#KnowYourRights campaign

Our Indian society, its cultural norms and attitude per say has always reflected the patriarchal thought process. Sometimes I think it is a sheer oxymoron that we personify the Indian nation as a female while the societal hierarchy system is predominantly male. However, I would definitely agree with current chorus that the Indian society imbalance is changing. But the larger question is, has that anyway changed the thinking of general mass? It could be “yes” and “no” at the same time.

Baby's happy freedom

Parenting is the art of understanding unspoken words. This is the basic learning I have got seeing the newly crowned parents in my family and friend's circle. There is so much that babies say through their actions to communicate. All that parents wish is the ability to decipher that communication and keep their babies happy.

In the process of early stage nurturing, dresses and diaper play an important role. So often, these are the reason for babies being cranky and crying all the time. A cloth diaper or wet diaper, harsh to the baby’s skin adds to their irritation if the dress is already prickly. If they could, they would just take off and throw away such diaper and dresses. However, they cannot. In such moments parents need to understand their babies’ irritation and act accordingly.

Five ways to protect a baby's skin

I live with three generations of mothers – my grandma, my mother and my sisters. Each of them have their nuances of nurturing their baby. So, when I thought to write for “Blog for Pampers #SoftestForBabySkin” I decided to Google all three of them.

The answers were many. However, I decided to consolidate and present to you top five of my learnings on protecting the soft skin of a baby.

Real Togetherness beyond the virtual world

Every time there is a festive season around the corner, we find the corporate world vying to increase sales. One effective way has been television (TV) advertisements (ads) for them.

Cometh the festivals, cometh the emotional ads.

This strategy has certainly worked for years now. With our generation getting closer in the virtual network and apart in the real world, has given advertising minds the required fodder for such ads. So many us are away from home and crave to be near our dear ones, mostly during the festive season. These ads cleverly play with emotions at the right time. Most of us feel the essence of the ads. I do not know how many such leads are converted into sales for the companies. However, many do give their home a call.

When I heard about the Kissanpur – Real Joy of Togetherness initiative video, I thought this was again one such festival strategy. It is true, I was biased by the trend. However, on seeing the video I learnt it is not a festival targeting emotional ad. It is an ad showing us the reflection of what we have become as humans and as a society. This thought being propagated by a brand that is a household name in India will definitely have a larger impact. The video strongly stands by what @KissanIndia believes in - 'We taste good, we look good and we do good'

Blog-A-Rhythm_Wordy Wednesday - I can't believe it

When I participated in the Tornado Giveaway II this August, organized by The Book Club, it was all for the excitement. It was via a fellow blogger, Shantala @ Shanaya Tales that I got to know about this Giveaway. I was certain it would be a mammoth experience to learn about over 900 books from 80 authors. The process was simple. Follow the authors, tweet about their books and register in the Rafflecopter. The books in the list were remarkable. Therefore, tweeting and spreading the word was more out of interest than task compulsion of the Giveaway.

Blog-A-Rhythm_Wordy Wednesday - What goes around, comes around

In life, there is always a cycle of chain reactions. I have been a believer of this since childhood. I have guarded my "karma" accordingly. 

55 Fiction - A Jolly soul

This post has been published by me as a part of Blog-a-Ton 56; the fifty-sixth edition of the online marathon of Bloggers; where we decide and we write.

Doodle_Shree Ganesh

TWEET this!
CORE IDEA - Shree Vinayak Chathurthi
STYLE - Doodle Art
MEDIUM - Pencil, Pen and Ink
BRANDS -
-o Sakura PIGMA MICRON (01,03,05 - Archival Ink)
-o Studio Art Mechanical Pencil

Doodle_Office

TWEET this!
CORE IDEA - Day-to-day office events and items
STYLE - Doodle Art
MEDIUM - Pencil, Pen and Ink
BRANDS -
-o Sakura PIGMA MICRON (01,03,05 - Archival Ink)
-o Studio Art Mechanical Pencil

Doodling is often referred as scribbled drawings. This usually involves drawings that we do while absent minded. Newspaper sideline or corners, last pages of our notebooks or those side-spaces of text books are the canvas in most cases for doodles. However, the format has taken a proper art form now, keeping the core intent same. #Doodle art that are professionally or otherwise represented may not be the culmination of an absent mind. It still displays multiple figures in one drawing with a meaningful and cohesive representation.

Doodle and Article © Copyright Salvwi Prasad

A date to remember

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I was sitting at the wobbly table of the coffee shop. That is my favourite spot which no one prefers. In the midst of the fresh coffee aroma, it began to drizzle. Somebody above, behind the dark clouds was directing the perfect setting for my date. After a long time I was dating myself. And with the ambience it became an extraordinary moment for me.

Doodle_Cuttack

TWEET this!
CORE IDEA - Cuttack City (Odisha, India)
STYLE - Doodle Art
MEDIUM - Pencil, Pen and Ink
BRANDS -
-o Sakura PIGMA MICRON (01,03,05 - Archival Ink)
-o Studio Art Mechanical Pencil

Blog-A-Rhythm_Wordy Wednesday - Rishi's lesson

“I would never forgive her for what she did.” Rishi kept murmuring to himself while doing his homework.
Curious, his mother asked, “Whom would you not forgive?”

What I learnt from Farm Heroes Saga Stage 457 !

 

I am a mobile games fanatic. I have thoroughly engrossed myself at every point with some game or the other. It has become a bedtime ritual for many years now. Starting from the Tetris and snake games on the Symbian operating system to Angry Birds, Temple Run, Subway Surfer, Candy Crush Saga, or Farm Heroes Saga on the Android operating system. These games happened to help me get peace of mind before I slept. However, this addiction will one day give me a life lesson, is something I never expected. It may sound silly. Nevertheless, it is true.

55 Fiction - Happy Mother's Day

 

The medical reports of his ailing mother were delivered.
When he read through, he had a smile on his face.
Her body was receiving the new medication pretty well.

55 Fiction - Ultrasound

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They got the news they had been waiting for so long.
She was pregnant after twelve years of their wedding.

Sex, Gender and Sexuality – It’s not black and white anymore

 

Recently, Dutee Chand, an extraordinary sprinter from India, was returned her right to participate in national and international sprint competitions under the female category. Dutee Chand, who identifies herself with the female gender since birth has a condition called hyperandrogenism. This produces high amount of testosterone in her body and led to her ban on participating under the female category by IAAF in 2014. Jazz Jennings of “I am Jazz” fame from USA is a transgender individual. Jazz was born a male and she identifies her gender as female. A condition called gender identity disorder. TIME magazine awarded her as one of the top 25 most influential teens of 2014. Gazal Dhaliwal from India is a transgender- male to female person who fought for her identity and won.

Neither am I a champion of this concept nor a preacher. But these life stories inspired and intrigued me. I decided to delve a little more into the complex topic of sex, gender, and sexuality.

Paris (Finale)

(Today this post culminates the short story Paris. Hope you enjoy reading it.)

For a recap you may read Paris (Part 1) | Paris (Part 2) | Paris (Part 3) | Paris (Part 4).

He had given Suresh the landline number of the nearby grocery shop to contact him. Every other day he inquires the shop owner. It is now over two weeks and Suresh has not called. Krishna starts to worry. The fear of missing his Paris trip begins to trouble Krishna constantly. Trying to hide her fear, Radha says Krishna,"I think Suresh bhai must be busy and this call could have slipped his mind."
Radha suggests him to visit Suresh.

Paris (Part 4)

(I will be sharing this story in 5 parts, at the most. Each week, one part will be released taking the story forward. Hope you enjoy reading this one.

For a recap you may read Paris (Part 1) | Paris (Part 2) | Paris (Part 3)

.

“Then you tell them that you have one request to make.”, Suresh adds
“One request?”, asks Krishna
“Yes. You will request Manohar Ji to give you 2 lakhs.”, says Suresh
“2 lakhs? I can't do that. He is my father’s friend. I can't ask him money like this. This is not correct.”, says Krishna nodding his head in disagreement to the whole idea
“Do you want to go to Paris or not?”, Suresh asks Krishna

Paris (Part 3)

(I will be sharing this story in 5 parts, at the most. Each week, one part will be released taking the story forward. Hope you enjoy reading this one.)

For a recap you may read Paris (Part 1) | Paris (Part 2) .

In the next three days Krishna manages to find the travel agent's address with some help and visits him. It is located in a residential area with very few houses. Most of them are dilapidated and nobody is staying in there. Still there were few passersby here and there.

Paris (Part 2)

(I will be sharing this story in 5 parts, at the most. Each week, one part will be released taking the story forward. Hope you enjoy reading this one.)

For a recap you may read Paris (Part 1).

                                                    

Krishna leaves the next day. When he reaches his village, he has the least idea of what was waiting for him. He visits the headman’s house where there are few other villagers. As they see Krishna, their whispers start getting louder. As he crosses each one of them, wishing them ‘namaste’ they give an unhappy look. Now he gets perplexed. Then there is an hour long discussion and argument over several things till the headman put forwards the final question to Krishna.

Paris (Part 1)

(I will be sharing this story in 5 parts, at the most. Each week, one part will be released taking the story forward. Hope you enjoy reading this one.)

“Krishna! Krishna!”, she calls him.
“Yes, Madam”, he hurriedly comes to her, adjusting his uniform over his frail body.
“Take it. This is for you”, she says and hands him a gift which she had secretly bought for him.
“What is it, Maya? What are you giving him?”, she is caught by her mother, unalarmed.
“Nothing, Mom”, she says casually and manages to divert her mother’s attention.
“Krishna, is the car ready? We are already late”, asks Maya’s mother.
“Yes Madam ji, the car is ready”, he replies in a submissive tone, trying to hide the gift from Maya.

#Cherished Blogfest - My #Cherished Object

Quite often I tend to attach emotional value to an object. So, there are many such objects that I have kept over the years, carefully. I think I have got this habit from my father. I know he still has a pair of clay tribal figurines, he had bought when he was in third standard.

55 Fiction - Dreams

It was her fifth appointment with the psychiatrist.
She waited on the gray sofa with drooping shoulders.
In came her spirited counsellor calling her name.

Proofreading an Article

My research and learning about readability continues. After I stumbled upon this attribute, I have come across so many features about article writing. In this particular article, I will share about the few checks/tests I learned to proofread an article.

I usually proofread the articles I write before official submission. During the research, I learned about a few checks easily available online.

3 Day Quote Challenge - Day 3

I am writing this post as part of the 3 Day Quote Challenge (#DQC). This is a self nomination for I found the concept interesting. I first came across this challenge at Lata Subramaniam's blog.

"People are capable, at any time in their lives, of doing what they dream of."

3 Day Quote Challenge - Day 2

I am writing this post as part of the 3 Day Quote Challenge (#DQC). This is a self nomination for I found the concept interesting. I first came across this challenge at Lata Subramaniam's blog.

"Ruin is the road to transformation."

3 Day Quote Challenge - Day 1

I am writing this post as part of the 3 Day Quote Challenge (#DQC). This is a self nomination for I found the concept interesting. I first came across this challenge at Lata Subramaniam's blog.

For the first day, I would like to share a quote I am personally fond of. This is not a quote that belongs to any famous personality. Rather, this is the quote I teach myself when I am in my abysmal low.

"Insult is just a rude way of inspiring."

55 Fiction - Scared

She woke up at midnight and tried opening the room door.
It was locked from outside.
Her husband was still sleeping in the same room.
She heard loud footsteps from their adjacent living room.
Scared, she could not breathe. She tried calling her husband’s name.
However, neither she nor her husband could hear her voice.

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

WOW Prompt (June 27 - 28)- "Breathless"

Image Credits - Google Imgaes
Article © Copyright Salvwi Prasad

Five in Fifty-five

She was sad. Her selfie did not get enough likes.
It was clicked at an exotic location. She kept refreshing the page every minute.
Frustrated, she threw her mobile on the floor and switched on the TV.
There was news about a young girl who committed suicide because her mother could not afford her education.

****************************************************************************************************

Poetry in the dusty shelves

I visited the bookstore yet again. Every fortnight I do so. Gradually it is becoming tough. Her condition seems to worsen each time I visit. I scanned through the compartments with each category written in bold large font. I still did not find her name. There was no reservation for her. She was there just like a commoner. It seems the days of her celebration are now folklore. However, this time her condition was appalling. The pain of seeing her lying in the dust among unwanted others is inexplicable.

Readability of an Article

What is Readability?
In simple terms, readability of a text is how easily a reader can understand it. Content and style of an article measure its readability. Content provides the information. Style provides the clarity to read.

Here I would like to mention that a legible article might not always have adequate readability. This is because it also depends on who is reading the article. The level of understanding the target audience has on a written text, determines the approach to writing. Hence, it is very important to consider the target audience before writing an article.

Read More @ Readability of an Article

This article has been published on Ezine Articles website.

You can check the article Proofreading an Article for the online/offline tools available for easy readability checks.

Image Credits - Ezine Articles
Article © Copyright Salvwi Prasad

My first hug to my Father

When I clicked #HugYourDad at Blogadda, the below question appeared in bold on the activity page.

Two Owls Card

I designed this card for a gift. This is a neutral card. You can change the message and present it to anyone on any occasion. It is very easy to create. The materials required are also minimal and easily available. This card can be easily made by a kid. But make sure there is supervision of a parent or someone elder for cutting purposes.

Reading As a Stress Buster

With the first golden ray of the sun lighting our mind to the last glimmer of the moon soothing our soul, we keep reading voraciously. Reading, as the literal meaning goes encompasses a variety of subjects, official and non-official, electronic and hard-copy, informative and casual and so on. So its reading that gives us stress and again its healthy reading that can also act as a stress buster.

Read more @ Reading As a Stress Buster"

This article has been published on Ezine Articles website.

Image Credits - Ezine Articles
Article © Copyright Salvwi Prasad

Wait ! Judge me for my ashes

I, son/daughter, was born and everyone was happy. Each one of you celebrated my homecoming after 9 long months. I grew and you captured every moment of me growing into a self sustained human being. You all felt happy. I, daughter/son, was taught to speak my heart always, to be headstrong and stand out from the crowd, to place my viewpoint clearly and respectfully, to live life independently on my own terms. Daughter/son, I learnt the teachings religiously. I believed inherently in the preachings.

Can a woman carve out a successful corporate career after a break from work ?

The femininity renaissance gave birth to the 21st century woman who is not just a homemaker now but the bread-winner too. The metamorphosis of the timid pupa to an independent butterfly may have taken decades together for the female community nevertheless; this transition has been conspicuous and profound. This attainment of equal status has coupled her challenges manifold. But woman, being the incarnation of patience and dedication has confronted these changes victoriously. 

Read more @ Can a woman carve out a successful corporate career after a break from work?

This article has been published at Ezine Articles.

Image Credits - Ezine Articles
Article © Copyright Salvwi Prasad

55 Fiction - It takes two to stab

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She barged into his room questioning about meeting his ex-girlfriend.
“Accidental”, he replied. This was second time in the same week.
She left home in anguish. At dawn she returned.
There was someone in her wedding night gown, violating her kitchen.
Before she could react, he said, “I called your sister to help me cook.”

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

WOW Prompt (May 30 - 31)- "Fool me twice"

Image Credits - Google Images
Article © Copyright Salvwi Prasad