Life and Its Experiments

C for Conference Call #AToZChallenge

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April 3, 2015

Did you hear “If you are the leader press one, speak your name and then press pound”. Yes it was meant for that echo only.

Conference calls are a vital part of our daily office routine. You cannot survive a day without it. At times they are irritating but most of the times they are life savior. At times we don’t even know but there so many calls scheduled in the whole day that we hardly get the time to actually work. The work is all about the calls.

Majority of the times the call is scheduled to make sure that the offshore and onshore team is in sync with each other. We have our status calls, performance call, reporting calls and many more over these conference calls. With the advancement of technology, we have advanced in our sluggishness level too. Just siting few meters apart we would still dial in to talk to each other, which appears very lame to me. It would not be wrong to say that the day is not far when we would not be able to picture the face of the person we are talking to, it would be just few numbers and a receiver of our beloved cisco phones.

Technology has done wonders with the phones too. Earlier we had those normal phone from which we used to dial in but now a days the workplace is quipped with high end cisco phones which comes with touch screen. My office has one, unfortunately I couldn’t click the picture because like I said earlier it was booked throughout the day. Busy bee ha.

All I want to express here is that there are situations where the calls cannot be avoided but there are many a times when we can talk face to face. A smile and a nod in front of you is way better than a yes and okay over the call. Let us try to make it more personal and less electronic.

Are you also sick of the unlimited conference calls in your office? Do you also think that more than half of the calls are not even required ?

Happy reading !!

B for Bossy Boss #AToZChallenge

Lifestyle

Ruby Singh

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April 2, 2015

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Don't you ever forget this !! — Don’t you ever forget this !!

I am sure it must have ring a bell in everyone’s head. Bosses are like opinions, everyone has one. The good, the bad, the bossy, the bitchy, the controlling, the liberal, the sexy and many more. They exist in all shape, size and packages. By and large we all hate our bosses, but there are always some exception.

There might be hundred good kind of bosses that you must have come across but I will be telling you about the bosses that I have worked with. Fortunately I haven’t had a bad experience yet. You can call me very lucky.

My first boss was very straight forward and approachable. I have never had any issues with the way he handled the team and the way he catered to the needs of the individuals too. He would always incorporate humor to our team meetings which had made the work less boring and more fun. He knew that thin line between being a boss and being a friend. He was my first boss experience and I am so glad he gave me memories worth cherishing. Even today I can approach him for any career related advice, he is just an email/ping away.

Next in line is my second boss. My first boss has raised the standard pretty high and I wasn’t really wiling to settle for anything less than it. But do we really get to make a choice here ? No, they are like your complexion you have to live with them. So the experience was good but did not meet the standards that I had in my mind. I didn’t appreciate the choice of words that was used in the team meetings. Few of the his expectations were not even realistic. Having said all these things he was really good at the subject. The thing that I liked the most about him was that he was always more than ready to teach. He would always encourage you to do things beyond the ones listed under your roles and responsibility.

The next I had a lady boss. I admire her to bits. Often you are asked where do you see yourself 5-10 years down the line, after meeting her my answer had changed to I would like to be her. She is inspiring, epitome of managerial excellence and so good with people skills. I wish I could tell her that someday. You come across people who encourage you, motivate you, push you but she inspires you. Generally female employees don’t get along with their lady bosses but she is an exception. I am sure the rest of my team members would agree to me. She had set the rules very clearly and there was no school level policing with her. Her rules went without speaking out loud. She had that aura which oozes out perfection and inspiration. I simply adore her.

My next boss was very chilled out. Live and let live was his policy. Apparently the work load was negligible so our life was anyways easy but his happy go lucky attitude made the office time fun. With unlimited tea breaks, maggie breaks office hours used to fly by. I can’t really comment much on him because I haven’t really seen his leadership skills and he is totally not be blamed for it, it was paucity of time and lack of the right opportunity. After that comes my current boss. He is gem of a person. It has been just few months with him but we have had quite a lot of meaningful conversations. I like the way he delegates his work and handles the delivery. He is like a coconut, hard from outside but soft and tender from inside. It has been very less time to judge him and comment on anything associated with him. I am hoping to have a memorable experience with him too.

Note: The list of bosses is in random order. If you are reading this and you have been my boss please know that, the post is fun post with no other meanings or messages intended.

Happy reading !!

A for Access Card #AToZChallenge

Lifestyle

Ruby Singh

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April 1, 2015

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This is my first post for the popular A to Z Challenge. I will be discussing about Access Cards in my first post. All the computer engineers and software engineers are very well acquainted with this item. Access Card as the name suggests give you access inside the building or more specifically inside your bay (your working area). Access card is a coveted asset that is equally valued by a fresher as well as by the top management members. So you can very well imagine how sought after and significant this card is.

With access cards there are many issues. The first being that you have to carry it with you all the time else you will have to depend on others mercy. There are many IT organizations that have very strict mandate for their access cards like it should be hanging around the employee’s neck all the time, the photo should be clearly visible all the time and many more. The second issue is related to all the stones that you have to turn in case you forget your access card at home. The security will take out a huge and thick register and then only God can help you with the unlimited manual entries. The third issue arises when you lose your access card; the situation gets even worse as you will have to lighten your wallet by paying the fine of the lost card. The biggest irony is that you really work hard and write all possible kinds of email in order to get this access card at the earliest. So basically you invite the ghosts into your life.

The role of access card is not limited to the office premises only. It has a mental impact even when you are at home. It will sound funny and kind of unbelievable but once I did try to open my house door by flashing my access card. I am sure it must have happened to you guys too though maybe not to this extend.

I am sure all the software engineers would relate to every word that I just wrote. Does it ring any bell guys? Do you also share such an intricate love hate relationship with your access card, drop in your comments? Also please do highlight if I missed any of the important points to mention about the access cards.

Happy working guys !

I am taking part in A TO Z Blogging Challenge

Editorial Muse

Ruby Singh

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March 31, 2015

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I am taking part in A TO Z Blogging Challenge

Okay, so now this is very courageous of me. I am going to take part in the A to Z Blogging Challenge this year. Yes please wish me luck. When I got to know about this challenge this first thing that hit me was will I be able to complete it. Given the hectic schedule of work and home, will I get time for it. But then I thought there will always be paucity of time, I will have to make time for what I like and enjoy doing.

The themes for A TO Z Blogging Challenge is revealed. You can check it here. Also on the same page you would get the sign up link where you can list your blog if you are interested in the challenge. Talking about the theme I have chosen Lifestyle as my theme. This is a month long blogging challenge I really don’t want to shower a lot of wisdom and preach about stuff. I would rather be blogging about very light and candor topics. The topics however would be more closely inspired from my office. Yes you heard me right. I have been spending so much time hovering in and around my office that I thought it could be the best source of topics for my A TO Z Blogging Challenge.

As I have said before I am not sure I will be able to complete it or not but one this is for sure I am going to try my level best. Let us see how far I succeed.

Are you taking part in this challenge ?

Things that you should take care when you visit Amer Fort.

Ruby Singh

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March 29, 2015

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Things that you should take care when you visit Amer Fort.

Traveling withing India can be both adventurous and deceiving. You will meet all kind of people when you travel from one place to place ranging from very naive to very sly. While you encounter people who would go out of their comfort zone to help you, you would also come across people who will befool you just for a few extra bucks.

I visited Jaipur in the month of January and I had an experience which made me sad for the travel industry of our country. I had gone to Jaipur to attend a wedding and hence I visited very few tourist attractions, courtesy the paucity of time.

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When you smell good you feel good ! !

Lifestyle

Ruby Singh

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March 27, 2015

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We spend so much time in dressing up and accessorizing but often we forget the most important aspect of it which is a good fragrance. If you don’t smell good your whole personality goes haywire and all your efforts in looking good goes for a toss. For me a good perfume makes a guy and a bad one breaks a guy. I truly believe that If you don’t smell good, then you don’t look good.

“You are never fully dressed without perfume!” – C. JoyBell C

Now that we are talking about perfumes let me give an insight into some of the best Branded perfumes for your guy. If you are also a fragrance freak just like I am you would definitely pick one or two for your guy. I am sure he smells good but there is no harm is blossoming ever more. So here goes the list of my favorite perfumes.

Bleu De Chanel : Chanel’s perfumes are a delight. This fragrance is rich in citrus and grapevine extract. Every time your guy would put this on you won’t be able to resist yourself from falling in love all over again.

Polo Blue Sport by Ralph Lauren: I absolutely love Ralph Lauren. I recently bought a Ralph Lauren perfume for myself too. Their men’s fragrance is just mind blowing. The best from their whole range would definitely be the Polo Blue Sport.

Hugo Boss: Perfumes from Hugo Boss are a must have in your kitty. Their male and female both ranges are absolutely amazing. The fragrance is light and stays for long time.

Calvin Klein: If you are looking for good branded perfumes for your guy then Obsession and Escape from Calvin Klein should be your blind pick. They are the bestsellers in men’s perfumes.

One Million Intense by Paco Rabanne: If I have to describe this fragrance it would be a good and balanced mix of warm spices, roses and citrus fruits. If you enter into a room wearing this perfume I am sure your presence can never go unnoticed.

All the above mentioned perfumes belong to the most exclusive range of men’s perfume. There are many other popular brands too like A* Men by Thierry Mugler, Acqua di Gioia, Reaction by Kenneth Cole, Armani and many more. So basically if you are looking for some of the best Branded perfumes for your guy then you just hit the jackpot. I have offered you a wide range to choose from, go ahead and make your pick. To all the women out there always remember “A man is not judged by his salary, but by his fragrance”.

Happy perfume shopping ladies.

This is a sponsored post but the views expressed are genuine.

How my mother #ChooseToStart with her smartphone: The new Moto E

Lifestyle

Ruby Singh

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March 24, 2015

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How my mother #ChooseToStart with her smartphone: The new Moto E

We live in a world which is rapidly developing in terms of technology and science. What seemed to be a far fetched thing yesterday, today happens on a press of a button. I remeber when I got my first phone I was more excited about the fact that I had a phone all by myself. I didn’t had to run to the landline to take my call all the time. My calls were coming to me directly without being routed by someone else. It restored my privacy and I was on cloud nine with that basic phone.

Smartness in phones came gradually for me, it wasn’t a sudden change or instant realization. I used to get thrilled and excited with every new and smart feature that my phone kept offering me. Being an IT person I was quite aware and familiar with the advancement and growth with which the phones were blooming. The real fun started when these smart phones made an entry in my mother’s life. She was very excited as she had heard a lot about the features and benefits of a smart phone.

My mother recently bought a new Moto E to enter into the world of smart phones. When I asked her how do you #ChooseToStart using your new smart phone, she just smiled and said, ” I want to make it fun and exciting”. She had her hopes as high as the sky. Thanks to the new Moto E and its exiting features, she wasn’t disappointed at all. Her start wasn’t as smooth as we expected because she was having a hard time getting used to of the touch screen. With a 4.5 inches screen she would accidentally touch here and there and miracles would happen on the screen. But in no time she got used to of it.

All my family members are a part of a very popular messenger available on smart phones. She would always whine that she didn’t get any update and any picture on time. So she started with the installation of that messenger on her phone. The application store of Moto E offers a wide range of applications which would be available on your phone just on a press. The next she wanted to get rid of checking her Facebook on the laptop, so installation of Facebook app was next in line. She then installed few more social media apps, which she had seen in my smart phone.

She was so engrossed in all the social media apps that she didn’t even realize that she now had a camera in her phone. There were many times when we used to click pictures and send to each other to show our shopping or take approval for buying. She was always deprived of this facility. In the middle of everything I told her, ” Maa you have a camera in your phone” and she smiled ear to ear. Then we started clicking pictures of each other. With a 5-megapixel back camera and a 0.3 megapixel front camera the new Moto E has done wonders for my mother. We took unlimited selfies, and she recorded many high definition videos on it too.

Gone the time of VGA, its time for MegaPixels

Next she started with exploring the music and movie options. Coming from an era of just radio she had a gala time listening to all the new numbers. I also transferred few of her all time favorite movies in the phone which she could watch at any time. With a screen resolution of 960 x 540 (qHD) the new Moto E offers you unbeatable picture quality. She was happy that she would be now listening to the songs of her choices rather than the famous Radio Jockeys.

With so many added features and applications the new Moto E lived up to all the expectations. I was happy that my mother’s first smartphone experience would be cherished all her life. She then jumped on to the exploration of the online world in her phone. She learnt how to pay her bills from her phone and next I knew she was on to all the online shopping websites and their related apps. I never knew she was such a quick learner but given the time she just amazed me with her skills. I noticed that she was doing so many things as the same time but the phone was still at ease and there wasn’t any issue with the processing. The new Moto E comes with 1.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 410 processor which makes the phone go smooth. While she was busy in her online world I was relieved that I made a good choice.

Welcome to the online world in your phone.

My mom had a fun time exploring all the features of her new smart phone. For more information about this phone and its extraordinary features, do visit http://www.startwithmotoe.com/.

Hassle free commutation in Delhi

Lifestyle

Ruby Singh

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March 22, 2015

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Delhi being the capital city of India has its own highs and lows. It boasts the diversity of culture and is home to people from all over the country. With a population of 23 million people Delhi has been kind enough to welcome more and more people every day. I have seen Delhi growing and developing as a metropolitan city since past four years. But like they say every rose has its thorn and so does Delhi. Even with continuous progress in every area Delhi is still struggling with its commutation. With the population increasing every day commutation in Delhi has become a major concern for everyone now.

Insane traffic on the way back home from work.

Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has been a big solace in sorting the transport problems. But the bigger picture still remains the same. With the influx of more and more cars on Delhi roads every day the general public has so much to manage and deal with. For someone who doesn’t own any vehicle moving from one place to another used to be an uphill task. But with the numerous newly launched affordable cab service in Delhi we are stepping towards more ease and management.

Even though Delhi has vast network of Metro, Buses and Autos but still taxi service in Delhi has come up as boon for the general public. Delhi Metro might not be accessible in all the areas. I often end up changing the transport mode many times to reach a destination. For example if I have to reach the New Delhi Railway Station I first have to take an auto till the metro station and then take a metro to the Railway Station. It becomes very cumbersome, not to forget that I carry one or two bags too. To cope up to these kinds of situations I now have a long list of cheap Delhi cab services to choose from.

There are days when you don’t feel like taking the pain of busting yourself in the crowded metro or driving yourself to the work place. Earlier in such a situation you would get stuck but now the Pocket-friendly Delhi cab services have changed the scenario upside down. It saves you from the unnecessary haggling with the Auto drivers and the insane crowd of Metro. With so much advancement in technology your cab is just a click away. It has worked wonders from me as it offers safety along with convenience. I would any day prefer a hassle free cab ride to a destination that to burn myself with the hectic public transport options. For more convenience I have saved the numbers of all my preferred cab vendors so that my ride is just a dial away.

Explore Delhi!
Happy Travelling!

This is a sponsored post but the views expressed are genuine.

True happiness is a state of mind

Editorial Muse

Ruby Singh

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March 22, 2015

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https://youtu.be/aQ3uhnByS1k

Happiness is a journey not a destination. The day we realize this we would look for happiness even in the smallest of the things. We work so hard not to earn money but to buy things that would make us happy and if we don’t know what that thing is, even the millions of cash in the bank account would mean nothing. Like they say “true happiness is a state of mid”, it surely is.

I used to be a cribbing creature but I have grown with time. It is important that you don’t wait for that one big thing to happen and then be happy about it. There is happiness even in the tiniest of the things, we just need to open our eyes wide and look for it. If I share things that makes me happy you would definitely burst into laughter. But then it would make you smile and that would in turn make me happy.

After waking up in the morning, a nice hot steaming cup of tea makes me happy. It makes me content and relieved. I am tea person and I enjoy my tea. It makes me happy. A nice hot water bath makes me happy. I have started a new hobby of collecting coins and yes that makes me a numismatic. Every now and then I open my coin album and look through it. It sounds strange but it makes me happy. I smile looking at them. I know I will never spend them but I kind of feel rich looking at those shiny coins. Appreciations make me happy, I guess it makes everyone happy. Yesterday I helped my roommate in her wedding shopping and even though I didn’t buy anything I was happy when we got back home. Every time I finish my Maggie I lick the whole plate clean and this stupid thing makes me happy. It is like a victory to me. Finding a Coca Cola bottle in your refrigerator when you least expect it gives me happiness of the world. The first rain and its petrichor makes me ecstatic. My seven months old nephew and his gibberish conversation makes me go off the edge. Travelling and writing are my new discovered source of happiness. My novice and gradually getting popular blogs make me happy. The list is endless. I can talk about it till the dawn and then till the dusk.

There are times when I look back and ponder that I have wasted so many moments over thinking and over analyzing things and situation where I could have been just happy and lived the moment. This very realization has changed my life. It isn’t that things don’t make me sad and go crazy but I try to make more happy moments and live through them.

Dalai lama has rightly said that “the purpose of life is to be happy”. The statement is true to bits and complete in every possible sense.

Visit http://CokeURL.com/96jnc

Langkawi Tour – Day Zero (Planning)

Ruby Singh

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March 15, 2015

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I was in Malaysia for almost ten months and I tried to visit all the nearby attractions. I kept Langkawi reserved for a family trip with my ma and papa. They had come down to Malaysia in the month of December 2013. I had planned a complete two day trip to Langkawi well in advance. My parents were not apprised of the same. They were in the notion that they will roam around in Malaysia and then return to India but I had different plans.

They arrived on 3rd December and we had to leave for Langkawi on 5th December. My father was ecstatic to hear that. So basically on 4th December I did all the planning of the trip. Many of my friends had already visited so I took a lot of inputs from them and drafted every possible detail of the trip. It was a new destination for my parents as well as for me and I didn’t want to look like a fool in front of my parents. I wanted to look all wise and responsible. Wide grin :-D.

My management went pretty well and I didn’t mess up anything. I am going to present a broad picture of my planning and points which should not be ignored.

Know the area where you wish to put up: There are plethora of options of hotels in Langkawi but you need to decide if you wish to stay in the hustle bustle of the city or you want to enjoy the solitude of the outskirts. I chose the later. Keep looking for various discount offers on hotels. You never know when you can get an irresistible deal. Make sure your includes breakfast buffets in the deal, just like mine. Now this is where following the travel website on twitter and Facebook helps.

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