Going Sleek With Incredible ASUS!

As a travel blogger who is constantly on the move and has an innate need to capture all big and small travel stories in photos and words, I often find my enthusiasm marred by lack of effective gadgets that are easy to carry around. More importantly my laptop – it’s a bulky piece and more often than not, I prefer leaving it at home rather than lugging it all around in my backpack that any-ways remains stuffed with other sundry travel requirements. My laptop is not just bulky but has battery issues too. So rather than carrying a burden of a laptop on my back, I prefer to come back from the travels and then transfer all the data on it once I am back. This of course, takes the surprise elements out because by the time I am back home after days of travel, old photographs begin gathering the proverbial dust and the old fun stories too have lost their charm.

It's because of these sad after-stories that I am almost always on the lookout for news of newer and better gadgets and computer devices. And today when a tech-savvy friend introduced me to a couple of ASUS netbooks, my curiosity got piqued - for they indeed look like what I have been looking for! I have specially been taken in by the charms of the sleek and powerful ASUS EeeBook X205TA, the stylish and lightweight, netbook, perfect for someone who's always on the move and needs a powerful portable computer device. 

The ASUS EeeBook X205TA is not just compact and elegant, but also boasts of an great tech specs, has Windows 8.1 OS, comes with 11.6 inch screen, and is super lightweight - weighs less that 1Kg! And since battery life in current laptop is my particular concern, I looked up the battery details on this one and found that X205 comes with a 2-cell battery that is equipped to provide up-to 12 hours of battery life. Also the ASUS WebStorage allows a user to sync all personal files between the personal devices, making file accessing and sharing easier.

Another ASUS product that has got me tempted is the ASUS All In One PCET2040. The brand is promoting it as a simple, versatile and powerful personal computer, and from the looks of it, this device indeed looks like a must have for people like me, who want their gadgets to be simple and easy to use and yet be super efficient and savvy.

Here's a look at it's technical specs -

• Intel Pentium Quad Core J2900 Processor
• 2.41 GHz with Turbo Boost upto 2.66 GHz
• 2GB RAM
• 500GB Hard Drive
• 19.5'' HD 1366x768 LED-backlit Non-Touch
• Windows 8.1 BING 64-Bit Operating System
• Intel HD Graphics
• 1 x 3-in-1 card reader
• 1 x audio jet
• 65W Adapter

Besides the fact that ASUS All In One PCET2040 is an incredibly fast and powerful device, the innovative Gesture Control feature too has got me excited about this one! One can control the multimedia players or even browse the internet from up to five meters away from the computer. Now that would be fun!

So battery eating, bulky laptops - your time is up! Make way for the incredibly sleek, powerful, versatile and fun ASUS instead! Way to go!

How Do I Love Thee?

How Do I Love Thee? Let me count the ways
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach when feeling out of sight
For the ends of Being and ideal Grace!

Ah, I know I know, I have borrowed Ms Elizabeth Barrett Browning's famous sonnet for expressing my love for that special someone I have a huge crush on, but, but, but...fret not, for plagiarism is not my way, and this beautiful sonnet is just my primer, helping me channelize my deep emotions and sometime soon I intend to use this love and energy to put together and magnum opus of my own...one on love and his myriad ways...one in which I will pour my heart and emotions out and propose to the crush of my life. 

But the till the time inspiration strikes and I sit down to put my thoughts on love together, I have been inspired to try some fun ways to propose too. You see since Valentine's Day is just the corner, the move messenger Cupid is working over-time to inspire people to make 'The' move, ahem, ahem...and your truly too has been a victim of his arrow too. And spicing things up is Close Up's fun Cupid Games campaign! Check out this hilarious video to see what the campaign is all about -

Hmmm...you got it right, alright! It's all about taking the dare to propose to your crush! And you see, besides the cupid's vicious arrow, it is this video that has inspired me to get going! So how I am going to propose to my crush! See, I have got it all figured out (wink! wink!), and here's what I will do! 

Put it out in the newspaper!
A full page proposal in the newspaper would be daring, quirky and lots of crazy fun! I can already imagine him breaking into a beautiful smile and nodding in appreciation!

Record it for the Radio!
So 'he' is tuned in to to his favourite FM show featuring retro hits, Kishore Kumar singing...O mere dil ke chaine, chain aaye mere dil ko...and the music fades and there I come on-air...doling out all my love for him! Oopsie, doopsie, it's got me blushing already! Do-able! Very do-able! 

During a trekking expedition!
So we are on an arduous trek, and summit the mighty peak together and there I go, all ready flaunting a proposal flag at him.  Something like - Let's trek through the life together! Hmm...serious, but bold.

Bless the Cupid Games campaign to fill me up with these fun and unique proposal ideas. Trust me they are so much better and energizing than your mundane - Will you marry me? And now they, they have got me in the mood, let me think of some more daring and quirky proposal ideas and zero in on one.

What? The Magnum Opus? Well, it can wait!! :)

This post is a part of Close Up's Cupid Game 2015 campaign, in association with Indiblogger.
Photo courtesy: Love in India

The Curious Case of the Great Indian Litterbug

The Great Indian Litterbug,
he amuses me much.
His curious case befuddles me too,
the country is in his clutch!

Ah, that was a pathetic rhyme I know, but I guess not as bad as the state of our streets and roads oozing with the love constantly being left behind by the Indian Litterbug. Ah, before you wonder who this seemingly larger-than-life sounding gentleman is and try to put two and two together, let me do the honours - here's a video introducing him.

So you see, here he is, THE OMNIPRESENT, OMNIPOTENT - the Great Indian Litterbug, forever armed with powerful gears to litter the road. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Swacch Bharat Abhiyaan be damned, he says, for no abhiyaan or mission can come in his way to keep our oh-so great country littered and teeming with filth.

But despite his myriad ways to keep his surroundings God-awful, the Great Indian Litterbug is beyond my comprehension. For the life of me, I fail to understand this man and how his mind works and what keeps him going!  He uses the roads as his spittoon,  the pavements and the roadside walls as his urinal, and the streets at large as his garbage bin! Sigh. No pleadings, no threats, no sarcasm works on him. No mocking either - you write on a wall

Gadhe ke poot,

Yahaan mat moot

but no, he has to moot (pee :D) right on that wall, right under those words berating him. He's an idiot, assh*le aright, for all he cares. When a man has to go, a man has to go, you see. When the nature calls, the call must be answered right away, that's his logic and you dare not defy that. Cleanliness is next to Godliness bullshit be damned too, such preachings are for the books, and of course the phoren countries, he argues, and not for the desis like us. Duh, sir.

Do get to know more about the Great Indian Litterbug and his many shenanigans, you can check out this quirky website - The Great Indian - but readers, I plead you, yes I plead you, do not, I repeat do not, in any way be influenced by the Great Indian Litterbug's reckless abandon. Do not be taken in by his filthy ways. For you see , he is 'like that only' - and you are not him, and he is not you. (I assume, I hope!) You know better, no? On that note, let's all come together to decipher the curious case of the Great Indian Litterbug, and pledge to be  part of our Prime Minister's Swacch Bharat Abhiyaan, for his clarion call for cleanliness is addressed to every single one of us.  

This post is a part of the Great Indian Litterbug campaign by The Times of India, in association with Indiblogger.

Making Road Safety in India a Priority

'Two cops killed as drunk cabbie hits barricade.'
'18-year old Delhi University topper run over by a speeding car.'
'Noida biker dragged to death by a speeding car.'
'DTC buses cause 239 accidents in 5 years due to rash driving.'
'Hit on head in road rage, man in coma.'

Headlines such as these are a regular affair for us. Open any newspaper on any given day, and you will find news on similar lines filling up the city section. In fact, if I were to be brutally honest, I will say that there are times when headlines such as the ones I have mentioned above fail to leave any impact on our hearts and minds. We just glance through them - untouched, unmoved, indifferent - and move on to other bits. Or may be sometimes if the accompanying image is grotesque enough, we might let out a shudder or two, and lament about fate to the unfortunate victim in passing, and then move on. The point I am trying to put across is that - we just move on, we never learn from them. Do we?

No, you are wrong if you think drinking and driving is the only mistake one can do.  Or that besides drunk driving, speeding on the road causes accidents. Many other big and small negligences on the road can not just cause accidents but also cause great inconvenience to others on the road.

High time we learn some driving etiquettes 

Road rage, cutting corners, overtaking, unnecessary honking, jumping traffic lights...and yes, Yo Yo Honey Singh blaring out of those rolled down windows. High time we learn some driving etiquettes and make road safety a priority. Here are some steps that can go a long way in helping with road safety:

1. Buckle Up! Always, always, always wear your seatbelt while driving. Even if you are just taking a short trip down the road. One cannot emphasize the importance of a seat belt enough. And now just the driver, ensure that everyone in the vehicle is buckled up!
2. Indicate Your Intentions! Always use indicator to make fellow motorists aware of your next move on the road. But of course, use them judiciously, and not just to justify your sudden/rash decision to take a turn or stop in the middle of the road.
3. Feeling Drowsy? Take a a Break. While on long drive, if you are feeling even a wee bit sleepy while driving, please take a short break to refresh yourself. You can also opt to go off the road and take a short nap, before resuming your journey.
4. Do not drink and drive. This sounds rhetorical, but we all know many a gory accidents on the road were result of a tipsy driver behind the wheel.
5. Keep that phone away. Many a terrible accidents have been a result of that quick and easy text/whatsapp message one wanted to send, or that innocuous phone call one wanted to take or make.
6. Following lane discipline is another must. Many unpleasant incidents on the road can be avoided if people use some common sense and follow lane rules. If you wish to change lanes, please use the relevant indicator to let the vehicles behind you be aware of your intentions.
7. Say a big NO to tailgating. Always maintain safe distance from the vehicle in front of you so that there's enough room between the two vehicles in case the vehicle ahead has to brake suddenly.
8. Go easy on the horns please! We are a country obsessed with honking! Whether there is space enough to allow us to pass, irrespective of the fact that the red signal has caused the traffic to halt...we honk. One annoying habit we most definitely need to get rid of.
9. Be courteous on the road. Since we all know good gestures on Indians roads are hard to come by, whatever little comes your way, acknowledge them. And yes, please return the favour too. This will help make Indian roads a happy, or rather a less angry place.
10. Please obey ALL traffic rules. Yes, all. It's very tempting to jump that red light in the middle of the night, when you see that straight empty road ahead of you, and say to yourself - 'oh, how does it matter, there's no traffic at this hour,' but then you never know on which empty road another such vehicle, ignoring similar red lights will come down to meet you head on. 

There are several other measures that can help reduce unfortunate incidents on the road, but even if follow the ones listed above with diligence, it will go a long way in ensuring safe driving experience for us all. So let us promise ourselves to do our bit in ensuring that Indian roads are a safer place for us to drive on. 

While the onus of learning and following traffic rules and driving etiquettes to the tee lies on us and us alone, the Nissan Safety Driving Forum (NSDF) initiated by Nissan Motor Company Limited, has taken up the exemplary task of sensitising people about road safety measures. Under its Blue Citizenship CSR umbrella, NSDF works to build awareness of safe driving in India. Let's us hope that a combination of our own efforts and the expertise and guidance from NSDF helps us make road safety not just a temporary concern but a permanent habit.

About Nissan Safety Driving Forum

The Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., conducts the Nissan Safety Driving Forum (NSDF) in India as part of its safety driving promotion activities. The program began as an annual activity in 2012. In its initial phase it covered three main Indian cities – New Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai – and since then has gradually expanded to several additional cities across India. This year, NSDF would reach 8 new cities – Chandigarh, Jalandhar, Jaipur, Vadodara, Nagpur, Chennai, Mangalore and Kochi. In addition to sensitisation of wearing seatbelts, NSDF also conducts live simulated experiences to understand how safety features function through a simulated car crash. A 360-degree turn over highlights the use of seatbelts, while sessions on road safety emphasises on road etiquette to stay safe.

This post is a part of Nissan Safe Driving Forum campaign in association with Indiblogger.
Photo courtesy: Zee News

Blogging to Help Feed a Child

The ubiquitous looking kid working in the dhaba I had stopped at was done serving tea to the table assigned to him, and sat in a corner with a forlorn look in his eyes. I kept looking at his sad face for a while, and then got lost in the maze of travel photos I had in my phone albums. The reverie only broke when I suddenly had a feeling of someone peeping at my phone from behind my shoulders.  It was that same kid, now giving me a sheepish grin at having been ‘caught’.

What a heart-warming grin it was, lighting up his face, bringing many a twinkle to his eyes.  Still grinning, he commented how ‘badhiya’ the photos were, prompting me to pull a chair for him and asking him to sit and check out more of the ‘badhiya photos’. In between showing him the travel photos, I learn that his name is Suraj and his parents are daily wagers working on a road maintenance project down the same highway.  With pride in his eyes he shares that he has studied till class 2 and that there were two peacocks and 5 rabbits in his school.

School was fun for Suraj, but unfortunately it did not last long, for his parents could neither afford the school fees and stationary expenses, nor could they earn enough for the family of 4 to have three square meals daily. And so the school had to be abandoned for the sake of stomach.

The desolate and bereft look was back on his face.  All of 11 years old, he was working full time now, at the dhabha, doing miscellaneous  tasks all day long – all for a salary of Rs 500 per month and free food.  How incredibly sad is this. While we pause not a second before doling out cash for that sumptuous meal, or that overpriced donut, there are kids who go through such relentless struggles to just stay afloat. School is nothing but a fanciful idea for them.

While this incident I have written about presents a bleak picture about hunger winning against education, the Akshaya Patra Foundation is making ‘the fanciful idea of school’ a happy reality for kids like Suraj. This NGO runs school lunch programme across the country, with the vision – No child in India shall be deprived of education because of hunger.

Hunger has eliminated the word classroom from Suraj’s world. Can we all not come together and help remove the word hunger from every classroom and every less privileged student’s heart and mind? Yes, we can, and here's how -

• By being conscientious and thoughtful in how we spend money.
• By not wasting food.
• By donating to the noble cause of eliminating classroom hunger. 

You'd be surprised to know that Akshaya Patra feeds a child for one whole academic year for Rs. 750. Isn't that incredible, the fact that the amount you would probably spend on your one restaurant bill can help a child stay in school for one year. Hope this inspires you to donate for this worthy cause. And yes, I am doing my bit too - for every post I write, Blogadda will sponsor meals for an Akshaya Patra beneficiary for an entire year, as a part of Bloggers Social Responsibilty. It's a happy feeling to know that the words you are weaving will help feed a hungry child, and will help her stay in school for another year.

I am going to #BlogToFeedAChild with Akshaya Patra and Blogadda.

Movie Review: Bhopal - A Prayer For Rain

A poignant retelling of the Bhopal Gas Tragedy, a sombre reminder of government's indifference

Runtime: 1 hr 36 min
Language: English
Director: Ravi Kumar
Cast: Rajpal Yadav, Martin Sheen, Kal Penn, Tannishtha Chatterjee, Joy Sengupta, Mischa Barton

Bhopal - A Prayer for Rain is emotionally overwhelming. It's one thing to read about the Bhopal Gas Tragedy and quite another to see the dramatized version of the catastrophe unfold in front of your eyes. The film is a poignant retelling of the events leading up to one of the world's worst industrial disasters, when over 40 tonnes of lethal methyl isocyanate (MIC) leaked from the Union Carbide plant in Bhopal, leaving more than 10, 000 dead and thousands maimed.

A scene from the film
Photo Credit: Bernard Coughlan/Film website

Bhopal's devastating true story is brought on screen through the fictional character of Dilip, a rickshaw puller (played brilliantly by Rajpal Yadav) who lands himself a job at the Union Carbide plant, despite not being qualified for the role. He cannot thank his stars enough, for this job will not only give him a chance to make ends meet but also save up enough for his sister's marriage. Only he cannot see the writing on the wall - there's been no rain and the farmers don't need the pesticide that the plant produces. The demand for pesticide has declined, and so the company is cutting corners to save up on the cost of running the plant. There are warnings that the plant is a ticking time bomb and going easy on safety measures will prove fatal. But neither Warren Anderson (splendidly portrayed by Martin Sheen), the CEO of Union Carbide, nor our well fed, and well bribed politicians give two hoots about the warnings and it's implications on the lives of the over flowing 'Third-World' junta.

While the people who matter turn a blind eye to the danger that the Carbide plant poses, Motwani, a local journalist (played by Kal Penn) doggedly goes about his efforts at exposing the safety irregularities there. But given Motwani's penchant for 'tabloidesque' journalism, nobody pays any heed to his stories about the 'disaster-in-the-making' Carbide plant. So when the disaster eventually strikes one ill-fated night, it's too late for the neighbouring slum dwellers to attempt an escape. Thousands die writhing in pain, out on the streets and in the government hospital, while the doctors figure out the antidote for the poisonous gas. Those who survive are in for a fate worse than dying, for their lives are wrecked forever. Maimed by the deadly gas, they are left in the hands of a callous and corrupt government that goes all out to protect CEO Anderson, who on his part refuses to take accountability for the disaster.

The films ends with a montage of the dilapidated Union Carbide Plant in Bhopal, abandoned, but still a nightmare for those living around it. The end credits enlightens the audience about how 'Union Carbide has never apologised' and that it offered 'only $2,000' compensation per victim. Presented as a docu-drama, Bhopal - A Prayer for Rain is grim and hard hitting. Both Rajpal Yadav and Martin Sheen are remarkable in their respective roles as the country simpleton and the hard-nosed firang industrialist, and outshine the rest. The other actors too gel well with the film, but for Kal Penn, whose heavily accented Hindi makes him look the odd one out in the ensemble cast. 

The film's worldwide release on 5th December marked the 30th anniversary of the tragedy. Unfortunately, 30 years on, the deaths from this man-made disaster still stand devalued. Bhopal continues to suffer from the after-effects of MIC poisoning, and the families of the victims still await justice and compensation. Apathy remains the only constant in their lives - from then to now.

Will You Shave...Please?

This post is in response to blogger Nandini Deka's tag for the #WillYouShave campaign. Her humorous take on shaving, or rather, not shaving gave me giggles galore, and I could not help but laugh imagining God, the almighty, wringing his hands in exasperation as all the not-so-eligible womenfolk dump the idea of marrying an unshaven God, and decide to head back to earth instead. God's grand swayanwar, which was planned as a heavenly event turns into a dumb squib instead. 

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In my last post about the importance of shaving and grooming, I had written about a true incident where a so called blind date borne out of a matrimonial website goes awry when the groom-to-be Sarthak turns up unshaven, sporting a shabby stubble. The bride-to-be Snigdha is clearly not impressed and this first impression leaves her in doubt about how to proceed  further regarding this matchmaking effort by her parents. 

Now many of you would say how important is shaving in determining how good or bad a person is. Indeed. But imagine going out for a formal meeting, employing extra efforts in putting your clothes and looks together, only to find that the other person has a pretty lethargic and casual approach towards what you considered formal and important, so much so that he does not even bother to get rid of his unkempt stubble before dragging himself down for the meet.

Stubble trouble

So our lady Snigdha was naturally dejected that Sarthak came in looking so ungroomed, and this showed on her face. Sarthak too could sense something was amiss, the chemistry they had developed over phone calls was missing now when they sat facing each other.

The small talk between them too sounded forced, and this got Sarthak thinking.
'Is something wrong, Snigdha? Am I missing something?' he asked in a concerned voice, since he had taken a liking to the lovely looking girl sitting in front of him.

'Umm...nothing...just that your beard is...well, do you always keep it this way?', she asked in a matter-of-fact tone.
'Errrr...no, not at all! I prefer the neat, clean shaven look! This is just for an amateur play I am performing in. It's scheduled for Saturday evening.'
Snigdha heaved a sigh of relief! 'Thank God! You will look much more handsome without this stubble! Once the play is staged, will you then shave it off please?' she laughed, her cheeks blushing a deep red.

This post is a part of #WillYouShave activity at Blogadda, in association with Gillette.

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I tag my blogger friends –

Nandini Deka, who writes at Nandini Speaks,

Swarna Rao, who blogs at Swarna's Diary, and
Khushboo Motihar, who writes at Munni of all Trades to share their take on #WillYouShave activity. The word limit is 300 words. When you write, please mention that you picked the tag from me.

Here are the suggested prompts for the write-ups –

For men - 

• Missed chances - Stories or instances where you missed out on an opportunity because of a non-shaven face.
• Luck of confidence - Will you leave your fate in the hand of destiny or will you step up and say yes to a well-groomed face to be your best every day.

For ladies - 

• An instance when stubble came in the way of a man's chance to make a good impression.
• An instance when a well-groomed look ensured that they stuck gold on an opportunity given to them.

This post is a part of #WillYouShave activity at Blogadda, in association with Gillette.
Photo Courtesy: www.etsy.com

Bye Bye No Shave November!

This post is in response to blogger Khushboo Motihar's tag for the #WillYouShave campaign. Her matter-of-fact take on lazy men turning up unshaved for formal meetings only reiterated what my thoughts on the issue.  And it's not just us, many bloggers of I've interacted with share the same sentiment that men with unkempt beard or stubble leave a not-so-perfect impression.

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November is gone, and it has left me feeling happy and well, relieved. Relieved, yes you read that right. I am relieved because I can now hope about seeing more men embracing December with a clean shaven, spic and span look. I have had enough of seeing quite a few of them dressing up their laziness in garbs of fancy causes. So bye bye to ‘No Shave November’ and a warm hello to squeaky clean (hopefully) December! 

For all of you have not heard about the concept of No Shave November, it’s a custom of ‘not partaking in the use of a razor for the entire month of November’. This custom is more heard about in the west, where men let their facial hair grow free in the month of November. Of late No Shave November has been associated with spreading awareness and raising funds for cancer research, but the men I see around me seem clueless about the cause, and use the hype around ‘No Shave November’ as a nice excuse to not shave for a month!

But you know how the wise men say that sometimes one has a to pay a price for aping the west and following trends blindly. Something exemplifying this age old wisdom happened with an acquaintance   recently. This will read like a quite a cliché, but in the last week of November, he was short-listed for a face-to-face interview with the HR Manager of a top notch finance firm. Now this yuppie type had been upping his so-called coolness quotient all through the month of November, in the name of showing solidarity with 'No Shave November' month, though slyly admitting that it gave him a valid excuse to avoid shaving.

No Shave month is gone, pick up the razors please!

So he arrives for the interview, immaculately dressed, but for his shabby beard. Needless to say, the beard comes up for dissection in one of the interview questions.

'So you say you are following a trend, Mr. Rao. Does that imply that you will keep following all the trends that come up, and will put them before company's priorities and code of conduct?'
Ah, too bad for Mr. Rao, all his confused babble of yes sirs and no sirs and sorry sirs, failed to change the Manager's decision in his favour. 

This post is a part of #WillYouShave activity at Blogadda, in association with Gillette.

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I tag my blogger friends –

Nandini Deka, who writes at Nandini Speaks,
Swarna Rao, who blogs at Swarna's Diary, and
Ranjith, who writes at A Light Hearted Talk to share their take on #WillYouShave activity. The word limit is 300 words. When you write, please mention that you picked the tag from me.

Here are the suggested prompts for the write-ups –

For men - 

• Missed chances - Stories or instances where you missed out on an opportunity because of a non-shaven face.
• Luck of confidence - Will you leave your fate in the hand of destiny or will you step up and say yes to a well-groomed face to be your best every day.

For ladies - 

• An instance when stubble came in the way of a man's chance to make a good impression.
• An instance when a well-groomed look ensured that they stuck gold on an opportunity given to them.

This post is a part of #WillYouShave activity at Blogadda, in association with Gillette.
Photo Courtesy: shavingemporium.co.uk

#AbMontuBolega Campaign: Let's All Speak Up!

O you uncleji, behind the tree,

That’s not a suitable place to pee,
Urinals are the best place I say,
To relieve yourself in a hygienic way.

They made the roads to walk and drive,
You’ve turned them into a spittoon you see,
High time you learn some manners clean,
And get rid of your spitting spree.

Montu, from the #AbMontu Bolega Campaign has been inspiring people to speak up, and you can see that I am inspired too - inspired to be vocal about the causes that are close to my heart. Corruption, gender bias, eve-teasing and on top of the list is the apathy towards public cleanliness. I understand Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan is the flavour of the season - with one celebrity after another lending their name to the cause, and showcasing in the media how they are doing their bit for a cleaner India. But since the cause had already been in my personal causes agenda for long, the frenzied public interest in 'cleanliness' after Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi launched the campaign only just about amused me.

It's bizarre to see people harping about cleanliness while recklessly littering on the roads, dumping garbage bins in public parks and using random public walls and trees as urinals. How disgusting it is to walk on the roadside and see urine trickling down from the walls onto the side-walk! Yuck! And then there are those idiots who conveniently roll down their car windows to throw whatever-they-want-to on the roads - right from fruit skins, to empty bottles to wrappers and used tissues! Filthy morons! And on a wavelength similar to these dimwits are the pan, tobacco and gutkha chewing cretins who regard the roads and the public walls as their personal spittoons, spraying them with the disgusting chewed out concoction. Trust me, the next time I see someone peeing on the roadside, or spitting out on the road, I am going to lecture them hard about how the Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan will lose it's drive if people like them continue with their bawdy habits.

One also needs to voice their opinion to the government in this regard - and ask them to lay down strict cleanliness codes and ask the public to adhere to them. There must be heavy fines for those flouting these rules. Only then can we expect the Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan to be a success.

About #AbMontuBolega Campaign

Strepsils' #AbMontuBolega campaign aims are motivating people to voice their opinion loud and clear, without inhibitions. The protagonist of the campaign is Montu, who has inhibitions about expressing himself in front of his family, friends and colleagues. The campaign captures his journey through various interesting situations in his life where Strepsils provides him with a healthy voice and courage to speak up on issues which matter the most to the youth of today. So let us all join Montu in clearly and fearlessly voicing our opinion about the causes we stand by. It's time we all come together and speak up.

You can follow Strepsils India on Facebook and Twitter to learn more about the #AbMontuBolega Campaign.

Ungroomed Groom? A Big No!

Snigdha looked at her reflection in the washroom mirror. Perfectly arched eyebrows, big kohl-lined eyes with a hint of mascara on the lashes, and glossy pink lips - the light makeup look suited her. Generally she was averse to makeup, but given the occasion, she had decided to put some effort in looking presentable. And now as she looked at herself in the mirror, a smile of satisfaction lit up her face. Touching up her lip gloss, she mentally complimented herself for the effort she had put in, in preparing for this first meeting with Sarthak, the guy her parents had shortlisted for her from a matrimonial website.

They had been talking for two weeks now, getting to know each other before meeting in person. And finally the first face to face meeting was fixed for today in this cafe, close to where Snigdha lived. Taking advantage of the proximity of the meeting point, she had arrived early, to get some extra time for her nervousness to settle down. The tactic was worth it, as half-an-hour on her own here had eased her up and now she eagerly awaited Sarthak, looking up every time the café door opened.  When it did open to let Sarthak in, Snigdha was taken aback by what met her eyes, for the man in question had sauntered in wearing what looked like two day old stubble!

 Stubble is trouble

The unshaven look was a big turn off, to say the least. It seemed suggestive of a callous attitude towards personal grooming and hygiene. ‘This is not how one comes for a first ‘date of sorts’, careless about unsightly black and white stubble,’ she mumbled under her breath. Ungroomed - this was her first impression of Sarthak. And for obvious reasons, it turned out to be the last too.

*This post is inspired by a real incident, the names, of course, have been changed.
**This post is a part of #WillYouShave activity at Blogadda, in association with Gillette.

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I tag my blogger friends –

Ranjith, who blogs at A Light Hearted Talk,
Manjulika Pramod who blogs at Pendown
Nandini Deka, who writes at Nandini Speaks,
Swarna Rao, who blogs at Swarna's Diary, and
Khushboo Motihar, who writes at Munni of all Trades to share their take on #WillYouShave activity. The word limit is 300 words. When you write, please mention that you picked the tag from me.

Here are the suggested prompts for the write-ups –

For men - 

• Missed chances - Stories or instances where you missed out on an opportunity because of a non-shaven face.
• Luck of confidence - Will you leave your fate in the hand of destiny or will you step up and say yes to a well-groomed face to be your best every day.

For ladies - 

• An instance when stubble came in the way of a man's chance to make a good impression.
• An instance when a well-groomed look ensured that they stuck gold on an opportunity given to them.

This post is a part of #WillYouShave activity at Blogadda, in association with Gillette.

Photo courtesy: iamdavegray.com