The Bhaag Milkha Bhaag collection at Jabong.com

The Farhan Akhtar and Sonam Kapoor starrer much awaited movie Bhaag Milkha Bhaag released today. Being a Farhan Akhtar fan myself, I've been waiting to catch this one for a very long time.

I have a feeling that this film will be a turning point for Akhtar's career as an actor. The dedication towards his profession is evident in how he has transformed himself to achieve the body of an athlete to perfectly suit the role of the legendary athlete, The Flying Sikh and I personally think he look fabulous. And it has made me feel a little guilty for forgetting my yoga practice which I haven't been doing for quite sometime now. I guess it is time for me to get back to it.

I was browsing through Jabong.com and saw the promotional collection of sportswear and equipment that are available and they seem amazing. From a huge and attractive collection for both men and women to choose from, the collection has everything from sports and gym wear clothing, shoes, equipment, bags, water bottles and what not.

Who doesn't like looking good all the time? And especially when you are all drenched in sweat after working out at the gym or after that jog in the morning, having stylish clothes on yourself becomes even more important.Wearing good and stylish clothing boosts up one's morale and for lazy people like me, they are a good way to motivate oneself.

I made out two collages for both men and women from products available at  Jabong.com. Have a look-

Click on the pictures of items below the collages to find and buy them.

All collages created via polyvore

So how many of you are going over this weekend to catch the movie. I sure will be. Do let me your thoughts about it :)

This post is written for blog contest by Jabong.com online shopping website, Jabong.com on the occasion of launching the exclusive Bhaag Milkha Bhaag Sports Collection.

An Ode To Bob Dylan

Hello Bloggy Friends,

It has been a long time I have been MIA. Today I've come up with a poem written by one of my very favourite people on earth and a very old friend, Rakesh Krishnakumar. Rakesh is an engineer to be and a movie buff who has the most amazing taste in world movies. This is what he says about his composition-

It is inspired from Bob Dylan's Masters of War. After hearing that song I was so deeply moved I thought it would be the ideal start for me to write a contemporary version of the same as I thought it suits perfectly in today's context. It is basically aimed at the scheming perpetrators who are sending the country to her lowest lows. My maiden attempt, so please forgive the blunders.

Come See This Blaze, This Golden Glow
The Storm Gathering Might,
The Lighthouse Incinerating The Ships
The Oppressed, The Suppressed, The Beaten Ones
The Torments, The Tortures, The Tricks And The Taunts
Enough With It I Am Warning You.

If Not A Day Will Come And I Hope It Will Soon
When You See The Fire Rising Above Your Mansion
The Fire You Yourself Created To Burn Us Down
The Furnace You Yourself Fabricated To Char Our Souls
You Will See It, Your Same Old Fire Eating Into Your Flesh.

You Say The Times Have Changed
With All The Mud Settling Down
And All The Winds Changing Their Course;
You Say The Warmongers Are All But Dead
And The Blood They Shed Disappeared In The Tide.
You Say Peace Has Shrouded This World
You Say Future For The Unborns Is All Shining Bright.

But I Say Shut Your Ugly Mouth Mister
That Your Petty Tricks Ain't Now Good;
All These Lies And Fake Promises You Offer
Carefully Concealed Inside A Golden Chocolate Wrapper.
Keep 'Em With You, You Sly Oldster
As Times Have Indeed Changed
But They Have Changed Only For Your Bad

You See The Boy Over There, That Poor Little Chap
Cleaning Your Vomit And Washing Your Waste
I Wonder How Old Is He
I Wonder Where Are His Tooth Fairies
Where Are His Christmas Gifts
I Know Its You, The Cunning Orchestrator
Stealing His Childhood, And Tearing His Wings
I Dare You To Look At His Face, See Through His Eyes, Once At least
And If You Do Can't You See A Million Faces

Can't You See The Girl Selling Flesh For A Crumpled Currency
A Widow Grieving The Loss Of Her Other Half
A Mother Mourning Her Infant's Demise
A Peasant Failing To Feed His Cherub Drinking His Tears
A Fragile Weak Contour Receiving The Remains Of Her Beloved Martyr
All Because Of You And You Alone
Because Of Your Fake Bloated Promises
Because Of Your Negligence And Unapologetic Greed
I Just Want To Ask You One Thing
Can You Bear These Curses, All Aimed At You
The Curses Which Can Melt You Down To Your Bloody Ashes

Now You Hear That Sound, That Ever Increasing Tremor
Sound Of That Fast Approaching Storm
You See Those High Concrete Walls Of Yours Shivering
And Those Extravagant Tiles Underneath Your Feet
Cant You Feel Mighty Chasms Forming All Over Them
Not A Pretty Sight, Ain't It You Filthy Schadenfreude.
Ain't You Afraid Now, Ain't You Trembling With Fear
Or Ain't You Even Aware Of These Impending Danger
I Think You Are, As I Can See It In Your Eyes

You Can Put On Your Thickest Armour
You Can Prepare Your Golden Army
You Can Hide Inside Your Storm Shelter
You Can Even Put On An Invisibility Cloak
But Whatever You Do One Thing's For Sure
This Storm Will Rise And When It Rise
You Will Be Surrounded From All The Sides
There Will Be No Escape Both For Your Body And Soul
And That One Tiny Bullet, Oh It Will Find You Boy
The One Which Has Your Name On It
And Will Make You Bleed From Your Wrenched Heart
That Worthless Blood, Your Poisonous Blood

Rakesh, I think you have done a brilliant job for a first attempt. Looking forward to reading more from you buddy :) For those of you who haven't heard Dylan's original-

Till next,

Adios

Monsoon Holiday Destinations- A Guest Post from Surf Excel

Hello, beautiful people! Monsoon is nearly here, and we hope you all are just as eager to be signing in the rain as we are! We have here a guest post for you, from Surf Excel- with superb ideas for Monsoon 'staycations' (as they call it) with the family. We hope it will make your holidays all the more enjoyable!

Many people opt to leave the country when the rains arrive, choosing alternative destinations for their family holidays. But they may be missing out: India's countryside is transformed into a verdant paradise during the wet season; flowers bloom, mountains are cloaked in midst, and – best of all – you can escape the dry city heat. So if you can't manage a holiday abroad this year, there are plenty of options at home. And, with low-cost accommodation during the monsoons, you may get a lot more for your money. Here are some of the best places to take the kids this year.

Rajasthan

The desert state may see its fair share of rain as the monsoon winds travel northwards, but here they generally only last an hour and will not characterise every day of your trip. Take the kids to the City Palace in Udaipur, floating serenely out on Lake Pichola; they will love the sunset boat trips. Older ones will enjoy the trek up to the soaring Kumbhalgarh Fort, known as the 'Cloud Palace' and built so the maharajas of the past could have the best views of the shifting monsoons. What's more, off-peak season could land you with a hilltop residence of your own at a fraction of the price; there are plenty of family-friendly hotels around Jaipur and the tiger sanctuary in Ranthambore National Park.

Goa

Goa is also a bargain destination at this time of year, but the rains only enhance the beauty of this west-coast region. Treat the kids to rare wildlife and rushing waterfalls in Mollem National Park, or try the smaller, easy-to-reach Bondla zoo and deer safari. The rains don't come in half measures in Goa, but this is all part of the fun. With monsoon celebrations like Sao-Joao Festival in June, you can watch the boat races in Siolim or embrace the rain and dance in the streets. Just make sure you take enough changes of clothes for everyone, so you can save the laundry for when you get home – Surf Excel has got some great laundry tips for the monsoon season!

Kerala

Both child-friendly and appealing even in the wet weather, South India's Kerala makes for a great family holiday. Sunny intervals interrupt the rainfall up until October, although watch out for the Northeast Monsoon later in the year, which hits this part of the country harder. Periyar National Park stays open for most of the year and you can take a boat safari through the serene, wildlife-rich habitats. If the kids like this idea, they'll love the chance to stay the night on the houseboats that travel the famous backwaters of Kerala; with a wooden roof over your heads, you're free to enjoy the colourful scenery.

Quick breaks from the city

Since longer trips are not always advisable in monsoon weather, you might want to try a quick weekend break closer to home. Even Mumbai, which receives some of the worst floods during this time also has convenient access to Bhandardara, a hillside resort around 3-4 hours drive from the city which is peaceful enough to take the grandparents as well as the kids. If you're stuck in Delhi for monsoon, try nearby Damdama Lake, where there's a full programme of activities for little ones, from archery to woodland play parks, as well as idyllic cottage accommodation and ample space to set up a barbecue.

Of course, depending on where you live, it's difficult to escape the monsoon altogether, but if you're worried about child safety or the hassles of travel during the wet season, wait until the first rains have passed and take your holiday in August or September. Accommodation is usually cheaper overall, but some places are not always open so do check ahead once you've decided on a location. Though a 'staycation' is not always a first choice, it's also a chance to see the best rural India has to offer and embrace the beauty that the rains bring to our country.

I hope you all enjoyed this post and got some good ideas for your upcoming 'stay-cations'! For unique articles with cleaning tips, parenting tips and kids’ activities, please visit the Surf Excel website. :) 

 Have a great day, people! 

PS- The pictures in the post have been taken from Google. :)

Walking Down Memory Lane- The Colgate Clock

Hello, beautiful people!

At this time of the year, with so many high school kids stepping into the 'real world', or what we call college,  one cannot help but think about all the various career choices we had in mind when we were younger. As a little kid, I once thought I'd like to be a dentist- and that had nothing to do with staring into people's mouths.

I was a typical chocoholic (I still am  ) , and cavities never really came as a surprise. So, I was used to visiting the dentist and enjoyed watching him work. I often found myself observing things like the little aquarium in the lobby where I had to wait for my turn, or the way the receptionist smiled at kids who were scared of getting their teeth ripped out. And of course there were those magic fairy tales about tooth fairies and I was always eager to get my tooth extracted only hoping to see one (no, not Dwayne "Rock" Johnson, the prettier ones in tutus ). While I never got to see one, I always found the little gift she dropped under my pillow to spend on something nice 

The thing that fascinated me most, however, was a particular clock on the wall - I have to admit that it was that which made me wish I would grow up to be a dentist. Because I was under the impression that only dentists are allowed to own such a beautiful clock. Whenever I would get terrified of the creepy instruments that were shoved into my mouth, I'd fix my gaze on the Colgate Clock, as I called it, since it had the Colgate toothpaste logo on it. This one had a strange appeal to it ; the second hand was in the shape of a toothbrush and I would follow its progress with a mesmerized expression, from what I'm told. 

I did not mind the pain that came with every visit to the dentist, because I would get the chance to eat a huge ice cream sundae whenever my tooth was removed. But one day, I sorely regretted taking this lightly. I was old enough to have developed permanent teeth- and when one of THOSE got a cavity, I was horrified at the thought of having to go without one. Nightmares began to haunt my sleep, of looking like a toothless granny whenever I would smile. And worst of all, I realized I'd no longer be allowed to eat as many chocolates as I would like to! I felt like I'd been taken to Willy Wonka's chocolate factory and thrown out as a result of bad behaviour (Oh the horror!!). 

Thankfully, my friendly neighbourhood dentist told me I can get away with a 'filling'.  What he meant to fill, I hadn't known- but as long as I could retain my poor little tooth, I was willing to go along with any other plan.  Afterwards, I was advised to brush my teeth twice a day, even if it kills me. Initially, I was so relieved to have my tooth 'rescued', I would slather a generous amount of Colgate toothpaste onto my  toothbrush and brush my teeth fanatically each time I had something to eat. I gradually lost the over enthusiasm but I still make sure I brush at least twice a day. The terrifying process of having the dentist drilling into my teeth  and stuffing it with the silver-ish filler is something I sure don't want to go through again!!

Now I only happen to go to the dentist for a regular check up, but mercifully it isn't because of awful tooth problems. 

I remember Colgate starting a wonderful initiative towards creating a better awareness in people, especially kids regarding oral healthcare. Regular wooden ice-cream sticks were replaced by a wooden brush shaped stick which was revealed after the bar of ice cream was consumed, a very clever way to remind people to rinse and brush their teeth after consuming anything sweet.

Did You Know?

• Two out of every three Indians suffer from gum problems, and are unaware of it. 
• The statistics of people with a tooth/gum related problem is way higher than any other disease. 
• Teeth and gums being integral parts of our body without which we can't enjoy all those yummy saliva-inducing delicacies, it becomes a necessity that we take proper care of them.
• Apart from those flashing white teeth, we also need to pay attention to our gums which hold them. Loose and receding gums can lead to tooth loss.
• Bleeding and swollen gums can be a sign of deeper underlying problems like gingivitis or periodontitis  that need to be addressed immediately.
• Bleeding gums can cause bad breath due to increased bacterial activity in your mouth.
• We must not ignore signs that our body gives us- what would happen to our winning smiles, and by extension our pretty pictures, if we lost our teeth? Go get yourself a dental check up this week, and do take care of you dental health.

This is my entry for the IndiBlogger contest The Moral of the Story Is...... in association with Colgate Total ProGum Health. For cool tips regarding dental care, visit My Health Speak :)

Hope y'all have a great time today!

The first three images are not mine. Thank you, Google!!