Selfie is the past, Groupie is the present

I started my life as a professional photographer and I have traveled far and wide across South India to cover various events including marriages, birthday parties, political functions and even crime scene(which I would remember for life since I was called in the middle of the night to click the crime scene).

Those were the days where the film used to be developed in the dark room before the final output(snap) is obtained. I use to carry so many heavy gadgets(mostly batteries) since I always need to have the back-up. Even the cameras used to be huge and bulky. When the digicams were introduced, I was one of the firsts to grab it. They were pretty expensive back then and since I use to travel abroad once in a year, I got most of them well before they were introduced in India.

By 1990, when mobile phones started getting introduced in the market, I was yet again one of the first to grab it. Those days, an incoming call would cost not less than Rs.48 and Outgoing calls at Rs.24 per minute. The camera which my first mobile phone had was a normal one(though I paid a bomb for it). Megapixels on a mobile phone camera did not exist back then. Slowly, when they got introduced, I started following them closely. Though many brands came up with their own specifications with importance given to the brand lens and the Mega Pixels, not many are aware that these would play only a minimal role and all one could rely upon is their personal skills like angle, lighting, not shaking while clicking the pic etc to name a few.

But having said that, one cannot completely ignore the technical aspects of a camera on a mobile phone. The Megapixels do play a vital role when it is used to its fullest efficiency. Another point to note here is the availability of selfie cameras. Though the brands have improved majorly in this aspect, one thing that was missing to make the users enjoy the real Selfie Experience is the absence of wide angle camera. Though this is present in the rear cameras, this wasn’t incorporated for some reason or the other in the front cam. Wouldn’t add more beauty if there are dual selfie cameras? Yes. You can get to experience 120 degree wide angle shot with dual selfie cameras. Wondering where to head to, to know more about this?

Fret not,. All you need to do is to visit http://mobiistar.in/ and Mobiistar on Flipkart.

Coming to the above pic. The pic was clicked when I had been to my Sister’s place. She is nearing 80 and the occasion saw the gathering of whole family. As you could see, the pic was not clicked by me since I stood in the far end and was clicked by my brother-in-law’s son who had to literally stand above a table to cover the wide angle and to click the shot There are also some limitations to the pic as you could see that the image is blurred and the lighting is also not appropriate. Here a dual camera higher mega pixel camera with a wide angle shot would have made a major difference turning the pic into an unbeatable one. This is where #mobiistar comes into the picture. Now you know where to head to and what you need to do….

Gain entrance to Universities with ease

Studying abroad is a DREAM for many of us. It is a matter of pride for the parents to inform others that their son/daughter is studying abroad. The process isn’t simple for sure but having said that, it isn’t difficult either. Those were the days when one has to run to pillar and post to get things sorted but with the advent of internet and social media, the world has shrunk and one can apply by just sitting at home.

While the above is an undeniable fact, the admission in prestigious Universities doesn’t come easy. One has to certainly work for it to earn their admission. While a lot goes into the preparation which includes getting passport and VISA ready for the country we are destined to travel, it also requires the admission letter from the University which plays a vital role in securing the VISA.

One would also have to undergo lot of other things like getting prepared to relocate to another country/continent for a good few years and has to get themselves mentally prepared to adjust to that particular country’s culture, environment, food and lifestyle among many others. We Indians are however blessed with the adaptability clause which gives us an advantage over others since we get settled easily and quickly.

While all the ones that were mentioned above comes later, what comes in the first place is clearing the English Test. If you have been trying to beat around the bush even now, it is time to change. The process is simplified now. It is simplified not with the existing system but with a different one altogether. Wondering what it is all about?

English Language Test would never be so easy. Yes. It is the Pearson’s PTE Academic which has come as a boon for all of us. Yes #DefinitelyPTE has come as our saviour. Do you know this test is accepted worldwide and that includes the prestigious National University of Singapore, London School of Business and Finance(Singapore), Harvard University, Stanford University etc. The list is real long and you would be surprised if I said that this test is accepted 100% in the Universities of Australia, New Zealand and Ireland and 96% of U.K. Universities. With greater flexibility in taking the tests which also includes PTE Preparation Course , I don’t see a reason as to why you should be checking about the English tests elsewhere?

Life cannot become any easier than this. While our kids can certainly take care of themselves when it comes to settling in a different locality and getting accustomed to it, the major hurdle of clearing the English test, isn’t a hurdle anymore. I hope, I made you happy with the information what I have found and shared it here. On a lighter note, before I could end this blogpost of mine, I wanted to share a video with you. Go through it without fail and all the best for your/your kid’s future.

Can we not say it now with fullest confidence that #DefinitelyPTE is the best solution out there for the aspiring students?

Travel and Me

Travel is an integral part of me. It would have been because of my passion and profession. I had an opportunity to practice my profession as a photographer during my initial days before getting into a full time office job and then into marketing in the field of medicine and insurance.

As you could see, I have worked in different sectors spanning over more than 4 decades. Hence the travel opportunities I had was nevertheless limited. It made me to explore India to a greater extent. My only regret is that I never had an opportunity to venture North Eastern parts. Barring that, I had seen most of India.

While I had travelled extensively during my photography profession days to South Indian states mostly, when I was employed with a leading jewel loan company, I was assigned to travel to Goa, New Delhi on a regular basis to conduct training to the staffs who were placed over there.

Apart from this, my passion was to travel overseas once in a year and had been out of the country for almost 15 times. My first ever journey was a challenging one. Back then, we had ship which travelled from Chennai to Singapore. Since I had been on flight once, I wanted to try it out. It took a gruelling 4-5 days for the ship to reach Singapore. Since I was young and adventurous, I was hale and healthy whereas some of my friends who came along with me had “sea sickness”. We travelled in a low priced deck though it did not prevent me to venture into other areas. I faced a case filed under FERA after I came back since I was found to be carrying more Forex than prescribed. Those were the days when there was no awareness that existed among the travellers and I was one of the unfortunate lot. I faced it and came out of it.

What I wanted to point out from my experience is:

1. Never be unaware of the rules ans regulations especially when you are travelling outside the nation.

2. Be bold and honest. If you have not done anything incorrect, there is nothing to fear.

3. Seek the help from your friend or neighbour, if you are unsure. Do not assume.

4. Keep a ab on your expenses as you may get stranded if you run out of money in a foreign land.

My experiences would very much qualify to write a memoir and hence I am not sharing all of them here.

I had the opportunity to take few of my friends for their first ever trip to Singapore and Malaysia which is still evergreen in my memories. I always believed in being organised and keeping up the time which has helped me in many ways when I travelled far and wide. Should you need any tips on travel, do not hesitate to reach out to me.

This video about travel is so lively. I liked it a lot thought of sharing it with you all.

Do spread the word and it is sharing that would always help others. Do click here to know more and get lucky to travel to the destination you wanted to.

Water is scarce. Use it with care

Why do we talk about colonisation of Mars and other planets?

Why are we searching for life signs and existence of water in other planets?

It is all because of shifting our base to any of them, when we run out of water one day. You may argue that there is no need for that. While, the Earth has enough water to supply, the rate at which it is depleting is alarming. We have already come across a horrifying news of South Africa’s beautiful Cape Town being declared “Zero Day” city since they ran out of water. We have also heard from various sources about our own Bengaluru heading real fast towards it.

What are we doing to Save Water?

To start with, how many of you have installed the Rain Water Harvest System in your place/home? Do you want this is in the first place?

Rain Water Harvest is a system which enables us to save the precious rain water by not letting them go in the drains. It is almost compulsory in Tamil Nadu where the sanctions for the newly constructed houses would be given only after the RWH installation is complete. How many of the other States has made it compulsory is a million dollar question.

The system does not cost much when it comes to installation and the benefit it gives in the long run cannot be compared in monetary terms since it ensures that each and every one lives a quality life without the question of “water shortage”

There is an important message that has been conveyed through this video for all of us. Take a look before I discuss further on the issue ->

We hardly care about preserving the water and its resources. Lakes have been transformed to properties. When there is no catchment areas, where will the water go during the time of heavy rains? It would eventually flood our house adding more woes to us. While this is one of the case of sheer mismanagement, what do we do on our own when it comes to preserving the water?

1. We allow the water to overflow from the overhead tanks for hours. Why not install a sensor instead which would automatically switch off the motor thereby saving good amount of water, everyday.
2. We do not close our taps properly an though it may appear to be a single drop getting wasted for few seconds or minutes, imagine how much water gets wasted in a year and in a decade from a single house.
3. We flush out each time we use the western toilet rather than using it only when it is appropriate. These manufacturing companies should come up with new models which has option to select – For Piss and for Pee
4. We use shower for our bath. While this isn’t bad for a quick one, those using it for a prolonged time, end up wasting more water than necessary and we also have the habit of using the bath tub or shower when we go to a hotel since it is coming for free. Remember one thing, the more you use, the more you are in trouble, in the future.

The above mentioned are few where we end up using more water than necessary. Even for our garden, it is better to use recycled water to water the plants. Will we be enough considerate to leave a safe and green world for the future generation?

 I have signed the petition too. I would urge you to do the same by clicking here

The Story Of A Suicide – A Social Awareness

A story cannot be so compelling and try to bring about a change in the society.  The Story Of A Suicide which can be accessed at http://www.storyofasuicide.com/ just tried emulating that. I am sure this would bring in the desired change for which it was written.

An excellent novel by Sriram Ayer, this story details out the hardships faced by youngsters when they grew up. The fear of disclosing their like on a fellow person, abuses, bullying, love, hatred were captured in minute detail in this story. The illustrations adds more value to the story. What is even more encouraging is the availability of audio book which I must say is a boon to differently abled person too.

What makes this story different?

The portrayal of characters and the flow of the story coupled with various incidents makes it really interesting. At one stage, it will even make you to guess as to what will happen next.I must confess that the author has brought out the characters in such a realistic way that I had teardrops on my eyes when I finished reading it.

Plot of the Story:

There were 4 friends. Sam,Charu,Hari and Mani. The entire story revolves around these characters. Sam saves Mani in the very beginning of the story but what he does in the end takes a precious life.

The story shows how technology, if used incorrectly can bring devastating effects. Do go ahead and read this interesting story yourself to understand the virtues.

My advice:

Do not think that suicide is the only option. It will not end your miseries. It will fuel it more, for your family. Think twice before you take that decision. We are born to live and face the challenges. Let us LIVE and Face it…..

Grow Baby Grow

We all yearn for a Child. We do anything to give birth to a kid. The kid brings colors to our life with their innocent smile and it is the kids who brings immense happiness in any family.

Hence we take great care right from the day we have heard about our spouse being diagnosed with pregnancy. While we take utmost care during the pregnancy, the same care may not be shown or taken after the child was born. This is not good and must be avoided. While most of these cases happen by neglect, some do happen because of lack of awareness. We do think that when our child eats something or the other, they tend to get stronger which is a myth. Not all the kids would become stronger by eating whatever they could or get.

What forms the basis of this is the intake of food which is rich in protein, vitamins and minerals. This will automatically trigger the growth metabolism inside the kid’s body which would stimulate all the growth cells and lead them to a healthy and effective growth.

As a father, I had taken great care on my kid’s growth. My utmost priority is not to make them obese and secondly they should not have growth which is not unhealthy. When a kid grows, they must be given all the physical training so that they sweat out a lot which would ensure all the bad salts are taken away from their body. When we talk about eliminating bad salts, equal care should be given on the intake as well. Thankfully out Indian food gives way to acquiring some of these essential vitamins and minerals, though not all.

Hence there comes the need of suitable or viable food supplement that takes care of these. As a father, I would not wish to see my son or daughter not grown according to their age. As we are living in information technology world, we now have access to most of the information with regards to Body Mass Index(BMI) and other information/data. Hence as a well informed parent, my duty is also to ensure that my id does not miss out the critical phase on their life – growth phase.

I can ensure they get this by giving all that is required for growth by making them taller and at the same time stronger – by giving all necessary strength to their bones without compromising on their sharpness of mind. When my kids possess all these qualities, I can feel proud about them but most importantly as a parent, I feel content of having provided or given them all that they would want.

When a kid is given all that is required by their parents, they need not have to worry about anything. They would not miss out on their growth phase which is really critical and having a good growth is half work done. Do not compromise on your child growth and do not encourage your kid to have junk food.Lets Eat Healthy and Stay Healthy!!

For information about Child’s Growth and other essential information, check on https://growthplus.horlicks.in/

Why Datsun redi-GO is my preferred hatchback?

We live in the world where you get to see a new release on anything and everything almost every day but there are only few which would stand the test of the time and preferred by all. These will be in our heart, mind and soul forever. Datsun is one such brand. Being a brand which has introduced many innovations with affordable pricing there is no wonder as to why I started liking it.

Through this blog post I am going to list out the three important features I liked the most with Datsun redi-GO hatchback.

Feature -1

Small Turning Radius

This is something I was longing on a four wheeler for a while. I am an adventurous person and to manoeuvre on hilly roads, small turning radius is an essential one. This also comes handy while we drive the hatchback on city roads. With a mere 4.7 metre turning radius, I can handle this hatchback with ease – without any trouble and tension.

Feature – 2

Best-In-Class Ground Clearance

This is something any person would look out on a four wheeler for sure. We may not be traveling on a flat road all the time. When you are in the field of marketing especially, it goes without saying that you need to travel far and wide across the country. You may have pot-holes and bumps and speed breakers which you need to tackle day in and day out. If you do not have a higher ground clearance, there are all the chances of your car underground body chassis getting damaged. with 185 mm ground clearance, I can say with great confidence that Datsun redi-GO has the best-in-class ground clearance.

Pic Credit – Datsun redi-GO

Feature – 3

Drive Computer

This is what you can call revolutionary since this allows me to get to know about the instantaneous and average mileage, distance to empty, fuel remaining, and much more which is displayed right in front of your eyes.

This comes handy for a Marketing Professional like me since it is nearly next to impossible to keep a tap on fuel consumption and since the mileage also depends on the roads we travel, this would help me in knowing the details with greater perfection. This feature would help me a lot in getting to know the exact mileage and how much fuel is available and the approx distance I can cover with that. I can perfectly gauge if I would fall short especially when I am traveling on a highway keeping me well equipped in advance.

Pic Credit – Datsun redi-GO

Datsun redi-GO will help me in tackling the urban roads with ease as I am seated safely inside enjoying the pleasure of amenities while I was driving.

Since Datsun redi-Go has all the features that ensures safety and perfect driving experience, I would wish to take this on the terrain roads of Leh-Ladakh since I was always skeptical of taking my four wheeler fearing for its turning radius and driving comfort. Yes. I would test Datsun redi-Go on treacherous roads of Leh-Ladakh to prove to the World that this is the hatchback that would perfectly fit the bill, anytime anywhere.

Fun. Freedom. Confidence. The ultimate Urban Cross – Datsun redi-GO – the capability of a crossover with the convenience of a hatchback.

 

Why we need few things in Life?

I had a thought provoking idea.

Why we need few things in life? Are they inter-related? Do they have any effect in Our life? If you ask me, my answer is a big YES!

I would explain it with some examples here.

We all need some peppy moments in our life. Don’t we? How long will we live a same life without any change. A peppy moment like a date(before marriage), an overseas trip, a lottery win, a gift from you near and dear, a meet and greet with a celebrity etc can bring in a drastic change in our routine life. I am sure you all will agree to my point.

A peppy mood can be created by Music. Yes. A peppy number. When you are in sad mood, won’t your mood change after listening to some fast beat? I am sure it will. Why does this happen? It happens because music has the power to heal any kind of mood. When you know that you are let down by something, a peppy music number can help you overcome that situation.

Do you see a connect over here? Yes. They all are interlinked. Don’t you agree now?

What this creates in return is an impact. An impact that can have help you overcome any difficulty or situation. It is this impact which can help you in the long run.

Any impact which is positive will have an ever lasting effect. It is thus an important phenomenon. They are the one which keeps you going. An impact that is being created through positive note can help you overcome your difficulties.

Looking at various things that is interconnected, do not take things for granted. If this is the case, why would you want to risk by not exploring this option?

Music is a great healer. A peppy number can help you overcome difficulty. There is a connect because a peppy number is nothing but a music and when the music is composed beautifully well, we call them fantastic. Isn’t it great?

We also navigate to find the correct tune/music we want. Life is full of ups and downs. It is how we take things forward. Take it as it comes and explore it to the fullest. When you are benefited, you can also spread the happiness to others because it is this which would make others happy as well because if it has worked for you, it would work for others as well.

Try exploring it. You will not regret. It is something that is worth trying. Are you ready?

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.

Music – my best friend

Music is a Healer. Music can be your best friend. I can say it is at least my best friend. Music can heal any situation.

You would have seen or heard about Music healing lot of ailments in various places. Music is actually a wonder. I embraced it as a kid. I enhanced my skills by singing songs. I attracted many of my friends with it. I was requested by my family members to take part in singing reality show but I did not do it. Not all would prefer to exhibit their talent. There are lot of talented singer in this country as we see them come out in great numbers year on year in the recent past – after the singing reality show had begun in many channels.

There is ample opportunity to all since India is the home to largest ever movie releases in a year. India is the country where talents are in abundance. Those who wish to hog the limelight come out where as more number of them are still bathroom singers. I am sure you would agree to this point.

Why Music?

It gives you instant fame. It makes you a celebrity. For some it is like a Meditation and it makes them express in a better way than others. Music can be your best friend. It certainly is my best friend because you can converse with it. I had instances where I use to feel lonely but I always had the chance to come out of it because I had a walk-man and I use to record songs. Remember those days, we never had iPod and other music system. I used to keep listening to the songs over and over again and by doing so, I had perfected on many songs. This had also helped me in improving the pronunciation of certain words. Music can be a perfect partner in harmony. You cannot afford to leave it once you have made it as your partner.

Music had taught me so many things and what I am now, a part of it is attributed to music. It is this which made me get lot of friends during my college days. It is music which helped me divert my concentration when ever I felt lonely. Having given so much without expecting anything in return, is it not apt for me to call Music as my best friend? It certainly is my best friend and I am sure it is the same in the lives of many others too. Music will live as long as this Universe lives. Long live Music!!!

 

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.

Confluence

Can you be a better navigator while doing some other activity like listening to Music?

The answer is Yes.

All you need is greater concentration which would see you reach the destination. Music cannot aggravate the situation but help you in soothing the tension, if you are driving after having a troubled day at work. This helps you in a different way which is to make you relax and when you relax, your mind would start working better and you will not miss the right path/road leading to your house.

Music is directly proportional to your happiness. It can pep up your mood. So listening to music while driving will make no harm which is why you could see almost all the 4 wheelers are fitted with music systems. Some have real good and big ones which would create so much of noise that you can find them coming even when their vehicle is half a kilometre away. This isn’t actually good because what they are doing is creating noise pollution and they are also responsible themselves in the risk of becoming deaf. These kind of things shouldn’t be encouraged. Only those who do not create trouble for others are a welcoming one.

Navigation is an art. You need to predict at times as to how the traffic would be in a particular place depending upon the time and day you leave and go via that road. We all know well that on weekends and on national holidays, roads are less crowded. However we should not take that as granted and drive or ride the vehicle at our own will and wish because here, we are putting other life’s at stake. We need to be a responsible person at all point.

We see people celebrating the new year with great happiness but they should keep in mind that by doing activities like wheeling, drink and drive, they risk their own lives as well. These thing should not happen. On the other hand, if you are hiring a driver after being drunk, it is the most good thing one does. This should be highlighted and encouraged. I do not support drinking or smoking as it injures one’s health but it is an individual wish and a person who wants to or have an intention to drink, will drink at any cost irrespective of advice given.

When you are happy, you can pep up others around you and this would see happiness being created automatically. Life is all about living it to the full and enjoying it. Let us enjoy this Life!!

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.