Sweet, Silly, Fun...

It is Holi today. 

But as much as the title may read like or sound like the sweets we have, the silly things we do, and the fun we have on this festive day, this post is not centered around a festival.

~~~

This post could as well be about babies and their sweet, silly and fun mannerisms, couldn't it? :)

I'm sure, each of us must've have played with a baby, at least once in our lifetimes.

I say at least once because for some of us, playing with a baby might be a routine affair.

Why?

There is a good chance that you may be a baby's parent or a close relative.

~~~

A baby is a blessing.
A gift from heaven above.

A precious little angel.
To cherish and to love.

~~~

I myself, have seen two kids grow up, right from the crawling, to the baby talk, to the walking and the prim and proper conversations.

First to arrive was my brother's daughter.

Second to follow was my own daughter.

Two angels.

~~~

Each kid has their own mannerisms.

Some are happy, some cranky, some hyperactive, some adamant, some picky.

But kids are kids.

~~~

They have a certain glow, a certain aura brimming with purity, and a blissful outlook.

Kids love to explore.

At least our angels did.

What made them happy, was the fact that we were always by their side.

Tackling their curiosity, with us, at our wit's ends.

~~~

Making bubbles with them, during those warm water baths, and admiring the amazement in their eyes on witnessing something which could fly without wings.

Marvelling at their belief of us being truly startled by their 'You see me, You see me not' antics.

Whiling away time, playing with their favourite toys.

Be it the role - playing games, the puzzles, jigsaws, the doll which would clap at the spin of a key, or the makeshift Tower Of Hanoi.

All of these would light up their adorable faces with contentment.

Teaching them their ABCs and 123s and rhyming away with their special ways of recitation of rhymes.

Accompanying them as toddlers ourselves, by responding to them in baby talk! ^_^

~~~

Above all, making sure that they are blessed with good health, by providing them with the best baby-essentials.

Be it the soap, the oil, the moisturizing cream, or the soft towelettes, or the diapers with the surety of being dry and rash-free all day long, thanks to Magic Gel.

~~~

Teaching them to establish kinship with and become nature's comrades.

Observing them jumping with joy, at the sight of a curled up snail, amidst those plants in pots.

Noticing them observe the intricate details of the honeycomb, when a queen bee had indeed come with her comrades, to establish her workforce in our terrace garden.

Relishing the divine sweetness of truly natural honey, together at the dinner table, as dessert.

Respecting my daughter's meticulousness in reviving a fallen baby sparrow, and feeding it thinly sliced watermelon skin.

~~~

Such episodes deserve to be remembered till posterity.

It is these episodes, which shower pearls of joy, laughter, amazement and surprise, when we ponder on them, later in life.

It is these episodes which knock on our heart's door, to unlock the child within, every once in a while.

~~~

This post has been written as a part of Indi Happy Hours' Dry Baby, Happy Baby in association with Pampers India and IndiBlogger. 

When You #LookUp...

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Life is a bouquet of instances.
Some sweet, some sour, some bitter.

Episodes which dissolve distances.
Memories to collect, from that scatter.

The moments which make us smile.
With joy, amazement, surprise et al.

Incidents which make us #LookUp.
Bow in thanks, to the Lord above.

~~~

Instances such, are aplenty.
Just look through with hope.

Episodes such, speak of optimism.
 Memories etched for a lifetime.

The moments inviting positivity.
Into our times, and our lives.

Incidents which make us #LookUp.
With gratitude, and in benevolence.

~~~

Life and its ways.
They are unique in their own special ways.

The Almighty has his own ways of manoeuvring through.
He presents us with avenues, mostly unexpected, mostly pleasant.

For unpleasant times, however.
There is a silver lining in the greyest of clouds.

For the many closed doors in the vicinity.
There lies hidden an open one, to be explored.

~~~

In my life as well, there has been such a bouquet of intricately embroidered moments.

Moments spent well, with family and friends, nears and dears.

These are the moments which have defined me in my entirety.

~~~

For the episodes, when I was presented with a bitter face of tough times, I too, have put on my brave face to present to time, instead. 

Rising like a phoenix from the ashes, surpassing all personal trifles and looking at our world, not confined to our own selves but to the world, to the universe at large, becomes necessary to realize that there are more important avenues awaiting ahead. 

The present situation may appear to be the worst of all, in that instance, for sure. But one must not overlook the fact that if the glass looks half empty, it ought to look half full as well! :) 

~~~

It is this hope, optimism, determination and courage, which keeps the born achievers on their track. 

However. it is completely alright to get bogged down by the mountain-like difficulty, at first. 

What is needed, is the confidence to pick oneself up, put up a brave face and bog down the difficulty itself, in the end. 

~~~

That is how life works. 

Hope reigns. 

Optimism prevails. 

You emerge as the ultimate winner. 

~~~

I look for my inspiration to draw the optimism out of any situation, from that archaic ant which tirelessly perseveres to climb to the top.

I look for my inspiration to keep on trying from King Robert and that spider in a cave.

~~~

I hope for happier times ahead, with my family and friends being in the pink of health.

I hope for a calmer prospect for the world at large.

I hope for a world devoid of all malaise.

I hope for a world brimming with calm and peace.

~~~

#LookUp to the Almighty.

Pray.

For, such is the power of  prayer.

Mountains are reduced to minuscule molehills.

And, molehills to insignificant grains of sand.

~~~

This post has been written as a part of Indi Happy Hours' #LookUp in association with Housing and IndiBlogger. 

P.S.: The Collage has been created using my smartphone. Images fpr the collage have been sourced from an advert spanning four pages, by Housing, in my English Daily.

Of Self-Confidence And Such...

I am sure if I had not been blessed to have her as my mother, probably I would never have learned the real meanings of words like self-respect, self-esteem, self-reliance, and self-pride. The real meaning of each of the words mentioned above was very important to understand. She helped me by explaining their importance in life. I also learned from her how each of these characteristics is to be built within, sustained, groomed and utilized at appropriate times.

I remember the first instance when she felt the need of these qualities to be imbibed in me when I was in fourth grade at school. It was a minor argument that I had had with my teacher, Mrs. Talpade, in the school, which the teacher took to her heart and decided to torture me against this altercation. Few days back she had given some 'Colour The Following Objects' sheets to be done as an assignment, which I could not do as I was not feeling well that day as soon as I reached home. I told Mrs. Talpade the reality and asked her permission to do it in the class so that I could also submit it to her. Mrs. Talpade never acknowledged my reason for being unwell and kept arguing that I was not telling her the truth. She felt that I did not do the coloring at home the previous day as I had decided intentionally, not to do it. I kept telling Mrs. Talpade that the argument she was giving was wrong and the only reason for not doing it was the illness. For not acknowledging her opinion, she got angry and made me stand outside the classroom for the rest of the period.

My heart was not able to accept this punishment for no fault of mine. I seriously thought that an action like punishment should take an independent party’s opinion before its execution. For example,
in this case, the argument should have been judged by the Principal of my school to ascertain whether the punishment given by my teacher was right or wrong. That day, upon reaching home, I narrated to my mother the whole incidence. She felt very happy to know my opinion on the concept of punishment. She praised me a lot for the clarity in my thoughts and ideas. She gave me a task. I was to convey the same message to my Principal. There were two ways of doing it. Either she could have accompanied me, the next day to school to meet my Principal, told her the complete story and requested her to counsel Mrs. Talpade so that the same incident did not happen again with any other child or she could have encouraged me to go to the Principal and narrate the entire incident.

She opted for the latter, and the lack of courage in me was reduced to a big fat zero, by her relevant encouraging stories. It really helped me a lot - in going to my Principal in a confident manner and taking her opinion on the same incident. I asked her permission to meet, in the morning for an appropriate time, met her at that time, and told her the complete story very clearly. Mrs. Talpade was immediately called to the Principal's room, warned not to repeat such acts in the school and after she left, I got praised by my Principal.

~~~

This post has been written as a part of Indi Happy Hours' #MyFamilyMyPride in association with HDFC Life and IndiBlogger.

The Deal That Was...

Twenty years back I bought a Maruti 800CC which adorned our place for almost ten years. Some day, I decided to sell it off to upgrade my vehicle by buying a 1000CC car. The plan was to simultaneously sell my existing car and buy the desired one. There was nothing like an online portal to support me to execute this transaction, back then. I was confined to my locality's people, local car brokers and probably a small advertisement in the city newspaper. I started announcing my plan to everyone I was meeting those days – in the market, at my wokplace, on the way and wherever possible. The purpose was to know if someone was interested in buying my car, with the specs it offered or if someone was interested in selling his existing car matching my requirements. This did not help much.

Talking to local car brokers raised my hope to some extent. The guys were, though, more interested in the model I wanted to buy rather than showing a similar enthusiasm for selling my car. I realized they were boasting of a one-sided zeal in their business. Most of them offered lucrative deals for selling one of the cars they had with them by indicating that those were the best cars they had. Well maintained, single person driven, offering the best price and mileage, thereby turning out to be the best deal for me, on the overall. It was also said that these best vehicles would not remain with them for long, as they were selling lioke hot cakes. I was prompted to decide quickly and buy one of those cars by paying them the best price, which they were supposedly offering exclusively for me.

In lieu, I could transfer my existing vehicle in their custody, and as and when it was sold off, I would be paid the quoted amount as per mutual decisions. Nobody was sure by when, and also if I would be able to get the exact amount which I had quoted. All of it looked dicey and fake to me. The third option of placing a advertisement in the local newspaper fetched not even a single response. Finally, it turned out to be a very unsatisfying deal when I had to buy the car I wanted, at an exorbitantly extrapolated price and my existing car was sold at a much lower price than what I had in mind. Overall it was a win – lose game where the broker won by making money from both the deals, and I lost, as I paid higher prices in buying and received a very low price in selling the vehicle. Later, I identified that the car I had bought was not what I was promised, inside out. There were many shortfalls in the car, which were very smartly hidden at the time of the final deal, may be because I trusted the seller and broker.

How I wished for a neat and fair place where people like me could personally meet people with similar interests and make the deal without an intermediary like a dealer, minting money from both ends! Probably, the Almighty granted my wish and materialised it though, a bit late, in the shape of Quikr NXT. This is an online portal where I am now going to sell my existing hatchback and go for a sedan. I am hundred percent sure that it will be best of the deals, where both

sides will be winning.

~~~ 

This post has been written as a part of Indi Happy Hours' #QuikrNXT in association with Quikr and IndiBlogger.

#BefikarUmarBhar, With Lifesurance!

What if you were told that the old-school concept of life insurance had now been revamped to Lifesurance?

What if you were told that you could live on to become a centenarian, sans any stress or tension?

To be honest, I've not developed any potion or such recipe for turning mortal beings into immortal deities.

The people at IDBI Federal Life Insurance have done it.

Well, they've not devised any such potion.

What they've come up with, is the concept of #BefikarUmarBhar.

~~~

With so many tensions in life, its charm is reduced to the size of an iota. The life which we claim to be living, progresses to become more and more mechanical and we keep on striving for joy, enjoyment and some moments of bliss. There are moments aplenty when we are able to enjoy the company of our friends and family members, moments which make time come to a standstill, moments which are so magical and fulfilling!

But, to our disbelief, we overlook most of them. With an immersion in all such tensions, I am compelled to wonder. How would life be sans all such stress, sans all such tension? Which would be the prime concerns, the top priorities, the unfulfilled passions I would like to pursue? What would my bucket list look like, if I were to be #BefikarUmarBhar?

~~~

Coupling my profession with undiscovered talent : My first task would be to do good to the young, bright minds of our country, who have not been able to utilize their potential to the fullest. I would purchase a huge plot of land, build my own school and impart knowledge to those children, for them to be able to acquire practiclal skills. My school would focus more on skill - honing, rather than a regular routine of class tests, homeworks, projects etc. It would focus on the essence of life and its teachings. I would like to raise them to the podium tthey deserve in life, to uplift them to such a level that they learn the importance of self-reliance and self esteem. 

Enjoying life, my way : I have always wished to embark on a World Tour. A tour, for the completion of which, I am able to spend my money, to my heart's content, without bothering about the expenses incurred. I wish to unleash the traveler within me!

Developing a unique office environment : I would like to establish a business, where creativity would be prime. Each employee would be a stakeholder in profit and not merely a salaried individual. 

Building my personal library : I would love to build my personal library where I would collect all those books which built me, those which aided me in advancing intellectually and those which are full of wisdom. Anyone would be welcome to gain access by availing membership, provided they are as zealous and respectful to this treasure.

Relaxing in nature's lap : I would love to own a luxurious villa away from the  hustle and bustle of city life. It would serve as the perfect getaway from the perpetual tensions of life. I would be able to retreat to greener and more peaceful pastures, at my will.

This post has been written as a part of Indi Happy Hours' #BefikarUmarBhar in association with IDBI Federal Life Insurance and IndiBlogger.

#UnconditionalLove For My Zenfone!

I'm constantly being vexed by a grave problem in my life since the day I purchased my Zenfone 5, from ASUS. Prior to its arrival, I had only one love in life - my husband. But now, there exists a certain competition. After the Zenfone 5 came into my life, there is a consistent fight within, to ascertain who is more powerful, intelligent, versatile and important for me. This year, it was the first Valentine's day when I had to finally take a call and declare a clear winner.

As is evident, a winner always emerges victorious out of competition. Also, any competition provides us with a set of parameters to ascertain the winner, in true sense. There was a time, when both the competitors decided to put up their best fight and neither was ready to give up and compromise. So, I stepped into the scene with the following parameters:

Timeless Design and Stylish Looks: My Zenfone 5 flaunts a simple yet innovative design, incorporating the iconic concentric circle finish with a certain fine texture, thus lending it a classic look and feel. My Zenfone exudes an unparalleled confidence. The confidence which I miss, in my ex-valentine. I too, was shocked at this revelation, because he has been my valentine since the past two decades! :o

MY ASUS ZENFONE 5... :)

The Metallic Concentric Circle Finish

Immunity Towards Accidental Damage: My Zenfone 5 boasts of a strong defense mechanism as it comes equipped with Corning Glass. Corning Glass provides it a scratch proof surety under any kind of circumstances. There will not be any scratches or accidental screen damages. EVER. On the other hand there is always hue and cry even if there is a minutest of scratch and an emergency like situation is created when it is about my husband. Well, it should be. After all, we are human. Accidents may occur, in all probability. But, what if you get to choose between uncertainty of damage at the time of accident and life-time immunity to accidents? :)

Battery Life: The youthful Zenfone 5 possesses a durable battery and prides on longer battery

life. My husband, on the other hand, tires much faster and needs more rest. The age factor is weighing heavy on him, now.

Responsiveness: The Zenfone 5 delivers unmatched performance, without any compromises, whatsoever. The leader of them all, is embedded into my Zenfone. With Intel Inside, my Zenfone gives me its best. Be it performance or power efficiency. That too, without compromising on battery life. What more could I ask for? :D 

Disappointingly, that is not the case with my husband. More often than not, he is lost in his conference calls and excel sheets. Whenever some housework requires his assistance, I have to bother him multiple times, for it to be done on time! :P

The Striking Display, which switches among screens effortlessly. :)

The ability to see, what others cannot see: The perfect stills are captured. ALWAYS. Thanks to my ASUS Zenfone 5. Its owl-eyed low-light still capturing capability, bowled me over. Have a look at some of its still AND video capturing modes and you'll know what I intend to convey. 

On the other hand, when I look at my husband, he has started looking at the whole world in mundane, black and white. Everything seems to be the same to him, as he lacks the variety in perspective, which my Zenfone does not. 

Some Photo Modes : Night, Low Light, Selfie, Miniature, Depth Of Field, Smart Remove, All Smiles, Beautification, GIF

All Video Modes : Auto, Low Light, Miniature, Time Lapse

So, now you definitely know.

My Zenfone 5 is my ideal Valentine, from now on.

Why shouldn't it be? ;)

~~~

~~~

This post has been written as a part of Indi Happy Hours' #UnconditionalLove in association with ASUS India and IndiBlogger.

Level Up With Quikr NXT!

This is the biggest marketplace of the country where various buyers and sellers from all across India, irrespective of their geographic location can interact. This is lively and interactive, and not like an ad in the center page of a newspaper or on one of those shopping channels. You can easily create your account for free here to be a buyer or a seller; or for that sake, both. You can publish your product details as a seller and start getting approached by buyers in no time. This is Quikr, the grand plaza for buyers and sellers across India.

~~~

The portal has recently unlocked a new level of customer satisfaction. This is something quite unique and really beneficial for the buying and selling community. Now there is Quikr NXT, a newly launched, and unique mobile chat platform that connects these two communities in an innovative style. There are many features that deserve to be mentioned. Quikr NXT enables buyers and sellers to connect with each other with complete freedom, security and surety.

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You are not bound to attend to a phone call at odd hours. You don’t have the risk of missing an important call, lingering on. You don’t have to check if the call flashing on your mobile from an unknown number is related to your new ad posted on Quikr or not.

~~~

To counter all such issues, Quikr’s NXT is a perfect answer. There are many excellent features that ensure its usefulness and necessity.

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Three of these features are:

1. You have total freedom to receive the important messages, as per your time and need and reply to them without the risk of losing any of the important messages. For instance if you are a buyer, and you have seen a relevant ad of the same product which you want to buy, you would be prompted to connect to the seller instantly. That is where Quikr NXT comes handy. Just send a message to seller regarding the same and probably instantly or within some time, you will get a response from the seller. It goes vice versa as well. If you are a seller and your ad draws the attention of a suitable buyer, you would be receiving the relevant message on your Quikr NXT app in no time. Probably that buyer will also be eager enough to respond back in the affirmative to close the deal at the earliest. 

2. Share unlimited photos of your product on Quikr NXT. You can satisfy your buyers by sharing as many photos of the product as you want on Quikr. The photos remain a part of your repository in the app and probably, the next time when you have to share those photos with someone else, it will be quicker and more efficient on Quikr NXT. 

3. Your communication is safe and secure on Quikr NXT. Though you are always communicating with some potential buyers and sellers on Quikr NXT, your mobile number is secure and is not visible to anyone. In fact, you are communicating through a secured layer of Quikr NXT app. This ensures a certain level of privacy, and hassle free transactions from your side also. 

~~~

P.S. : The image has been taken from Quikr's Happy Hours page on IndiBlogger.

This post has been written as a part of Indi Happy Hours' #QuikrNXT in association with Quikr and IndiBlogger.

#GoSleek With ASUS India!

Being a working woman, choosing my gadgets carefully, becomes a necessity.

For if I have to stay connected on the go, I can rely on nothing, but the best.

And, gadgets are integral to the Blogger's existence.

For, a blogger must be connected, to the social media, and to her circles, wherever she goes.

You might have to live-tweet, or even live-blog!

You never know...

~~~

It's best to be prepared for whatever opportunity strikes.

For, if you grab it when the time remains, you are sure to strike gold.

~~~

I must say, ASUS as a brand, has emerged as one of my favorites.

I recently switched to the Zen Phone, and I'm in love with the seemingly infinite, features that it has, to offer.

I've also been looking for a change-over for my Desktop, too.

~~~

I believe, this time around too, I'll be falling back to ASUS as my safety cushion of sorts.

I've been eyeing their All In One PC for quite some time now.

~~~

First, it has the latest Windows OS, as opposed to my Desktop's somewhat obsolete OS.

Second, it has an inbuilt UPS, to prevent data loss for an entire hour.

Third, it is incredibly fast and responsive.

For a lady on the go, who complains of the paucity of time, for the tasks that flood her 'To Do' list, this feature comes as a breath of fresh air.

When it comes with Intel Inside, there is no point of question.

The device makes a statement, and a very bold statement at that.

Fluidity, smoothness, speed, all coupled with accuracy!

What more could I ask for?

Portability is a HUGE plus point.

So is the fact that this device boasts of the ability to stay perpetually connected!

ASUS's All In One PC ET2040 is my dream gadget! :D

~~~

The Innovative Gesture Control comes as a pleasant surprise.

It is a utility for the times when I feel lazy to reach out to the mouse or the keyboard.

अपना हाथ. जगन्नाथ!

In every sense of the phrase, people! :)

~~~

It offers me, the desired connectivity, even on the go.

Its USB 3.0 is ultra-fast and offers smart charging...

They say it will also be compatible with all my existent USB 2.0 devices, too...

~~~

It also has a built in HDMI - out port, which reinstates the belief that I can, with ease and comfort, connect it to my LCD TV, to edit all my excel sheets, with tons of names and marks filled into them.

Do I hear them saying this?

...We will free you from those tiring, night-long sessions, when you had to stare at those dimly lit screens, for hours at a stretch...

The Head Examiner in me - you're free to rejoice, Lady!

Not only does the ET2040 facilitate comfort while I am at work, but it also ensures that I can maximize the level of entertainment at home, when I'm in a mood to relax.

I can connect this PC to my television.

This also means that I can attach it to my home-theater system for movies on my device, which I wish to watch on my TV instead!

~~~

In my humble opinion, ASUS has impressed me once again.

Their All In One PC ET2040 is a work and home integrating device.

It is a family's PC indeed! :)

~~~

As for ASUS's other creation, the EeeBook X205TA...

I would probably gift it to my daughter, as it is a complete student's package in itself.

It is compact and lightweight and comes bundled with MS Office 365, which is perfect for her, as college student, for all her assignments.

As far as my choice for home and for replacing my Desktop goes, I'll be happy with the ET2040. :)

~~~

P.S. : All images have been taken from the ET2040 product page, on Amazon.

This post has been written as a part of Indi Happy Hours' #GoSleek in association with ASUS India and IndiBlogger. Linking it with their two, most stylish and powerful products - ASUS EeeBook X205TA and ASUS All In One PC ET2040

Short Story: #CupidGames With Aman & Sneha...

It was a cold and foggy Saturday morning in the month of February. 

Valentine's Day.

Delhi.

Sneha had just woken up from deep slumber.

At 09:00 AM, that is.

She had slept late the last night, owing to the midnight 'Barbecue 'n' Bonfire' at home, that had lasted well into the middle of night.

She had hit the sack at four. 

Five hours of sleep?

~~~

"That just wouldn't do!

Mom, I told you to wake me up at eleven, didn't I?

I require at least eight hours of beauty sleep!"

 Sneha, said stepping out of the shower.

~~~

Sneha's mother, stepped into her room, with a glass of warm milk in hand.

Sneha was well into her mid - twenties, but couldn't tolerate either tea or coffee.

She liked her good old milk, the best...

Had Mom not reminded her the reason for waking her up early, she would have missed her show!

~~~

Oh!

Did I tell you?

Sneha worked as a Radio Jockey for one of the leading radio stations in the city. 

So, since she was an RJ, Saturday and Sunday were also working days. 

But, music was her passion. 

So, she didn't mind going to work on what the world called as 'weekends'.

~~~

And, it was her daily routine to freshen up and have her milk, immediately after.

She used to read the news, pick up her smartphone and earphones, and with her handbag in tow, she used to step out of the house.

She left home at 11:00 AM, that day.

Sneha's show aired from noon on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

She used to air soft, romantic melodies.

~~~

Since Valentine's was around the corner, she decided to turn her show into a request show, for the entire week before Cupid's Day.

Coincidence or not, February 14, 2015 was to be a Saturday! :)

The plan was to let the listeners tune in and call Sneha, to dedicate a song to their loved one, and then propose to them, ON AIR! :)

~~~

Today was going to be one blast of a day, for Sneha.

She had to be on toes, literally.

For the lines wouldn't stop ringing!

~~~

But, Sneha knew how to multitask.

With perfection at that!

~~~

What she knew not, was that a surprise caller was waiting for her to receive the call.

Hello...

Hello. 

Thanks for calling in.

May I know your name?

My name is Mr. A.

For a moment, Sneha froze.

Mr. A was how she liked to address her boyfriend, Aman!

Nevertheless, she spoke...

Yes, Mr. A.

To whom would you like to dedicate your special song?

Ms. S.

Sneha froze again...

Mr. A and Ms. S were their personal salutations!

Now, Sneha was sure Aman was playing #CupidGames with her...

And which song would you like to dedicate to Ms. S?

Tu Hai Ki Nahi...

From Roy!

That was a mutual favorite, that song!

Sneha couldn't contain herself, any more.

And, what special message do you have for Sneha?

Do you think she will agree?

You could give it a try, Aman...

He popped the question, straightaway...

Will you marry me, RJ Sneha Kapoor?

Yes, Wing Commander, Aman Singh.

~~~

Aman was a Wing Commander, for the Indian Air Force. 

He had stepped boldly on to a public platform, to confess his love for his lady-love!

That was one of his small #CupidGames, which drew them closer...

Close Up together...

Aman And Sneha... :)

~~~

~~~

This post has been written as a part of Indi Happy Hours' #CupidGames in association with Close Up India and IndiBlogger.

Littering, #TheGreatIndianLitterbug Way...

Namaskar... 

You're about to embark on an insightful journey. 

You'll be led into an amazing world. 

A Never-Seen-Before Spectacle.

~~~

Introducing You...

To A Land...

Named India...

Its Citizens...

Go By The Name Of...

Indians...

~~~

You could as well add a 'Proud' as an adjective.

Wait.

You could very aptly address them as 'Shamelessly Proud'... 

~~~

Seems like an oxymoron, does it?

It isn't.

It is an Irony, instead...

~~~

These Indians are a-one-of-a-kind 'species' in themselves!

For...

Their actions speak louder than their words.

But...

They do NOT practice what they preach.

~~~

On one hand. they go all emotional, about the cleanliness of their city, and their country even, for that matter.

 We have a 'Clean My City, Clean My India' type citizen on that front.

Hash-tag स्वच्छ भारत - मेरा भारत, anyone? :)

On the other, it is the same hand maneuvering through the 'Litter My City' Drive, quite effortlessly.

Hash-tag Like A Boss, anyone? :P

~~~

Indians are brand ambassadors in their own right.

They excel at not just one, but a flood of arts.

However, their perception of art is nowhere close to the universe's perception.

For them, art is of five primary colors, contrary to the world, which goes by three primary colors.

Certain terms, related to art, too stand redefined.

~~~

For the world, the colors are Red, Yellow, and Blue.

For Indians, they are:

• Red, for the Paan-tastic Painters, who spit and spit with a 'free - flow'. White walls are their favorite canvases. However, any solid structure would do. These Painters put the  'लाल' in Lal Quila. Roads, walls, stairs, hunky-dory mate! :D  



• White, for the Designer Defacers, who are artists, misled. In all seriousness and with due respect, we must request them to wield their 'creative chalks and painting knives' onto some material medium, like paper, or charcoal and not on to some heritage site's dilapidated walls.
  
  For, all of these sites, which have been robbed of their heritage, and bestowed upon with those pierced hearts, we bow down in reverence. For these Designers have coupled heritage with hearts. 



• Grey, for the Contrasting Car-collage Makers, who love to contrast the grey and white layout of Indian roads, with their myriad-hued litter.
  
  Coming up - A packet of Lay's flying into your face. From - A car-collage maker near you. At - An open window near you.
  
  Seems funny? Not! 



• Rainbow Stink, (a color as unique as the Litterbug) for the Garbage Graphics & Co. , who are brimming with artistic thoughts, opinions, and ideas, at all instants of time.
  
  To your left - A mount-hill of litter, and stench in the air.
  
  To your right - 'Historical Cans' - A container christened as a waste-basket / dustbin by the common folk. With all due respect, these bins gathered dust, being empty. These baskets? Their existence itself was a waste!
  
  For, Indians believe in doing ONLY what they are told NOT to. And, littering, ONLY where it is prohibited. :P 



• Yellow, for the Street Sprayers. Isn't the color and the title self-explanatory? Go, where we may, all we will do is to spray! 

~~~

They're infamous, in the true sense of the word. 

Yet, they are #TheGreatIndianLitterbug! 

And, this is how #TheGreatIndianLitterbug pledges his loyalty to his nation... 

India is my country and all Indians are my brothers and sisters. 

I love my country and I am proud of its rich and (de)valued heritage.

I shall always strive to be worthy of all my (infamous) titles. 

I shall give respect ONLY to myself and my deeds and greet everyone with a betel-stained grin.

To my country and my people, I pledge my (shameless) devotion. 

In their ill-being and disgusted looks, alone lies my gratification. 

~~~

This post has been written as a part of Indi Happy Hours' #TheGreatIndianLitterbug in association with Times Of India and IndiBlogger.

Resolutions And Passions...

The Arrival Of A New Year.

A time for resolutions.

Much like promises, which are meant to be broken, resolutions are seldom kept.

It is a mean feat to achieve, keeping up with and following resolutions, at that.

It is easy as pie to proclaim to the world, and to the near and dear ones, every New Year's Eve or on the New Year Day that one is making such and such resolution(s) to be kept intact till the next three hundred and sixty five days to come.

What is hard, is to follow what one has proclaimed.

That resolution, which is made in the zest of the moment, in the excitement of welcoming a New Year, and in the ecstasy of exchanging infinite pleasantries, demands to be kept.

That resolution demands to be followed, and not be broken.

What happens however, is that which is undesirable.

Majority of us end up failing. Some of us fail miserably.

Failure.

Failure in keeping up with our proclamation.

Only a handful of us succeed, in keeping up with our resolutions.

A handful, or even less than that?

~~~

It is all about being determined to achieve what you desire.

It is not only about resolutions.

This fact holds true, in all walks of life.

The desire to achieve comes from a certain perseverance, and a voice from within, which pushes us ahead, to put in the requisite efforts.

The joy and bliss experienced upon achieving what we set out to, in the first place, is unparalleled.

Keeping up with resolutions, is the game for a disciplined mind and body

Discipline, coupled with determination and effort, can work wonders.

~~~

However, for most of us, our resolutions are repeated over the years...

The scenario is much like this for many of us...

"My resolution for 2015 is to keep up with the resolutions of 2014, which I should have kept up with, in 2013, because I had promised myself in 2012, and had planned for it in 2011."

~~~

I believe most of us have become immune to a certain disappointment that accompanies broken resolutions.

After all, we have proclaimed of, and broken MANY resolutions, haven't we?

~~~

However, this year is going to be different.

For me, at least.

Because, I can't be sure of the masses. ;)

~~~

The first step is deciding what resolution to keep.

For the lazy-bones that we are, we detest even making a list of points, to improve upon.

The aspect of Self - Improvement, is thus ruled out, for many of us.

~~~

The alternative then, lies in trying to learn.

We can very well try to learn something new, in the New Year, which is set to dawn upon us, can't we?

Of course, we can.

~~~

That is what I've set my mind upon, too...

Yes.

This New Year 2015...

I'm going to learn a new language.

The second step, lies in deciding which language, to pursue...

When I think of the plethora of languages in this world, I'm left at my wit's end.

Each language has its own points of ease and points of difficulty.

Learning some other nation's language?

Seems to be an uphill task at first.

~~~

On second thought, I'm a reminded of a fact.

It is a fact that there are MANY languages, from our own Nation, which I'm not known of.

When I come to think of it, this is not the only fact.

~~~

It is said that whenever we set out to learn something new, we must begin from the basics.

For the stronger our basics are, the stronger our hold on that particular subject will be.

What is the basis of language, in India?

The basis of a language is its script.

In India, the basis of our mother-tongue, हिन्दी is the देवनागरी script.

Furthermore, our language finds its first origins in the ancient scriptures.

Our scriptures are rendered in संस्कृत...

~~~

Decided then.

My New Year Resolution.

Learn a new language.

संस्कृत!

~~~

Come to think of it, I'll have an edge in the near future.

How?

संस्कृत is now said to be the Programmer's language...

Technology, coupled with this language, can work wonders in the future, then!

And what better than to pursue a resolution, related to Technology, with Technology itself?

~~~

I mean, I could very well put to use, my prized possession, to aid me in keeping up with my resolution, this year...

With its high speed, unparalleled responsiveness, and large memory, thanks to Intel Inside, my Micromax Canvas Tab CAN help me discover the linguist within myself...

 With a broader screen, and a higher screen resolution, reading that small font on a website, or in that digital literature available online, will not be a pain, anymore.

Of course, I'm net - savvy.

The World Wide Web will act as my friend, philosopher, teacher and guide, assisting me in my aim to learn this new language.

I will have to browse through some of the sites on the web, offering tutorials in the संस्कृत language, right from the beginning.

I will have to start from scratch.

Micromax Canvas Tab's Android Kitkat 4.4.2, 3G connectivity and 4400mAh battery life, coupled with a sleek design and stylish looks will ensure that I don't have to wait to come back home, and learn in my leisure time only.

All these features will free me from the limitation of not being able to carry the device on the go.

With such powerful specifications, I can keep up with my resolution, even if I'm occupied with some other activities.

Browsing, learning and practicing my skill, throughout the day.

~~~

That is how I'll put my new Micromax Canvas Tab P666 to use.

What about you?

CAN this device help you to 'Discover A New You', too, this New Year 2015? :)

~~~

This post has been written as a part of Indi Happy Hours' #CanvasTab in association with Micromax Mobile and IndiBlogger.

~~~

कितना चैन होता है ना, सच्चाई में!

कितना चैन होता है ना, सच्चाई में!

Well...

It is true, indeed.

There is an immense peace, in facing the reality.

For, it takes Strength and Courage to admit the truth.

Lying can be the easy way out, for the time being, but not in the long run.

Certainly not.

For, if you have lied, you must Remember what you said!

That's where the loophole lies, in the concept of lying. :)

~~~

I concur with this ideology by Edward Abbey:

"Better A Cruel Truth,

Than A Comfortable Delusion."

~~~

Trust is based upon Honesty.

Honesty is based upon Truthfulness.

 Truthfulness, is based upon being True To Oneself.

~~~

However hard we may try, we cannot negate this fact.

Truth hurts.

But, the Truth may hurt for a Moment, opposed to a Lie, which may, in all probability, hurt for a Lifetime.

~~~

For...

Pretty Words are Not always True.

And...

True Words are Not always Pretty.

~~~

Honesty is proclaimed to be a Virtue.

Yet, it is hard to listen to, and to absorb the Truth.

~~~

All of us have had certain episodes in our respective lives, where Lying, was an easy task.

Not once, but such episodes occur multiple times. I believe.

Episodes from our personal lives, or from the lives of people around us.

Is it not?

~~~

But then, Honesty is Expensive.

It must not be expected from Cheap people.

For we live in a world, built up by the brittleness of Falsity.

~~~

We have now come to inhabit a world, where being Honest in every-day situations is equated with being Discourteous, ill-mannered, or even being snobbish and obnoxious.

There comes a point when Truthfulness goes to the humble extent of offending people!

Truth and Honesty were never meant to be Offensive, in my opinion.

As a matter of fact...

Denying the truth will not change the facts. :)

The Truth Stands as the Truth...

And, a Lie, is of course a Lie, after all...

~~~

It is, of course, The...

Truth, in grave situations, of a relationship at stake...
Rings through as the ultimate savior for God's sake...
Understanding who was to be at fault, how and why...
Take in to absorb what is right, as this time flies by...
Holding on to righteousness or a relationship at hand...

...that prevails... :)

For, truthfulness in any relationship is of utmost importance.

Because, in any relationship...

As...

A Single Lie, Discovered...

Is Enough...

To Create Contagious Doubt...

Over Every Other...

Truth, Expressed...

~~~

It's Better...

To Know...

And...

Be Disappointed...

Than...

To Never Know...

And...

Always Wonder...

~~~

This is the simplest ideology I abide by, for I would never want any of my relationships in life, to be in doldrums, over the accusation of having embraced falsity, at any point in time.

It is best to embrace Honesty, for it does not prick at the person with a clear conscience.

~~~

Because, at the end of the day...

Above  All...

The person who is true to himself, to his relationships in life, and to his heart, wins it all.

Because, truth permits you to take the call of having a clear Conscience.

At the end of it all, your conscience concurs with this fact.

Indeed...

कितना चैन होता है ना, सच्चाई में!

~~~

The real life story goes like this...

I had gone to the Karol Bagh Jewelry market three years back to buy a beautiful necklace for my cousin. It was her first marriage anniversary the very next day and I had to buy a gift for her, that day at any cost. I had to visit the market, the previous week but I could not due to a lot of other preparations, in progress for the occasion. I had kept some money at hand, substantially more than the anticipated cost of a gold necklace. Moreover, the credit card(s) were there in my purse. And, still if the cost went above all these, the owner of the shop was known to us for last ten years – Mr. Malik of Malik Jewelers.

I reached the shop in time. Mr. Malik was already aware about my visit,  as I had informed him over the phone in the morning. That is why he had chosen few, and mostly the most precious necklaces from their artisans, which were laid out on the table. It was difficult to choose one out of those, as all were excellent and every piece looked better than the other.  I had to finally pick one piece and the one I picked was incidentally the costliest among all their creations, placed there.

Inherently, my hand went over my shoulder, for my handbag when I was led to the Cashier's, and it was a big jolt when I didn't find it there. There was more than three lac rupees cash in the purse among other important possessions. Frantically, I checked around but didn't find it anywhere. Mr. Malik made his men run around to search for it, but in vain. In any case, I got the necklace packed, and told Mr. Malik that I will send Rs. 2.1 lac, the cost of necklace, through someone, the day after as everyone would be busy the next day due to the anniversary celebrations. Apparently, it was a shock to me as the Rs. 2.1 lac necklace cost me over five lac, accounting for the money I had lost.

My cousin was very happy seeing her gift. The day ended on a high note with joy all around. I hadn't told anybody of the loss, in order to not disrupt the jolly mood of the occasion. I had even told my father that everything was hunky-dory on his asking. By late evening, I received a call from Mr. Malik. I could very well picture this as a reminder call from him for the money I had to send to him, the next day for the necklace I had bought. But the call was not a reminder.

What Mr. Malik told me was amazing! The driver of the cab that I had taken to reach the market, had approached Mr. Malik and told him that he had found a purse fallen beneath the rear seat of his cab and he wanted to hand it over to me. Since I had taken cab from the Metro station to the market, so the driver didn't know where my house was. Mr. Malik had checked the purse's contents and confirmed that it was mine. The money was intact inside.

My father overheard the entire conversation, and that was my moment of realization.

It was for the celebration's sake that I had not told my father of the entire episode.

But, I was going to tell him of the episode, the next morning.

The moment when I narrated to him, the entire incident was indeed the moment, when I felt that...

सच्चाई में वाकई बहुत सुकून होता है... :)

~~~

This post has been written as a part of Indi Happy Hours' कितना चैन होता है ना, सच्चाई में! in association with Kinley and IndiBlogger.

Of Vacations And Teddy...

I have one Daughter.
But, I have two Kids.

Say what?!

Yes, you heard that right.

The two kids at my place, are my Husband and my Daughter.

Why do I say, that my Husband is a kid?

Not just a kid, my Husband is even more kiddish than my Daughter.

And that kiddish behavior magnifies in its existence, the time we decide to go, for a Vacation...

More than annoying me, both my Kids' kiddish behavior, leads us to discovering something new, not just once, but many times over, during a single trip.

This post is going to list some such instances of somewhat kiddish behavior, which have made my vacations, more memorable than I had expected them to be, in the first place...

Such instances have added dollops of 'Magic' to my Travelogues.

~~~

My daughter's curiosity, coupled with my husband's fetish to click pictures, has given my Vacations a certain 'magical' touch.

Take, for instance...

These snaps from our Vacation to the Andamans...

We had befriended a Mollusk who was busy catching hold of its intruder...

While it attempted to catch hold of Mister's hand, in vain, I sure caught hold of a picture - a unique Black shell and its inhabitant, intact! :D

This one is from our Cottage at the Sea Shell Resort. The property there, had a private beach.

Hubby and Daughter went off, for a quick morning walk.

The canine friend, they brought back, tagging along, was a pleasant surprise! :)

He refused to leave the Sitting Area outside the cottage, as we found him, sitting outside still, even in the evening!

The next morning, it had made its way back to the beach...

This one, again, is from our Cottage.

Mister had decided to re-launch the revamped Chipko Movement.

Seen here, he is 'hugging' the palm right outside the cottage...

See the expression?

I Am NOT Going To Leave This Palm, At Any Cost!

Kiddish, yet memorable...

This is the most unique picture, we've managed to acquire, over ALL our vacations.
Can you guess, what it is?

These are White Crab's Dens.
These are  dug up places, or should I say geometric patterns?
White Crabs live in the white sand, spread across the Radhanagar Beach on the Havelock Island.
This was the Daughter's discovery, the Husband's click, and my joy!

~~~

On a serious note, I concur with the following ideology...

"The more that you Read, the more things you will Know.
The more that you Learn, the more places you'll Go."

~~~

I still remember our vacation to Kanyakumari, clearly.
The daughter was nine, at that time.

The way she'd jumped with joy, on witnessing the 'meeting point' of the three bodies of water in India, is indescribable.

It was the first time when she'd visited a 'place of significance', that is, according to her Geography book.

They'd been repeatedly asked as a routine 'Fill In The Blank' question...

_______ is the southernmost tip of the Indian subcontinent, also the meeting point of the three water bodies in India.

A similar expression was captured in my lens, when we'd visited the caves of Ajanta and Ellora, and she'd been cross-checking what all she had learnt in her History course, at that time.

Countless have been such knowledge-imparting experiences.

~~~

From then on, we've covered almost the entire country, summarized in numerous travelogues, over the years, and the 'Magic' in our Vacations has been that point in time, when my Daughter learnt something new,

It has been magical to bring back home, some learning experiences from our 'Teddy Travelogues', every time.

The Teddy being my Daughter, of course. :)

~~~

As far as the question - 'How do I ensure that my Daughter has the best of times during her Vacation?' - is concerned, I have been abiding by the following ideology so far, and will even continue to do so.

Do NOT force your kids to tag along, to ALL the places you've listed in your itinerary.

If they don't feel like going along to a certain place, just let them be.

I still remember our trip to Goa.
The daughter was seven, at that time.

We had been staying at Cidade De Goa.
She'd refused to go along, to three beaches, all in a day.
The plan was for the third day of our trip.

Then, we discovered Cidade's 'Kiddies Room'.
And, that was her gateway to Paradise.

On the second day of our five-day long stay, we visited the 'Kiddies Room' in the evening.
The caretaker there, was a college-going girl in her early twenties.

She played for two hours with my daughter, telling her stories, role-playing 'Teacher-Student', and solving some jigsaws.

The Kiddies Room became my daughter's favorite place, thereafter!
She longs to go back and visit the Kiddies Room, again! :)

Meanwhile, we decided to tweak our itinerary to visit one Church, and two beaches instead, and the plan for the next day was made.

The third beach was shifted to the last day, instead.
Everyone was happy! :)

~~~

Waiting to hear from you too, about some of your kid's 'Teddy Travelogues'...
Feel free to express yourself in the Comments Section. :)

~~~

This post has been written as a part of Indi Happy Hours' #TravelWithKids in association with Club Mahindra and IndiBlogger.

She Learnt To Rise Above Fear...

FEAR has two meanings:-

__ __ __ __


Forget Everything And Run...

OR

Face Everything And Rise...

__ __ __ __

I am writing this post, to recount how, one of my neighbors overcame her fear of closed spaces, and achieved success in a purely personal domain.

~~~

Picture an elderly lady, living on the fourth floor of a high rise building and Yours Truly, inhabiting the first floor of the same building.

Mrs. D, as I would like to address her, throughout this post, was a dear friend of my Mother's.

Both of them had the same college memories to reminisce and both of them had incidentally, moved into the same neighborhood, at the time of entering into their respective wed-locks.

So, they were friends-turned-neighbors, in a sense.

~~~

I had moved to my Mother's place for the prolonged period of illness, which she had to face, in the winter of 2007.

It was during this time that I learnt, that Mrs. D, had developed a fear of closed spaces, or Claustrophobia, in finer terms.

How this fear had made its way to her mind, nobody could figure. But all of us, including my mother, wished for it to go away.

Mr. D too, had a hard time coming to terms with the reality, that Mrs. D had been influenced by a Phobia, as you would call it.

~~~

It began surfacing when Mrs. D objected to closing the door of the Living Room, leading to the Balcony, at dusk, one fine December evening.

It had baffled us, as to why a 70 year old lady would want the evening winter chill to enter the house!

That was just the beginning...

~~~

Being an active and energetic soul at heart, Mrs. D used to fetch the groceries herself, every alternate day.

She used to climb the flight of stairs, right till the fourth floor, unfailingly.

But, that December was bound to be the harshest December for her...

Mrs. D gradually started complaining of muscle cramps and pain in the knees...

Mr. D dismissed it, saying it had occurred due to old age...

~~~

Some days later, I started noticing that Mrs. D had done away with her grocery-shopping regime.

Instead, her son used to fetch them for her, now.

At first I thought, that their family doctor might have advised Mrs. D bed rest, and hence the change.

~~~

But, it was not so. Mrs. D completely stopped stepping outside the house!

Worried, I visited her, one evening.

She acknowledged the fact that she could not use the stairs now, as her knee pain had severed.

When I suggested that she could use the elevator instead of the stairs, installed in our building, she let out a huge cry!

I was astonished on receiving such a grave reaction, from such a lively lady!

~~~

That was the day when Mrs. D finally came to terms with her fear.

She detested the elevator.

It was a closed space, after all...

~~~

But, this was not the way, it should have been...

The way Mrs. D had restricted her movement to only within the four walls of her house...

It would weigh heavy, upon her, in this senility...

~~~

I decided to help Mrs. D beat this Phobia, and achieve victory over her Fear.

Instead of fetching groceries, we begun by going for a simple morning walk, in the park across the street.

I coaxed her into using the elevator, while I accompanied her.

Using the stairs was impossible for her, and had been ruled out, at first.

~~~

Call it a co-incidence or not, Mrs. D's daughter too, had a fear of the elevator, in particular, which she'd overcome, at a young age, owing to Mrs. D's efforts!

I recalled this instance just in time, to boost Mrs. D's confidence, to another level, altogether.

If she could drive this Phobia out of her daughter's psyche, she could as well motivate herself and overcome this fear!

~~~

Thus, she took initiative, and decided to use the elevator to go from the Ground Floor to the first, to the second, to the third, to the fourth, one at a time.

Meanwhile, I would come by the stairs, and keep a check whether she reached the floor, without any hassles. If she would feel anxious, at any point of time, then I would accompany her to the subsequent floors.

~~~

Obviously, we had to risk her health, and the fact that she could panic and even lose consciousness, while she was inside the elevator.

At first, it wasn't easy, and she would suffer anxiety attacks. But, it was for her own good.

A couple of weeks later, her condition improved, and Mrs. D used to go from the Ground Floor to the second, and to the fourth, two floors at a time!

I heaved a sigh of relief as I could see her, gradually overcoming her Claustrophobia.

Over a month's time, she begun going for the walk, and returning home, via the elevator, all by herself! :D

~~~
It is rightly said...
Fear is nothing more than an obstacle that stands in the way of Progress.
In overcoming our fears, we can move forward, stronger and wiser, within ourselves.
~~~
This post has been written as a part of Indi Happy Hours' Rise Above Fear in association with Mountain Dew India and IndiBlogger.
~~~

Rajan And Rina #BringBackTheTouch...

Rina has lost all her hopes of getting back that feeling of love, passion and spark in her life. Rajan has changed, though for first five years, he kept promising, day in and day out, that he will never. Rina and Rajan had a love marriage five years back. It went against all odds, as both the families were against it. But it was only the soul touching spark that they carried for each other, which made it possible. Rina was a model-turned actor and Rajan was running his own consulting PR firm. Rajan needed a fresh face to appear in his new ad for an MNC client. That is how he found Rina, in one of those late evening parties. It was almost love at first sight for Rajan, who had turned 35 a week ago. It was some platonic spark that happened all of a sudden, the moment he first saw Rina. She was stunningly beautiful. He could not stop himself and moved towards her as if he were a small piece of iron and Rina was a magnet, pulling him towards her, with full force.

~~~

And this love at first sight turned into marriage soon. Obviously both had to move out of their joint families' homes, to buy a new home, for the newly formed nuclear family of two. Rina sacrificed everything related to her career to devote completely herself to Rajan. Rajan’s firm was doing well, progressively achieving new heights, and so was the love between the two. There was no ending of the passion between the two. But all of a sudden Rajan started getting more occupied into the business, coming late, going out early morning; and at times spending night at time. Rina was totally blank whether it was the pressure of business, or she has lost her spark to engross Rajan into her. Every prayer of her requested only one thing from the God - #BringBackTheTouch.

~~~

It was Friday evening when Rajan came back home from his workplace, fully exhausted, tired and broke. He could feel, for last couple of months the missing piece of love between him and Rina. Rina was not that appealing to him as she used to be. But that was not the only reason for the gap between them. It was tremendous work pressure and overseas clients that were responsible for all this. But suddenly Rina had stopped smiling, talking and being normal. She was all the time, a spark-less entity, as if not at all connected with Rajan. From a bundle of radiant energy she had turned into a diffused spark. Rajan was thinking all this while having rest on his bed. Probably someone, somewhere had decided to grant the result of Rina’s prayers. She came to Rajan, put her hand on his forehead, and shouted – Oh my God, you are burning. High fever. She rushed to call the doctor. For two days Rajan was almost in a semiconscious condition. But he kept feeling Rina’s hand on his forehead, giving him medicine all the time, and probably felt sorry for the situation they had landed into. Finally the spark was back.

~~~

~~~