The stamp is a globe and round in shape.

I wish I visit this beautiful state of Montana someday.

I received a postcard today from Dandenong, Victoria, Australia. Dandenong is a suburb of Melbourne and brought back the memories of the charming city. The lovely postcard was sent by 68 year old Wendy who lives in Dandenong. Second card to my collection.

Postcard from Dandenong.

Kookaburra on the Aussie stamp

Fathers are always close to daughters and daughters have a special untold attachment with fathers. My mother still narrates an incident I used to fall sick when my dad used to travel or not at home. My father has been the man behind my success and a supportive pillar in whatever tasks I undertake. I am what I am today because of his constant encouragement.

I had to wait for good things, until the time favored me. Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet. 

People I trusted the most betrayed me. My father had consoled to me saying: Never trust anyone completely but God. Love people, but put your full trust only in God. Trust, but verify.

Never lie, never cheat, never steal. When people cheat in any arena, they diminish themselves-they threaten their own self-esteem and their relationships with others by undermining the trust they have in their ability to succeed and in their ability to be true

Always be thankful to god for whatever you are today. Be thankful that you are able to step into a new day, the food you get, the money you splurge, finally, the sleep you get. The essence of all beautiful art, all great art, is gratitude. 

Always be on time and avoid being late. Punctuality is the soul of business.


When someone insults you, you don't deserve it. Give it back right then no matter who it is. What you do is what you get. 

Save money to make a living NOT to an extent that the money rules you. Never run behind money, you might lose other important things in life.


Always control your anger. Anger has caused great epics like Mahabharata.. Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned.
There are millions of people dying due to hunger. Never waste food and respect the food you get. Annam Brahma is a famous Sanskrit saying that the food is equivalent to god.

I can pen down many lessons I have learned from my father ever since I was a child. I am cutting it short to ten for time being. These lessons have helped me grow into a good person. Thanks daddy, for correcting me every time I made a mistake and helped me grow stronger to face the corrupt and challenging world!

I have something to tell you,
I have ignored you for the past,
I have realized my mistakes,
I have hurt you the most,
I have made you cry.

I have something to tell you,
I am going to change,
I must be given a chance,
I am going to keep you happy.

I have something to tell you,
I have made a promise.
I will fulfill them soon.

PS: My first attempt on poetry from prose. Let me know your opinion.

This post is a part of Write Over the Weekend, an initiative for Indian Bloggers by BlogAdda 

I received the first postcard today via postcrossing and was happy to see the thoughtful card from Singapore.

First card from Singapore: SG-105750

SGP stamp: Black Marsh Terrapin, a turtle

I love collecting stamps and have admired the Singapore stamps with the animals on them which always look colorful.

I was invited to a friend's baby shower while I was overseas. Baby showers are done to bless the expectant mother and the to be born child's well being. The baby's room was decorated with pink colored balloons, written with "Its a girl" and the walls were painted baby pink. They were happily waiting to welcome their new born daughter which they learned during the scanning.

In our country, the rate of female infanticide is high and many parents in the rural areas think it is still a curse to give birth to a girl child and only sons will take care of them till their last breath. Unless, the boys are treated in a similar way, there wouldn't be a new dawn.
I hope, someday, the mothers of the sons, realize that, without girls they wouldn't be able to find a daughter-in-law and the family tree would end.

Stop killing an unborn and the dreams of a mother for her daughter.

People love to have a Mother, a Wife and of course a girlfriend to.. but why not a Daughter?

This post has been written for Ring The Bell in association with Indiblogger.

What would you react when a bunch of friends want you to treat them in a short notice with the home made food? Can I deny? No I can't. Guests are sometimes uninvited.

It was a college get together and 8 of them declared that they would talk, eat and dance at my home over the weekend. I was worried what to prepare and where to organise the party as I had clean up, go the the veggie market, buy the fruits and vegetables, see what is in the kitchen and what not, make a list and head to the provision stores. If I had to clean and cook, there was no chance that I would get ready by 6 in the evening. I decided the best place to have the party will be the terrace where my friends could breathe the fresh air and listen to the light instrumental music in the background. Since most of us are busy in talks or gossips, no one pays attention to what is being played. The girls had agreed to dress themselves as the actress in the 1970s Bollywood movies which is always fun to dress up. This would be followed the the DJ Night with the latest hits where I can play my favorite hit songs which I carefully picked and placed on my iPod connected to the Bose speakers.

Seeing me rush to the veggie market, my neighbour suggested why I wouldn't order for the most trusted brand ITC's Kitchens of India currys and masala mixes as they provide a doorstep delivery. Instead of going to the market, I placed an order immediately for the mouthwatering dishes which I had planned for. As all of us are vegetarians, this was my final list:
Starters:
Baby Corn Manchuri
Tomato Soup
Sev Puri
Papad
Main course:
Dal Bhukara
Mughlai Paneer
Paneer Darbari - for the hot spicy lovers
Vegetable Biryani Masala Mix
Curd Rice with Tadka - made by me :)
Hot Mango Chutney - How can you have curd rice without this?
Desserts:
Hazoori Petha Halwa
Gadbad icecream
Cool drinks:
Mango Lassi - This is everyone's all time favorite
Coca Cola


Having placed the order online, I went ahead to prepare the rice in the rice cooker and roll and bake the rotis. I chopped carrots, onions, cucumber, tomatoes and lemon etc.. which was for salad. For starters, tomato soup, Baby corn manchuri and papad. In no time, the food was ready.
The Kitchens of India packs come with a free CD which contains recipes for the Indian food on the purchase of 2 packs.

Next time when I want to host a party, I know how easy it is to arrange the best food and make the guests happy with the mouthwatering food. ;)

Images from Kitchens of India website.

This post is written for MyWeekendParty contest by Kitchens of India in association with Indiblogger.

I bought the MOR Marshmallow Body Cream while I was in Australia during a sale. I had never tried the Marshmallow body cream and decided to buy this before I traveled to India.

What MOR says about this product:
A silky, whipped body cream designed for intense absorption, with emollient to soothe & protect dry skin. The luxurious moisturising experience lingers throughout the day with a delicate, soft sweet scent
Body Cream - Ingredients and Key Benefits - Contains rich Rosehip and Wheat Germ to heal the skin
- Soybean & Avocado Oils assist to regenerate the skin
- Free of Parabens & Sulphate
- Contains Cocoa & Shea Butter for superior moisture
- This body cream product is not tested on animals
The Fragrance
Marshmallow is collectively orchestrated with Vanilla Musk and Jasmine Flower that gloriously rapture in this pretty, feminine fragrance. Sugar dipped Rose petals with White Carnation and Cotton Candy play beautifully to create a deliciously sweet perfume

MOR Marshmallow Body Cream

The cream has a great fragrance and leaves the skin soft and supple. I have applied the cream daily in the morning during the morning after bath.

How the cream looks

Cream blends well with the skin

Quantity: 250 ml

Price: 32 USD

Overall rating: 5/5

Patanjali Face-wash is claimed to be an Ayurvedic face wash with no chemicals. It contains Orange peel, Neem, Tulsi & Aloe Vera. The face wash works great on an oily skin and removes the dirt leaving a clear skin. I used this face-wash twice daily, once in the morning after reaching office and once in the evening after reaching home.

Patanjali Face wash

Patanjali Face wash: Made in Bharat

Quantity: 60g

Price: Rs 60

Available at all Patanjali stores.

Overall rating: 4/5

I applied the O.P.I Nail Lacquer nail polish sampler weighing 3.75ml. Single coat looks very light and I have applied 3 coats to get the below color. Its been three days that I have applied and the color hasn't faded.





Full size: 15ml

Cost: Rs 520.

The nail polish is long lasting with 2-3 coats.

Overall rating: 4/5

[Gandalf joins]

Gandalf: I could sense something going wrong.

Me: Yes, you're right. After you left us, it has become too hard on Middle Earth to communicate to Heaven.

Gandalf: Aah, I am always available on wechat. You can leave a voice message on this id.

Me: Sounds great.

Hermione: M, have you searched for the ring all over your house? I am sure, it would have fallen somewhere or either stolen by Gollum?

Me: Yes, I did, I am afraid, its not at the home. Someone's stolen. Hope its not Gollum, who always yells, "We loves the precious". He could misuse it once the rings falls into his hands.

Hermione: Let me ask Genie. He must know.

[Genie joins out of the lamp]


Genie: What is the reason that you woke me at 2 am in the morning. **yaaawn**

Me: You know the ring that Gandalf had handed over to me is lost?

Genie: Really? Its not the time to joke! Lets talk about this in the morning. I think I should switch off my phone before getting into the lamp.

Me: Genie, I know only you can find it within no time.

Genie: But not at this time, I am tired working 8 hours a day and commuting for 3 hours. This is out of my business hours and you need to pay me an overtime.

Me: Done. But first find the ring.

Hermione: Give me some details as when you lost the ring.

Me: I was fast asleep when the maid came this morning. After she left, I realized that the ring is gone. She might be the culprit but I am not sure.

Genie: Ok. Leave it to me, I will search the maids house and get back to you.

[Few hours later]

Genie: I searched every nook and corner of the house, I couldn't find anything except a few drops of blood.

Me: This is really surprising.

[The maid messages]

Maid: I will not be able to come to the work from now on.

Me: Duh? All of sudden.

Maid: ***sobs*** I cannot do any housekeeping when I am injured.

Me: ***Astonished*** What happened to you?

Maid: I was cleaning the house and noises pulled me towards an usual ring. I had never seen such a beautiful ring I was so tempted that I wore it. Even my husband has never gifted me any such so far. As I walked out of the house, this weird creature Gollum attacked me and stole the ring. I fell down injured and now in the hospital. God paid back the cos of stealing.

Me: Genie, you know what to do next.

[After an hour]

Genie: I had to fight Gollum to get back the ring. I am sure he will come here again to get the ring.

Me: Gandalf, I cannot take this risk.

Gandalf: Dumbledore is the best person who can help you after me.

[Dumbledore joins]

Dumbledore: I can keep it safe. I promise.

Me: The burden on my shoulders is reduced.

Dumbledore: You can now had a sound sleep without worrying much. But when I am out, you have to still guard it in few circumstances and Hermione will help us out.


[Vicki joins]

Vicki: I am coming home tomorrow. My batteries are replaced and I am fully charged. You don't need a human maid any longer.

Me: Vicki, I am so happy that you're back.






Me: I am inviting you dine and wine on the occasion of finding the ring and Vicki coming back. Do confirm your presence. Either text me or leave a voice message on WeChat

I have been applying the OFRA Hydrating Mask which is made in USA, a sampler weighing 7 ml. I have an oily skin but a clear face. After the usage of this mask for a couple of times, I find the oil to be reduced. It is recommended that you apply the mask at least once a week to see the result.

What is the product about? (on their website) 

Ofra Cosmetic Laboratories’ Whitening Mask is cuitable for all skin types as well as sensitive skin. It is specially formulated to treat skin discoloration and pigmentation (dark spots) and will also help to refine lines. The antioxidant formula will eliminate dull, tired skin. This creamy mask absorbs excess sebum but does not dry out the skin.
How to apply?

Cost of the full product: Rs 2,450

Quantity of the full product: 50 ml.

Overall product rating: 4/5