Appooppanthaadi – A Travel Group For Women

Ladies who love traveling but barely get a chance to travel due to so many reasons, you might want to pay attention to this post. If your reason involves lack of company, fear of traveling alone or skepticism to take the leap because you’ve never traveled ever, and if the seed of travel is still in you, I’m about to hook you up with one amazing travel group exclusively for the ladies – Appooppanthaadi.

Appooppanthaadi (Calotropis in Malayalam), the first born child of Sajna Ali, came into existence out of her love for travel and her realizing the need for a ladies oriented travel group. Now, they have completed over 200 trips, giving over 2000 women the chance to experience travel.

Appooppanthadi Trip to Agumbe

Over the years, women who have never travelled before, have taken up traveling. In addition to this, Sajna also gone on solo trips and encourages women to go on solo trips. I, for one, am terrified of solo trips and the thought that more women are taking up solo trips inspires me to plan one for myself. This is the kind of impact Appooppanthaadi is making.

I decided to write this post after going on two trips with them. In July 2018, I went on a trip to Agumbe and in April 2019, I went on their Tawang trip. I came to know of both the destinations through Appooppanthaadi and I was extremely skeptical about Agumbe as it was my first trip with the group to a never heard of destination. But during the trip, I realized that I hadn’t gone to a place more beautiful. Agumbe is one place I would return to, at any given point of time in my life. The Tawang trip was breath taking as well. However, Agumbe still beats it! I will be writing separate posts on these trips.

Appooppanthadi trip to Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh

Appooppanthaadi’s way of operating is simple. They give out frequent updates of their upcoming trips on their Facebook Page. The seats get booked in a giffy. You are required to register and soon you’ll be contacted with the payment link. Once you make the payment, you’ll be added to the respective trip group wherein you can communicate with other travelers, clear your doubts and prepare for the trip. If you’re alone for this trip, you’ll definitely find other solo travelers in the group and you can easily befriend them. You never know! You might even find a friend for life from one of these trips.

Trip to Agumbe with Appooppanthadi

Here are some pointers I observed throughout the two trips:

1. You’ll be given a helping hand in case of any issues. You only have to ask for it.
2. The trip isn’t restricted to youngsters but they encourage older people as well. 50-60 year olds easily joined us in our trips.
3. The prices are affordable. We were charged Rs. 10,500 for the Tawang trip of 5 days. Though food and flight charges were separate, the rates were reasonable if you considered the extensive travel from Guwahati and back and the accommodation.
4. They ensure that we get to try the local cuisine which, in my opinion, helps you soak up their culture better.
5. Though the group is based out of Kerala, all the trips begin from the respective States or somewhere nearby. For instance, trips in Karnataka begin in Karnataka, the Tawang trip began at Guwahati and so on, so that the costs are reduced and people from all States can join from a common point.

Appooppanthaadi is a blessing for the Women who have been skeptical about traveling. Appooppanthaadi opens the doors wide for the women who never thought they’d be able to travel alone. It also forms new bonds, weaves new tales and makes hundreds of women dream.

The Eight Meter Guilded Statue of Budhha at the TAwang Monastery

If you know women who are still mulling over traveling, please let them know about Appooppanthaadi. Let them get a taste of how it is to fly high. Please feel free to ask any questions you have in the comments. Also, do you know of any other similar groups? Do you think you’ll take a trip with the Appooppanthaadis?

Their Facebook Page – Appooppanthaadi

MENSTRUAL CUPS – OVERCOMING THE BEGINNER’S HASSLES

Menstrual Cups have taken the internet by storm. With multiple companies rolling out different types of menstrual cups and celebrities endorsing them, I am sure you have come across the basics of menstrual cups. I have been using them for a year now and though initially I faced quite a few problems, now I am extremely relieved that I have them.

Menstrual Cup

Assuming that you have a basic idea about Menstrual Cups, in this post I’ll write about the problems I faced while I switched to Cups and how I tackled them. This is aimed at the beginners and the ones a hairline away from taking the big leap into using the cups.

WHY YOU SHOULD SWITCH TO THE CUP

1. No Leakage – Once you really know how to use it (You will know eventually), there is no chance it’ll leak! And that is the dream! No washing stained clothes, panties or bed sheets!
2. No Rashes – Moist pads do a lot of harm to the skin. At least I had a hard time with them!
3. No hassles of disposing Napkins or Tampons – You simply empty the cup, rinse it and insert.
4. Once inserted, you wouldn’t feel a thing there. You could go about doing any activity (subject to cramps) including swimming!

Menstrual Cups really do make life easier. Before cups, my visit to the washroom and the sight of blood in the toilet bowl were all painful reminders of the cycle and the cramps. But now it is mess free mentally and physically.

THE HASSLES I FACED WHILE SWITCHING TO MENSTRUAL CUPS

Will You Face Beginners Hassles? YES! Let me walk you through how hard it was for me in the beginning and how I overcame them. These happen in very rare cases as most people I know have adapted wuickly to cups.

My Fear: The Cup Would Get Lost Inside – Blame it on my lack of knowledge of anatomy, I feared that I’ll never be able to get the cup out and that I’ll need an operation. So I inserted with so much fear and checked every 5 minutes if I could get the cup out! Trust me! That’s painful and pointless. The cup will not get lost inside your vagina. More importantly, any fear will only make it worse for you.

Pain During Insertion – There are articles on various ways in which you could fold the cup to insert it. You need to try them to understand which suits you the best. But for me, inserting was painful every single time partly because of my fears and partly because I was shoving the cup up my vagina! Whenever you insert it, ensure that you are relaxed, take slow, deep breaths and carefully insert the cup. Take your time, contract and expand your muscles gradually so that the cup can maneuver its way through. If inserted slowly, it will not be painful.

It Never Opened – The next worst and the biggest problem I faced was that the menstrual cup almost never popped open causing leakages. It depends upon your body, the cup and the placement of the cervix. But it also depends on the way you fold the cup. When you fold it, don’t make it compact thinking it will enter easily. Instead, fold it loosely trapping some air within. If you’ve enough air inside the cup, once it fully enters the vagina, it will definitely open.

Fold the cup loosely

In those rare cases that it doesn’t, you can try the following:

• Insert the cup and turn it around to see if it opens easily in a better angle.
• Instead of inserting straight up, insert diagonally (just a slight tilt) towards the back of your body.
• Give the bottom of the cup a pinch.
• Insert your finger and move around the sides to help open.

Sterilizing the Cup – I was in a Hostel/PG when I started using the cup. Even if I were at home, I really couldn’t parade the cup into the Kitchen for hygiene reasons and sterilize it in boiling water. Hence I would boil the water separately and pour it in a vessel dedicated for sterilizing the cup and immerse the cup in it for 10-15 minutes.

GO ORDER THAT MENSTRUAL CUP NOW!

Most people get the hang of it in a jiffy and cannot live without the menstrual cup once they do. But you wouldn’t know unless you start using it right? So stop thinking and take the leap. Place the order. Let it come! Try it! The hassles you would face could be sorted out one by one. Besides, you can always switch back to a tampon or a napkin if you don’t like it. It’s that simple!
This is the best thing you can give yourself as a woman. This is the best thing you can do for the women in your life! Make the switch.

PS – I am not writing this as a part of promotion for any brand, but because I am a writer who wants to add value to my readers. If you have any more question about the Menstrual cup, please drop them in the comments. If you want me to write anymore posts on any related topic, again please let me know through the comments.

Let’s Look at Our Parents Without The Capes

 

 

Remember that time when you made a mistake, your parents told you that you were wrong, maybe a bit too harshly but then again, poured honey on your wounds, kissed the pain away and then completely forgot about the mistake?

That is what they are supposed to do. Because you were just a child and children need guidance. You were new to childhood and that meant making mistakes.

Would you have done the same as easily, if they had made a mistake?

Maybe. Maybe not!

But why?

Because they are parents. Grown ups! They are responsible for another human.

But aren’t they new to parenting?

A couple of weeks back, my mother told me something along the lines of, ‘Maybe the decisions I took for you were wrong.’

That got me thinking. Maybe she was wrong, maybe not. But I couldn’t blame her if they were. She was only being a mother and doing what she thought was the best for me at the time. How many times have we thought that our decisions were perfect when we made them only to realize that they weren’t? Every parent has his/her child’s best interests at heart. They wouldn’t do anything to sabotage their child’s life. That being said, they aren’t geniuses at parenting. They are new to parenting as much as children are new to being children. Then why is there an unfair expectation and pressure for parents?

I am referring to those situations where they did make an error of judgement, we did tell them a bit too harshly that they were wrong and instead of pouring honey on the wounds, kissing the pain away and forgetting it, people kept pricking the wounds reminding them of the mistakes they made.

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I am referring to the society’s unfair expectations from parents. Our unfair expectations from them where they are expected to be perfect, where they are under pressure to be THE role models who just cannot afford to make mistakes and if they do, they aren’t allowed to forget those mistakes for a long long time.

I am referring only and only to those decisions that they made out of love rather than out of any other social elements.

And we aren’t even aware of this pressure because it is normal. We expect them to have the answers and to do the right thing. We have been forcing them into a cape and a Super-hero suit while they have been struggling to fit into the role for which they have never gotten any training. But guess what? It is high time that we the children of all ages realize that parents are humans just like us. If they have the superpowers we thought they had, many of the them wouldn’t watch helplessly as their children struggle in pain. I remember the look in my mother’s eyes as I was struggling with an unnatural stomach pain and she had done everything she could to reduce it, but yet I was suffering.

 

We think they are Super-humans and so their minor mistakes seem huge to us. But instead, we need to realize that they are mere mortals, and then look at the magnificence of the things they did for us. The things we thought they did because they were Supermoms and Superdads, they did them being simple humans. THAT takes them to a whole new level. 

So from now on, maybe we should go easy on them.

To all the parents,

It is okay.

We love you.

To all the Mothers, and the Fathers handling the maternal role,

Happy Mother’s Day.

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So do you think there is an unfair pressure on parents? How can we rectify that?

Image courtesy – 1, 2

Matrikas Journals for The Creative Minds

The little child whispered, ‘God, speak to me’. The Meadow Lark sang, but the child didn’t hear. So the child yelled, ‘God! Speak to me!!!’
And the thunder rolled across the sky. But the child didn’t hear.

The child looked around and said, ‘God, I want to see you.’ A star shone brightly but the child did not see. The child shouted, ‘God show me a miracle!’
A life was born.
But the child did not know.

So the child cried out in despair, ‘Touch me, God! And let me know you are there.’
Whereupon, God reached down and touched the child but the child brushed the butterfly away and walked away unknowingly.

An excerpt, from my Journal, that dates back to 2006. I love diaries/journals and I have close to a dozen of them maintained for various purposes. Back during my college days, I had one in which I used to write down quotes and stories that touched me. This is one such. The moment I found something meaningful, I’d find its owner and copy it down. Our college was such that, we did not have access to computers or phones. So I wrote a lot on papers with a pen.

The benefit being, I still have those quotes and stories. They never got deleted or lost in the mess of an internet.  You see, that is the thing about journals. They will wait for you to pick them up. Even after years, you could go back and find that piece of memory still there tucked safely between the breathing pages of a yellowing old diary, the memories you thought had vanished when your brain cells died.

 

Most of the times, these journals have found me. Dated diaries from Mom’s workplace, some came as gifts, a few I stole from Mom because they looked too tempting and another set was from Matrikas. Now, I have 3 journals from Matrikas as a part of their blogger outreach programme.  Most of the journals remain half used since I either stop doing what I did with them or use them as and when I like. I did not do anything systematic with them and that kept disappointing me.

As I began to focus on my Self Development recently, I decided that it was high time I started working on a journal; more of a Life Handbook. At this opportune moment, Matrikas Paper Products send me a fascinating piece of stationary, an answer to all my questions – A Creative Journal for women.

About the Journal

 

This isn’t your typical, simple ruled or plain, dated journal. This is a creative journal with which you could experiment yourself and your limits. It is well bound with cloth and available in four designs – Butterfly, Dragonfly, Feather, and Fish each for the dreamer, thinker, writer & the one who wishes to soar not in that order.

It has an elastic band to keep the book closed & bound, also a loop to keep the pen in place. The paper, as I had given in an earlier review, is of high quality, thick and smooth. It has a classy-cum-ethnic look and feel about it. This particular journal has been designed keeping in mind women who wish to experiment their artistic side.

What Makes this Journal a Class Apart?

1. They have ruled pages, undated, and interspersed with blank pages.  It doesn’t stop there. The blank pages are thicker than the ruled pages so that you can reveal your artistic side with colors or glues or a little something they have provided themselves for you.

 

2. If you aren’t an artsy person on blank pages, they have provided 8 adult coloring pages in which you could try out your luck. If you really miss those childhood coloring books like me, this is truly a blessing! 🙂 Have a look.

Teapot, Leaves and Flowers

 

Butterfly garden

3. Did that awe-inspire you to own one? Well I am not done yet. They have provided sheets of stickers (A Little Something ) so you could play with your imagination and make a Life Handbook from this journal. These could be used on those blank pages to make them more artistic.

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Remember the Life Handbook I mentioned about in an earlier post? This journal has everything to make that work. To make bucket-lists, plan your days, vacations, wishlists, quirky thoughts to be written down and what not! If anyone wants to maintain a journal and have no clue how to go about it, this one is a self-help. If there was anything I could change about this journal, it would be the size. I would prefer something bigger and heavier. Well, that must be just me because I always say; books? Bigger the better! 😀

Do not let your memories fade away as your brain cells vanish. Preserve them! Not in hard disks or emails. But in pen and paper. Let your fragrance linger, your fingers brush through those pages and the fingerprints remain. Let the pages yellow and give that exuberant scent of memories as you open them. Let the fragrance and the writings conjure mental images of those golden days. 🙂

 

Daintily sitting on my table with everything nice!

 

 

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PS – This is not a paid review. The journal was sent to me by Matrikas for an honest review and promotion. I haven’t honey-coated anything here. The journal is as good as one could get. I’d recommend this anytime! 🙂

 

 

 

Analysis: The Mystery of The Female Purse by Kenny Sebastian

Kenny Sebastian came up with this video about the women’s purse. It was meant for educating men, but I really should say, it was informative to me as well. You will know why as I analyse his revelations, but first you might want to watch this video to get the context.

You – a guy – could hold a woman’s bag?

I did have friends who were very very uncomfortable holding my bag even for a moment. When I had to adjust my slippers or do something that would only take a couple of minutes, he would hold the bag awkwardly, sweat profusely and look around to ensure that no one noticed him holding a woman’s bag. And so, during the last couple of years, whenever a male friend offered to hold my bag, I was shocked!

‘Really? You could hold a woman’s bag?‘ 😀

The Bomb in the Bag

The next thing he brings to everyone’s notice is the sanitary pad. I do have male friends who are absolutely fine with it. But I must mention that I myself had this phase where if any guy came close to my bag, the alarm in my head would go off and I would grab my bag. No! I did not have bombs inside but, *whispers* ‘What if he saw the Pad?’

There were moments when guys did notice it, averted their eyes and I would bury my face in shame. It was as though the deepest, darkest secret that was hidden since time immemorial was revealed and the world had ended. That was around a decade ago.

Now, if a friend decides to explore my purse for time pass, I just give it to him. Firstly, I have nothing to be ashamed of. Secondly, if he finds a pad, there would be two outcomes. He will either ignore it or discuss it normally which would give me an insight into his attitude about such matters, or he would panic or make funny or weird remarks in which case I could try to make him comfortable about the topic. The latter rarely happens. Most men’s weirdness with pads end in school or college or sometimes at home too, I believe. 🙂

Chocolates

I never have chocolates in my bag. Let me tell you why. I eat them! If I get chocolates, I eat them immediately. Even if I don’t, I leave them in my cupboard so no one finds it (Yes. I am selfish about chocolates). But, I do not carry them in my bag fearing friends who would find it (Super selfish :P). In any case, if at all there is a chocolate inside my bag, my grandmother would definitely find it and I wouldn’t even see the cover later on. 😀

So, the existence of chocolates are ruled out from my bag.

Sunglasses

No. Unless I am going on a long trip or riding my bike with contact lens on (which happens very rarely), I do not carry sunglasses. I don’t see people wearing shades here and since it hasn’t been a part of our lifestyle, even if I did carry it, I would never remember to wear it! 😀

MakeUp

My make up begins and ends with eye wear and a lip balm. I learnt the difference between a hand cream and a sanitizer from this video. Since I have this weird urge to wash my hands after I use a sanitizer, I don’t use that either. This is the first time I am realizing that women carry Clean and Dry with them. Now as I think of it, it is really hygienic and handy if you are using public toilets or are on long trips right? Definitely something to think about!

Various forms of Paper

Hell yeah! In two weeks’ time, my bag gets flooded with those. Movie tickets, supermarket, medical shop and all sorts of bills, ATM receipts, Parking receipts, library receipts, shopping lists etc and they are in dozens. When it becomes humanly impossible to find anything inside my bag, and it begins to look pregnant, I clear them all.

So what do I carry in my bag?

ID cards, phone, scooter keys, minimal cash and card holder are the common stuff we carry all the time right? Since I need to switch bags depending upon my needs, I keep these things together for easy switching. Apart from these:

• I take a clutch if I am simply going out. That is the most used item and so, it has a set of passport size photos, some stamps, necessary visiting cards and a sparkey’s card ;).
• I take a handbag if I have to carry or purchase more/bigger things.

Contents of my bag

 

Mind you, the bills and all the papers will be uniformly present in all my bags. My habit of not littering the streets adds to the litter in my bags too.

Handbag Trivia

Do you know the one thing that all the bags have in common? The last point on Kenny’s video. The vanishing point – The Bermuda Triangle – in your bag. It so happens that only and only the 3 most important things go vanishing:

1. Your phone
2. Your keys – be it house or vehicle keys
3. Your purse/card/money

You search once hurriedly in each and every pocket, you won’t find it. You panic and search semi-slowly everywhere, you won’t find it. You run to other places, home, inside your vehicle, you won’t find it. So you get back, turn your bag upside down & search. If you are lucky, you would find it stuck weirdly in a fold in the fabric of your bag, in a non-corner or simply lying in the middle of everything, laughing at you!

So what do you have in your bag? Does yours come even close to Kenny’s list? Or is it as drab and boring like mine? 😀

 

Featured Image Source – Here

This Women’s Day, I Mourned

For all those women who were and are raped, for all those abused wives and friends, for all those women whose talents are suppressed for merely being born a woman. For the child raped by the Church priest, for the 7 children in the orphanage who were raped, for…

Yesterday, I was tagged in many Women’s Day post and videos and I did not participate or comment on any of those. Honestly, I did not feel like celebrating.

 

My facebook feed was flooding with women’s day wishes, tags and videos extolling womanhood and praising women. Meanwhile, the newspapers and TV channels had small snippets of rapes in orphanages, rapes of siblings, of little children and stories of rape related to various religions/communities! The irony.

 

I am not ‘proud’ to be a woman. It isn’t a hard earned achievement to be proud of. If anything, I am scared and I feel unsafe all the time. Umpteen times have I considered dressing up like men so I would feel safe.

 

I was born with genitals different from men and that dictated my life. My duties, the way I walk, talk, clothe HAD to be according to a rule book because of the body I was given at birth. I have been suffering on many levels because of something that wasn’t even my choice! If given a choice, I would prefer to be a male. I know! I know! Guys tell me it is not easy. But for starters, I would like to go out without being stared at (read x-rayed) or followed. Or even worse, without being groped, or pointed at like an animal at the zoo.

 

It is well and good if, after all this celebration, one really resolved to not make a woman in the street uncomfortable or to appreciate how one’s mother/wife works every day without even a break on a Sunday and resolved to give her a break every alternate week or so.

 

I doubt that any rapist, molester or vulgar men sending vulgar or threatening messages in facebook messenger or showing their genitals or rubbing them against women in public would be reading this or that this write-up would make a change in any manner. But if things like these could be stopped, that could call for a celebration.

Women Wouldn’t have to be celebrated

 

No offense meant to anyone celebrating it or wishing people. I am awed by your positivity. I just don’t feel it. This Women’s day hullaballoo has been immensely annoying to me because it is like celebrating Peace in Westeros! I don’t want to be praised, wished and extolled on one out of 365 days because I am a woman. I just want the respect that any person deserves irrespective of gender on all 365 days.

 

I am appalled by the necessity of a frequent reminder that women are people and not boobs and mere holes between the legs. A reminder that falls on deaf ears. In a perfect world, Women won’t have to be celebrated. The need for a celebration is disheartening.

 

Note – I am not generalizing and I know, all men aren’t the same. I am not against the celebrations either. A series of events and news during the last couple of days disturbed me and the women’s day celebrations seemed like a joke at the wake of it. Hence the rant. Phew!

Fairy Dust Jewellery – The New Kid in Town

EDIT- The store has changed its name to Nathni Tales from fairy Dust.

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Hola Peeps,

A lot has been brewing at my end including trying to bring some rhythm to my blogging. So, I will be hosting A Few Handpicked Things’ first ever giveaway in a week’s time! Yes! But this post is an introduction to the newest kid in town. The festive season is here, Christmas followed by New Year, and Fairy Dust and A Few Handpicked Things in Life are joining hands to throw some occasional surprises your way.

In this post, I’ll be introducing Fairy Dust to you. Hope you like what we have in store for you.

The Name

Fairy Dust is a substance with magical properties. This name was chosen because they say they have some fairies helping them out to flutter in search of some pretty happy pieces of jewellery. They add their magical touch to it & a tad bit of Fairy Dust that is sure to transform the wearer. The magical property of these trinkets are that, they bring out the beauty in the wearer.

Fairy Dust’s Motive

I, as a child, loved everything shiny, bright & colorful. But people kept telling me that Yellow was an ugly color and so was Magenta! But now, bright & neon colors are in vogue. They never really went out of fashion as I think of it.

Similarly, it is said that jewellery doesn’t suit too thin or fat people, bright colors do not suit dusky people and so on. I am sure fashionistas, students of fashion designing and owners of brands and fashion magazines know what they are saying. But the emotion behind Fairy Dust is that any type of person can wear jewellery. Provided you know how to style it. Whether to clutter it up or to go for minimalism is one’s own choice. But if you intend to draw eyes, all you need to do is to style it well.

The point is, wear what you love! Do you like bright or Neon colors? Do people tell you that jewellery doesn’t suit your body? Do you like those feathers and long hangings and heavy danglers?  Do people mock you for your choices? Wear what you like and smile at their comments. Wear again. Wear again and hold your head high. Their jokes won’t be funny for long. Fourth or fifth time, they won’t bother. You will be the person that loves her jewellery. The one who wears what he/she loves! 🙂

Psst! You don’t like something? Don’t force it on yourself.

Collections

Based in Cochin, Fairy Dust was formed with a view to bring some unique pieces of Afghani, Tribal & Boho jewellery apart from the funky junk jewellery to the South. Currently, they showcase a wide variety of Pompom Jewellery of myriad colors and designs. Pompom accessories have hit Central & Northern India quite hard, with almost everyone owning a pair of those bright colors of happiness. Similar is the case with Tribal accessories. These haven’t really found much light in the South especially in Kerala & Tamil Nadu. Fairy Dust aims at making available these beauties to the Southernmost tip. Be that as it may, the online store ships their magical trinkets to any part of the country.

Featuring some of the collections here:

1. ‘Fairy Lights’ Pompom Earrings
Price – INR 260
Buy Here – Pompom Earrings

2. Wooden Neckpiece
Price – INR 110
Buy here – Wooden Square Bead Necklace

3. Intricate Beautiful Clip on Nosepin
Price – INR 125
Buy Here – Peacock Nosepin

4. Afghani Neckpiece
Price – INR 300
Edit: Currently Sold out. Might be available in future on demand.

It is evident that most of the pieces are unique and one of a kind. You are sure to lure some eyes your way if you own these pieces. Also, if you are experienced in jewellery window shopping like me, you would have noticed that most of these pieces are at very affordable prices.

Here is a glimpse at the Pompom Earrings on meeee! I am sporting a layered multicolored Pompom Earring. Aaaand, that is how it looks on people.

If you like Fairy Dust Collections, do follow them on Insta @nathni_tales and also like the Facebook Page @nathnitales. Also, watch this space for the Giveaway from Fairy Dust!

 

A glimpse into the Insta page

 

10 Ways to Arrange Your Jewellery

Let me introduce you to my new revamped Fashion Blog – Nathni Tales. The blog is about Jewellery – finding, owning, maintaining and lots of jewellery love. Please do follow the blog 🙂

Over the years, I tried many DIY methods to store my earrings since that is what I had in abundance and I realized that, ultimately, your convenience mattered. You could arrange them in boxes or di…

Source: 10 Ways to Arrange Your Jewellery

I am Tired of Struggling to Survive. Yes, I Give Up!

Title: The Story of a Suicide

Author: Sriram Ayer

Genre: Tragedy

Website: The Story of a Suicide

Note:  This is an e-book which can be read in the website above.

Characterization:

The story revolves around four college students – Hari, Sam, Charu and Mani.

Hari, an average guy from a conservative south Indian family, and his sister’s pet, almost always keeps to himself. He is often disturbed and moody and battles constantly with his own demons.

Sam is a very ambitious guy from a rich family. He has got the looks, the brains, and the skills to woo girls – a deadly combination! And he is very well aware of his qualities.

Charu, an extreme feminist, is beautiful in her looks and impulsive in her decisions. She lives with an I-don’t-care attitude and comes off as arrogant at first. This, coupled with her highly unpredictable nature lands her in various predicaments.

Mani‘s mother is a laborer in a brick kiln and his father left them many years ago, to return occasionally to abuse his mother and Mani for money. Mani is wiser than his age, probably due to his experiences.

There are several other characters that play pivotal roles at the right times, as the story unfolds.

The Plot

This is a story set in a college campus. It begins with a tragic event that brings Sam and Charu together. Sam is instantly attracted to Charu and she initially reciprocates his feelings. But soon things become unsure by her unpredictable behavior, coupled with Sam’s possessiveness.

All it requires is a bit of humiliation & a spiteful Facebook status to give an ugly turn to things.

Hari, Sam’s roommate, befriends Mani and the two become very close. For the first time in his life, Hari is able to confide himself in someone. He tells Mani about his demons and his childhood and this gets them closer further.

While the entire college turns against Charu due to her impulsive actions and devil may care nature, she turns to Mani & Hari for solace.

Meanwhile, there is a stranger sending inappropriate pictures to Charu. She is terrified when he sends an image of her cleavage taken from a very odd angle. A picture, not taken by her, but taken a few minutes back, when she is alone in her room.

As the story unfurls, the plot thickens and the four characters are caught in a mesh of each other’s doings with none of them having any clue about how the other is getting affected.

In the process, a life is at stake!

Relevance of the book in today’s scenario and tips to deal with them

The book brings to the forefront, myriad social issues. Some have been under much debate recently while some still remain unaddressed:

 

1. A Note regarding IMPULSIVE DECISIONS –

Many a time when we are anxious, angry or upset, we make impulsive decisions. It could be an action, a word, a facebook post or even refusing to do an act. Once we are cool headed, we often regret it.

Sometimes, it is too late to make amends. Even if, at times, our actions were justifiable, it wouldn’t be received well by others. It could backfire at any moment and wreak havoc! (As it happens in the book).

2. CHILD ABUSE & MALE RAPE –

How many times do we leave children unattended or send them with strangers? Most of the child rapes are committed by people within the family. How could we trust strangers when there are demons within the family itself?

While, there are people who believe that men cannot be raped. Even if they are raped, it means they are weak or in the colloquial language, ‘They have no balls’. They do not report the cases out of shame and because no one would believe them! By denying them, you are denying the  fact that, even you are a potential victim.

Empathy is the key.

3. FEMINISM –

This is a term that most of the people shun. It has been defined, redefined, misunderstood and trampled to make it look disgusting. The thin line between feminism & feminazism should be understood here.

Charu has a point when she expresses that a female is an individual and has the right to take decisions about her life as much as a male has. By possessing her, one cannot take her reins in their hands or clip her wings and dictate how she lives the rest of her life.

But there are instances where Charu generalizes men as a whole and voices strongly how they are all similar when it comes to female domination or thinking with their genitals. This isn’t feminism and it is important to know the difference.

4. LGBT RIGHTS –

How often has this topic been discussed and why do people fear LGBTs? Why is Love feared, mocked at and shunned while hate and terrorism is well accepted?

Does the fact that your relative, friend  or neighbor is bisexual or gay, affect you in any way? I think not. As long as people are compassionate and live peacefully, their sexual orientation is none of our concern. Hate and violence are what we should worry about. Not Love!

5. SUICIDE –

Suicides have been increasing at an alarming rate. This happens when people have to confront their own demons alone. Calling them selfish, mocking them or being insensitive about their pains will only worsen their situation. They need people who would really listen to them and also some counseling.

People fear change. People fear the unknown & the uncertain, which is why we think death as a finality & mourn. We have no idea what happens after death. Now, imagine how horrible one’s situation must be, for one to give up one’s life and embrace the unknown death!?

And when we haven’t gone through this phase, how could we judge them and call them selfish?

6. CYBER BULLYING –

Social media plays an important role in the story. It depicts how dependent and vulnerable internet and social networking sites have made us. Our emotions are almost always kept for display in all or many of these sites.

Technology has its uses but it also takes the ugliest of forms through cyber bullying. The book gives a warning that through technology, anything could be accessed at any time and that you are at your vulnerable best. How scary is that!? It is always better to be cautious and wary of the pictures you take, people you talk to,  friends you make and the information you share.

 

Quotes from the Book:

• How can the world decide that men and women of all ages have to behave in a single regimented way? Every person is different; I have the freedom to live a life as I please. I am not saying all men are the same or all girls are victims of male domination, but you will have to accept that men have for centuries tried to control women and their destinies in ways that were convenient for them. I hate to be in a relationship that clips my freedom.
• People don’t remember what you did to them, but they would never forget till their grave about how you made them feel. You might argue that it was a reaction to how someone made you feel but never underestimate the potency of a disgraced beast.
• Much of our problems can be negated by killing our impulsive and reflexive responses. Aren’t our responses mostly to fight? Inflicting pain on ourselves with the hope that our pain will hurt the other is plain stupid. People just don’t care. 

Do I recommend this book?

Yes. To get an idea about the trial and tribulations faced by victims of sexual abuse. To understand what leads a person to the verge of suicide. To understand the problems faced by LGBTs and how their lives get affected when they are discovered. The book narrates incidents that are very much real and messy and living in today’s world, we need to get a taste of it. Not to hate, but to be empathetic.

Summary:

The book reaches out to the youngsters, moral policing ideologists, to the parents and to every living person. It keeps us engrossed right from the beginning, increases pace as the plot thickens and towards the last one-third of it, you can barely stop. Every chapter has been supported with beautiful illustrations.

I must admit that it dwells a bit too long  on dream sequences repeatedly. It also leaves a lot of loose ends with respect to what happens to rest of the characters. But all this can be ignored since it drives home the messages.These are the kind of stories the world needs now. Raw, brutal and real.

Note

Image courtesy for all images – The official site of The Story of a suicide.

The images and the contents with the watermarks belong to A Few Handpicked Things in Life.

Online Shopping – A Step Ahead With Shimply

Online shopping has become the Mantra of the Era. Those who have had a taste of it know how addicting & convenient it is. Apart from that, people love shopping online because of the variety it offers. There are umpteen sites and shops online that offer a wide, unique and quality range of products. If you know what you want, you have it there. Simply apply the filters and choose what you like. With ‘no questions asked’ return policies offered by most of the e-commerce sites, nothing could really go wrong shopping online.

Yet, when it is about apparels, you definitely wish for one more boon – the option to try the clothes on and see how they look on you. Choosing the favorite color isn’t difficult. But many people face that dilemma of choosing between the sky blue and turquoise blue, Violets and Purples and so on. The colors look wonderful and pleasing to the eyes. But what would suit you the best? Many have similar dilemma when it comes to choosing the patterns too.

Will Anarkali look better than the umbrella cut on me?

Women are the ones almost always facing it. The color, fit, the compatibility with your skin tone, comparison with other available colors of the same product etc are few of the many factors that trouble women while buying clothes. You buy one, try it on, don’t like it much, order the next and wonder whether the earlier one looked better. If you are a frequent online shopper, these hassles get on your nerves after a while.

Behold! You can now try on the apparels you buy online!

You read that right. Shimply, India’s multi-category online Bazaar, launched its mobile app recently. There are a huge variety of unique products on Shimply, curated from across the country at affordable prices. The highlight of the mobile app happens to be the ‘Virtual Trial Room’ facility which is such a relief for many shopaholics.

I know what you are wondering.

How could a virtual trial room work?

The app has a trial room section where you have the option to either choose an image from the gallery or click a picture. Once the image is chosen, a wide range of products appear below the image from which you can choose the ones you like, for trial. The apparel can be placed anywhere on the image, zoomed in & out and tilted to fit the size of your image. You can easily alternate between products trials to determine the one that suits you the best.

I was skeptical about the color aspect. I wondered how I’ll know if the color actually suits me. Astonishingly, the apparels not only fit well with the image used, but I also got a precise idea of how the colors would look on me.

The icing on the cake? You can have trials with Home Decors too. That totally enthralled me. Simply click a picture of your living room and see how the decors look in their respective places. Choose the ones that suit the paint color and go well with the other furniture in your home.

Is it safe?

Virtual Trial Room claims to work on the Patent Pending Technology where, once the image is clicked, it is saved nowhere in the phone. This makes it much safer, keeping at bay, the peeping Tom problem.

As mentioned earlier, while women are the ones most benefited by the feature, men will definitely be relieved thinking about the time saved. Now you have more reasons to shop online and stay at home, rather than walk into store after store with your better half.

Shimply has around 1.7 crore products ranging from casual wears, formals, bridals, Bollywood designs and specialties, beauty & personal care products, furniture, home decors, books, jewellery of all kinds and just about everything. There are some unique products that define the diversity and culture of India. With the added advantage of virtual trial for all these products, it has taken online shopping a step further.

To He-Man, With Love, Teela

He-man dearest,

This will be one among the hundreds of letters written by me to you and this will find you at the right time. This time, I wouldn’t write poems stolen from great writers. This time, it isn’t cheesy lines or mundane anecdotes. On the contrary, it is about some promises I’d like to extract from you. Knowing me, you should be scared of what I might ask. But once you begin, you will know. These could come in handy some day, for both of us.

One Date a Month – Love is like coal. It needs constant flame to keep it burning and convert it into something precious. As our relationship gets deeper, we might think that there wouldn’t be any necessity to fuel it. On the contrary, when the novelty of the relationship fades, that is when we need to go out of our way to do those charming things. I wouldn’t ask you for your undivided attention.

But promise me that one Saturday every month will be ours and ours alone. Whether it is a long drive or a romantic dinner or a conversation, in those few hours, our world will consist of just you and me. No gadgets or other living beings.

One Vacation A Year – Or more if that is possible. When we become busy with work, family and social commitments, sometimes, we will forget about us. We keep aside what we want and we begin to listen to what others want. Complains, deadlines and laments aside, promise me that we will go on a long vacation once a year to some mysterious place. A place comprising of different people, culture, language and lots of beautiful landscapes.

Following Passion – Many of us do not follow our passion and eventually regret about not doing those things we dreamt of. I don’t want to be in the way of your passion. If anything, I want to be the one to fuel your passion.

Promise me that all those dreams and passions that you nurtured; you will tell them all to me. Let me tell mine to you and together let us work towards following our passion and keeping the love alive. After all those years, I want you to say proudly that you followed your passion no matter what.

Sport that Stubble – Bah! Well, promise me to sport that sexy stubble. Alright? 😉

Phew! Had to bring Ian Somerhalder all the way from FB to prove my point on stubbles. Sheesh! Why is it so hot in here? Summer is early 😛

Keep the Chocolates Coming – Not everyday. I’ll get bored of it. Not every week either. It shouldn’t be in a certain pattern. You get it right? Promise me that you will send me chocolates when I am least expecting it. That is most of the times. When I am at office, or when I am attending my dancing classes, when I am cooking or sleeping or reading (that will be super-sexy!) or writing.
Promise me, however cliched this sounds, there will be a chocolate for me from you. 🙂

Write me Letters – Oh Come on! You don’t have to write me lengthy poetic letters withlovey-dovey lines and ornamental vocabulary. Just plain simple four lined chits would do. I’ll save them and treasure them forever. 🙂

Tell me Your Blues – During all those years we are together or away, if anything goes wrong, if you don’t like something the way it is, if something upsets you or you simply feel blue with for no apparent reason, promise me that you’d tell me. If it is a word of solace that you want, or a mere company and a shoulder, I’ll be there.
Promise me that you’d sought me first and formost and talk your heart out.

When I am old and withered and the claws of forgetfulness prod me, promise me that you wouldn’t be mad at me. Promise me that you’d take my hand, hold it in your palm and narrate to me our days together. The day we first met, the day you took me on a trip, the day you confessed your love and the day I confessed mine. Promise me that you will never let us fade in my memories. Promise me that you will never forget any of these promises made, ever.

Love,

Teela

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I’m blogging about the kasams I want from my man this Women’s Day with the #SadaSexy activity at BlogAdda in association with Set Wet.

On that note, here is Ranveer Singh’s kasam this women’s day

Of Chores and Laundry

She walked out of her office too tired. The cash section had not tallied with the accounts, they had received a complaint from a customer and she had been receiving calls from her superiors. The complaint was against her, though it wasn’t her fault. She had done as her immediate manager had asked her to do and now, it was all upon her. As she was about to cross the road, a car honked past, cursing her. Her mind was so pre-occupied that she had crossed without bothering to look around.

She reached home by 7.30 PM. The house was as she had left it in the morning – a mess. Her husband would be home in a while. She had to cook before that. She freshened up and entered the kitchen. The clothes that were washed were still inside the bucket. She decided to put them out to dry before they began to stink. By the time all the work, cooking and cleaning were done, she was suffering from a severe headache. She informed her husband and went to sleep.

Next morning, she woke up listening to her husband getting ready for work. He was unusually loud that day. He did that only when he was annoyed. She suppressed a yawn and asked him what the matter was.

“You hung the clothes yesterday. They were not only wrinkled, but some of them were hung on those dirty rods. If you can’t do anything for me, just say it!”

She blinked off the remaining sleep, thought for a moment and said, “I had wiped the rod before hanging the clothes.”

“Really? Come with me right now! I’ll show you the dust. I know you are doing this on purpose. Office has always been your priority. When it comes to doing household chores, you are lazy! Here is what you could do. Just don’t come home and stay at office all day.”

From then on, he decided to do his laundry and never spoke to her for days together in spite of her repeated apologies. After a few months, there was another row between them.

“You call yourself my wife? Really? What have you done for me? For the past few months, I have been doing laundry by my own. You don’t have enough time for your husband, do you?”

She thought of all the days when she woke up early just to prepare breakfast for him, sent the children to school, took the days off for their open house, checked on her husband during the break when he was ill, bought all the groceries, prepared food after work. And then, she said nothing.

This was my friend Priya, a hopeless romantic at heart and a loving mother. Before her marriage, she took all the necessary coaching to become an ideal wife. She believes laundry and household chores are a woman’s job and she does them dutifully. When she is blamed, she accepts the blame. She tells me everything and I keep singing the ‘chores aren’t for women alone’ song.

*****

As I sat in the living room of their house, her daughter walked in. She left her lunch box on the table and walked into her room.

“Ammu! Come here! Open that lunch box, wash it and then go. I can’t do all the work on my own. Besides, you’ll have to practice all this before you get married.”

Ammu looked at her brother’s lunch box on the table.

“Mom! We have had this conversation before. If Appu doesn’t have to wash, I don’t have to either. I am aware of your burdens. But I can’t be like you.”, she said defiantly.

“How dare you-”

“Priya, look at yourself!”, I said for the nth time. “You aren’t willing to change. At least don’t make your children like you. If you teach Appu that Ammu should wash the vessels and do laundry, he’ll expect that from his wife. At this moment, you are laying the groundwork to make another woman miserable. Don’t you realize that?”

I looked at Ammu. I remembered how she was before she met me. She was almost like her mother. I wasn’t able to change her mother. But, I was able to make her realize that she was to grow up to be an independent woman. Probably, the right direction in the right age was what mattered.

Priya wouldn’t give up as usual, “What would happen if she grows up without learning these stuff? What if her husband and his family expect these things from her? Her life will become miserable!”

“You know every chore, yet look at your life Priya! We won’t let her marry someone who will treat her like a servant. As simple as that!” I called Appu and asked the two of them to wash their respective lunch boxes. Priya was silent for a while and soon the conversation was forgotten.

I knew she wouldn’t change. But if I was with her forever, I will definitely be able to change the next generation. The root cause of the problem was right there before me. It was her parents’ mindset that was deep rooted into her and she was unable to snap out of it. To make it worse, she was instilling the same thoughts into her children.

The irony is that, women are the reasons for their own sorrow and burdens. We are the only ones who can liberate ourselves. It all begins at home.

*****

If you teach your daughter a chore, make sure your son learns it too.

Source

Priya does her husband’s laundry now and things have turned back to ‘normal’ in their house. The only ‘abnormalcy’ is when Ammu reacts when she is asked to do chores and not her brother. Oh! The irony!

Here is a video that gives a strong message as to why laundry isn’t only a mother’s job. Every mother is pretty much like the lady in this video. There are many men who help with the chores, but a majority are like the guy in the video. Do watch it and share your views.

I am joining the Ariel #ShareTheLoad campaign at BlogAdda and blogging about the prejudice related to household chores being passed on to the next generation

Never Judge A Woman By Her Looks

 

Stereotyping is a part and parcel of womanhood. Every woman face the problem many times in their lives and there is no end to it. Sometimes I gape open-mouthed at the situations and comments that link to my appearance.

Not surprisingly, that is the case everywhere. Nielsen India conducted Nihar Naturals #IAmCapable survey and here are the startling figures:

a. 69% of men agree that their judgement of women is based on their looks.

b. 64% of women agree that the judgments passed on them have affected their ability to reach their true potential.

c. 70%of women agree that majority of judgments on women are from family members or friends rather than strangers.

d. 72% of women agree that working women face more judgments on their looks or their clothes than housewives.

The experiences prove the same too. It took me a while to change some of the perceptions. Yet many remain the same:

*****

1

No Ornaments = Not Religious

“Where is your Bindi? And what will happen if you were a necklace? Why leave that neck barren? Women these days! They don’t have Bhaya Bhakti Bahumanam. They do not fear or respect Gods.”, an old lady in our temple said.

How I overcame the experience? By wearing ornaments when I met them. 😛 Old unrelated people have a way of spoiling your peace of mind.

*****

2

Short/deep necked dresses = To tow Men

A friend had uploaded an image that she had taken for a magazine. She wore a deep necked top and the image was a beautiful one. She was bombarded with calls and texts asking her to take the picture down. They threatened to inform her family about this and ‘take action’ against uploading such exposing images.

How she overcame the same? She put up a status on Facebook about the calls and the texts. She got lots of support, followers and more appreciation for the image as well as her boldness. Her friends dared the ‘moral polices’ to comment right there if they had the guts. 🙂

*****

3

Dusky Bride = Dusky Groom

My aunt was groom hunting for me and then she tells the details to my parents.

“There is this wonderful family. The boy is very nice. I told them about your daughter. I said that there is one problem. The girl is dusky. Anyhow, even the guy is dusky. So it is alright.”

When I heard this, I asked why was it mandatory to look at the color of people for which she replied to my parents.

“What is wrong. Your daughter is dark complexioned. Can you deny that? No. So only a dark complexioned guy can marry her. She can’t be adamant that she needs a fair guy.”

And the word spread that I wanted fair guys and I sat with my hands on my head. Relatives!

*****

4

Modern clothes = Strong-headed
Traditional attire = Calm & Composed

“Are these your daughters? They are so adorable!”, Smiley aunty said. She said everything with a smile.

After a while, her husband walked in.

“These are her daughters. The elder one is very silent, calm and homely. Take one look at her and you’ll know. The younger one is a bomb! She is very smart, bold and sometimes strong-headed.”

My sister comes home and says, “How do they say that she-” she points at me.

“-she is calm? Composed? What atrocity is this? Her looks and clothing is what does it.”

*****

5

Fashionable = Spendthrift

“Look at those eyes! You have a ton of black paint around there. With all those make-up stuff and fashionable clothes, you must be a spendthrift!”

I write, win vouchers and buy my clothes mostly using them at discounted prices. I calculate the average price of material, stitching charges and compare them with the clothes I buy and only if I feel it is reasonable, I buy them. I like trying out variety outfits even if it isn’t in trend in my hometown. I am anti-make-up and the only things I use are Kajals & Eyeliners that aren’t too expensive.

I looked at him and asked, “What brand is your shirt?”

“Arrow.”

“How much does it cost?”

“Around 1600 INR”

“My top costs Rs 100, the shrug Rs 150. My jeggings Rs 850. Eyeliner Rs. 80 and Kajal Rs. 150. I have only asked you the cost of your shirt yet. Should I continue?”

That was enough.

*****

6

Decked up = To attract men

“What on Earth is that?”

“A Earring. Isn’t it beautiful?”

“What? You’ll wear that thing in your ears?” he asked looking at the pair of Peacock feather earrings a friend had given me.

“Yes.” I said. It was obvious.

“You think guys find it beautiful?”

I felt like something hit my head.

“Wait! You think women wear these stuff to impress men?”, he smiled to affirm.

I continued, “Seriously? I have quite a lot of crazy earrings and accessories and I wear them because I love dressing up. I have never thought of a guy while choosing my stuff. We dress to please ourselves and not guys.”

He stood there baffled and embarrassed.

My Peacock Feather Earrings 🙂

*****

7

Thin = Weak

“Oh yes! I learnt to ride a two wheeler when I was 13 years old. Soon after that I learnt to ride the bike.”

Arun choked on his Coke.

“Come on yaar!”

“Hey! Seriously! She used to ride a bike well before she came to the college. She was on the bike stunts team.”, I said proudly about my friend.

“What? She is so puny. The bike would have just crushed her if it fell on her.”

They all started laughing. I saw the glint in her eyes and I realized what she felt at that moment.

“Let’s go for bowling.”, I said changing the topic.

There have been many situations where we were able to overcome them, but in certain cases, it isn’t easy to change the ideas and perceptions that have been ground into people’s heads.

I’m breaking stereotypes based on appearance by sharing my experience for the #IAmCapable activity at BlogAdda in association with Nihar Naturals.

Me – A Woman Pointed Away from Technology & Towards Kitchen

Two conversations were sufficient for me to realize that some of the educated people today, still lack the common sense to think for themselves.

Conversation 1

It was about booking an Uber. The app showed us that there were no cars available. Having used it many times before, I suggested a solution. The reply was a mocking smile and,

“This is the problem with women & technology.”

I felt like I had been slapped on my face. I looked at him open mouthed. He was someone close to me, educated and I’m sure he must have come across tech savvy women. Yet, this is what he said. Since the cab was our priority, I explained to him how to go about my suggestion. Soon, we were waiting for the cab. I told him softly that I was hurt when he said those words. I don’t think he understood how awful I felt, but all the same he apologized.

What about all those situations when men are equally ignorant about technology? I have come across many such instances. I have corrected men when they were wrong. Yet, I haven’t heard a comment that said ‘technology & men’. I ensure that I don’t mock people for their ignorance. Here the mocker was the ignorant one.

via meme generator

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Conversation 2

I was discussing about my course with a relative (A man) and then the topic of family came up. I was told.

“You women should venture into the kitchen and take up some work.”

I said it wasn’t as easy as said. There are situations at home, I have classes & studies. Due to various other reasons, it isn’t possible for me to do all the work at home.

“Face the consequences. You ladies have to take up the household chores”, came the reply.

Probably, he was used to talking that way, rather than listening what the other person had to say. I didn’t want to worsen the argument and so I agreed and ended it.

I know many working women who wake  up early, prepare food for their husband, send them to work, then they go for work, return, do household chores, prepare dinner & clean up after the same. These days, men are helping too. But there are many houses where that doesn’t happen.

It goes thus, women ‘have to’ do the household chores while men ‘don’t have to’. We are still clinging on to age old customs without thinking logically. There is a limit for the human body to take up work & stress. Beyond that limit, the health gets affected which is partly why more women suffer from ailments than men. Most of my friends’ mothers have knee pains, low bone density, other joint pains etc compared to their fathers.

via meme generator

Solution

Let us think logically. Our ancestors did restrict women from living their lives and so, their lifestyle was thus. Now that women are in every field, we should also lighten their burdens. Every family is different from the other. So based on your family, talk it out. Discuss how the burden could be reduced and shared if not equally, at least to an extent. It might be complicated at first. But gradually, you can work it out. Ultimately, the health & peace of mind of people around you is what matters.

Those who cannot be this open minded can marry women who aren’t ambitious rather than marrying educated women and squeezing the life out of them. If you are a parent who has a problem with a working daughter in law, find a daughter in law who prefers to be a house-wife. There are many such women. I respect them all equally. Forcing someone to become someone else is not the solution.

I am a CA student. I am capable of doing the chores at home & I actually like doing them. I love cooking, arranging & cleaning. But when I have classes or when my exams are approaching, studying for minimum 10 hours a day becomes necessary. People (relatives who don’t know how difficult CA is) ask me to do chores when I take a break. After studying for 2 hours, the only 15 mins break I take, I should work. Does that sound reasonable to you? Why isn’t that asked of the men who are pursuing the same course?

Both the conversations happened within a span of a month. Both are my relatives; well educated, know the strains and pains of a working woman, have worked with women colleagues. They see the lives of women, be it in the family or at work and yet, use tones that generalize women and phrases that adorned the women of 19th century.

If education and experience talks this way, what can I say about the rest of our country?

A Compilation of Routine Check-ups For Women

Saturday, 1st August 2015 – National Girlfriends Day.

This post is dedicated to the four women in my life, my girlfriends and to all the strong and beautiful women out there. Also, to all the men who have been loving and supporting the women in their lives.

There is a notion in our society. If a person is a bit too hefty, they are bound to be bed-ridden, by the time they reach their forties. I hear my relatives say that someone in our family is so fat that he/she is bound to fall ill soon. People talk. A lot. But do they really make any sense?

Well, the point is, a friend of mine called me up one day and as we were discussing about his work, he said,

“I had to collect the health reports of the employees in the company. You will be surprised to know that the Cholesterol content is high among the ladies! I know many of them. I noticed two things: Firstly, most of them are around 23 to 26 years old. Secondly, most of them are slim.”

This conversation happened a couple of years ago and it had me thinking. I am slim. I fall into that age group. I could be one among them. This is the report of the cholesterol levels alone. What about all the other health conditions? What if we – My mother, sister, friends or I – are suffering from something? How will we know? How do we prevent them?

I wasn’t paranoid. My intentions aren’t to make you paranoid either. But, every now and then we hear news about people being diagnosed with cancer, heart & lung diseases, diabetes and many more diseases most of us haven’t even heard of. Instead of waiting around and doing nothing about it, why don’t we start with ourselves? The answers to all my questions have always been there, staring at us.

How do we prevent them? The obvious answers:

• Well-balanced, healthy diet – Eating scantily is not the solution, eating healthy is. Due to fear of putting on weight, many starve themselves. Instead of reducing in size, the body weakens, immunity reduces and this attracts illness. Being a bit hefty is alright as long as you are healthy and your body receives ample nutrients. Give your body the right food in the right amount. The two words ‘Well-balanced” and “Healthy” are of utmost importance.
• Exercise – It could be something as rigorous as the gym or yoga or as simple as a game of badminton or as aesthetic as a dance class. Even better, begin with subtle dance moves, gradually couple up with warming up exercises and then go hit the gym. Doing something where our body could shed some calories and get some movement is what we need.

How will we know? Three words:

• Routine check up – Most of us have no idea about the routine check-ups that we should go for and so, here is a compilation of the same.

Oscar Insurance created an infographic for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Girlfriends Day. They’ve put together an outline of checkups women need, to make our health a priority throughout our lifetime. They have divided the checkups for each age group into 3 categories – Routine, conditional and immunizations. Go through this list and consult a doctor today itself. 🙂

Oscar wants their members to be proactive and take charge of their health. They have many resources through their health insurance plans in New Jersey and New York, like their own app that allows easy access to your medical history and a Doctor on Call tool for any questions you may have.

If you find this post useful, kindly share it. Let us spread the importance of getting necessary check-ups and who knows, this might save someone’s life. 

I would like to thank Oscar Insurance for allowing me to share this infographic with all my friends. 🙂