Top Ten Books that I love

You would be aware of the book list challenge that was recently doing the rounds on Facebook.  For those of you who aren't aware, the challenge is simply this: In a few minutes, without thinking, you have to list the top 10 books that stayed with you in some way, those which you love :) After that you have to tag ten of your friends to continue the chain.

I got a chance to make my list, thanks to my friend Olympia who tagged me. And I decided to blog about the same, just because I want to share it with a wider audience.

Before I list the books, I would like to mention that these books may not be literary masterpieces or impressive books. But they are all personal favourites that have touched my heart and stayed with me in some way. After each book in the list, I have included a description too! Here goes:

1. Harry Potter series by J.K Rowling
Simply the best books I've ever read so far in my life! No description needed. Enough said :)

2. The Witch of Portobello by Paulo Coelho
A thought provoking book that showcases the personality of a woman as described by the perceptions of different people. Loved it.

3. Idle Hours by R.K Laxman
Simple yet heartwarming writing makes this one delightful to read. It is a collection of short stories, anecdotes, travelogues and essays.

4. The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
A touching and compelling tale that tugs at my heartstrings for the tragedy of it all.

5. Message in a bottle by Nicholas Sparks
A story that speaks of love and loss, and of fate. I like it because I'm a romantic at heart!

Towards a Healthy Life...

"To be fit as a fiddle," is the new mantra nowadays. But in the race to become healthy ,we are ignoring some basic health needs.
The so called 'health gurus' advocate strange things.
"Avoid rice completely," says one.
"Don't use oil," says another.

Has anyone given a thought to what our ancestors ate? They were never crazy about eating raw food, but always ate variety of dishes, including pulses and oil. They were healthy and definitely lived longer. They also did a lot of physical activity which helped them maintain good health.

So they key to healthy living is simple- Choose different kinds of food that provides you with a variety of nutrients, consume it in moderation and exercise daily!

You just need to remember the healthy eating pyramid and choose foods accordingly- 

 

Tip: Remember to use healthy cooking oil like rice bran oil in your dishes.

My personal favourite is Fortune Rice Bran Health. It is the healthiest oil on the planet! It contains valuable nutrients like Tocotrienol (a very powerful Vitamin-E), skin-friendly compound Squalene and above all the amazingly heart-friendly Oryzanol. Rice Bran Oil also has the highest cholesterol lowering property amongst all the common edible vegetable oils.

  

On this note, I would like to share my signature healthy recipe made using Fortune Rice Bran Health- 

a South Indian dish 'Sattunavu' which literally translates to 'strength food'.

Something Called 'facebook'

Year: 2009 

"Do you know? The latest trend on the internet is something called facebook. Have you joined it? It is amazing," my friend told me. I was curious and decided to check out the website. I joined it and the rest is history. Things have never quite been the same since then.

Year: 2012

'facebook' hardly needs an introduction. It is currently the most popular social networking website on the internet. Every Ram, Rahul and Rahim is on facebook. We are all hooked to the website and not a day is spent without logging in to 'check for updates'. Our parents and relatives are out there too. Will you accept their friend requests or face the music for being secretive? The choice is yours..

facebook helps you connect with the people in your life. But it doesn't end there. There are a lot of ways in which people use facebook, also lovingly referred to as fb or FB:

Your Wall or Mine?

Hi Everybody!

I came across this great article in Metroplus, supplement of 'The Hindu', my favourite Indian newspaper and felt like sharing it with you all. It is about the latest trend -'social networking' and the pros and cons of it. I found it to be very informative and fun to read, with occasional doses of humour. Check it out!

The dilemma of an individual when he finds that the latest ‘status' symbol in life is a wall.

The conversation between the two characters, Before Computers (BC) and After Digital (AD), continues…

BC: I always thought these newfangled sites were designed to make us lazy. But…

AD: Really? I get so much done on Facebook — even as I check my friends out, I handle training programmes.

BC: E-learning?

AD: No, KOC.

BC: K-12 Online Certification?

AD: No, Kingdoms of Camelot.

BC: What's that?

AD: You don't know? It's a craze on Facebook. It's about building cities, raising armies, training them and defending your city from outside attacks.

BC: I'm just too busy defending my wall.

AD: Why, what happened?

The Quest for Size Zero

Note: This post is exclusively for girls.

Fact: In reality, size zero does not exist! 

I'm not going into the details now. However, for some info, click here .

Many of us dream of having the perfect hour-glass figure. We try to do all kinds of things in order to fulfill that desire. But in vain.

In today's materialistic world, looks do matter and there's no denying that!

Everyone of us has an innate desire to look good and be admired. Apart from that there are these glossy magazines and other media that depict waif like models wearing gorgeous clothes.

As a result, our desire increases manifold. But as we are just ordinary people, the perfect body seems to be out of reach for us.

So what do we do?

We go on crazy diets, starve ourselves and stay away from yummy food. JUST because we want to fit into clothes that are four sizes too small ! If at our current overweight size, we somehow fit into such clothes, then unsightly bulges will pop out. This will truly mar the image of perfection.

Fashion Talk (Part 2)

This is the second post in the series "Fashion Talk". This post is about accessories for women.

The clothes you wear denote who you are and are very important in determining your identity. Every individual has his or her own style of dressing. But no matter what your style is, it is important that you dress according to the occasion or situation.

As Mark Twain said "Clothes maketh the man" (or woman in this case).But only wearing the right clothes will not suffice- they should be combined with the right accessories.

For example: Wearing mismatched or shoddy looking shoes with a traditional clothes is an absolute no no.

That brings us back to the main topic of this post- Accessories.

Accessories can make or break your look, so it becomes essential that you use them with care. Never overdo the accessory part. If used wisely they can definitely enhance your appearance.

List of accessories

• Stoles: These are stylish substitutes for a traditional dupatta. They can be teamed  with  kurtis and pant or with a skirt and top too. They are available in various designs and materials.

• Shrugs/Jackets: These can be worn with a simple tee and jeans or with a full length dress to accentuate the look. 
  

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(Shrug)                                                         (Dress)

Fashion Talk (Part 1)

Disclaimer: This series of posts is about my views on fashion( for women). It stems from my observation of  what people around me (in my city and my country India) have been and are wearing.

The world of fashion is an ever changing one.Every season there are new trends mushrooming at such a rapid pace that it becomes an impossible task for people to keep up. Only the elite class can afford to update themselves as frequently as there are changes in fashion trends. Among the others,some people try their best to have something that is 'in vogue' while some others are least bothered.

No matter what your take on fashion is, I have some simple tips for you.

Some simple fashion ideas:

Clothes

• Leggings: This trend is hugely overrated.Every other person seems to be wearing them in different combinations-with T Shirts, Kurtis,Tunics etc While mix and match is always good, it is essential to remember 'Only some body types are flattered by leggings, while the rest need to keep away from them, or wear long/loose fitting tops with them!'(depending on body type) 

• Skirts : These are the girly options of dressing. They come in all shapes and lengths and can be worn with t shirts or tops. They may be swirly/stiff, made of denim/cotton, etc. My personal favourite is  'a long swirly skirt ' in a light colour.

• The Chudidhar: This is the most common outfit I have ever seen. It is a simple, hassle free way to dress. It is preferred by all and sundry probably due to the fact that it is comfortable and can be altered or customised very easily.This is a multi purpose option and can be used for different occasions.Its sisters are 'The Salwar kameez' and 'The Patiala'

                                                          

• The Dress: In my opinion, this is a stylish option. It comes in many types, the most fashionable being 'the little black dress' suitable for parties.