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Over the last few weeks everyone seems to be talking about ‘Pinterest’.  I’d read about it and heard about the ‘by invitation only’ access and thought that I should go and check it out. 

Good news.  I went to their site and requested to ‘join’.  Got my ‘invitation’ within a few days.  Bad News.  I couldn’t sign up !! After a weeks’ battle of trying to actually create and log into my Pinterest account; I figured out that I couldn’t sign up using Chrome and had to register using Explorer instead. 

After finally getting my account sorted out - I’ve managed to browse around the site and see how I could use it for myself and also for my business.

What’s All The Pinterest About

It’s yet another networking site – but this time more with images.  It’s essentially a way to organize your ‘visual thoughts’ by way of creating ‘boards’ and ‘pinning’ images to it. 

It’s a lot like Facebook in the sense that when someone posts something, you can like it, share it, and comment on it.  You can ‘follow’ people (kind of like ‘friending’ a person) and see all their updated ‘pins’ (i.e posts) on your home page.

The best way to find ‘boards’ that interest you are to look out for key words.  For my business account I would look for boards that are related to ‘destination weddings’ or ‘wedding hair styles’.  For my personal account I’ve created my first board ‘Quotes’ where I’m collecting different quotes that have been created in a visually appealing way.

The feature I like most is the fact that I can create a ‘pin it’ button that can be used directly from my browser to be able to ‘pin’ images from other websites directly to a relevant board (and if you don’t have one – can create one).

I suppose I can see what the fuss is all about.  It’s a cool site and am sure it’s useful for a lot of businesses out there (especially for people in the service / hospitality sector)

To know more about Pinterest, check out these blog posts :

1. 35 Brilliant Bloggers Talk About Pinterest
2. Beginners Guide to Pinterest Basics

If you are on Pinterest or if you fancy joining it – don’t forget to follow me or like some of my pins.  The Pinterest account for my company AKA : A Klass Apart can be found here.

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By Ravina Rawal For Men's Life Today 

The weather's getting all hot and smoggy, and you're wondering how your skin deals with the pollution our cities seem to be breathing under. Common sense tips certainly include the basics – like drinking lots of water, getting some exercise, a healthy diet and enough sleep. But you definitely need a few extra tools to win the battle against clogged pores, increasing acne and photo-aging! Here are five of the best:

1. Cleanse!
Use a mild cleanser on your face at least twice daily. “If your skin is excessively oily, try a cleanser with salicylic acid, and use a toner to temporarily battle large open pores,” recommends Dr. Narmada Matang, Head Medical Operations for Kaya Skin Clinic India. “Also, what you may not know is that the contact time of the cleanser makes a difference. Use your fingertips and keep the cleanser on for just 30 seconds before rinsing it off again. The product may be mild, but you can dry out your skin if you leave it on too long.” Oh, and if you've got baby-soft sensitive skin, you may want to try a non-foaming face cleanser. Dr. Matang also recommends a using a scrub on your face once a week. And if you have the time for facials, they’re great every six weeks or so to tackle clogged pores, blackheads and dead skin, allowing shiny younger skin to come through, resulting in a great glow.

2. Get a Great Shave
There’s nothing like a smooth shave to make your skin feel good and look even better. But instead of hurrying through it every morning, take the time to prepare your facial skin first. Start by opening up your pores, to make the shave smoother. If you shave in the shower, your pores are already prepped. If not, soak a towel in warm water and apply it to your skin for at least a minute. Next up: shaving cream. Remember to leave this on your stubble for a good two minutes so it has time to work, and you don’t end up with razor burn. When you’re done, wash up with cold water to close your pores, and pat dry.

3. And Then, Moisturise
You must moisturise after shaving. The beard area is especially prone to folliculitis and dryness, so moisturising needs to become an essential part of your daily routine if you want your girlfriend to go gaga over your soft skin. Can’t bear the grease? Try a water-based moisturiser.

4. Seal + Protect: Sunscreen, Sunscreen, Sunscreen
This is our TOP tip. One of those slightly painful, but absolutely essentially additions to your morning routine. Shave, shower… sunscreen. “The most important thing you have to remember about protecting photo aging of the skin, is that the earlier you start the better, especially if you spend a lot of time outdoors” says New Delhi-based consultant dermatologist Dr. Sanjiv Kandhari. He believes you should be using sunscreen irrespective of your age or season (it is just as important to protect yourself in the winter as it is in the summer). Get a good sunscreen with a minimum SPF of 15, with both UVA and UVB protection. Slather it on every morning, and if you’re going to be outdoors a lot, reapply it every two-three hours. “There is a new finding that indicates that not only are UVA and UVB rays harmful, but also visible light,” says Kandhari. “They’re not available in India yet, but top skincare brands have started introducing sunscreens that covers the whole spectrum, including visible light.”

5. Look Hot, Stay Cool
An often-neglected area on the face is the skin around the eyes. If you don’t want to end up with those fine crinkly lines that we call ‘crow’s feet’, invest in a pair of large and funky sunglasses, and you’re good to go!

Ravina Rawal is the editor-in-chief of youth magazine MTV Noise Factory, and has contributed to many of India's best-known lifestyle publications, from Cosmopolitan to India Today Travel Plus. She lives mostly in New Delhi, and sometimes in Mumbai.  Follow her on Twitter @RavinaRawal

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I’m not a fan of BIG bags – I like them – they’re cool – but everything gets LOST in them ! And today I came across a link ‘Top Ten Things to Have in Your Purse’ so I thought about writing down what I normally have in my hand bag.

I tend to carry medium sized bags – and every now and then – the smaller clutches (particularly at Indian weddings).

The Diva’s 6 Must Have Hand Bag Items:

Camera it’s small and compact but it still uses space ! and whenever I see something that catches my fancy – I can capture it for reference later.	Business Cards gotta have them and spread word about your brand and business; with my social life – I’m constantly handing these out !
Mobile Phone as if I could leave home without my phone !	Lip Gloss I prefer wearing lip gloss to lipstick – so always have a clear /sheer gloss with me
Debit & Credit Cards & Cash depending on the size of the bag, I can throw in a wallet – but if it’s one of the smaller bags, then I just throw in my cards and some cash.	House Keys the last thing I want to do is ring my door bell at 5 a.m and wait for someone to open the door !! It sucks to be locked out !

So basically – even my smallest hand bag – has to fit the above 6 items.  Depending on the bag size and my plans for the day – my hand bag can also contain

1. Perfume … if I’m out for the full day, the perfume comes along
2. Deodorant … I’ll admit I even leave one in my car for days I’m stuck outdoors ! 
3. Small Notepad & Pen .. always comes in handy but this is rare since NC tends to carry the notepad
4. Lighter … I have a habit of keeping lighters handy from my London days when I used to use them for my nightclub service promotions
5. Chewing Gum … leaves your mouth with a fresh taste
6. Wet Wipes / Tissue … always useful
7. Hand Sanitizer … especially if I’m going to work sites
8. Camera charger … yes I am guilty of actually carrying my camera charger with me; and yes, I take a LOT of photos !
9. Phone charger … don’t always have this, but when I need it the most, it’s never around ! so now I have a car charger too
10. Eye drops & Meds … I wear contact lenses and with the city being so dusty, I do need to splash in a few drops.  I also keep some migraine tablets handy in case I get one when I least expect it.

I’m pretty sure I can throw in more things in my hand bag but this is already a huge list !! No wonder I don’t like big bags ! I’d never be able to find all these things ! (having said that – I reckon I’m the only one who can actually find anything in my bag)

According to an article I read, the reason women carry so many things with them is because they are natural caretakers and always try to anticipate what they might need.  Which I suppose is quite true in its own way.

So what’s in your hand bag ladies ? Do you prefer a small / medium / large size bag to carry around with you ? What are your essentials ?  If you have your bag right now, empty it out and list all the items in your bag :P 

For all the guys out there (unless you have a man-bag / man-purse / briefcase / back pack– which you must share details of), what are you most likely to find in your girls’ hand bag ? Or do you just not venture there :P

Further Reading:

1. What’s In Your Bag ? Huge Purses An Emotional Crutch by Diane Mapes for MSNBC
2. What’s In Your Bag ? by Andy Rooney for CBS News

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Sometimes I give myself admirable advice, but I am incapable of taking it. Mary Wortley Montagu

 

I came across this quote a few days ago and had even applied it to my FaceBook status update.  I found myself agreeing to this quote quite  a lot.  Even funnier so was that I was almost ‘admitting’ to all out there on FB world that apparently I’m incapable of taking some of my own ‘good’ advice.  Even more ironic is the fact that there are quite a few people within my social circle who tend to talk to me about any personal / work related hang-ups, or issues; or come to me to vent as such.

 

As an individual, I am very laid back.  I take things as they are – for face value – and avoid passing judgement on the actions or words of an individual until I can verify my doubts myself.  I am an open book to those who care to read into the chapters, pages and paragraphs that me the person that I am today.  For those who are cursory readers and are just shifting to pass time; they find themselves drawn back every now and then – after enjoying their experience of discovering me.

 

The men and women that I know – I feel - can comfortably have a conversation with me about just any topic under the sun.  My openness to people and attitude stems from the fact that in the past 27 years; my first breath was taken in a London, UK hospital; during my developing years I attended 3 different schools (junior, middle & high school) all of which were of different teaching styles (British, Indian & International syllabus!) in Dubai, UAE; went to university in Montreal, Canada, ; started my career in London, UK and have spent the last 1.5 years in Mumbai, India. 

 

I am a Hindu Punjabi girl, born to a Punjabi father & Marwadi mother; hold a British passport and nationality; lived in 4 different countries and continents; travelled & visited 13 countries and 54 cities across continents.  I speak, read & write French and Arabic better than Hindi (which I can only speak BTW although I did try to learn it during one of my summer vacations)

 

During the years of 18 and 25 I have lived away from home, away from my parents, and in two different continents – university and my career.  I moved to India recently (emotional black mail from my mom) to look at a bigger market for my career; enjoy living back at home and just getting spoiled after slogging my ass off the last few years; and for the sake of avoiding conflicts – as far as my mother goes – me living at home – gives her and my maternal relatives the chance to ‘get me married’ !

 

I have truly grown up as a multi-cultural individual.  This makes me different.  Sometimes a stand-out from the crowd.  I’m a brown person in the land of my roots and origins of ancestors; and any local within a 20 foot radius of me would be able to point-me-out and tell you that I was a ‘foreigner’, ‘not really Indian’, ‘NRI’.  I swear – it’s like a giant invisible stamp that everyone but I can see ! LOL

 

Maybe it’s the clothes.  Or the accent.  Quite likely it could be my accent.  As soon as I open my mouth to speak Hindi – it’s this quasi Indian with a twang of Brit & Canadian coming out – getting genders mixed up. Although I must admit, when I’m at my angriest best – my Hindi is pretty much on the ball and about 100% accurate – especially with the swear words hehe.  Most recently I was told it could be the style of my hair-cuts (I tend to experiment – not drastically but enough to draw some attention hehe)

 

The point of all this background waffle is for you to just get a bit of an understanding of how and where I grew up.  I’ll leave it to your imagination to just try and figure out the adventures I must have grown up with =)  

 

Please feel free to take a break and just think about my life and what it must have been like growing up.  Also this looks like it’s going to be a long post – so a great time for bathroom / coffee / stretch break !

Now that you’ve had a few minutes to digest all that I’ve had to say … you can probably see why my friends come to me for advice or just to have a tete-a-tete or a pure out-and-out bitching session.  One of my mates MD from London calls me ‘Doc’ .. I think it suits me sometimes ! (although I would never be able to be a surgical doctor – couldn’t cut someone up !)

 

So how does all of this relate to the quote that I like ?? 

Basically – I am the type of person who looks at breaking down a problem; looking at it from both perspectives and I’ll play devils’ advocate – I won’t just say something just because you want to hear it – that’s not what friends do.   When talking to a friend about their problems – this works well and shows them another perspective to the issue and helps them assess their own feelings again.

 

Now if I have to solve my ‘own problems’ – wow that’s another story altogether.  Due to my methodology described above – and if I’m unable to get in touch of my own handful of problem solvers (I love these guys & gals to bits!) – then I’m left to my own devices which means I am often unable or even incapable of taking my own advice !!

 

How it works is that – I will end up having a conversation all by myself – and like a tennis volley – will banter through both parties thoughts and vocalise this to myself.  Instead of me necessarily bringing the point up with the person that I’m having a problem with – I would have debated and hashed it out by myself – and thus also have managed to refrain from creating any bad blood between that person and I.

Sometimes this works wonders for me.  It’s easier especially when you can be assured that the other person is never actually going to understand your view point because they are mentally just not ready to accept anything beyond their personal experiences and understanding.   Sometimes obviously this is not the best way to deal with things especially here in Mumbai at least – the locals love a good gossip – so really this just gives that person an added reason to splash some gossip on you or the issue between the two of you. 

 

I may not care about it – but then I get told off by my more sensible friends such as PK that I shouldn’t give anyone reason to gossip about me anyway.  But I honestly just don’t care.  That  person is quite unlikely to be in my TOP 10 Friend List right if they were gossiping about me !!??!!

At other times – especially when the issue or problem for me is more tilted towards any sort of ‘emotion’ and any emotion pertaining towards a man that I might be interested in – and I mean ‘really’ interested and not one of those ‘oh he’s quite hot men’; then I am a complete and absolute chicken-shit ! 

 

It’s not that I can’t go up to men and talk to them or lay out my intentions and even emotions.  I can do that.  It’s just sometimes – well most recently this happened – where I was just not able to take my  own advice.  I don’t know how or why !  It was like I just wanted to avoid all the tension and drama involved with battling out emotions !

Most men are just not ready to accept and deal with someone else’s emotion towards them because they haven’t had time to assess their own emotional stability levels from whatever scars that remain from past relationships; or whatever burried insecurity issues they might be withholding.

 

Although eventually I did pick up the phone and call the man that was causing me to go through an emotional roller coaster ride – I made sure that PK was on the other line with me just keeping my conversation in check.   The final issue was resolved over MSN (hey I  never said it had to be done on the phone or in person hehe and this guy lives overseas); and PK (bless her!) was on the phone with me still – telling me – stay calm, it’s a stupid reason but stay calm !! and then she says ‘just tell him how you feel, let it out of your system and end the conversation’

And that’s exactly what I did.  So now my self-advice to myself is having an internal debate on the fact that the man in question has not really acknowledged what I’ve had to say to him; we have spoken again a few times but it’s not come up; his reasons could be a plenty – between his business and some personal commitments – perhaps he hasn’t got the time; maybe he has thought about it and doesn’t quite know what to do about it; maybe he thinks I’m completely loopy; or maybe he didn’t even realise what I told him since our whole conversation was really about an arguement we’d both had.  Do I call him and ask him about it; do I write to him and ask him ? Should I bother bringing it up ?  Or just not bother at all ?  Maybe I’ll just wait a few weeks and give him some breathing space to deal with our fight and what we discussed as well.  But then is that waiting too long ?

Personally I rather get it out of my system right now and call him and tell him.  But …… but …. I might fumble my words on the phone !  And I don’t know when the hell he would check his email.  Actually he would check it – but his response is most likely to be on an MSN conversation or on text message.  He’s a complex character – maybe he needs just a bit more time.  I did send him a DVD of his brother’s wedding – he’d messaged me a few days ago to let me know he received it and would watch it when he got a chance.  Still not heard back about that either – then again haven’t had internet connection for two days now.

 

Now do you see what I mean ?? I can play devils’ bloody advocate quite well and hence at this very moment – am quite incapable of taking my own advice =(

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The content of this post refers to an incident that took place on Fri 20th Feb '09

February has been a very busy month for me in terms of family obligations - more specifically - weddings ! Two of my cousins' were getting married; and in all of this - a good friend of mine rings me up and announces that he is also getting married !

Imagine an Indian household preparing for Indian weddings ! Now think of 3 women and 2 men in one house and the about 15 functions to attend during the course of the week ! Yes it's hectic ! Mind-numbingly tiring as well !

So on Fri 20th - after a series of events for my cousin VC - I had efficiently put aside my outfit; jewellery; sandals and handbag in preparation for my mate CS's wedding reception. My mother has quite sweetly ensured that my outfit is ironed; has informed my grandmother that I would be stopping by after work to get my sari draped before the event.

I finish work at about 7:30, head to my grandparents' place, chill with my grandmother and go about getting myself ready for this reception. On arriving at the venue, we go around the property as there are a few halls and I couldn't see the name of the bride or groom so stopped to ask one of the attendents who told me to go to the banquet hall at the back of the property. No problem - so I head along there but find that it's a different name.

So I tell my driver to go back around to the front and check once again - and by this point - I'm getting a bit cranky thinking - how the hell can no one know where the function is taking place ! One of the attendents smirks and tells me 'are you sure you're at the right place?' - of course I'm at the right place ! I'm a wedding planner for god's sake ! I know venues around the city !

In the midst of this conversation, a fleeting thought crosses my mind, and I call up my mom and ask her to go and check the wedding card .... and that sinking feeling took over when I heard my mom's soft giggle ... 'darling it's on Saturday - not today!'

Ofcourse I was only just slightly miffed about the mix-up with dates - then again I was so spaced out from the numerous wedding functions I had to attend - this was almost a dress rehearsal for the real day !

So there I was ... all dressed up in a beautiful Tarun Tahiliani sari and absolutely no where to go but home !

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“Life is all memory, except for the present moment that goes by so quick you hardly catch it going"
-- Tennessee Williams

It's true isn't it ? What is 'life' as such ? There are so many definitions to that one word. How do you perceive life to be ?

There are days when I look back at my so-called life and its a blur of images - a 'highlight' of my yesteryears; snapshots of the good-the bad-the ugly that have been a part of my experiences; I can visually recall certain aspects of my life and play it in my minds' eye; sometimes being able recall a seasons' worth of episodes, other times the reel in my mind fast forwards to another point altogether jumping a few seasons and starting at a new chapter.

It has been said that one must try to 'live in the present' and be aware of 'the now' ... I do know that practising yoga and concentrating on one's breathing techniques increases our ability to be able to live in the present and just 'being aware' of all that is going on within our surroundings.

If we don't acknowledge the 'present' then we have already lost that moment and it will never come back to us ... and with the way the dice rolls - the implication is such that we must live each second as it comes instead of planning our way through each day. (this coming from an events planner!)

As much as I like to 'plan' my week or the coming few weeks - I also tend to go with the flow and take things as they come - slight contradiction - I know. The plan is there to ensure that things that need doing actually get done and if there's still space there - I can fill in everything else.

Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to just quite literally take 'every' moment , every encounter, every little thing ... just as it were .....

What would life be then ?

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Here I am sitting in my office at 19:49 on a Friday night ... and instead of making plans for a 'date', I am in fact making plans to hang out with a girlfriend at her place. So why not just go out on a date is what you must be wondering ...

Maybe it's because people are just too tired on a Friday after 5 days of work ... in a city like Mumbai where I am currently based ... this would incorporate a total of anywhere between 55 - 70 hours of ones week.

A week of 7 days has 168 hours; the average person sleeps at least 7 hours a day which is 49 hours - therefore leaving 119 hours for a person to fit in his / her personal, professional and family life. In my 119 hours that I have to fit in the above ... my work keeps me anywhere between 8 - 10 hours in a day (during peak wedding season - I've done close to 20 hours a day for 10 days !!) .. so taking an average of 9 hours per day for 5 days which is 45 hours. I typically spend almost 10 hours in a 5 day working week just traveling back and forth between my home and my office.

So really I have only 64 hours during the whole week for myself which is about 2.67 days. In those 64 hours - I have to find time for my family, friends, and again being in a city like Mumbai - I need to keep extra hours just for traveling between destinations as the traffic and commute is absolutely ridiculous. Believe me when I tell you that it has taken me almost 45 mins to travel by car a mere distance of 5 kilometers ! Seriously I could have walked a whole lot faster !

Taking the above into consideration - I figure I spend about 3 hours per day of 'my time' of 64 hours in my car ... so that leaves me with only 58 hours to myself during the whole week !!!

Now when you think about it - 58 hours sounds like a hell of a lot of hours ...In essence that's about 8.28 hours per day 'free' in a 7 day week ... however I've noticed that those hours tend to space themselves at very awkward time slots therefore leaving one with very little choice of what they can actually utilize that so-called free time for !

Using myself as an example ... I typically start waking up around 7:30 - 8 a.m, and then sit down with my dad for a bit, watch the news, talk about the markets (I finally joined the stock market world this time last year) and then head over to chill with my mom, read the paper, have breakfast, shower and then head to work by about 10 a.m. That's 2 hours gone right there. Once at work - everyone takes about 30 mins or so to settle into the day .. and of course then comes the inevitable 'lunch hour' that we are all meant to have but don't always take full advantage off !

Technically and legally - we are meant to have 1 hour of lunch break during the course of a working day ... most days I eat lunch at the office with my colleagues in the 'cafeteria' but I don't sit there the whole hour ... it's mostly a quick sandwich or some fruit or salad - hence taking only about 15 minutes of my time ... oh I'm one of those people who inhale my food in and don't really do the whole 'chewing' etc lol I tend to spend the remainder of my lunch actually catching up with some personal emails | facebook | msn or g-chats | or personal phone calls with friends who are also on lunch ! Ever so often - my boss, colleague and I all go for lunch together - which would typically involve at least a 15-20 minute car ride, 10 minute waiting period, 30-45 minutes of eating, 10 minutes for the bill and another 20-25 minutes for the drive back to work - so all in all about 2 - 2.5 hours IF we go out to eat for lunch.

As one's work day progresses - taking into account that no meetings are scheduled that involve another car ride - around 5:30 - 6 p.m typically everyone will take a break to grab a coffee | tea | snack ... Indian mentality - 'chai lo fresh ho' ... A cup of tea freshens you up ! (I just find that I get sleepy but that's another story altogether). This would normally take up about 30 minutes and its also the time used for teams to just gather together and go over their day and provide feedback on whatever they are currently working on.

I typically finish work around 7 - 7:30 p.m BUT I wait around at work till about 8 or 8:30 p.m just to AVOID the heavy 'going home traffic' ... I have the following options (1) Leave at 7:30 and get stuck in 1 hour worth of traffic and eventually get home by about 8:30 - 8:45 p.m OR (2) Leave work after 8:15 p.m and get home within 30 minutes. I obviously choose the latter because then I have 1 hour to sit back at the office and either catch up with some of my day's work or just catch up on some reading, writing, phone calls etc. Since I've not yet gotten myself a blackberry (I'll be working 24/7 then !!) nor a 'net connect card' for my laptop - I can't really work on my laptop whilst in the car if it involves browsing the net ... another reason to stay back at work before heading home .. another 1 hour gone ...

When I eventually do get home .. I try to spend some time and have dinner with the parents and siblings till at least 10:30 p.m 'cos that's when my parents retire to their room for the night and watch their tv shows etc ... another 1.5 hours of my time ... therefore by 10:30 p.m on any evening I have already utilised 6 of my 8.28 hours of free time !!

Now I am left with 2.28 hours - so what do I do with that free time ? I live in South Mumbai - and any good friend of mine that I would want to hang out with lives within 8-11 km's from my house. So given this - I tend to step out of the house again around 11 p.m and hang out with a friend, go for a drive or just chit chat till about midnight or 1 a.m. at the latest and then head back home to get some sleep and prepare for the next day.

Mumbai isn't the kind of metropolitan city that has 24 hour cafes and lounges or hang out areas - even parks aren't open after 8 p.m which really leaves nothing for one to do later in the evening aside from hanging out at a coffee shop in a 5* hotel (and really after a while that gets boring AND pinches the pocket) because those are the only coffee shops 'open' late in the evening. Gyms close by 10 - 10:30 p.m - there is one that's open 24 hours but that's in Bandra which is about 18 kms from my place ... a good 30 minute drive in the evening still !! Maybe that's why I'm not going to the gym - can't seem to find one that fits into my schedule and price bracket !!

Whilst talking to my cousin yesterday - we concluded that I spend most of my 'free hours' in my damn car !!

So now that I know where my hours go ... I just need to figure out how to go about finding more time to actually do the things I want to do !!!