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Gardening in the time of coronavirus

 If you are sitting alone at home and looking for a constructive timepass gardening specifically, kitchen gardening can be e an excellent idea for you.  But with Limited supplies and without stepping out of home, how do we manage to set up a kitchen garden? Let me give you a brief idea about how to go about it. You don't need fancy stuff to start, and this is specifically for beginners who don't have much experience in setting up a kitchen garden but would like to go for it. The first point is to clean your house and look for pots.  Now how do we do that? In your home, if you have old buckets, empty cans, unused plastic jars, etc. We can also use 2-litre pet bottles of soft drinks. Cans of for use for ghee or refined all those can also be used. We can also use takeaway containers which we get with home deliveries. Some outlets also send food in earthen handis. I once used for a pot, an old stainless steel jar of a mixer grinder way past its prime and which d...

Chennai Killings - Chital Mehta - Book Review

Vikram Rathi is a policeman still hungover from his sister's death. He is handed over a case of another young girl Sandhya, who has been murdered ruthlessly. As the story tumbles through twists and turns, we find out that Ravi is the murderer, and also both Sandhya and Vikram's sister's death are interconnected. In Chennai Killings, Author Chital Mehta narrates a gripping thriller that moves with speed and never slows down. Chennai, a megapolis, has been construed as a backdrop where the characters from different parts of the country converge. Vikram, Sandhya's Family, are not native to but have found a home in or around Chennai. It's not a very thick read, and the author has done well to reign in any slack in the plot. The reader is kept guessing until the very end as to what is the final outcome of the story.  Publisher - Quignog

Becoming rich with mutual funds?

It is virtually impossible to determine with 100% accuracy the full success of investments in mutual funds, no matter how many people are in the market or not. The main reason is it is a platform where there is no constant, for every one minute, there is a change in the market, which causes rise and fall in the shares, and their investment will be lost and gained. The funds are present to take care of the money of people who don’t have time or have some or any expertise to invest in stocks. They can give you returns that will beat inflation most of the times, and you can increase your money by anywhere between 12% to 24% over 5 to 10 years depending on your timing of the purchase of it. The above returns surely are not worst. But two problems are most likely to hit and prevent you from getting super-rich, out of the league they are: 1) Timing of purchase: You are not expected to get the right timing every-time. Those who bought stocks in 2001 & exited in 2007 end can understand...

Career Impact in times of Corona Virus

In the last few days, as India comes to terms with Covid-19 and struggles with dealing with this pandemic, one question several people are asking me relates to its impact on their careers. Coronavirus is what you hear everywhere these days. Public distancing and lockdowns are being touted as effective preventive measures to limit its spread. The highly contagious virus has brought the entire global economy to its knees. In this environment, what happens to our careers? Feb-March-April is a period when several corporates roll out their annual appraisal. Salaries are hiked, promotions granted, and career advancements planned. This year, however, things look not so promising for anyone as companies brace for adverse effects on balance sheets and glaring losses due to prolonged disruptions in businesses. Here is what you need to do, confined in your homes to thrive your career -  1) Work from home - Don't just pretend to work. Get some real work done. When this is all ...

Sunday Musings - CoronaVirus Lockdown

  If we look outside, in the deep horizons of clear skylines, we will see a Nation brought to its knees by a tiny virus, so tiny that it's invisible to our eyes. Next time, we look down upon someone who is poor, or demean someone for lack of his/her education, ostracize someone because of their income, let's remember this moment.  We might grow haughty for our shiny designations and stature in society. We might stand tall for our bank accounts and share capitals, but we should never disregard those we think beneath us. Who might be younger than us, inexperienced or just less privileged than us. For this day reminds us that we might be a Goliath in many forms, nature still can spring up a David on us. Lesson for us today, in those empty streets and a standstill economy is of Humility.  To be Humble is important. To never intoxicate ourselves of whatever we achieved is important. And it's important that we realise that nothing small is insignificant or unimportant...

Hyderabad Mixologist Chapay Anand crowned the winner at the Brown Forman American Whiskey Legacy Cocktail Challenge 2020

Anand’s creations, The Dark Soul and The Chanting Jack, wows the jury as they are adjudged the best cocktails among all    New Delhi (India), February 20, 2020:  The  hunt for India’s best mixologist came to an end as Hyderabad-based Chapay Anand from the bar Zero 40, Hyderabad was named as the winner of the American Whiskey Legacy Cocktail Challenge 2020 in an enthralling and nail-biting finale. Held at the Delhi’s The Playground Bar at JW Marriott, Aerocity, Anand’s recipes won the hearts of the judges and the audience alike to come up trumps against cocktails of seven other finalists, some of the finest mixologists of the country. Mumbai’s Om Chauhan from Aer, Four Seasons and the only female mixologist in the finale, Arati Mersey from Byg Brewski, Bengaluru were adjudged the first and second runner up of the championship respectively. The fourth edition of the challenge saw participation of over 250 mixologists from the best outlets and bars acr...

Are Desk Plants the new pets for people?

A large population on our Planet prefers pets for a variety of reasons. Centuries ago, we were told, people kept pets for hunting. Dogs, mostly, were preferred companions for the way they picked up scents and their steadfast loyalty. But then, animals were kept as pets for a variety of reasons in the coming times. One of them was, of course, loneliness. Animals give a company, are more loyal than humans, more loving, and in plenty of cases, adorable. From Dogs to Parrots to Cats, several animals have been domesticated by humans over the years. Desk Plants can't be compared to pet animals, but they are slowly taking up that same space. By desk plants here, I mean house plants, which are easily accommodated at a side table, dining table, or any other platform. Unlike outdoor plants or bushes, they are easier to care for. They are filling in the void for humans, especially new age millennials who like to have someone around. Someone who loves back and cheers them up at...

'Everyone Beautiful' themed India's biggest Beauty extravaganza

Big things are bound to happen when industry stalwarts come together to create something spectacular, something impactful. “Make me Up”, India's biggest platform for Indian Beauty Professionals celebrating 'Everyone Beautiful', will be held from 21st to 22nd December 2019, at A-DOT, Gurugram, Haryana. Organised by Vibgyor Brand Services & Touchwood Group, “Make me Up” is going to be a one stop showcase for everything beauty and make-up. This never seen before experiential journey of 2 days will cater to both professionals and consumers alike. Kanika Bablani, Associate Director ,Touchwood Group and brainchild behind Make me Up, said, “Make me Up has been conceptualised and designed to be an experiential space wherein everyone associated with the beauty space gets to explore, engage and have a long lasting relationship with newer opportunities every day. Sky is the limit and we will keep adding value to make it bigger and better every year because as we say and ...

Yum Yum Cha - Redefining Pan Asian Food Experience in Delhi NCR

About a decade ago, Yum Yum Tree, a Sushi restaurant in South Delhi, became the talk of the town for its innovative Sushi service. The Sushi would roll down a conveyor belt and added delight to the dining experience for its patrons.  Restaurateur Varun Tuli has come a  long way since. He opened the first Yum Yum Cha eatery at the bustling City Walk Mall in Saket, way back in 2014. The origami themed Pan Asian restaurant with vibrant colors, served a variety of Sushi, Stone Bowls, and desserts, which are a specialty in themselves.  The chain at present has four outlets, three in South Delhi ( Khan Market, Saket, and Vasant Kunj) and one in Gurugram ( DLF Cyberhub).  The success of Yum Yum Cha has led to a specialized catering unit (Foodinc, originally started way back in 2012) and a delivery brand Noshi ( currently operational in South Delhi). Ingredients to Success There is no doubt that Yum Yum Cha has turned out to be a hugely successful brand. ...

A visit to the Kairali Ayurvedic Treatment Centre

It is a windy day, with plenty of clouds and no sun. I make my way to the Kairali Ayurvedic Centre located just a few kilometers away from the Huda City Centre Metro Station in Gurugram.  The Kerala Ayurvedic treatment system is now infamous around the globe. Thousands of tourists throng the God's own Country for treatment to various ailments based on the time tested tenants of Ayurveda. That it is nature-based and has a very slight chance of backfiring in the form of side effects (like allopathy) is a plus. Kairali Ayurvedic Centre, in its present form, founded way back in 1989 and offered authentic Keralite therapies here in Delhi NCR. As one of the staff members told me, many people can't afford to take out time or spend resources to go all the way to Kerala for a week-long ( or more) therapies. Hence, the group is providing localized, day-long treatments for its patrons. Suits well for me, like Kerala, for me, is far, and a nearby location sounds much bett...

Karma Sutra - Hingori - Book Review

The author, in his early life, was a non-believer. Arthritis got him closer to a spiritual person who helped him with the pain of ten years in minutes.  The author's life changed post that incident. This book is the culmination of his learning and wisdom, which he has shared. The book is also enriched with illustrations and snippets of anecdotes from the author's own life. He explains in detail what Karma is and how the Karmic code is understood. There are various divisions in the book which make for easy reading. Karma Defined introduces us to Karma and the types of Karma. It also talks of Guru and the importance of Guru in our lives.  The Business of Karma is another section of the book, where we learn more about Karma. Negative and Positive Karma tells us how to improve our Karma and Balance of Karma Theory boosts the reader's confidence in the same. This book is quite inspiring and even as worksheets for the reader to work upon. This book is also in contin...