Toilet For Babli

We talk of progress, high end development, and initiatives to bolster the nation’s economy. There has been widespread improvement for sure, in various fields, and we have all benefited from that. However, one major issue that still needs to be dealt with is open defecation.

We, sitting in the luxury of our homes, may not be able to grasp the hazards of open defecation at first. We have toilets that serve our needs of sanitation. However, what about those who do not have these basic amenities at hand that we always take for granted. In several parts of the country, especially in rural areas, people still have to defecate in the open, just because either there is no toilet available at their homes, or the public toilets have become too dirty by constant use and lack of cleanliness. Poverty forces people to adopt such extreme measure which is unhygienic as well as unsafe.

Open defecation leads to several diseases like diarrhea, intestinal infections, typhoid, cholera and hepatitis. Due to lack of medical facilities in those areas, these diseases eventually lead to death. The worst affected are the women and the children. Open defecation leads to safety issues too, especially after sunset or before sunrise.

Women and girls have to search for places for open defecation when it’s dark, away from evil eyes, and that leads to several cases of crimes against them. Often we have read about incidents of rapes and sexual molestation when a woman or a girl goes out in dark to find a place for defecation. This in turn impacts their dignity and injures them both physically and psychology. Fear grows in their mind and causes serious repercussions. For girls, this constant fear often leads to depression, due to which they are not able to concentrate on their studies and other healthy activities.

Thus, as a responsible human being, it is for us to look into this matter and take proper actions. The Government surely tries its best, but we, the citizens too should act in a matured manner and work towards the betterment of our nation by undertaking initiatives related to areas like health, sanitation and safety. By utilizing our free times in such causes, we can surely make a difference in the lives of several million people.

Domex, the leading toilet cleaner brand of Hindustan Unilever Lever, has come up with a noble program named as the Domex Toilet Academy (DTA). The World Toilet Day is celebrated every year on 19^th November, and Domex makes the day special with its well thought of initiative. It aims to build several toilets in villages and rural areas that do not have proper sanitation. Its pilot project in Junapani in Maharashtra is going in full flow, aiming to make it an open defecation free village. DTA plans to undertake similar measures in other parts of Maharashtra and Odisha, and then in the entire country. It is collaborating with various local groups to spread awareness and educate the villagers about the disadvantages of open defecations and the benefits of healthy sanitation.

You can bring about the change in the lives of millions of kids, thereby showing your support for the Domex Initiative. All you need to do is “click” on the “Contribute Tab” on www.domex.in and Domex will contribute Rs.5 on your behalf to eradicate open defecation, thereby helping kids like Babli live a dignified life.

This is my official entry to 'Toilet for Babli' contest organized by Indiblogger in association with Domex.

Check out the official page below:

http://www.domex.in 

No Snow ?!?!

The snow was supposed to be light.
Alas, no snow at all, was that right?
He wanted to stay indoors,
Watch the game, of course,
But, with wife he shopped to avoid a fight.


This Limerick is shared with Limerick - Off Monday - Light Limerick.

Health is Fun with Farmlite

My office was on the 8^th floor. Every morning, I drove my way to work, parked my car in the garage, and then rode the elevator from the basement, with so many others. My work had been impressive, and my boss rewarded me from time to time. All's well you would say, right?

Wrong!!!

A colleague who frequented the gymnasium more than his work cabin, challenged me to a health test on a lovely Thursday morn. “If you can walk up to the 8^th floor, right from the basement, without panting, a treat would be waiting from me.” He was the one who occasionally took digs at my expanding waistline, with me ignoring him, plain and simple. I accepted the challenge. It used to take only a few seconds in elevator. Thus, it wouldn’t be too tough to walk the entire length, I reasoned.

And my reasoning failed.

Halfway through the mark, I felt as if I needed an oxygen mask to go further. My breathing grew sharp and loud, my legs felt heavy, and I prayed to God for the turmoil to get over soon. ‘Soon’ arrived fifteen minutes later, only to find my colleague grinning at my feeble condition. Thankfully, he had a bottle of water ready for me.

That very day I pledged to take care of my body in the same manner I cared for my work. What would life be if we are unhealthy? A good health is the key to unhappiness, and though you may have all the riches in the world, this is one attribute that can’t be bought with money.

I immediately decided to do the following:

1. Avoid use of elevator and instead take the stairs.
2. Clean my house and car on my own, without anyone else's help.
3. Stay away junk food as much as possible.
4. Go jogging early mornings.

One important part of being healthy is to eat healthy. With junk food being the new craze among the current youth,  we hardly consider the ill – effects of them, something we may have to face in a not so distant future.

Why don’t we then adopt healthy habits that would benefit us, and also inspire others?

Health Is Fun With Farmlite

Talking of inspiration, I recently came across the ‘Health is Fun with Farmlite’ campaign by Sunfeast and God, I am totally in love with the conceptualization. We all know about the benefits of good health and maintaining a fit lifestyle, but how many of us actually follow it? We consider it to be a laborious task to work towards our fitness, and this is where the Sunfeast campaign breaks the myth. Through a series of well shot videos that entertain as well as educate, we get to know how easy it is to stay fit by just doing the daily chores which we often ignore.

Farmlite Bytes, the Fun - Fitness Short Film Festival is a novel strategy launched by Sunfeast that aims to inculcate the value of health among the people today. Burning of calories isn't an act that is just confined to the gyms; rather, they can also be undertaken by performing the household chores and the daily tasks.

If you check the 'Goodbye Bai' video by Tanuj Bhatia, you will know what I mean. When the household help goes on leave, it's left to the family members to clean the dishes, wash the clothes and sweep the rooms. And they do it in style, swinging to the rocking music playing in the background, ensuring that their cleanliness activity doesn't just ensure fitness but also fun.

With so many premier leagues running in full flow in our nation addicted to Sports, Manu Singh showcases how 'Striker Strikes Back' in the Carrom Premier League.The striker named Dubey Ji fails to hit the Queen in the first three instances. However, it results in a healthy warm-up and he scores in the 4th instance after losing some weight.

India is a land of festivals. 'Farmlite Navratri' video shows how one can enjoy these festivals and burn calories at the same time. Isn't that great, knowing you can have fun and undergo a fitness regime at the same time? Absolutely, this makes celebrating festivals all the more enjoyable.

Farmlite nails the campaign with its unique 'Augmented Reality' promotion. The below video shows how a seemingly normal looking newspaper advertisement comes alive in a hand held device, the animation resembling a high end 3D game, leaving you pleasantly surprised.

'Homework Kiya' by Anugam Goswami leaves you rolling into peals of laugher. A man frustrated with his unhealthy lifestyle suddenly gets to know the benefits of performing household activities like cooking and cleaning. He performs them happily as they burn calories and gifts himself a lean physique. Also, he gets more time to spend at home in a constructive manner.

'Fit Fighter' is a cute story of a couple whose interests are conflicting in nature. While the guy wants to spend his time playing computer games, the girl assigns him the task to prepare dinner. The guy wants to go to Poker Night with his friends, while the girl wishes to go out for a movie. Their fun filled banter leads to 'fight' and thus reduction of calories.

'The Great Laughter Sales Meet' showcases how laughter can burn calories. The team analyzes the sales target when the 'Sehat ki Ghanti' rings, and they imitate the famous 'Kitne Aadmi They' scene from Sholay to add a bit of laughter and fun to the discussion that's supposed to be serious, ensuring that achieving target doesn't seem a grave task and should be dealt with fun.

The Product

The packaging of Sunfeast Farmlite looks aesthetically pleasing to the eyes. With color combinations that fit to the T, the package looks tempting and inviting. 'Oats and Almonds' and 'Oats and Raisins' are the two flavours you can choose. Deliciously, healthy. Yes.

About Sunfeast Farmlite

Presenting Sunfeast Farmlite, the all new Healthy & Tasty cookie from the house of ITC foods. Now available in two deliciously healthy variants - Oats & Almonds and Oats & Raisins.

Sunfeast Farmlite - Salient features

Healthy & Tasty cookies made with Oats, Wheat, Almonds / Raisins. This combination is a first in the health category.

Check out the official page below:

http://sunfeastworld.com/farmlite.html

Forever

how long would you search

for rainbows in darkened skies

"forever," he smiled

This Haiku is shared with Haiku My Hearts - Forever.

She Could Never Learn To Swim

she could have -

     waded through her tears
     glided past her fears
     played with the tide
     paved a joyous ride

then, without a trace, she sank
drowning in dream, sadly blank

lost in waves, her innocent whim
she tried
     but could never learn to swim
   
   
This Poem is shared with Poets United Midweek Motif - Swimming.

Circus

(Image Source: http://www.partypro.com)

sun rises, moon sets

the juggler still practicing

for his grand debut

This Haiku is shared with Carpe Diem - Juggler.

The Return Of Sherlock Holmes - Review

Sherlock Holmes, the gaunt, ascetic, ruthlessly logical pursuer of crime and mystery created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle needs no introduction. The adventures of this sharply witty and moody detective and his lovably pedantic and faithful friend Dr. Watson are a perennial source of inspiration to lovers of crime fiction.

Sherlock Holmes a predecessor of a long line of amateur detectives elevated criminal investigation to a fine art. His original and imaginative plot races along like a furious roller coaster, leaving the reader guessing which way it will turn next...

Read on to find out how Holmes and Dr. Watson solve mysteries of

• The Empty House
• The Six Napoleons
• The Norwood Builder
• The Three Students
• The Dancing Men
• The Golden Pince-Nez
• The Solitary Cyclist
• The Missing Three-quarter
• The Priory School
• The Abbey Grange
• Black Peter
• The Second Stain
• Charles Augustus Milverton

About the Author

Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle KGStJ, DL (22 May 1859 – 7 July 1930) was a Scottish physician and writer who is most noted for his fictional stories about the detective Sherlock Holmes, which are generally considered milestones in the field of crime fiction. He is also known for writing the fictional adventures of a second character he invented, Professor Challenger, and for popularizing the mystery of the Mary Celeste. He was a prolific writer whose other works include fantasy and science fiction stories, plays, romances, poetry, non-fiction, and historical novels.

‘The Return of Sherlock Holmes’ provides the ardent fans of this franchise a reason to rejoice. Holmes, who had supposedly encountered death while engaging in a duel with the evil Moriarty at Reichenbach Falls, returns to add a few more adventures to his credit, along with his friend and companion Dr. Watson.

The book documents thirteen cases that he undertook post his self – inflicted exile.

‘The Empty House’ starts with the murder of a young gambler, Ronald Adair, but leads to Holmes meeting Watson that gives the latter a pleasant shock. Holmes’s account of his fight with Moriarty, how he survived the fall, and the reason for his staying away from the public eyes generate interest, and one feels glad to know that ‘The Final Problem’ was certainly not the final one.

‘The Norwood Builder’ refers to Jonas Oldacre, a 52 years old bachelor, whose sudden disappearance and traces of blood points into the direction of John McFarlane as the prime suspect in a sinister plot. We know from the beginning that he has been wrongly accused, but it is only when Holmes reveals the entire mystery and the reason do we get to fully comprehend the situation. This is a plot revolving around unrequited love and vengeance.

‘The Dancing Men’ starts as a puzzle, inviting the readers to find its solution. What seems like a bizarre set of images turn out to be the key to the mysterious affair, and we can only marvel at the genius of Holmes. The background revolving around the deciphering of the secret code surely stands ahead of its time.

In ‘The Solitary Cyclist’, Violet Smith finds herself often followed by a mysterious man as she travels to and fro her employer’s place. Though her follower maintains a safe distance and doesn’t harm her, she can’t let her mind be at peace and seeks assistance of Holmes. However, a dangerous scheme uncovers, and what seemed to be a harmless turns into a dark bend of mind.

Sherlock’s strong deduction skill comes to light yet again in ‘The Priory School.’ Dr. Huxtable, the founder of a preparatory school named ‘The Priory School’ comes to Holmes to seek assistance with regards to the kidnapping of one of his students. This is certainly one of the most twisted plots that I have read of Holmes, and yet, with his brilliant observations, he is able to solve the mystery.

In ‘Black Peter’, a gruesome murder is committed with a harpoon, and the young police inspector on duty, Stanley Hopkins, seeks Holmes’s help. Like the previous stories in this book, this one too traverses to the past, uncovering the history of those involved. The reason for the murder comes to light, and as always, Holmes steals the show.

‘Charles Augustus Milverton’ is one of my favourites in the book. The plot revolves around a master blackmailer, who threatens a lady with dire consequences if she doesn’t pay heed to his demands. What makes it interesting is that Holmes's negotiation skills come into the forefront, and we soon find that the opponent provides a good enough resistance to our detective.

Someone is keen on breaking the busts of Napoleon in ‘The Six Napoleons’. Now, what could be the purpose of such a weird activity? Initially, it appears to be a whim of a Napoleon – hater, but then Holmes succeeds in revealing the entire truth, and we are left astounded to figure out that a lot lied beyond what met the eyes.

‘The Three Students’ takes us to St. Luke’s College. The crime here is that someone entered the office of Mr. Soames, a lecturer, when he was not there, and had a look at the proofs of an upcoming examination. There are three suspects. This is a refreshing change from the murder scenes that form the backdrop of most of the cases documented by Dr. Watson.

‘The Golden Pince-Nez’ documents the murder case of Willoughby Smith, secretary to Professor Coram, who is an invalid. There seems to be no reason for the murder, and no evident logic for the crime to have taken place. Here again, the past plays an important role in performing the crime, and we realize how unfavourable circumstances can lead a person to perform deeds of extreme evil.

Godfrey Staunton, a popular athlete, disappears ahead of a key football game in ‘The Missing Three-Quarter.’ Here, we see the author trying to bring forth a tale of human emotions instead of a crime. How important it is to preserve a secret, and to what length can a person go to do so, forms the crux of the story.

Often, we witness Holmes’s sense of justice. ‘The Abbey Grange’ is one such story where Holmes solves the mystery related to the murder of a wealthy Englishman, Sir Brackenstall. Initially, a notorious gang is suspected to have played a crucial role in the crime. However, we soon get to know that’s not the case. Also, Holmes’s judgement shows how much he values human relationships, and believes that every fault doer should deserve a second chance.

‘The Second Stain’ turns out to be Holmes’s final adventure, and what a remarkable closure it is. Revolving around politics, spies, foreign policies and a young wife, the story has the perfect ingredient to heighten the reader’s curiosity, and it does it quite successfully.

‘The Return of Sherlock Holmes’ does have accounts of remarkable cases, and turns out to be an interesting read. However, having gone through all of Holmes’s adventures, I found this collection weaker in comparison to the rest. Yet, this can be an excellent start for a person unacquainted with Holmes’s cases. Shall I recommend this book to others? Yes, of course, ‘cause Sherlock Holmes should be read, and savoured, always and forever.

Title: The Return of Sherlock Holmes 

Author: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle 

Publisher: Jaico Publishing House

Publication Year: 2013

Language: English

Binding: Paperback

Genre: Short Fiction, Mystery

No. of Pages: 336

Price: Rs 135

My Rating: 3/5

Ache

(Image Source: http://www.dreamstime.com)

You can twist my wrists

And polish those bones

Carve them as you like

Shape them into cones

Then gather the times

Which betrayed my smile

You can sell the rhymes

That tears have piled

And I won't cry

I won't break

'cause I have learnt

To romanticize this ache

This Poem is shared with Imaginary Garden - Open Link Monday.

Letting Go

even the calm lake

cries over the moon's shadow

not letting it go

This Haiku is shared with Haiku My Heart - Letting Go.

Surprise Was

(Image Source: http://nice-cool-pics.com)

surprise was -
     on a bright March morn
     Spring blooming in dawn
     lips nervous, eyes raining wide
     bent on my knees, proposing for a ride
     "Yes," u said
     "Forever," I prayed.

surprise was -
     the summer I turned twenty
     in June, gifts received aplenty
     but none as special as this
     closing my eyes, I experienced bliss
     our first kiss, witnessed by stars
     ever so special, I knew we'd go far.

surprise was -
     autumn breeze in September skies
     colours fading amidst those lies
     the first glimpse of distrust, and you said "Sorry"
     things would be fine, I hoped, trying not to worry
     "Let's start afresh, let's give it a try,
     the ice would melt, baby please don't cry."

surprise was -
     December cold burning with tears
     crushed under blows of myriad fears
     you said you've found someone, and departed with a "Bye"
     I sat down on the corridor, trying to find out "Why"
     a new year around the corner, but would Spring ever be back
     I try to erase, but your scent still lingers on my track.


This Poem is shared with Mindlovemisery's Menagerie - Surprise.