Apno ko Apne dum pur jeene do!

The first person who comes to my mind, who taught us to be self reliant is my DAD! Well, to be very frank, he not only made all of us self-dependent, he also helped with every bit of support to make my mother what she is today.

Born to a small place in Bihar, my dad's vision was larger than life. He had to support his family at a very young age, but he became a doctor in all odds. He helped his sisters to get a simple degree so that at least they can teach and earn their daily bread and butter.

When my mother entered his life, she was not treated or welcomed as a doctor. She was welcomed as a to-be-home-maker-bahu! Somehow, my grandmother didn't want my mother to work. At least she didn't want her to go to some other hospital and work.

My mother was hell-bent on working and my dad gave her the only thing she was looking for - his support! He helped her open her own clinic in a room, the room which was supposed to be for the cows. He got it done properly so that basic checkups/delivery/minor operation could be done. From that day to owning a fully-equipped, well-furnished and  extremely established hospital, has been a journey of many ups and downs. My father has always been there, with my mother.

Well, of course many people think that girls shouldn't work, but my father sent us to same school as my brother. He was equally proud of our results. Talking of making us self-reliant, not only supporting us with proper education or love, he encouraged us in every which way.

A small incident which I still remember was when I had to travel to my college after my first semester. My brother was to drop me. But my father told me to manage the entire trip all by myself. To travel alone.

I was scared. To bits. But I had faith in him. I thought something important was there for my brother.

It was a overnight journey and then I had to take a bus to college. I had a sleepless night. After every five minutes, I was checking on my luggage. I was sure someone is going to flick it. I was acting to be serious, trying not to be too engrossed in my book and alert like a dog.

Finally, I had a safe train journey but anther two hours trip to college remained. I sat on the bus and again was very vigilant. At last, when I reached my college and while I was getting down from the bus, someone tapped my shoulder. I looked back. He was my brother, getting down with me. We got down and I was soo shocked that I couldn't speak a word. He smiled and said, "Close your mouth or you will eat a mosquito. Haha. Well done, chutki! I never thought you could actually manage yourself. You are soo little. But you did it

Although, by my choice I am a stay-at-home-mom (the fact which my dad is not very happy about), but I know that I am strong and educated enough that if at all I need me, I will be there. FOR ME! 

You have fully lived this statement - 

Apno ko Apne dum pur jeene do!

My mother, sister, sister-in-law and every male member in my family are self-reliant and self dependent. We are together but have our own identities as well. 

Thanks for the big lessons of life in such simple ways, dad! Thanks is but of course,an understatement! But yes, I will pass on the same values to my child as my gratitude to you.

Love you Papa!

This blog is for the Indiblogger activity in association with http://www.hdfclife.com/.

Upgrade without fikar! Let's quikr!

It was time for morning tea for Mr Verma, with Mrs Verma, by her side. The magnificent view from their terrace of Mumbai flat, had a wide road and the sea shore ahead! Just when they were sipping their cup of tea in peace, a BMW 730Ld Sedan passed by. They both held their breath as the beauty ran smoothly on the road. They chased the gaze of the breathtaking site till it disappeared. In a complete sync and silence, they looked down at their car, Audi! For a moment they didn't speak but their eyes met.

Mrs Verma broke the silence and spoke, "We need to upgrade!"

Mr Verma," Yes, that's true! But we can't invest so much right now! Upgrading can be expensive"

Mrs Verma spoke with a heavy heart, "Yes that is true! Ohk, so we shall wait!"

Mr Verma tried to cheer up his wife and spoke, "Plus we don't have space for three cars, do we! We already have our flashy cars parked!"

Mrs Verma sank in the statement and it seemed that her mind was contemplating a plan! Her eyes sparkled and she jumped up with her beautiful smile and gave him a big bear hug! Mr Verma looked at her in a surprised manner, with a "HELLO" expression! His mind was racing as to what did he say! Didn't he say NO! Oh dear, did he say YES!

Mrs Verma finally spoke, "Solution is right there in your worries! We don't have space for three cars! True! Sooo we sell one, on Quikr....money comes to us....we put in some amount....buy a upgraded car at reasonable price from quikr! No fiqar, when we can quikr! What say?"

Mr Verma finally smiled and nodded in agreement. They hugged each other and opened their iPhone for the quikr app!

Well, they were lucky that they found a seller who had exact car which they were looking for and someone was lucky enough to buy car of his dream from the Vermas.

It's the ideal situation! You want to upgrade! It's fine but you must clear up to up-grade. Else there will be a lot of chaos at the bottom. 

There was a time when the few modes of selling cars were:

•  Word of mouth
•  A known garage
• Donate/give to a relative

The era has changed for good and this is the era of social media where everything is done with help of few clicks. Without much talking. Without much hassle.

To ensure all the ease and reachability to the customer, quikr apps have transformed itself where we find genuine buyers, awesome deals and the products-which-we-are-looking-for (you know the trauma of finding only-those-things which you don't need at sale/discount/lower prices!) 

It's era of selling our cars at a good and reasonable price without taking any help from others. We don't need to visit ten times to the age old garage. We don't need to sell the car at much lower rate.

The buyer reach us, they value the car at a correct rate. We get car of our dream at a good price! So when you can quikr, we don't need to compromise. Just leave our fiqar and let's do quikr!

This blog is for the Indiblogger activity in association with http://www.quikr.com/.

Social Media on Mobile Vs Web – How has it impacted your life?

I have undergone a transformational change within few years and the result is that I am glued to my phone and my laptop just finds itself in the bag. The extent of my dependence is a little embarrassing - I need it in morning in my private hours :-{ I can't imagine getting in the bathroom without my mobile, how much ever urgent it is;). I surf FaceBook wall like my daily newspaper. The day proceed with some nice recipe of YouTube, on my phone. It goes on and on beeping a cute tune, of course, Whatsapp! Checking Gmail through the day, as if, if I don't check the mail, there would be a crisis somewhere! I am getting better at Twitter on my phone, which I started lately and I love to voice my opinion, very often! Using Tumblr/Hangout/Face Book-Skype for video calls with my family/friends who are away! Various apps to shop/lose-weight/beauty-tip to share-market/new around the world/stock-exchange.

I can stay away from everyone for a while, but without my phone not an hour! Hello, an hour has 60 minutes! Even in my sleep, I keep checking it. Don't ask me 'WHAT?' I am also looking for that answer!

Trust me on this, I have been named as a - "MOBILE SOCIAL ANIMAL!"

I might not call, I might not send a personal message through SMS, but I am everywhere on the internet, thanks to my Smartphone!

I came across this topic - ‘Social Media on Mobile Vs Web – How has it impacted your life?’ and it occurred me that it is not just my story! There are many others, it seems!

It just made me realise that it has been a while since I have actually opened all these sites on my laptop. I was amazed to see various readings on the internet.

Let's go one by one:

What's Mobile Social Media?

Source : http://wearesocial.net/tag/sdmw/

This statistic speaks volume. Like me, there are many others who are joining a new breed called : Mobile social animal! Having +313 Million 'mobile social animals' means something!

Reasons for this explosion is very simple: 

iPhones/Blackberry/Samsung/Nexus/Lumia and to join these pricey brands, with similar features and specifications, are the low budget phones - Nokia Asha Series/Micromax/Karbon and many other phone(talking about the Indian market). The market is flooded with options for the buyers having varied budget ranges.

If you have a phone, you have internet.

Everywhere! Every minute!

What's Social Media on Web?

           

This is a traditional way of using the internet - on Laptop/computers! Using various social networking sites - which started from the age-old Orkut(I did revisit my page on its last day!) But I remember the happy days where I shared a laugh with my friends. What I didn't knew then was - Orkut was just a start! Social media life began with laptop/computers! But things have transformed for good!

Social Media on Mobile Vs Web:

                                                             

If you have a laptop sitting on your lap, which can turn the world around on your fingertips and a few clicks, then you can have the same revolving-rotating world, through your phone, holding it in your hands! Let's compare a few interesting points:

I would say - "Smartphone ka palla bhari hai"! Smartphone have few drawbacks, but of course!

•       Smaller screen: Very tiny space to type. People with fat fingers(yes, one of them is ME :-{) have to retype a word like ten times!
• Damage control: Google Voice app, which searches/types/do-as-you-say

• Storage: There is a limited storage with Smartphone which can be extended but not as much laptops/computers!
• Damage Control: Transfer the content on internet and delete or transfer it to laptop and delete. Space created!

For me Smartphone wins because they can help you connect your people without internet as well! Laptops/computers are not designed for that feature.

Social Media on Mobile Vs Web – How has it impacted your life?

Let's face the fact, everyone can't afford a Rs30,000/- laptop but one can afford a Rs 3000/- or less, Smartphone. Let me share a small incident - It will say in itself that everyone can have a phone and can be a part of social media!

Incident Time:

I got a Facebook request from someone named Arti. That's a common name and I know a few Artis. Well, she had flashy profile picture of Katrina Kaif! But later she pinged me her selfie! Taken from the phone. Then and there!

I couldn't recognize her immediately but I realized later that she was daughter of my house-help, who worked a few years back. This little girl used to visit my home for her English lessons from me. The only reaction I still have is - Oh My GOD! REALLY?

It does seem so! Really! Everyone has found some space for themselves on this world-wide-web! This platform is where you can have whatever face you like, you don't need a degree or your family background status or your own profession. After I became friends with her, I saw her friend list had that house gate security guards and other house helps.

The statistics supports my observation that everyone is there - using mobile social media:

http://was-sg.wascdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Slide148.png

Usage on mobile is an hands down winner! Mobile social media has affected everyone's life. Everyone wants to share what they feel, even if it is tiniest thing which makes no sense. Ignorance is a taboo, as there are 'n' number of sites which can present a comparative study, there are many video to enlighten you and then there is Google! More information you require, more information it generates!

Smartphone are her not only to entertain, rather they have changed the face of business world as well! 

The openness of information has generated a more sorted buyer who knows exactly what suits him and this has created fierce competition in the market! All this changes has been post mobile-media outburst. 

COMMON MAN HAS THE POWER! In their hands, on their fingertips! Well, its not easy to gain all information, you still lose something - this is my story:

http://itsfunny.net/if-i-didnt-had-a-smartphone/

Addiction has reached a new extent:

 http://bestdemotivationalposters.com/tag/fire/

http://www.cherrylola.com/picgisi/what-are-some-good-quotes-to-put-as-your-facebook-status/2

http://www.funzpictures.com/funny-wallpapers-for-whatsapp/

Well, it looks good, but we do have lost that personal touch! We talk less, we tweet more! We say less, we like more! We meet less, we hangout more! We get in touch less, we wink more!

http://aceimgs.com/funny-images-quotes-for-facebook/funny-images-quotes-for-facebook-800/

The amount of time we spend with mobile, more our own kids learn it! They don't want to out in mud and play, rather they would race or do subway-surf or puzzles on the phone. The little ones talk in a different language totally. Even their ABCs have changed their word:

http://funny-pictures.picphotos.net/just-for-fun-a-new-abc-for-kids/graemecodrington.com*wp-content*uploads*new-aphabet-for-kids.png/

This is the state of the little ones, for the ones who have their senses, they are on the networking sites only. Be it class, washrooms, their rooms, dining table with family, they are on their phone! Everywhere, every moment! 24*7 also seems to be less time as they mange like a hundereds of group within the same time frame. Handling kids who are addicted to the networking sites has become a task!

But every coin comes with the two faces, so if it has some good, it will have the opposite following it round the corner. Let's just end on a good note, so here's my three year old for you!!!

Hope this change brings in more goodness to life!

Cheers!

I am participating in the #SMWBangalore activity at BlogAdda in association with Social Media Week Bangalore!

Will never give up!

No vouchers ...No consolation prize!

Rejections! Rejections!

Well, I am having such a day and trust me,I am bad bad and very bad in taking rejections! I have always wondered how politicians or celebrities cope up with all that negative comments floating up, down left, right and center. But then everyone has their own support and hopes to hang on! Coming back to me yes, this is not the first time that I didn't win, but there is a lot of negative energy foating around me. Or maybe, I am liberating those vibes. Difficult to say, but accepting rejections is not easy for me! Especially when I declare me 'a winner'! In my mind!

But! But!

You can say luck/timing/or my best not best enough! Any of these factors has failed me, but can I really help. I can only be at my  best! I didn't win! I have been in this trance of sadness since two days and to divert my attention I started reading other blogs!

One after another! Some romantic ones, some nomadic ones, some normal ones, some paranormal ones! I tell you, there are some amazing writing skill with people. They can put a smile on your face. They can make you feel light. They can make you feel so positive.

I would also like to thank the platforms like Indiblogger/blogadda(the only ones I visit, like a lot) for having a platform where you can read and read and read! A piece, a prose, a story or a mystery. Coming back again, at the end of a good two hour reading session, I realised how stupid reaction was that. I write to excel me and to make me happy. To liberate my emotions, to feel free!

Contests challenges me to write on that topic and think in line of the terms and conditions. (Which most often I forget to read ;-/)

If contest are the cake, prizes are just the yummilicious icing on the cake! Oh yes, I looovveee that icing ;) ! I have not known any one who doesn't like it. Even Lata Mangeshkar would have got encouraged with all the prizes she used to receive for the gift she is!

Raising my glass for a toast! Here's to blogging! Here's is to writing!
Will never give you up!

#willnevergiveup

No Fiqar, Chat Quikr!

No Fiqar, Chat Quikr!

Well, someone has been listening to my prayers! Way to go Quikr.

Lately I have been praying for a hassle free way to sell so many stuffs. Oh did I tell you that I am a - happy home maker, at the moment. The ones with a toddler toddling around mommy! Trust me on this, I have no blessed time even to drink a hot cup of coffee. Making a call, keeping track of things and doing all these in a certain time frame! Hello, are you really kidding me?

Before we get into the selling part, let me tell you something about the buying part:

                       Impulsive buyer:

When I go for shopping, then I do shop! Whether I need stuffs/electronics/home furniture/anything or not, if I like it, I buy it. My husband feels very strongly that all the supermarkets in the world are making profit from his pocket! Well, that's the story when there is no use of the word 'SALE'. Trust me, I jussstt can't help not picking up things from sale. I have tried and failed. So, I go out and shop. And tadaaa....it is there at my home.

                       Growing Toddler:

If you have a child, then you will know that it's not only the child that grows bigger every day, rather the complete house needs keeps on changing to cope up with the child's growth. If a table is too pointed, it is to be removed, if the drawers are too low, it is too be emptied and there are tonnes of things which comes in like a walker or a baby chair or toy or don't what not.

                       Family Needs:

Indians still believe in a untied family. With our parents or in-laws growing old, its quiet normal that they shift in with you. Leaving back a house at the home town. But they like few things which you have for their convince but there are others which they don't like. If you need to live in a family, then you better adjust with the changes. Remove what is causing trouble. Get what is actually required.

So, this is my basic pattern of getting things in. For getting it out. There is none. Now, when I read the tagline - No Fiqar, Chat Quikr, I knew it was time for getting some new stuffs and getting away from some unused/proper conditioned/unwanted stuffs.

Quikr has been there, but the new feature of chat has made me smile. The reasons why I feel that No Fiqar, Chat Quikr!, is awesome are:

                       Timings:

I am a very busy person. I can click a picture through the day but I can't make a call or talk. I get time only when I am making my little girl sleep and she is half asleep and I need to stay there lying on the bed for her to sleep completely. Do you think I can talk. But obvious. NO. But I can chat. Oh yes, very much! Plus, there are times when I actually disconnect the calls or miss them, reason - a toddler, at times missed good deals, I presume. Yes, I don't call back, I have no time. With chat, it's there! I can get back from bed, from kitchen, from bathroom! ;)

                       Low memory power:

Well, I live in a big family with in-laws. Sometimes, I plan to sell things with my mom-in-law and I forget. She doesn't. Then she enquires about that stuff, we planned to sell, whether I am following it up. Am I? I always lie to her that we are not getting any buyers. :( I don't think I need to do it anymore. Cause whenever she reminds me, I can use my chat function and do the needful follow up then and there. Without getting my impression doomed as in making call, people can hear! :P

                       Written Proof:

Well, when we make a call, all done and sorted sometimes the deal does go in drain. We don't have a proof to show our anger over the loss of time or loss of other buyers who showed their genuine interest over the product. The written history is going to remain. It is going to stand as a solid proof to question those creepy element who do things just for fun and not for the actual purpose of business.

Thanks to the Quikr team for such a thinking for making my simpler by the minute. Now, I will get some more space, some more money and some more reasons to buy ;)

Happy buyer me & Happy seller me as No Fiqar, Chat Quikr!

This blog is for the Indiblogger activity in association with http://www.quikr.com/.