Lifestyle
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Wildflower – Anxious, Alone, Yet Always Available
She is termed anxious, She is the one who gets the jitters. She is despised for not holding up the reins of her mind But are the reins of her life actually hers? Anxiety – Often more misunderstood than addressed! Why do we see often see more women having issues managing anxiety? Is she genetically wired like that? Or is it her conditioning which gradually makes her like that? And our first tryst with someone having uncontrollable anxiety is mostly – our moms. By the time, a woman realizes and understands the depth of her mother’s condition, she is almost dealing with anxiety herself. This is bound to happen when…
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One Habit That I Want to Change and Another I Am Proud Of – A Personal Journal
It has been more than a year, since I last wrote a blog in Wander Bird. I still don’t know why. They use a term called “Writer’s block”, but I don’t think I was experiencing that. I was not stuck midway. I had just lost the urge to sit down and write. Maybe, the mind was unknowingly very pre-occupied. Only a writer understands how a peace of mind is the only requirement to be able to write. That’s when the words flow at its supreme best, just like the river flowing its natural flow to meet the ocean. Today, if I sit down to think of it, there can be…
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How I Felt When I Completed 10 Years in the Same Company
I didn’t realise when it became 26-Sep-2021 and I had completed 10 years at Infosys just like that. Reliving Memories It felt like yesterday, when I was sitting in the induction program at the Multiplex in Infosys Mysore and was feeling on top of the world when the famous anthem of Infosys started playing – “This is my Infy. This is your Infy.” And it was a very well-known rumour in my batch those days that the singer of this Infosys anthem was Celine Dion. I still don’t know who the actual singer is. But yes, I remember the exact feels on that day in 2011. And I still get goosebumps on…
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The Unending Saga of Women and Their Love Hate Fascination With Hair
It is 2021 with an ongoing lockdown phase for about 1.5 years now and I just received my ’nth parcel from Amazon. And guess what it is! Another one of those organic, natural and ‘sulfate-free’ shampoo and conditioner packs, promising stronger roots and voluminous hair this time! I won’t mention names, lest it starts sounding like a sponsored post. But let us put it this way. My intense market analysis and product research, in between work calls, helped me zero down on this one product and then the heart said – “Let’s try it. Because, why not?” Mind you, this so-called analysis spans a cumulative duration of 5-10 minutes per…
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An Inward Journey – Need Of The Hour
What exactly runs in a person’s mind just minutes before taking away his own life? Does he feel numb or does he feel angry? Is he agitated or is he absolutely calm? Does he feel alive or is he dead already? Amidst the chaotic mess of random speculations, a zillion thoughts cross my mind. But I can only find a deafening silence within. What state of mind exactly leads one to suicide will remain an eternal mystery. Perhaps, the best that we can do is – take a pause and head for an INWARD JOURNEY within. Recently, on a bright Sunday morning, we lost a very prominent young Indian actor.…
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Making ‘Roti’ in Indian Households : Whose Job Is It Actually?
Recently, I read a very interesting take on roti making in India. It defined the whole process of making ‘roti’ (read : Indian flatbread made from wheat flour) and how it weaves magic in Indian households. Apparently, no meal seems to be complete without the quintessential ‘roti’ or ‘chapati’ after all. And yes, we even have variations in the form of parathas, kulchas, pooris etc. as part of the Indian cuisine. But nothing has ever been as regular a feature in Indian meals as the good-old ‘roti’. I had just wrapped up work and blissfully reading away random blogs in the late evening. And this particular post immediately made me…
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WOMEN OF TOMORROW – Are we grooming kids the right way?
Gender inequality has existed across the world since ages. Men and women have never been considered as two equally contributing wheels in the cycle of life. So, let’s just face it, without sounding preachy. Well, we don’t have any control over whatever has happened and there’s absolutely no point brooding and fighting over who did what and the so-called distorted facts from history. But what we have a solid control on now, is the opportunity to inculcate the most basic value of equality within our kids. An EQUALITY which simply means ‘being equal’, with no discrimination based on caste, social status, region, nation and most importantly gender! Kids have the…
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5 Best Travel Apps Every Woman Traveler Must Have
Gone are the days when “Are you going alone?” or “Is it safe for women?” are the questions which are asked again and again by families whenever women plan women-only or solo trips. Travel apps and other technologies have played a very important part to eliminate safety and other concerns of women travelers. There are many travel apps available now that help find partners to go on trips or are geared towards increasing the level of women’s safety or help make your trip as hassle-free as possible. Below mentioned are some travel apps for women which will ensure that you have a trip of a lifetime. Sheroes: Are you an…
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Top 10 Places to Shop in the UK
Shopping isn’t just a hobby, it has become our necessity. Some people shop from small retailers and some like to do shopping from huge shopping malls. You can also buy things online through various online shopping websites
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Cruising For A Bruising In My Rocking 30s
As I sit to pen down my thoughts today, I realise that it is 10th August 2019. Tomorrow, I will officially turn 31. Yes, that’s my age for the records! I’m not too sure if mentioning one’s biological age openly, is within the brackets of ‘etiquettes’ or not. Honestly, I don’t even care. I have never shied away from telling my age, by giving a blatant excuse stating ‘you should never ask a woman her age’. I mean – duh uh! It is not a big deal. Anyway, all that matters is your mental age – what and how you feel from inside. It has been a strangely hot and…
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How I Turned My Life Around Even On A Depressing Dependent Visa (H4) in USA
Taking that decision to shift base to USA, without going to office at all – on an H4 visa, was not an easy call. And heading straight into a sudden break from a hectic corporate work schedule made that role transition in life, even more difficult. Backdrop of My Travel on an H4 Visa I travelled to USA on Nov 1, 2017 with an H4 visa. Back then, I was not quite a believer of long distance marriages (well, I still have my reservations there!) and was a flag-bearer of ‘no-matter-what-couples-live-together’ policy. Prior to this, I was working in Singapore, in a well-salaried and full-fledged role of a software developer-cum-analyst,…
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Mom, I celebrate you everyday, not just today – #HappyMothersDay
It was a regular sign off from a working day and I was on my way back home. My bus was filled with people from various walks of life and bustling with endless chatter. Luckily, the AC was a huge relief on a typical humid Bhubaneswar evening in the month of March. Just then, a friend messaged me about this beautiful campaign – “From Ma, With Love” by One Future Collective. It was celebrating recollections of feminist tales and lessons, passed down to us, by our mother and a beautiful tribute to moms on Mother’s Day. This reminded me of Ma’s glass of lemonade which must be ready by the…
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Take A Vow To Love Yourself This Valentine’s!
Happy Valentine’s Day Folks! Today, as I logged into social media, my feed was filled with Valentines Day messages, couple pictures, some people giggling and calling this public display of affection unnecessary, some naming them as attention-seekers, some actually seeking for that attention, some celebrating their single status, some celebrating with family and what not! Amidst these million posts, I came across a post from a woman in her 30s, who gifted a solitaire to herself this Valentine’s! Such a subtle yet powerful message there – Celebrating your own existence in life! She’s celebrating herself today and proclaimed that with elan. I have strongly believed that self-love is not selfish…
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“That Unconditional Love for My Best Friend” – The Best #LoveStory Ever
Here’s a fictional short story on the essence of unconditional love – the best feeling ever! “It needs immense strength to give, without expecting anything in return (not even appreciation). And the day, you can give such unconditional love, is the day you free your soul.” ~ A Believer. It was my first day in graduate school, and I stepped into the premises with loads of excitement. Few moments later, my eyes caught a glimpse of a tall guy, with unkempt hair and a flustered look writ on his face. A thought flashed through my mind – Yes! This was the same guy I’d met outside a coaching institute almost…
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“A Heart’s First Flutter” – An Ode to that uncanny vibe of LOVE
Disclaimer : Please note that I have never been a poet and hardly have any poetic flair. This particular post is a consequence of relentless encouragement from a woman of substance, who kept prodding me to pursue writing from my heart. We have never been close friends and were introduced on rather strange circumstances at some point in our lives. Our relationship from that day to today, has come a long way. Today, I look up to her as a major inspiration and influence in my life. And ofcourse, this post is dedicated to the man who has been my rock-solid anchor in life. I could not have asked for…
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“An Unplanned Pregnancy Changed My Life Forever” – An Honest Confession of a Young Working Woman
In the cacophony of a busy day, my phone blinked with a message – “I have some news for you.” And before I could even think of guessing, there was another message in my inbox. It stated – “I am expecting.” I was thrilled. I was actually feeling ecstatic, rather even that would be an understatement. The message was from an old colleague from work, with whom I had not even chatted for more than a year maybe. Even if we are not the closest of friends, she was always like a constant travel-buddy in all my trips. She would always be my travel roommate and secretly, I was quite…
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Public Opinion – Yes, We Are A Country Obsessed With BODY WEIGHT!
This is a sequel to the last post in the Social and Lifestyle segment of WANDER BIRD – “19 Things People Say When You Are Lean ~ The Saga of Being Thin”. This has been the most popular post so far, with thin people exactly relating to each point mentioned in this article. Rather, they even sent me few more hilarious comments which they’ve personally experienced for being lean. Even if I plan to put all the new details in a fresh post, the list will be unending. This made me realise, how casually people have normalised an abnormal behaviour of taunting or nagging someone constantly for his/her body weight.…
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19 Things People Say When You are Lean ~ The Saga of “BEING THIN”
Having been slightly underweight almost all my life, I have come across a volley of sarcastic comments, concerned advice, unwelcome suggestions and what not for committing a crime of sorts – the crime of “being THIN”. We are a nation where food is given utmost importance (which is great), resulting in a wide variety of cuisine available to be explored in a single country. Consequently, being thin in this country is almost treated as a crime. People will not bother if you are healthy (literally) or have never suffered from any ailments in your lifetime. The moment you come in their range of vision, they just have to blurt out…