Thursday, December 11, 2025
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Broken twigs : Spare the sparrows.

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Birds

sparrow

I dug and found story that I wrote about sparrows when I was in class 9. It is a true story and giving it a read again put a smile on my face. So i thought i’d share this…

“I’m back mom”, I yelled. I was just back from school. My brother was sitting quite comfortably on the sofa and peacefully watching TV. Not anymore. I grabbed the TV remote from him and changed the channel. We had never been the kind of brothers who would hug and kiss each other often. But that day his actions were weird. He didn’t seem to care about the TV and went inside. I was curious to find out what interested him more than TV, so I followed him.

Mom stopped me and asked, “How many hours did you stand outside class today?” Ugh. She was kidding; I was liked by every teacher in class. Okay, maybe not, but I like it this way. All the other students wondered how I manage to frustrate the teacher just by saying something stupid .My mouth was my first enemy and my policy of questioning everything, the second. I had no time to answer my mom. I had to find out what my brother was up to.

He went straight inside the balcony. “Wow”, I said. It was a bird’s nest. Just then a sparrow came back to the balcony with a twig and placed it carefully on the nest.”Mom, the sparrow is here. Can we feed it some grains?” my brother asked. Mom gave us some grains and we threw them inside the nest. The sparrow flew away.”When did it start building the nest?” I asked.”I don’t know. It was there when I arrived from school”, my brother said. His school works till 2:40 pm and mine till 3:30 pm.”Very well”, I said. He ran to the hall and changed the TV channel. I did not seem to care about it, something else interested me.

I was searching for the sparrow and there it was, on the ground picking up small twigs.”Don’t lean too much, just a slip and you could fall down and get the sparrow killed”, Mom said.”Yeah, as if the sparrow stands still and watches a guy from the second floor falling on it.”, I said. In case you didn’t get that, it was sarcasm. Sometimes I wondered why I even have such pointless conversations with my mom. My mom mocked me often and I always had something to give her back.

The sparrow came back to place a twig. It noticed the grains. It perched on some and then chirped. Then came another sparrow to feed on the grains.”Oh mom, there’s two”, I said. My brother rushed in to see. He went too close and scared the sparrows away.”Ha-ha”, I laughed. With the sparrows gone I rushed to the hall to get the TV.”Ohh”, my brother said. I spent the rest of the day thinking about all the things I could do with the sparrows. I could have it as a pet and watch them all day long or have the sparrows on my shoulder and take a picture.

This was the talk among the students the next day at school.”Maybe if you run out of food supplies, you could fry them and have them for lunch” my friends said. “Oh! Please one would do just for a snack” said another. “Hey wait, I never said anything about eating it, I’m going to raise it as my pet”, I said. Everyone laughed.

I rushed to the balcony as soon as I returned home. The sparrows were such a delight. I noticed some uncanny behavior of sparrows that day. It never flew away no matter how close I got. When I was about to lay my hands on one of the sparrows, the other started pecking my finger with its beak. Wow! That was brave. My mom said “Don’t you touch that. You might get some infectious diseases. You don’t know where the sparrows have been, do you?”. “Maybe, but I am almost sure they are less lethal than the food you make” I said. “Just going to skip over the insult” she said. That would keep her quiet for a while.

I then noticed something white and round below the sparrows. It was an egg. “Look at that”, I said   “The sparrow has laid an egg.” Mom rushed to take a look. She didn’t seem quite pleased. “Oh no, it is sin to have an egg in the house .That too, so close to the kitchen”. “Oh yeah, who said so?” I asked. “God did”, said mom. “Then ask God why he even created sparrows” I said. “But it would make a lot of mess” she said and went inside.

I spent the rest of the day admiring the activities of the sparrows. One was guarding the nest and the other went in search of food. At a point of time I even considered studying ornithology. The next day was a regular day with no difference. Comments passed “You can have the egg as a starter.” I didn’t care about the jokes. I was in my own world dreaming about sparrows.

Again when I was back from the school I rushed to the balcony. I was very much shocked to see that the nest was not there. I knew my mom would have thrown the nest away, asked her “why did you throw the nest away?” “It already made a lot of mess in the balcony, I want our house to look neat and clean” mom said. “Very thoughtful mom, the house might be clean, but what it will never be is a home” I said. I was frustrated and stormed out of the kitchen.

I went to the balcony to see if I can spot sparrows. The sparrows stood on the window grill apparently searching for their nest. I felt bad for the sparrows, went to my room and shut the door. My mom noticed that I was sad and came to comfort me. “I am really sorry, kid. I never thought it would hurt you so much”, said mom. “Do you even think about other people mom?” I asked, “The lovely sparrows made me forget my worries and now they are gone”. “Maybe if they come back to build a nest, we can keep them” she said. “Only if mom” I said, “only if”.

When did practices of religion overpower the basic love people had for animals and for each other? If a sparrow can unite two brothers, what is the harm in letting it stay at the cost of devotion towards religion?

I can see a huge loss in enthusiasm, comparing then and now. I guess life happened. 😛

Top 10 Most Searched Hollywood Celebrities in 2016

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Hollywood celebrities are very popular not only in USA but they also have fans all over the world. They earn international fame not only by acting in box-office hits but also by indulging in lot of controversies. Let us take a look at the top 10 most searched Hollywood celebrities of 2016.

  1. Angelina Jolie.

Angelina Jolie Pitt is an American actress, filmmaker and humanitarian. She has received an Academy Award, two Screen Actors Guild Awards and three Golden Globe Awards. She has been cited as Hollywood’s highest-paid actress. She is an Oscar winning actress who became popular after playing the title role in the “Lara Croft” blockbuster movies. She is very popular and is rightly the top searched Hollywood celebrity in the year 2016.

  1. Snoop Dogg.

Calvin Cordozar Broadus, Jr. is an American rapper and actor from Long Beach, California who began his music career in the year 1992 and has sold over 21 million albums in the United States and over 35 million albums worldwide till date. Snoop signed with Master P’s No Limit Records in the year 1998 and went on to achieve lot of success. Snoop Dogg made history in July 2007 by becoming the first artist to release a track as ringtone prior to its release. He is really very popular worldwide because of his talent and rapping capabilities.

  1. Jennifer Aniston

Jennifer Joanna Aniston is an American actress, producer and businesswoman. She is the daughter of actor John Aniston and actress Nancy Dow. Aniston portrayed Rachel Green on the popular television sitcom Friends (1994-2004) which allowed her gaining world recognition. The role earned her a Primetime Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award. The character was very popular during the airing of the series and she got all her fame just because of the character. She is still widely searched on the global platform which shows her popularity has just not gone down with time.

4. Beyonce

Beyonce Giselle Knowles-Carter is an American singer, songwriter and actress. She was born and raised in Houston, Texas. She performed in various singing and dancing competitions as a child and earned a lot of fame in the late 1990s as lead singer of R&B girl-group Destiny’s Child. She is a self-described “modern-day feminist” and creates songs that are often characterized by themes of love, relationships, monogamy, female sexuality and empowerment. In a career spanning 18 years she has sold over 118 million records as a solo artist. She has won 20 Grammy Awards and is the most nominated woman in the award’s history. This suggests why she is still popular among people in the global platform.

  1. Lindsay Lohan.

Lindsay Dee Lohan is an American actress, singer, songwriter, model, director and producer who began her career as a child fashion model when she was only 3 years old. In the recent years she has been in news because of being a drug addicted lady. A recent incident in which she striped herself naked and ran through the departmental store earned her a lot of popularity. Off late it seems that she has made it a point to keep herself in news by indulging in controversies but her talent cannot be ignored.

  1. Leonardo DiCaprio.

Leonardo DiCaprio is an American actor and film producer. He has starred in movies like Romeo+Juliet (1996) and Titanic (1997) which earned him a lot of international fame. He is one of the most stylish and good looking men in Hollywood. He began his career by appearing in television commercials and began his film career by starring in Critters 3. DiCaprio’s romantic relationships have been widely covered in the media. He dated model Kristen Zang and then British model and socialite Emma Miller. He is very much popular in social media and has been ruling the global platform for years now.

  1. Miley Cyrus.

Miley Ray Cyrus is an American singer, songwriter and actress. Cyrus became a teen idol as she portrayed the character Miley Stewart in the Disney Channel television series “Hannah Montana”. Her debut studio album “Meet Miley Cyrus” was certified quadruple-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America for exceeding 4 million shipments. Moreover she is also a charming and inspiring beauty of the era. Her passionate lifestyle and unique hairstyles often keeps her in news among the public.

  1. Justin Bieber.

Justin Drew Bieber is a Canadian singer, songwriter and record producer. He became the first artist to have seven songs from a debut record chart on the Billboard Hot 100. He has won numerous fan-voted awards and his fan base largely consists of early to mid-adolescent girls. He has handled his fame and success really well and has always tried to maintain a good public image. He is actually very popular worldwide among the youth and is one of the most talked about Hollywood dudes.

  1. Paris Hilton.

Paris Hilton is a fashion model and actress who has always been in news due to her hot personality and numerous scandals. The leakage of a sex tape with her ex-boyfriend captivated the attention of many and perhaps this has been the reason why is she was widely searched in Google in the past year.

  1. Robert Downey Jr.

Robert Downey Jr is an American actor. His career has included critical and popular success in youth, followed by a period of substance abuse and legal troubles and a resurgence of commercial success in middle age. He was in California Substance Abuse Treatment on drug charges. He starred in movies like The Avengers, Avengers: Age of Ultron and Iron Man 3. He has been in news off late because of these box-office hits.

6 Potentially Drool-Worthy Dessert Recipes Made On Eid

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Twice a year, Eid graces us with its festive presence with the sighting of the moon. Eid-ul-Fitr commences right after the wrapping up of Ramadan. A day filled with celebration after a month of fasting and abstaining from worldly pleasures. Muslims all over the world rejoice this wonderful day, grateful to be in the company of loved ones.

Eid-ul-Adha marks the 10th day of Dhu al-Hijjah and is also known as the festival of sacrifice. It is celebrated with respect to Ibrahim’s (A.S) (Abraham) submissive sacrifice of his son in the name of Allah (God). Allah (God) sent Angel Jibra’il (Gabriel) to swap the sheep with his son’s life. Thus, it is also noted to be a significant Muslim festival.

It goes without saying that sweets are an integral part of these festivities. Everyone has their signature sweet dish that they prepare on this special day. Although it varies per different cultures and regions, here are some of the recipes.

  1. Sheer Khurma

 

As ‘seviyan’ is an exotic ingredient, Eid remains fragmentary without a bowl of Sheer Khurma. Everyone returns home with a rumbling stomach to the aroma of this sizzling nectar, itching their nose. Customarily, this coolant is consumed after the Eid prayer. With the goodness of condensed milk, vermicelli, ample nuts, and sticky dates, this dish will blow the brains of your loved ones. Plus, it can get you reminiscing your childhood in no time. Want to learn how to make the perfect Sheer Khurma for your family? See how Faiza does it here:

2. Halwa Puri

Handpicked almonds seasoned in ghee, peppered over Bengal gram halwa, stirred to ecstasy with a lavish addition of milk. Can you imagine this divine mixture cocooned in the heart of maida puris? Voila! You got yourself some exquisite Hyderabadi Halwa puris melting in your mouth. As it hails from the state of Telangana, this dish is significantly famous in South India. Grandmas can just keep them frying all day and it will just end up in your tummy! Hyderabad Wala Recipes has an easy way of preparing this sweet dish, check it out.

  1. Suji Ki Phirni

 Deemed to have originated during the Mughal reign in India, Phirni is an amazing semi-solid concoction. Also, this recipe is so easy to accomplish and newbie cooks must try their hand at making this sweet. While it is best squandered generously drizzled atop the halwa puris. A combination of suji kheer and the badam halwa puri is deadly. Besides, you needn’t imagine the sensation it produces on your tongue. To try this recipe, check out this video right here.

 

 

  1. Bread Halwa

 

Coupled with fried bread, clarified butter, milk, copious nuts and a spray of dried fruits. Ultimately, this confection is one of the Eid classics and unquestionably a crowd winner. Iftaar parties don’t go on without including bread halwa into the mix. Moreover, the ingredients required for this dish are easily available. So, get cracking and check out how to prepare this bomb.

  1. Shahi Tukda

Shahi Tukda is a kind of bread pudding which we can whip up with a handful of ingredients. Invented in the golden 19th century, this Mughlai dish was a hack to utilise unused bread. Also, known as Double ka Meeta, Shahi Tukda has a royal tinge to its name, it literally translates into ‘Royal Piece’. Mostly prepared on special occasions like Eid, click on this link to know how to prepare this traditional dish.

 

 

 

 

  1. Rava Kesari

 

A cheeky dance of rava and cashews infused with ghee on your taste-buds will complete the day. Not to mention a sprinkle of saffron strands that will ravish your mouth to glory. Kesari is the star dish during Ugadi as it’s a jewel of Karnataka cuisine. Above all, it seeped into the favoured sweet dishes prepped on Eid day. Correspondingly, famous home cook Mallika Badrinath has a quick recipe you can follow, right here.

KKbookbox – a book subscription box in India

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There are various kinds of subscription boxes such as – beauty boxes, chocolate boxes, hygiene boxes, gifts boxes and Book boxes..

Ahaa… Book boxes …. For the bibliophiles.

UK, US, Australia are the ones who started with the idea of starting a book box to cater to the needs of the bibliophiles of their countries.

Later, book boxes also emerged in India. Booksnbeyond, the nerdy box, the biblio box, pandoria india etc are the book boxes started in India.

Kaffeinated Konversations – A book box 

This blog post is all about the KKBOOKBOX – Kaffeinated Konversations.

 

What is kkbookbox:

KKbookbox is a personalised and customised book box designed as per the needs of the individuals. They not only send books, but also cute bookish merchs. They offer different kind of boxes such as general reads book box, business reads book box, self-help book box, gift book box.

The november KKBOOKBOX unboxed.

Founder of Kaffeinated Konversations

Kavita Singh founder: Kaffeinated Konversations

Kavita singh is a voracious reader, she being passionate about reading, writing, arts and culture founder Kaffeinated konversation. She made her dream come true motivating many such young Entrepreneurs and bloggers.

Price of kkbookbox:

The kkbox is available at the cost of 1200 INR.
Worth it ??  Definitely yesss !!
You not only get books, but also goodies in the box.

USP of KKbookbox:

Kavita singh herself curates the contents of kkbookbox. She handpicks books written by Indian authors for the box. While other Book subscription boxes in India picks books by foreign authors.

The Gift box

So if you are an Indian bibliophile and you want to read good Indian authors works. Well KKBOX is the solution. What are you waiting for ? go subscribe to their box.

My next article will include an interview of Kavita Singh – founder of Kaffeinated Konversations.

Half Baked First Love

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I was gorging on the sweets like a 12-year old girl that I will never see them again in my life. I stuffed my mouth with three pieces of Barfi and was barely able to chew them. All the members in my family were talking and suddenly I overheard where the sweets were from. As soon as my mind was able to register the words after they were pronounced out of my mother’s mouth, I choked on the Barfi and somehow managed to engulf them. Their purpose made them turn bitter gourd for my taste buds. They were distributed to celebrate the Rokha Ceremony of Aadil and Sara. Now you must be thinking why I am so upset about their wedding when I should be jubilant. Well how can you expect someone to be ecstatic about a marriage of a person they are in love with ages?

Aadil has been in our family since my sister married his brother. I saw him for the first time in my sister’s nikaah, and fell in love with those enthralling eyes. He was a few years older than me and I was just finishing high school. Infatuation is an understatement to commemorate the feelings that I felt towards him. Since that day I started finding various reasons to visit baji or in short Aadil. We were like two pieces of magnet drawn to each other through the forces inherent in the abysmal universe. We were able to consociate and soon two heats were burning in the desire to be together separated by the norms of the society.

Though many members in our family wanted us to get married, the age difference was the pivot culprit and second was the fact that I was studying to become a doctor and he was just a graduate. The news of him getting married was something indigestible to me. We were like pieces cut out of same cloth and in no way was I gallant enough to see him marrying someone else.

You must be thinking that this is the worst ending to a story but trust me the worst part is yet to come. Earlier all we shared together was mere attraction, but now I had to see him slipping out of my hand slowly separating our intermingled fingers only to see him holding hand of another girl he doesn’t desire to be with, and at the unfathomable stage when my heart was beating in the sync with his breath.

Couple holding hands near tents at music festival

A bit complicated. Isn’t it but I think everyone’s first love is? Facebook played a colossal role in our perishable love-story. He got a intuition that I have been using Facebook with a different name and thus messaged me; I had the widest grin on my face on that day. He soon became the reason of the smile on my face. Slowly the bantering began and he commenced his love for me. That day should be the happiest for any girl when the guy you love expresses his feelings and longs to be with you for eternity. But in our case the eternity had an expiration date. He was engaged to be married to someone else and irrevocably in love with me. We had few months and decided to live them to the fullest as those were the few months I had him all to myself.

We decided to part ways once his marriage was around the corner. We tried breaking all ties many a times, but the bond that we shared was and is unbreakable. I am still in love with him if not more. Crumbling the memories and obliterating the person you loved is the most gruesome task in the whole wide world. There are no words to interpret the vain and hollowness I felt during that period. Those moments of holding his hands, confiding in his embrace, his body’s warmth and the sound of his heart beating will always stay fledge till the day I die.

“Your first love immortal and stays young in a part of your heart, no matter how much you try to forget it never goes away from that part in your heart. “

 

A Loving Heart Never Stops

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Cliff stared at the ceiling, eyes all blank and mind devoid of any thoughts. It has been years since he came to know that both of his ventricles stopped to function properly and severe heart failure was present. In simpler terms, he was suffering from congenital heart disease, he had irreversible heart failure. Heart transplant was the only way out but the whole procedure was taking longer than necessary, and every passing minute was drawing him near to his end, or so he thought.

Privileged to belong to an elite class came with many pros and cons. Pros being he received the very best of treatment and the cons being his fair-weather friends vanished no sooner did they see the bitter side of Cliff surface. Earlier, Cliff was full of adventure and life, he was an explorer, a wanderer, someone who lived every minute of his life, that too, to the fullest. But now the same livewire was restricted to the four walls of his room. He had lost all humor and charm, the loneliness and frustration was taking a toll on his nerve. Slowly and steadily, he was turning into a recluse. Worst part was his girlfriend was seeing his best friend. His behavior was typical of an uncooperative patient. Most of the time, Cliff was bitter, hurtful and sarcastic.

Just like any other day, today too, he was in an extremely sour mood due to sheer frustration. Staring outside the window, looking at the same grey clouds hovering in a dull blue sky. Gloom lingered everywhere, clock ticked by in its natural pace and with each tick of the hands of the clock, his heart drew an inch near its end. Someone knocked at the door, “May I come in?” It was said in a melodious sing song voice. “Go away!” Cliff roared, “I will only take a minute Sir,” the voice pleaded.

Frustrated, he retired, “Okay, come in.” Slowly the door creaked and entered a fragile looking, bright faced girl. She was wearing a pair of blue faded jeans and worn out black top. Stretching out her hands, “Hi! I am Anya,” he shrugged her hands away like an unwanted fly. Undeterred by his insolent gesture, Anya continued, “I am a member of an organization called, “Fairy Godmother,” here the volunteers visit hospitals, old age homes, AA institutes, rehabilitation centers, sanatorium and similar such places where the people feel alone and left out. Our task is to sit with the patients and help them speak their hearts out.” Cliff guffawed bitterly, “You mean to say, you visit the terminally ill patients and promise them a long healthy life?!!” He continued, “How do you manage to do that, do you just wave your bloody magic wand and whoosh!! All the pain just vanishes?”

“Bullshit!” He scoffed in disgust. Looking deeply in her eyes, Cliff drawled, “Your one minute is over,” “Get lost!” He barked. Tearfully Anya ran out of his room. Angrily, he punched the bed.

Next day was no different than the previous one. Cliff continued to look outside the window in the same vague manner. Someone knocked at his door, once again the feeble voice of Anya echoed, “Cliff.” Tired, he took a deep sigh and asked her to come in. Hesitant, Anya stepped in, she stood at his feet and said, “I will not take much of your time, recently, I got a book of mine published, I have been distributing it to everyone here, it’s a collection of poetries, here is your copy.” She fumbled inside her handbag and took a thin paperback and handed it out to him. The cover read, “Scattered Stars – Book of Poems.”

Taking the book from her, he uttered a suppressed “Thanks.” As Anya turned around to leave, he blurted, “Hey! Forget about yesterday, I was really mean and harsh.” She turned back and smiled, the smile took his breath away, it was the most beautiful and sincere smile he had ever seen, her crooked tooth flashed with a deep dimple as she smiled and stars danced in her eyes. He felt drawn to her, taken over by a trance like state, he motioned her to sit and she sat on a chair next to his bed.

The conversation started as to what she does and soon drifted to hobbies and interests. Anya was as introvert as he was adventurous. She only lived adventures in books and movies while he was all that she could only hope for. Surprisingly enough, Cliff felt himself melting in her company, she was a bundle of creative energy and was full of ideas on how to kill loneliness and enjoy one’s company. Soon, it was time for her to leave, Cliff looked forlorn, sensing his dejection, she promised to arrive early the next day.

No sooner did she leave, he took out her book and opened a random poem….

I Hate You Like Hell

I hate you when you look at me

Hate the way you smile

Hate you more when you call my name

Hate you when you go away

Why do you make my voice shake?

Why do you always hold me before I could break?

Why O why you make me tremble and shiver?

Every time you come close

Why do my lips quiver and heart flutter?

I hate the truthful, honest and loving you

Haven’t seen anyone ever, half as good as you

I hate the way you love me

Hate the way I am being hypnotized

I hate myself all the more

For I can’t stay away from you even for a while

I have lost myself in you my love

Do you know a way out?

Be with me forever you fool

Without you, I can barely survive

I hate you, hate you, hate you so more

I love to hate you

This hate will be the end of me

This is my crazy crooked twisted confession

Be smart enough to realize the truth that lies beneath

A smile flickered across his face as he scanned her weird, twisted yet sincere love poem.

Soon the two started to spend more and more time together. He felt drawn to this innocent, gullible and humane creature. He shared his stories of adventures, pranks and adversities with her. She laughed at his silly jokes, listened intently to his ideas about science and universe, and shared her views regarding humanity, society and utopia. It was during one such fateful day, she asked him about his wish.

Cliff looked out vaguely and stated, “Earlier, I wanted to live but now I want to love, I want to know what love is, I want to feel how it feels, I want to lose myself in someone, I want to live, loving someone.” He was taken aback by her sobs, she held his hands and sobbed uncontrollably and before he could realize, she moved from her chair and kissed him. The kiss made him feel alive, rejuvenated, wanted and LOVED!!!

She smiled a tearful smile, “Cliff, I will not stand next to you but I promise you I will always be with you, I will reside in you till your last breath, I will always love you, I will love you as long as you stay.” She took out a paper from her bag and handed it out to him and said, “This was written on the very first day I met you, you captivated me with your unconventional roguish charm.” He read….

Closest of All

Butterflies in my stomach

When he flashes that precious smile

Feel like hearing him all day long

His voice is my favorite love song

Can’t look into those deep dark eyes

They make me swoon; they get me hypnotized

Dying to get a touch of my man

Can give up my eternity, O yes I can

Moody, roguish, brattish and rude

Temperamental he is, intense and obtuse

Every time I feel, I have understood this guy

Proves me wrong, confirms, I can never be right

No sleep

No patience

No solitude

No grief

Burning with fiery passion

The flames of his love surrounds me

What doesn’t kill you

Only sets you free

His fire doesn’t burn me

It has eternalised me as a being

This being is no more but a reflection of him

Wherever I go, I carry his entity within

Feel his presence closer than closest thing

My heartbeat, my pulse, my breathing and lifeline

He gifted me his soul, I gave him mine

Connected we are and will remain so forever

Addicted I am, those eyes are my wine

Cliff stretched out his arms and Anya lost herself in his warm embrace. She then whispered in his ears, “Your wish has been granted!”

The next day, doctors gave him the news he had been desperately longing for, they had got the donor.

Three Years Later….

“I hate you Anya, I hate you the most,” Cliff uttered as he stood at a grave. Anya rested somewhere beneath that ground. Cliff continued, “I have been coming here regularly since last three years without fail and I would continue to do so till my last breath. You are not a fairy godmother of mine but a wicked witch who has inflicted the biggest curse upon me. I will come here every day and tell you how I hate you and would continue to do so as long as this bloody heart beats.” No sooner did he say this, he collapsed on the ground and pleaded, “Why O why Anya? Why did you have to do this? This is not the kind of life I wished for. I am alive because of your heart, this heart reminds me with every beat how much you loved me and what a great loser I am.” Wiping away his tears, he continued, “Fairy Godmother” is one of the most popular humanitarian organizations of the world. I work continuously to make all of your dreams come true, I have to work, I have to live, I have to suffer and I have to miss you with every heartbeat. How I long to meet you every day but I know for sure, I will not meet you soon enough because I am living with your heart, this heart which is being filled with your love, and a loving heart never stops!”

THE UNSEEN WORLD OF TRANSGENDERS

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There is always a truffle and a sign of hatred when the word transgender clings into our ears. Our society has always given recognition to male and female sex origin while the transgenders have remained far away from the mainstream society. They are forced to live a life full of hollowness and darkness. What can be worst than mourning over your own birth? The society never fails to give them the tag of cursed, downtrodden, shabby people making their life pitiful and devastating.

Who Are Transgenders?

Transgenders are normal people like us apart from the fact that they transform to a different gender from the sex they were during birth.A man transforming to a woman is called a trans woman. Similarly, a woman transforming into a man is called as the trans man.This type of astounding variation is not self-created but it is uprooted and inherited since birth.

On a fine day, they start accepting who they are and the changes as well. When they are ready to accept themselves, the society never leaves them; therefore transgender starts to confront a great deal of disgrace and affront. People find it hard to connect to them and their tale of drudgery starts thereafter. They are suppressed, molested and are forced to live a life of isolation.

The Issues A Transgender Faces 

Image result for transgenders

  • There are whole lots of issues that a transgender has to face. The first and foremost problem is the curse of social isolation.As soon as they start accepting themselves the society showers it’s hatred and agony on them making their existence vulnerable.
  • They do not get work in the mainstream workplace and thus are forced to earn their livelihood by engaging in low non-dignified work atmosphere. They sometimes have to beg and enter into prostitution to earn money.
  • Sometimes cases of molestation and violence are also reported against them. They are given ugly names and are often abused physically.
  • In search of completing the transition, few transgenders take hormone pills without the advice of medical practitioners. This develops a great health issue in the future.
  • Some transgenders are not able to take the mental torture and hence they undergo penectomy done by unqualified doctors which is life threatening.
  • There is no recognition for them in the society they live. Not even proper toilet facilities they get. They change to a feminine gender and still are made to walk into a men’s toilet.

Nirvan Surgery 

This is the most painful surgery that a transgender goes through to grow progressively a lady like body. The most distressing fact about this surgery is that it is performed without anesthesia. It involves the expulsion of penis and testicles which eliminate the testosterone – producing glands and helps them in achieving womanly features slowly.This is a life-threatening surgery. In other words, it is called as Sex Re-assignment Surgery. The transgenders opt for this type of life threatening surgery because they want an identity of their own and a place of respect in the society.

Some Successful Transgenders

In spite of the dark, pathetic life the transgenders have to lead there are some of them who have been able to build a notable place in this society –

  • Madhu Bai Kinnar: Mayor, Chhattisgarh
  • Kalki Subramaniam: Entrepreneur, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu
  • Padmini Prakash: News Anchor, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu
  • Bharathi: Pastor, Chennai, Tamil Nadu
  • Rose Venkatesan: Talk Show Host, RJ, Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
    Transgenders have to lead a life of agony and distress just because we discard them from being a part of the mainstream society.Their everlasting struggle to prove their identity can only be over if would consider them as part of our existence. It is high time that we need to start socializing with them and give them the place they deserve.Create a nation of equality and sovereignty away from the prejudices.

 

10 Things to do after a Trip Common Travel Mishaps

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Bali

Many a time trips don’t happen as planned and people end up facing a lot of travelling mishaps. People should panic when mishaps happen rather they should be well prepared to face any mishap or act smartly after the occurrence of a mishap. Here are 10 things people basically face during their trips and the way they should avoid or react to the situation.

  1. Pickpockets and Robberies.

We all trust people, it’s natural but the people whom we trust while travelling may be the person who would steal our wallet. So it is advisable not to keep all your money in the wallet and consider keeping your wallet in inaccessible places such as zippered or hidden pockets. It is advisable not to become over friendly in vulnerable situations such as buses or crowded places as you don’t want to end your vacation in someone else’s pocket.

  1. Jet lag is ruining your holiday.

Jet lag may be very irritating. So it is advisable to take a few steps like getting plenty of rest before your trip, gradually adjust your schedule before you leave, stay hydrated to reduce the effect of jet lag.

  1. You miss your flight.

Well this can be really frustrating but don’t panic if you ever miss a flight. Keep calm and just go the inquiry can check out about the next flight to your destination place. Well bookings may not be available but you will definitely find a solution in the enquiry department present in the airport.

  1. You lose your luggage.

Losing your luggage can really be very devastating and it can ruin all the fun of the trip. It can be avoided by using modern luggage tags and even install microchips in your luggage which can be helpful in tracking it. Finally take photos of your luggage so the baggage claim can easily recognise your luggage.

  1. You lose your passport.

Losing your passport can be really troublesome especially in other countries. So it is advisable to keep the passport in safest possible place or else it is advisable to have several forms of them kept at different places. Having a copy of your passport will make the reissuing process much faster.

  1. Your hotel is a disappointment.

Sometimes the hotel doesn’t turns out to be the way we expect. So it is necessary to book a hotel after having a proper review about it. One just needs to read the reviews of previously visited customers from different community forums as it can be really helpful. Sometimes it is necessary to find near and dear ones at a particular city as they can provide temporary accommodation if the hotel turns out to be really poor.

  1. Your luggage is too heavy on the way back.

It’s important to have a proper knowledge about the available space in your bags because too much shopping can really put you in difficulty. Your luggage can become too heavy to carry while returning which can cause a lot of trouble for you. So controlled shopping is highly suggested in a trip. One just should not get carried way.

  1. Dehydration, Intoxication and Illness.

Dehydration, intoxication and illness can completely ruin your trip. So therefore it is advisable to take a balanced and proper diet during the trip. People must avoid unhealthy food stuffs from different stalls as it can lead to food poisoning. One must check the calorific value before consuming food stuff.

  1. The Weather.

Weather is highly unpredictable. It is advisable to check the weather of a place before leaving for the trip. Travelling during winter can cause a lot of problem especially in European and North American countries where the airports get shut due to tornado and snowfall. Flights get delayed and most of the time they get cancelled. So it is essential to visit a place by having a proper knowledge of weather conditions prevailing there.

  1. Lose yourself but don’t get Lost.

Getting lost in an unknown place can be really troublesome and annoying. So it is advisable to carry maps with you or the GPS can be useful if you have a Smartphone. Taxis can seemingly always help you find your destination if you find one. Vacations are about exploring, but blindly heading out into unfamiliar areas can take you on a journey you might end up regretting.

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES IN TRAVEL AND TOURISM SECTOR

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Travel and Tourism

India is rich in culture and heritage. So, tourism contributes the most to the Indian economy. The travel and tourism industry is growing tremendously and will continue so in the coming years. In India, the travel industry hopes to create 46 million job opportunities by 2025 and our government is also taking various initiatives to improve the structure and promote tourism efficiently. These sectors include the government tourism departments; major MNCs, Immigration and customs services, airlines, & small-scale private travel agents. Some of the important factors in this field are good communication skills, English proficiency, understanding the customer’s needs and last but not the least is an experience.

travel Travel and tourism is the largest earner of foreign exchange across the world and employs a large number of people directly or indirectly through corresponding service industries. The major career options in travel and tourism sector are:

  • Holiday agent
  • Tourism manager
  • Travel officer
  • Travel agency coordinator
  • Travel counselor
  • Airlines’ staff
  • Tourist Guide
  • Transport officer

Salary is pretty good in the travel and tourism industry. Moreover, the industry also offers good remuneration and perks, which include free travel for employees and their families. You can get relatively quite handsome salary in foreign-based airlines or travel agencies. You could also do part-time jobs or can consider summer work internships for early experience.

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES IN TRAVEL AND TOURISM SECTORRequired skills: Leadership, good teamwork, good communication skills, ability to research, and strong customer focus, presentation skills, up-to-date on current rules and regulations and documentation required, in areas like cargo, ticketing and passports, visas etc, Interpersonal skills , a reasonable knowledge of India and world geography, working long hours.

Courses:

  • Certificate Course in Tourism Studies
  • Diploma
  • Undergraduate course (Bachelor in Tourism Studies – Travel and Tourism)
  • Advanced diploma
  • Postgraduate courses
  • Sc. in Airline Ticketing and Hospitality Management
  • Bachelor in Air Ticketing and Management Administration
  • Vocational Course in Travel & Tourism.
  • Master of Tourism Administration (MTA).

Institutions:


The top institutions in India where you can pursue your travel and tourism studies are:

  • Al-Ameen Institute of Management Studies, Hosur, Bangalore
  • Bundelkhand University, School of Tourism & Hotel Management, Jhansi, UP.
  • Centre for Tourism Studies, Pondicherry University, Pondicherry, Tamil Nadu.
  • Amity University ( Institute of travel and tourism), Noida
  • Indian Institute Of Hotel and Tourism Management, Ghaziabad (Delhi)
  • Indian Institute of Tourism and Travel Management, Gwalior, MP

Institutions outside India:

  • Brigham Young University Hawaii
  • Florida International University, Chaplin School of Hospitality and Tourism Management
  • George Mason University, Virginia
  • Indiana University, Bloomington
  • Rochester Institute of Technology, New York
  • University of North Texas, College of Merchandising, Hospitality and Tourism

 Eligibility:

The eligibility criteria for admission to Travel and Tourism courses at the undergraduate level is higher secondary examination pass. But in some colleges, you may also require to give your scores or percentage for management entrance examinations like CAT, MAT etc.

Top five travel companies:

 MakeMyTrip
Corporate office – Gurgaon, Haryana

Business – Online Travel Company, Website – www.makemytrip.com

Thomas Cook
Corporate office – London, UK

Business – Tourism , Website – www.thomascook.in

Cox & Kings
Corporate office – Mumbai, Maharashtra
Business – Travel Company, Website – www.coxandkings.com

Yatra
Corporate office – Gurgaon, Haryana
Business – Online Travel company, Website – www.yaatra.co.in

Goibibo
Corporate office – Gurgaon, Haryana
Business – Travel & hospitality, Website – www.goibibo.com

Thus employment opportunities are very high in travel and tourism industry in both private and public sector. You can even plan to start your own business or decide to be an entrepreneur by taking on additional employees and partners. So, go ahead for your bright future and make your dream career in travel and tourism industry.

Chat with Suzanna Mukherjee, lead of the upcoming movie Mona Darling.

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Suzanna Mukherjee is drop dead gorgeous. She was born and brought up in Bhilai, Chattisgarh. Did her graduation and MBA from pune . Did a reality show called ‘Roadies’ season 6 as a student , then came back to mumbai after 2 years to try her luck at acting and cracked her very first audition for a fair and lovely ad directed by Shoojit Sarkar . Her mother is a Russian fashion designer and her dad is an engineer and works at Bhilai steel plant . She have no siblings . She has done many television serials and is now all set for her new releaese “Mona Darling“. Here we catch up with her.   

Q)You first appear at MTV. At that time roadies was a huge rage. How did you feel when you first made that substantial presence onscreen?

A) I was actually never keen on becoming a roadie because I had never seen that show , but my friends were huge fans of the show and hence they encouraged me to fill the form with them . And so I did . I was the only one who got called back for the interview , I don’t think my friends will ever forgive me for that 😂 . It was a great experience though . I learned that i was the worst reality show contestant ever because I never abused or faught.

Q) How did you bag your first television serial?

A) Justlike most people here. Auditioned for it, got a call back ,then did a look test and Voila ! Got the show.

Q) Did you aspire to become an actor during your growing up years?

A) I secretly always did but never had the guts to say it out aloud because I was scared of people mocking me, and I guess since I came from a small town where every good student  would either become a doctor or an engineer. And I was always an A grade student. But I guess it was meant to be coz life brought me to Mumbai  by chance. 

Q) Being a half Bengali, you never had accent issues, in fact you speak great and flawless Hindi, how come?

A) I speak even Russian and Ukeranian fluently because my mother is half Russian and half Ukrainian and my dad is Bengali.  I did my schooling in Bhilai and hence learned Hindi fluently. In fact my mother told me that when I joined kindergarten at 3 I could only speak in Russian and Bengali and within almost a week after I started the classes I got fluent in Hindi and within a few months in English as well. I was always good with languages. Any country I would visit, I would genuinely make an effort to learn the language. I guess it was the hidden actor in me.

Q) After 2009, there was no looking back, as big career projects came your way, how did you manage huge media attention that came your way?

A) It didn’t affect me much. I  still have a long way to go.

Q) What difference did you feel between working in movies and working in TV serials?

A) I enjoy films coz the time period is shorter and you can experiment and hence do many different characters, while in television you’re stuck with the same character for a very long time and it kinda gets boring beyond a point,playing the same character everyday. 

Q) You have worked with Bollywood big guns like Emraan Hashmi, how was the experience like?

A) It’s always great working with such brilliant actors, youlearn so much. And there are so many more I want to work with. The list is endless.

Q) From all the movies that you have done, which is your favorite character and why?

A)My character from my first film ‘Tutiya dil ‘ would be my most favorite character till date, simply because it was my first. I have loved every character that I’ve Ever done.

Q) You are successful, beautiful and independent girl at such a young age, what would you want to advise young girls regarding independence of women?

A) I would like to tell all the young girls out there to be fearless and follow their heart no matter what it is that you want to do with your life.

Q) Where do you see yourself say about five years later?

A) Doing some great roles that i could be proud of someday