The Island of Emotion - Mauritius

Last week we went to Mauritius one a vacation. My wife has been complaining since some time that we had not traveled to any new place since some time and she was true. It had been a while since we went on a vacation. I had myself felt a strong urge to go to some new destination on a holiday but owing to the work pressures at my office, we could never go. Adult life can be very stressful at times - we all have got some obligations to meet, be it related to our professional career or to our personal lives. However we must keep in mind that we can't let stress get the better of us. Working without a break isn't good for our health. When we get stressed out, we are more likely to falter in decision making and also in our performance. Chances are also high that we may even fall sick. Stress can affect a human body so much that even sleep and digestive system get affected. 

A person becomes depressed, irritable and remains in a bad mood most of the time. The best way to beat that is to take a break from the routine activities and go on a vacation. That is why, when I noticed that our irritability was affecting our relationship, I thought it better to go somewhere and spend some good time there with each other. 

It took us some time to choose Mauritius as the place for our vacation as my wife initially wanted to go to Singapore. But when I showed her the pictures of Mauritius, she at once changed her mind. Anyone would have, after all Mauritius is such an amazing island to visit. Be it to enjoy nature or to indulge in adventure sports or for the food options it offers, I am sure that one won't be disappointed by Mauritius. 

As always, I used Yatra's International Flights to look for the flight options to fly from Bengaluru to Mauritius. After carefully comparing their timings of departure and the costs, I settled for Emirates Airlines. It took us almost twenty five hours to reach Mauritius from Bengaluru with a stopover at Dubai but the flight journey was smooth and problem-free.

I had googled all about Mauritius before booking our tickets. The period from the month of May to December is considered the best time to visit Mauritius because it would have got a pleasant weather. So it would make a perfect time to enjoy the beautiful beaches, the islands and the wildlife there.

Mauritius is famous for the white sand beaches. Even if you do not go far from your hotel, you will still feel extremely happy to just walk along the beach and enjoy the mesmerizing view.

Chamarel
taken from: www.triphobo.com

Among the various places that we visited, our most favourite one was Chamarel. it is a small but beautiful village in Mauritius, Its uniqueness lies in that there you will find seven coloured layers of sand! Yes, purple, green, red, yellow, blue - we couldn't stop marvelling at all the lively colors. We also visited the Chamarel waterfalls.

Chamarel Waterfall
taken from: www.go4travelblog.com

We also went to Tamarin Bay to try the dolphin cruise. We were taken to the open sea just before sunrise where we could spot several dolphins. My wife enjoyed watching them play.

Tamarin Bay
taken from: www.abritandasoutherner.com

We indulged in scuba diving, quad biking and some other water sports as well. We also went on nature walk in the National Park where one can spot several rare birds.

Among other places, we also went to Grand Bassin or Ganga Talao. It is actually an extinct volcano crater which has now turned into a natural lake. It is believed that the water in Grand Bassin is actually water from the Ganga river in India. So it is considered auspicious to take a dip in this lake during Shivratri.

Grand Bassin
taken from: www.internship-maurice.com

On the third day, we visited Ile Aux Aigrettes, a secluded island where we saw some amazing species of fauna. We also saw the famous giant tortoise over there.

Ile-aux-Aigrettes
taken from: www.elite-voyage.com

Port Louis
taken from: www.elite-voyage.com

We spent two days in Port Louis, the capital city of Mauritius. My wife had a great time there as the place offers some really exciting shopping options.

The Mauritius trip really worked out well and when we returned back, both me and my wife felt so good, especially my wife. I had not seen her so happy in the last few months.

If one is looking to visit a holiday destination that could offer some breath-taking natural beauty, serene beaches, crystal clear water and plenty of options for water-based fun activities as well as for bird watching, then there can't be a better place than Mauritius.

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Catch up on Growth with Horlicks Growth+

Their child's health and growth is of utmost importance for all parents. Ever since a child is born, parents take all care and pains to feed their children with nutritious diet so that they grow up to be healthy. But in some cases, despite taking all measures, their child's growth remains slow as compared to other kids of her age. Naturally the parents will be worried. 

Several reasons can impact a child's growth - be it genetic problems (it has often been seen that children coming from families who were comparatively short in height, will also end up being short although there have been exceptions); or continuous illness (a chronic illness especially during childhood can severely hamper a child's growth because then she would be falling short on the essential nutrients). Hormonal problems too can adversely affect a child's growth and so parents should seek a doctor's help in such cases.

But the primary reason for slow growth in children remains malnutrition i.e. the lack of adequate nutrition that is essential during the age of three to nine years. This age period is considered to be a crucial growth phase in children because it has been noticed that children grow their best during these years. Therefore parents should make sure that their child is eating well and that his body is being provided with all the essential nutrients that are required by a child's body for an optimal growth.

But what if the child is not growing as fast as other children of her age? Although different children grow at different pace - some grow fast and some grow somewhat slower and so parents need not worry excessively about their child's growth unless her growth is drastically slower for her age. There have been many cases when some children fail to meet their nutritional requirements - may be due to wrong eating habits. Kids are usually very fussy about eating certain foods during their childhood years and parents have a hard time in making them to eat. 

Having understood this problem of slow growth in children as well as their causes, Horlicks thought of inventing a health product that children would find to their liking and at the same time, help them in growing up faster. Thus after extensive research by International health experts, they have successfully developed Horlicks Growth+ - an advanced health drink to help those children who are lagging behind others of their age in height and weight. Containing high quality whey proteins, vitamins and amino acids, Horlicks Growth+ will surely help children to grow fast and catch up on their lost growth. It has been clinically proven that this health supplement indeed increases a child's height and weight appreciably within six months without causing any side-effects like obesity etc.

Horlicks Growth+ has come as a boon for most parents who were anxious and worried about their child's slow growth and feared that they would end up becoming short and weak. Horlicks Growth+ provides a child with all the nutrition that she needs for an optimal growth and development - both physically as well as mentally. This health drink is available in two flavours - creamy Chocolate and smooth Vanilla flavours and can be enjoyed both hot and cold. One can buy it from any of the top pharmaceutical shops as well as from all the leading e-commerce websites.

Courtesy: www.twitter.com

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Redi-Go: The perfect Urban Crossover car

If a middle-class man living in a city wants to buy a car, which one would he prefer - an SUV or a compact car? Perhaps if not for the traffic blues and not so smooth condition of the Indian roads, one would imagine that he will go for an SUV for the sheer value of his money. An SUV promises reliability, strength, durability and comfort. Nothing compares to that feeling of driving a beast on the road. But sadly he is often forced to settle with a compact car for practical reasons. For one, a compact car is relatively easy to drive through a busy road congested with traffic. Secondly, they are often quite fuel-efficient as compared to the SUVs. Thirdly since they do not take that much road space, so parking won't be much of a problem (given the space constraints in a city). Fourthly and perhaps the most important factor going in its favour, the cost factor - the compact cars usually come easy on the pockets. Now what if a car manufacturer promises us a car that is as strong and manly as an SUV and yet is a compact car? The Japanese car manufacturer Nissan Datsun is going to launch in India, their new baby - Redi-GO. With the Redi-GO, one will be able to enjoy the features of a hatchback in a compact crossover car. Although it's a budget car but the manufacturer has not compromised with the quality. In fact it has been given quite a few high-end features those that one would normally find in a luxury car.

Based on Common Module Family (CMF-A) platform, the Redi-GO has got a 0.8L (800cc), three-cylinder engine and so also a five-speed manual transmission, that would result in great fuel efficiency. It is expected to give a mileage of at least 25km per litre, which is a considerable figure. Fuel efficiency is one of the major deciding factors for a potential car buyer in India.

The designers of Redi-GO have done a tremendous job with its styling. Redi-GO's innovative ultra-modern styling along with its elegant features i.e. the D-cut grille, the stylish headlamps as well as the first in class  LED DRLs (Daytime Running Light) make it a head-turner. These striking features will definitely appeal to the younger lot. Given its sleek and beautiful interiors as well as fairly roomy space to go with several best-in-class features, Datsun's Redi-GO certainly looks like a winner in the mini car segment and will surely be a cause for worry to its competitors.

The Datsun redi-Go has a ground clearance of 185mm and thus is significantly taller as compared to most other compact cars. That results in a high driving position in the Redi-GO and consequently the best in class visibility. So the driver of the car will have a smooth driving experience and will feel confident sitting behind the wheel.

Redi-GO certainly looks very promising, has got a lot of exciting features and so has already created a positive impression on me and my family. However like I had said earlier, before deciding to buy it, I would want to test whether it meets my practical requirements - whether it's easy to maneuver it through congested lanes or through traffic or not. I would love to take a test drive of it in Bangalore. The city of late has earned a bad name for the poor state of its roads; driving on them riddled with bumps and potholes is a nightmare. So I would want to see whether Redi-GO would be able to handle the rough roads of Bangalore. Not just on the rough terrains but also through the narrow lanes of my city. If it passes my test, I will surely buy this car for my family.

Fun. Freedom. Confidence. The ultimate Urban Cross - Datsun redi-GO - the capability of a crossover with the convenience of a hatchback.

(From - Datsun India)

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Wake up to a Gold morning

#Colgate360GoldMornings
Honestly, I was never a morning type of person during my growing up years. I would stay up late into the night studying and so would wake up late in the morning. The alarm clock would ring but I would often drift back to sleep for a little more time. Thankfully I had my mother to wake me up on days when I had morning classes. However I would feel very groggy. Also I would always be in a hurry. So my mornings were far from being "good mornings"!

The transformation of being a night owl to becoming an early riser came about when I entered my college life and started living in a PG, away from my family. So I was on my own, there was no one to wake me up if I was getting late for my class. That's when I cultivated waking up early as a habit and its benefits followed. I realised that I had been following a faulty routine all the while. As I started waking up early, I got enough time for doing exercises or to enjoy the peaceful, quiet time during dawn, or to enjoy my breakfast instead of hurrying through it.

Since then I have been following the same routine. So my mantra to turn good mornings into gold mornings is quite simple:
1. I go to bed early after having a light dinner so that I get a good eight hours of sleep and wake up feeling fresh in the morning.
2. I make sure that I am feeling relaxed and am not stressed about any work-related problems or otherwise, before hitting the bed at night, so that I sleep well.
3. Upon waking up, the first thing that I do is to drink a glass of lukewarm water. It helps in clearing the toxins from the body. So upon coming out of the washroom, I feel light and fresh.
4. The next most important step involves brushing my teeth and cleaning the tongue before having my breakfast. Not only does it minimises the odds of developing gum diseases like cavities or tooth decay but also makes me feel fresh. Both my toothpaste as well as my brush (Colgate 360 Charcoal Gold toothbrush) come from Colgate; me and my family have trusted Colgate products since the time we were small kids.

[caption id="attachment_492" align="alignnone" width="569"] Colgate 360 Charcoal Gold Toothbrush[/caption]

5. Then I go for a light jog in the nearby park followed by some stretching exercises, I feel energised. Upon returning home, I have a nutritious breakfast accompanied by a cup of green tea. Then I get myself readied up for my office. By then I would be feeling super active.

Thus my good mornings turn into gold mornings :)

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My Favourite city - Hyderabad aka Cyberabad

Yesterday I came to know about this contest organised by Tata Motors where one had to write about his favourite Indian city as per design, drive and connectivity of the place. Since the last four years, ever since I was transferred from Hyderabad, I have been living here Bangalore. Having lived in both the cities for a fair amount of time, it didn't take me much time to decide which city I loved more. Both cities are quite similar in many ways and would fare very well in my opinion if a survey was done about most liveable cities in India. Some people would have probably chosen Bangalore over Hyderabad for its climate, because the two cities are otherwise similar in various aspects. But for me, Hyderabad fares a bit better if these three parameters are the sole criteria - design, drive and connectivity.

What I like most about Hyderabad is the harmonious existence of the old traditions and modernity and its cosmopolitan way of life. The city is quite old, almost 400 years old and has a rich cultural heritage. Both the old city and the new city co-exist side by side. Even in the old times, the city used to be an important centre for trade and commerce in India. During the period when the Nizams ruled it, Hyderabad used to be the largest state in India. But after India's Independence when Andhra Pradesh was created on linguistic basis, Hyderabad was made its capital. Like Chandigarh, today Hyderabad is the joint capital of the two states simultaneously - that of Telangana as well as of Andhra Pradesh.

Then in the late nineties and early 2000s, during the tenure of Chandrababu Naidu, who had envisioned Hyderabad becoming the Silicon Valley of India, the city gallopped its way towards realising that dream. During that period, several global IT firms set up their branches in Hyderabad. Since then, along with Bangalore, Hyderabad has come to be dubbed as the IT capitals of India. Not just the IT companies, but today Hyderabad is home to many international MNCs like Dell, IBM, Microsoft, Facebook, Google, Oracle and Deloitte, research and development institutes and defense establishments. The city has seen unprecedented growth and developments in the areas of IT, Biotechnology, Construction, Pharmaceuticals and Tourism in the recent times. Thus Hyderabad is seen as a promising first tier city with immense business opportunities. It is one of the primary destinations in India for FDI (foreign direct investments). Thus the city that was once known for its minarets and domes and as a pearl and diamond trading centre, is now an important IT destination in India and is called "Cyberabad".

If we look at the city's design, one will find several mesmerising heritage structures that were constructed during the period of Qutb Shahi and Nizam rulers which showcase Indo-Islamic architecture (a style influenced by the Indian medieval architectural style, that of the Mughals and also of the Europeans). The new city has been very well-planned and several parks, upscale residential and commercial buildings like shopping malls, and recreational centres like multiplexes or Ramoji Film city dot its landscape. The industrial areas are located in the northern end. Then there is the "Cyberabad" area that is spread across a sprawling area housing many IT and bio-pharmaceutical companies.

Hyderabad is nicely connected to all parts of the country by railways, roadways and airways too. Several domestic airlines fly from the city to other places in the country and one will easily get a domestic flight to travel to any major city in India from Hyderabad. The city is also well connected to all neighbouring towns and cites by many express trains. One will also find regular bus services available to nearby major cities like Mumbai, Bangalore, Nagpur or Chennai. Additionally it also boasts of a well-maintained intercity bus service. Bus services as well as motor rickshaws and taxis are available to all corners of the city from Hyderabad.

(This has been written for “Made of Great zonal wars” sponsored by Tata Motors. Visit the website http://madeofgreat.tatamotors.com/ if you wish to know what it is all about)

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Besan Ka Halwa (Gram Flour Halwa)

Today happens to be my mother's birthday and I wanted to make her day extra-special. To be honest, I am an introvert and I'm not that good with expressing feelings. So even though I love mummy very much but I hadn't really gone out of the way to express my affection for her before. But the last few days, I don't know why, I was feeling really emotional about my mother and today I wanted to surprise her by preparing the breakfast myself, that too a dessert because she has got a sweet tooth. Though I am not that good a cook and except for the occasional noodles or egg omelettes or tea and coffee, I have seldom spent much time in the kitchen (unless of course when mummy needs some help) but today being such a special occasion, I wanted to give her a sweet beginning to the day. I wanted to make her feel special.

Since the last week or so, I had been planning for this day, how I would wake up early and finish up all the kitchen chores like washing up the previous night's utensils and also cleaning up the kitchen counter-top before she woke up. That is exactly what I did this morning. I wanted to give her a break from the morning chores. But the real surprise for her was going to be the dessert that I was planning to make for her. I took the help of internet and browsed through quite a few delectable dessert recipes. Some of them looked really good and enticing but I feared about whether I would be able to make them successfully. Being a total novice, I didn't want to take a chance with a complicated recipe, had my attempt failed, it would have spoiled the occasion. So after much brain-storming and going through several you-tube tutorials and recipes, I finally settled on preparing Besan Ka Halwa for the day and for that I followed Masterchef Sanjeev Kapoor's recipe. Not only is the dessert fairly easy to cook but it also tastes wonderfully well, and on top of that, it brings back my childhood memories -- how I used to relish eating the sweet dish whenever mummy prepared it. I knew that I wouldn't be able to replicate the same taste of the halwa like mummy used to make, but I wanted to give a good try. So I got down to work.

But since mummy has diabetes, so I couldn't have used the normal sugar. Therefore I decided to substitute it with Sugar Free Natura. Sugar Free Natura contains Sucralose - a sugar derivative that gives the same sweetness of sugar but without that many calories. Thus it is an ideal sugar substitute for the diabetics and all those who are conscious about their weight and fitness. 

Additionally I also made a little modification to the original halwa recipe -- since mummy used to love eating chocolates before diabetes, so I added a little cocoa powder too to the halwa to give a chocolaty taste. This is how I prepared Besan Ka Halwa, the recipe is very simple.

Ingredients that are needed:
Gram flour (or Besan) 2 cups
Desi Ghee (clarified butter) 1/2 cup
Sugar Free Natura 1/2 cup (had it been normal sugar, 1 cup would have been used)
Cocoa Powder 2 tbps
Milk 2 cups
Raisins about 2 tbspns
Cashewnuts about 10-12, chopped
Almonds about 8-10, chopped
Green cardamom powder 1/2 tsp

How to prepare Besan Ka Halwa:

My mother tells me that halwas are best cooked in thick bottommed pans. I used a kadhai (or wok) for the purpose. After heating it up for a minute or so, I added the gram flour and dry roasted it on low flame for about eight to ten minutes, stirring continuously. A distinct smell starts coming out as you dry roast the gram flour.

Then I added the desi ghee to the roasted gram flour and mixing them nicely, I continued to stir. This needs to be done for another four to five minutes until the gram flour turns slightly golden brown.

Now was the turn to add milk to the mixture. Even as I was adding the milk slowly, I was also simultaneously stirring the gram flour mixture so that no lumps were formed.

After a few minutes, when the milk almost got absorbed, I added 1 cup of Sugar Free Natura, the cocoa powder and also the green cardamon powder and mixed them up nicely. I also added the raisins, the crushed cashewnuts and three-fourths of the chopped almonds. Turning the mixture up and down with the spatula, I let the halwa mixture to cook for a couple of more minutes.

Now it was ready to be served. By this time, mummy had woken up and was taken by surprise on finding me cooking in the kitchen, that too so early in the morning. Adding the remain of the crushed almonds over the halwa, I took the bowl to her and wished her Happy Birthday. She had tears in her eyes and hugged me tightly and blessed me so much. When I told her that since I had used Sugar Free Natura, so she could eat the halwa as much as she wanted to, she was so happy. 

The icing on the cake was that the taste had actually come out really well. For a moment, I couldn't believe that it was me who had prepared it. Mummy loved every bit of the Besan Ka Halwa and that made my day. :)

 

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Rahasya - A review

After a long time, I came across a murder mystery that gripped me for the better part of the movie. It was certainly helped by some superb acting performances by the starcast, especially Kay Kay Menon who plays the role of a CBI officer to perfection (notwithstanding his walnut munching mannerisms), and the taut screenplay. With a starcast comprising of some brilliant and seasoned actors like Kay Kay Menon, Tisca Chopra, Ashish Vidyarthi, Mita Vashisht, Ashwini Kalsekar, one could expect that. But the climax sort of botched up everything and the edn result became only a better version of a CID episode.

The first time that I saw the trailers of "Rahasya", I had thought it to be inspired by the Aarushi murder case because one could co-relate so many similarities - a teenager girl getting murdered who has doctor parents and the case getting handed over to the CBI. But actually this movie is no where close to that murder case, the director for some reason has steered clear of that incident.

The story is about the Mahajan family and starts with a murder - that of the teenaged daughter of Dr. Sachin Mahajan (played by Ashish Vidyarthi) who gets killed in her own house. The case is handed over to the CBI and as they try to trail the murder, they keep coming across newer and newer suspects. But even as they are busy solving the case, assuming it to be a revenge murder by a jilted lover, another murder takes place in the same house and thus their assumptions go awry. It could be someone from the family itself, so they think.

For me, the two standout performers were Kay Kay Menon and Ashish Vidyarthi, who I thought, was admirably good as Dr. Mahajan. But sadly though being such a talented actress, Tisca Chopra, I felt was disappointing as the doctor's wife, she seemed too meek.

The movie could have been a superb thriller had there been a better climax. Because the script had definitely managed to grip my attention. The screenplay too was crisp and the background music added to the charm. But the editing could have been done better because at certain points I felt the scenes ended abruptly. Though it was an average story but still with some better editing and direction, it could have been executed in a better way.

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