Who is Poor

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One day, a father of a very wealthy family took his son on a trip to the country with the firm purpose of showing his son how poor people live. They spent a couple of days and nights on the farm of what would be considered a very poor family.

On their return from their trip, the father asked his son, “How was the trip?”

“It was great, Dad.”

“Did you see how poor people live?” the father asked.

“Oh yeah,” said the son.

“So, tell me, what did you learn from the trip?” asked the father.

The son answered, “I saw that we have one dog and they had four. We have a pool that reaches to the middle of our garden, and they have a creek that has no end. We have imported lanterns in our garden, and they have the stars at night. Our patio reaches to the front yard, and they have the whole horizon. We have a small piece of land to live on, and they have fields that go beyond our sight. We have servants who serve us, but they serve others. We buy our food, but they grow theirs. We have walls around our property to protect us; they have friends to protect them.”

The boy’s father was speechless.

Then his son added, “Thanks, Dad, for showing me how poor we are.”

Things Are Not Always as They Seem

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Two traveling angels stopped to spend the night in the home of a wealthy family. The family was rude and refused to let the angels stay in the mansion’s guest room. Instead, the angels were given a small space in the cold basement. As they made their bed on the hard floor, the older angel saw a hole in the wall and repaired it. When the younger angel asked why, the older angel replied, “Things aren’t always what they seem.”

The next night, the pair came to rest at the house of a very poor, but very hospitable farmer and his wife. After sharing what little food they had, the couple let the angels sleep in their bed where they could have a good night’s rest. When the sun came up the next morning, the angels found the farmer and his wife in tears. Their only cow, whose milk had been their sole income, lay dead in the field. The younger angel was infuriated and asked the older angel, How could you have let this happen? The first man had everything, yet you helped him,” she accused. “The second family had little but was willing to share everything, and you let the cow die

“Things aren’t always what they seem,” the older angel replied. “When we stayed in the basement of the mansion, I noticed there was gold stored in that hole in the wall. Since the owner was so obsessed with greed and unwilling to share his good fortune, I sealed the wall so he wouldn’t find it.” “Then last night as we slept in the farmer’s bed, the angel of death came for his wife. I gave him the cow instead. Things aren’t always what they seem.” Sometimes, that is exactly what happens when things don’t turn out the way it seems they should.

Celebrate Grandparents Day

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Sunday, September 10 is National Grandparents’ Day. And while it’s great to have a day devoted to our grandparents, it’s more important to take care of them year-round. Here are 10 ways you can help your grandparents remain happy and healthy well into their old age.

1. Cook them a meal.

Your grandparents have probably cooked you more meals than you can count. Now, it’s time to return the favor! But instead of making a dish loaded with fat, try something that will boost their brains instead.

2. Call them.

Maintaining social interaction is one of the best ways to ward off dementia. So be sure to call your grandparents regularly! They’ll be thrilled to hear about your life. Plus, you might learn something from all the sage advice they dispense.

3. Teach them how to use technology.

Sure, trying to teach your grandparents how to use a computer might be frustrating. But they’ll be working their brains by learning a new skill, and you’ll help make their lives so much easier! And if you live far away, you’ll save a ton of money if your grandparents learn how to use Skype.

4. Help them create a memory book.

The more you remember, the more you’re able to remember. Help keep your grandparents’ brains sharp by creating a memory book with them. Be sure to include both recent events and events from decades ago so you’re working their long- and short-term memory. Better yet, take them on a trip down memory lane and see what stories come to mind. You’ll learn a ton about your own family history this way.

5. Visit when you can.

Skyping and calling are great, but nothing beats a visit from the grandkids! Make sure you budget in at least one trip each year. Spending quality time with your grandparents will boost their mood and help combat any depression they might be facing.

6. Encourage exercise.

Like social interaction, exercise is another great way to stay healthy even into old age. So encourage your grandparents to keep up with their physical fitness. If you live far away, maybe you can inspire them with your own fitness challenges and by asking about theirs. Live close by? Try stopping by once a week to go out on a walk together.

7. Send them a brain game.

If you want to send your grandparents a present for National Grandparents’ Day, try sending one they’ll enjoy and that will help them.

8. Check out their house.

Your grandparents’ living environment will cue you into any early warning signs they might not be doing so well. So when you do visit, make sure you spend some time at their house! Make sure it’s clean and livable, and watch out for any potential dangers as your grandparents get older – like slippery staircases.

9. Help out your parents.

Your parents are already likely doing the things we mentioned above. While we don’t want you to stress out about your grandparents’ health, your parents will definitely appreciate any extra help – so ask if there’s something specific you can do. And if your grandparents have already passed away, be sure to reach out to your parents on Sunday! They might be having a hard time and need some support.

10. Stay respectful.

Your aging grandparents might be losing some of their mental function. But that’s no reason to treat them like a child! Unless your grandparents are endangering their own safety, let them make their own decisions. You are still the grandchild and thus need to remain respectful of their wishes. Leave the tough battles to your parents, who your grandparents are much more likely to listen to.


I look forward to hear from you how would you celebrate Grandparents Day. Do share a selfie with your grandparents on Sept. 10, 2017 on Twitter or Facebook with #LoveJatao & tag @blogadda to win a goodie from Parachute Advansed.

Learning English the Fun way!

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English is the language of every latest business in the world. With the rapid advancements in technology, English has not only increased employment, but has also helped a lot in communication. The basis of every relation is communication and English has become a window to global communication.

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Importance of English

It’s impossible to imagine the world without the two ‘e’s : Electronic Communication and English. English is all over the Internet, books and all media. English language is followed by almost all the developed and developing countries today.

English in India
A lot of Indian personalities have won many global awards for creative literature in English. In 1997, an Indian author, Arundhati Roy, won the acclaimed Booker Prize for fiction, for her book “The God of Small Things”. Millions of copies of her book were sold all over the world.

Over the last 30 years, English language has emerged out to be one of our key strengths in procuring international acclaim for a number of films made by Indians in English language. In 1998 a famous Indian film director, Shekhar Kapoor’s film “Elizabeth” has received 7 nominations for Oscar Awards. In 2007, the sequel to the same movie again received 2 Oscar nominations. Thus we can’t deny the fact that English language has brought India to an international level.

THE NEED
English is everywhere. Globalization and the Internet have made English an important aspect of our lives. The finest and the most advanced innovations in science and technology are made in the United States of America, where English language is the primary means of scientific communication.

If we live in India and have the knowledge of English, we can learn from the experiences and mistakes of the people living in other developed countries. We can reject the unacceptable and accept the justifiable. Using English, we can also promote our theories among the global audience.

English has thus become an effective means sharing experiences and strengthening our cultural identity all across the globe.

Importance in India
Here’s how English is important in India:

Jobs

Knowledge of English opens up a large number of employment opportunities in almost every business domain. Almost every employer expects his employees to have basic to excellent English speaking skills.

Travel

If you were supposed to travel to another country, either for business or as a tourist, imagine how you would communicate with their natives. English, being a global language and spoken by more than 950 million people all across the world, certainly can make your life easier when you travel. Knowledge of English can let you communicate with people anywhere you travel.

Education

English is the major medium of education in India. English medium schools are

Those students who are interested in higher studies from universities and colleges abroad, they are supposed to clear exams like IELTS and TOEFL. These test your proficiency of English in usual day to day verbal and written communication.

Language of Science and Technology

English is the language of Science and Technology. Scientific innovations or discoveries in other developed countries cannot reach India without English.

All the latest technologies are now at our fingertips but to be able to access to this technology we need to develop English language skills. The syntax of most of the existing computer programming languages is also made up of English keywords.

Internet

Though there are several websites in various other languages, English will always be the primary language for internet access. Almost more than 50% of the internet is in English. So to gaining access to this vast information, knowing English becomes a prerequisite.

Official Language of India

Although English is just one of the official languages of India, but it would perhaps be the only language that can be understood across the country. It is the primary language used in international affairs. It is used in building international relations through the involvement of professional diplomats with respect to issues relate peacemaking, global trade, economy and culture.

Globalization

Apart from general communication, knowledge of the English is an added advantage to help in communicating at the global level. Many global companies have outsourced their operations to India which led to the IT and ITeS boom a few years ago. Many Indian companies also have their offices in English speaking countries. Being able to communicate in English helps interact with your global colleagues as well as advance your career prospects.

Every business with an international client base uses English language as the prime source of communication. A good knowledge of English along with strong interpersonal skills can not only get us employment in the global business world but also brings a lot of opportunities for self-employment as well. Some of the common self-employment careers in English include English teachers/trainers , content writers, bloggers etc.

So while learning and enriching your local and vernacular languages is just as important, today it’s a well accepted norm that English has become the language of professional communication and being able to express yourself and your ideas in English is not just a skill, but also an art!

How to Learn?

Now as we have seen the need for English in all aspects, how do we learn it in a simpler and fun way? That’s where Nihar Shanti Amla’s Pathshala Funwala comes to the aid. They have introduced a toll free 8055667788. Just by dialing the number free of cost, we can learn English in a simple and fun way. So why wait? start sharing and help everyone learn English !!

English Funwala

I am blogging about Pathshala Funwala by Nihar Shanti Amla Oil in association with BlogAdda

Real men do their own laundry

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Last year An Indonesian sports apparel company named Salvo Sports on their new jersey model released for a football team added the wordings inside the label “Give this jersey to your woman. IT’S HER JOB” as a tip for wash care. It backfired so massively and they were made to apologize publicly and later released a statement.

The statement came as follows

The message is simply ‘rather than fussing and washing wrongly, it is better to let the women do it as they understand the problem better’. There is no intention at all to insult women. In fact it’s the contrary, (telling men to) learn how to take care of their clothing from women as they are more thorough.Not all men understand or know how to take care of their clothing, women are experts in such matters.

This incident proves not only in INDIA , these gender prejudices exist worldwide and most of the people think women are meant to do the cooking and laundry work, while men are to earn and provide for the family.

Recent shift in growth of society as a whole is mainly due to  the emergence of gender equality & women getting equal opportunities in workplace etc.

Multiple surveys show statistics such as ‘70% of married Indian women feel they spend more time on household work than with their husbands‘ ,’ 76% of Indian men believe laundry is a woman’s job‘ ,’85% of working Indian women feel they have two jobs, one at work and the other at home‘,’more than 2/3rd of Indian men prefer to watch TV than do the laundry‘,’more than 2/3rd of married Indian women believe their marriage would be happier if the man did the laundry at home‘ .  Incidents such as above and these survey results show that why as a society we are not moving forward and just going backwards.

Why go backwards? Just be a real men, #ShareTheLoad  and lets move forward as a nation!!

Happier household is one where all responsibilities are shared. Sharing is caring. So lets take a pledge , Share the load and lessen the burden on the women of our family and make them smile.

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After taking part in Ariel’s much successful #WashBucketChallenge I have been continuously supporting my mom in household chores during weekends.  Having Washing machine does make it little easier 😛 . I will continue to do so in future. Here is my post on the same : Sharing is Caring

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.

 

The Unsung Indian Heroes

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 Strong women don’t play victim, don’t make themselves look pitiful and don’t point fingers. They stand and they deal.

While this quote from blogger turned New York Times best-selling author and speaker Mandy Hale inspires and motivates thousands of women across the world, Manju Devi from Jaipur has gone ahead and given her flesh and blood to Hale’s words. In our society where patriarchy is deep-rooted and a woman venturing to work in male dominated sectors is considered a blot on the family’s name, Manju Devi is defying the odds working as a porter. Yes, you read that right. Manju Devi is a porter at the Jaipur railway station, she’s the only female porter at this station, and the first female porter of the entire North Western Railway Region.

A rural home-maker, Manju was left to fend for herself and her three little children when her husband Mahadev, a porter at Jaipur railway station died of liver failure. Illiterate and a widow at just 33 years of age, she had no one to fall back on, to help her cope with the seemingly hard and harsh life that lay ahead of her. Her in-laws were poor and going back to her parents too was out question, for there too her many siblings were trying to make ends meet though odd jobs.

It was under these circumstances that she decided to approach the porter union to help her claim her husband’s job. With the help of the union and the railway authorities, Manju finally got her porter’s license in March 2013. Armed with her porter badge no. 15, she joined the porter service at the Jaipur railways station, setting a huge example of courage and determination in the face of adversity.

We’ve all travelled by train and we know that life of a travel porter is not easy. Besides physical strength, one needs a lot of stamina to run around the platforms all day long. Quite naturally settling now in her new job was not easy for Manju. She would often break down and spend more hours crying instead of working. She had left all her kids back home with her mother, so their absence too added to her sorrows. But she knew that crying would not help her in any way and so gradually started immersing herself more in her work. With the help of some supportive porters at the station, she learnt the basics of her job, understanding the techniques of carrying heavy luggage on her head and shoulders. Today, she proudly says that she is happy with the work she does and is able to take care of her family with her earnings.

While many women in Manju’s place would have given up and cursed their fate in the face of such misfortune, Manju’s will of steel led her towards a braver path. She did not just break into the male bastion, but is also going stronger and steadier by the day.

People like Manju Devi deserve admiration and accolades and JSW Steel has taken the initiative of recognizing people like her – ordinary people, who possess extraordinary will of steel. To achieve this JSW has compiled together a list of strong individuals whose willpower has changed the world and going by the public votes will felicitate the individuals who have showed immense resilience in the face of adversity. Manju Devi is one of the nominees there and for showing immense courage and will of steel during traumatic times, my vote goes to her. May the forces always be with her.

You too can log on to the Will of Steel website and vote for the nominees who inspire you the most. There are stories of grit and determination, of undying passion towards different causes, stories of bravery, of triumph of human spirit – read the stories, get inspired and express your respect and admiration through your votes.

I’m voting for MANJUs #WillOfSteel and blogging on BlogAdda to help him/her get felicitated and eventually enabled by JSW.

#WillofSteel is an endeavor by JSW to honor the unsung Indian heroes, people who have truly proven their mettle and have unbreakable determination. Be in sports, healthcare, social service or even saving the environment. These are individuals whose willpower has changed the world.

Let’s DO the right !!

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India is the most inhabited democracy within the world consisting of twenty nine states and seven union territories with population of over 1.2 billion folks. The sheer size of the population poses varied threats to even basic development. Education is the most simple demand of economic development that has been recognized around the world and is one among the aspects that encompasses a profound impact on our country.
Living in a fast paced world, most of us tend to be more selfish and forget about others and their sufferings. Even though we show moist eyes when we hear about illiteracy and people living below poverty line, we forget it in a short span and carry on with our lives. But there are some people who turn their life into a candle to put light in others life. One such real hero of our nation was Ajeet Singh from Varanasi. He started the Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) Guria which rescued minor girls from child trafficking and prostitution.
Varanasi being one of the ancient cities in the world and a spiritual hub of India is the ultimate destination for many people to wash away their sins in the River Ganges. Unfortunately these river banks also harbors many kids who wander aimlessly begging and indulging in petty trades to fill their stomach. In order to help these poor souls and show them a good path in life, Ajeet Singh started the ‘Boat School‘ Initiative. This is really a stepping stone in our course to eradicate illiteracy from India. This enables the strayed children to spend two hours regularly everyday to study, play or revise without any pressures or tensions. This initiative has a lot of potential and as the seeds are already laid out all it needs is a magical transformation which will enhance the learning atmosphere and make them inspire the millions around the world and can also help spread the initiative across the globe so illiteracy can be kicked out of the world.

Lets hear it from the children themselves what kind of transformation they want in the existing Boat school in the below video !!

As they suggested, starting with the a complete makeover of interiors including renovations and repairs which make it more like a place of study is of prime importance. Additionally providing them the necessary facilities like a library, educational toys, stationery, computers, painting kits, new books and spending time together we can create an ideal learning environment for these children.

This Magical Transformation can only be possible with our donations !! So lets join the journey of doing right and donate a bit of what we earn and create a magic in the life for these children !!

For More info on the Initiative and Donations: Click Here

Lets Digitize India

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Introduction:

As we all know, Digital India is an initiative of our beloved Government of India to integrate the government departments and the people of India. It aims at ensuring the government services are made available to citizens electronically by reducing paperwork. The initiative also includes plan to connect rural areas with high-speed internet networks. Digital India has three core components. These include the creation of digital infrastructure, delivering services digitally and digital literacy.

Vision Of Digital India:

Make all Public Services accessible to the common man in his locality, through common service delivery outlets and ensure efficiency, transparency and reliability of such services at affordable costs to realize the basic needs of the common man

Even though this project is slated for completion by 2019, with global tech giants such as Intel fostering our government’s vision of a Digital India through its ‘Digital Skills for India’ and ‘Innovate for India’ initiatives, the project can complete way sooner than the planned date. Intel has been fostering technology as the enabler for creating a digitized India.

Why to Digitize?

Digitizing India is process of evolution. We live in 21st century where everything is getting modernized and digitized. If we still use paper and pen and loads of manual record books at every office, it will look like we haven’t evolved. When whole world is booking tickets online, if we stand in queue to do the same, we go a step backwards in making India a developed nation. So to evolve as a nation and make India a Developed nation we have to Digitize India.

How to Digitize?

We know a fair bit about digitizing. It means making it available online to the world wide web. Digitizing India is like digitizing a Brand. Just like how we promote and market a brand to more exposure in social media, similar steps needs to follow to Digitize India. Nations bright minds have collaborated and came up with National e-Governance Plan (NeGP) as a solution to Digitize India. The plan is to make all government services available via electronic media to the every citizen of India.

How e-Governance helps Digitize India?

e-Governance makes the Government Smart. Through usage of e-Governance common man gets empowered. Through its usage all government services will be available to citizens in a convenient, efficient and transparent manner. The transparency which is much needed in a democracy can be bought back through e-Governance. It is also a wonderful tool to bring accountability and whistle blowing in India. Efficient e-governance is an innovative way to deliver government services and exchange information with citizens in a convenient and transparent way, saving both time and money. Increase in smartphones and internet access can surge the growth of e-governance. With many nations following this path, we can take a leaf out of their books as experience and fasten our process. Also with many multilateral organizations upping efforts to share e-governance experience such as Intel through its ‘Digital Skills for India’ and ‘Innovate for India’ initiatives fostering technology for #DigitialIndia & Better tomorrow.  With innovative apps and technology which can reach common men, we can surely Digitize India and make it top of the developed nation list.

Lets Join hands with INTEL and make #DigitalIndia !!

 

Sharing is Caring

Sharing is Caring !!

We live in the modern world, the 21st century where everyone talks about equalities in everything. But we forget the most common statement “The change must first come from within the individual, only then can he or she attempt to make a significant contribution to humanity“. Recent researches suggest that even now women engage in lions share of housework despite the raise in working women. This not only happens in rural village areas, this is common everywhere even in developed metropolitan cities.

The domestic household chores, such as cooking, cleaning, washing, food shopping, taking care of sick relatives & elderly are labelled as women’s work in our society. These Gender inequalities are deep rooted in social structures and also in people’s attitudes. These thoughts are so deep rooted, that even many women think its their primary job to do the household chores. These stuffs adds a lot of burden to working women, as they have to manage both personal and professional life within a smaller time frame which adds to stress and health deterioration.

Growing up in a family with two sisters, my parents always used to say ‘Sharing is Caring’, ‘Share everything equally with your sisters’. Sharing makes the world a better place. It makes two souls happier. The person sharing the load/helping others will feel better for doing a good deed. The person receiving the help will also feel better because they realize there are actually people who care about them. Sharing is very important in relationships too. It makes people come closer.  It brings harmony and peace among the people.

With Changing times, many men have voiced their support to Sharing the load. Its shouldn’t just end with raising their opinions, men should pull their weight more and share the load. To show my support, I took part in the Ariel #WashBucketChallenge this week to #ShareTheLoad of household chores and reduce the burden on my mom.

Here is me helping in household chores!!

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That smile from MUM seeing me doing the laundry, so she can take a nap/ spend time watching her favorite soap opera — PRICELESS. I will #SHARETHELOAD again & again as Laundry is not a women’s job, its meant to be shared 🙂

Family is all about loving, caring and sharing. So lets take a pledge and share the load and lessen the burden on our mothers, sisters and better halves.

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The Great Indian Litterbug

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As the above video sarcastically demonstrates, I dedicate this small poem for all my fellow great Indian litterbugs.

I’m a polluter and I couldn’t care less,

I toss my litter all over and create a mess.

Fresh packets, sweet wrappers, candy sticks,

In work areas, on the yard – the normal tricks.

I’m not bothered where my rubbish goes,

Let the wind carry wherever it blows.

Playing-field, enclosure – its nothing wrong,

Cant think about the trash bin all day long.

I junk the play areas and filthy the park,

I am not a hero nor tony stark.

The road is my domain; it full of dirt;

It looks appalling to you, for me its absolutely pert.

Where did I originate from? What is my game?

Me, the individual all of you blame?

What do I look like? well , I must be true,

I’m not a beast – I’m YOU, YOU & all of YOU!

 After reading this short poem, you must have gotten some idea of what I am trying to say. We humans always try to put the blame on others and escape. We talk, chat & even blog about the issues and its prevention measures. Still we end up doing nothing as an action to prevent the issues.

So let us take some action and stop being a litterbug.

Disclaimer: This post is a part of The Great Indian Litterbug ‘Happy Hours’ prompt on Indiblogger