Love Is In The Air.....

Yep its the love season all over again. Its really cute to see guys and girls struggling to get the perfect gift for their loved ones. The gift shops and particularly the card sections are really crowded. I would like to share the memorable valentines day gift that i gave and received so far. Initially i used to enjoy the whole process of shopping for the special gift. But recently it has become more of a struggle. I mean what is the perfect gift for a guy. Their list is almost tooo small.(Shirt, Watch, Coolers, Perfume, Jacket, Shoes, electronic items(if they are intrested). We must have given them on and on. The choice is really limited. Apart from that i've become very competitive with senthil. Its like whose gift is the best. I always want to win nd that gives me the stress.

I was really wondering how to make him feel special. So during the last valentine's day, i just got him the shirt. We usually exchange gifts in the morning. He gave me jwellery (Swarovski crystals) nd i gave him the shirt. He thought that it was his gift and he took me out. He planned the entire day so well. We went to look at the ice sculptures nd then to a very nice restraunt in downtown(Fountain) and we had very nice time. He wasnt aware of the nice surprise that i've planned for him. Anyway we enjoyed the day a lot and returned home. Just when he thought that he has outdone me this time i set the table with all his favourite dishes. I cooked it for him and arranged for candle light dinner at home. He was really surprised and he enjoyed it. I also slelected the list of music thats special to us. It was running in the background. I guess thats the best valentine's gift i have given him. Its really priceless to see your loved ones enjoying the gift u gave them. It definetly would be a great memory to treasure.

If i have to pick my best gift it would be the first Valentine's day with Senthil. We werent married at that time and were still in India. I went to Bangalore and he took me to Forum. We were roaming in Landmark for a while and i was casually telling him that i liked few items there. After that i returned to Chennai. The next thing you know, he sent me all those items to chennai. I felt really special. Isnt it really sweet?. I mean it may not be a big deal for many people. I've had very serious arguements with some of my friends regarding the gift exchanges on Valentine's day. Seriously its not necesary to gift just to express your love. Its just a simple way of saying that you love and care for them. it may be a simple bunch of red roses or a heart shaped chocolate box still its special for someone who knows and deserves your love. There are some people who read too much into the gift. I think thats totally unnecessary. Please share ur best gifting ideas too. I'm sure it will be helpful to many people.

Bibi Ka Maqbara - The forgotten treasures

I really wonder how many of us recognize the above the picture....

I really wonder how many of us have heard about it or seen the photographs....

I really wonder how many of us have been there....

I really wonder how many of us knew that a place like this even exist....

Well i'm talking about the "Bibi Ka maqbara", which was built by Prince Azam Shah as a tribute to his mother Rabia Durrani.(It seems that its often reffered to as 'poor man's Taj'). I dint know about this amazing place until recently when senthil (my husband) told me about it. I was shocked and surprised when i looked into the pictures. I couldnt help but be amazed by the resemblence it had with Taj mahal. What a shame that few of us dint even know about the existence of such an wonderful monument. We keep talking about the spectacular view of Niagara, the gorgeous lady in the statue of liberty, but i guess we are forgeting the numerous treasures that our country has been housing for centuries.
Its really sad to look at the current condition of the Bibi ka maqbara or few other historic places for that matter. Forget about building new landmarks, if we really cant protect or preserve the ones that we have now, i dont know where we are heading?. Just imagine in next 50 years what would be left of it. We take pride in saying that we are one of the oldest civilisations but what are we doing to protect the trails of our civilisation. When people all over the world are proud of their historic buildings and take utmost care to protect them we are just talking. We simply blame the population for the poor maintenance of such valuable monuments. Only when we invest in a business we would be able to earn profit. Similarly the government should invest in such historic places to attract tourists and this in turn will help to improve the country's revenue. Lets not be just proud about our country's treaures but also lets take this opportunity to show the world. If any of you know of such great places which is not been exhibited properly please share in this blog. Lets bring out all the hidden treasures.

"Small Talk" - is a Big deal...

I bet that few people would be wondering whats the big deal about small talks.

Just try answering these questions you'll know its importance.

What helps you when there's a long queue before you in the clinic?

What helps you to make a great impression when you are going to meet ur BF/GF's friends?

What helps you to approach a person you like?.

What helps when you go to your husband's collegues party?

Trust me guys small talk is definetly not a silly matter to discuss.I've seen some really embarassing moments. I know a girl during my college days who cannot make small talks. When someone introduces a new friend she doesnt know what to talk. Its usually like "Hi, how r u?" and then she runs out of words. She hates that awkward silence. The first impression that she always makes is that she's some sort of serious personality(which she's actually not). Later she worked on her weakness and before u know it she became the so called people person. In fact you wouldnt believe, she grew up to a level where she became the HR head of the company - nd that was me....Yep. I used to be the one who had hard time meeting new people(like friends's friends or cousins). But i'm happy and relieved that i'm not that same girl anymore.

Few people have a misconception that small talks are really unnecesary. Its actually not so. It is like a secret weapon . It will come handy when u need the most. You just need to use it appropriately. Especially in work environment you'll have to make small talks with the clients. C'omon guys whom would you prefer for a job where two people are equally qualified. Would you choose a friendly person or the serious one?. Isnt the chioce obvious?.In my experience i've seen serious people loose some great opportunity to friendly people. ofcourse one's talent and capablities comes first. These are all just the added advantages. But it plays a vital role too.

I consider "small talk" to be a form of art. It not only helps us build a better personality but also builds our confident level. You know, initially i used to make conscious effort to talk with people in different teams. In fact i used to do some preparation too. But now i'm spontaneous. I really started to enjoy having pleasant conversation. You know what we should not forget the other party in the converstion. Just try and keep the conversation intresting for both the parties. Sometimes being thoughtfull helps. Just talk from your heart. make sure that it doesnt sound fake.

Talk the Talk....