We all are journalists

 

If you blog or tweet then you are reporter sans salary because the ones on payrolls are either too dull on creativity or over worked to use it. While your objectivity-subjectivity, perspective- criticism is at their disposal to use, publish, ‘quote-unquote’ and helps in filling space in the newspapers.

Earlier they published book- movie reviews and travelogues off the blogs. Now, every worthy, un-worthy story will have a few tweets as quotes. Be it Beti B’s arrival or Justice Markandey Katju’s comments ‘no saint without a past and no sinner without a future’ on Sunny Leone’s profession. Formula is simple -It trends, we tweet, media publishes!

 

Next time, you write anything in 144 characters, remember to read the papers next day. Who knows you have helped a journalist in distress to ‘tweerite’ a story.

The Whole Blood Story

Scene 1- Patient urgently needs blood. Needle stuck into the donor’s vein and directly transfused to the recipient. Maybe this scene from the films is so deeply imbibed into our minds that we have forgotten to educate ourselves about the right and wrong about blood donation and transfusion.

Every time I hear an announcement on the radio or read tweet ‘Urgently need units of a particular blood group, it scares me. It would you as well if you knew direct donor to recipient blood transfusions can prove to be fatal- and the cause is not limited to HIV.

Every authorized and registered blood bank has to conduct certain set of mandatory tests before blood can be issued. While most of you might be aware that blood is a carrier of many infections and can have immediate and long term affects. Did you know it’s mainly because of the White Blood Cells (WBC) contamination? And as per the Blood Safety Standards WBC content should be removed before transfusion.

Just like you would know a patient suffering from dengue will require transfusion of platelets, one of the blood components. In most cases; patients do not require whole blood. According to the International good clinical practices & National AIDS Control Organization (NACO), the blood should be separated into its various components (Packed red cell, platelets, granulocytes and CRYO- for hemophilic and coagulation protein deficiency).

Here is a check list to follow, share and keep in mind during emergency situations;

• Procure the blood components from licensed and reputed blood banks only.

• Insist on blood component alternative rather than the whole blood.

• Insist on blood which has already been tested for safety, for eg. NAT tested blood (Nucleic Acid Amplification Test) helps in ruling out HIV, Hepatitis B and C at Genetic level.

• Maintain ambient transportation conditions for blood or it’s components-please ask the blood bank for special boxes made for the purpose of transporting blood from the bank to hospital.

• Under no circumstance opt for paid for professional donation.

• Do not insist on fresh blood, as it means the blood has not been tested for various safety parameters.

Always remember, most hospitals have tie-ups with blood banks and in case they do not have a particular group in stock they will assist you in procuring it. A patient can’t be refused blood transfusion if his guardians are unable to source donors of the same group. Most banks only need replacement of the units irrespective of the blood group of the donors.

Blood and its components come at a cost because of the tests conducted
to make it ‘Near Zero Infection Free’.

If you are healthy with a hemoglobin of 11 + and meet the criteria of a donor- do it even if you are scared of a prick. You could save a life and also help kids with Thalesemia.

 

The Big Little man

Well there are some who can pull you out of your shell and there is one who comes, kicks in the backside and pushes you out of the slumber… for those who already don’t know, this is my very own Dr. D

Though she is in pursuit of becoming a ‘good doctor’ isn’t that an oxymoron? And little or no time for just about everybody, she found some for the blog. The biggest hit on my blog was her first guest post for me and well, I will like to see this one breaking her previous record.

So I logged in my blog after months to publish ‘The Big Little man’… feels awesome to be here and make me feel better with your lovely comments…!

He grew up in physical form alright,
Not too braced, not too fragile;

The boy had grown up too soon, never looking at what he reflected;

In that weak moment, where he didn’t see his face fall
The world’s twisted ways, had his attention deflected;

Satisfied in his decadence;
He forgot to veil, what he thought was only his to see;

His eloquence couldn’t hide the hollowness of his eyes,
Or the darkness that had seeped inside;

The emptiness within gnawed his life,
But mortal love didn’t bring as much atonement,
As the souvenirs gathered from sordid fights

The big man and his big dreams;
Basked in his mementoes’ gleam;
The gleam that faded at nightfall,
Never ceasing to remind him of the cold otherside

Green-O-Con(test)

When was the last time you used an Organic Product?
Always wanted to use one but didn’t know where to find one?
Got one, but, darn! it just wasn’t organic!

Green-O-Con

Well! Well! Well! We have loads to give you to satiate that Organic Bug. All you need to do is write, click and win!

Ek Titli, Rustic Art and Ginger Chai bring to you an environmental awareness contest this September.

So who can participate?
Bloggers and non-bloggers.

Bloggers would write the contest topic in their respective blogs where as non-bloggers can register in café.gingerchai.com, and publish their contest article there.

Duration of the contest:
4 weeks. 1 contest a week spanning 4 weeks.

The topic would be announced on one Thursday (Starting 1st September) and the last date of submission would be the following Wednesday.

Schedule:
Total time frame: 1st Sept to 30th Sept
Week 1: 1st to 7th

Week 2: 8th to 14th
Week 3: 15th to 21st
Week 4: 22nd to 29th

Contest topics:
Topics to be announced on 1st, 8th, 15th, 22nd of September

Declaration of results:
Winners to be announced on 10th (1st week), 17th (2nd week), 24th (3rd week), 2nd Oct (4th week)

Prizes:
Two winners per week:
1st Prize – Rs 1000 worth of goods,

2nd Prize – Rs 500 worth of goods sponsored by Rustic Art.

Judging criteria:
The entries would be judged on the basis of following criteria:

1. Content
2. Presentation
3. Grammar
4. Flow and,
5. Impact

About our Partners:

Rustic Art is a brand of Organic, Natural & Handmade products that are soft on the skin and environment. They are here to spread the ‘organic’ word.

 

 

Ginger Chai is an e-zine that brings a kaleidoscopic view of the world and beyond for you, me and we. A collaborative effort of multi- authors delivering a vibrant bouquet of articles. We have something for everyone to read, so come sip our thoughts!

 

To participate/follow updates on the contest click here, or follow us on Facebook & Twitter.

Contribute:

If you wish to have your work published at Ek Titli, please click here for more details.

Time Out reveals secrets behind Delhi’s Belly

Everyone is always interested to know what goes on behind the scene or closed doors or in the kitchen? Pick-up the latest issue of Time Out (Delhiedition) and you will know what I mean. For the un-aware Time Out is a fortnightly city magazine which is known for doing anonymous reviews and pays for them too.

 

They conducted a dipstick survey with the 30 top chefs in the city. So what if they haven’t made it public who those 30 are, it is a dhasoo survey with double dhamka results… Okay, Okay, I am getting carried away in the excitement but If you were in my place you wouldn’t react differently either if you read:

• The world famous Dal Bukhara is Non-Vegetarian

• Finally the word is out- Olive Bar & Kitchen is one of the most overrated restaurant. Ha! you don’t need to be a food blogger, critic or a chef to say this but then no one took my word on it…

• Mamagoto- Serves the best bean salad- Now didn’t I tell you this as well http://wp.me/pyzGT-9P. Looks like I can claim to be a food blogger now

• Vikram Khatri, one of the best chefs in the making- I agree! He knows Japanese food at the back of his hand, understands a guest’s preferences, is media savvy and makes awesome food.  I have had a few meals prepared by him when he worked with a Five Star, his previous job. But Bakshish Dean as an upcoming chef, still? He’s been around for as long as I learnt F for food.

• For more go pick-up your copy

All the questions in the survey are bang on; they have not worried about hurting sentiments or damaging top of the line restaurant reputations. I say, Time Out got its recipe right on this one. Right mix of spices is equal to a dish which appeals to all- senses!

Raghu Karnad, this issue of Time Out is answer to all awards, rewards, ratings, rantings,reviews, praises given till date to everything that has little worth, value for money or is over-hyped & priced in Delhi-NCRs F&B industry.

We want you to do a similar one on the media. Unveil its real face and unravel the mystery which makes these journalists believe they are no less than demi gods! Basically what makes ‘Media’ a dirty word today and don’t mince your words on this one either!

For all those 30 chefs, if I knew who you were I would make it a point to visit your restaurant.

O Master grant that I may never seek, To be loved as to love with all my soul

An instant connect with someone you met for the first time in your life but feels you have known this person forever? Have you experienced Deja Vu moments? Have you ever thought that there are experiences from your past life influencing your present one? A guest post from Vaibhav Dugar, a telecom engineer, blogger, entrepreneur, farmer, co-founder of  Ek Titli and a friend & confidant to me…

I was running in a queue in a dark tunnel that had fire lamps at regular intervals on the wall. There was a similar queue running in the other direction. A deep sense of fear and chaos prevailed. I was running towards an opening that was filled with frequent bursts of light; light from the explosions around our city. We were under attack by barbarians who loot and kill and eventually destroy the city.

I was scrambling on the floor, looking at my killer on a horse back with a long gigantic spear. I scrambled to avoid the inevitable. There were cries of pain and tremendous fear in the air. As the spear was drawn to strike me, I heard a scream. Someone was shouting my name. She was screaming relentlessly looking for me. I met her eyes.
She was in tremendous pain. A rope tied across her legs was pulling her down a slope. Face down and being dragged she was searching for me and screaming my name, until our eyes met.

I served the King, a kind and a noble man. While I laid down the fruits from the platter on his table I noticed someone at the door, looking at me. She shyly looked away and giggled; and in a breath she was gone. She was serving the Princess of the kingdom.
We frequently met at the courtyard while doing our regular chores, exchanging glances and smiles. In the silence something beautiful blossomed. In the dark hallway, I held her close to me. The light from the fire lamp made her look so divinely pure and serene. As we held each other’s hands, and our fingers touched, I gently kissed her on her lips.

No words can describe how I felt. Her eyes overflowed with love for me and it shone with light. She hugged me to complete what we witnessed so over-powering that evening.

The farms were huge, as huge as your visions could stretch. She was running amongst the yellow flowers, while the wind blew through her hair and filled the air with her beautiful smell. The clear blue sky and the sun rays blessed us as they reflected the love in the air. I humbly chased her as she ran into the fields with open arms, naughtily teasing me while she ran like a kid and moved like a bird. I was beaming with joy and love. I caught up with her and as we fell on the soft, grassy field the world came to a standstill.

I still see that look in her eyes, the love that I now call Divine. As we came in divine unity, every atom of my soul, every cell of my body vibrated with this love that we so beautifully shared. I was filled with this light of love. We lay all bare, hugging each other. I noticed she had peacefully slept on my arm. I looked at this Angel teaching me Love, while I moved my fingers on her face and lovingly kissed her forehead. I slept hugging her, in unison as her gentle warm breath filled my face and put me to sleep.

I was running in a queue with fear and worry in my mind. I couldn’t find her ever since the chaos erupted. I was at the granary when the uprising arose. People were running everywhere, and screaming with fear. I ran looking for her, but couldn’t find her.
I heard her screams while she was being pulled down the slope. Our eyes met, and we never stopped looking at each other. Amidst all the fear and pain in the air, her eyes filled with love as soon as she saw me. I was in love.

With a powerful thrust, a long spear went through the back of her neck. I screamed feeling her pain, tears rolled down my eyes; my hands stretched towards her.

The blow was sudden. It tore through the flesh of my heart, and my bones snapped with the jolt. I could feel the blades of the spear wrench through my flesh and tear it. My chest burnt and I spurt out blood. My eyes didn’t leave her and neither did hers. They looked at me the way they always did.

She turned over as the spear was drawn out from her neck. She looked at me; the love was so overpowering that we couldn’t feel the pain. Another blow of the spear went through her chest; her eyes didn’t leave me; I saw the love in us. I cried and screamed her name. I held the spear in my chest and stretched my hands towards her, desperately trying to move and run towards her, until another blow of the spear went through my stomach. My body shook with pain. I was pinned to the yellowish floor. I looked at her while my shoulders gave way, my neck sagged and my head went down. There was not a finch of pain in our eyes. She felt so complete and at peace looking into my eyes. Only love for me, the way I’ve always seen it.
Her eyes slowly closed; my head dropped on the floor and as I continued to look at her, life slowly neared its end. The world stopped yet again as my eyes gently closed taking me through all the memories of her shyness, her giggles, the hall way, running in the fields, looking at the Beautiful Angel while she slept in my arms.

Love prevailed as I moved from darkness onto light.

I am loved ever so beautifully as she did and I love as purely and divinely as she taught me to.

 

Read it? Go back and read again as someone’s real life experience. The post is based on Vaibhav’s Past Life Regression session 

Waiting

1. To discover new flavours & dine out at a new restaurant/ café ( My pick Spaghetti Kitchen Bistro)

2. For the Season Sales to start- Can’t wait to start striking off stuff on my ‘To Buy’ list

3. To finish the Ramayna Series by Ashok Banker & start The Secret of the Nagas by Amish Tripathi

4. To visitBangalore, Pune, Chennai, Gangtok (the order can be reversed

5. To write a story or a rapchik blog post

6. To work on a stimulating, full of excitement project

7. To go dancing and clubbing yet again

8. For Rains…. Lots of it!!

9. To hug, chat, gossip, share some more hugs with Dr. D

10. To go on a breakfast date with Dr. D.

11. To do point 1, 2, 4, 7 with Dr. D

August 7 come soon!

 

Besharmi Morcha? A practical joke

In January this year a Toronto policeman’s remark that ‘women should avoid dressing like sluts to avoid being be victimized’ led to this international walk of shame ‘The Slut Walk‘ Till date it has been organized in US,Canada,UK,Australia,Africa,Asia andEurope. 

Nineteen year old Umang Sabharwal is now organizing this protest march of sorts inDelhinext month. To make it a mass movement and more ‘Indianized’ it has been renamed as ‘Besharmi Morcha’. So as the concept suggests; “dress-up the way you do or in a rebellious fashion and declare (as if it matters) that just because my clothes are too short or reveal; more than you can handle, I am subject to possible harassment!” 

The problem is not with the ‘why’ behind the walk-It’s obvious, duh! Clothes got nothing to do with uninvited sexual moves. It doesn’t matter what you wear because: 

• Rape in marriage is not an unheard thing
• Physical, verbal abuse happens in every one out of five houses inIndiaand is worse than being called a slut
• Sexual assault on young children is reported so often ( in some cases by their own family members)
• Women are killed for marrying a man of their choice- In the name of honor
• Female infanticide is rampant
• Uninvited advances by men in office has become a common worry factor

I haven’t seen a woman who breastfeeds her child in bus, train or in a public place get embarrassed or feel ashamed of her act.  

Get real!! Instead of taking out a besharmi morcha which says ‘I will wear a tank top; too bad if you can’t handle it’- we live with and witness many more ‘ how dare he’ issues, think about a walk, morcha, talk, even a mention about them???  Ah but that’s not what will make to the news, the walk has all the required ingredients to make for a page 1 picture or a 5 minute news clip!!

 I couldn’t care less about proving this point because I am no Slut …errr… Besharam! And for those who are participating, doubting yourself are you??

 

Turns Two!!

I have had dreams so pristine clear for me to put them on paper,

And there have been periods when the connection just snapped,

Work took precedence & affair took  a back seat,

Till I realized it’s joyful to steal moments from my day and talk self,

With this; my affair with words turns two!

Till my next.. here is a feast for your eyes!!!

Confessions of a ShopiZen

The one who said shopping is an addiction definitely belonged to Mars who knew nothing about the pleasures one derives from it. Shopping has a balmy effect on the heart, its soothing! Like I say Zen is the philosophy of effortlessness, so is shopping, it makes you happy till it lasts and leaves you with things to feel good about.

Spend if you have, eye them if you don’t. After all, just looking and deriving pleasure is free. And imagine if a glimpse of something can make you smile, how delightful it will be to own it? Oh, I don’t go splurging, but aren’t clothes, shoes, accessories, bags, linen, home decor articles et al things of utility?

Our feet need no direction when they step inside a mall, the invigorating fragrances from Body Shop will take us there. That tee with the catchy ‘HORN Ok Please’ will make heads turn. But, how about getting organic cosmetic care products of the best quality and at reasonable prices sitting at home? Won’t it be nice to sip coffee in that flamboyantly designed colourful mug? Well, your search ends here

Check out Rustic Art – They are nature lovers who make products free off chemicals, machines, animal testing, animal fat and even artificial fragrances & colors. Rustic offers a variety of handmade organic soaps, oils, shampoos etc. I swear by their products and now you know why I smell like vanilla these days . Just click, order and they deliver! In three words they are- Affordable Quality Products!

Have you heard about Chumbak? If you haven’t then click here to see what you have missing out on Chumbak- They are Arty, tastefully funky and for a price-conscious person like me- who wants it all, yet wouldn’t like to spend thousands. They have a variety of queer items and accessories which are perfect gifts options. I bet you click on it once and you are hooked to it. The ‘Chumbak’ indeed works effectively!!

Instead of wondering why a post about the joys of shopping. Go look and find the answer for yourself!

Disclaimer- I buy in moderation and maintain a list of things I need and want – make a budget and pick-up things accordingly. I suggest, you do the same.. Remember greed led to the murder of the bird that laid the golden egg

Do you know of any such off-beat products, brands? Do share the link or tell us there whereabouts.