Flying overseas ?? This should help you a lot

Hey! I am so glad that you are all set to chase your dreams, heading to a place far away from the motherland. I hope you have packed all the essentials, your ID, passport, certificates, electronic devices, the capsule wardrobe, instant food, the gifts, the blessings, the memories, the promises and the determination. It will be too exciting to visit, the exotic beaches, mountains, valleys, sands but the sky will still be the same and will remind you how vast the universe is and how insignificant is the distance between you and your home.

So before you leave I have some words expressing bits of my concern to keep you safe and remind you that you are taken care of irrespective of your geographical coordinates.

First and foremost, the climate might not be favorable, eat properly, you might not get the Indian food there which might affect health still try to stick to the balanced diet, follow the regular workout routine, sleep well, avoid stress, dress up in accordance with the weather, take good care of your health, no excuse is permissible, make some good friends too, then only you will be able to work productively. Because one needs sound physical existence in order to interact efficiently with the material world.

Further, living in a different country will make you an oblivion in the beginning, you will have to be a little careful about that because seeking validation of being by socializing is instinctive and within those margins people may execute evil plans, so do not trust strangers, do not hangout with people whom you do not know, meet them in public places only. Keep the official documents and the precious belongings close to you.

Quality of your work will matter. Focus on your work. Do not forget the purpose of your stay there. There should be no compromise when it comes to working. You will not only be representing yourself but the Nation too. I hope your conduct and the quality of work will make us proud as a nation.

Explore, travel, go places where you have never been, try local food stuffs, taste the spices, check out the local artwork, visit the museum, the art gallery, the local theatre, the library, meet the local artists, go to the junior school to see how young humans are shaped and nurtured, closely observe the beauty of the culture tracing back its roots and then coming all the way back seeking its signs in the ruins present today at the corner of some street or in the disfigured statue of a curly haired boy kept outside a museum or in the young boy with curly hair living next door. Try to learn about the possible sequence of the events concluding today making the two societies so different. Look for yet more amazing fact that despite so many differences by nature we are still the same.

Stay in touch with the family and friends, with the present day technology it is not a problem to stay connected, always inform someone close or document your whereabouts along with your companions before leaving for any unofficial occasion, carry your ID proof with yourself, avoid arguments. Please make sure that you are in proper contact with the Indian Embassy, have their details with you so that you can inform them in case there is a problem. Stay updated with the news, if the state has any sort of civil unrest against foreigners.

Shop only the signature stuff that you will not find anywhere in the world to keep luggage weight reasonable, click some good snapshots of the moments you want to keep in your memory forever. Keep cautious of burglars and scammers they might be offering alluring deals for quick money, do not get into their trap.

Being an Indian some of us do not have good exposure towards spoken English hence, feel hesitation while talking. For many universities, who follow English in their curriculum may ask you to appear in a standard test which is accepted worldwide. One such test is Pearson's PTE academic test which serves this purpose. Check out #DefinitelyPTE for further details I think that was enough of advice, have an awesome stay there, enjoy within the limits of safety and never forget India is always waiting for you. Thank You. 

14 short stories

1. Fall and Rise

Today, when I slipped on the wet tile floor a boy in a wheelchair caught me before I slammed my head on the ground.  He said, “Believe it or not, that’s almost exactly how I injured my back 3 years ago .

2. A father’s advice

Today, my father told me, “Just go for it and give it a try!  You don’t have to be a professional to build a successful product.  Amateurs started Google and Apple.  Professionals built the Titanic

3. The power of uniqueness.

Today, I asked my mentor – a very successful business man in his 70’s – what his top 3 tips are for success.  He smiled and said, “Read something no one else is reading, think something no one else is thinking, and do something no one else is doing.

4. Looking Back

Today, I interviewed my grandmother for part of a research paper I’m working on for my Psychology class.  When I asked her to define success in her own words, she said, “Success is when you look back at your life and the memories make you smile.

5. Try and U shall know

I am blind by birth. When I was 8 years old, I wanted to play baseball. I asked my father- “Dad, can I play baseball?” He said “You’ll never know until you try.” When I was a teenager, I asked him, – “Dad Can I become a surgeon?”. He replied “Son, you’ll never know until you try.” Today I am a Surgeon, just because I tried!

6. GOODNESS & GRATITUDE

Today, after a 72 hour shift at the fire station, a woman ran up to me at the grocery store and gave me a hug.  When I tensed up, she realized I didn’t recognize her.  She let go with tears of joy in her eyes and the most sincere smile and said, “On 9-11-2001, you carried me out of the World Trade Center.”

7. LOVE CONQUERS PAIN

Today, after I watched my dog get run over by a car, I sat on the side of the road holding him and crying.  And just before he died, he licked the tears off my face.

8. A DOOR CLOSES TO OPEN ANOTHER

Today at 7AM, I woke up feeling ill, but decided I needed the money, so I went into work. At 3PM I got laid off. On my drive home I got a flat tire. When I went into the trunk for the spare, it was flat too. A man in a BMW pulled over, gave me a ride, we chatted, and then he offered me a job.  I start tomorrow.

9. LOOKING BACK

Today, as my father, three brothers, and two sisters stood around my mother’s hospital bed, my mother uttered her last coherent words before she died. She simply said, “I feel so loved right now. We should have gotten together like this more often.”

10. AFFECTION

Today, I kissed my dad on the forehead as he passed away in a small hospital bed.  About 5 seconds after he passed, I realized it was the first time I had given him a kiss since I was a little boy.

11. INNOCENCE

Today, in the cutest voice, my 8-year-old daughter asked me to start recycling. I chuckled and asked, “Why?” She replied, “So you can help me save the planet.”  I chuckled again and asked, “And why do you want to save the planet?” “Because that’s where I keep all my stuff,” she said.

12. JOY

Today, when I witnessed a 27-year-old breast cancer patient laughing hysterically at her 2-year-old daughter’s antics, I suddenly realized that I need to stop complaining about my life and start celebrating it again.

13. KINDNESS

Today, a boy in a wheelchair saw me desperately struggling on crutches with my broken leg and offered to carry my backpack and books for me.  He helped me all the way across campus to my class and as he was leaving he said, “I hope you feel better soon.”.

14. SHARING

Today, I was traveling in Kenya and I met a refugee from Zimbabwe.  He said he hadn’t eaten anything in over 3 days and looked extremely skinny and unhealthy.  Then my friend offered him the rest of the sandwich he was eating.  The first thing the man said was, “We can share it.”

Cheers to life because a small act of kindness can bring smile on million faces. :):)

Source: WhatsApp message

http://compassionkindness.com/2016/01/17/14-short-stories-worth-reading-and-realizing-how-happy-we-are-collection-of-different-stories/

Clash of clan

Pic Coutesey: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh95lSBqL6MJvLXUxJjAopTn6Bamhb8Ch3Ya0xI57hPOTA87k_9sonDX2SDNQNXfIqQnTpkSJMiWCpXojOxz53ucFAAWP61fVNl9AA9qczQoq_338g-hoyvU10S19jZUyhiaAby5bAipJbQ/s1600/Hero+Ability.png

With over ten million players, clash of clan has become one of the top most played online game. I started playing it four months back when one of my younger cousins installed it on my phone. Till then there wasn’t a day passed when haven’t played it. You build your town hall, you deploy troops, you get into war with some clan and most important thing you can play it with players from the other country. But, brotherhood is not at all different in any country. It seems the dream of a global village is still very far to be achieved. My clan’s name is chakrawarti clan and I too have kept its origin as Indian instead of Global. The best thing most of my clan mates are my cousin. Though I have to hear from their parents that because of me their children got glued to this game, but how should I make them understand that if has had to happen, either this way or that way. Almost every fourth mobile user is in this game. Never mind, for me it is the best way to get connected to my brothers in this busy schedule. It gives us a common topic for gossip when now we all have chosen different interests.

The best thing is you play as a team against other countries. Each player has been given three crucial minutes for war with the enemy, and in those three minutes you have to show what you got. You fight for the stars (maximum three at once) and in reward you get gold and elixir. Every player gets only two chances to fight. So, if in any case your evens are not in your favour and your network got disconnected in between, you are screwed in between your chance. We all try you attack only when we are sure that the satellite which is providing the network is sailing smooth without any hiccups.

I still remember I got a new Airtel 4G sim card free with my new xiaomi mobile phone. I wanted to give it a try. I upgraded my connection to 4G. I could see the difference in speed and efficiency of the network. But I loved it because of its fluent connectivity without any hiccups. We were at war with a Chinese team. There is a rumour that till now only the Chinese could hack this game. It was a fifteen on fifteen war and the score was 41  and 43. We were two stars behind them. It definitely gives you lots of butterflies when you are a crucial player of your team and you have only one chance left to attack. That day it was me and I had to travel in a bus that too in a rainy day. I was pretty sure that my network is not going to be with me and it will definitely disconnect in between. With my fingers crossed I start my attack. My heart was pumping high, I was playing good. Thirty seconds left and I won the fight. It was a 100% damage, I scored a perfect three which raised our teams score to 44. We won that game and my Airtel 4G proved that I can rely upon it in my crucial times. 

 http://www.airtel.in/4g/

"सन्नाटे का शोर"

"सन्नाटे का शोर"

आजादी की हसरतों को जिन्होंने पंख दिए,
आज बेड़ियों से लिपटी आजादी देख रोते होंगे.

स्वराज की चाह रखने वालों का भारत,
आज शायद उम्मीदें छोड़ बैठा होगा.

आगे बढ़ने के सपनो का इंक़लाब,
न जाने कब का सो गया होगा.

समय की मार ने वीरों की यादों को खँडहर कर दिया,
जहाँ कभी कोई दीप जला लेता है.

हिमालय के खून मांगने पर,
दो बूँद तिलक के छोड़ सब कुछ तुम्हारा कहने वालों का जोश,
आज खुदगर्जों के ठन्डे दिलों सा जम गया.

हम आज़ादी की ख़ुशी मैं कुछ इस कदर भागे,
की भूल गए की जाना कहाँ था.

इस शोर भरी ज़िन्दगी में सन्नाटा ओढे बैठे होंगे वो लोग,
जिन्होंने ये दो भारत देखे.

                                         - प्रतीक नेगी

What else we could have wished for...

People all over the world have their heroes. It doesn’t matter whether you are a young boy or a mature man, we all have our heroes. India, the country where 1.3 billion hearts beat together for a game, where people hold their breath for a single shot, have heroes from cricket. You can call it madness or passion, whatever, cricket is so much in our veins.  Sachin, Dhoni, Ganguly, Dravid they all are heroes for us.

     I still remember 2011 cricket world cup, I was in a hostel. Power corporation authorities were famous for shutting off the power even when there is a small shower. It was the worldcup month, and India was playing pretty well. Even in classes, we were more curious in knowing the score. Smart phones were not that common at that time as they are now. We had to send sms to some ESPN number for knowing the current score.

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5097/5475851761_00205212ba_m.jpg

     It was 30^thmarch, India vs Pakistan semifinal match. Seriously our government should have given a national holiday on that day but, we had our regular classes. My hostel was about a kilometre far from our academic area. We have to go all through kuchcha pukka shortcut roads to attend our classes. The session was about to over and we all were dying to make up our attendances in last classes. So, me and my friends left for the class. As soon as we walked just hundred metres, it started a heavy pour. Going running towards the classes was not a good idea at all, instead of that we took shelter in a nearby small canteen, run by our Maggie Baba. Yeah, that time Maggie was legal and could be eaten any time of the day. I seem to be that even God didn’t want us to leave for the classes. So, we were four friends, the Maggie baba and two dogs who had taken refuge with us under the small canteen with a dripping roof. We asked baba for four strong tea. 

     Luckily, one of my friends was rich enough to afford a Sony smart phone. He used to flaunt it a lot, but that time he was hesitating to open it and watch match live, all credits to high internet surfing charges. We literally yelled at him and made him to open his phone by challenging his authenticity of being an Indian. What else we could have asked for when we had rain, friends, tea and live match. Though the buffering speed was poor we were enjoying. Speed was so poor that sometimes we had to skip a whole over. I wish we had good browsers like UC browser at that time, and then the scenario would have been brilliant. Now we have UC browser, but that time is difficult to be called back. Life is like that, only, we cannot have all the good stuffs at one time.

Have some honey, honey...

     Markets are full of all the packaged food which is either very high or salts or sugars. The excess of these two increases your craving towards the food item. It ensures that once you have opened the packet, the empty packet should straight away go to the dustbin. We always forget that out soft stomach is a delicate organ not a dustbin. Our food choices have changed drastically making us less immune towards diseases. And the worst thing is we are going to transfer this habit through our genes to the next generation. So, having a balanced, healthy diet has become the utmost necessity for a balanced life. As we say before starting a new thing, “Kuch meetha hojaye”, so why not start our day with the goodness of honey.

Picture credits: http://www.ecologyhealthcenter.net

     The ancient text of the Vedas like Ayurveda has mentioned the goodness honey. Not only the Indians but the Greeks, the Egyptians and the Romans have been using honey for religious rituals and various health benefits. Even the Bible says “My son, eat thou honey, for it is good”-King Solomon-Proverbs:24:13. The golden syrup is not less than the gold amongst all the natural syrups available. One of the most hardworking creatures on this planet, yes, I am talking about the bees, swallow the nectar from the best flowers available, digest it and then mixes it with all the good enzymes to make honey.

     If we talk about the health and medicinal qualities of honey, we can easily find a book on it. These days when health awareness is taking a stronghold in our lives, starting your day with honey and lukewarm water can really give your metabolism a good kick. You can regard it as an engine oil for your meta-engine, which is going to work for the whole day. It is full of antioxidants, which can significantly lessen the oxidation of tissue due to the excess of oxygen in your body. Healthy tissues means rejuvenated skin, a healthy heart and less risk of some cancers.

     Honey helps in controlling the bad cholesterol and increasing the HDL, the good cholesterol. It contains more than 600 compounds, yes, I have mentioned it correctly. These compounds comprise vitamins like B1, B2, C, B5, B6 and some traces of minerals like copper, iodine and zinc. These vitamins and minerals are necessary for the day to day working of our body. Honey also makes you a good sportsman by enhancing your physical performance. It maintains glycogen levels within the body which can make you perform well for a long time while playing sports. It helps the body to regulate blood sugar levels, as it provides us the optimum amount of fructose and glucose.

     So what are you waiting for, grab your Dabur honey now and start a journey towards a healthy life. There will be no tomorrow or next Monday or the first of a month to start a healthy life. It's always now.

#HoneyDietIsHere

Not just a smart phone, it’s the smartest phone..!!

With new Zenfone 2, Asus has hit what every youth needs these days. This large and elegant piece of engineering hasn’t compromised on any feature. Let’s have a look at them one by one.

1. RAM-Bo: Yeah, you heard it right, its not just a RAM. Where every big shot phone gets slow due to their RAM constraints, Zenfone 2 comes with a 4GB RAM. For an android based phone this is sufficient. No more warnings that your phone is low on memory, please switch off some running applications. We all know how irritating it becomes when your phone hangs, when we wanted it the most.
2. Ultra charging speed: Out of all the cons which a smart phone comes with, companies easily hide the battery life and the charging speed. This has sprouted the power bank market these days. But, with this launch Asus proudly mention its ultra high charging speed of its Li-Po 3000mAh battery.
3. Stunning selfies: The photo quality of the front camera of Asus Zenfone 2 is respectable. Reviewers say, its auto focus is quite sharp and the shutter is fast. When you make a pout face for a selfie, it ensures it looks like a pout :P, not a pot.
4. Night?? No problem: It’s been years, that the mobile companies boasts of their cameras for higher MEGAPIXELS, seriously not to say that since the starting of camera phones. And now when they have reached to the saturation of fitting more pixels to a small area, the experts are revealing that the game of good photography was not all about the megapixels. It depends more on the quality of the sensor. Asus Zenfone 2 captures up to 400% brighter picture in low light conditions without any flash. It means you can capture the beauty of a night scene without blinking an artificial led sun spoiling the tint of darkness. The pixelmaster camera works without a shutter lag. It gives you a privilege of capturing a moment the way it is.
5. Ergonomic Arc Design: If I talk about the design of Asus Zenfone 2, its just amazing. Holding a curved body phone gives you such a pleasant feeling. It seems like it has been designed for your hand only. Not too large, not too small, just a perfect size of 5.5-inch. It has a descent 72% screen-to-body ratio.
6. Astonishing colors: What to say about the body design. Asus has come up with brilliant designs when most of the phones carry orthodox black and white body colors. The phone comes in two series, the transfusion series and the illusion series.

So, what are you waiting for? If you have a dream of owning a smart phone or you are bored with the pathetic performance of your old phone. Just click here  http://www.asus.com/Phones/ZenFone_2_ZE551ML/. 

Believe me @AsusIndia promises not just a phone to you, it will be an experience for you. 

#CantWait4Zenfone2

The breakfast of an Officer Kid…

Whatever you have become today, a bureaucrat, a scientist, a doctor or an engineer, you cannot forget what you were in your childhood. Childhood memories are like a silent fragrance of an old rose between your book. It never goes and it never leaves you. You just need a click in your life, to recollect all those lovely childhood memories. The memories which always leaves a beautiful smile denying the burden and heaviness of your grown up mind.

Courtesy: http://www.vibgyorindiaco.in/clients/Kelloggs.jpg

I am an OK. Does it sound grammatically wrong with your ears ?? Yes, I am an OK … an Officer Kid. My dad serves in the Royal Indian Army. Army life has left its charm in each and every aspect of my life. Whether, it is the way I walk or the way I talk. I cannot just change what ever army life has given to me.

It includes the very good start of my daily routine. No, its not brushing or the morning workout, I am talking about my breakfast. I hardly remember any day when I have skipped my breakfast. I still remember, my dad used to get ration (its not the ration which you get in local ration shops), army standards are way ahead. The army provides you the best of this world. If I talk about the breakfast stuff, it included bread, butter, jam, cheeeese, milk, daliya, eggs, fruits and corn flakes, the Kellog's one. Even I don’t know how many different prints of the Kellogs boxes I have seen till now. But, the taste and the goodness are still the same. Whenever, I was getting late for my school, the only option left was to have kellogs with warm milk. It just reduces the stress of morning cooking of all the mummies.

Pic Courtesy: www.inc.com

My mother is very creative when she cooks. It seems to me that she has put all of her creativity either in her cooking or in me and my brother. I mean she has a number of tasty options for our breakfast. Americans cannot even think of that the corn flakes can be roasted and mixed with peanuts, salted moong dal, curry leaves and all the crunchy stuffs to be turned out as a wonderful snack option, which is healthy too. My mother used to prepare it in a huge amount, because in a family where everybody works out a lot, your tummy keeps on growling between the meals. As with time people improve their skills, so did my mom. Her latest version of roasted kellog's tastes better than any snack in the market. I really don’t know what all herbs she adds to it, but when I start munching on them, my mother has to take back the bowl from my hands. :p Even now, after five years of leaving my home for higher studies, whenever I go back to my home, my mother keeps a box full of roasted corn flakes for my hostel friends.

For me it is the taste of my childhood…Thank you Mummy... Thank You kellogs

Kellog's India, serving people with taste and health.

I am doing what I always wanted to do...!

I am on the extreme right, with my students.

     The thought which always comes to my mind whenever I see people working in offices is, are they are really enjoying their jobs? Do they really think of doing this job in their childhood? Means when you are a kid, the second question every elder asks you (after asking your name first) is, what do you want to become when you grow up? Who says, that I want to sit in an office and move papers here and there.

     I always wanted to become a scientist. I have a comfortable relation with science. It fascinates me more than the sports. Yeah, seriously, I never remembered the sport channel numbers, but all the science channels were on my tips. Me and brother has always experimented with almost everything in the kitchen. I had literally put my house on fire thrice. Experiments do go wrong. :p Our servant’s quarter was our lab. We never kept any servant over there, it was full of empty boxes. Being an army family, we had a hell number of boxes to be put somewhere, and servant quarter serves best for this purpose.

     But in India, where the competition is so much, one has to be very deterministic as well as lucky to become what you want to be. In my life things went very smooth. I need not to drop a year for preparation as I quickly got admission in engineering in a very reputable engineering college. All thanks to my dad, though his expectations of us are very high, he never forced us to do what we didn’t want to.  I took civil engineering as my major. People call civil as the mother of all engineering, and I do believe it is. Any other branch has its application in civil engineering. We call ourselves the next best creator after God.

     I was learning new things daily. As I had a good hand in doing experiments, anything in the books which could be put on the ground was way more interesting for me that the theoretical topics. Luckily, my younger brother joined the same college as a computer engineering student. That day I felt myself complete as I was studying a core subject and my brother was in IT. These days any technology is incomplete without the touch of computers in that. So the domain of our experiments widened.

     Life was fun. Soon, the day comes when I had to leave the college. Race of the life starts over when you finish your studies. I had few options in the industry to join. I tried joining defense services too but couldn't make it through. I really had to think of what to choose as my career. The bad thing about a civil engineering job is, you have to leave your society at all. Sites are always far from the civilization. Sometimes they are underground. But definitely it pays you well.

     I also had an opportunity to join teaching and research, but for that I had to burn myself again in higher studies. And yes, teaching doesn't pay you much in India. After giving a due thought on my career choice, I listened to my heart and joined teaching and research.

     After two years of teaching, I never felt like I am going to the office. For me this is the most satisfying job in this world. What you know you share and the happy faces of your students pays you instantly. Today, after six years of completing my graduation, I am still studying. Yes, you guessed it right, I am doing PhD that too from the India’s premier institution, IIT Delhi.

     My family always supported, so that I can follow my heart. They sacrificed everything, as no smile in this world is for free, someone has to pay for it. My dad always had a dream of having a house in the mountains. So to make his dream come true, I am working on to have a home in the mountains as soon as possible. For that https://housing.com/ has been  very supportive, to look for our dream house from a huge number of properties.

Just give it a try, I am sure you will love the resourcefulness of this website.

#StartANewLife

I see him building bridges now, I saw him building Bridges then...

           

Picture Courtesey: i.dailymail.co.uk

It was a cold mosoon morning with dense clouds in the sky and gentle breeze flowing all over the place. The trees were moving together as if they were singing the same song. After a 2 days of heavy rainfall, life was on track again. People were coming out of their houses going to work. I was also ready to start my day. I remember I was sitting on the dining table holding my newspaper, waiting for the breakfast to be served. My kids playing, busy in their own world. My wife served me the meal along with her gossips. I was more into my newspaper than her chit-chat. As I was going through the  newspaper, I was going through a news where a family met with an accident and died because no one came out and helped them. I was thinking how on earth, so mean people can exist. Finding people who work for others is very rare. As I ended up with my breakfast, I took my bag and set off for work.

           I used to go to work by bus. Bus stand was in walking distance from home. The roads were full of traffic and  their horns. I could see the reason behind this commotion. Those big puddles on the road were the reason for everyone’s problem. As I was crossing those puddles like a long jump athlete, but there was a big lake-like puddle at the end. Finally, I have to step in water to cross it and reach to bus stop. While crossing Like everyone, I was complaining about the government not taking care of such problems and the corruption involved. Finally, I reached the bus stop and went to the office.

            After  a whole day of work I came back from office and reached the bus stand. I was tired and that big lake-like puddle added to my tiredness like a bonus. I was thinking of some alternate way,  but suddenly saw a stepping bridge made through the puddle for people. People were using the bridge to cross it. The bridge was made with two separate lanes of bricks so that people going both the way can cross simultaneously. As I was crossing it, hopping from one brick to another. I was thanking the creator of that bridge in my mind and when I was doing it I saw him sitting at the other end of puddle giving final touches to his creation. He was looking like a small kid wrapped up in mud fearful of the fact that he would have to face his mother with all those clothes.

           When I reached the end, I looked towards him and stood there for some time watching him doing his work in silence and surprise. That boy was my elder son who was picking the bricks from the nearby house construction site to complete his bridge. He was so busy in his task that he didn’t notice me standing there. I called his name. He stood there scared hearing my voice as if a prisoner stands before hearing his punishment I looked at him and asked why you are not playing like other kids. He replied pointing towards those bricks that I am playing with these toys.

            After eleven years of that incident when the memories of it were already faded, I was clear in my views in advising him an engineering branch when he was about to finish his secondary education. Yes, he chose civil engineering as an engineering discipline.  Today my son is a research scholar at Indian Institute of Technology Delhi in the civil engineering department. Now, after twenty two years of that incident, I can proudly say his work in making efficient structures is supporting the dreams of many people of having their home. Similarly, many houses which are made by sons of many proud parents are listed here at https://housing.com/lookup. 
#lookup #StartANewLife

Just believe don't plan much

Life is very uncertain. Sometimes you plan a lot, but things don't go the way you wanted them to go and sometimes without planning thing go in such a lovely manner, that they some beautiful memories. 

Similar thing happened with me too in last December. Me and my best friend Mr. D lip a.k.a my personal love guru, had been planning for a trip for very long and I mean it. We had cancelled our Goa tickets thrice :(. After that planning for a trip had become a sarcastic remark for you. 

A dry river : one of our stop

If I am not wrong, it was a day before Xmas when we both were discussing crap as usual on the phone. I just asked him how about a road trip on bike to anywhere? We were not confirmed where to go. He replied "mmmmm mmmmm wait a second mmmm ". At that time a beautiful line from the movie Matrix was running through my mind. It was "denial is the most predictable answer among all of the human responses". 

But, to my surprise denying the fact that he was a human he said, let me check where my bike is. I was like common dude everybody know where their vehicles are. How can you be so careless? Satisfying my inquisitions and intensifying  the doubts in my mind he said, he had given his bike to his cousin and his cousin was also planning a trip with his girlfriend on the Christmas eve. 

Means what the fish, I am not going to spend my Xmas eve at my hostel waiting for dinner at 8 pm and then surfing the  internet. I was so strong in my views that I nearly yelled at Dalip, " dude, we are going to the mountains and it doesn't matter how". The best thing about one’s best friend is you can fight with him a number of times and from the next call onward everything gets settled down well. 

My dream house: I clicked it on my way

At night he called and said "man pack your stuff we are leaving tomorrow morning to Mussorie". Yeah, without wasting a second I was done with my packing. I had to take care that my parents should not know that we are leaving on the bike. They always say anything on four wheels are much safe than on two wheels. Ignorance is bliss, people do lots of stuff under parent's nose, but as am a good son, I told my dad on the phone. He said, son on mountain bikes are safer :P. With the green signal from him I slept a sleepless night.

Next day we reached Mussorie covering more than 250 km and stopping 4-5 times. The best thing about mountain villages is to see peoples home. A single home makes you realize the beauty of the life people are living. Being native of Garhwal, Uttarakhand, my papa has always dreamt of having a beautiful house in the mountains. I know one day I will make this into reality. For that I always keep surfing on  https://housing.com/. The dream house is made once in a life time, and what can be better than a trustworthy website to take care of your beautiful dream.

Thanks Dalip, #together we always make the best of our lives. 
#StartANewLife

बड़े मजबूर हैं हम

विचारों की रस्सी अब खुलते नहीं बनती,

अनुभव के कांटें अब निकलते नहीं बनते,

बड़े मजबूर हैं हम...

Courtesy: maxinepixielennon.deviantart.com

मन के पत्थर अब हिलते नहीं बनते,

सीने की कीलें अब निकलते नहीं बनती,

बड़े मजबूर हैं हम...

किताबों का कीचड अब धुलते नहीं हटता,

समाज के छींटे अब मिटाते नहीं मिटते,

बड़े मजबूर हैं हम...

मोहब्बत की धरकन अब चलते नहीं बनती,

नफरत की सासें अब थमते नहीं थमती,

बड़े मजबूर हैं हम...

अविश्वास के चीथड़े लपेटे नहीं उतरते,

जीवाह की गंदगी अब धुलते नहीं बनती,

बड़े मजबूर हैं हम...

वो बचपन की हँसी अब ढूंढें नहीं मिलती,

अभावों का जीवन अब खेल नहीं दिखता,

बड़े मजबूर हैं हम...

अहम् की दीवारें अब गिरते नहीं गिरती,

वहम का कोहरा अब तूफानों से नहीं हटता,

बड़े मजबूर हैं हम...

सही गलत का कचरा अब फिकते नहीं फिकता,

मान्यताओं की बदबू अब जाते नहीं बनती,

बड़े मजबूर हैं हम...

-    प्रतीक नेगी 

The Suitcase....

A man died, when he realized it, he saw God coming closer with a suitcase in his hand.
- God said: Alright son its time to go.
- surprised the man responded: Now? So soon? I had a lot of plans...
- I'm sorry but its time to go.

- What do you have in that suitcase? the man asked.
- God answered: Your belongings.
- My belongings? you mean my things, my clothes, my money?
-God answered: Those things were not yours they belonged to the earth.

- Is it my memories? the man asked.
-God answered: those never belonged to you they belonged to Time

- Is it my talents?
-God answered: those were never yours they belonged to the circumstances.

- Is it my friends and family?
-God answered: I'm sorry they were never yours they belonged to the path.

- Is it my wife and son?
- God answered: They were never yours the belonged to your heart.

- Is it my body?
- God answered: that was never yours it belonged to the dust.

-Is it my soul?
God answered: No that is mine.

Full of fear, the man took the suitcase from god and opened it just to find out the suitcase was empty.
- With a tear coming down his cheek the man said: I never had anything???
-God answered: that is correct, every moment you lived were only yours. Life is just a moment. a moment that belongs to you. For this reason enjoy this time while you have it. Don't let anything that you think you own stop you from doing so.
-Live Now
-Live your life
- Don't forget to be happy, that is the only thing that matters.
- Material things and everything else that you fought for stay here.
-YOU CAN'T TAKE ANYTHING

Enjoy every second you live....

Source: internet

LIFE’S LESSONS What goes around comes around

THIS is a true story that had happened in 1892 at Stanford University. Its moral will always be relevant. An 18-year-old student was struggling to pay his fees. He was an orphan, and not knowing where to turn for money, he came up with a bright idea. A friend and he decided to host a musical concert on campus to raise money for their education. They reached out to the great pianist Ignacy J. Paderewski. His manager demanded a guaranteed fee of $2000 for the piano recital. A deal was struck.

And the boys began to work to make the concert a success. The big day arrived. Paderewski performed at Stanford. But unfortunately, they had not managed to sell enough tickets. The total collection was only $1600.

Disappointed, they went to Paderewski and explained their plight. They gave him the entire $1600, plus a cheque for the balance $400. They promised to honour the cheque at the soonest possible.

"No," said Paderewski. "This is not acceptable." He tore up the cheque, returned the $1600 and told the two boys: "Here’s the $1600. Please deduct whatever expenses you have incurred. Keep the money you need for your fees. And just give me whatever is left". The boys were surprised, and thanked him profusely.

It was a small act of kindness. But it clearly marked out Paderewski as a great human being. Paderewski later went on to become the Prime Minister of Poland. He was a great leader, but unfortunately when the World War began, Poland was ravaged. There were more than 1.5 million people starving in his country, and no money to feed them. Paderewski did not know where to turn for help. He reached out to the US Food and Relief Administration for help. The head there was a man called Herbert Hoover — who later went on to become the US President. Hoover agreed to help and quickly shipped tons of foodgrains to feed the starving Polish people.

A calamity was averted. Paderewski was relieved. He decided to go across to meet Hoover and personally thank him. When Paderewski began to thank Hoover for his noble gesture, Hoover quickly interjected and said, "You shouldn’t be thanking me Mr Prime Minister. You may not remember this, but several years ago, you helped two young students go through college in the US. I was one of them." The world is a wonderful place. What goes around comes around!

GOD MAKE ME A TV !

A teacher from Primary School asks her students to write a essay about what they would like God to do for them. At the end of the day, while marking the essays, she read one that made her very emotional.

Her husband, who had just walked in, saw her crying and asked her 'What happened?'

She answered 'Read this. It is one of my students' essay.'

'Oh God, tonight I ask you something very special. Make me into a television. I want to take its place and live like the TV in my house.
Have my own special place, And have my family around ME. To be taken seriously when I talk. I want to be the center of attention and be heard without interruptions or questions. I want to receive the same special care that the TV receives even when it is not working. Have the company of my dad when he arrives home from work, even when he is tired. And I want my mom to want me when she is sad and upset, instead of ignoring me. And I want my brothers to fight to be with me.
I want to feel that family just leaves everything aside, every now and then, just to spend some time with me. And last but not least, ensure that I can make them all happy and entertain them. Lord I don't ask you for much. I just want to live like a TV.'

At that moment the husband said 'My God, poor kid. What horrible parents!'

The wife looked up at him and said 'That essay is our son's !!!

Gratitude should be your attitude...

One young academically excellent person went to apply for a managerial position in a big company.

He passed the first interview, the director did the last interview, made the last decision.

The director discovered from the CV that the youth's academic achievements were excellent all the way, from the secondary school until the postgraduate research,

Never had a year when he did not score.

The director asked,
"Did you obtain any scholarships in school?"
The youth answered "none".

The director asked,
" Was it your father who paid for your school fees?"
The youth answered,
"My father passed away when I was one year old, it was my mother who paid for my school fees.

The director asked,
" Where did your mother work?"
The youth answered,
"My mother worked as clothes cleaner.
The director requested the youth to show his hands.
The youth showed a pair of hands that were smooth and perfect.

The director asked,
" Have you ever helped your mother wash the clothes before?"
The youth answered,
"Never, my mother always wanted me to study and read more books.
Furthermore, my mother can wash clothes faster than me.

The director said,
"I have a request. When you go back today, go and clean your mother's hands, and then see me tomorrow morning.*

The youth felt that his chance of landing the job was high. When he went back, he happily requested his mother to let him clean her hands. His mother felt strange, happy but with mixed feelings, she showed her hands to the kid.

The youth cleaned his mother's hands slowly. His tear fell as he did that. It was the first time he noticed that his mother's hands were so wrinkled, and there were so many bruises in her hands. Some bruises were so painful that his mother shivered when they were cleaned with water.

This was the first time the youth realized that it was this pair of hands that washed the clothes everyday to enable him to pay the school fee. The bruises in the mother's hands were the price that the mother had to pay for his graduation, academic excellence and his future.

After finishing the cleaning of his mother's hands, the youth quietly washed all the remaining clothes for his mother.

That night, mother and son talked for a very long time.

Next morning, the youth went to the director's office.

The Director noticed the tears in the youth's eyes, asked:
" Can you tell me what have you done and learned yesterday in your house?"

The youth answered,
" I cleaned my mother's hand, and also finished cleaning all the remaining clothes'

The Director asked,
" please tell me your feelings."

The youth said,
Number 1,
I know now what is appreciation. Without my mother, there would not the successful me today.
Number 2,
By working together and helping my mother, only I now realize how difficult and tough it is to get something done.
Number 3,
I have come to appreciate the importance and value of family relationship.

The director said,
" This is what I am looking for to be my manager. I want to recruit a person who can appreciate the help of others, a person who knows the sufferings of others to get things done, and a person who would not put money as his only goal in life. You are hired.

Later on, this young person worked very hard, and received the respect of his subordinates. Every employee worked diligently and as a team. The company's performance improved tremendously.

A child, who has been protected and habitually given whatever he wanted, would develop "entitlement mentality"and would always put himself first. He would be ignorant of his parent's efforts.
When he starts work, he assumes that every person must listen to him, and when he becomes a manager, he would never know the sufferings of his employees and would always blame others.
For this kind of people, who may be good academically, may be successful for a while, but eventually would not feel sense of achievement.
He will grumble and be full of hatred and fight for more. If we are this kind of protective parents, are we really showing love or are we destroying the kid instead?*

You can let your kid live in a big house, give him a Driver & Car for going around, Eat a Good Meal, learn Piano, Watch a Big Screen TV. But when you are Cutting Grass, please let them experience it. After a Meal, let them Wash their Plates and Bowls together with their Brothers and Sisters. Tell them to Travel in Public Bus, It is not because you do not have Money for Car or to Hire a Maid, but it is because you want to Love them in a right way. You want them to understand, no matter how rich their parents are, one day their hair will Grow Grey, same as the Mother of that young person. The most important thing is your kid learns how to appreciate the effort and experience the difficulty and learns the ability to work with others to get things done..