Life and Its Experiments

Without you it would have been just a walk, with you it is an eventful journey.

Editorial Muse

-

March 14, 2015

Without you it would have been just a walk, with you it is an eventful journey.

There are times in your life when you feel that your life is zoned out and stuck. Everybody around you has a normal life and it is just you who has all the problems in the world, which is obviously not the case. But there are times when you don’t act wise and your mind wanders irrationally. You see all your friends settling down and you become sad for your life and its murky state. You don’t know where to go, who to approach and where to vent out. The only people who still stand by your side and support you like a wall are your real friends and family.

The past year hasn’t been very good for me. I was confused, disturbed and in a lot of pain. I didn’t know where to go and what to do. Normally I avoid sharing my problems with my parents as I don’t want them to worry about me. More than that I don’t want them to think that I am not capable enough to handle my problems all by myself. My care for them and my self respect goes hand in hand. But at times the situation goes out of your hand and you seek help. I try to sort things as much as I can but when in dire need I don’t hesitate in asking for help and guidance.

After hours of cogitation I reached out to my family, to be precise to my mom. I told her everything. Even if you are faulty your parents would never blame you for anything, for they are your parents and you can never be wrong in their eyes. The beauty is that they would make you realize your mistakes without making you feel small and pitying on you.

My mother is an epitome of hope and optimism. She made me understand that everything happens for a reason. It happened because it has to happen. It would have happened even If it wasn’t for you. It would have happened anyway. She enlightened me with a lot of Srimad Bhagavad-Gita wisdom, but I kept sticking to the fact that it was my mistake and I ruined it all. I wasn’t able to forgive myself no matter how hard I tried. She then sat my side and said ” no amount of guilt can change the past and no amount of worry can change the future“. It stuck me real hard and I decided that I would pull up my socks and look forward to the beautiful life that God has bestowed me with.

I still remember those critical times and think how would difficult it would have been without her. Probably difficult doesn’t even begin to describe the situation. The fact that she stick to me and we were #together in those times worked wonder for me. Those long and simple conversations with her gave me the courage and strength to come out of my guilt and face the world. I cannot thank her enough for standing by me. She was is and will always be my best friend, confidant, philosopher and guide.

When I quit the Central Government job and #StartANewLife.

Editorial Muse

Ruby Singh

-

March 12, 2015

0

This goes way back in 2010 when I was in the final year of my Engineering. Since the first year I have always looked up to my cousin who was already an engineer and was working for a premier Information Technology Company. I was really awed by him and all I wanted was to become like him. Little did I know?

Years passed and during the third year a lot of companies visited the campus for selection but I couldn’t get through in any of them. It was a depressing time for me. I could see all my friends getting placed and I felt as if I was inept for the job. The scenario didn’t change till I passed out. While all this was creating turbulence in my life my father got to know about a Central Government job opening in Department of Posts. I wasn’t willing to join that job but I did, under duress though.

Months passed but that desire of leading an independent life was undying. I was doing my job but at the same time I was struggling for what I really wanted to do. By God’s grace I did grab a good job later the year. Just when I was a little happy there were hundreds of people to eye on my smile.

I wanted to resign from my current job and join my dream company. I had the offer and there was no one who could stop me. There were innumerable discussions on Government Jobs versus Private Jobs. Even the most lucrative of the perks of my current job couldn’t convince me to hold on to it.

I was determined. I was sure. I went straight to my parents because out of the whole world I only cared about their opinion and guidance. I told them my point and they understood me. They took all my points very well. They didn’t try to hold me back emotionally. They supported me. I could never thank them enough for it. No matter how much determined I was their support made me dead sure of what I was going to do.

With the consent of my parents I went ahead to embark on my new journey. It was a new start for me. I was trying to create a home away from home. I missed my parents every moment but I guess it was required so that I could be strong enough to survive by myself.

The decision of sticking to the dream that I had seen ever since helped me getting through the tough time. I was learning everything right from the very basic to very complex. I was growing with every day. With every birthday along with growing old I grew wiser too. It was #StartANewLife for me.

Are you planning to #StartANewLife please visit https://housing.com/

Things you hear when you tell someone you are from Lucknow.

India

Ruby Singh

-

March 11, 2015

7

I belong to Lucknow. Thats where I have spent most of my childhood. I did my school and college from Lucknow. I stepped out of Lucknow to persue my career in technology. When I joined work there were people from all over India. After a badinage you often end up asking the other person “Where are you from ?” I have faced this question too and I have had a variety of responses to my answer which is “Lucknow”.

Things you hear when you tell someone you are from Lucknow:

Lucknow mein “MAIN” nahi “HUM” kehte hai, hai na ? : This is most common thing that you would hear the moment you tell that you are from Lucknow. Till the time I was in Lucknow I never realised this but this is true, we do say “HUM”instead of “MAIN”. Coming from the city of tameez and tehzeeb it came from within we never really worked towards speaking “HUM” in place of “MAIN”.

Lucknow ka chicken toh bahut famous hai : After empahasizing on your choice of words they would straight jump to the craftsmanship of Lucknow. When I say chicken I meant Lucknow’s famous embriodery not the edible chicken. Initiallly I used to think what is this fuzz all about. I have grown up seeing chicken all aruond me so it wasn’t a big deal for me but now I realise the beauty of it. If you are from Lucknow you must have definitely bought chicken clothings for your friends atleast once in your lifetime. If you haven’t yet, you will soon.

Tum toh Tunde mein roz khati hogi: Lucknow is the undisputed king of kebabs and Tunde has a reputation worth bragging. Being a vegetrian I have never had a kabab from Tunde. Yes go ahead Judge me. But I still know it must be sumptuous and mouthwatering courtsey all my non vegetarian friends and their love for Tunde. It has happened time and again that I have been asked to get Kebabas from Tunde but so far nobody has been that privileged.

Mayawati has made a Marine Drive in Lucknow, is it true ?: There is huge transformation done by Mayawati near the Gomti Nagar area. It has been very artistically desgined and it’s beauty is worth watching for hours. You would happily visit this place almost everyday. Nowadays it has become a popular destination for photography. So the answer is “Yes” we do have a Marine Drive in Lucknow.

If you are from Lucknow I am sure you must have heard at least one of the above from your friends or colleagues. Say yay if you have. I am sure you must have smiled reading this post. Do comment if I have missed anything which is worth mentioning here. Would love to hear your views on this, so drop your comments below.

Note: The photos are taken from Google and I am giving the due credit to the photographers.

The daily dose of my optimism

Editorial Muse

Ruby Singh

-

March 5, 2015

0

A life without an inspiration and motivation is as good as dead. Everyday we come across thousands of people but nobody really touches our mind and soul but when the time is right just one person is enough to turn your world upside down. I have always talked about how my mother has helped me and inspired me with everything in my life. But today I am going to talk about another man whose optimistic approach has totally changed my outlook towards life. He is very close friends with my sister brother in law.

For the sake of anonymity I will not state his name. Let his name be Mr. S. I met him when I came back to India from Malaysia after ten months. It would be totally fair if I call him the epitome of optimism.

Mr. S was a Commander in Indian Navy. A man who has served his duties with full honesty and integrity. He is now retired and he now does consulting for a popular firm. I don’t know the full details of his work so I am not getting into it. He comes from an affluent family and he has had a career worth bragging. So basically when you meet him for the first time you will think that he is bestowed with everything. I was in that illusion too.

Days passed and I got to know more about him. I got to know that his family doesn’t live with him. His wife and his kids stay far away from him. I tried to know the reason but then I realized that it didn’t matter. It will only sadden him more and will bring back the memory of those tough days. So here is a man who has the benediction of everything but the one thing that everybody takes for granted is not in his destiny. He misses his kids. He enquires about them from various sources. He takes care of all their needs but still he doesn’t get the fatherly love that he expects from them. I don’t know the other side of the story so I will not comment on that but I have seen him pain.

Mr S has seen some good and some bad days but I have never seen him broken or disheartened. He has this amazing positivity towards life and everything that the life has to offer. He has taught me the biggest lessons of optimism. Not that I have sat with him for long hours and have had long sessions of cogitation and discussions but at times just the existence of such a person inspires you to be a better individual.

When I met Mr. S I wasn’t really having the best time of my life. It was the toughest phase of my life and I have had thoughts of doing things which I shouldn’t have even imagined in my wildest dream. Just a meeting with him has brought a lot of solace in my life. He is a typical defense person drenched in suave and gentleness. His attitude at times go out of the line but that how he is and I wouldn’t want him to change even a bit of his personality. Life hasn’t been very kind to him but that hasn’t affected the kindness of his heart. He has a lot of reasons to sit back at home cry and crib but he chose to go out and spread the kindness. Apart from being optimistic and hopeful he is the most helping man I know. If you have a problem he will try his level best to sort it out for you. He fixes things. He fixes problems instead of having plethora in his own life.

I am so glad that I met him. I have had a different approach towards life after meeting him. I pray to God he gets all the happiness in the world and keep spreading the same as he always does. He is one person I look up to in my thick and thins.

Please visit https://housing.com/lookup.

This post is written as a part of Look Up Stories by Indiblogger.

My mother my pride

Editorial Muse

Ruby Singh

-

March 1, 2015

0

With the word family the first person who flashes in front of my eyes is my mother, though everyone else also have their own contribution but you always have a favorite. My mother is the most beloved of all. The second place would go to my sister. We both are very close knit and we share almost everything with each other.

My mom has always been a source of timeless guidance and encouragement. Since my childhood I have always looked up to her in case of any help. She is my friend, philosopher and confidant. I was hesitant in sharing things with her till a certain age but now I confide in her. She is the first teacher of my life. Right from some fundamental teachings of life to the most complex issues she has a solution for all.

She has always made me understand how important family and its members are in your life but when you set out of your shell you are on your own. She has always prepared me for the day when I would hop out in the uncertain world and would be on my own. Initially I thought she meant for financial stability but with time I understood it has to do with a lot of other things too. It was more about how to conduct yourself with everyone else, how to hold your morals high and how to make sure that you don’t hurt someone intentionally. She clearly explained me that money is very important but it is not everything. This was, is and will be one of the biggest things that I have learnt from her. She taught me to save enough for future by cutting down unnecessary expenses not by cutting down your experiences. Being a female she knew what paths and what turns I would be facing in my life so she wanted me to live this life fullest and her right guidance at the right time has helped me galore in my life journey.

No matter how much ethics and vision your well wishers instill in you, there are mistakes which are inevitable. My mother not only supported me when I did the right things but she also stood by me whenever I have done some terrible things. I have made a lot of mistakes in my life, made a lot of impulsive decisions and wrong choices but she never left my hand. This was the time when my sister also stood by my side and supported me like a wall. They both made me understand that things happen for a reason and they would have happened anyways. The biggest lessons of all time that I had learnt during those times was to forgive yourself. I was deep buried in the guilt that I wasn’t able to see anything except my mistakes and shortcomings. My mother and my sister taught me to make peace with whatever has happened and forgive yourself.

My life was stuck and without their guidance and continuous support it would have been always stuck but thanks to them I have moved on in my life. I forgave myself and learnt from my mistakes. No matter where you go what you do, there is one place where you can always come back and that is “home” and there are people who would always understand you and they are your “family”.

This post is written as a part of Indiblogger’s Apno Ko Apne Dum Pe Jeena Sikhao campaign. For more details on this topic visit http://www.hdfclife.com/. Also adding an inspiring video which will move you emotionally.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rg8mH2I4VBM

Say hello to Quikr Chat

Lifestyle

Ruby Singh

-

February 28, 2015

0

Quickr is the most revolutionary thing that has happened to the Indians. The idea of reselling your old goods has been a boon for both the seller as well as the buyer. Quickr has been a great platform in bringing the idea into actions. Started with the basic concept of connecting the needy to the needer, quickr has revolved way too much with time.

We all know how Quikr works. You paste your items which you want to sell off along with your contact information and anybody who finds that product interesting contacts you for futher clarifications. Usually the buyer calls you and ask more specific details about the product. With time people have started misusing the contact information. It has been observed that people give random calls to the seller and ask hundred good questions and then they don’t turn up. This irritates the sellers and they tend to avoid the calls which in turn hampers the actually interested buyers. This is a big loss for the genuine buyers.

The problem of hoax calling has increased exponentially and to curb this issue Quikr has come up with the chatting option. As we all know that we can connect more proavtively by using Quikr application which can be very easily downloaded on the android phones. The chatting option has come up as a rescue for all the genuine buyers. This option allows you to chat with the buyer so that you can get in touch directly and enquire about the product. The chat option has many advantages over connecting on phone or email, predominantly listed below:

1. Convenience: When someone calls you to enquire about your listed product you might be in the loo, in the middle of a market or in an important business meeting. Even though you have the highest will to sell off your product but you won’t be able to because of the need of the hour. Chatting helps the buyer to drop their messages so that you can cater to it whenever you have time. This way you don’t have to miss on the important details and your interested buyers. The buyers will drop the messages to the targeted sellers and the sellers will respond to the buyers as per their convinience and time. This is a win win situation for both the parties.

2. Because you are not a Computer: Another important reason that chatting has become a revolutionary idea is because it capitalizes on the fact that you cannot remember each and every detail all the time. You don’t have a computer’s CPU to register and record every question asked by your buyer. Chatting helps you in keeping a record of the conversation that the buyers and sellers have with each other. It makes you remember the questions asked by the buyers and the details to be furnished to them with the timelines.

3. Keeps a record: The conversation that you have over the phone has no record. There is no record of the commitment that the seller makes and the prices that the two parties come to terms to. Chatting helps you to keep a record of the conversation that both the parties can later refer to in case of any disagreement. No party can devaite from the promises that they make while making the deal.

If you too have something which is lying in your house unnecessary then it is high time that you login to the Quikr’s website and try your hands on it. To explore more about it visit http://www.quikr.com/ and follow @quikr. If you have already tried Quikr and explored the chat option then do share your experience.

This post is written for Indiblogger’s Get Quikr NXT! initiative.

When you lose your friend to marriage

Editorial Muse

Ruby Singh

-

February 27, 2015

0

Getting married is definitely a huge thing for the two parties involved but they do affect a lot of other people in many profound ways. This takes me back to the time when my best friend Rashmi got married to her long time college sweetheart. I along with my other two friends were very happy for her. She was getting married to the person she love and nothing can bring more joy to a relationship than this.

Her marriage had also gone through a lot of turbulence when her mother wasn’t in agreemnt of the guy, but considering how tenacious she is, she made it work. The two people were in love, they got married and we all were very happy. Just few days later we realized that things weren’t the same anymore and that we have lost her to the holy matrimony. The random cafe visits, surprise raide to each other’s houses, borrowing clothes from each other stopped, not instantly but gradually. She had so many things to attend and so many places to be at the same time.

We had accepted this fact and we were prepared to hear a “no” or “sorry” whenever we made random plans. We understood. We were never upset about it but yes we do missed the time when we were carefree and we didn’t had to think about any constraints. Today she is a mother of an adorable daughter and I love to see how much she has grown as a person, as a wife and as a mother.

The fact still remain the same that we lost her to marriage. Things get better, things get worse but they are never the same. We miss the old days, the carefree us but we also celebrate the present. This is a picture of us and the girl in pink is our dearest married friend.

History is now going to repeat itself as I am preparing myself for losing another friend to marriage. My friend Kritika who is also my flatmate is getting married in the month of May. So here I am, going to venture another friend loss.

This post is actually a precursor for all her wedding fun and preparation. The photographs and videos taken at the time of wedding will remind you of the fun and revelry all your life but the preparation for the same also counts. How much you slog for just one glorious day should also be documented. So I have decided that I will be writing a post for every milestone that we cross for her wedding preparation. This might make the loss a little less painful for me.

The posts might get a little personal and may not interest you as it would be specific to a person and an event but I am very excited to begin this wedding post series. Hoping that this series would also make you a part of this wedding and you would enjoy every step of it just as much as we are enjoying. So please join me in celebrating the preparations for the big day for my friend. This is a virtual invitation to all my blogger friends.

The Daily Post's weekly photo challenge: "Rule of Thirds."

Uncategorized

Ruby Singh

-

February 24, 2015

0

In response to The Daily Post’s weekly photo challenge: “Rule of Thirds.”

The rules are simple.
We are three.
Absolutely free.
If you peek at the first,
you don’t get me.

Russell Peters vs AIB

Editorial Muse

Ruby Singh

-

February 19, 2015

0

The topic must have given you a little bit of an idea about what beans am I going to spill today. Last Saturday, 14th of February I went to see Russell Peters live in concert. I am huge fan of Russell Peters and couldn’t hold my horses when I got to know he was coming to the city. The tickets were booked then and there. I had never seen him live this was the first time I was going to see him live in action, though I have seen all the videos of his performance available om YouTube.

I love his acts and comic timing. He is creative. He is spontaneous. He has this prodigy of taking out humor from everything. I absolutely adore him. If you haven’t seen any of his performances yet it is high time you hit YouTube.

We arrived at the venue Expocentre Noida well in time because I didn’t want to miss even a bit of the show. There was a lot of rush, people were pouring out from every possible directions. I didn’t expect this much of crowd but it was well in proportion with his popularity. There was an opening act of 30 minutes performed by some upcoming comedian which was funny but I was there for Russell Peters so I wanted it to end it real soon so that the real deal can start.

It was time and Russell Peters arrived on the stage. Right from that moment there wasn’t a single word from his mouth which didn’t leave people laughing their asses off. He made fun of absolutely everything that you can think of, starting with the location of the event he sprawled over every aspect of India and trust me it was downright hilarious. There were jokes cracked on the profession, color, races, relationships and everything that crosses your head. He has this unique ability to make you laugh with his witty statements and actions on stage. He would even do funny moves to support his incidents and that is the moment when you wish you hadn’t had a stomach because it would ache so much out of laughter.

After a great show we were heading back home and on the way back we discussed many of his punches and laughed again. Another thought that crossed my mind was how was this show any different than the AIB Roast which happened recently. If you compare, both the shows were based on the same concept. Make fun of people and make them laugh. If I now see I would say AIB Roast had still some level of sophistication whereas Russell Peters was just the same without any filters. There wasn’t a single line which didn’t involve abuses, just that it was all in English not in our mother tongue. It was organized in an open area just like AIB was, AIB was still decent enough to call up a panel and make fun of those selected people only however Russell Peters was brutal enough to pick random people from the crowd and shred them like never before.

It has been 5 days since the show, I don’t hear any controversy for the Russell Peters show. Such a level of hypocrisy makes me laugh and sad at the same time. Laugh because we embrace the west in every context but just cannot keep up with the fact that we can be equally good, sad because there are way more people to discourage you, slander you than to appreciate your efforts.

I am huge fan of Russell Peters as well as AIB. Being an Indian I would like to see AIB reaching the heights and popularity just like Russell. Promoting the same thing if it comes from the west and derogating it if it comes from us is not fair. Just because AIB involved some celebrities, the roast was blown out of propotion and made a huge hullaballo about it. I have written on this issue previously as well you can read my views here. I hope I have strengthen my point with this comparision. What do you think about the AIB controversy, was it really worth or just a publicity stunt ?

If there was nothing to worry about.

Editorial Muse

Ruby Singh

-

February 17, 2015

4

We all live in a word where everyone has certain goals and all their lives they work to achieve it and just when it is achieved a new goal surfaces. We humans are very greedy. We are never content with what we have, our solace always lies in the things that we don’t have. We slog for it, give up our vacations, say no to friends and sacrifice our little burst of laughter just to achieve that big fat dream. that’s how it works and I really don’t like this protocol. I read somewhere that passion is something which is very overrated in our society. It is very much fine to not to be passionate about anything, just to be a simple person that you are. At times I wonder what if there was no dream, there was no goal and there was nothing to worry about.

Life would be much simpler and easier. World would be full of people with genuine smiles on their faces rather than than the wrinkles on their forehead. People would be doing what they love rather than sacrificing their desires for something big. Have you ever wondered what all you would have done if there was nothing to worry about in your life. I had also never thought of it but today I have given it a good long thinking and I came up with a quite big list of things. I would list it down for you all.

Be a globetrotter: My first and foremost desire is to travel the world. In a scenario where I don’t have to scratch my head thinking about logistics and budget travelling the world would be the first thing that I would like to do. My first target would be some specific states of India and later Europe. I have always been fascinated with the the idea of euro trip and considering how ardent a Shahrukh fan I am, the desire of loitering in the euro streets needs to be satiated soon. Generally when I plan for a trip there are many things to take care budget, safety, location and many more but in an ideal scenario where I don’t even have to think about it my happiness would go leaps and bounds.
Start my business: Ever since I have started working and earning I always wanted to do something of my own. I couldn’t do it till now because of many constraints which mainly include funds and time. I have a full time job because of which I am not able to work on my idea and money is always less no matter how much you earn. How cool would it be if I don’t have to worry about any such thing and do what I always wanted to do.
Shop till I drop: Like every other female shopping without worrying about the figures in your account is my biggest fantasy. I would probably go and buy everything that I always wanted to buy but I couldn’t because of the price tag. The first purchase would be a sizzling red car that I always wanted to drive by myself. Next I would buy a small and cute apartment for myself which I would be decorating as per my wish, nobody would be allowed to say no to a yellow wall. What a world would it be and how happy I will be.
Relationship labyrinth: In out Indian society we all very closely knitted with our families and relatives. We are obliged to be happy and pretentious in front of them. When I say relationship I am not talking about the bonds with parents, brother and sisters, it is everybody else who I am referring to here. I would like to be free of this relationship web, I would like to be genuine and true with them. I want to tell them that I don’t like this advice of yours whenever I feel like rather than worrying about the hundred other good facts. I would want to utter the truth and not pretend just because they are my family members.
The nubile age and the food freedom: In India as soon as you hit a certain age, everyone around you has just one question “When are you getting married”. My life would be way more happier and easier if I don’t hear that question popping out from every direction. I would shut all the questions around me because I would not have to worry about the age various other associated whereabouts. Another thing that I would do is to eat whatever I like without worrying about calories and getting fat. Every pastry that I pass on, every chocolate bite I say no to will be so much happy with me.

You must be wondering what made me write this post today, the below video is the answer to it. Please have to look at the video below.

For more information on this please visit http://bit.ly/BefikarUmarBhar and tweet #BefikarUmarBhar

This post is written for Indiblogger’s Befikar Umar Bhar campaign in association with IDBI Federal Life Insurance Co Ltd