Thursday, April 28, 2011

AS KREATIV AS I CAN BE!

It’s been less than a year and thanks to Janine, I get my second “blogging award”! It came as a pleasant surprise, I don’t think I am creative but the lovely Janine thinks otherwise, so guilty as charged! She just bestowed me the Kreativ Blogger Award!
So conditions with this award is that
  • I needed to pass on the Kreativ Blog Award to 10 bloggers and notify them; and
  • I needed to tell you all 10 things about me that you don’t already know.
Both really tough tasks because I have more than 10 bloggers I would love to acknowledge and I really don’t know what ten things of mine would interest you. But I am doing it anyways!
So for the top ten I would love to acknowledge:
  1. Janine Ripper at Reflections from a Red Head: I know we aren’t supposed to pass it on to those who passed it to us but she is and will always remain my No.1 blogger!
  2. Heather Fonseca at Style Confessions: I am no fashion crazed but a chance meeting (through LinkedIn) introduced me to the lady who believes in weaving style and simplicity!
  3. Samantha Bangayan at What Little Things: I love the way she has an opinion and a voice about the life in Peru.
  4. Bonnie Copeland at My Rivendell: She actually has wonderful tips to get around in life!
  5. Roy A. Ackerman, Ph.D., E.A. at Cerebrations: Undoubtedly, the man with the most intelligent posts…always!
  6.  Steve Rice at Karmic Kappuccino: I came across his blog recently and couldn’t get my eyes off the title! Wonderful words of inspiration and if you name it Kappuccino, you are bound to get readers!
  7. Melanie Kissell as the Solo Mompreneur: Last I heard, she was telling us all to shorten our emails to 140 characters!
  8. Veronica Campos-Hallstrom at Club Creative Studio: Where there is creativity, there is Veronica!
  9. Cathy Jones at Just My Thoughts: A wonderful photographer… and beautiful posts!
  10.  Linda at Talk Therapy Biz: Last time I gave her an award she wrote a post called 7 Bloggers I want to share my Couch with!
And now for the tougher part, ten things about myself:

  1. I am a big foodie; to say “No, I am not hungry” is like a crime in my life.
  2. My all time favorite movie remains Forrest Gump, though I watch tons of movies, Forrest Gump remains my No.1!
  3. As a kid, I was so naughty that my parents were scared I would be kicked out of school. But surprisingly that never happened.
  4. I hate getting my photos clicked. I always end up with the most awkward smile.
  5. I don’t understand the Vampire craze that has gripped the world. I watched Twilight movies and vowed to never do it again.
  6. I take a lot of time to make decisions. The only snap decisions I make are in a shoe shop!
  7. I just spent my last salary on books, almost all of it!
  8. I am as lazy as lazy can be… my mom thinks that spiders will make webs around me someday.
  9. I am very bad at learning languages. I stayed in the UAE almost 17 years and made it without learning Arabic. I know how to read and write, but I still find it hard to speak. Contrary to belief, everyone here manages fine with English!
  10. Coming up with these ten things took me the longest than writing any other post. Mainly because I have done the “things about me” posts twice already!
So, there you go, thanks to Janine once again! And to the ten of you… pass it on guys!

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

SINGLE? .... BAD TIMING!

There is never a “good time” to be single. And that is not a thought, that is my verdict. Final verdict.


Whenever someone tells me, or whenever I read a headline, article or feel good quotes that say “Now is the best time to be single” I say “Rubbish”. There is never such a good timing to be single. Even if YOU are happy with your single status and enjoying the freedom that comes with it, the no hassles of a relationship, the joy of not having to buy anniversary presents and valentine presents and the likes, there are people all around just waiting to attack your “singularity”… coming to think about it when you Google "Singularity" one of them defines it as “peculiarity”! Don’t believe me, check it.
image from here


So coming back to the peculiarity of being single, I was at this family gathering the other day and all eyes were darting back and forth at the “oh-pity-the-helpless-single girl”. The conversations went like this:


“Say, you are like 23 now”


“No (dear distant – remote – meet once in a decade-) aunt… I am a little over 25 now”


“Oh, hmmm… didn’t your sister have a kid by then”


“Oh yes, she did, (but I am not her)”


“Oh yes, you have “different” plans of course, so what are your plans? Isn’t your other sister married too?”


“I am sorry I think I am getting a (fake) phone call”


Thank God for the craze of carrying mobiles everywhere you go, makes escaping a lot easier.


So after my Great Escape I am “confronted” by a younger cousin who has got those eyes that glisten with joy and maybe “pride” (which I see so clearly) of beating her elder cousin to the “battle of getting married first” and this is how the dreaded conversation goes:


“hey you, elder (by some months) cousin, Isn’t my fiancés such a darling, I told I had plans to study more and all and work for little longer before I even think about marriage, you know just like you, but then… he just was so insistent and I HAD to say yes!”


“…..” Nothing, I ain’t saying anything, I am busy nodding my head, eyes wide open with unwanted glee and a smile that is as plastic as plastic can be…


“So, don’t you look lovely tonight…say you’re still single right?”


“….” Nodding head again…. Did she just compliment me and then attacked my “peculiarity singularity” 


Hmmm… hate it when people do that, makes it harder decide whether I like the conversation or just plain hate it.
Time to plan my second Great Escape….


“Oooohhhh… I AM so sorry. Never mind, there is someone out there for you…Your Prince Charming will come someday…Don’t you worry…all right?


Oh the pity attacks... Please don’t do it, it’s not like you stepped over my foot, it is just my heart that is aching to run….


“Thanks a lot…I think I am getting a call….”


So, how did you escape “the attack” as a single or how are you escaping it if you are one of the “doomed”?

Monday, April 18, 2011

How About Winning1100$ for Blogging?

So I normally don’t write a post like this but I had to do this for three reasons:

  1. Posting this is a part of the contest.
  2. For prizes worth over 500$... (Yes, it’s true!)
  3. You could actually end up making 200$ if you win! And there is that 500$ I told you about!
For those of you who don’t know what I am talking about…rise, rub your eyes and see what Kiesha is offering.

We all love to guest post, at least I do. I have done it twice (once for Kiesha) and I loved the experience, exposure, feedback and the traffic (yes!) associated with it. Now, the lovely Kiesha from WeBlogBetter (actually she blogs wonderfully well!) is hosting a Guest Post Contest over at her blog.

And she has some amazing sponsors. The entry is simple. Write an original post (related to blogging and the likes), register for a username, submit your post, announce the contest on your blog (like I did this) along with the sponsors, promote your post as well as you can on BlogInteract and Blokube or just do it any which way to guarantee as many votes as possible and then… cross your fingers and hope you win!

For the detailed version of the guidelines and others technicalities go HERE

And if you are still the lazy soul wondering whether you should do it or not then go HERE.

If you still decide not to do it, too bad for you but good for us, the lesser the competition, the more the chances of us poor souls winning a cool 500$ and maybe more! (Yes, I had to throw in a little devilish laugh here!)
So are you joining or will be just helping others win?


The list of sponsors: 



Darren Monroe – Online Business Ideas



Mike - WordPress Themes: Premium Wordpress Themes



Ileane - Basic Blog Tips: Blogging Tips





Dan - Keyword Winner: SEO Plugin and GSEO: SEO Outsourcing



Lisa Irby – 2 Create A Website



Linda Hewett – Positive Spin Blog



Francisco Perez – iBlogZone: Home Business Resources



Brankica Underwood – Live Your Love: How To Blog Like A Star



Mavis Nong – Attraction Marketing



Danny Brown – Social Media Marketing Blog



Roberto Montanez - PsychBits: Psychology



Jane Sheeba - Find All Answers: Blogging Tips



Laura Burke - Skip the Scams: Learn affiliate marketing



Ana Hoffman - Traffic Generation Cafe: Tools for Internet Marketing



Kristi Hines - Kikolani: Blogging Marketing



Heather C. Stephens - Blog Marketing Ideas




Peppy - The Peppy Writes Chronicles


The Health Media Watch Blog: Fresh. Hip. Healthy



Tristan: The Blogging Bookshelf: Blogging tips

My Blog Guest
Ann Smarty - My Blog Guest



David - Blog Writer for Hire



Credit Cards Canada



Sean - Find Your Peak: Make Money, Live Fully, and Create the Life of Your Dreams!

Friday, April 15, 2011

Fun Friday Pictures!

Okay, so I am trying something new this Friday. Mainly because I really don't know what to "kvetch" about. Also, my favorite blogger JANINE RIPPER does this every Monday, so I am giving it a try! So here goes, four photos from varied places which make you go... nothing, just makes you smile, at least it made me smile. And what's better than going off to a smiling weekend. 


This was from my umpteenth trip to the Taj Mahal, Agra, India. There's a mosque there and this was "appropriately" placed outside the mosque. And yes, we DID take off our shoes!


I was on an apartment hunting trip with and for my sister in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. What we didn't know that we were in for a great lesson too! Lofty...eh? And yes, she didn't buy the apartment in this one; neighbors too lofty for her choice!



Another one from our flat hunting conquests in the city. I am not the only one who "complains"!



From a walk in the cold winters of New Delhi, India. The sign reads as follows: HOSPITAL FOR INJURED SHOES (Shri Ramji Lal). Who said we have poor healthcare facilities? (P.S. Sorry for the poor picture quality, the "Shoe Doctor" was really angry when I took out my camera, had to do it with my mobile.)


Hope you have a great weekend!

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

SAY IT LIKE IT IS?

The other day I was watching a reality show on television. The show was about blind dates and had a couple of over enthusiastic teenagers with hopes of being the next television stars. So out comes the girl who was supposed to be the “catch of the day” and seeing the haggard, overtly plump and “jeans and t-shirt” clad girl, one guy says this “Did I come all the way for this obese, dumb behenji” (behenji is a Hindi phrase, check out its meaning!).

Now as a viewer I had a good laugh but seeing the poor girls face and reaction, I thought oh my, she will need therapy some years from now. So does saying as it is, always hurt? I mean, no matter how much we rattle on about being the “straight forward” and “direct” and “what I think is what I speak”, are we really so?
Image from Ihasfunny
Are we really going to have fun or some hearts will be truly broken?

Imagine telling someone they look way fat, or that their dress isn’t pretty, or that you are simple tired of listening to their success stories, tired of listening to what a terrible time they just had, the color of lipstick they have been wearing for years doesn’t suit them at all, that you just don’t want to go for the movies with them because they chomp on their popcorns too loudly, that you just keep nodding all the time is because you weren’t listening and were trying to look intelligent and interested.

Also, that you hate going shopping with them because it embarrasses to hang out with someone with such bad choices, that they slurp when they drink and it irritates you, that you don’t really like discussing sci-fi movies or having endless debates over the micro details of what the Apple products have to offer and most importantly, that you don’t really understand what the hell was Inception all about?

So can we always say this or do we like playing on the lines of diplomacy for the sake of not hurting others. Should we say it like it is? Does it make life easier with everyone just nodding along?

And really, what the hell was Inception all about? I just nod along.


Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Has Life Made a Fool Out of You Yet?

So the world “celebrated” April fool’s Day. Apparently is all started because of a misunderstanding and thus the prank and practical jokes. What I really don’t get it is this: doesn’t it all start with a misunderstanding. I mean we really don’t need a day to let others make a fool out of us. Every, every day of our lives is life’s April fool prank on us. Everywhere we go there is something (not someone, but something) which is waiting to pound on you and have the best laugh possible!

 Don’t believe me, I can give you reasons!

  • We are always cute as a baby and somehow it just vanishes as we grow up
  • You are never the “coolest”, “hippest” kid in school / college. And even if you are “the one”, people have branded you as the “snob” or the “b***h” or the playboy!
  • Family reunions will happen the day when you look the chubbiest, have the bout of acne attack, have run out of proper clothes to wear and your hair has gone all frizzy.
  • By the time you figure out what you “really, really” want in life or from life, you are already on your second high paying but the most depressing job ever!
  • The fat kid from high school is suddenly in the glamour industry and you can’t fit into the jeans from last month.
  • Everything yummy has three figure calories.
  • Everything really yummy has four figure calories! (I know it is repeated, but I am trying to stress the point!)
  • Your waist! It has a mind of its own and a size of its own!
  • The prettiest girl in town always lives right next door. Yes, just rub it in my face.
  • The day your car decides to have a breakdown, it chooses the most crowded, god damn awful place to have its heart attack.
  • All great looking men (great, I am not talking about good) are taken, dating impossible-to-beat girls, live on the next continent or are King in the making, getting married!
  • If you speak your mind you are called brash, if you are being sweet you are diplomatic, if you have an opinion you are judgmental, if you don’t have an opinion you are just a dork. What’s with the branding? Who actually came up these words?

Image from Madonna Fans
See, isn’t everything just a big fat joke? Is life just lurking in some corner and laughing at us? What do you think is life’s biggest joke? And yes, what did you do on April Fools?