No more food blunders. Thanks TinyOwl!

When the same kind of incident starts happening to you again and again, you are stereotyped and given an annoying name. And that’s an awful feeling, especially when you are called something which is really irksome.

Take my life, for example. Whenever I plan to take my family for a grand dinner or lunch on a special occasion, dear destiny turns no stone unturned to make it a grand blooper making me all fidgety and stressed to fix the problem. As my plan gets spoiled and ruined every time, I look at the sky helplessly and yell "Why me?" The feeling is so frustrating! 

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Be it Durga Puja, Christmas or birthdays, I always end up in an embarrassing situation whenever I take my family out for a meal and then I try hard to make amends. Fixing food problems at the last moment, sometimes by buying road side chowmein or other times by just preparing Maggi (when it was available, of course) has become my trademark instead of people complimenting me about how good the treat was. This is the reason why I am named “Miss Food fix” (not in a good way, of course!)

In fact, my granny loves calling me by this name after a series of food bloopers. I don’t blame her though. Here’s what she said, a few months back, when I told her that I want to take her out for a lovely dinner.

Me (with a cheerful grin): Granny, a wonderful new restaurant has opened. I want to give all of you a treat as my new anthology of poems have released.

Granny ( with a sarcastic smile): Oh dear, why don’t you rather cook something great for all of us?

Me (with a frown): You know it well how I hate cooking. I would rather do something more interesting during that time.

Granny: My little Miss Food Fix, you need to love cooking, else you have to keep fixing things at the eleventh hour.

Me (with a huge frown): Oh granny, stop calling me this. I agree that twice, okay thrice, things went wrong, but that doesn’t mean it will happen again.

Granny smiled and then tried hard to suppress her smile, after looking at my pitiful face. 

Now, I am sure all of you must have understood what I have to face whenever I tell my family excitedly that I will take them out for dinner. Let me share one of the blooper stories that led me to a food fix.

It was the occasion of Holi and therefore, I wanted to take my family and cousins for a sumptuous dinner. We went out of the house at 8pm and when we reached the particular place, we saw that all the restaurants were already filled and buzzing with people. There was not a single vacant seat inside and we were told to wait outside each and every restaurant. Seeing no way out, we waited outside a restaurant for about an hour and then we finally got a seat.

Being a Biriyani lover, I ordered Biriyani for all of us, but the waiter said that Biriyani was not available. Then I ordered Peas Pulao and even that was not available. With an unwilling heart, we settled for vegetable fried rice and chilli paneer. The food did not arrive, even after 45 minutes and on asking the waiter, he said that it is getting prepared. Finally the food arrived and it tasted so horrible that I don't even want to recall the taste. My Dad tried to eat some of it but my granny and cousins did not eat more than 2 spoons. The fried rice tasted like ordinary rice and the paneer tasted too bad. An abominable smell of garlic hit our nose as we had it. It was horrible.   

We left the restaurant with a look of disgust. It was 11 pm in the night and all of us were having terrible hunger pangs. 

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I felt guilty and helpless. I hit my forehead with my hand dramatically, but that did not result in anything miraculous. I kept on mumbling sorry and then remembered about the roadside chowmein which would surely be available at that particular hour of the night.

The chowmein tasted at least better than the fried rice and chilli paneer. I apologized to everyone and all of them said it was okay. Yes, it definitely was okay, but I was stereotyped Miss Food Fix when this kind of thing happened thrice. In all the 3 times, I had to do some last minute arrangement which was not at all good or even a little closer to what I planned.

Recently, I was sharing my sad story with a friend, when she suggested me to try the App called TinyOwl. I guffawed at first hearing its name, but when I tried the App, I was happy beyond limits. It was so awesome that after ordering food for the first time from this App, I was screaming "Yay!". Finally, I got a solution to my problem. 

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Tiny Owl is a great food ordering App that helps me to treat my family with a grand dinner or lunch at home itself on the special occasions and festivals. On festive days, most Restaurants and malls are always occupied and I really don’t want to land up in a food blunder anymore.

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The TinyOwl App lets me enjoy great food at home and I don’t even require cooking. This App is the smartest, coolest and the fastest way to order food. From Donut to Dosa to Paratha to Pasta, you can get anything delivered to your home by ordering food through the Tiny Owl App. The App can easily detect your location and choose the best restaurants for you. It is available in both android and iOS.

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The App also stores all your previous orders. If you are not aware of the new restaurants near your area, this App will give you great recommendations too.

This App has made my life easy and has helped me to get rid of the Miss Food Fix title as I don't have to fix food blunders anymore.  Thanks to TinyOwl!

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I was sad, wallowing in self-pity

All my plans get spoiled and gritty.

Whenever I plan a family dinner,

I end up in some embarrassing blooper.

I hate being called “Miss Food Fix”

Don’t want to take any more risk.

All I want is delicious and mouth-watering food

Now please for heaven’s sake, don’t tell me to cook!

Pizza, Burger, Biriyani and Calzone

I want these from restaurants reputed and well-known.

One such bad day, I came across you

The cute little fellow in yellow

You introduced yourself as TinyOwl

And asked,“Can I mend your mood that seems so foul?”

I shared with you all my agonies pent up.

You smiled and just showed me the App

No blunder anymore, I just scream "Yay"

Now good food is just a few clicks away

Family is happy and my life is set

Oh TinyOwl, you are so cool and great!

Do check out the amazing TinyOwl App that is available in Android and iOS. 

The dark, nimbus clouds ( Five Sentence Fiction)

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She doesn't cry even behind locked doors as she believes that she is strong enough to handle anything that life throws at her. 

It's quite true as no one has ever seen her crying, not when her father passed away, not when she was meeting the needs of her hypochondriac mother, not even when she was fired from job without any fault of hers.

But that day, when he hugged her for the first time, the dark nimbus clouds that were accumulated in her heart for years could no longer rest there.

The murky clouds took the form of rain and escaped from her eyes, at first slowly and then vigorously.

After the downpour, she felt liberated and realized that she is not a robot, but a mortal with blood, flesh and emotions. 

You make me a poet!

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Thoughts

Wavering and distressing.

Pain

Piercing and jabbing.

Emotions

Supple and vulnerable.

All of them find refuge

In my outpouring poetry;

I soak my dry words

In the clammy pool of my musings 

A poem is born

And I feel liberated. 

Our love

Soulful and ageless.

Our separation

Sour and Stinging.

Our story

Eternal and unforgettable.

You are there

In every verse that I write;

As muse or as memory,

It's you who make me a poet.

Feeling you closely again

Is the joy of writing poetry.

Linking this poem to Midweek Motif: The Joy of Poetry

ANYBODY can DANCE with COLGATE MAX FRESH

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What is life without some Taazgi Ka Dhamaka?

Now, anybody can dance with Colgate MaxFresh

The cooling crystals teach you

How to groove and give Thumka!

This weekend, I was really sad as my plans with my best friend got cancelled due to some unavoidable reason. Despite being a chatterbox, I was unbelievably quiet. I was sitting with a gloomy face, when I got a parcel from Blogadda which contained the amazing Colgate Max Fresh Toothpaste. 

As I used the toothpaste, the cooling crystals created a burst of freshness within me, which slowly washed away the gloomy colors from my face and evaporated my distasteful mood. Right at that moment, the rocking Colgate Max Fresh jingle started playing on the TV, which made me tap my foot effortlessly. 

The Colgate Max Fresh song is so peppy and energetic that it instantly cheered me up and made me dance without any inhibitions. The foot tapping song filled me up with a dose of energy and enthusiasm. The beats of the song are so rocking that anyone will feel like dancing, after listening to it. Just like the toothpaste, the ad jingle also gave me a dose of Taazgi Ka Dhamaka.

Here is the dance video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EspnknybASo

After dancing to my heart's content, I felt energetic, happy and was once back to my jovial form. I must say that the Colgate MaxFresh Toothpaste and the ad jingle saved my weekend from getting spoiled and gloomy. 

So you too add a dose of Taazgi in your life with Colgate Max Fresh and show some #MaxFreshMove to the world

“I am dancing for #MaxFreshMove activity at BlogAdda. If you are not blogging, you can join me by participating in this #MaxFreshMove facebook activity.”

Life with Airtel 4G

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I am sure everyone will agree that slow internet can spoil anyone's mood like nothing else. It is the most annoying and frustrating things ever. Well, we all have been victims of slow internet in our lives.

Downloading a movie since six hours and then after 85%, the downloading stopped as the net connection got disrupted. Can anything be more frustrating than this? Uploading an album on Facebook of your latest vacation full of amazing, exotic pictures and the slow internet is not letting you do so. With every passing minute, your level of anger and frustration intensifies, but the slow internet hardly pays heed to it. It perhaps guffaws in mockery!

However, the good news is that Airtel has recently launched its 4G services which promise to provide you with an unbelievable speed at the price of 3G. Now, this is exactly what we have been waiting for all this time. Further good news is that you can get a 4G Airtel SIM by just sending a tweet to Airtel with #GetAirtel4G. They would take all your details and you would get a free home delivery of your 4G SIM. Pretty simple, isn’t it?

I will surely opt for Airtel 4G as I am tired of battling with slow internet. So, here are the few things that I will be doing with the unbelievable speed of Airtel 4G:

1.     Download latest releases: Recently, I have been so busy with work that I end up missing the new releases in theatre. I feel lazy to download those movies as they take a lot of time. However, with the super fast speed of Airtel 4G, I am sure that won’t be a problem anymore.

2.     Listen to songs online: I am a crazy music lover and you can find all kinds of music in my phone, from rap to hip-hop to retro. But, with the wonderful apps like Gaana.com and Saavn, I prefer listening to songs online these days, especially listening to online radio. So, with the high speed of 4G, I will surely be able to enjoy listening to a variety of songs online.

3.     Watch videos on YouTube: Recently, I am addicted to the TV shows: Indian Idol Junior and Jhalak Dikhla Ja. But as these shows are on weekends and most weekends, I am busy with my friends, I miss catching them on TV. So, with the super fast speed of 4G, I can catch all my favorite TV shows in YouTube without any problem.

4.     Smooth online shopping: I buy each and everything online. So, with a great internet speed, I can be assured that my online shopping experience will be smooth.

I am sure the super fast speed of Airtel 4G will make everyone’s life a little easier. Airtel 4G is the 1^st telecom operator that has introduced the 4G services. It is available across 296 cities in India. So, now bid adieu to slow internet and embrace Airtel 4G for a rocking life!

For more information on the same, visit http://www.airtel.in/4g/

The WASH programme in association with Coca-Cola

The long-term health of a society depends largely on improved sanitation, hygiene practices and usage of safe drinking water. Everyone must understand the importance of clean and safe water in everyday use. Plenty of people in our country do not have access to adequate sanitation and safe drinking water. 

There are several rural places in our country where sanitation is a huge problem. The people of these places do not have access to toilets in their house and therefore they have to go to the fields. Such practices are extremely unhygienic, which exposes them to various diseases which can be life threatening.

Even in the slums of urban cities, people don’t have access to clean toilets in their houses and many communities drink unsafe water. As a result, these people are left vulnerable to diseases such as diarrhea. 

Proper sanitation is extremely important for maintaining the health of society as a whole, both in rural and urban places. Poor hygiene practices, inadequate sanitation and lack of access to safe drinking water can result in waterborne illnesses such as diarrhea and pneumonia. Vector borne diseases such as malaria and dengue are also common in such scenarios. 

It is seen that a lot of children get afflicted with these diseases every year and the death rate is also very high in children due to improper sanitation and poor hygiene.

The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) University and the U.S agency for International Development (USAID) have launched the wonderful initiative “Strengthening Water and Sanitation in Urban Settings” recently in Kolkata, in association with Coca-Cola. This initiative is also known as the WASH program as it focuses on the words Water, Sanitation and Hygiene. Not only Kolkata, this initiative is also launched in several other cities of India.

The objective of this initiative is to reach 50,000 beneficiaries in low-income settlements such as the slums of Kolkata. The motto of the WASH program is mainly to reach 300 professionals through WASH governance studies and near about 2500 students through 20 municipal schools across the country.

This unique association promises to lead to the healthy development of low income settlements of Kolkata. The WASH program aims at strengthening water and sanitation in urban settings so that the overall health of the people of the city is improved. Once the program is implemented in full force, development will surely follow.

The future of a country depends on the health of its people. The WASH program promises to be the ray of hope, leading to the healthy development of the country.

Read me once!

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Try to read me once:

Unravel the metaphors

Sprinkled on my face;

The oxymoron I wear

Look for a rhyme in my eyes!

A Tanka is a Japanese poetry form which is commonly written as expressions of gratitude, love or self-expression. There are 5 syllables in the 1st line, 7 in the 2nd, 5 in the third and 7 in lines 4 and 5 (5/7/5/7/7). For detailed information on Tanka, click http://tankajournal.com/what-is-tanka/

Linking this poem to Poetry Pantry #265

Beauty: You and your gifts

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Beauty was a mystifying term
Until you walked into my life;
Amidst the arena of mist and fog
I saw a canopy of ambrosial sunshine.

My soul recognized you
Your soul recognized mine;
Amidst the soft rustle of leaves
The murmuring sigh of moon.

Beauty were the souvenirs
That you wrapped me up with;
In the limited days
When you were by my side.

Friend! Separation won't make me grieve
As long as your gifts are with me;
Delectable memories, occult wisdom
And profound conversations that changed me.

Linking this poem to Poets United Midweek Motif ~ Beauty

Remembering Tagore on Baishe Shrabon

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Today is Baishe Shrabon ( 22 Shravan which is the last month of the rainy season). This day is the death anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore, the poet, playwright, novelist, painter and composer who reshaped Bengali literature and music in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

“I came to your shore as a stranger.

I lived in your house as a guest.

I leave your door as a friend, my earth.” ~ Stray Birds

Being born in a Bengali family, I was exposed to Tagore’s work right from my childhood. From Rabindrasangeet to his poetries to his novels, Tagore has influenced me in every sphere of life and continues doing so.

His verses redefine love and pain in a thousand myriad hues. When you read Tagore, you feel that separation and love are so intertwined. There is separation in love and there is love in separation.

“Away from the sight of thy face, my heart knows no rest nor respite, and my work becomes an endless toil in a shore less sea of toil.”~Gitanjali

Tagore’s life has been laced with pain throughout. He has seen more deaths and separations in his 80 year long life than anyone hardly have.There is a line in his short story, Postmaster that I read for the first time in class 10. This line brings out the truth of life that he has himself experienced.

“In the wistful heart of the traveler being borne away on the river, there arose this philosophy; there are so many separations in life, so many deaths, what is the point of returning? Who belongs to whom in this world?” ~ Postmaster

The person who had a significant influence on Tagore’s literary pursuit was his sister-in-law, Kadambari Devi. It is believed that she brought out the poet and writer hidden inside Tagore. After his sister-in-law’s sudden suicide, Tagore was shattered by the tragedy and that was when he wrote his most critically acclaimed novella, Nashtanir (Broken Nest).

“Charu wants to ask Amal this question and receive an answer, face to face, but there is an ocean in between….and no way to cross it. Cruel separation, hapless separation, beyond all questions, beyond all redress, separation.” ~Broken Nest

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The death of Kadambari Devi was the first tragic encounter of death that Tagore had. Later, he lost his wife, daughter, sons and only grandson to death and disease. He accepted the adversities and storms in his life with grace and continued delivering his literary geniuses year after year.

“The song that I came to sing remains unsung to this day. I have spent my days in stringing and unstringing my instrument” ~ Gitanjali

When W. B Yeats read Tagore’s poetry, he said that they have stirred sublime emotions in his blood.  Yeats said this in his introduction in Gitanjali. Tagore’s poetry covered every area of life. Such profound is his poetry that it can move even a stone. Tagore received the Nobel Prize in 1913 for Gitanjali (Song Offerings) which is a collection of his spiritual poems.

“Day by day you are making me worthy of your full acceptance by refusing me ever and anon, saving me from perils of weak, uncertain desire.”~ Gitanjali

Tagore, in his idealism, in his spiritual reality, in his romanticism is near to all human beings even today. His works are timeless, be it his novels or verses. 

Tagore wrote his last novel, Shesher Kavita (The last poem) when he was 62 during his brief sojourn in Bangalore. This novel, which is a beautiful concoction of prose and poem touches the inner chords.

“Grieve not on my account,

Wide is the world with many tasks

My cup is not discarded

Shall fill again---

Let this sustain me forever.

I may yet be blessed

If there be one eager heart

Waiting for my footsteps.

I long to give myself to him

Who can see in the compassion of love

The actual me, a blend of good and ill

Who can light up the dark night

With flowers plucked in moonlight.

What I gave to you is yours

By everlasting right.

What others receive

Are daily driblets of heart

To tender solitude.

O my peerless friend,

What I gave you was your own gift

Fuller acceptance, the deeper my debt.

Farewell, my friend.” ~ The Last Poem

My heartfelt respect to my inspiration, the inspiration of countless people, Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore on this significant day of Baishe Shrabon! 

Airtel 4G: The fastest network ever

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In this fast paced world, where our lives completely revolve around the internet, be it work or play, the biggest blessing is a super fast network which can help us to browse smoothly. Nothing seems as soothing and comfortable as a fast network. Keeping our fast paced lives in mind, airtel launched 4G nationally today with a television commercial. 

Do have a look at the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpHZ3sXY6B8

airtel 4G is truly the fastest network ever and once you switch on to airtel 4G, you would feel that your life has become easier than before. After watching the TVC, you can surely guess that the speed is awesome and it would be great for personal use.

Why should you choose airtel 4G?

You must opt for airtel 4G because you would get exactly the same data benefits that you get in your 3G pack at the super fast speed of 4G. Yes, this is the best thing about airtel 4G.

It is totally a myth that airtel 4G is expensive and that everyone cannot afford it. The truth is that this amazing and super fast network is available at the same price of 3G. Therefore, you don’t have to think even a bit before switching on to airtel 4G.

What do you need to get airtel 4G?

All you need to experience this fastest network is a 4G ready device, a 4G SIM and a 3G data pack. You can get the SIM delivered to your home, free of charge. You just need to request for the 4G SIM in the brand new website of airtel: www.airtel.in/4G

On this website, you would get all the offerings of the product. There are several plans that you can find on the website. You can choose the one that suits you the best. Once you visit the website, you cannot wait to have your free 4G SIM which will let you use the Internet at an incredible speed.

Beautifully Chaotic!

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Beauty, memories, lessons

Languish in the heart;

Some places, like people

Are completely unforgettable

They own a piece of our heart.

The mighty, roaring sea waves

Lashing against the trees

Reminded me of the storms

That hit my life time and again

Patterns wavering, the pain not.

On a second look at the scene

The beauty became vivid to my eyes;

It instantly rang a bell within

Can chaos be beautiful?

Isn't Nature at times, beautifully chaotic?

The waves, the trees, the beach

Unfolded a new vision that day

The Henry Island turned a new page

I learned the universe is full of chaos

And that chaos can be a beauty.

Henry Island is a remote island some 130 kilometers from Kolkata. I visited the place last winter and the place definitely got imprinted in my heart. Sharing some more pictures of the place:

Linking the poem to Poets United Mid-Week Motif : Saying the Names With Love

Mirror Image

(My mirror image/best friend and me on 2nd August, 2015 Friendship Day)

Tears of betrayal

I retreated into shell

You held me gently

Stood patient until I found

A mirror image in you.

A Tanka is a Japanese poetry form which is commonly written as expressions of gratitude, love or self-expression. There are 5 syllables in the 1st line, 7 in the 2nd, 5 in the third and 7 in lines 4 and 5 (5/7/5/7/7). For detailed information on Tanka, click http://tankajournal.com/what-is-tanka/

P.S. There was a time when I was badly betrayed by a very close friend and I lost my trust in friendship. It was my best friend, Priyam who reinstated my faith. And we complete 12 years of friendship with this friendship day. This is my small dedication to her, my mirror image.

Linking this poem to Poetry Pantry #263

Celebrating 3 beautiful years of Being an Author

The month of August has always been very special to me. My first book Walking in the streets of love and destiny released in August, 2012 and my second book The Hidden Letters released in August, 2014. 

So, as the August of 2015 arrives, I realize that I am a 3 year old author now. My father pointed it out to me and told me that we must celebrate the August of every year as your author birthday month.

As my father said, I am born twice on this Earth. One on June, 1990 as Purba, the daughter of my parents and another on August, 2012 as Purba, the author. This reminds me of the famous Mark Twain quote about the 2 most important days in your life.

I cannot thank the Universe enough for showing me the purpose of my life. This is the greatest gift that the Divine has given me. Even when I am hardest hit, deceived by a dear person or pain tries to drown me in the ocean of melancholy, my art makes me feel that life is a beautiful gift. I have only this life to live as Purba, the author and so, I want to do it in the best way possible.

Looking back on my journey today, it was a tremendous roller coaster ride where there were thorns and pebbles at every turn of the road. After the turn, there were again flowers and glitters. It feels surreal to look back on my journey and realize how I have grown bit by bit, with every passing day, how the universe kept providing ink to my pen and life inspired me through pain and joy alike.

2 novels, 4 anthologies, 1 almost finished manuscript and 1 work in progress.

So, yes! 3 Beautiful Years of Growth and Learning. I wish to write till my last breath. Writing is a kind of meditation or prayer to me. When I write, I feel that I am with God. 

I wish to share in this post the 3 magical and memorable moments of my life after being an author:

1. I was travelling by bus. A co passenger was standing beside me and kept ogling at me for a long time. I started feeling uneasy, although she was a girl. Suddenly, she told me that my face looks familiar and asked me what I do for a living. I told her I am a trainee and I am also an author. That is when she revealed that she has read my 1st book recently and it's among her favorites. I was surprised to find that this reader of mine identified me through that small author photograph in my book.

2. I was delighted to see my first book in the Kolkata Book Fair, 2013. My friends and I kept posing in front of the shelf where my book was kept. Right then, a girl told me with an irksome look to move from the front and bought my book in front of me. She said to her friend that the blurb looks interesting and she is sure that the novel will be great. The girl had no idea that the author was standing right beside her on whom she was annoyed. I managed to capture the moment when she picked my book.

3. When I narrated the story of "The Hidden Letters" to my Dida (granny), I could see tears in her eyes. This was a truly magical moment for me as she loved Anaya and empathized with her, just by listening to the story. Dida requested me to translate the book in Bengali one day so that she can read it. My Dida cannot read English and I plan to get a good translator for my book soon. 

Today, I want to thank my family, friends, book reviewers, publishers and everyone who has been a part of my journey as an author. But mostly, my readers for all the innumerable mails and messages that they sent to me. They really keep me going! After all, an author doesn't have any identity without the reader.