Why spend with an App?Earn with Spini!

Hi All,
Today I got an SMS from a known shopping App.
"Shanti, stop everything! Go Shop!
"One Plus One!"
"Shop as your kids sleep.Midnight Sale"!
So silly sometimes!
Their messages had so much enthusiasm, they could have people happily shop in the wee hours.
But then, as usual, I have a question. Isn't it too much?
I was wondering where to get money to shop for SO many apps on my phone.
One for food, two for fashion shopping, one for cabs, all of which I use to spend money.
One day I recieved a call from a gentleman, asking me to come down to his office, regarding an App they started recently.
I had as many questions as you guys have now, but I went to checkout anyway.
Then they introduced me Spini, a mobile App, which is the first of it's kind in India.
It actually helps people to monetize the information they have about their friends and family's requirements.
A homemaker can be a moneymaker.
A retired person can be financially independent.
A student can fund his shopping.
Our aim is to help everyone earn.
Please read about Spini at www.getspini.com
Spini is operating successfully at Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad .Coming soon to other cities with your support.

Unforgettable Copenhagen.

Today I am sharing a travel experience for the first time in my blog.
What is safe, unforgettable, breathtakingly beautiful and incredibly safe for women?
It is a city called Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark.
I visited Denmark in May 2014.
I still tell my family N times how I want to go there and get a whiff of that Scandinavian air.
The only very small problem we faced was that vegetarian food not being available at an instant.
Ofcourse, there are many Pakistani restaurants using Indian names and serving deliciousIndo Pak cuisine, they gladly serve us vegetarian food.
What really touched my heart, at the same time made me hang my head in shame was, Copenhagen people proudly calling their city, "Rape free".
The feminist in me cried, the Indian in me felt insulted as it was the unfortunate time when a Danish woman was assaulted in Delhi.
I am in love with Denmark and the Nordic Regions. I so love Scandinavian way of life.
Everyone from Directors of well known companies to students, were seen riding bicycles.
Yeah, Denmark has the best standard of Bicycle manufacture.
Various famed brands of Beer are Made in Denmark. Carlsberg is the most popular.
With a population of 55 lakh people, Danish are the happiest in the world.
Copenhagen tops the list of "The most liveable cities in the world."
The best part. DANISH MEN ARE THE MOST HELPFUL GUYS IN THE WORLD IN DOMESTIC CHORES.
How sweet! Just like the famed Danish!
Also, it will be bright till 8 p.m in Denmarkduring summers, and it gets dark by 5 p.m in winters.
Kids are gonna love the LEGO and the Tivoli Park in Copenhagen.

Nyhavn is a place in Copenhagen where people love to hangout.
The Danish are passionate about music, and actively take part in related activities.
Since I cannot go and stay there, I watch a lot of Danish Movies on Youtube. I shall share some of the best in oher posts of mine.Please enjoy this visual treat and plan a trip soon!

Porn Again.

857 Porn sites banned.
A breaking, sensational news which assumed all the more importance than Women and Child Sexual abuse going on everyday in this nation.
What exactly do we lose with a ban on porn?
Is it ethical? Oh God, I just forgot this nation helped a porn star become a real star!!
Ok, let's leave it there.
Anyway, we have a ban on piracy too. The loyal viewers can find someway or the other to enjoy the carnal carnival despite the ban. So useless.

I would never say watching Porn will make one a sexual offender, but let us see the most spine chilling case.
A serial offender, 24 years of age was caught in Delhi. He killed at least 25 kids after abusing them. He revealed that he watched porn on his mobile, got aroused and did the heinous crime as he could not afford to go to prostitutes.
I support personal freedom to watch whatever we want but this ban actually had me feeling happy. May be porn will not fall into wrong hands leading to crimes.
That exactly is the problem with porn and alcohol.
A combination used by the worst people to satiate themselves leading to tears in many families.

But then, democracy wins following a mass outrage.
Only paedophile sites will be blocked.
A half sigh of relief atleast.
Though the government withdrew its decision on ban, I really appreciate them for they are looking into minor things like this.
The Verdict:
It is an inefficient step if the aim is to stop crimes .It is like banning jewellery to stop thefts.

• Better you guys start with Gutkha first. It has no medicinal properties. It does nothing to a poor man, surely makes a rich guy richer at the cost of a poor man's health. It will keep our streets clean too!
• If you really got to do something strong, electrocute all the criminals who raped a kid. Perhaps the outrage will not be this strong except by some morons who say "Criminals deserve a second chance."So that they can repeat the crime, Eh?
•  Kindly note that it is difficult in an overpopulated country to change everyone's preferences. Rather, BAN RAPE, CHILD ABUSE and VIOLENCE.
• Keep an eye on the sex offences statistics per city/town/village. Humiliate some criminals publicly and if its a rape, repeat the second point.
• Dear friends, please co-operate with the Government when they ban child porn. I hope it violates no one's rights. Let's hope the ban helps curb Child Abuse.

Image Courtesy Hyena Reality at FreeDigitalPhotos.net.

Defy your age.

(Our Late Missile Man Dr.APJ Abdul Kalam. We cannot believe he is gone. We are all still in deep shock as we never saw him as an old guy who is sure to go away one day.He did not let us feel that way.He was full of energy, ideas, vision, and passion to empower the youth of this country towards development. This article is my tribute to him, as he inspires us to go ahead with our goals.)

A couple of days ago I read on a website that it was Lisa Kudrow's 53rd birthday.I was delighted to remember the funny Pheobe from F.R.I.E.N.D.S. Who wouldn't be?

We all belong to the generation who grew up watching friends for at least five years.

Hilarious, sweet, caring, hallucinationg and unapolegetic Pheobe was the role she will forever be known for.

What really surprised me is that she actually turned 52? That means she started to play a 20 something Pheobe at the age of 32 and went on till she was 42? I swear I did not know of her age till then. Full of energy, charm, definitely her best!

Also read about Milind Soman's latest achievement at 50? Only a few can achieve that great feat.
Milind Soman is the new Iron Man!

This is so inspiring.I read everyday about so many people killing themselves in their 30s. Now this is India's biggest problem. Our youth is depressed and not motivated enough to pursue their passions beyond an age.

I know people who said they are "old and tired " at 27, and they don't have much to do in life as they are parents now. They have centered their entire life around responsibilities, nothing beyond that.

Mark Zuckerberg has famously said 30 is an age which is old and boring. I am sure he changed his mind now at 30.

• Age never decides who you are. A fresh mind is all we need.
• A 9 hour a day job need not determine our happiness.
• Learning is forever.It brings so much joy however silly it is.(Just learnt to insert pics into blogs:-))
• Laugh loud in public when you feel like. No one's going to shoot you.
• Wear that shirt or top, supposedly worn by teenagers only.You will not be jailed for that.
• Any lost ambition of your teens, a realistic one? Start now..you will feel proud.
• Splurge on clothes occasionally. Man or woman, it feels great to wear good clothes.
• Exercise thrice a week.
• It is so OK to play silly games with a kid.
• Travel to a nearby town. Unexplored and inexpensive. Very refreshing.
• Instead of a mall, go to a beach or a lake, a fort or mountain. Fresh air is better than air conditioning.
• Sea is so vast, it will make us realize how small our worries are. Go to a beach.
• It is true that being a parent means three years of a very busy life, but after that it's time to relax with our kids.
• A day care Incharge has told me once "Stop feeling guilty about the kid.He is going to be proud of you if you accomplish nothing or a lot.You choose what you want."
• Being single at any age is perfectly fine.Get all the rest you can, work harder, and splurge on yourself.
• Get a bubblegun and fill your room with bubbles.It is silly.
• Do you know what songs made it to the Top 20? Listen to them
• Watch Scandinavian movies, it is so good to learn about a different culture altogether.
• Do I need to say how relaxing a room filled scented candles is? Bliss.
• Never keep your dreams on hold.Work towards them.
• Most importantly, UNlearn certain unimportant stuff. Make place in your mind for fresh feelings than pent up negativity and unhappiness of the past.

Read here about unlearning.

 The enthusiasm we had in our teens, is buried in our subconscious.It is closer to us than we know..Go for it!

(In the next blogs we will discuss about physical aspects of defying age)

photo credit: Lisa Kudrow - TIFF 09' via photopin (license) photo credit: Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Azad via photopin (license)

Parenting.

In the Indian society where a woman is judged by her age, It would have been a difficult thing, but thank God for countries like US for influencing us, we are changing.
(Years ago, at the age of 22, I heard a friend say that a woman's life and career begin at 30, after she has kids, and goes back to work after a break.I remember being puzzled and angry back then, but my life and that of many others has exactly turned out to be the same.
Now I am a struggling freelancer, and many friends call themselves struggling mothers who are yet to learn how not to bother about the kid when at work.But who cares, we still are as enthuastic as a 16 year old, and its gonna be forever!)