Microsoft’s Glamorous App Tasting Event

So when you are invited to a Microsoft event named appetizing apptasting hosted by drool-worthy gadget guru Rajiv Makhni and Michelin starred chef Vikas Khanna, it’s difficult to say NO. Ofcourse, the opportunity to wine and dine with like-minded women from the WOW aka Women on Wanderlust club, made this evening just one-of-its-kind.

Spot me!

 The #LumiaApptasting evening showcased some of the finest collection of mobile apps available on Lumia devices. Specially designed for women travellers, there’s an array of apps focusing on self-defense, awesome imaging and even a face swap to break the ice with co-travellers.

I particularly liked a Microsoft device that can track belongings and a feature that lets you scan your location, anywhere in the world and talks about the local events happening within the radius of few kilometers. That sounded very cool, considering impulsive travellers like me love to explore on foot. Another smart app allows you to quickly translate the language in any part of the world as you converse with the locals there.

Hosts Rajiv Makhni and Vikas Khanna

As the glamorous evening unfolded, over a hundred women dressed in ‘pretty pink’ enjoyed endless goblets of Sauvignon Blanc and scrumptious entrées. But the real attractions of the event were its dishy hosts Rajiv and Vikas who had women in splits with their wisecracks, visual puns and double entendre jokes. Ofcourse, after meeting so many wonderful women of the WOW club, I am so kicked about going on an all-women adventure trip. That will happen soon.

8 things that I don’t ‘Like’ about facebook

Each time I stumbled upon rehashed listings on Facebook, I wanted to write one of my own. As I said, this blog is also about the peculiar people I meet, so here's something about them!

Incessant status updates: Some people use Facebook as a social NOTworking medium. They will key in minute-by-minute updates of their personal life including mundane stuff like the inclusion of the 36^th colour changing panda in their kid’s toy collection. For the uninitiated this panda comes with a chocolate, i.e. Cadbury Gems surprise ball, to be precise.

Unappetizing food porn: While we appreciate delectable closeups of cakes and curries, our sore eyes need a break from insipid images of shapeless paranthas and a mound of rice drowned in watery gravy. We suggest these food enthusiasts join specific foodie groups on FB to hone their culinary skills ands not launch an attack on our nerves and feeds.

Storm of Selfies: We like this new social sensation of self-clicked pictures but fail to understand why people put up some unsightly and ridiculously close bizarre images of themselves. There are times when anatomy of a human nose and a set of coffee stained teeth are shoved right into our faces. Eeeeks.

Wannabees: They buzz like bees around several social networking accounts and have an opinion about everything, ranging from Modi to manicures. A wannabee will share everything with the world, her new phone, her 'complicated' relationship status and her philanthropy pictures of the ‘rice bucket challenge'. She is just a wee bit more irritating than her male counterpart.

Mr and Ms Dislike: These social animals with an IQ of a tablemat will like anything and everything that appears on their feeds. Be it earthquake aftermath pictures or a bone chilling video from a war-torn region, they will hit the like button irrespective of the content.

Religious intolerance: It's silly to trigger off religious blame game on social media threads. Wish some people could learn the balancing act and not exhibit their extreme views about religion on a social platform. In fact, a recent study revealed that the most common reason for unfriending someone is that the person posted polarising comments often about religion or politics.

Fake viral videos: We have seen too many of these cropping up on our feeds shared by gullible friends. A few sample titles are: 'The real truth about disappearance of MH17 airlines', 'Human meat found in McDonalds burger' and 'This wonder fruit helps melt belly fat’. Somebody at FB should immediately put a stop to all this nonsense.

Happy pictures of your ex: Heart can sink and stomach can churn when you secretly stalk your ex on FB only to see him/her doing just fine. In fact, their happy pictures in exotic locales with a good-looking partner make matters worse. WHY facebook W-H-Y? Let bygones be bygones.

P.S.: This piece was written for DLF's magazine High5. So, it was trimmed down or else I could go on and on..

5 trends that have changed the face of Indian Wedding Market

Ok, so I have been wanting to write this post for a really long time, but paucity of time and inclination rendered me lazy. But it’s never too late to share some oddly-funny, mind-churning changes in the Indian wedding market that I have noticed lately. A few months ago, my younger brother got married and I was naturally the ‘go to’ person for bills, barbecue and band! So, having personally witnessed a big wedding closely, today I am getting down to compile my little list of trends that have changed the face of Indian Wedding Market in the last decade.

Before I begin, I must admit that I got married almost eight years ago in New Delhi. But this whole new wave makes me feel that it has been eons. Though the changes are evident in metropolitan cities, I am sure in small towns, the Desi heart still beats for a conventional wedding. Nevertheless, here’s my list:

1.) Pre-wedding shoots: So when I got married in 2006, Facebook was in its innocent embryonic form and people still used their phones to make calls. Selfies sauntered in much later. Wedding photography meant getting those toothy smile shots done by the neighbourhood lensman who had done a fairly decent (read reasonable) job at Chinki’s shaadi. But, cut to present, and here we have elaborate pre-wedding shoots. Yes, something that happens before the couple actually mutters “I Do”. Clicked by professionals, these shots are candid moments between the bride-to-be and the groom-to-be. That’s not all. We also have romantic HD videos involving families and glamorous photo-booths for the big day.

2.) Caterers: Today, the bride shrieks at the mere mention of a Halwai. Her size minus zero friends squirm looking at the kachoris. And no one has the time to visit the sabzi-mandi to buy fresh produce in bulk. Everything is offloaded to a professional caterer who lays out fancy schmancy multi-cuisine like Thai, Italian, Vegan and much more apart from the mundane Mughlai. Moët & Chandon flows freely along with exotic cheese and fruit platters. From stewards to cutlery – everything is taken care of. For desserts, cupcakes have elbowed out motichoors and chocolates look prettier than plain Jane barfi. Ofcourse, mithai is passé and there is little traditional about gifts accompanying the wedding cards.

3.) The dressing up: With a whirl of designers armed with a strong PR team, now every bride secretly wishes to clinch a Sabyasachi or a Rohit Bal outfit for her big day. Perhaps, it's because so much has been said and written about them. I never cared much for what actresses wore at the Cannes or Colaba. But today, I really know who wore what. Sometimes the information is shoved into my face by popping adverts, while in some cases, I happily click away to fashion blogs. Yes, it has affected me and changed the way we women look up to fashion. Clearly, the strong marketing campaigns, teasing tabloid pictures and big haute couture sales have spurred the aspirational values in the conventional Indian bride. The wedding dress would usually be from a modest store that mom set her finger on or stitched by the next-door darzi. Make up usually meant Lakme or Maybelline. Today, nothing less than Mac or Bobbi Brown shines. With smoky eyes and nude lips – today’s blushing bride looks a lot different from the panda-eyed, gajra-clad Messy Miss of yore.

4.) Band aur Baaja: I think, by the time my child grows up, she would probably get to see the humble shehnai and nafiri only in the National museum. As a kid, I have participated in many bombastic wedding celebrations that were made dramatic by eye-popping, ear-smashing light and music shows, courtesy the indispensable brass bands and entertainers. Remember the fancy burnished red uniform, jhumar, tashe, atishbazi, tubelights and the works? They all seem to be fading into oblivion now. Who’s to blame? People or their changing tastes? Well, in a clear exit from the past, the latest trend is to have tastefully and sometimes distastefully arranged musical functions. There’s an eruption of Sufi singers, Yo Yo Singhs, out-of-work Indian Idols, classy live bands and private DJs - all jostling for their share of space in this Grand Indian Wedding Market.

5.)  Gold is old: While gold continues to be on the wish list of every bride, the girls and their families do not view this metal with the same love and affection anymore. Gold is not bought solely as investment and there are diamonds, emeralds, rubies and platinum making a foray into the jewellery boxes of traditional brides. I could not help but notice my South Indian friend who clearly skipped the tradition of wearing innumerable gold neck pieces and instead wore a dainty diamond string on her wedding day. Ofcourse, the bride is happy to experiment - there are brazen ear cuffs, studded collar necklaces and cocktail rings with kitschy motifs in her listing. 

The list is actually endless. There is a dramatic shift in every aspect of nuptial ceremonies. The brides are wearing gowns, the rock on her finger is growing bigger, the Hijra community (eunuchs) is demanding a lakh plus in exchange of blessings and the cost of a single wedding is going through the roof. Do you agree? Please feel free to add to this list. More the merrier!

Sorting Out Sid - Beer and Blogger Contest

Multifaceted mommy-of-three cum author cum many things Yashodhara Lal has penned another laugh riot titled Sorting Out Sid. As soon as I heard about this interesting SOS contest here, I got down to writing this post. The selected winners get an invite to a special luncheon that also gives a chance to hobnob with fellow bloggers. Yay! 

Currently available on Flipkart, this book promises a hilarious ride. So, here’s my entry to the contest about a funny incident related to beer. Let’s get started. Hic Hic Hurray!

Sorting Out Sid reminds me of the time when my parents were busy Sorting Out Shiv! Shivam, my younger brother is fondly called Shiv in the family. Well, my bro’s tryst with beer happened earlier than my parents had envisioned. It was a momentous day as he had just cut a chocolate cake, blowing away 16 candles. The house was brimming with noisy aunts, clamoring kids and his few gawky school friends. Dad raised a toast to his son’s clean teens – a record of sorts even in those days.

The party wrapped up and his friends (four boys) slept over. It was assumed that the boys would go hungry in few hours, so my parents ensured that the stock of cola cans and crisps get replenished. Mum kissed him goodnight and promised prompt action in case they needed anything anytime.

Dawn broke, the doorbell chimed and phone-calls buzzed but the boys slept blissfully through the morning mayhem. Dad tiptoed softly and peeped in his room. The youngsters were scattered like Lego links – their faces tranquil, limbs hanging loose. Before he could turn his back, the stillness in the room was suddenly marred by a sharp clinking sound. It turned out that Malti, the house help was sweeping the room and had been extra zealous that day. Before dad could display his discomfort, another unfamiliar clink sound echoed in the room. It sounded like a minor collision. Soon, Malti’s efforts of sweeping under the bed gave answers to those beery beery curious questions.

A bottle rolled out. An empty beer bottle. Dad gave that solve-this-puzzle-like-right-now look to Malti. She read the cue and brandished her broom again. Another masterstroke and rolled out a few more. And more. There were nine in all. 650 ml each. Extra strong lager. Emptied, left to lounge around under the bed. It was hard to tell which expression was priceless. Malti’s Eureka moment or dad’s disbelief!

Let me not bore you with rip-roaring details of what ensued that morning. But recently, more than a decade later, my bro Shiv got married. His romance with beer is still on whereas his wifey loves soups. I got a theme-based cake made for them. An ode to their beery crazy personalities. Here's a glimpse.

A couple in love with their loves – beer and soup!

Hope this story made you smile and gave you that déjà vu moment. Now I hope the judges smile too!