The Rise of the Planet of Apps

The Rise Of The Planet Of Apes Apps

The Planet of Apps

Smartphones with smarter apps are making me smarter with each passing day, or am I wrong? I order my food, book my taxi, listen to music, edit photos or create work related images through my mobile apps. Most of the time I do not have my laptop handy, but smart phones are easier to carry around. Most of the websites give you great offers if you book tickets, order food or buy products through their apps. I get invite to 100s of Mobile/tablet apps every month. Though initially I am tempted by the offer of the apps, later on I realize how easy it is to use them.

The Old and The New

Asus Zenfone 5 – Sleek and Economical

All Images are ©  SpikyEye & Animator Rayyan

Old friends pass away, new friends appear. It is just like the days. An old day passes, a new day arrives. The important thing is to make it meaningful: a meaningful friend - or a meaningful day.

Dalai Lama

For me, it is difficult to let go of old gadgets and opt for a new one,especially when it comes to phones.

I love new gadgets, but letting go of the old ones is tough. At present I don’t think I have any right to criticize any mobile phone, considering I am happily using my HTC wildfire which is about to go into coma anytime. Most of the functions of my old phone have stopped working, but it allows me to make my calls. Hence I am holding on to it.

Entertainment , Entertainment and Entertainment All The Way

The picture says it all..........................................

I have always taken pride in being on time everywhere so far. Lately, it has almost become impossible for me to anywhere on time (give and take 10 minutes). Bangalore traffic has become so unpredictable that either I am quite early or late. It was no different Friday evening. I am not sure, but the roads seemed to be crazily packed as though there was an exodus moving on the streets of Bangalore. My plan of attending an important meeting before registering to meet had to be dropped down half way, yet we couldn’t get to the event before 6.15 p.m.

Pimples – The Tiny Troubles Of Our Lives

I haven’t dealt with pimples or acnes in my life.  It is funny when I think of it - life is rough but skin isn’t.  It was not until Rayyan entered standard 10^th did I come face to face with pimples, literally. Initially, there were tiny buds on his forehead and cheek. They would come up and go away on their own. Neither was Rayyan bothered by them, nor did I give it a second thought. After all, only the burnt child dreads the fire.

Watch closely and you will see budding pimples on his skin

It could be the stress of being in 10^th, or just the age factor, either way; soon the pimples were running amok on Rayyan’s smooth face which was not smooth anymore. We went for all the anti-pimples cream, natural remedies and even a prescription from a dermatologist; unfortunately the pimples continued their assault on his face. Though they say every mother finds her baby beautiful, I recall not wanting to look at him even when he was talking to me.

Making A Bold Statement - Tata Bolt

Note: All GIFs are ©  Spikyeye @animatorrayan

As I drove to Manyata Tech Park for a unique blogging event organized jointly by Blogadda and Tata Motors, I wondered whether I should buy a car at all. The traffic was quite heavy and I was driving from the southern end of Bangalore to the Northern end  which made me wonder whether I should add one more car to the chaos on road. But, one look at the sleek red and black beauty, I changed my mind. I knew I wanted to buy not just a car, but I wanted to buy this very charming beauty and beast - combined in one car.

Reflecting My Heart…

Nothing can match the lovely experience of parenting your child. When a woman is pregnant, everyone around wonders who will the baby look like. Will the traits the parents and family treasures to have in themselves be popping up through this baby? Once born the baby is said to have papa’s eyes, mama’s lips, aunt’s dimpled grin and grandma’s hair to lovingly showoff how they are all connected in making of this lovely being.  But, as this lovely baby hits teenage, no one wants to be responsible for the traits anymore.

The Secret of My Energy

All Indians know the secret of Sachin’s energy through the famous Ad which had children, even those who did not love milk, gulping it down in a jiffy.

When I came across the video   #KhudKoKarBuland I wondered why no one is interested in knowing the secret of amazing strength, patience and selflessness that comes with special parenting. Does it not require some superpower to give a dignified and happy life to a child who enters your life with a challenge? Not many are interested in knowing the secret of my energy because, I haven't scored runs or brought in medals for everyone to sit up and notice me. What I have done is just hold on to hope and pursue my own goal with deadly perseverance. “What great goal was that?” you may ask. Let me share it with you.

Losing a Mom is tough on any day...

I am talking about 2006. I was planning to begin the New Year with hope and smile, because, we finally had glimpse of success at the end of the year.  Two year ago my Mom who was diagnosed with BC had agreed to undergo surgery but no radiation and chemo. Radiation was a bit OK with her but she said a  BIG NO to chemotherapy. Unfortunately her wrong decision did not bring out any positive results.

Lucky 6…. Fortune Knocking Your Door

Communication has never been tougher earlier, what with everyone hooked onto mobile or tablet games. I myself spend hours playing games on my laptop, iPad or mobile to win elixirs, gold, money or points. Mobile and tablet games have grown exponentially in the last decades with people of all generation falling in love with it.

Peeing In Peace!

I remember my toilet  woes from the days when I got married and went to stay in my in-laws home which was in Byndoor, a tiny village on coastal Karnataka. Being brought up in a home which followed bathroom and toilet ethics, it was tough for me to adjust to a place where there were no rules for bathroom or toilets. Are there any bathroom and toilet rules and ethic you may ask in amazement, but once you give a thought to it, you will realize every home follows some of their own rules and ethics regarding bathroom/toilet behavior.

Check out which of these are relevant to your homes.

·         Do not knock on toilet door. When they are done they will come out.

·         Wash your hands thoroughly after using toilet.

·         Clean up your mess.

·         Do not waste water.

·         Do not talk when you are pooping or peeing.

·         Do not hover around when others are using the toilet.

·         Respect privacy.

·         Always lock the toilet door. You may embarrass others by exposing your awkward position to them.

·         Do not dribble on the floor.

·         Flush toilets after use properly.

·         Be fully dressed before walking out of toilet.

·         Toilet walls are not for your creative expressions. Leave them alone.

·         Make sure you have water/toilet paper clean yourself before starting your business.

My elder sister was in charge of our bathroom and toilet Etiquettes. She accepted no excuses. For me it was great shock to be in a place where people did not follow any toilet etiquettes. The first time I saw a woman walking out of the toilet holding her sari high and lowering it as she walked back to her home; I was disgusted. I also ended up walking in on people pooping or peeing because they did not lock the door. The annoyance of people calling you, knocking on the door or pacing outside the toilet when you have business to do is intolerable for those who have seen better conditions.  At times I would be welcomed by a load of crap left there without being flushed, or dots of urine spread around on toilet floor. I hated cleaning other people’s mess, but I could not do anything about it. It was just the way of life over there.

I could not wait to get back to my home and Pee in Peace. Though we take it for granted, having a clean toilet where you can cleanse your body of toxins is a great luxury. As I complained about the annoying toilet conditions, I wondered how it would be for people to have no toilets to perform simple function which cannot wait.

Girls like little Babli who have to use deserted places are not just uncomfortable, but also at risk of being attacked by rapists or molesters. If a change in toilet behaviors can be so annoying, I wonder how bad it is not to have toilets at all!

The danger of using open spaces for toilets for girls hit the nation when two young girls were audaciously attacked: raped and hanged from a tree, when they went out to perform simple bodily functions. They had gone missing on the night of May 27, when they went out to relieve themselves. Going out in pairs for safety did not work for them. How safe is it for women and girls to venture under the cloak of darkness before sunrise or after sunset to relieve themselves?

So far we had seen human dignity being lost; now it is their lives as well. We cannot blame our ever rising population for lack of toilets for everyone, since we see China has more than a billion people, but according to WHO only 1 out of every 100 people defecates out in the open; whereas in India, 1 out of every 2 people use open spaces for toilets. This is the highest rate in the world.

Another issue with open toilets is the health hazard associated with it. Leaving bodily wastes in open contaminates food and water, causing cholera or other diseases that kill 200,000 children in India; in addition, it shunts the cognitive and mental development of children like little Babli.

Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak of non-government organization Sulabh International says only 30% of Indians have access to clean and safe toilets. Why our nation with so many exotic places of worship has ignored the basic needs of human?

Domex has started an initiative to provide toilets for girls like Babli under their initiative known as Toilet for Babli, where "You Click Domex Contributes". You can bring about the change in the lives of millions of kids, thereby showing your support for the Domex Initiative. All you need to do is “click” on the “Contribute Tab” on www.domex.in and Domex will contribute Rs.5 on your behalf to eradicate open defecation, thereby helping kids like Babli live a dignified life.  Let us make life better, safe and hygienic for Babli. 

 Your click can make the difference.