Hobbies: On Travelling cheap and some gyan!

Image:shutterstock.com

                       Quite often people ask me about my Hobbies. Frankly speaking, I still don't get the idea of terming/dubbing something a 'Hobby'. Oxford defines Hobby as something which is typically done during one's leisure time for pleasure. It also gives reading as a typical example for it. But then if you ask me, I totally love reading and make sure that I spend atleast an hour or so every day in reading. I make sure that I get time to read every day and it doesn't necessary mean 'leisure time' in the conventional sense. Again, travelling is something which I love in equal measure and in this age, where there are awesome websites which give goibibo coupons, which offer discount coupons, travelling is not a really expensive affair. One can fly and stay at affordable rates at holiday destinations without really digging a big hole in one's pockets! The other day, one of my friends was telling me how cheap it has become to travel to exotic locations which was once considered a privilege of the rich and the super rich. Whatever we may call it, activities like travelling and  reading definitely help in refreshing ourselves and breaking ourselves from the routine and mundane activities of day to day life.

                       In a way, if we look at it, both travelling and reading have many things in common.Travelling helps in exploring and experiencing  hitherto unfamiliar geographies while reading is a sort of travel through the minds of vivid characters.Eminent psychologists are of the opinion that travelling and the experiences acquired thereby inturn helps in building and refining one's own personality. A couple of days back when I was browsing the net, I chanced upon this quote-

“The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page.” – Saint Augustine

Quite true,indeed?! I think,travelling has a lot of benefits.

1.It helps in discovering new places,food and culture
2.Helps in making new friends (and obviously foes!)
3.Helps in realizing one's true potential.
4.Enables one to think 'big'
5.Helps to let go petty things from 0ur minds and focus on bigger goals
6.Helps in realizing how deep you love your home and your near and dear ones!
7.Helps in creating financial discipline!

What say you?

-nikhimenon

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"What to do after 12 th?"

                             

Image Courtesy-collegedunia

             It was a lazy Sunday morning and I was dozing all the way to glory when my 17 year old nephew, Arun (who had come from Kolkata to celebrate Onam with his grandparents and cousins) came running to me with a baffled expression on his face-“Chetta, I need your help, Chetta get up”.Obviously,I was irritated. But then, it didn’t take long for me to realize that Arun was a bit worried.

“Chetta, tell me what should I do after 12?”

“What…? We will have Onam Sadya (Lunch) by 12.30 or something.Tell Aunty..”

“No Chetta,stop kidding.I am asking what course should I choose after 12th.”

My initial reaction was quite obvious. In this age when everyone (from this part of the world) had either Medicine or Engineering as their first choice and other courses only as their back up option, a query like this (that too from a school topper like Arun) didn’t warrant that much of an attention.

“What’s there to think in that?It depends on your CET marks,right?” - I retorted not trying much to hide the irritation in my voice.

“No Chetta, I’m asking you this since you are a doctor. I want you to know your opinion. I have taken WBJEE. My rank is quite good.I might get a Medicine seat this year.But…”

That was surprising. I never knew that Arun had passed his Medical Entrance test with flying colours. Then why his hesitation? What was there to ponder much about this? He would choose a seat in a West Bengal Medical College nearest to his house. Was he making fun of me?-My mind started working in the true Malayalee fashion.

“Congrats. But then,what’s there to think about it? Choose a seat in the College nearest to your house..”

“No,Chetta,I know that.But then,I am in a dilemma….”

“What? Arun,there are millions out there who crave for a medical seat in a Government Medical college. Here you have grabbed a medical seat on merit and still pondering about what to do next.Are you making fun of me?”

“No Chetta. I am serious.I have a dream”.

“What?” I asked trying hard to remember the great speech by  Martin Luther King Jr.

“I want to become a screen-writer”.

A shiver ran through my spine. Suddenly, I could see myself in him. My half-written movie scripts and failed attempts at film making had become some kind of a running joke in our family. Many producers had said yes to my scripts and had assured me that they had quality and blockbuster written all over it but then all my attempts at making a movie had come cropper at the last moment due to some reason or the other.I didn’t know what to tell him.Finally, Igathered courage and told-

“Arun, I appreciate your talent. You can fulfill your dreams. But first complete your education. Cinema is something which doesn’t have any age barrier.You can still write scripts after completing your Medical degree (or even while pursuing it). It is a field full of uncertainties.You might have written a really brilliant script but still there is a chance of it not really getting made….”- I couldn’t complete my sentence but that feeling of fresh tears running down my cheeks was something which I couldn’t miss. Perhaps,sensing my discomfort, Arun didn’t ask me anything more.

After two days, Arun went back to his home in Kolkata. I heard from my relatives that he joined for Medicine in Kolkata Medical College.

The next day, I got a call from Shibu, a well-known Malayalam Film Producer-

“Hello, Dr.Nikhilesh, I want to meet you tomorrow at my office”.

“What is it regarding?”

-nikhimenon

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Introducing Lazlo’s Revenge by Glen Thomas Hierlmeier

Glen Thomas Hierlmeier’s latest historical romance novel, Lazlo’s Revenge, is the story of one woman’s adventure throughout Europe to uncover her parents’ pasts.  Stories of romance, war, and traumas both physical and emotional are unearthed as she traces their footsteps back to the major sites of World Wars I and II.

Lazlo’s Revenge follows Maxine “Max” Fischer, a writer and Swiss war correspondent, whose parents (Hank and Roberta Fischer, the main characters from Hierlmeier’s previous book, Honor and Innocence) lived through the tragedies of the Great World Wars. 

Max sets out on an adventure throughout Europe to uncover her parents’ pasts and see the very places where they survived on their odyssey to escape danger and death. Stories of romance, war, and traumas are unearthed as she traces their footsteps back to the major sites of World Wars I and II.  

During her journey, Max becomes fascinated by the people who influenced her parents' lives. She follows the life and times of Lazlo Floznik, the man who saved her parents and helped them escape catastrophe in Europe by seeking out refuge beyond the reach of the security forces that sought to imprison them.  The years leading up to World War I, the time between the wars, and the experiences of World War II reveal their secrets as Max explores her family roots, in this deeply emotional story tied together by Lazlo’s intense story of love, and that of his father, Miklos, before him.  

Praise:

“Any reader who enjoys historical fiction, romance, war stories, and stories with action and adventure, should definitely give Lazlo's Revenge a read. I am pleased to be able to recommend this book to any such reader. I am also looking forward to reading more from the promising author, Glen Hierlmeier, as soon as I possibly can!” – 4 Stars, Reviewed by Tracy A. Fischer for Readers’ Favorite

“With deft skill often found in good fiction, Heirlmeier masterfully creates a sweeping epic anchored by strong characters. The accurate and poignant historical references are sure to delight any historical reader.” – 4 Stars, Red City Review

About the Author:

Glen Thomas Hierlmeieris a graduate of the United Sates Air Force Academy, and has an MBA from The University of Wisconsin. He served in the U.S. Air Force, where he helped develop the Manned Orbiting Laboratory and the F-15 Eagle fighter aircraft, and gained a deep interest in world affairs and warfare.

He subsequently completed a career as a banker and real estate executive, serving as President and CEO of various companies for over thirty years before retiring in 2009.

Glen enjoys writing historical fiction and has published three other books including Thoughts From Yesterday: Moments to Remember, We Had to Live: We Had No Choice..., and Honor and Innocence: Against the Tides of War, the prequel to Lazlo’s Revenge. His latest novel, Lazlo’s Revengewas released in July 2016 from Xlibris publishing.For more information, visit: http://www.booksbyglenthomas.com/.

Readers can connect with Glen Thomas Hierlmeieron Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

-nikhimenon

*promotional/advertorial post

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RELEASE BLITZ- FINDING JULIET BY TOFFEE

Title: FINDING JULIET

Release Day: APRIL 23, 2016

Published by: JUGGERNAUT BOOKS

Genre: ROMANCE

Blurb: An incredibly nice guy turns into an irresistible flirt and learns the fine art of seducing women. A hilarious and heartwarming novel with some surprising nuggets of wisdom.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: 

Toffee is just another Indian youngster who became an Engineer first and then discovered his true calling. He was a typical Sharma ji ka Ladka, until Engineering happened and changed his life completely. After surviving college, he joined a reputed MNC as a Software Analyst, but a dramatic turn of events made him an author. Toffee is passionate about writing, so much so that he writes code by the day and books by the night and does everything else in life in between. A huge Rajkumar Hiranifan, he loves writing stuff that is both entertaining and insightful. And through his books, he wants to narrate stories that touch people's hearts and change a part of their life, forever.

Toffee’s first book titled ‘An Idiot, Placements and IntervYOU’ was published by the Times Group Books and it went on sell around 5000 copies. ‘Finding Juliet’ is his second book and Juggernaut Books is publishing it exclusively on their mobile app. 

AUTHOR LINKS: 

FACEBOOK / TWITTER / INSTAGRAM / EMAIL / GOODREADS

Cover: 

Hosted by:

The Readdicts Book Blog

-nikhimenon

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Share a Hug: The Story Of Hari

“A friend is someone who knows all about you and still loves you.”

                                                                                                                        ― Elbert Hubbard

                                                      Image Courtesy:liveinstyle.com

            (Disclaimer:This blog post caters to audience above the age of 25 years)

Friendship is one of the most beautiful relationships in life.Being an introvert,I have never had too many friends at any point of my life.But the few I had,were very close to me.This story is about one such of mine-Hari aka 'DVD Hari'.Hari was my classmate during my undergraduation days.A diehard movie buff and a fan of pirated DVD s,he was almost like a walking encyclopedia of (South Indian) Movies.You dig out the most obscure and least heard of film  and ask him about it(the kind that even those associated with it would like to forget),he will tell you even the most trivial behind-the-scene facts about it.All said and done,he was undoubtedly a great guy and a good friend but with two bad qualities.The first one being his precariously high liking for anything feminine.(I still remember the great hullabaloo which broke out when he went chasing after our college helper lady,the 23 year old 'Janoo',okay,that story I reserve for later). Another bad quality of him was his habit of waxing eloquently about his closeness with eminent film personalities and the local theatre owners. 

Okay,this post is neither a testimonial of Hari's genius nor about his acquaintances .(Then,what's it about?Read on and figure out for yourself!)

The Year was 2007.A new Malayalam movie named 'Classmates' starring a bunch of second line actors had just released.People who had already watched  were telling good things about it.It was a boring Pathology lecture and when Rajesh proposed that we bunk the class and spend our time more fruitfully inside the comfort of the recliner seats in Latha Cinemas,there was none who could resist the temptation.But,the pessimist among us,Vikraman as always had a negative opinion - "Nikhilesh,what if we don't get the tickets?The movie is running to packed houses,I'm told".

Before I could reply and reprimand him,Hari jumped into the gun and offered-"Main Hoon Na?The theatre owner 'Issacettan' is my friend.I'll use my influence and get the tickets for you"."Come Hari,Share a hug"-Unni couldn't resist expressing his 'love' towards Hari.

We couldn't thank Hari more.In ten minutes,all five of us were standing outside the newly painted gates of Latha theatre inside of which was a beeming 700+ people strong crowd (the theatre capacity for a single show-a meagre 350).There were 3-4 policemen with their shining lathy trying desperately  to control the film crazy crowd. It was pretty sure that us getting a ticket for the next show was as possible as India winning the Football Fifa Worldcup.Trying hard to hide my disappointment,I told- "It's okay,we'll go back and come again some other day.I don't wan't to get beaten up by the Police".

"No,at any cost,we'll watch the movie today.I'll tell Issacettan"-Hari replied,raising our dampened spirits.But no amount of fake confidence was successful in concealing that 'frightened look' on his face.Without completing the sentence he started walking towards the room beside the balcony ticket counter outside of which was the big rectangular board which read 'Manager's Cabin'.two Minutes,three minutes..there was no sign of Hari.Just as we were about to get back to the main gate of the theatre,we heard a loud sound.It was the sound of someone getting beaten hard with the lathy.The poor guy at the receiving end was none other than our buddy Hari.Realizing that his 'Issacettan-friendship' story was going to bite the dust,Hari had made a last desperate effort to get tickets for us by queue jumping and had got penalized for his sin! 

Obviously,all of us were sad.Not because we couldn't watch the movie that day(we managed to watch the movie thrice from the same theatre later,it's another story),it was the lathy beating which our dear friend Hari had to bear was what hurt us more.The beneficiary of our movie fiaco was 'Mathury Pub '.Perhaps,as a compensation for shattering our movie dreams,Hari took us there to celebrate responsibly.We had a nice time together and it was on that day that I realized that I had just received one of the greatest gifts of life-i.e friendship".

-nikhimenon

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Dabur's Baby Massage Oil

Image:Dabur

             Babies get attention from all over.Literally everyone likes cuddling the soft,silky baby skin.But quite often,we tend to forget that there are a lot of factors which can adversely affect it.Even the baby's skin need nourishment and protection and there is no better way to protect it than using the defensive shield of natural oil.The goodness in natural oil can do wonders to the baby's skin,muscle and bone development.However artificial colours,paraffin and paraben can be harmful to the child and special care must be taken that the 'natural oil' which we apply to the child's body is devoid of any of them.

               There are many 'natural oil' supplements which are available in the market currently.Of the lot,Dabur Baby Massage Oil which is rich in premium natural oils like Almond and Olive is undoubtedly the best one.The brand reputation of Dabur combined with the unique bland of natural ingredients make it far superior to any of the competing products which are also available in the market.It not only keeps the baby's skin away from artificial colours and chemicals but also enriches it by moisturizing and providing nourishment to it.

The many benefits of using Dabur Baby Massage oil are summarized below.

• Made up of natural ingredients-It's major ingredients are natural oils like Almond and Olive which is totally healthy.There are no artificial colours or moisturizers used in it's making.The product is free of artificial colurs and paraffin.
• It's dermatologically tested and even recommended by professionals
• It comes in an attractive and colourful product pack which helps in keeping the baby distracted and cheerful while the product is being applied on to his/her body.The protective packing also makes sure that the product is neither damaged nor denatured by the time it reaches it's customer.
• Regular massaging using the baby oil helps to strengthen the bones and the muscles of the baby
• It's cheap and easily available-The product is far less expensive when compared to similar products from competing brands.Moreover,Dabur is an Indian brand and is a veteran in the business of making baby oil.The wide and extensive distribution network of the company across the country makes sure that the product is easily available across the nation at a decent/nominal price.

In short,Dabur Baby Massage Oil is a decent substitute for that fancy,expensive oil which you are using for your beloved right now.It not only takes care of your little one's soft,tender skin,but also makes sure that it is far away from artificial oils and spurious substances.So,what are you waiting for?Buy one for your child at the earliest!

I am participating in the #FirstLove activity at BlogAdda in association with Dabur

-nikhimenon

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Introducing Couponzdeal: Steal the Deal!

CouponzDeal

                                 Online shopping has got a lot of advantages.Right from the pricing to the sheer variety of products that are available at the click of a mouse button,e-commerce has infact transformed the shopping experience of the average Indian.To be very frank,in this era of 'Big Billion Days' and 'online shopping fiestas',it's pretty hard to resist the lure of the online retailers.Well,if you are an internet shopaholic,there is some (more) good news in store for you.There is this new website called 'couponzdeal.com' which is offering free shopping coupons(discount vouchers) for online shoppers.The coupons/vouchers obtained from this awesomely awesome website can be used to avail massive discounts when you buy stuff from the major online retailers like amazon,flipkart,snapdeal,jabong; to name a few.In simple terms,couponzdeal is helping you to save more!

                I'm sure that atleast a few of you will be thinking about how the whole system works!Well,it's not as complicated as you think.Couponzdeal is a pretty reliable and user friendly discount coupons/deals aggregator website which, in addition to offering discount vouchers and coupons to it's users, informs them about the various offers and promotions listed in the reputed online stores.So you log in to the website and you something like this-

       The coupons are neatly arranged according to the seller as well as their category.You click on the respective seller,say amazon and this is what you will see -

                                      

        As you can see in the picture above,under amazon coupons, the first one is for amazon fashion.You click on it,the link will be redirected to the corresponding section(fashion)in amazon which is offering clothes at a whopping 70% off.Pretty easy,naa?Well,for the lazy bums out there,couponz deal also has incorporated a dedicated search box (which is located in the extreme right corner of the homepage) which can be used to locate the availability of coupon codes for buying the product of your choice through the chosen retailer.Even if you aren't a fashion buff,don't worry.Couponzdeal has got something for everyone.For instance,if you are looking to buy pet supplies or home appliances at a discount rate,this link will redirect you to the pepperfry coupons.Just click on the coupon code icon and you will get access to your exclusive coupons at pepperfry.It's a win-win situation for you-even if you are an impulsive buyer. 

       If you ask me what's the big deal about this website,I can confidently pin point atleast a couple of  benefits.

1.It's fast and easy- You don't have to sign in or give your credit card number or anything.Couponzdeal is free for all and it just helps to make your life a lot easier.Want to gift something special for girl friend this Valentine's Day?Don't hesitate to avail the coupons which are given out by this awesomely awesome website.

2.It's convenient-In this age of e-commorce boom,competing e-retailers are vying so much for the consumers attention that very often the buyers are in a dilemma to choose between the different offers.Couponzdeal not only helps the average customer to keep track of all the offers which are available but also guides him in choosing the best among the lot.

Inshort,check out this site at the earliest.You won't regret your decision.Happy shopping!

-nikhimenon

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