I’m Engaged!

I said yes ;)

So this is part of CBC’s ABC Challenge, and I’ve been thinking all day for what to write for E. I even asked a friend hoping she’d give ideas, but no luck. I was almost going to write a random essay on Elephants when it so happened that a classmate of mine from Grad School Created an all girls group for our batch. It’s been 8 years since I graduated, and it’s almost like we’re getting to know each other all over again. Most are married with kids, and when I was introducing myself, I said I’m engaged.

That led to so much excitement. More than pictures of the kids the girls shared! “Aaaawwww” and variations of the same was the general reaction.

Got me wondering about what I feel about being Engaged.

This time each year (around his birthday), since I’ve graduated, my dad starts a familiar saga – “We got to get you married before May 10^{th (My Birthday)}” It’s his inevitable and inexplicable hope to get me married – a last ditch attempt to get me married at whatever age I’m at, before I turn the next number on May 10^th. I’m sure I probably started off being stressed in that last minute pressure – but this year, when he wasn’t doing it anymore, I realized how I almost relieved I am, yet, almost miss our usual:

Him: “We got to get you married soon.”

Me: “Sure why not!” as I rolled my eyes.

That aside,

Engaged

We’re in a long distance relationship. A very very long, long distance relationship. 500 days long, and 9.5 hours between time zones. And we have more than half left to go! Many times, I miss him so much, it’s depressing.

That said, this is a very interesting phase, and I love so many things about it!

There is no mental pressure about having to find someone.

I no more wonder if I will die alone. [This was a very legit worry as I don’t like cats, and rocks felt too boring!]

I take a long time to get used to change, so an 18 month engagement period is perfect for me!

There is one go to person when I’m happy, sad or when I need to bug someone. There is one go to person to gripe about things. There is one go to person whom I can blame for things completely unrelated to him, then apologize or laugh it away, cause I know he’ll forgive me anyway. There is one go to person to whom all my craziness is a normal whacko person he knows and loves :P

There is one person who tells me about all the things that happens in his life. One person who makes time for me, no matter what. One person who does some things that I used to think I would be uncomfortable with, and now I just find it hilarious. One person who likes to take my input when deciding tiny little things like font if I’m awake, but is perfectly capable of making those decisions if I’m asleep.

There is one person who tells me to eat ice cream when he knows I’m sad. One person who chastises me for eating too much ice cream when I do.

The only person who (has to) face my PMS, and never gives up on me despite that.

There is a new family that I get! J

I get to plan my wedding for a year – slowly and steadily. With so much time to experiment, research, and DIY!

Being engaged is lovely.

Being engaged in the same city would have been amazing. But this is lovely too J

We get to get to know each other and be there for each other, without the pressure of being married already. That is an amazing thing. 

D for DIY

I'm a DIY girl.

I love doing everything myself, or at least customizing it to make it more mine.

My DIY passions were certainly handed over to me by my mom. Till I was 3, she stitched almost every dress I wore - and made sure I matched her too. I also remember that my first haircut at a salon was when I was 20 and away at hostel. Till then, my mom cut my hair.

Evidence of my DIY projects can be found all over the house - right from the walls I painted, to the frames I've made. I love DIY because it adds a story to everything :) Also adds a sense of pride and ownership.

Here are some tips for a successful completion of you DIY:

• You need patience and time. DIY projects almost always require more time than the alternative of buying it off the rack or getting someone to do it for you. So make sure you have enough time to work through the project
• DIY is often times cheaper, but it could sometimes cost as much as the store equivalent
• If you feel DIY is for you in the long run, then get some basic supplies - For example, I have a sewing machine which is a great investment (amazing for quick alterations, and for experimenting with different designs. I even made the backdrop for my engagement party myself~ with the help of my friends and fiance of course), Adhesives of different strengths, Sharp Scissors, Cutters, Fabric, Wood, Hacksaw, Screwdriver set, Swiss Army Knife, An Oven, Baking essentials - these are some great basics which always come in handy
• Tape is your best friend
• Don't be shy to copy - with the internet now, it's almost like every idea has already been thought off. Do not let that deter you. If you like some project, try it. After a few projects, you'll find yourself naturally customizing and finding your signature style
• Read up, research. Check resources like Pinterest, youtube, google for tips and ideas for your chosen projects
• Don't give up halfway through. DIYs sometimes feel like they take much longer - especially when compared to some fast forward videos you might have seen that project as in facebook or youtube. It is slower in real life, but stick it out, and it's worth it. 
  
   
  
  
• Find projects that work for you. I personally have indefinite patience to weave dreamcatchers, but I don't have the patience to crochet. It depends a lot on where your interests lie. 

• Don't let opinions of others bog you down. Different people like doing different things. Don't feel compelled to do something just because others are doing it. Also, vice versa, do consider things even if it's not trending at the moment if you have a liking for it!

These are just some suggestions from my journey. Do give it a go! It's great fun!

For those who are interested in what my latest project is? It's my wedding ;) I'm currently working on jazzing up my white dress 👰😀 I finished making my own shoe, and belt. The Veil is next. Other projects currently include - circle skirts, skater dresses, sugar cookies. 

Happy Doing it Yourself! 

Preethi's Turbo Chop - A Review

My boyfriend lives with some room mates, and they take about an hour and a half to cook every proper meal. Of which, 45 minutes is spent cutting vegetables. I spend about 10 minutes cutting, when I have to.
I like cooking, even love it many times, but I hate the preparation!

Some are lucky enough to be able to cut and cook really fast. I have never been for them. Luckily for people like us, they have choppers in the market!

I bought a manual chopper from HomeCentre about a year back, it’s great for uniform small sized dicing. However, the handle broke after 20 to 25 uses. One carrot murdered it you see. I went back to the old school knife-wielding methods for a while, till I chanced upon Preethi’s Turbo Charger.

I’ve been using it for a month now, and it has really saved me a lot of time!

My review of the product:

Design:

Simple and efficient.

It’s got 4 parts: The wired motor, A separator (plastic layer between motor and the bowl), The blade, and the Bowl/ bottom container.

It’s got a plastic body, which looks durable. I dropped the bowl once, and it didn’t break. However, it is plastic, and it could break.

However, it’s easy individual part design makes it very very easy to clean! And since the bowl can be emptied quite comfortably with a spatula, we don’t even have to wash it in between cutting different vegetables for the same cook – which is not the case for mixer grinders.

The separator is very clever, leaving the motor completely clean even after multiple rounds.

The blade is quite sharp – so handle with care.

Size: It can cut 2 to 3 medium sized onion at a time. So you’d need to go a few more rounds if you’re cooking for a bigger group. It’ll still save you time, so worth the effort.

Chopping Quality:

Pros: It cuts really fast, no matter what the veggie is. It cruised through the carrots without a hitch. It’s great for carrots, onions and so on. You can stop mid way for a coarse finish, and go a bit longer for a fine finish.

I loved the coarse finish I was able to get for my fresh chili + ginger + garlic mix.

Cons: It’s not a chopper exactly. It’s more of a grinder. Especially with the softer veggies like tomato and cucumber – it completely purees it. So, when you’re looking for a puree maker, it’s perfect.
The first time, I was trying to cut tomatoes for a salad and I was sourly disappointed.  However, when I was helping my dad with the curry, the puree consistency was perfect! Was better even that chopped tomatoes!

Power Consumption:

Very negligible. It does the work in minutes, so it probably takes up far lesser energy than our Mixies.

Overall:

It’s a small, easy to store and handle, great product that would really help with everyday kitchen use.

Priced around the 2K range, it’s easy on the pocket and a great gadget. I would especially recommend it for amateur cooks as it saves a lot of time with recipes that need chopping.

Dialogue in the Dark : A review

If there was one sense that I would never want to lose - that would be sight.
Yet, my experience in complete darkness was eye opening. Pun intended.

Let's rewind, and give some context to all of this.

Dialogue in the Dark is an establishment where you can experience a safe version of a completely dark world. Have you ever wondered how would it feel like to be blind? to be unable to see what is right in front of you? To have to rely on all your other senses for the visual input we so easily take for granted? Dialogue in the dark is the place for you. Even if you've never wondered any of those things, I would still encourage you to go there.

As soon as we went, before we entered, they gave us lockers and asked us to keep all our things in it. Including mobile phones and watches that may emit light. We keep the keys, and the things are quite safe there.

We were then given guiding sticks, and instructions to keep it close to the body, below knee level, and to use it to only feel the ground.

When you enter the actual space - darkness is an understatement. I realized then that even when we have our eyes closed, we don't actually experience real darkness. The kind where there is absolutely NO LIGHT. Be ready for a minute or two of your eyes trying really hard to find some semblance of light from anywhere.

We (4 of us) had a guide who took us around the place. It is designed to enhance the experience of all your other senses.

I'm not going to spoil your experience by breaking the surprise here - but I must tell you this;
Being in the complete dark is scary. At least in the beginning. And every new experience they give us, there is always fear in getting into it. But trust me (I can vouch for it :) ) It is safe, and worth every minute of it. And no animals are kept inside there (that is one information I would have appreciated in advance :P )  

We even got to play games in the dark. Relying only on our ears then.

I can't repeat enough about how heightened your other senses become. Hearing, touch, smell - even with touch - textures, temperatures, so much it's beyond wonderous.

The cherry on the cake is the eating experience.

We were playing the game, and we knew we were close to food as we could smell it so strongly. My favorite part about eating was that after being in the dark for around half an hour, we already seemed to be a bit comfortable with the food. Feeling it slightly to get a sense of the temperature, then eating it. there was a moment when I was biting at some foil, without a clue of what it was - but I figured it out.

Do go and try it out! Highly recomended!

Some additional info from the organization itself:

About Dialogue in the Dark:

Dialogue in the Dark is a global organization that champions diversity and social inclusion of the Differently abled worldwide. Dialogue in the Dark’s mission is to sensitize the sighted world about the abilities of the differently abled so as to include and mainstream disabled people and eventually empower them economically. Dialogue in the Dark uses real life experiences to convey a very powerful social message on diversity and social inclusion. Dialogue in the Dark has been present worldwide in 43 countries in 130 cities visited by 10 million visitors. In India, Dialogue in the Dark is present in Hyderabad, Bangalore & Chennai

About Exhibition Tour - Walk through experience

Dialogue in the Dark is an internationally acclaimed unique exhibition experience that takes place in complete darkness. The exhibition experience puts you in real life situations such as playing cricket, shopping at the supermarket, having a quick bite in a cafe and lots more - but in complete darkness, awakening the other 4 senses, and deepening self awareness. Dialogue in the Dark exhibition incorporates an optimum mix of fun, adventure & learning in the most unique way possible. 

Duration: 40 minutes

Cost per head: Rs. 250 

About Dialogue in the Dark - Taste of Darkness:

Dialogue in the Dark - Taste of Darkness is India's only concept restaurant where the guests dine in complete darkness for the very first time. The guests deposit their belongings such as phones, watches or any thing which emits light in the locker provided to them in the lobby as even a tiny bit of light could dilute the experience. To make the experience more interesting, we do not disclose the menu to the guests and we keep it a surprise. The menu changes everyday and we take the preference of the guests as to whether they are vegetarians or non vegetarians and serve them accordingly. 

The ideology behind this concept is to awaken the other 4 senses which helps them explore, relish and understand every bit of their food rather than just hogging them and most importantly, enable visitors connect with people without any distraction because, these days, people are either glued to their phones or they watch TV in a restaurant. Taste of Darkness aims to put people through a very immersive dining experience which will make them realise how it is important to focus and enjoy the food while dining. What sets the experience apart is that the dining guides are visually impaired. This unique dining concept was introduced in Chennai on March 18th 2017 and the restaurant is located at the 3rd floor of Express Avenue Mall (opp. to escape cinemas).

Duration: 50 minutes

Cost per head: Rs. 349 plus taxes (for both veg & non veg)

Literary Subscription Box: Fiction Crate, a review

You’ve got mail!

A package actually – oooh even better!

One that’s got a book, a Tee Shirt and some more small goodies. A hand written post card to go with it – Ah, you’ve made my day!

Imagine this being a possibility every month.

We all love pleasant surprises. So, it’s no wonder that subscriptions boxes are increasingly gaining popularity. A box of goodies, tailored to your preference, yet with the element of surprise to make the whole thing exciting and worth waiting for!

There are many genres (so to say) of subscription boxes. Boxes for beauty , hobbies, craft. An interesting one for men that I came across was for Socks! Funky socks that you don’t have to pick, sent to you regularly. How awesome is that?!

I love books, I dream of having my own library, but, book stores are dwindling. More over, the time available to just dawdle around book shelves, trying to find that perfect book has long since disappeared. I seem to forever be fighting with long to-do lists of things to do at work, or at home or planning my next vacation. Honest story of my life. And I love it.

At the end of the day however, I still, like for as long as I can remember, reach out to a book and read a chapter before peacefully drifting off to sleep. It’s also the first thing I do every morning. Just so that I can set the pace for the day, and ensure I don’t wake up to reviewing that to do list.

I recently tried Fiction Crate for my birthday (Yaay birthday gifts!) and I have to say this: Subscription boxes are perfect for (also read – perfect gifts for) bibliophiles like me who are bad at time management. Less choice is more happiness sometimes. Borrowing on Apple’s philosophy, Book subscription boxes send one to few books every month – with some goodies. You can subscribe once, or regularly or for a friend as a gift – completely flexible like that.

A quick pros and cons analysis:

Cons:

1. You don’t get to choose your book
2. You may not like the goodies

Pros:

1. Delivered at your doorstep
2. Wonderful surprise element (my favourite :D )
3. Your preference is taken into account for the Fiction Crate Subscription box, so it’s going to be something close to what you would love
4. Different options available
5. These would make amazing gifts!

Definitely worth giving it a shot. With the options they provide, you’re likely to go back for more!

Prevention is better that cure - Experience firsthand at Apollo

We were brought up being taught that prevention is better than care. Better safe than sorry! They told me. But how safe do we actually stay, now that we’re adults, and our lives are our responsibility?

In India, more than anywhere else, we seem to have a very careless attitude towards life.

We don’t wear seatbelts. We don’t wear helmets. The government enforces it, and we grudgingly oblige (not all the time) – like it is for someone else’s benefit.

So, it is not a surprise that Preventive Health Care is far behind in our priority lists. This is especially unfortunate, as the average age for serious illnesses has been steadily dropping. Illnesses which can be treated more effectively if detected early!

However, I am pleased to note that there is a push for the awareness for Preventive Health Care by some of the major Private Players in the Indian Health Care Industry. Apollo, for example, has an entire Preventive Care Wing is many of its branches.

Thanks to my job switch which required a Pre-employment medical check up, and travels abroad which mandated health checks, I had been getting pretty regular (read once in a couple of years or so) health checks. My last check up was in December 2015 at Apollo, and when Apollo invited me to try out their Executive Package from their Preventive Health Care Check Up Packages, I was more than happy to grab the opportunity!

The entire package took less than 2 hours. They effectively do blood tests, urine tests, ECG and Chest X ray. This is a simple package recommended for those below 30. They have more detailed tests available for different groups of people. The package includes consultation with a physician after the report is out.

Inspired by this, I took my grandmother for a knee-screening package. She’s 77 and has been complaining of mild knee pains for a few months now. Not bad enough to convince her to go to the hospital. Because “Only sick people go to hospitals”. A sentiment which is widely shared here in India.  I told her that this is a package that is for healthy people, and just X rays and blood work. She reluctantly agreed. The X rays showed that her knees were pretty good for her age, but showing signs for mild arthritis – beginning stages. The physio consultation had a nice young doctor teaching my grandmother some basic knee and leg exercises she could do. That simple, and she’s one step closer towards keeping her knees healthy longer.

Some other impressive well thought out Preventive Health Check up Packages they have are:

This is something we all need to get done, and on a regular basis.

The recommended cadence is:

• ·         Once in 2 years for age group less than 30
• ·         Once in 1.5 years till 45
• ·         Once a year after 45
• ·         And once in 8 months after 60
• ·         Cancer / Diabetes/ Heart risk checks every few years with those with family histories of those illnesses

This is something we all should do, and encourage our loved ones to go for as well!

You can book your appointment online at Apollo (HERE) – and have all your record available at one safe place for easy life long tracking! Or, for starters, go to the nearest health care facility and get started on this!