An article on Self-Love!

It’s time to say...

I Am ME,

And No One Can BE!

Countless folks (including me) feel friendless at times and can’t figure out what else to do with life. Home-Office-Home and Eat-Sleep-Work, these brands of phrases takes over your life and creates clueless irritation many a times. At this moment, if I ask you to spill out everything that’s wrong with you, I truly bet you’d have an extensive listing of all your flaws and disappointments with life. I know that is automatic, it’s the pessimistic dominant half of you. It has become a habitual thing in us to replay the failings over and over. Moreover, the further we do this, the more real and weakening these flaws become. They start to make us. They begin to define our persona, our relations, our confidence and our frame of mind.

But no, no, noooo.... Wait! Breathe! A long, deep breathe! It’s time to lets work on this. I did say in the beginning that “I am ME, and no one can BE”. That’s it! 

Self-Love is the remedy for this what-d-hell-is-wrong-in-me syndrome.

Figure yourself out; be in love with yourself before you bond with anything else. Start accepting this “I am not perfect but I am me!!!”

Here is goes, a few golden rules from my secret dictionary of happiness:

Ban on Comparison

First of all, comparison is a complete no-no here. If you get on comparing things, you are doomed. U may not have got what exactly you wanted but if u think in deep, you have got the best. Acknowledge what you got, make the most of it and be happy. Walking towards positive affirmations will make all the difference.

Get Some Materialistic Happiness

I truly believe this personally, be materialistic, but within a limit. I know it’s shocking, contradicting the old-age definition that money can’t buy happiness; I chose to differ on this. Money can definitely buy you some happiness if not all. Save up a lots of money and take yourself on a forgotten shopping spree to lift your mood, you can buy endless ice-creams and chocolates for yourself; you can go on a family trip, road-trip or even a foreign trip. Women can buy some awesome jewellery whereas men can afford to buy happiness with his playstation.

Multi-tasking Makes it Worth

I am a multi-tasker and that makes me unique from lots other. Multi-tasking is a talent and every single person should possess it. I know every one or the other can deal with his/her responsibility way better when you are on our own. Your job can’t be done the way it should be by anyone, but you. Be in love with yourself for the reason that you can do the best, no one else. Have faith in you.

Confident and Candid, be Extraordinary

To love yourself, you need to be your own fan. Be confident and speak your mind. Keeping things deep inside will never let you grow. Be active; speak out your mind and this will help you feel better about yourself. Be open, open to ideas, open to changes. Tell your feelings, but also guard your heart. Be outspoken but also polite. Be sure to be assured about what you could do with life. Explore the world to learn more about yourself — give an opportunity to your individuality.

Foodie and Culinary Expertism, Get that Rare Combo

Learn cooking, that is one best way to put your stress away. I can bet on this, the feeling of being appreciated for your awesome food is way incomparable. I am quite big a foodie and also a not-so-bad cook. I breathe with the motto “Eat while you Cook and Cook while you Eat”. Get your hands on this petite tip, and you will be surprised with the amount of importance and attention you receive from your group. Your culinary skills will not only make you popular, but will make an enduring imprint in people’s memory. Along with being an awesome cook, if you are a foodie yourself, this solves half of your miseries. I know this all sounds wonderful and inspiring, but believe me it surly is. Two foodies connect eternally (fact)!

Past is Past, Future is You

It is always better to let go of the past. What I believe myself is that past can’t be changed, but can certainly well be wiped out. You were responsible for your circumstances, and if you can’t change it, just leave it. This explains it. Redefine yourself; refocus on the present version of you! Make changes now, not on the past. Open your eyes, unlock your mind and be determined not to repeat the past errs. The past happened for a reason, and you would acknowledge this lesson of life one day. At times moving on is all one can do. No matter what emotion you’re feeling, permit yourself to experience it fully. Know that if the past didn't exist, we wouldn't know what we know now. This reaction will make you courageous, kind and compassionate in the long run.

So this is it, my self-explanatory rules of life. I accept as true that once you learn to love yourself, everything turn out to be promising. And, this may be exactly where you need to start off so you can begin to live life the way you truly want to live it. 

There is something about Bangalore !!!

Culture

of  

Bangalore 

>>> An Abstract Outlook

Bangalore is one of the largest metropolitan cities in India, famously known as the “IT Capital” of the country. The Bengaluru culture is diversified into strikingly disparate lifestyles. It is a manifold of an urbanized posh culture along with a rich traditional rural culture. People come from almost all parts of the country and also from abroad to make individual contributions to the Bengaluru culture.

 
Major portion of the city’s population comprises of immigrants from every nook and corner of the country. That provides the city with a unique blend of different food culture, work culture and variant lifestyles, making it quite an ethnically diverse land.

Work Culture

Bangalore is known to be a corporate land with several reputed foreign-based MNCs, different public and private firms, and numerous Tech Parks. Bengaluru work culture deals with fixed time cards as well as quite flexible timings. The city never sleeps with thousands of software professionals booming to work 24/7. It is considered heaven for those who come here to pursue a bright career, they never go back disheartened. The city offers opportunities, innovations and experience to all seekers.

 

 

Food Culture

Bangalore, the Silicon Valley of India, manifests a variety of consumption level. While the localites prefer to exhibit their traditional foodie habits, there are others who are enthusiast about tasting different cuisines. From street-eating to fine-dining, this cosmopolitan city offers almost every cuisines of the world to its residents. Although south Indian food is predominantly the regional hot favorites, one surely can get the authentic taste of world’s menu in this food-loving city.

 

The Life Style

This “Fashion Capital of India” demonstrates a mishmash of contrasting life-styles. Most of the orthodox Kannadigas prefer to live in their traditional way. Their culture is strongly influenced by religious values, different castes and communities, and strict traditions. On the other hand, this fastest growing city also exhibits a very sophisticated style of living. You will find lavish malls, glitzy pubs, flashy clubs and bars, racecourses, for the aristocrats to have a classy time. The latest “Pub Culture” is quite popular amongst the young bangaloreans, which shelters the dazzling night life of the city. Some of the most happening nightclubs and discotheques are located in the city, transforming it as the “'The Pub City of India”.

Bengaluru is a great example of being an amalgam of technological as well as cultural development in the country. It is a worthy place for tourism and also education.Bangalore is very popular amongst students, working professionals as well as tourists who consider it as the prime base for visiting South India. Its enrich culture has made the city the unification point of different civilizations, delicacies and humanism.

A Visit to the City of Pearls!

"The Spirit of Hyderabad" - through my eyes!!!

Life was gyrating towards a very monotonous direction as well as work life. So my buddy & I, decided to plan a forced holiday (or you can say forced a planned holiday) out of the blue! In order to surprise our travel buds, we immediately started google-ing, scheming and budgeting out tricky holiday package of just two nights J. While discussions were going in and around my mind, as to where should we head—a place that is not only worth visiting, but also nearer to Bangalore (& within budget of course!). “Hyderabad”, I heard someone whispering. Yes it was the name of the “Hi-Tech” city that echoed around. Without wasting any time, called up our friend in Hyderabad and literally ordered him to make our staying arrangements for the coming weekend. And there we are, no stopping any further, with lots of excitement filled inside, packed our bags full and headed towards the city of pearls.

This was my first visit to this “Hyder's Abode" or "Lion City" as is named.

Now here I am going to prescribe you a worthwhile yet amusement-filled explicit itinerary for 2 nights and 3 days in Hyderabad.

And the journey begins...

 

Paradise Food Court 

 

For a foodie like me, my first exploration destination was at one of the most popular restaurant in the city—The Paradise Food Court. After a 12 hrs long overnight journey a hearty lunch is a must, before any other adventures. And my generous lunch was obviously the world-famous Hyderabadi Biryani. We ordered for both chicken and mutton biryani, both were extremely delicious, the latter bagging precedence over in terms of taste. The ambience was quite hygienic and the quantity of food was ample. The taste was so lingering that three of us were surviving literally on biryani for all the three days of our stay. Quite satiated a story!!

Charminar

 

My next stop, but the first tourist destination was the world-famous centerpiece of Hyderabad, the “the 400 year old monument Charminar”. Translated as “four” for char and “minar” for towers, it is the Mosque with Four Minarets/Towers”. It is situated in the very heart of the city, a majestic monument that allows us to have bird’s eye view of the dynamic city of Hyderabad from atop it. 

With the amazing cool breeze blowing, surprisingly only within the Charminar, you can gaze at the festive crowd of Ramzan all around the bustling city from above. 

 

Laad Bazar

 

Tucked away in one of the various “galis” emerging from the charminar is the famous Laad Bazaar. Also known as “Choodi Bazaar”, this one is renowned for its much-publicized lacquer bangles studded with artificial diamonds, semi-precious stones, Hyderabadi pearls, perfumes, gold embroidered fabrics, traditional saris and Khara Dupattas etc. The motto of this market is—everything is cheap only if you are well-conversant with bargaining. 

Bilal Ice Cream Parlour

 

If you are a crazy ice-cream fan like me, just don’t miss going to Bilal Ice Cream parlor, opposite Karachi bakery in Mozamjahi Market. A chilled-out place, with an authentic look inside provides really good ice-creams at economical prices starting only with 25 bucks (two scoops)!!. The pot creams available in various flavors—fresh mango, pista, litchi, karbuza etc. will surly mollify your appetite.

 

 

Birla Temple

 

Next we three musketeers headed towards the holy Hindu temple “Birla Mandir”, dedicated to Lord Venkateshwara. Before entering you will be departed from even your mobiles and cameras, as per its high tight security. This temple is situated on one of the highest peak point of Hyderabad, and so you can have an appealing view of almost all the prime spots of the city such as Golconda fort, Charminar, GVK one, Hussain Sagar lake, Snow world and the magnificent tank bund with Buddha statue. The entire temple is made of white marbles, from the steps to the idols, providing a serene and peaceful aura all around.

Inorbit Mall & Shilpa Park

After a tiring day of sight-seeing around, while on our way back to hotel we decided to peep in to the largest mall in South India, the Inorbit Mall. The beautiful water fountain in the entrance of the mall gives an elegant touch to its photogenic features. A spacious one but crowded shopping center in Hyderabad, making it a perfect hang-out getaway for the evenings.

After an all too short half hour there, we headed for Shilpa Park, the place where I and my friends were staying. Shilpa park, in Kondapur is one of the recently-developed residential area. It is only 2 kms away from Hitec city and far away from the crowd and pollution of the city, making it more popular amongst the non-local professionals working there. A fun-filled night with naughty chats, nonsense talks, friendly insults, moody booze, snaps-in-the-midnight-along-roadside and delicious food, really made this holiday trip worth paying for.

GVK One Mall

 

This one I would say is the best place to hang-out with numerous options available at one stop. The huge water aquarium at the very entrance of GVK One Mall provides a mesmerizing view for the visitors. It is India’s largest standing salt water aquarium; with colorful varieties of fishes dancing inside, it is a must-see place for the tourists. 

It is quite photogenic too, so don’t forget to click some awesome clicks with the stunning background.
I had never experienced any 4D effect before, so I opted to go for their short 4D movies. 100/movie for 15mins was quite reasonable I guess. Then after a hearty lunch at kfc, we headed off to our next destination.

 

Eat Street

 

As the name suggests it’s all about EAT your favorite food in a decorated STREET besides the lake (gonna write about the lake later) Fantastic concept and definitely a wow place for a great hang out!

 

 

Lumbini Park

Another great place on the banks of the huge lake; a beautiful park for people from every age group. Boating, jet ski, sailing is available inside the park. You can board and sail towards the magnificent statue of Lord Buddha that is situated in an island in midst the lake, from there. It was a very pleasant evening to relax there with friends, with cool breeze blowing and enjoying the scenic view of Hussain Sagar lake.

Hussain Sagar Lake

Flowing through the bosom of the city is this one vast lake that separates the two twin cities-Hyderabad & Secunderabad. The fascinating Buddha statue in midst of the lake is a treat to watch, especially when it changes its color of light in the evenings. The main entrance is through the Lumbini Park and it’s very enthralling to walk alongside the lake in the evenings. A very photogenic experience!

Prasads IMAX

 

Prasads IMAX is the largest and probably the cheapest of all other IMAX(s) in the country. Tickets are just for Rs. 250/person as compared to Bangalore Imax (Rs. 550/person!!). If you want to confront a real-time big screen experience, this is a must-go and excellent place. Even the eatables are cheaper. Movie lovers, definitely go for this impressive and very economical 3D adventure if you are in Hyderabad.

Ramoji Film City

Our last and most awaited tourist destination was the great Ramoji Film City. Every single person who knew about our trip or who we asked suggestions to, had said only one thing “If you’re going Hyderabad, do not miss RFC!”. And I was quite determined to find out what the buzz is all about. Even if my partner was least interested, I know very well how to get my way always.

 

 

Ramoji Film City (RFC)—the world’s largest integrated film studio complex (Guinness’s world record holder) is undoubtedly a must-visit in this region. This huge entertainer is spread over 2,000 acres (8.1 kms) of land and is regarded as the most popular tourist spot of the state. The entry fees are 700 for general and around 2000 for special package. The tour includes guided tours in special vintage red buses. The guides were quite funny while describing various locations of RFC. This enormous recreation center contains both natural and artificial attractions for tourists including parks, rides, shows, games etc., providing a total fun-filled entertainment as well as adventure package for tourists. 

The most impressive thing of this estate is its utter cleanliness and peaceful surrounding. You will be taken across different shooting spots. You can see the authentic but artificial Mughal Haveli, international cum domestic airport & flight setup, Indian mythological setup, city as well as village setup of railway stations etc. The fictitious multipurpose buildings presented as hospitals, libraries, and church, restaurants etc. will really make you think of all those films you have watched and how you have been fooled by the reel effect. In two minutes you will get to make a foreign trip across London/Paris road without any visa or passport! Amazing sets, beautiful locations and magical imitations I must say. 

RFC is surrounded with plenty of trees, flowers and greenery all around. You will be literally tired after travelling across those various gardens with peculiar themes such as—Butterfly Park, Bonsai gardens, Leg garden, Japanese garden, Rock garden, Hawa Mahal and so on. 

After visiting the whole area, the buses will leave you at the Eureka (the central court) and let you explore the city by yourself. But one thing you should keep in mind is that you should follow the show timings and directions as given in the RFC pamphlet. Usually the ones who messes up with the show timings and misses the shows/attractions, passes on horrible reviews about the film city. But, it’s nothing like that, follow the instructions, if any confusion the help desk is there in every corner to guide you and you won’t miss anything. Rather, if you go on the flow you would not even get an idle moment to waste. You require a full day to thoroughly enjoy all the attractions with your family/friends. 

 

There are good hotels and food corners inside the city with varieties of food and snacks. Quality and quantity, both are reasonable enough. There is a mishmash of stage shows, street shows, and rides for kids as well as adults inside the film city. There are attractions trills like action theatre (to understand the making of a Film and cinematography), filmy duniya (get a glimpse of the various filmy locations of the world), Ramoji Tower (4D show with compelling effects of an earthquake) and borasura (the ultimate play zone).

 

The manifold of shows like the opening & closing ceremony, Movie-magic, Wild West Show (the stunt show), Spirit of Ramoji show, dome theatre show and other street shows is like a treat of your eyes. There were many complimentary as well as paid rides, but as am a scary head myself, I preferred only the Carousel.

Overall the experience was worth visiting (you should if you are in Hyderabad), but it would have been more superlative if the number of attractions were more and the shows were improved to a bit higher level. The entry fee seems to be increasing with time, but with the same amount of entertainment. Otherwise it is a good place to bring out the lost childhood in you. A worthy getaway, afar from all the tension & worries of your busy life, and a full-fledged amusement park. 

 

The journey ends…

 
So this was it, the attainment of a memorable journey. It ended in a quite rush-hour mode as we had a bus to catch in 3 hrs the same day. But of course, we made it! Hurrying through a quick freshen-up at my friend’s place and another generous biryani dinner, we boarded the bus to Bangalore with my final shopping binge—the yummy “Karachi biscuits” that Hyderabad is famous for!