When I embarked on " Mission Kodubale"......:)

Kodubale is a crispy fried speciality of Karnataka  made with rice flour. Shaped like doughnut, many people say it looks like a bale(bangle in kannada) and so it is named thus. This is one of my favorite snack since childhood and it is easily available in most Bangalore  condiment shops and bakeries. Especially, the iyengar bakeries of Bangalore make some of the best kodubales. 

My  parents home in bangalore was on a lane flanked by Belur iyengars bakery on one side and Hasan iyengar's bakery on the other, I have tasted this snack many times especially when the fresh batches of kodubales are put for sale during 3p.m. This snack was even a favorite with many of my relatives who travelled from other states so much so that when ever they left,  we bought them a packet too or whenever we went to their homes, we made sure a  kodubale packet  traveled with us.

Malti aunty, my parent's neighbour from mysore was an expert in making Karnataka dishes. They would often make it at home, since they observed kosher and never ate outside food. When she made the snacks she would share it with us. My mom learnt the recipe and she  started making them later.  The crispy crunchy and subtly spiced rings would melt in ones mouth . The ingredients for this are simple but the art of frying is very important.

They are available in  the so called Iyengar bakeries of Hyderabad( just brand name, not the original)  but they don't match the taste of the original  kodubale's . So I  had not tasted them for long. I frequently make Bangalore trips but my childhood/teens snack is not on my priority 'To buy'  list. 

      ( Pic courtesy: Google)

But, on my visit to my neighbourhood supermarket last week, i saw  'Maiya's products(MTR) exclusively on a shelf.  I  was tempted and immediately picked up a 100 gms  Kodubale packet from the shelf.

My fussy children too loved the crunchies and so the  packet  was gone in a trice and the taste was close to the ones I had tasted in Bangalore.  

Since my children loved this,  I decided to make these crispies at home yesterday.  The weather was also favorable, it was raining due to Lehar in Coastal AP and so an ideal weather to warm up in kitchen and do some experiment.  After a call to my mother to cross check the ingredients, I embarked on "Mission kodubale". 

My plan was to try  on a small scale  (10-15 nos)first .
 If the mission was a success , i would  make more numbers,  lug in DSLR to click the photos and renew my cookery blog.  Afterall,  It remains untouched since long.     But kodubale had other ideas. It decided If it makes to my cookery blog,  lesser readers would know about it, it instead made it to my 'Musing and rambling' blog . How?

Here goes, "Mission Kodubale"

I mixed the ingredients, like i said on a small scale so, i took a small cup each of flour& rice flour and half a cup chiroti rava.  but on mixing, the dough swelled in  capacity( did'nt anticipate this).

I rolled the dough into thin cylinders, made small ring  patterns , put them in the pre- heated oil. So far was happy with the outcome, a few more minutes and i would head into the balcony  with a plate of crispy hot  kodubale and cup of cinnamon green tea  along with my daughter.

My daughter who is on a pre-board leave, took  a break and just then walked into the kitchen. She  helped me in making roundels with the remaining dough  at the far end of  kitchen platform.

I suddenly remembered   the frying instructions and so lowered the flame to sim so that the interior of the kodubales too would be fried else they would turn raw while the outer turned crispy.  A few seconds later, all i knew was there a pop up from the oil, one of the kodubales had burst out of the oil and was floored, splashing oil all over the kitchen. I,  who was close by felt a few of the minor splashes but my daughter at the far end had a pretty bigger splash on her wrist(nothing serious though). And before we realized, there was another pop and splash, now I bravely switched off the gas and came  out of the kitchen. A  3rd and 4th followed till the 7th. By then we were watching the pops and splashes from the dining hall. 

All but two popped and i was left with two kodubales in the pan and an oily kitchen. The oil though less had splashed till the farthest wooden cabinet.  

After a hearty laughter session( it was real fun when it popped)  and narrating the incident to all our relatives, I ended up cleaning the kitchen with shampoos and washing soda. It will take some more time or may be i will not embark on this mission again. But the mission was not a failure........ it turned out to be an invention of "kodubale dosa".

With the remaining dough, i pulped  them with water in  a mixie and made dosa batter.  The dosa turned out  really crisp like wafers but could make only 6 wafer thin ones. It turned out to be kodubale dosas( like rava dosa) and served as lunch for my teens. 

My mantra to build immunity and strength

When  little  children  come together, it is a fest for the germs. They become vibrant and make merry going around and  latching on to the innocent children, especially school going children.  These children  have lesser immunity to fight or resist the viruses/germs  and are prone to frequent microbial infections.

 My son was 2 months old when my daughter started schooling at 2.6 years. Every other week she would invariably pick up some viral infection from her school. There was  lot of cross infections between them during her early school years. Those periods were easily  a down time for me when both children were sick.  Much as I avoid separating or isolating them, the two of them would roll over each other and play.

 

At home, I was advised by my  experienced  elders who have raised many children,  not to take the children to the doctor for every cold/cough, since the doctors would treat them with antibiotics. They would tell me that it was normal for children to catch cold  and infections during their early childhood and it would only help build the immune system.

 Instead they suggested good rest and good home  made immune boosting  food and liquids for the children when they fell sick. Apart from the herbal decoctions like ‘Inji sorasam’( a herbal drink made with ginger, lime juice, honey and coriander seeds), and  ‘Oma sorasam’( made with ajwain ), tulsi tea etc.,  they would insist I add haldi to everyday cooking without fail.

Initially, I was apprehensive to follow their advice as she would  be missing her school and classes. So to get quicker relief, we would take our  daughter often to the clinic. After an hour  long queue and waiting at the paediatrician’s lounge , she was prescribed anti-biotics for 7 days. The  anti-biotic course  made the normally bubbly child  very cranky and less energetic. After 2 or 3 visits which were very frequent, we refrained from taking her and resorted to time tested immune boosters which our  elders prescribed.

Some of which I followed:

·         Good hygiene: washing hands before and after food, covering the mouth while coughing,  using own hanky etc.

·         Good rest: sleeping on time and ensuring a minimum sleep of 7 hours.

·         Physical activity :  Playing in the warm  sunshine/ exposure to early morning rays ( good source of Vit D) , outings even in the wintry cold ( exposure helps build resistance) and  deep breathing early in the morning ( it was more  like a fun time activity when we walked into the balcony to have fresh air).

·         Herbal foods: lot of liquids  in the form of ajwain water(gripe water) ,  tulsi tea, nelli mulli tea( amla),haldi milk,  deepavali legiyam  ( an  awaleha similar to  chyawanprash made at home by elders specially during diwali but would last through the year), tender leaves of neem ground with haldi and jaggery, ajwain ka patta,  etc., were given seasonally and they came in handy to combat the seasonal changes, to build immunity and detox.

·         Home made food:  Most immune boosters  are in our kitchen spice box. Most Indian traditional  foods  are made with these -  jeera,  black pepper(excellent detox), asafoetida (anti-oxidant), curry leaf( vit c)  coriander seeds, chilli, mustard*, haldi** etc.

     

 The food which they liked and  which was a part of our daily diet was pepper rasam.     Pepper Rasam served with mashed  rice and ghee with a dollop of dal was a healthy food during winters( soupy consistency).  I would use lemon juice for the tanginess of rasam . By itself, this was a  healthy food. To it, I would add a herbal pack called ‘Samahan’ to keep them away from common ills. Once a fortnight, I would even make  a rasam called ‘Vepampoo rasam”( from sundried neem flowers, this  rasam had all the 6 flavors of sour, sweet, bitter, salt, astringent and pungency )

·         Seasonal vegetables and fruits completed their wholesome diet.( it was difficult getting them to eat veggies and fruits and so had to try many tactics like camouflauging them in soups and juices)

                                               Physical exercise through games and a dose of sunshine

Pranayam

T                                  seasonal traditional diet involving a dash of immune boosting spices

vegetables and fruits

As they grew, they found it boring to eat the same old diet of fruits, veggies and they disliked the herbal smell of samahan . They developed a taste for global cuisine (continental  & Chinese ) and it was difficult to get them to drink the kashayams ( herbal teas) and bitter  concoctions.  Moreover, even my time was at premium and I found it difficult to make all those herbal teas during times of need.

I relaxed the food habits  as they were growing,  after all they were around 8 and 5+ years.I allowed them some variety and so they did eat the  Cheesy pasta, burgers  or noodles occasionally but Indian diet was a must. At the same time,  I introduced them to   “Dabur’s  Chyawanprash” which took care of their immunity and strength.

Now 9 years later, They themselves are conscious eaters. They eat balanced food but  the stress of  handling  a vast syllabi, school projects,co-curriculum and environmental  pollution  have caught up.  They now have erratic sleeping hours thanks to their project submissions( at short notice), coaching,  school work,  play time,  and TV time.

Very importantly, they still don’t miss  their meditation and pranayam. Thanks to the school which has made it a part of  their curriculum  additionally they also chant the Gayatri mantra  which strengthens their mind too.

Their immune  and strength is still  boosted by Dabur’s “Chywanprash” which they have it on their own (like jam) without any prompting. Coughs and cold are taken care by Dabur's Honitus.

                            The above are some of the ready made products i use from the trusted brand " Dabur"

Drawing from my own experience, 

 I would suggest Hygiene, nutritious  Indian diet, seasonal vegetables and fruits,  sufficient rest and moderate physical activity are the mantra for boosting immunity and strength.

This post exclusively written for Indiblogger's Immune India in association with Dabur Chyawanprash

* Mustard - That little step called seasoning I would always miss in cooking and found it a waste of time, but later realized is one of the most nutritional step having massive health benefits. Thanks to my elders who insisted on tempering the foods.  The mustard seeds are powerful immune food.

** Haldi( again  a powerful immune booster)  which we use in our every day Indian cooking is the most talked about in the ‘Western world’ now. GNC, a famous American nutritional supplement brand sells pure turmeric as a capsule and calls “ Powerful Ayurvedic antioxidant”. Just a teaspoon of this boosts your immunity and keeps various diseases at bay.

Disclaimer:  This  is just preventive care and cannot be substituted or treated as medical advice. I have related my experience, children with asthma and other ailments may need special care. 


Pic courtesy: google images,the last one (dabur products) is mine.

Ancient knowledge to raise healthy generations

Every parent  wants to raise a healthy and well developed child. So as parents, we ensure and encourage they get the best possible health and developmental care since the day they are born by immunizing and vaccinating the infants against various diseases.  These  early health care  help them in having less chance of getting infected or developing major illnesses as they get older or as they go through life.

In Indian families, we also have the privilege of our experienced elders like nanima, dadima, patti and ajji’s  who are richer in native wisdom to help us  in raising a healthy and well developed child. Most of these native wisdom or traditional knowledge has its roots in one of India’s  ancient medicinal system ‘Ayurveda’.  I  have observed, followed and experienced this science of healing which helps one in keeping fit and healthy.

 I strongly believe and practice  home made remedies, granma’s remedies or Ayurvedic remedies when it comes to primary health and wellness issues even today.  To relieve from pains, aches or common ailments like cold and colic pains the various spices, herbs and herbal teas (kashayam/khada) and powders of ayurveda  are my Doctor in need. In days of yore and even now in some house holds like mine, if the child or anybody had cough, they’d mix a pinch of turmeric, a dash of pepper in warm milk or give fenugreek seeds for a stomach ache.

I still remember, night was the time when my children would cry and complain of all those aches and pains   and the clinic was my kitchen.  I have my reasons for relying on this time honored  and trusted practice.

Long long ago, I and my brood  of cousins were born in our Grandparents home at Mylapore(Chennai). Though, we were born in an hospital under a gynaecologist and went to a paediatrician for our vaccinations . Patti(grand mom)  relied mostly on ayurvedic and home made medicines for post natal care of her children,  the  healthy developmental growth of her grandchildren and to treat  the  common ailments and other growing pains.

She also had her older sister  who was a rich source of traditional knowledge, the Venkatramana ayurvedic hospital  on one side and the  herbal apothecary ‘Dabba chetty kadai’* on the other side to aid her.

My  mom often tells me how I would catch cold frequently as a baby and my grand mom used to make vettrilai kashayam( betel leaf herbal tea) and administer it to me through a shell shaped drinking aid called ‘sangu’  in the night and  I would be relieved of the nasal congestion in the morning.

I was 6 years old when my sis was born, and she would always cry of colic pains in the night. She was given allopathic medicines like Piptal by her paediatrician which never stopped her cries, but my  grandmom’s elder sister would burn a piece of dried rhizome over a flame of sesame oil lamp. The ashes of the burnt rhizome  were mixed with honey and given to her and she would sleep peacefully thereafter. The dried rhizome  piece is called Vasambu ( Acorus calamus/Sweet flag) and is a veritable treasure trove used to treat children and very young infants.

This vasambu has many goodness properties  that it is fondly called ‘Pillai marunthu’ (infant’s medicine) in Tamil. It is believed to have a positive effect on the mental development, to relieve colic problems, regulates body heat and bowel movement. It is believed to improve a child’s voice and enhance his or her intelligence.  It is a popular ingredient  for the remedies of cold and cough and other bronchial and respiratory disorders. It is also a good sedative for infants since it has the property to act on the central nervous system. It also acts against flatulence, dyspepsia and vomiting. Overall, a wonder herb that is good for overall good health of body and mind.  In most traditional homes where ayurvedic medicines are practiced,  it is a tradition to insert a gold wire into the vasambu  and rub it against a grinding base stone to make a paste out of it. This paste is then mixed with honey and just a little of the mixture is smeared on the tongue as a daily ritual. It was a ritual at our grandparents place too.

 There is no shelf life or expiry date for this dried herb  and so it does not lose its medicinal properties even if it is old. Many  young parents still  tie this with a soft  string around the waists and necks of their children to keep them away from insect bites or make beaded bangles out of it. I still use them in my cupboards to ward off grocery pests since it is a natural insecticide and keeps away insects.

Apart from my parental home experience, my marital home is another  native wisdom treasure, since my husband’s grandparents, grand aunts, uncles have good experience of this ayurvedic knowledge.

Both my children have had oil massage bath with sesame oil (in ayurveda, it is called queen of oils and is the only oil to penetrate all seven tissues) and  pure castor oil as purgative every alternate day. This is done to cleanse the system of the baby which is mostly on milk as food. This is called Rasayana chikitsa in ayurveda.  An oil massage bath first and a purgative later to detox.

Similarly, sesame  oil  which has multi healthy benefits in pure form is also applied over the eyelids and softly brushed over the eyes while giving bath for the kids to ensure a good vision.

Pure castor oil as purgative is administered in little infants to cleanse the tummy of infants from milky wastes.

Apart from the above, Jathikai(nutmeg), Masikai(oak gall), chitharathai(thai ginger), adhimadhuram( liquorice),  ajwain kashayam, jeera kashayam, Tulsi kashayam and many more ayurvedic herbs and teas were used to knock off all those growing and infancy pains /problems in infants, overall development and to ward off major health issues later and build a good immune system. 

All these herbal practices were conducted as  certain traditional rituals  and done regularly to ensure a healthy start for the child. Since a healthy start to life encourages good health and wellbeing throughout life.

In many Indian homes, where ayurveda  has been a way of life for the elders  there is a ritual for new borns, where  gold ring is dipped with honey and ghee and rubbed on a new born’s tongue. This is believed to stimulate the brain. Even rituals like piercing of a child’s ear on their ayushhomam( first star birthday) is followed  from ‘Bala chikitsa’ branch of Ayurveda. The room where the baby is kept is sterilized with smoke from medicinal herbs to have sterilized and clean air.   All these rituals have its roots in Ayurveda.

In the last few years, the attitude towards ayurvedic medicine has changed and people are conscious of their well being. India is going back to its roots and leading the world too.

 Many people would rather not prefer to get treated for their everyday ills at the neon drenched, swanky corporate hospitals or even poly clinics  that slowly drain their life savings.  Many prefer ayurvedic remedies  and  today there is an awareness  that  herbal medicines are food that cures and are natural materials, most of which are part of our everyday diet.

Infact, new age media  talks effusively about fitness, nutrition and terms like ‘Wellness’,’Holistic’, ‘Spa’, ‘ balanced lifestyle’ and ‘detox’.  All these were known to our elders and were part of their daily life,  though they did not have glamorous names.

  So, my strong belief  in Traditional knowledge which leads to natural growth.This post exclusively written for the above prompt from Indiblogger in association with Dabur lal tail.

                                the above ayurvedic products I use for everyday ills

*     - (Dabba chetty kadai is  the  fond name of a small shop which stocks ayurvedic herbs and other spices in small pigeon holed cube like boxes  hence the name ‘Dabba’ meaning box  and chetty is the business community of Tamilnadu, kadai meaning shop. It is  famous for herbs and ayurvedic prescriptions like postnatal medicine, paediatric medicine  and other homemade  ayurvedic drugs and has clients across the globe.  A tiny shop which has defied time is 128 years old and doing brisk business even now at Chennai's Mylapore)

P.S: This was a post which i wanted to write since the last couple of years.  It took a prompt from indiblogger to make a post on this. Thank you Indiblogger and Dabur.

Pic courtesy: Google images, last one is mine.

Not GOD, but.......

“Ma, come and see this. ”   - That was a call from my 14 year old  who was watching TV. Knowing very well, what he was watching and my lost interest in that, I dismissed his call. He called out again, “ “Amma, don’t miss this historical moment, do come and watch”.

Historical? Or is it hysterical?

 I did’nt tell him, but told that to myself.

As a subscriber to newspaper, newschannel and a few books, I was annoyed with the media, print and electronic  and even the public for building  news only about him in the past few days.  No other news was given more prominence  not even Anand-Carlsen match.

Almost every other media, talked about this so called GOD.

He was brilliant alright, but GOD?!

No ways, mortals like me don’t understand. I too have been a huge fan of cricket during my school days but don’t understand the love and adulation by the media and his fans to raise him to the pedestal of god. I have seen how his fans reacted the moment he came on ground on his 38^th birthday. I was witness to this event. Like I have written in that post, more than the game, I was watching how crazy the fans were of him. Although it was a match between MI and DC of hyderabad, the locals supported him .

Since I had no interest in the game anymore, neither was I a fan of  ‘GOD’, god particle or whatever.  I was least interested to watch  his retirement , what some call  as ‘end of an era’ .

  But then, for my son’s sake,  I walked over to watch the TV and yes, his thanksgiving speech moved me and made me emotional too. The crowd reacted the same way that I saw some 2 years ago  on his 38^th birthday.

His body language showed what a fine human being he is. The words struck like genuine . Rare are the people who remember their mentors and makers. And here was the man who mentioned everyone in his speech and he did’nt even spare the pitch.  The speech struck an emotional chord with me too.

I was a huge fan of cricket in my teens, not anymore. I won’t raise Sachin to the pedestal of God but….

he definitely seems like a fine humble human from his farewell speech.

Put your fan following to good use, Sachin! Happy retirement!!

End of (an) odyssey?

A  chain book store of  reputed brand  closed shutters near my  home. This was one of the most famous book/ leisure  store which opened more than 70 stores across india.  It closed very fast in the west, east and northern region. But was doing good  business in the south till a few years ago.  Infact, more popular in Bangalore and Chennai  that whenever I visited these places for vacation,  I shopped for books and took my children for all those vacation workshops .

There was a time(10 years back)  when i was waiting for this store to open in my city and when its first store opened in  my city, I traveled 14 kms to buy books, boardgames and other multimedia like CDs, casettes, stationary. Some 7 years back, this shop opened its branch closer home and we were regulars there. But in the past one year, i realized i had'nt visited this store or any of those book stores. 

 These were not just book stores but were more than that.  They conducted many weekend workshops  of famous people like Rob of MAD fame, story telling sessions of kathalaya,  reading and other interactive sessions, so this book store and the other swanky  chain of book/leisure  stores in the malls  were our regular haunts when my children were young. Distance was never a matter when it came to book stores, we have traveled long distances to  attend the  children workshops, reading sessions at the various book shops.  They were  good  exposure to my children on the creative as well as learning fronts.  It made them socially interactive and they were good learning grounds for their life skills too as they made them bolder and confident to meet and approach people.

 It was  on a November 14^th, on children’ day there was a creative workshop, story session, magic show and a lego toy workshop for children in one of the book store inside a lifestyle store. My husband then was mostly on official tours, so   I took my children to the place and they thoroughly enjoyed the session and finally when it was  time to return. The last show was announced, the fancy dress contest. I was unaware of the contest so they had no chance of participating.   My daughter who was a very outgoing child and open to participating in such contest said “Ma, I want to participate too”.  I told her  she was in a pant and top and  this was no fancy dress  and  moved towards the coffee shop which was on the same floor to get them something to eat. They went back to watching the show.

The food order took pretty long and  I was waiting for them at the coffee table, my daughter came back to me and told, “But I could have been a newsreader. What matters is attitude ma, not just fancy dress.  You should have allowed me to go”   It surprised me to hear that from a 7 year old.   Such was the influence of these bookstores on many children.    The creative contests most of these shops threw were instant topics/ themes and my children have won many drawing , creative writing contests at not just here, even in Chennai and Bangalore.

The malls which we went to are still there, but the book shop floors of all these malls have disappeared or shrunk.  Similarly many libraries and stand alone book stores  have also closed shutters.

They were doing good business till a couple of years ago. Then what brought the curtains down ?

Is it the reading interest that is on wane or is it the online stores and ebooks?

If these are the reasons, then sadly  I am one of the contributor ,  guilty of not reading books , purchasing online and reading on a flickering screen.  

A nomination from an author blogger

(much as i try, i am unable to decapitalize the below texts, they don't appear that way in the draft, so  please excuse)

This blog of mine has been nominated for Leibster award by Mrs.Usha Menon. The nomination gathers more value because it has been nominated by a very distinguished, dedicated,  active and young blogger.  Yes, Usha ma’am at 77 is young at heart  with a positive and liberal outlook and it clearly reflects on her blogposts. A retired educationist from Directorate of Education, New Delhi and the author of the book “Reverse Gear”, an autobiographical  book which sort of draws analogy between her professional and personal life, the ups and downs faced by an average working woman.

 That is not all, having learnt to use computer recently, she has already written insightful, inspiring and creative posts numbering more than 200 in a short span of time. And is a regular contributor to “Write tribe’ prompts in the form of Haikus, nonets, shortfiction in 100 words, 55ers  etc.,

 Thank you, Ma’am for the nomination, I consider it a privilege to be nominated from a creative and popular blogger like you.  

To accept the award,  I must complete the following.

 Linkback to the person’s blog that have nominated you. ( done)

 Nominate 10 more bloggers whom you feel are deserving and have less than 200 followers and you pass the award on to them(I know very few bloggers and most bloggers I know are more popular and famous with more than 200 followers .So, I am tweaking this and nominating all my favorite bloggers)

Answer all questions posted by the nominator(will do)

 Create10 questions for the nominees (done)

Contact the nominees and let them know that they have been nominated for the Leibster. (will do)

Now, over to the questions by Mrs. Menon for me

        1  Why do you write?

I write for various reasons. To express my thoughts , ideas and note down all things that touches, inspires and affects me.

       2 Why did you start blogging?

To  stash my memories, happenings, travel tales, food tales and all that simple things that I experience. My blog mostly records only happy moments and is a written document for my children to read later on in life.

      3  What do you prefer, love marriage or an arranged marriage? Why?

 I favor both type of marriages as long as it is not an arrangement for convenience and is a life long committment.

 In love marriage, there should be matured love, understanding, adjustment ,trust  and maturity to handle  the marriage.   In arranged marriage,  the people involved should like each other and it should not be a marriage between and for families only.

      4  Does Politics interest you? Give reasons.

Votebank politics does not interest me. But, constructive politics does interest me for the simple reason that it helps in nation building and as a citizen I am benefitted.

     5 Which is your  favourite TV  programme?

I am not a regular  TV viewer but I randomly watch  all  travel, food  and music shows on TLC, Travel Trendz,  NDTV good times and a tamil DD channel called Podhigai.  one serial I like watching is Rajshri productions “ Pyar ka dard hai…….”.  When I am unable to see, I follow written updates. All these are my favorites

     6 Three things which are most important for you in life?

         1) My family  which includes immediate and relatives like uncles and aunts

       2) happiness

         3) Money ( not filthy enough to own an island or a private yacht, but sufficient to lead a pretty decent life)

         
    7 Which is your favourite News Paper?

 National daily ‘ The Hindu’

     8 At what age a child can be given sex education?

  Thanks to Satellite television and other media, today’s children are well informed. So, as early as 9 or even earlier depending on the environment they grow in.  But it should be imparted gradually and  taught  as a natural biological process without any awkwardness, not as a taboo or sin.  The children should be taught about good touch and bad touch as early as ‘3’ or when a child is able to understand what is being told.

    9  Which character has influenced you most in a novel? Why?

‘Swaminathan’ of RK narayan’s ‘Swami and friends’ for his innocence, simplicity and naughtiness and almost everyone faces problems like him in childhood and can relate to him.

    10. Which country do you wish to live for ever?

             Bharat Varsh

Now the questions that I have drafted for my favorite  and leibster deserving bloggers.

1. If you could learn one skill, what would you learn?
2. Your major goal in life?
3. What’s your favorite motivational quote?
4. How do you de-stress yourself?
5. The  traditional food you like most ?
6. Your favorite game in your childhood?
7. Do you think technological advancements have made us less creative. YES/No. justify your choice.
8. In today’s scenario. If you were to raise a child,  How would you raise him/her?  A sheltered life like in a bubble shielding him/her from the various problems or would you let her/him  freely to explore, experiment and learn by exposing them to the harsh realities of life and be independant.
9. IF you were to narrate an inspiring story of a person from history/fiction/ real life to a 10 year old. Whose story would you choose to narrate?
10. If a  confused teenager came up to you asking for advice on what career choice to make. What would be your advice?

Now, to get the award, you  bloggers have to help me.

I nominate all my favorite bloggers – Sowmya( soul space)

                                                               Swapna (Petals)

                                                                Rama ( time, time..)

                                                                Gils( will try to bring him back)

                                                               Ramesh ( business musings)

                                                                Shilpa ( a rose...)

                                                                SG ( shoot the breeze)

                                                                 shachi(expressions) 

                                                               Renu( anoobhooti)

                                                             & last but not the least Usha ma'am again

I can understand if you don't want to write the answers on your blog, but would appreciate if you write it here in my comments section.

so, any takers?