, she decided to make things clear between them 

Her face reddened with newly found shyness and strange awkward feeling.

P.S: Written in response to Drabble week - 55ers by Marathon bloggers for Day 4 prompt 'Her Face reddened..'
#Marathon bloggers #Drabble week

Until next time,

Pet Peeve - Drabble Week - Day 3

Such an ignorant I am, trying to find out the meaning of a new word 'Pet Peeve'
by asking friends and searching online
to find out that it is something which is not a big deal, but annoys you more.
One of my pet peeves is getting scared of using new words in my blog :)


P.S: Written in response to Drabble week - 55ers by Marathon bloggers for Day 3 prompt 'Pet Peeve'
#Marathon bloggers #Drabble week


Until next time,

His Last Wish - Drabble Week - Day 2

Born with intelligence, he could convert every penny to Gold with his hard work.

Achieved every success in his life, experienced all luxuries, 

and helped his children to settle abroad leading happy lives.

His last wish was only to see his family at least once

before he closes his eyes in an old age home.

P.S: Written in response to Drabble week - 55ers by Marathon bloggers for Day 2 prompt 'His Last Wish'
#Marathon bloggers #Drabble week

Until next time,

The Broken Promise - Drabble Week - Day 1

She bore in silence.

She always had a hope to make things right.

She tried her best to bring her abusive relationship back to the track.

Atlast, she realized, for the sake of her children and to sustain her individuality,

she has to break her marriage promise to live with him until her death.

# Marathon Bloggers, #Drabble week #Day 1 prompt - The Broken Promise

Zoutons.com - cool site for coupons and discounts - Website Review

We really love discounts right?
We get tempted to buy a few things even though we don't require, if there is some benefit attached to them. Like - Buy one get one offers, discounts on selected items etc., When i was in US, i observed that my friends always search for coupons online before going to any store or ordering something online. They get discount by submitting those coupon ids. Thought, it would have been good if we have one site in India too to search for coupons before buying. Fortunately, I stumbled upon this site Zoutons.com. Here goes the review of the website:

Navigation: Simple
Look and feel wise : overall nice, though some colors are glaring to the eye
Usage: Easy to use

Process to get a coupon is simple. 
1. Search for a brand for which you need coupon

 2. Get coupon codes from search results. Each search result will show success rate and user rating through votes so that we can choose only most successful result.

3. Click on 'Click here to see the code', it will redirect to vendor site by copying the coupon code. Paste the coupon code on vendor site to get the benefit.

There is also an option to submit coupons.

What i liked in the site?

- Quick and easy access

- Top brands are listed by default, reducing time to search coupons for them

- No need to create user account to get coupon

- Feedback submission / user rating option is easy to use so that many users will rate coupons

- Redirecting to vendor site on clicking coupon code saves time

- coupon search based on category, brand, bank, stores etc.,

Overall, i would rate it 4/5.

One quick link to latest coupons of Myntra.com here, if you also love to explore this site.

Until next time,

Cab services in Hyderabad

(Updated on Aug 4th to add genie cabs)

There are hell number of cab services available in Hyderabad, but i was surprised when i couldn't get any cab at 3PM on one working day, when i tried just before one hour. All cabs might be busy serving clients in this sunny weather or i might not have tried proper service which can provide cab in less time. However, thought of sharing my experience on different cabs available in Hyderabad and the ones that i tried recently. Probably this feedback might be helpful to someone while choosing a cab next time!

Genie Cabs: One of the new cab services from Meru removing all minus points of meru. This has become my most preferred budget cab these days :) Excellent service and cost effective. It's better to book online, as process for booking is quick and wont take more than one minute. Their call center is busy most of the times, this is also one of the reasons i prefer to book online always.
Contact no. 040 33993399
Min charge. Rs.200/- for 10kms

Cel Cabs : This is the second most preferred cab for me. Drivers are polite, don't drive rash, are punctual and most reliable. It is also cost effective service with quality.
Contact no. 040 23242526
Min charge . Rs.225/- for 10kms

Dot Cabs: This is the next reliable cab for me. Only problem with this is that they have 1 hour package for Rs.250/- (for 15kms), but we are not supposed to stop in the middle/ or pick someone on the way. Else, the package fare will change to Rs.300/- Since i have to pick my kid most of the times, i can't chose this option often. It's good for point -to - point drop within city.
Contact no. 040 24242424
Min charge. Rs.250/- for 15kms

Easy cabs: My third choice. Usually, punctual but not at all reliable. Might not be very expensive. Sometimes, after confirmation and sending cab details, they will cancel in last minute(just 10 mins before pickup time citing the reason of non-availability of cab).
Contact no. 040 43434343

Meru cabs: It has all attractive options like GPRS tracking, security, mobile app, online booking facility etc., except reliability. They collect service charge for booking on phone. No service charge for online booking. There is high possibility of cancelling the cab due to non-availability in the last minute even after getting confirmation from them. 
Contact no. 040 44224422

Green cabs: One of the most economical cab service earlier, but not reliable one. Cab might not reach at right time, there is no guarantee that AC works in the cab. 

Orange cabs: Once, when i called for a cab to their call center, IVR told me to wait for 15 mins to talk to customer care executive as all are busy. Iam not sure why this service is that popular to have that high waiting time, but it can never be in my preferred list, due to waiting.

There are many new cabs like sky cabs, uber cabs etc., never tried them. Sky cabs seemed to be expensive than others. Airport dropping or pickup is completely a different category, as each cab has different packages for these. Most of the cabs charge Rs.150/- as cancellation charge in case, we are not able to cancel the cab before 1 hour of pickup.

I hope, this information will be useful to someone who often travel by cab.

Until next time,

New Government, New hopes

Elections are over, suspense is down. We all are waiting for our new leaders to form new government. Especially in Andhra, 2 new governments are to be made. 

Although i don't feel very happy about KCR to be our CM to Telangana, lets see what he can bring new. In Seemandhra, we are awaiting a new wave of development - formation of new capital, developing infrastructure from the scratch and stabilization. How fast this can be achieved might be mostly dependent on CBN's and TDP's efficiency. But, definitely,  i hope, leaders may not do the same mistake again by developing only one city out of complete state. 

In India, situation is different. People are frustrated with congress's politics and chose Narendra Modi. #Namo is everywhere in the news, internet and news papers and Indian voters have chosen our to be PM  wisely. This photo is being circulated in fb recently and iam not sure how much of this is achievable in Modi's tenure. Already, Value of Indian rupee is increasing which is a positive sign. Media is abuzz with each and every word of Modi and it will be following him as it did for Aravind Kejrival in Delhi when he became CM. I hope, Modi wont disappoint voters like Aravind did. 

So, lets all see how Modi will MODIfy India.


Hoping for the best for people of India!

Z for Zafran Exotica, Hyderabad #AtoZChallenge

We have been to this  multi-cuisine restaurant 'Zafran Exotica' long back which is in Banjara hills, road no.12. At that time, i was looking for a restaurant with good rooftop garden. It was excellent in all aspects.

Ambiance, food quality and service are the best. It is a multi-cuisine restaurant and we tried Thai food. I would recommend it for a quite romantic candle light dinner. Lighting and decoration are also good. Even though we visited this restaurant long back, from the recent reviews in zomato, it's clear that still it is the same. 

On that day we received some dish which is not hot and when we complained, they gave it reheated and also reduced that amount from the bill. Service is good, but it is a bit expensive. The shrubs and huts outside, cool breeze and mini fountains are a plus. Lighting is dim and enhances the interiors.

So, i hope you are convinced to visit this place, though my intention is not to advertise :)

Until next time,

Image courtesy: http://hyderabadsirfhamara.com/city/hyderabad/listing/zafraan-exotica-restaurant-in-banjara-hills/
This is my entry for AtoZ blogging challenge 2014


PS: Oh GOD! I completed my first #AtoZChallenge.. yippee :)