Join me in share the load campaign

Dear friends I am part of a rat race where everyone is in a race to outrun one another. I chase endless deadlines some of these I make it and some I miss. Either way they add to the day to day stress of my daily life. Yet every day I start my day with a new vigor, energy and vitality.
Now before these lines begin to appear like the brief of a energy drink that I may be working upon let me clarify that it is not the case at least not at this moment. I am going to talk about my mantra to fight stress, its simple and works for me so it might work for you as well but why am I telling you about it after all you could be belonging to the group of people who believe that Laundry is a woman’s job as 81% of married men in India agree that their daughters must learn household chores
and there are the 78% of girls in India who agree that they should learn Laundry as they will have to do it when they grow up
When 65% of married men in India agree that their children replicate their behavior at home then how can the children be left behind as 2 out of every 3 children think that washing clothes is a mothers job.

So if you fall in this group of people then not only are you being a person who treats the women in his life with a sense of inequality but also treats your laundry with disdain. So much so for feelings now that you are part of the set of people who believe in the school of thought that laundry is a woman’s job you are depriving yourself of my ultimate relaxation technique and the best stress buster that one can think of.
So what is that technique that I have been harping about since the beginning of my post?
Well it’s called washing your clothes or doing the laundry. To begin with when I feel really sapped and stressed I pull out a pile of dirty clothes and make a list of all the negative things that I have experienced that day or the things that have been bothering me for some time. It could be the behavior of a colleague who robbed me of my due credit for a presentation or could be the boss almighty who has bypassed my right to get a fair appraisal or a raise. I fill up a bucket with water or if I am really mad at a person I could chose hot water. Then I gently drown my clothes one by one in this bucket. I visualize that instead of the clothes going down it is the person who has been so nasty that I cannot bear them any more. As the detergent added to the bucket acts on the dirt on the clothes .the slippery feel of soap also allows my troubles to slip away. On days I am feeling really nasty I could wring the clothes a bit harder. As the cool water works on the palm of my hands and the swirling, scrubbing and splashing of water works on all the pressure points located in the palm of my hands. By the time I have finished my washing the problems don't seem that big anymore and if the next day I find some one trying to get under my skin, instead of losing my cool I chuckle and say to my self, I will seen you in the laundry room . I am proud of the fact that I share the load and do not believe it to be a women's job. The fact that it is a great stress buster is only an additional perk.


“I am joining the Ariel #ShareTheLoad campaign at BlogAdda and blogging about the prejudice related to household chores being passed on to the next generation.”

Save Tax by buying a Car

If you are self employed businessman in India then there is a fantastico news for you. If you buy a car and take a loan for it then you can get tax deductions.

Deductions from your payable tax through a car loan that is taken by you as a businessman if you declare the profit or capital gains earned from your business. One more condition that you need to fulfill is that the vehicle that you purchase must be bought in the name of your business. If this is the case then you get exemption on the interest as well as depreciation of the vehicle.

If you fulfill these criteria then you can include the interest paid for your car loan as tax exemption.

Such claim can be claimed under sec 80c

So enjoy a drive in a new car and enjoy cruising through the city or going for long drives listening to peppy music.

What if you are a salaried person ? In such a case you can use your car as part of a car pool. Going by the adage that money saved is money earned you could save and indirectly earn some extra money. If you have a spare car you could rent it out as a private taxi or approach a company that could pay you some money to use the car as a moving advertising board with all kinds of ads. displayed on its surface. However advertisers generally pay you higher if you run the car more then a certain amount of kilometers a day on a daily,weekly or monthly basis as this way their adverts reach the maximum number of eye balls.

Another option is to contact your local taxi operator and let him use it as a private taxi. However tracking the usage of your vehicle can be an issue that you may have to contend with.

There is an option that you can convert your car into a taxi under a radio taxi aggregator this way through the use of installed GPS and the app provided by the taxi aggregator you can track your car in real time. You can earn a revenue from your car and from there is the possibility of earning an additional bonus that could be linked to the number of rides that your car covers in a day and the quality of service offered by your driver.This is a nice way to augment your income.

However the best use of your own car can be using it to spend some quality time with family and friends. Try going to a drive in theater if there is one in your city. Long drives,Picnics and family drives are a recipe to create memories of a lifetime. Ask someone who has not got a car as to home much he or she misses enjoying weddings and parties to the fullest. Either you have to schedule your return before the public transport stops plying or adjust your plans to suit someone who could drop you home safely. Having your own car gives you independence to go anywhere according to your schedule and convenience.

Apart form the money you would or could make the independence you get by traveling in your own car is priceless.

This blog post is inspired by the blogging marathon hosted on IndiBlogger for the launch of the #Fantastico Zica from Tata Motors. You can apply for a test drive of the hatchback Zica today.

Love Breakup and business in times of Odd and Even

As the odd even driving rule was imposed in Delhi there were many effects some expected and some entirely bizarre. So when the rule states that on odd days odd numbered vehicles would ply and on even days even numbered vehicles would be driven it got a lot of varied types of reactions from people and here are some not so common ones

Breakup with girlfriend ~ The odd and even rule has made my friend  really upset. The reason is that both he and his girl have even numbered cars and on odd days his girlfriend teams up with her Ex to drive her to work and bring her back home too. When he asked her why her ex  only from all the people.She felt that a known Devil is better then unknown and even before my friend could feel relieved that his girlfriend had referred to her Ex. as devil she added and he is not such a bad guy after all. So why does she not use public transport, metro or take an auto or taxi? Good question but I would save that answer for slightly later in the post

New Alliances have formed formed: based on the  new found odd even compatibilities, new buddiess were found and new alliances forged. So don't be surprised if you found profile posts on dating sites saying I am a TDH tall dark and handsome guy looking for a date. Since I am having a car with odd numbered car.So kindly only those interested and having even numbered cars may respond. The same could be the case with matrimonial adds Required a match for well educated and well settled boy age 25 caste no bar,no dowry. The boy drives an Even numbered car so only those girls who have an odd numbered car may respond. Boy keen on very early marriage as there are no DTC buses plying from his home to his office.

Matrimonial matches: Even the uncles and aunties of prospective brides and grooms started looking for suitable matches with the added odd and even compatibility factor to solemnize an alliance.

So much so for business of life the news of odd even scheme was music to the ears of the auto and taxi drivers as if they had got a license to fleece the hapless passengers the way they wanted . The public at large being at the mercy of these guys. The share prices of companies selling CNG , CNG kits soared as people rushed to get the CNG kits fitted to their cars.

So coming back to the question of my friend and his girlfriend as to why she did not take the public transport or the metro? Well because there is no last mile connectivity. In simple terms what it means is for a lot of people who want to use the metro or the public transport the travel is not as smooth as it should be. There are no feeder buses or shuttles to take a person from outside his home to the metro and once you get down at the desired stop again the lack of public transport from the metro station to their desired destination. Hence one is left at the mercy of the auto and taxi wallas who have a free hand and behave in a lot of if not in all cases as if they are above law.

My friends girlfriend still prefers to travel with her ex as her mother still gets worried when she is is traveling by public transport and gets delayed perhaps the mark of being a not very friendly city for women has not yet been erased. There are more CCTV cameras but what about our moral responsibilities I would keep civic sense out of this discussion as there are things that we Indians are supposed to do and say in public but when it comes to civic sense we are not trained to even think about that but who knows like a dormant gene that too may decide to express itself perhaps if the government and administration puts a tax or a penalty for not using it.

Working for Peanuts

I recently visited old Delhi or the Walled city as it is commonly known as. Irrespective of the time of the day and part of the year that you go ,it is always bustling with people.Navigation through the streets is no mean task. People transacting,buying and selling and conducting the business of life.Some go there for work others to experience the old world charm,other find old delhi alluring for the food that it offers. For me it was time to retrace my roots. Actually I am a true Delhiite or Dilli Wala and I can trace back by roots up to 4 generations who were born and grew up in Delhi.In good old days of life in Chandni Chowk life was quite different. In the times when my grandfather or his father used to lived there and whom of course I never met used to be quite regal. In the lane that led to our ancestral home there were quite a few landmarks that one could recognize as I visited that place as a child. The path of Navigation down memory lane is not always smooth. As we entered the main gate of what once used to be a familiar lane bore a distinctly different look. Almost all the familiar landmarks of that lane have been erased. The first thing that we missed was the coal seller and his shop which was right at the entrance, Gone is the coal seller and gone are the coal marks that were there near his shop perhaps erased by the passage of times. The whole lane has been converted into a commercial market. There are very few homes left. Once we could hear the sounds of All India Radio playing out old peppy songs but now those homes are no longer there. Neither are there any familiar faces. The place where my great grand father used to sit and chat with his friend has also been demolished. Luckily the temple is intact where my grandmother used to go and pray.Our maternal home which was on the end of the lane is locked away as no one stays there any more. The walls either got demolished or could not stand their tryst with time. Yet the memories of this place are still intact somewhere on the canvas of my mind. I look back to take another look at my ancestral home or what is left of it and moved on as I walk along BaghDiwar and walk towards Fatehpuri. As this roads ends I find myself standing in from of a church that has stood the test of time. On my right is a peanut seller. Selling hot peanuts and popcorns. I buy some to eat and the hot peanuts are yummy. Perhaps I should take some just as we used to take them back home when I used to visit with my grandfather. I request him if he can give me a bag to carry the hot peanuts in and he gladly extends a bag. He begins to share his pearls of wisdom with me by saying “Pyar se maango to Sab kuch Milega” meaning if you ask lovingly you would get everything. Then he says now a days every one is living for one own self parents do not have time for children. Nor children have any time or love for their siblings.Then he asks me do you live here ? I point towards the direction of my maternal home “there is my Nanihal” or maternal home. Mr Md. Wali the peanut seller nods and smiles and say do come again.

I collect my bag of peanuts and a bigger bag of fantastico memories and walk away 

 This blog post is inspired by the blogging marathon hosted on IndiBlogger for the launch of the #Fantastico Zica from Tata Motors. You can apply for a test drive of the hatchback Zica today.

For a fantastico drive in aamchi Mumbai

Mumbai has its charm when it comes to driving a car.Even though it is a crowded city yet it offers plenty of places where you enjoy going for a drive.

As I drive towards Chaupati driving through Marine Drive I hear the  peppy musical lyrics of the talented and versatile Kishore Kumar's Song Mannu Bhai Motor Chali Pum Pum Pum. It is playing from a neighboring old style Mumbai taxi. The lyrics go like this

Manu Bhai Motar Chale Pam Pam Pam  
Chopati Jayenge Na Bhel Puri Khayenge 
Chopati Jayenge Na Bhel Puri Khayenge 
Achi Achi Surto Se Najre Ladayenge 
Halla Machayenge Gulla MachayengeBand Baja Bajega Dhum Dhum Dhum
 

In essence the fun filled song reflects the importance of Chaupati and better still the whole of Marine Drive in the life of those traveling this stretch for on this stretch of the road I have seen some of the most elegant and beautiful cars that one gets to see in Mumbai.

Driving along Marine Drive is a pleasurable experience. The 4.3 K.M stretch  of road or boulevard in South Mumbai in the city of Bombay offers a fantastico view of the ocean .It is a six lane concrete road along the coast in the form of the letter “C”

This road runs along the coast which happens to be a natural bay. This road links Nariman Point to

Marine Drive is a 4.3-kilometre-long boulevard in South Mumbai in the city of Mumbai. The road links Nariman Point to the Babulnath Road and the famous and posh Malabar Hill. Marine Drive is situated over reclaimed land facing west-south-west. A promenade lies parallel to this road. Marine Drive is also known as the Queen's Necklace because, when the night falls and the lights are switched on this beautiful road when viewed at night from an elevated point appears like a string of pearls in a necklace.Navigation along this stretch of Mumbai is a favorite passion for a number of people and the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai announced that the entire road would be resurfaced.

This was done 72 years after it was originally laid. In the official records the name of this road is Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Road. This beautiful promenade is lined with palm trees. On one end that is the north end of the Marine Drive is the famous Chowpatty Beach, It is iconic and so is the bhel Puri sold here at various stalls and restaurants. Walkeshwar the wealthy neighborhood of Mumbai lies further down the road and is also the location of the home of the Governor of Maharashtra.

However for me what is most important is the view that this road offers and the experience of that sea breeze running through my hair when I drive past this stretch.

 This blog post is inspired by the blogging marathon hosted on IndiBlogger for the launch of the #Fantastico Zica from Tata Motors. You can apply for a test drive of the hatchback Zica today.  

What do the Smart Cookies do in a traffic Jam

So you are the smart cookie who uses his GPS and built in Navigation tool in his or her car and avoids the traffic jams? Just imagine what you would do if you found yourself surrounded by a sea of cars moving bumper to bumper and then suddenly all the cars come to a grinding halt then what would you do? Do you feel like abandoning your car among a sea of cars and walk away? Have we not thought of doing that at some point or the other?

There are options and there are options to be explored. First of all congratulations this is a fantastico opportunity for you . The reason I say this because I strongly believe in the adage that every challenge is an opportunity and besides I myself have spent so many hours,days and months of my life in traffic jams I have begun to see the brighter side of things.

So what would you do.Navigation through this jam is impossible.

Maybe you could open your laptop and do a virtual meeting with your client or log in to your office or telecommute and take your team to tasks for not meeting the targets. Reply to those endless emails of clients and long lost friends.

Or maybe if you are someone like me who has a couple of thousands mails waiting perpetually in your inbox waiting eternally to be answered.

Make those phone calls to chacha chachi's mama mami's uncles and aunts,cousin brothers and sisters even the one you cannot stand for that matter because you are living the golden moment of opportunity that this traffic jam has presented to you So people whom you have not seen and called in ages would become source of entertainment to you and its time to call and bond in this moment of glory and tell them like a character from a typical Bollywood family drama that “ Hum Saath Saath Hain”

Now let me see if you were even smarter and perhaps the smartest cookie so what would you do?

See what an intelligent question I have asked you? Perhaps even I do not know the answer to this one.

So let me assume that I am in the shoes of a smart cookie who is stuck in a traffic jam and try some method acting and let me improvise a bit.

After all an assumption is the first step towards reaching a theory which I would like to call “What the Smartest Cookies Do in a Traffic Jam”

So the moment I get in to the character of the smart cookie I hear loud honking of horns all around me

and I feel all this noise would add to stress so I need to de- stress so the best thing is yoga ,some dhyana and Meditation.

So I roll up the window to cut out the noise .Play some nice peppy music.

Take a Deep breath inhale. Hold My breath, count till 5 and Exhale . I do this about 10 times and I am already feeling relaxed. Like a true yoga exponent let me call it “Traffic Bhool Jao Aasan” or forget the traffic asana

Next

I block my right nostril with my thumb and inhale with left nostril. I hold my breath and now exhale my breath from my right nostril blocking my left nostril.I repeat this ten times and then reverse the sequence by inhaling from my right nostril and exhaling from my left nostril. I repeat it again ten times

Next its time to practice the asanna that people do all the time when they are getting themselves photographed that is inhale pull your paunch in and hold .Hey this asana is known to everybody so let me re invent it. So instead exhale all your breath forcefully and pull your stomach inside like your tummy is getting in to shape. I once heard a baba ji tell me that with each exhalation if done properly one can loose upto 1 gram of weight. So don't do it for too long or for the entire duration of the traffic jam or you may feel that your clothes have out grown you many times and you may not be left with any thing to wear so do this “Patla Ho Jao Aasana” carefully

Then Sitting in the car I think I might just get old sitting in this car waiting for the traffic jam to end. So I device an aasana to reverse my aging or at least stimulate the stagnant neurons of my brain and trigger it to turn those grey hair black again so its time to start rubbing the nails of your hands against each other.Let me call it the “Budapa Jaye Jawani Aaye Aasana”

With so much yoga I am already feeling revitalized, rejuvenated and younger my mind is agile ,alert and oozing with creativity and then I get a brainwave that the aasana that I just invented were already invented by Indian sages hundred or thousands of years ago and they called them pranayama. Height of Plagiarism I must say! they copied my aasanas thousands of years before I even thought of them!

Hey I am getting another brainwave….

to write a poem and so I write…

Cars Cars Everywhere but Not a Car to Move…..

Did it ring a bell?

See I Knew you are one smart Cookie ;)

 This blog post is inspired by the blogging marathon hosted on IndiBlogger for the launch of the #Fantastico Zica from Tata Motors. You can apply for a test drive of the hatchback Zica today. 

Making the most of a traffic Jam in your Car

There are Traffic Jams and Traffic Jams .Yet each traffic jam is different. It also depends on where you are and how you want to make the most of it.

If you are in a bus, or any form of public transport then there is a great deal of possibility that it would be overcrowded so you could spend time sampling the sweat mixed of deo's perfumes and all kinds of odors. It is believed the the memory of an odor gets recorded in the brain and remain there for a very long period of time. So in this spare time of yours as you shift your weight form one foot to the other while holding on to the sweaty bar overhead or maybe you are the sitting variety sandwiched between fellow passengers on either side of you who on the pretext of “Bhai Sahab Thoda Adjust Kar Lo” meaning brother please adjust are attempting a coop of sorts against you as they try to push you off and dethrone you off your prized possession your throne that is your seat. Which you have not inherited but snatched from the hands of dynasty by pushing fellow passengers and dashing to the empty seat at a pace that would make even Usain Bolt seem running at a snails pace and come a poor second.

Though there are other advantages too in being in such a situation. You need not get your clothes ironed instead when you enter a over crowded public transport in crumpled clothes then your body and hence your clothes are subjected to forces of compression and expansion. Added to this is the salty sweat and the body heat of fellow passengers. This results in producing a natural way of ironing your clothes like no steam iron can. Being in public transport also saves you the cost of a perfume and deos. when your clothes and body rubs against so many fellow brethren travellers (and Sisters I must count them too) The result is a concoction of sweat, Deos,Perfumes that can be described your own and a signature perfume that no perfumery in the world can replicate. So are you ready to give up all these fortunes and personalized though voluntary body massages for a drive in your own car?

Lets see what you get. Ok you could roll up the windows and adjust the air conditioning to suit your needs. Play a peppy music piece on that entertainment console or perhaps you were the smart cookie who was using the navigation tool in your car to avoid the traffic jam all together .? With the help of Navigation tools one can find the shortest way to our destination and the drive in a car can become more rewarding and exciting that is less tiring and stenuous.

 This blog post is inspired by the blogging marathon hosted on IndiBlogger for the launch of the #Fantastico Zica from Tata Motors. You can apply for a test drive of the hatchback Zica today.