Expect the Unexpected

Every Individual, expects something from life. The desires and dreams might be different, but the need is common.
We all want to be successful, to be a achiever, to be admired, to be loved, to be cared and to be "in demand" through out our life, only the audience keeps changing with every phase of life.

Is expecting wrong!

Many of my friends say "yes", but I ask "Why"? Why am I wrong, If i expect something.

We read through out the year, to do well in the examinations and expect to have a good career ahead. An athlete runs every day, expecting a great win in "The Special day". A Chef makes a dish, expecting a smile on the Guest's face. So expectation is the perception of our mind,our dreams, our heart, our hard work ... how can it be wrong?

We all spend hours, days and years with our close friends. We Crack Jokes, share heart breaks, discuss career worries, share the last bite of the Pizza, the last sip of the cold drink and what not! and If we want a friend to be with us when we need them the most, Are we expecting too much!

If we expect to achieve something by hurting someone else then it's wrong, for sure wrong.

We come across many people in our life, with some we gel-in and we can't even stand some! Some people leave impressions on our life, change our attitude towards life, make us feel special, feel different and once we expect something from them, everything changes - relation, importance, care, friendship and the most "meaning"!and then comes the so called question "why are you expecting?" for which now I dont have any answer.

In our life, many a time we don't plan to "Expect", It naturally comes in.

Yes, We expect- whom we believe, whom we love and we feel - whatever may be the situation "This person, will stand with me".

If still I am wrong to have "Expected" something then I can only say "Expect the Unexpected" but dont leave Expecting...
We still have the life to be explored, lived and EXPECTed!

Thanks Maa_Movie Review

While watching movie trailers on Youtube, I suddenly saw a video named “Thanks Maa”. I immediately clicked on it and started watching it.

The movie started with a theft at a Mumbai suburban station by street kids and flowed down with a heart touching journey of a 12 year old boy, who wants to unite a new born baby to his mother, thinking he is lost or has been left.
The story highlights the Child Abandonment Issues in India and is beautifully written, scripted, directed and narrated. It’s sure for the viewers to feel the pain of these abandoned kids and tears in their eyes.

I loved the movie… which I accidentally landed upon. But am sorry to say that such beautiful movies lack presence in the Film Industry and are hardly recognized.

Of course, it’s the era of High Budget Production Houses rather than Good Filmmaking and Story.

For More Info please visit Wikipedia Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thanks_Maa

Thanks Maa is a Hindi film, the directorial debut of Irfan Kamal, distributed by Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE), India. The film focuses on Child abandonment Issue in India. It has been officially selected to be screened at Edinburgh International Film Festival, Pusan International Film Festival, Montreal World Film Festival, Cannes Film Festival, International Film Festival of India and Palm Springs International Film Festival. The debut child actor Master Shams Patel has also won the Best Child Artist for the film, in the 56th National Film Awards.

Staying Alone... Time to explore yourself

One of my friend asked me - "Don't you get scared all by yourself in the big city?"...

Well…I'm hardly the first to notice the appeal of being my own roommate. There are pleasures to live alone. So, thought of jotting down a few of the health perks I've found for a solo fly… in the open sky!

1. Get charged up! – Being an Introvert… I build energy and strength in being alone.
Actually I’m outgoing and enjoy being around people, but I also need time to explore myself at the end of the day to regroup. Living alone allows me to build my energy back up so that I can go and spend it with others.

2. Self Discovery - So many people are afraid of being totally alone. But I've learned to really enjoy my own company. When I first started living alone, I had this weird discovery that I could go a whole day without using my voice -- sometimes I'd hit the grocery store and buy something I didn't need just to test that I could say "thank you" to the cashier. But then I discovered something far easier -- I started talking to myself.

3. Independence - Living alone means I'm completely self-sufficient, something I've really enjoyed becoming. Even if or when I choose to live with people again, there's a confidence in knowing that I can be self-reliant if need be. I can try my hands on everything, like if my Tube light doesn’t turns on… I get on a Stool with a tester and start experimenting and you know… it ends up with a bright light in the room and on my face.

I cook my own food… can eat it in 5 minutes and sometimes in an hour… no one pushes me to finish it fast. Sometimes I stay awake whole night watching movies or reading a book and then sleep whole day doing nothing on a weekend.

4. Low Stress and Responsibility - Call me selfish, but at a time when I'm so focused on my career there's something stress free about knowing that at the end of the day when I come home, I don’t have to worry about the needs of anyone else. No one will have left a dirty dish out (well, except maybe me) or the cap off the toothpaste or a wet towel on my bed.

Living alone isn't the same thing as living lonely. I enjoy my own company -- so much so that sometimes I fib that I have plans on a Saturday night so I can stay home for a date with my Lappy and a plate of white cheesy pasta. But when I am feeling a need for connection, I reach out for it. For me that can be as simple as walking downstairs and into a coffee shop/ ice cream parlor or it can mean picking up the phone to call my family or friend from my school and college days. It can also mean meeting up with a friend -- one who lives alone or not -- for a quick catch up.

But yes, when the time is right, I hope to live with a partner (being a crazy cat lady isn't in the cards for me -- I'm allergic). In the meantime, it's just me and me. And I like it that way.

World of Marketing

Marketing, the list is quite long and exhaustive - Marketing, Advertising, Communications, PR, CRM and what not... one new addition is Digital Marketing.

With the era of digitization, companies and consumers everyone wants to - ideate, communicate, get connected, Create Brand, Strategize, Contextualize, Innovate, Publicize, Advertise and Digitize. Every new player in the market wants to be in the online medium, to be more close to the consumers and unedrstand them in a better way, to create a bond between the Company and Consumer and satisfy them in every possible way.

This race and its pace is making the consumers even stronger every coming day... its becoming difficult for the companies to hide there weakness or ignore the customers problems anymore, it can go viral and vital against the company and can ruin its face value. The only option left with companies is to go on the platforms where there target audience are more, create a platform to understand there problems, solve them as eraly as possible, and revive there offerings as per the customer feedback and needs.

Only then a company can survive in the time of competions. Always remember - Customer is the King! and He is always right!

Life in Mumbai....

Mumbai, usually known as "City that never Sleeps"...

I came to mumbai in the year 2007, for my management studies. Being a Fresh Graduate and coming from a small city of Orissa... it was initially a hell lot of trouble settling down in mumbai. The travel in the local train to my college, was actually a pain for me... I had to push myself everyday to college. Even i didn't liked the food here... as every damn thing had an extra amount of sweetness added to it.

But gradually it became, part of my life. I made new frndz... they added salt to my life. We went out to places for Industry visits.. met new people - Enterpreuneurs, Small times business houses, event managers, advertisers, sales men and many more; just to understand how companies work, what is the key of their success, what makes them work 24X7? During these official visits, we would often take out time to visits the beautiful places of mumbai. In the first year of my Management, my schedule was home to college and college to home, as I was afraid of going out alone... due to the so called perception in my mind... due to our Bollywood masala movies. But slowly i stated exploring people and places... started njoying life as a MUMBAIKAR!

The day when I visted Gateway Of India, Juhu Chowpaty and Marine Drive... i was carried away by its beauty... couldn't sleep whole night, thinking when can i revisit these places. The beautiful sunset at Marine Drive, with the birds in the sky, flying back to their homes, leaves a beautifull impression in your heart. Sitting on the walls you can see the unending sea and the horizon, where the sky and the sea blend together. Slowly the sun deluges into the waves of the sea leaving a mourning red sky benind. That awsome moment... I can steel view it!Once the Pole lights in Marine Drive curvature are switched on... its another beauty... you can realize why it is called "Queens Necklace"!... and that too on a Full moon night is the most awsome or would say most romantic place to be with your partner.

I started trying Mumbai Street food with my expert Mumbai frndzzz, and actually njoyed it. The mouth watery chatpata snacks in KHAU GALI like Vada Pav, Dhabeli, Masala Papad,Bread Pudla, Masala Toast Snadwich.... The tasty Bhel, Bhel Puri, Pav Bhaji, followed by the Chilling GOLA at JUHU CHOWPATY... to spicy Non-Veg kababs and rolls at BADE MIYAN in south Mumbai... you cant stop eating and praising.

Yes its difficult to get into a mumbai local in peak hours, but if you travel in the same train every day... the co passengers become your frndz, they treat us as a memeber of their family. Even I had few good TRAIN FRNDSSS... they will keep seats for me.. will get sweets on festivals and even invited me to their homes on Puja's and ceremonies. If you get a window seat in a Mumbai local after a tiring day, you feel like on the 7th heaven... the cold wind (Sea Breeze) will actually take away all your tiredness and irritation, making you feel re-energized and ready to fight another battle.

Slowly slowly the entire lifestyle changed... there were new colours in my life, new people... new trendz... new dreams and new aimbitions. Completed studies with flying colours... got job... exploring new horizons in the giant "Marketing" world... and enjoying life at Mumbai.


This City, once Unknown... has beome mine!

Mom, you are the only one

Mom, you are the only one... I moved to another city, She understood... I was too busy to call everyday, She didn't mind... When she cried, She cried alone... When I cried, She always cried with me... When I said, "Mom, this important", She prayed for me... My dreams are not mine alone... She always dreams through my eyes... I Love you mom and I miss you so much......

Love you Naani...

Two most important ladies in my life are: My Mom and My Naani.

“Naani” as we usually call our mom’s mom in India is often a friend to play with; a savior when mom or dad scold us; the best chef – who takes all our orders, without a question; the Piggy Bank, who drops in coins in our pocket while leaving for school; a guide, who makes us learn the difference between good & bad; a teacher, who makes us believe in God & prayer and a Philosopher, who shares her life’s philosophy whenever we need it.

In the initial years of my schooling, I had my Naani & Granny both at our home. My Granny always loved my brother, so I was more inclined towards my Naani. My Naani was my best friend; she was always with me whenever I needed her. She had the most beautiful eyes and used to express her views through her eyes. When she was happy, she will blink her eye lids with a sweet little smile, when she wanted to show her anger, she will make her eyes big and the lines on her forehead becomes more visible; whenever she will be sad, her eyes looked small with lot of thoughts in it. I used to sleep with her and get up with her, her mere absence made me go crazy. I was so dependent on her that, my whole world goes haywire without her.

I moved to mumbai for my MBA in 2007, and she went back to her own house. The only medium to get in touch with her was via phone. I spent almost an hour every day to tell her all the things happening with me in this City – My College, The People here, Travel by Train and my daily experiences. Years passed on and she grew old and older day by day…. the wrinkles on her face increased every time I saw her in a gap of 6-7 month. But her immense love and care was always there for me, for everyone… she spread as much as happiness she can… always.

One fine day, somewhere around June 2010 she called me and said – “You come home, I want to see you”, as usual I said – “Naani, loads of work in office, boss will not sanction my leaves, give me some time”. She waited for me, till the time I said “Naani, I am coming home this weekend”. She was happy; I could feel her happiness with the sudden change in her voice. I was visualizing her sweet little smile… and was equally excited to see her. I took flight on a Saturday afternoon and reached home in the evening, threw my bags and went to my Uncle’s place to meet her. I was shocked to see her, she had lost weight, was weak and lying on the bed looking at the door, as if she was waiting for me. I went close to her, touched her feet and embraced her in my arms, she cried and then smiled, it was a mix of emotions. I spent my evening with her and went back to my home at night.

Next day, early in the morning I got a call from my uncle; saying: "Naani is no more!"….. Drops of tears flowed down my chick; I couldn’t feel earth below my feet, it was painful… as if someone is hurting me hard. I went running to my uncle’s place with my mom. Saw Naani wrapped in a white cloth, I hold her feet in my hand and cried, don’t know how much and till when.

When I came to my senses, I couldn’t find Naani, on her bed. She had left, left her bed, left her home, left her closed ones and me far behind … forever.

It took me sometime to realize and understand that only bodies leave us, but our loved ones remain in our thoughts and emotions, throughout our lives with us.

Just want to tell Naani, that - I love her the most.

Love you Naani….