Blog to feed a child : A BSR activity

India is home to more than 400 million children which is more than the entire population of North America. So we should be happy about the future of India which is in the hands of so many young brains ready to take it to new heights.

But the reality is actually sad and painful.
Over 40% of these children suffer from malnourishment.
More than 12 million children have to choose work over education as they to to contribute in the family's income. 50% of children enrolled in school have to leave it in between because they need to earn 2 square meal a day.
The biggest problem of India is uneven distribution of national income between different classes of society. The Upper class is getting richer everyday while the lower class has to struggle to earn 2 square meal. Poverty is affecting the health and education of children.
A hungry stomach needs to be satisfied first then a mind in quest for knowledge.

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So the next question is what all steps can be taken to eliminate this classroom hunger

National Level
1. The India government should start a new initiative focused on eliminating the classroom                     hunger something similar on the lines of Swach Bharat.
2. Celebrities and Politicians should actively involve in promoting it and also donating their bit.
3. NGO's and other Social Welfare Institutions like Akshaya Patra should come forward to start
    new activities linked to the government's initiative. They should also encourage business and
    industrialists to donate for this noble cause.

Personal Level
1. We can participate in various CSR activities happening in our office related to the campaign.
2. Monetary donation in government's fund or via NGOs
3. Spreading awareness about the campaign through social media
4. Writing blogs about the campaign, highlighting various ways to contribute towards the cause.
5. Encouraging brands to come up with various activities and products focusing on the message of
    eliminating classroom hunger and no child labor.

Let's contribute towards this noble cause.
Feeding a mouth for entire year will give us much more blessings then visiting hundreds of temples and donating money there.

My new year resolution is to feed atleast one child. It's really simple. So why not you too make it yours.

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

Speak out loud for Swach Bharat -#AbIndiaBolega

In India it’s all about the 3 P’s

1.  Politics
2.  Power
3.  Police

A person belonging to a political party is above a common Indian.
For him there are no rules and regulations.  India is not his country but his kingdom
and the people of India are not his fellow citizens but his subjects.
He has the freedom to do whatever he wants.

Coming to the next P, which is power.
A person who has money has power and vice versa.
These people live with the same mentality as of a politician.
For them common man is nothing but a puppet to be used when required.

The last P is police.
It is for the safety of people of India.
But in reality most of the policemen do everything except that.

Now let’s talk about the 4^th P, the common people of India.
 1. These are the middles class business man or service class who devote their complete life in
     building a home, educating their children and getting them married.
2.  Labor class who works day and night just to earn 2 times meal.
3.  And the people of India who comes below the poverty line.

Whenever there is hike in the prices of oil and gas, vegetables and fruits and other household items, it is the common man who suffers.

If a politician or a celebrity visits a temple or mosque, roads are blocked. There are traffic jams and it is the common man who suffers again. Students miss their exam, patients die in the ambulance and boss rebukes you for coming late to office.

Industrialists and top corporate groups of India are obsessed with their balance sheets.
For them the only thing that matters is profits and revenues.
Toxic wastes from industries pollute air, water and soil.
Residential areas in proximity witness a widespread of dreadful diseases.
Again the sufferer is none other than the common man of India.

But now the time has come to raise our voice against all that is dirty in our country.
Injustice is no more tolerable and discrimination is no more bearable.

Women should be respected, no human being should be physically or mentally humiliated, rules should be followed by everyone even if he is a Prime Minster or a common man, division of country based on casteism and religion needs to be stopped  and each citizen should have the liberty to enjoy his/her rights.

If you see any of the above happening at your home, office, school, college or any public place, speak out loud against the wrong doing. It’s time to clean the dirt and make “Bharat Swach”.

And the best thing is we are not alone, there is already someone who has taken this initiative.

It’s Strepsils who has started a new campaign #AbMontuBolega which is dedicated to the same.
It is about raising our voice for a clean India.
We have seen enough and it’s time that our opinions need to be heard.
There is no point being a silent spectator now. We have the power to raise our voice against all that is dirty in India so let’s make a difference and work towards a Swach Bharat.

The slogan of this campaign “Kyuki Bin Bole Ab Nahi Chalega #AbMontuBolega.”

Know more about it here.

Follow the campaign on Facebook here.

Follow it on Twitter here.

Watch the inspiring story of Montu and join the campaign.

 Credit for the Images - Lighthouse Insights

Get Lucky with Lucky 6

In today’s hectic life everyone wants something which refreshes them and also doesn't eat their time.
If it is free then it’s a cherry on the cake.

The best known medium today is online games.
Google play store is full of such games which are fun to play.
At the top of the list are games like Candy Crush, Criminal Case which are quite addictive but you don’t get anything in return out of them. They are no rewards in term of money or offers. Sometimes you even have to spend money to buy lives and other stuff.

Someone took a notice of it and came out with a solution.
These people are the creators of Fat Cat Gaming and they are on a mission to make the gamers lucky.
They have come out with a game which is user friendly – easy to learn and play.
Also they took care that it is not boring and a person has to use his skills, knowledge and judgement to win.
The final product was Lucky 6.

It just took me few minutes to download the App. You can download it from here
Here is my review for the same.

                                            Image source - fatcatgaming

About the game
Lucky 6 is a lottery with a difference.
You have to select 6 brands from a list of pre-selected brands which vary from 50-100.
There is something called Game Day and Game end.
Game day is on Wednesday when the Japanese stock exchange open at 5:30 a.m. IST.
Game end is the following day when US stock exchange closes around 1:00 a.m. IST.

The brands performance is evaluated between these time periods only.
The best performing brands are those that have highest rank determined by the % increase in their stock price on the Game day.
And here comes the best part of the game, The JACKPOT of 25 lakhs.
The person whose 6 selected brands are the best performing brands at the game end wins it.

I have selected the following brands

1. State Bank Of India
2. Kotak Bank
3. Google
4. Facebook
5. HDFC bank
6. ICICI bank.

After the selection a ticket no is been associated to it.
Lets see how lucky I get. Fingers crossed.

Pros of the game
1. You have nothing to lose.
2. There is clarity regarding payment and prizes.
3. The prizes are huge ranging from 25 lakhs jackpot to exotic holidays.
4. You can share with your friends and become a referrer.
    So if your friend wins a prize you get 25% of that amount as bonus.

Cons of the game
1. Online lottery is not that famous among Indians so it will be a test for Lucky 6, how lucky it gets.
2. The understanding of the game is a bit difficult at the initial level. For example I am still confused       about how the rankings will be given as the brands belong to different markets.. But I think I will       eventually understand the process after playing the game for 2-3 times.

Final Verdict
I will definitely recommend Lucky 6 to every game lover mainly because of 2 points
 Firstly to have a different experience altogether.
 And secondly because of the fact that you get to win big without investing anything.

So try your luck now..:)

Say Thanks !!!

Thanksgiving is going to be celebrated on 27th November all over world.
Primarily in United States of America and Canada where it is celebrated as a day of giving thanks for the blessing of the harvest and of the preceding year.

This time Facebook has come out with a new application "Say Thanks".

Using this you can say thanks to any of your friend on FB through a video.

There are 3 categories in which FB gives you options and ask to select.

1. Choose a theme
    a. Old Friends
    b. Friends
    c. Family

2. Choose a greeting
    Hey (name of person)
    Hey Grandma
    Hey Mom

3. Choose posts and photos
    Here you can choose solo pics of your friend or with you.
    Also you can choose posts which you posted on his/her wall or where that person has mentioned
    you on his/her wall.

The Video comes out to be really superb.
A very unique and creative way of saying thanks.
So start with creating videos for your friends and make the bond of friendship even more stronger on this Thanksgiving.

Coinex Mumbai : Biggest coin exhibition of India

Apart from being a Software Engineer and a blogger I also hold great interest in collecting rare Indian and foreign coins and stamps.

For those who consider Coins collection something else here are couple of tweets for them

Here are some of the popular categories which attract collectors
1. Rare Indian coins
2. Foreign coins
3. Bank Notes
4. Error coins & notes
5. Handmade coins

Recently we had India's one of the biggest Coin Exhibition in Mumbai - "Coinex Mumbai"
Date - 7,8 & 9 November 2014.
Venue - Shri Sunderbai Hall, Churchgate.
Timing - 10 a.m to 7 p.m.

Dealers & Collectors from all over country came for the event.
There were more then 70 stalls and 4 Auctions round the 3 days.

Details of Auction -:
Friday - Bhagava's Auction
              Todywalla Auction

Saturday - Bombay Auction
                 Oswal Auction

Sunday - Golden Jubilee Oswal Auction


A walk through the event via pics

Pics Credit - ICCG News

Looking forward to more of such events..till then keep collecting..:)

#ToiletForBabli an initiative by Domex

As per the report jointly prepared by the WHO and the UNICEF around 50% of Indians practice open defecation.

India has the largest number of people defecating in open in the world and it stands at the last when it comes to countries making great strides in reducing open defecation.

Even in cities like Mumbai which is called the commercial capital of India, open defecation is widely practiced in the slum areas.

Adverse Effects of Open Defecation
1. Poor sanitation is one of the main causes of persistent malnutrition.
2. It is the source of various disease causing germs.
    Diarrhea is one of the most dreadful diseases caused by poor sanitation and unhygienic conditions.
3. According to UN, countries where open defecation is widely practiced have the highest no of               deaths of children under the age of five.
4. Women and girls are most vulnerable in such countries. Lack of toilets proves a serious threat to          their safety as they become easy prey for rapists.

Impact on the dignity of a female
The sanitation crisis in India has a huge impact on the safety of Indian women.
According to top police officials of Uttar Pradesh, majority of rapes in rural areas of the state have occurred when the victim has gone out in the open to answer the nature’s call.
Recently the gruesome rape and hanging of two teenage girls in UP occurred when they went out in the open for defecation.

Why people still prefer it
1. It provides the opportunity to take in some fresh air.
2. It is comfortable and convenient.
3. It is the reason for their morning walks.

 Steps to reduce Open Defecation
1. Proper Sanitation facilities.
2. Building awareness among the people about the importance of proper sanitation facilities and             hygiene for better health.
3. Campaigns like A toilet for each household / Toilet for all.
4. Proper water resource management.
5. Recently Prime Minister of India Mr Narendra Modi has announced plans to build more than 100       million toilets in the country in the span of next 5 years.

#ToiletForBabli

Domex has taken initiative to make villages in Maharashtra and Orissa ‘open-defecation’ free zones. For every click-contribution received on the website, they contribute Rs 5 towards this noble cause.

The progress so far is really appreciable
184 toilets built in Chhindwara
411 toilets built in Karanja
414 toilets built in Nagpur
230 toilets built in Boudh
A whopping 1065 toilets built in Bhubaneswar.

Unilever foundation and Domex have joined forces with UNICEF to help improve access to basic sanitation for hundreds of thousands of people in areas that need it most.
By supporting UNICEF’s Community Approaches to Total Sanitation (CATS) programme, the Unilever Foundation and Domex aim to improve the health and well-being of those in need and create sustainable approaches to improved sanitation through programmes that promote good hygiene practices.

A goal has been set to build 24000 toilets by 2015 and to achieve it HUL has launched Domex Toilet Academy.

I have contributed to this noble cause by visiting Domex site and clicking on the contribute tab.
Now it is your turn to participate in the “You click Domex Contributes” initiative.

You can bring about the change in the lives of millions of kids, thereby showing your support for the Domex Initiative. All you need to do is “click” on the “Contribute Tab” on www.domex.in and Domex will contribute Rs.5 on your behalf to eradicate open defecation, thereby helping kids like Babli live a dignified life.

Do it now..!!!

Review of Breeze Resturant Powai

Breeze is one of the most popular & preferred restaurants by couples in Central Mumbai.
It is famous for its amazing location and panoramic view.
We heard a lot about it from friends and finally decided to visit the place.

Location
Supreme Business Park,"A" Wing, Hiranandani Gardens,
Powai, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400076.
Contact no -022 6608 3939

Ambience
Located on 8th floor of Supreme Business Park which itself is located on a higher plateau gives an added advantage to the panoramic view it has to offer.
As soon as you enter the restaurant, you get a bird eye view of Hiranandani royal buildings and Powai lake.
The skyline looks awesome.
Dim blue lights makes the mood romantic and relaxing.
White sofas are comfortable and if you are fortunate enough you can get the edge of the terrace seats which gives you a WOW factor when it comes to view.

The beautiful ambience gets a rating of 4.5 / 5.


Food
We scanned the menu for some good dishes but were disappointed to find it low on variety.
Specially in veg section there was little to experiment.
Finally after lot of brainstorming we ordered Med Roll & Paneer Pesto.
Med Roll which was mixture of Spinach and Cheddar was high on taste. I loved it but my taste buds were not happy for long as Paneer Pesto was served. Paneer had a very unusual taste, sweet and cheesy. A big no for this dish.

Prices were really high, altogether not worth for money.
So the food gets a rating of  3 / 5.

Staff
The service was just OK.
Though we were greeted quite politely and escorted to your table, but after the order was served it became below standards.
I had to call the waiter again and again for water. There was none to keep an eye on the needs of the customer.

So I will again give a rating of  3 / 5.

Verdict
It is a hot and happening place because of its glitzy ambience and beautiful panoramic view.
So if you want to chit-chat with your close friends or spend quality time with your partner it is the place for you. But if your taste buds want some pleasure then better find some other restaurant.

Overall it gets a rating of  3.5 / 5.


Some pics of this roof top restaurant

Review of Paasha- JW Marriott Hotel Pune

1st week of October was a long vacation week so I decided to visit my big bro's home in Pune.
He had recently purchased Grand i10 so it was time to party.
We decided to visit JW Marriott Hotel.

Ambience
We booked a table in Paasha restaurant which was famous for its north Indian cuisines.
It was on the 23rd floor of the splashy JW Marriott.
As we entered I was amazed to see the classy interiors.
The sitting arrangement was posh and comfortable.
The view of city was outstanding , perfect for a romantic date.
DJ was cool enough to tap our feet.
And the best part was the bar whose design was quite innovative and stylish.
Full points to the set up which sets our mood.
I will give 4.5 / 5 rating to the Ambience.

Service
As we entered the place we were greeted by an extremely graceful hostess who escorted us to our table. After we got settled a server came to our table and introduced herself. She was polite from the word go.
The food was served in quick time. Care was taken to check what was there and what had got finished on our table.
I loved the service.
Again a 4.5/5 rating to the Service.

Food
The start was superb with a bowl of warm spiced Cashews served as a complementary item.
Brownie points for the delicious taste.
It's really difficult for vegetarian to find variety specially @ 5 Stars but JW Marriott has made efforts to include some great VEG dishes in their menu and made it sure not to repeat them.

We had Paneer Lababdar in the starters.
The paneer was amazingly soft and tasty.

For the Main course we ordered Subz ki Tahri.
Vegetables simmered with yoghurt, yellow chilli powder, vetiver and saffron finished on "Dum" with royal basmati was its finger licking description.
The Biryani in desi language was nicely cooked and perfectly spiced.

Overall the food was successful in giving my taste buds a pleasant and delicious experience.
This time 4/5 rating for the food as few more dishes can be included in the VEG side.

Overall Experience
Had an awesome overall experience.
Great food, superb ambience and elegant staff makes this place hot and happening.
I would recommend it to all the couples who are planning for a romantic date.
The rates are bit on the expensive side but that's fine compared to other 5 Star Hotels.
Also do visit the washrooms as you will find an element of creativity there too.


4.5 / 5 rating for this amazing place and a must visit recommendation.

Few pics of the place