Sunday, January 31, 2016

"The Picture of Dorian Gray- Review"


‘It is a tale spawned from the leprous literature of the French decadents- a poisoned book, the atmosphere of which is heavy with mephitic odors of morals and spiritual putrefaction’, wrote the critic from the daily chronicle.

I just finished reading this book. This book is an absolute work of art. The abstract art that will make you fall in love with it despite of the poisonous nature which it actually has. The book will intrigue you about your own hypocrisy and the hypocrisy of the society. This book will remind you that words do have the power to silently creep into your brain and leave an impression which may change your perspectives. But as the Author rightly says “There is no such thing as a moral or an immoral book. Books are well written or badly written. That is all.” This book is brilliantly written.  

Of all the characters Lord Henry interests me most. Some character in the book at some point gave him the most suitable title of “Prince Paradox”. His theories about love, beauty, youth, art and romance will stir you to think. They will intrigue you. You may not agree with what he has to say and yet you may not find the exact words with which you may want to counter him. His theories are vicious and yet alluring. You would not take these to their face value and yet, you would not be able to turn them down outright. At certain points, I found him disdainful of those who are less privileged in the matter of riches, luxury or beauty. An intriguing character, that has the power to influence you if you are not sufficiently equipped with a wisdom of your own. The Protagonist of the book, Dorian Gray, as it seemed to me, starts out being noble; to curious; to ravenous; to ignoble; to vain.

The book is more of a work of art than just a story. The beauty of the book lies in its audacity and its precise jibes at hypocrisy of man’s nature.


All in all a wonderful read and mesmerizing work of abstract art. 

Thursday, January 28, 2016

*Quick Eggplant Recipe*

For those who do not like baigan (Eggplant) like me, here is one quick recipe with eggplant that I just tried and it was good!! And plus point is- it is so quick and you don’t even need much ingredients.
So, it is called baigan bhajja, which is basically a bengali dish.




INGREDIENTS:                 
Oil
1 Big size eggplant
½ cup chickpea flour
For marinating
2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon amchur powder
½ teaspoon red chilli powder
½ tea spoon garam masala
½ teaspoon chat masala

METHOD:
# Cut the Eggplant into round slices each about half an inch thick (Use a big size baigan to get full size rounds; I had the small ones so my slices are tiny rounds)
# Put the slices into salted water for 10 minutes and meanwhile, prepare the marinate by mixing all the above spices.
# Put the slices into the marinate mixture.
# Now, cover these slices into chickpea floor on both sides (you can also mix some breadcrumbs in the chick pea flour if you want)
# Take a non-stick pan, use minimal oil and shallow fry the round slices.
# Cook from both sides and then take out from the pan.
# The quick and tasty baigan bhajja is ready. You can eat it with roti/ bread or even as snack.


Here it is : )


Tuesday, January 26, 2016

Because Sometimes it's needed to talk!


Activity: iCALL (Initiating Concern for All) is a telecounselling helpline initiated by the Centre for Human Ecology at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai.We provide psychological counselling to individuals facing emotional distress. Our team is comprised of full time Counselling Psychologists who hold a post-graduate qualification in psychology. Our services are available from 10 AM to 10 PM from Monday to Saturday. When one calls iCALL, one can expect complete anonymity and confidentiality and patient, non-judgmental listening from a trained and sensitive counsellor. Our goal is make quality mental health care accessible to one and all from the comfort of one\'s home, while maintaining complete anonymity and confidentiality.

Details: N/A

Support: Counselling, Helpline, Suicide Prevention, Crisis Intervention, Domestic Violence, Mental Health, Career Guidance

Note: We are looking for help from the blogosphere to help raise awareness about the services provided by iCALL. We also want to engage the web community in a dialogue about mental health to help destigmatize going for counselling. Lastly, connecting with brands/organizations who would like to be associated with and support our cause would also be helpful

This post is a part of BlogAdda's Bloggers Social Responsibility (BSR) initiative. I am exercising my BSR. You can too with three simple steps. Visit http://www.blogadda.com/bsr/ and support the NGO's.

Monday, January 25, 2016

The Music of the Siren!

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Once upon a time, there lived a man named Henry in the island of Madagascar. Henry was a fisherman. He raised his family on the meager income that he could get from fishing and farming. Henry had a son named Nicole. Nicole was very bright in studies. During the day, he assisted his father in catching fishes and spent the nights learning his lessons and reading literature. Henry felt very proud of his son, but, he also felt disheartened because he had very limited resources to sponsor his higher education. Soon, the time passed by. It was time for Nicole to get into a college. After years of saving, Henry could only afford his tuition fee.  But Nicole had to move to the city for his education and his expenses included the hostel fee as well. Henry was sitting by the sea-side; little pearl shaped tears rolling down his eyes. He did not want his son to have the kind of life he always had. He wanted him to see the world beyond the fishes and the sea. But sadly, he did not have enough money. Just then, Nicole came running from behind and settled on his father’s side. Henry had not eaten anything since morning. So, Nicole had brought some fried rice along with him. Nicole wiped his tears and broke the news of his getting a scholarship in the city university for studying art and literature. Henry couldn’t find any suitable words to express his joy. He patted his son’s back and cried with joy. The father and the son duo then celebrated the occasion with the Nicole’s-home-made fried rice.

Nicole was sent off to the city for his studies while Henry continued his life in the town; fishing and farming and saving money for his son.

Six months passed. It was vacation time for Nicole. Henry was overwhelmed to see his son after so long. Nicole told him the stories of his life in the city. He promised to take his father along once he finishes his study and gets a job.

Nicole had missed the sea and the fishing while in the city. So, the next day he told his father to take rest and let him take care of the work. He went for fishing on his boat. He was amused at the sight of sea after so long. He was in a playful mood, so he decided to stay in the sea for a longer time in the evening. When he was busy playing with the fishes, he heard a faint sound of a soft music playing somewhere on some far end. He was tempted to the sound of music and rowed in the direction of the sound. He was a little amazed by the fact that there was no-one to be seen in the reach of his eyes but the music was growing a little louder as he kept rowing in the direction of the sound. It was deeply captivating; it was some kind of magical spell which was attracting him. He kept going in that direction. Soon the soft music, probably a violin, was accompanied by a sweet enchanting feminine voice.

It was getting dark. Henry had still not wakened up from his afternoon nap. While Nicole was going deeper and deeper into the sea, Henry was still asleep.

Though it had been a sunny day, all of a sudden, it started raining. The sound of thunder woke up Henry. Rubbing his eyes, he got up from the bed. He called out for Nicole but there was no reply. He looked around but there was no sign of Nicole. The rain was getting heavier and the thundering louder. Henry got panicked and set out in the heavy rain to find his son. He took out a boat and proceeded towards the sea. There was no-one in the sight, yet he kept going further.

Nicole had gone too far into the sea when it started raining. He was accustomed to the sea and its myriad ways of surprising humans. But this time, he was not equipped to handle the crisis in the absence of his father. It was a totally unexpected thunderstorm. The waves in the sea were rising higher; and yet, in between the loud noise of the waves and the thunder, the sweet feminine voice was still audible to his ears singing a song which was a musical delicacy to his ears. It was some magical music which made him forget about the rising waves and the thunderstorm and made him constantly chase the source of this music.

The rain and the dark were making Henry lose track of where the boat was heading. With the growing darkness, nothing was visible anymore. The sea was getting unruly. Finally, with a heavy heart, Henry decided to get back.

Nicole had lost the track completely and he was struggling to keep the boat above the rising waves. The Music was growing louder and sweeter. Soon, the boat was thrashed by the waves and crashed into pieces. However, a part of it was still able to stay afloat and Nicole was hanging on to it tightly. By this time, he had known that he was in big trouble. He, however, thought that there must be some land close by since the music was very closely audible by this time. He just hoped to reach there as soon as possible.

Henry was trying to keep himself positive by praying but he was not having a good feeling about any of it. He was trying to control his negative feelings, but, then again, he was giving into bouts of cry after a few minutes of being positive.

Nicole’s boat was almost into shreds when he hit a small piece of land. The source of the sweet enticing music was standing right in front of his eyes and the source was even more enticing than the music. A feminine figure with a curvy body with long brown trusses and fair skin gave him a hand to make him stand up on his feet. She had worn minimal clothes and her skin was more beautiful than the music coming out of her mouth. Nicole kept staring at this fairy like creature while she kept singing her beautiful song.

She kept holding his hand and moved towards a giant tree. There was a little hole in the bark of the tree, she pulled him inside. There was a small tree house inside which housed a violin made from wood and a carpet made of the grass. She made him sit along in the tiny space available. Nicole had so much to say and ask but all he could do was listening to her sweet melodious voice and worship the fairy sitting beside him.
“Once upon a time,
I was bestowed with a gift,
Of the song and the rhyme;
My music was melody,
I swam in the ocean,
And sang for the fishes,
My music for them was a magic potion;
My music was my secret,
To sing for a man was prohibited,
And then one day came a surreal prince,
Falling in love with him became my greatest regret;
I sang for him when he played with my body,
From then on my gift became a half curse,
Any man who crosses by my song,
Is captivated to its symphony and mirth,
He is trapped,
He is subjected to die…
This is my story..
I am the Siren..
The singer of the melodious song of Death..


Nicole was slowly going into a sleep state. The lullaby soon ended. But there was no waking up from this lullaby for Nicole. It was the last song of his life… ‘The Song of Death’ from the House of ‘Music of the Siren’. 


Image Source: en.wikipedia.org

P.S. In Greek mythology, the Sirens were three dangerous mermaid like creatures, portrayed as seductresses who lured nearby sailors with their enchanting music and voices to shipwreck on the rocky coast of their island


This blog post is inspired by the blogging marathon hosted on IndiBlogger for the launch of the #Fantastico Zica from Tata Motors. You can apply for a test drive of the hatchback Zica today.

Sunday, January 24, 2016

*Get over Puppy love- Get Peppy*

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So, someone made you cry the whole night or for that matter several nights?

Do you feel your little world collapsing all around you, making you unable to breathe?

Did your allegedly perfect love which was full of zing until a few days ago died a slow death beyond your control?

Were you already dreaming of a future with him? When you were busy contemplating all the details of your happily ever after life with him, were you completely unaware of the things going on in his mind?

Well, it may be real hard when the head-over-toenails kind of love just vanishes overnight. It feels real bad when you are technically dumped by the one you are completely in love with. Heart-breaks are definitely not a pleasant thing to happen to anyone. Whatever may be the reason of his dumping you, remember, being a puppy in love is not going to help you. The food may not go down your throat and you may feel like shedding bucketfuls of tears. Your smile may deceive you and you might feel like sleeping all day and night. It may not be easy to get over it, and yet it is up to you to figure out whether he is worth all this pain? I say if there is a red signal looming large right over your head forbidding you to enter further into the shady areas of dumping ground, then you need to step back immediately. Because if your tears don’t move him in the least, he DOES NOT deserve you. He is capable of hurting you willfully and ruthlessly.

It may seem difficult to forget him or stop thinking about him. But it has to be done. You have to come out of the Zombie state which you have enforced upon yourself. Find a middle ground between loving him and hating him. Try to be indifferent. If loving a person, who does not deserve it, is not good for you, hating that person would do no good either. So, let him just get the heck out of your life.

Do something Peppy to get over the puppy love. Fight your instinct to sleep over all of it. Get up, get dressed and dance on some peppy music. Treat yourself with a Pizza, adore yourself with a new dress, try different hairstyles, hang out with friends, take a short cycling trip, decorate your room or sing loudly. Do everything that uplifts your mood. Pamper yourself, exercise, watch movies, go shopping or spend time on your hobbies. After a few days you will be amazed to see how your peppy self kicks out the puppy love from your life and your mind.


And if you ever feel weak, just take a deep breath and say to yourself, “It too shall pass!”


This blog post is inspired by the blogging marathon hosted on IndiBlogger for the launch of the #Fantastico Zica from Tata Motors. You can apply for a test drive of the hatchback Zica today.

The FANTASTICO quick Pan-Cakes!

What is FANTASTICO?

After a long tired day, when you are in no mood to do any elaborate cooking, your stomach is making silly sounds out of hunger and you do not know what to do. You surf on internet and you decide to try a quick recipe of pancakes. Your pan cakes recipe comes out of the pan perfectly executed.

The feeling which you get while devouring these yummy pancakes is what I call FANTASTICO.

So, here it is people! Two of the quick pan-cakes recipe which satiates your taste buds without much effort and makes you shout out loud “FANTASTICO”

# Pan cakes with Plain flour and eggs

INGREDIENTS:
½ cup plain flour
1 egg
¼ cup sugar
A pinch of baking powder
A pinch of cinnamon powder
Chocolate syrup
Butter

METHOD:
Mix egg and sugar in a bowl and beat it nicely. You can add a pinch of salt too.
In a separate bowl add the plain flour, baking powder and cinnamon powder. Make a hole in the middle of this mixture and add the egg mixture into it. Mix properly to make a paste.
Now, heat the butter in a non-stick pan. Add half the mixture into the pan and spread it. Let it cook from one side till the bubbles start appearing on the surface.
Then, flip it to the other side and cook for a while.
Take it out and pour the rest of the mixture for the second pan cake.
After, the pan cakes are out of the pan, pour chocolate syrup over these. You can also sprinkle some chopped dry fruits over the pan-cakes.

And the delicious pan-cakes are ready to be devoured.

Here I am sharing picture of my pan-cakes ; )




Here is another recipe-

# Pan Cakes with Banana and Eggs (Flourless Pan-cakes)

INGREDIENTS
2 banana
1 egg
¼ cup sugar
Butter

METHOD:
Peel the bananas and mash them up into a fine paste.
Mix the egg into the banana and beat it nicely. You can add a pinch of baking powder too.
Add sugar and beat it till it gets mixed properly.
Heat the butter in a non-stick pan and pour the mixture into the pan.
Spread the mixture and let it cook from one side.
The mixture will be loose without flour and therefore while flipping it to the other side, just be a little careful
Flip and let it cook from other side.
Take it out of pan and the banana pan-cake is ready to eat.
You can also pour chocolate sauce over the pan-cake if you want, else just devour on it like that only.


Here is a picture of my banana and egg pan-cakes ; )



Treat yourself with these quick pan-cakes recipes and make yourself feel FANTASTICO.

This blog post is inspired by the blogging marathon hosted on IndiBlogger for the launch of the #Fantastico Zica from Tata Motors. You can apply for a test drive of the hatchback Zica today.

*The Impact of Small Things"


Image Source: www.faminspire.com


Our life is a sum-total of thousands of small and big moments, which collectively define our life. In the run of life, where everyone is all out chasing the bigger things in life, the small things are sometimes overlooked.

“Ever realized the value of a stranger smiling at you?”

How many times do we just pass by without even acknowledging a smile? And how such an encounter gets us to think and in a fraction of seconds a million thoughts cross our busy minds.
“What a mad man smiling without any reason!”
“Is there something wrong with my dress? Am I wearing the right pair of shoes?”
“Am I looking funny?”
“Does the man has some kind of intentions?”

The smile that we just missed was one of those small things; a reminder from god that life is hidden in these smallest of small things. Sometimes, what we need to do is stop being apprehensive about everything around us. Put off the defenses and welcome life with open arms. Not an eye for an eye, but a smile for a smile is what we need sometimes.

We need not always be on our guards. Sometimes, we need to let loose and open ourselves to the magical impact of such small yet big things like a smile.

“Ever realized the value of looking at the starlit night sky?”

Do we even keep track of how many days just pass by without us getting time to get out in the night and do nothing but keep staring at the night sky? Life keeps hovering around office and home, routines to be followed and deadlines to be met.
“Damn that idiot boss! Doesn’t even spare us on the weekends.”
“Oh! Such pity! After all the office work, I have to take care of the household chores also.”
“What a damp squib my life is!”

All the while when we are cribbing, we are losing the precious moments of our life that can potentially be used in a better way. The problem with our mind is that it keeps figuring out what should be done and how, but very often it loses the track of when. The God has made nights for a reason. So, when the day ends we need to forget everything and get out of our homes for a while. Stand or just lie down on back and just gaze at the beautiful night sky. Observe the shape of moon changing from a crescent to a full circle day after day.   

We need not be thinking all the time. Sometimes, we need to take a break, relax and unwind in the serenity of the night. A thing so small as this can impact our souls in a big way. A hundred massage therapies can pale in comparison to the relaxing effect that a starlit night can have on our souls.

“Ever thought how our small wishes can make someone’s day really special?”

Though some of us are good at remembering birthdays, anniversaries and other special dates; yet sometimes we forget while trying to remember thousand other things. May be the person whose special day we just forgot was counting on us to make his day special. Old friends may became distant over the time, but such special days are the occasions when we have the chance to remind ourselves that we are still close at heart despite the distances. Whenever it’s possible, we should always try to make it special in our unique ways.

Try not to make belated wishes. Rather keep reminders, remember and wish with all the heart. Genuine wishes have an impact on people’s heart. May be a small wish has the capability to make a person’s day. Believe in magic and believe in spreading it.

“Ever tried to look at yourself as an outsider?”

Don’t we all get into such situations when the ego overpowers us; when anger takes over our rational self and we refuse to accept that we actually wronged someone.
“Was I wrong or he was just trying to put me down?”
“Why should I say sorry?”
“It was not my mistake!”

Every night before sleeping, we should give ourselves just five minutes to get out of our own skin and look at ourselves like an outsider. Understand from the point of view of an outsider if everything that I did was in-line with what I am at the very core of my being; was it in-line with what a man should be? After realizing our own truths and weaknesses, we should make it a point to do it right in the future. We should consider making amends and saying sorry for our mistakes. Then before sleeping, we should just bury the today into the darkness of the night while carrying forward with us only the wisdom and the lessons that the outsider pointed out.


It’s important to look at ourselves as an outsider, with a point of view, which is totally impersonal. Just a small exercise five minutes before sleeping everyday can impact our growth as a person in big ways. 

Pay attention to the smallest things in life. Because small things can lead to a much bigger impact. 


This blog post is inspired by the blogging marathon hosted on IndiBlogger for the launch of the #Fantastico Zica from Tata Motors. You can apply for a test drive of the hatchback Zica today.

Tuesday, January 12, 2016

Once, She Read a Book!


Image Source: bookreadersnetwork.tumblr.com





















I read a book once,
It was different than the one  
with a pen on paper;
I read a quarter,
I fell in love with the story and the maker;
A quarter raised my curiosity,
And I delved deeper,
I couldn’t put it down for a second,
Word by word, letter by letter,
It aroused a passion in me,
I wanted to explore it,
Understand each detail of the matter…

I read a book once,
It was different than the one  
with a pen on paper;
I reached midway,
My love grew for the story and the maker;
I thought I got it figured,
I could catch the jist and the trigger,
Desperately I turned the page,
Anticipating to encounter some lovely change,
But alas! I stared at the empty paper,
The story had evaporated like a vapor,
I grew bewildered, I wanted to reach the end,
I was so much in love with the story and the maker,
It only left me yearning, reading a story half penned…

I read a book once,
It was different than the one  
with a pen on paper…

About the poem:

She read a book once, a book without words. She read it; not through her eyes, but her heart. She read this book written all over his face. A book open for everyone to read and yet not accessible to many. But before, she could reach any conclusive end; something changed. The book she was reading was no more there. It left her longing, but it was gone. May be the book did not want to be read anymore. So it closed itself and she became one of those many who were denied access to this open book written all over his face.


A fiction poem for #Indispire Edition 99 Books you read in 2015 #BooksIReadIn2015

Tuesday, January 5, 2016

* Good Bye 2015* - Lessons learnt


-The Five Lessons-

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