Top 5 things to consider while planning to study in Ireland - Guest post by Rebecca Heins

View of Liffey River on O’Connell Street

It is good to be back home in Namma Ooru Bengaluru, but the last 2 years in Ireland, especially Dublin will always be special in my life.

“A place is only as good as the people you know in it. It's the people that make the place.” ― Pittacus Lore

The above saying holds true to Ireland. This was perhaps the top most deciding factor for me when I decided to leave a thriving career with HP and move to a place where I did not know a soul.   Studying in an international environment is something that I will recommend to everyone; not just for the experience and exposure it offers, but also for the development of your overall personality. 

Though I was initially looking at Europe and was offered admission in couple of Universities in UK, I finally chose Ireland after talking to a friend who had been working in UK for really long time.  While discussing with her about studying in EU, it was the friendlier nature of Irish is what caught my attention and that was the deciding factor for me finally ending up in Dublin.  Though I have traveled before, but I’ve never lived in another place other than Bangalore.  It was quite challenging for me to transition from a sheltered Indian family setting to an unknown place I had to stumble and figure my way out.    That is when I decided that I will try and put all those information together more from an international student perspective, so other students might be better prepared and have an easier time than me.  So here are all the information I have put together a page for potential students interested to Study in Ireland and facebook group to answer queries.  My time in Dublin of course was not a cake walk like any other part of life, but I believe those experiences is what makes it special.

Based on my experience here are the Top 5 things you need to keep in mind while planning to study in Ireland:

My University UCD Michael Smurfit College

Research Research!

Think long term before you decide on any Masters or specialization after their undergrad.  I get asked the same kind of questions from students on Quora all the time about studying & career.  It is important to think through your long term goals before you invest in any area of specialization.  Speak to career counselors, analyse your personality, Volunteer/intern to gain additional skills,  work in the area that interests you, gain couple of years' experience before you embark on any Masters course.  One of the top most reasons for many students to study abroad is to gain working experience in that region. If that is your top most reason, research on the job market - do you find enough opportunities for internationals in that area? Connect with University alumni or student groups.  This is an investment that you are making that will set you up in a specific career path, therefore it is important to spend time talking to former students and also professionals in that area. 

Being part of HR, one thing that I would like to stress on is that, if you can afford it study in highly ranked and accredited Universities, Do it! It is worth the investment personally and professionally as it will be well recognized by global companies wherever you go.

Prepare to weather the Irish weather:

Ireland has the awesome summers! Winters are the hardest when it is grey and it becomes dark by 3PM. Someone coming from India where you take the sun for granted, you will end up craving for some Vitamin D in that season. Until Ireland, I had never heard about 'cold beaches', the view of the sea is wonderful, but just don't dare step in it other than summers! Your legs  will freeze! It can also get quite windy there! You will find out the true meaning of resistance walking or resistance biking in the windy season.  The heavens may also open up and pour on you anytime of the year! You need to be constantly prepared with a jacket that can protect you from wind, cold and rain (Oh if you are lucky light snow too)! I gave up on buying new umbrellas as any of the strong one does not seem to hold against the strong winds.  With all that, I can say one thing! Ireland is beautiful!  Over a period, rain will not stop you from looking forward to taking those walks around town to explore and start clicking photos of the lovely landscape.

Get your living arrangements sorted early:

Getting accommodation during the University starting season can be really challenging. Campus accommodation is limited and expensive, so only a few can manage to get them.  Arrive early or make connections who can help you with the finding an accommodation.  Connect with your other students who are perhaps in the same batch or from the same University to tentatively get a place together as housemates or roommates; It is easier to decide on a 2 or 3 BHK's sharing when you know how many are going to be sharing with you.  Never book long term accommodation without arriving and actually looking at the house as there number of scam that happens at that time. It is recommended to arrive in Ireland before the semester starts to find a place off campus.  The places get filled pretty quickly during the viewings set up by the landlords. So it is best to decide and book as soon as you find an appropriate place.  The intensity of the race to find rented places perhaps is a little lesser in smaller towns than in Dublin.

Gain skills outside your academic life:

Unlike in India preference is not just given to topping academics alone, but an overall personality development in Universities abroad.  So while you are thinking of studying in Ireland, acquire some skills through volunteering, sports, arts, leading programs alongside your academics or through some internships.  Not only will these things add value when you apply for the courses and for scholarships/bursaries, but continuing to participate in the various societies arts or sports during your Education in Ireland will help you stand apart; with your job applications to employers in Ireland.  Being an active participant in-class and outside leading programs during your course here will help you teach many dynamics of working in a team, leading an initiative and giving you confidence while you begin your career.

The Irish Pub

Get out of your comfort zone:

Here is an opportunity for you to live in a different country & experience their culture, so don’t waste it. Ireland is part of the EU, so you will find a number of mainland Europeans visiting or studying in Ireland. Get out from your comfort group mingle with other international students. It is easier to get tied to familiar nationalities due to the comfort of knowing them. While you tend to be fonder of your own nationalities particularly away from home, don’t lose the opportunity to learn about other nationalities.  You can learn a lot about each other’s cultures, values and enjoy diverse opinions. I have made some really close friends from France to New Zealand during my time in Ireland. Irish are friendly people; you will find them returning your smiles or chatting up randomly on the bus. There are a number of times I have got lost and have had someone walk with me half way as I did not know which direction I was heading.  Good and evil acts exists everywhere, one warning to students visiting Dublin city centre – Mobile/bicycle thefts are rampant; do not wave around your phone to click your picture while you are in the city.

Wicklow, Ireland – The county famous for movie PS, I love you.

When you have an opportunity of living and studying in a beautiful scenic country, make the most of it.  Walk or Bike and explore places around Ireland whenever you can, you will learn a lot of its ancient history.  Share the enthusiasm of the locals and it will be returned.  Irish are friendlier :) when they are especially high on life, beer and Gaelic football.  You might still never get used to some of the accents from other counties, but before long I am sure you will not mind the ‘Shite’ or  perhaps join in on their ‘Craic’ slangs!

  

The famous Temple Bar Area

If you have any questions about Studying in Ireland, connect with me on this fb group and me or the former students will try and answer them.

About the author: Rebecca is a good friend and she just got back from Ireland where she graduated in International business. I caught her to get this post. Hope it helps you if you are looking do study in one of the most beautiful landscapes of the world. Born among the hills of Coorg, a true Bangalorean by heart, Rebecca loves all things Arts and likes to keep up with the pulse of Business & Brands. After spending more than a decade of working in corporates in the field of Marcom and Branding, she decided to take a sabbatical to pursue a Masters in Dublin, Ireland. Her love for writing finally took shape during this break through  www.bizlifebytes.com. 

Being alone in a different country and trying to figure things out can be quite difficult as she found out. So to help students, she has put together information to help students who are looking forward to study in Ireland.  

Monday Blues: What is your character?

How do you handle adversity? In terms of handling pressure how do you rate yourself? What is your first reaction? How would you behave when faced with problems? Do you explode with emotions and cause pain and hurt to yourself and everyone else? Or do you handle it with patience, courage, grit and the charm to show encouragement to people around you. 

What makes a great leader is the ability to stay calm when everything fails knowing that you will survive, you should make it out and you must not let fear, difficulties and situations bog you down. 

The true strength of character is how we respond when everything seems to go against us. 

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Monday Blues: Lessons from Leonardo DiCaprio & Oscar

He charmed us with his cute chocolate boy looks and stole the sweetheart from the rich abusive bad guy and iconized the kiss on the deck of Titanic and from then on kept on giving us performances that just stood shy of the Oscar but we fans gave it to him anyways. Here today, finally is his moment and this is awesomest time to be in when Leo won the oscar and I watched it live!

Celebrating the Oscar night where finally Leonardo DiCaprio wins the Oscar for best actor in The Revenant. Here is a quick takeaway from Leo and his work.

No matter if accolades come your way or not, keep doing what you love and success is just round the corner. When faced with rejection or failure, move on and put more effort and work harder, smarter and make your way to the top. For as long as you are not on the top, you can keep pushing.

Do just continue to the top but try and be better every single day for it is a new day and come back with more passion, more character, put in more hours, more practice and soon enough you will see the light coming your way. Celebrate hard work and struggle so your success doesn't matter. 

Want to see a real party?

Pic is from here.

Tata and Tiger on the Joy of Building!

"Ready to spend a weekend with TATA and look at their plant?", Harish said and I was game. After working on excel sheets, targets, reports and what not, all through the last few weeks and writing exams, this was the break I needed. Long time I had spent some time with fellow bloggers and it is always fun to hangout with Blogadda and this time the deal was better as we were #BuildingBlogsOfJoy in the city of Joy with one of the top brands in the world and the best in India. So there we set off to Kolkata by Indigo and there was this special chauffeur from Tata to take us to the TATA Centre. Ushered into the guest rooms to freshen up and after the ceremonial breakfast of sandwiches and tea, we headed out to meet the marketing team at 9th floor.

Built in 1957, designed by the renowned architect Indranil Sen The TATA Centre is one of the highest buildings in Kolkata with 18 floors and 259 ft. Not everyone has access to the top floor which has the special guest house that hosts the Chairman Emeritus and the top board members. You can see for miles from there and the view is pretty amazing. I was one of the lucky three who were granted permission to go up and go crazy with the camera. The architecture was colonial and everything associated with the building from staff, security, dressing, cutlery and service was amazing and iconic! And I got clicked by Sammy on the terrace. What a view.

This was a two day activity with TATA Tiscon and we were brought up to date with the amazing branding journey of TATA Tiscon. Steel for centuries was just a commodity and was always bought on the recommendation of the maestri or friends or the shop owner and not much thought was given to the branding and the quality wasn't considered so important, So how do you brand such a commodity and maintain standards to convey that your brand steel is better than others and convince customer to stand out and pick you over the competition? 

That is the amazing journey of the marketing team at TATA Tiscon we went through for the rest of the afternoon when not sipping coffee and munching on Sandesh and gobbling up the unlimited supply of Mistidoi. To brand the unbranded and to retain the quality and ensure the consumer had the last mile access was a victory of sorts for Tata Tiscon and you can read more about it here.

Okay where was I? Yes at Sandesh. We were allowed to handle the brand page on social media. To see a 100+ year old brand, let that sink in, let bloggers handle their page albeit for a few moments is amazing. It was especially interesting to see how open the TATA Tiscon team was to our ideas. While we made stories up for #BuildingBlogsofJoy and shot pictures, the team was gearing up to show us the customer-friendly interaction at the storefront. This was unraveling as the consumer was welcomed and serviced as though he was buying a latest mobile phone. The front end shop floors has all the gadgets you need including the 3D gear to visualize what the building would look like and the material needed once the plans were shared. The people were not taken to shady dingy to buy steel but were shown in a bright lit showroom what they would need, how and when. Taking customer into confidence while educating him/her with the latest technology was the main purpose rather than the sale. 



Tata Tiscon also has its retail presence in 6500 districts, i.e., almost 95% of the districts in India which means that you can have a TATA Tiscon outlet within 10 miles from your place, wherever you are in India. That kind of reach is scary. Apart from the final consumer, TATAT Tiscon works with maestris, contractors, labour, masons and many more stakeholders to ensure the product info is shared and their workload is reduced. Transferring the technology, usage methods, time-saving techniques and better construction methods and many more such trade secrets are shared with them to make them more skillful and equipped. The shop floor is designed by Tata design team to allow spacial comfort while selecting their ware. Pretty impressive as it could permeate to a grass-root level and involves a lot of educating and empowering all the stakeholders to ensure the brand message of trust, comfort and safety from TATA Tiscon seeps to the final mile.

Off we went to see the Princep in the night for a small huddle and off we went to rest our heels after another sumptuous dose of Sandesh and Mistidoi apart from the home cooked meal. I dozed off reading one of the books in their massive library and woke up startled when we were ready to catch the train. So off we went in the snaking paths of dreamy Kolkata, over the bridges and under the passes to the buzzing railway station. People were running everywhere and trying to get on with their trains and luggage. We lazily adjusted in the AC Chair car and resumed dozing off. I kept thinking about the day ahead when we will be exclusively shown the New Bar Mill at TATA Tiscon plant in Jamshedpur to see how the rebars are made!

The test of fire!

Once in Jamshedpur, I felt I was in the sanctuary of the greatest dreamers and successful people in the world and the expectation was at its peak.The visit to the plant happened in clinical precision with the security briefings, precautions to be taken and we were given a privilege of having exclusive access to cameras. The HR team and the factory management took us through the processes and ensured we understood what happens in the daily life of a Tata employee and we could see the extremely personal bonding people had with Tata as a brand more than an employer. The pride was worn on the sleeve and the satisfaction, gratitude was visible in their eyes. While we couldn't pull most of them aside to talk to them, we were given the presentation of the team that worked on a research project from one of the quality circles and their award winning contributions. I will be doing some of the posts for Talk To Tiger and you would see the stories are really amazing.

The dance of fire

The trip to the fiery furnace was more humbling than expected as you feel the heat some 25 mts away and it is not just the size that dominates but the spirit of Tata and how they could start this much more many others in India. The simple concept of getting such a big plant set up is a monumental task in itself and is not for the lighthearted. Having it up and running while the Britishers are breathing down your neck and trying to put restriction shows the power and stature of character from the founding father. 

Can you see the music and hear the symphony?

Tata Tiscon rebar mill is one of the latest in the whole scheme of things and we saw how the billets were remolded to form the rebars and the walk of the transition was educative. It is really easy to look at a steel bar and not see the fiery journey it takes to be what it needs to be - the nerves in your building. Unless careful quality controls are in place, the standards that Tata has set in place are followed the bar is discarded and used as scrap. Only the best of the best survive the test and move on to the clients. Did I tell you Tata Tiscon is the first to brand the steel bar?

Once we finished the experience and walked out of the factory we crossed the gates under the careful gaze of the man himself - Jamsetji Tata whose statue sits regally overseeing the gate and in a fitting tribute I got down to capture him in my camera and spend a moment in his presence, albeit being a statue, to think upon the legacy, the charm, the class and the culture his personality exudes and the simplicity of principles he lived by. While the rebar might be just a bar of steel for all of us for the staff at Tata Tiscon it is their art, their creation and their life.

Check out here about the branding lessons from Tata Tiscon soon.

This post is a part of the #BuildingBlogsOfJoy activity of TATA TISCON in association with BlogAdda.com.

Monday Blues: Make a list

Every second, every hour, every day we are running. Running from responsibilities, running from work, running from deadlines, running from people, running from goals, running from ourselves. And we keep running because we do not have reason to stay committed. Like I was running from this blog. I can give you enough reasons bu there is frankly none. So here it is back on track.

Do you run away from your responsibilities and your goals and work? What about relationships? It is essential that you look up once in a while form your busy schedule and actually see if you are busy and if yes, are they for the right reasons. If you are busy for the right reasons, nothing like it. If not, time to take a break and re-evaluate and make a priority list. Yes make a list.

When you wake up from the rush and make a list of your priorities make sure you have your family, your loved ones and caring ones with you in that list. Because you can earn as much as you want but you can't eat two biryanis. 

Life is what you make it, but the choice should make that happen. When you wake up in the morning to head to work, it should be with a smile on your face and a song in your heart. If not you are not doing it right. So go brew a great cup of coffee, make that list and then press play!

This is a series of Monday Blues posts.

Book Review: Alphabet Soup for Lovers - Anita Nair

Not everyone loves a chilly morning in a wet countryside with laziness clinging to your side. You don't want to shake it off as the warm comforter refuses to let go. But then you need something that puts you out of this pleasant misery. A good cup of hot tea can do the trick but a hot soup is my favorite. A hot steaming soup that slowly crawls into your mouth greeting your lips, lighting up your palate, clearing your windpipe and literally waking you up is the one we love. Alphabet Soup for Lovers by Anita Nair one such wake up call for all our settled lives. 

Set in a picturesque backdrop of a tea estate around a majestic house built in British architecture and lots of openness that lets you explore, implore and gives you the space to relax, think, evaluate. For hosts you have the young accomplished lawyer - KK, his wife Lena who finds it interesting to follow her own pursuits in decorating, teaching, taking care of kids at the crèche and finds peace in her routine walks. Everything is wet, warm, damp, cozy and comfortable in its own way. 

In comes the superstar who wants a break from his exciting routine that came to irritate him and finds this place offers him exactly that. At least that is what he was expecting. What happens next is what you need find out in the novella. Set to the theme of food and following what seems to be a trail of alphabetic order, the story presents you chaos in a warm tea cup. Many a time we choose to ignore what is there for us and take things for granted. This story narrated by the elderly, all observing Komathi who is fierce, motherly yet handles her role of the self-appointed caretaker well.

The story is narrated in quick matter of fact way but with the right ingredients of love, passion, beauty and what nature can do to you if you allow it to play with your emotions. Something as morbid as a cemetery can turn into a cauldron of inhibitions and enormous possibilities. The fallen angel in a calm cemetery speaks volumes of the state we are in sometimes. Some dishes are to be relished when hot and can be tacky when they get cold, old and forgotten. The story of Komathi and Rayar is one such tale of a spicy beginning yet calm eternity while Lena chooses to add tadka to her life in her own terms. 

While this can be called another love story, Anita chooses to add spice to an exciting Malabar sojourn in a sweet way. The reader is left guessing for his own interpretations of the story and characters and where they would end up. The flow is smooth and creamy while the protagonists choose to stand out with their own textures adding character to this hot bowl of soup. At the end you are left refreshed but wanting for more. Say hello to possibilities and second chances.

Pick it up today from here.

Monday Blues: Skip bath today

Let us be messy. Yes you heard me right. Let us be messy today. Skip bath (not literally). I know you have done it. I have done it too. Once in a while relax. Don't be a perfectionist. Don't want you to be that ruly, strict, uncompromising, cleanliness freak that you are and relax. 

Not everyone carries your energy levels and cannot compete being at your level all the time. It is essential for you to understand that you carry a higher level of energy and are okay with it but when you have a team, family, colleagues, support staff who don't always be on that level. So it is good for you to calm down a bit today. Give some leeway. Just for today. It is okay. Say it loud. Yes, you say it loud. It is okay. Thank you.

So skip being an autocratic person and be a normal one today. It is okay. Have a great Monday.

Monday Blues: Be An Angel

If their smiles could be the reflection of what is going on in their little minds you would be misled. The chirpy naughty childish innocence is just a mask to their troubled homes, broken families, and suppressed hunger, wiped away tears that still have their stains on the little cheeks that are subject to abuse, lack of basic amenities and sheer helplessness.

I met these young children selected by World Vision to be sponsored in their Child Sponsorship program. They had dressed up in their best and assembled in their school for me to come and interact with them. The agenda of the meeting was to get to know these kids and see what they were now from where they had come from. The naughtiest bunch of kids I have seen in a long time and it has been long since I was in school. Their energy levels and bubbly attitude was contagious and I was upbeat in no while.

As we warmed up to each other and started talking without their teacher hovering over them, the real stories came through. I am amazed to see how they could maintain such a positive attitude when their tomorrow is doubtful and they know now where their next morsel would come from. Their guardian angels are not very rich or powerful but their will power is amazing. These kids were sponsored children. Children sponsored by normal people like you and me. The group consisted of Hindus, Muslims, Christians and other religions. Without any discrimination, they were blossoming as flowers of the same plant. This was amazing to see.

World Vision's Child Sponsorship is a unique relationship between you and your sponsored child. When you become a World Vision Child Sponsor, you will help a child break free from the clutches of poverty and gift the child a future full of hope. It is also a relationship that extends to the child's family and the community. For just  Rs.1000/- a month, you can make a lasting impact. 

Your sponsorship with World Vision will provide a needy child, life's essentials like education, safe drinking water, basic healthcare, food and immunization against killer diseases. A small contribution of Rs. 1000/- or  $ 20/month would transform the needs of a child and give them a chance to look beyond their broken dreams, financial troubles, drunk fathers, old tattered clothes that are held by safety pins and encourage them to dream. To dream bigger of a brighter life and give them a chance to transform their lives to a normal one like you and me. A life where they have enough food to stay alive, decent clothes to wear, money to pay their fees and let them concentrate on education, having fun and play - exactly what a child of their age should have. You have an option to change few lives or at least one. 

World Vision has committed staff who wake up everyday to make a difference in the lives of these children, are very passionate and love what they do. I simply fell in love with their enthusiasm and their connection with their children and their problems. You need to see them interacting to believe it.

Take up the child sponsorship today. Donate that pizza money or the coffee money you have and let a child have food and thank you and bless you. Give them a shot at being normal, being equal, being positive. Skip that pizza or new tee and be an angel for someone. Would you do that?

I am covering some stories from this group for Talk To Tiger and you can check them out here.

Click on this link to sponsor a child today with World Vision.

The first person I can think of who is #MadeOfGreat

Made of Great! Well, I know someone who matches this description. While I have heard some stories about what this person used to do, I have seen on multiple occasions how he influenced me and changed how I felt and what I did. He has been an inspiration not just because he is related to me but because he is a good human being. Let me list out some of the lessons he taught me over the last few years.

• Be passionate about what you do: Born into a farming family, he was educated on his own and has been able to achieve what very few in his generation could. He had more than 7 job offers in hand (When getting one itself was an achievement) and chose the one he felt would let him help others. He takes pride in work and I have on many occasions seen people thank him from their heart for his guidance and help. He still goes to work much earlier than others and gets more work done than the youngsters half his age. 
• Keep learning: Regardless of being at a very high post in a Government firm, he still keeps himself updated and never says no to learning. He is an avid reader and motivational speaker himself but still is always game for learning new things.
• Being compassionate: Despite his busy schedule, he takes time to help others, guide in business, life and is deeply compassionate. I remember him donating most of the salary to others when we were in dire need and would just smile when people told him that he was not doing the right thing. His philosophy is that God is compassionate to people who help others. We can't eat two biryani's for dinner, right?
• Being Simple: His dressing, hair style, food habits and many other things have not changed in the last few decades. He follows a clean strict schedule and is never too demanding from his wife or son and always asks them to be simple and go easy. I still have to learn this from him.
• Having a clean conscience: One of the things he has taught me is having a clear conscience. Never go to bed with anger and wake up the same person. Mend the bridges as soon as you can and forgive or seek forgiveness if needed. I don't know how he can be so patient but I guess it comes with age.

I can continue all night listing more lessons but when I saw that Tata Motors has signed on Messi and the tagline of #MadeOfGreat I couldn't stop thinking of the one person who has influenced me the most in my life and am proud to say I am his son. I can trust him blindly, count on him, seek his advice to be the strong pillar of strength and courage. Thank you Dad for being there in my life. 

While Messi has been an inspiration for us all, Tata is the sign of trust and respect for over the last few decades. An awesome winning combination. Do you think Tata Motors' vehicles are as deft and sturdy as Messi's maneuvers. 

What do you think of Tata Motors'association with Lionel Messi?

Do you have an interesting answer for this? I get to give away a Rs. 750/- coupon from #Amazon for one of you. Do comment below and you never know! 

The best gadgets to buy this festive season 2015

One of the leading techbloggers from Bangalore and my friend Giridhar presents to you the best gadgets to buy this festive season. Here it is...

Festive season is the best time of the year to buy new stuff. Be it sweets, clothes or gadgets, shopping is always fun. This is the season when people are looking to buy things which they have been wanting to own. When it comes to gadgets, there are many who ask me for suggestions and then I thought of putting my recommendations together so that it would be useful for many more, than a handful of my acquaintances. 

Best Mobile to buy under Rs 10,000:

This is the segment of mobiles that has seen some fierce competition this year. A large chunk of the devices launched this year belong in this segment. Also with the increasing adoption rate of 4G across the nation, mobile manufacturers have been introducing affordable mobiles with 4G capabilities. Frankly almost all the mobiles in this segment were failures but for a handful. Mobiles manufactures don't care, because mobiles are like bollywood movies. Movies make profit in the first 2 weeks in the box office, before people realize its worth. With the flash sales model, mobiles are sold in lakhs within few minutes of its launch before buyers realize its worth. But as I said, a handful of the lot came out truly victorious. The Lenovo K3 Note is the best mobile under Rs 10,000. I personally have got it for my sister and I can vouch for it with confidence. The K3 Note offers the best in all dimensions of a smartphone in this price range. Lumia 640 would be my suggestion if you are looking to buy a Windows mobiles. If you are really constrained in budget, the Redmi 2 prime is the mobile you should get and you will be spending just Rs 6999 for this little beauty. 

K3 Note Review Link http://www.giridhar.co.in/blog/phonelicous/reviews/lenovo-k3-note-review/

Redmi 2 Review Link http://www.giridhar.co.in/blog/phonelicous/redmi-2-it-just-got-better/

Lumia 640 Review Link http://www.gadgetdetail.com/microsoft-lumia-640-better-got-even-better/

Best Flagship device:

The term flagship has been grossly misunderstood by many. Lenovo even called the A7000 as the flagship of the masses. Let me give you my interpretation of a flagship device. A flagship device must have the best of both software and hardware that the manufacturer can offer with no compromise. OnePlus 2 is the best flagship device that I would recommend. The Oneplus 2 offers top notch hardware and amazing camera capability. It would cost you less than Rs 25000 and you can be rest assured that you will not look to buy another mobile for two years. But if you want the best camera mobile with no compromise on hardware spec, the LG G4 is the one you must own. The Sony Z5 is another fantastic device this year has given us, but its a bit expensive. Ofcourse, if you know me, I wouldn't recommend any Samsung mobile, so lets stay out of that conversation. 

LG G4 Review Link www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMX5n0fPsXc

OnePlus 2 Review Link http://www.giridhar.co.in/blog/phonelicous/my-thoughts-on-the-oneplus-2/

Best Fitness band:

Fitness band is the growing fad and this festive season, you must definitely gift yourself one. Fitbit has made their grand entry into Indian market. I have used the FitBit Flex for over an year in 2014 and then I moved on to the Mi Band. The Fitbit flex was not a well built band and it gave away within 3 months of usage. Fitbit USA offered me a replacement free of cost, but am not sure if you wil ge the same level of service in India. Fitness bands are known for their erratic behaviour and people complain that it counts their steps even while on flight. Well, they are nothing but glorified pedometers and any movement of your hand would be counted as a step. Of all the bands available in India, the Mi Band is the best. It costs just Rs 799 and a single charge would last for 100 days. 

Mi band review link: http://www.giridhar.co.in/blog/phonelicous/mi-fit-band-the-12-marvel/

Best Smartwatch:

Moto 360 was launched last year in India and it was a huge success. Though not sold in volumes, the Moto 360 was successfull in defining smartwatch to the Indian consumers. This year the Moto 360 2 is expected to be launched soon. I also got a chance to play with the Apple Watch and Sony Smartwatch 2. Finally I decided that smartwatches are not for me, yet! Smartwatches are unnecessary intrusion and a nagging mini mobile cuffed to your hands. If you really want a smartwatch, go for the Pebble time or the Moto 360 2.

Best compact camera:

Without any second thought, I would recommend the Sony Cybershot RX100 Mach II. Only the Mach 4 excels the Mach II, but its very expensive. The Mach II has got the best imaging capability for a compact camera. It may not offer you good zoom, but it is best suited for family, kids and vacation shoots. If you are thinking that only DSLRs give good quality images, you haven't tried the RX 100 M2 yet. If you are looking for a cheaper option, then the Nikon Coolpix s9700 should be good. 

Best DSLR:

If you are still convinced that you need to buy a DSLR, go for mirrorless cameras. I have made the shift from a regular DSLR to mirrorless DSLR and I thoroughly enjoy the experience. A mirrorless DSLR is much more compact than a regular DSLR. Though the lenses are expensive, if you know the range of lenses you need, look no beyond. I would strongly recommend the Sony A6000 with 3 lenses. The kit lens, 35 mm f1.8 prime and a 55-200 tele zoom lens. This package would cost you about Rs 1 lakh. On the other hand, if you are looking to learn photography grab the Nikon D3300 and slowly you can graduate to full frame DSLRs like the D810E. But before you make the decision, do think your motive and double think your commitment to photography. 

I have given you the cream of the suggestions and if you have any other questions on the above recommendations do reach out to me. If you need recommendations on buying any other gadgets, you can always ping me on twitter @cgiridhar and I would more than happy to help if its within my capacity. I thank my friend Tiger for letting me share this post in his blog. 

About Giridhar

Giridhar is a User Experience Designer by profession. He works for a software firm, based out of Bangalore. He is a film buff and recenlty he got addicted to TV episodes like Big Bang Theory, How I met your mother, Mentalist, Marvels series and more recently Heros Reborn. He has been blogging about gadgets for over 12 years now. He writes for his own blog www.phonelicious.in and also reviews gadgets onwww.gadgetdetail.com and www.mobigyaan.com. 

Pamper me Soft!

“We have a little guest coming so have to prepare our home to welcome her and it is going to be a tough job”. We were on the mission to welcome a little guest who would change the way we live, eat, think, work, sleep and even dream. 

The little guest would be our special guest for the next few years and would change our lives forever. But first we were to child-proof our home to ensure that there are no sharp things, no corners open, no nails, no plug points, switches and harsh surfaces that were protruding and harm our little one. Though this mission started much before the the little Tigress arrived, we were ready. Bedsheets changed from posh silk ones to cool cotton, pillows became softer, paddings were used to cover the furniture. Everything was ensured to be the softest thing available. Grandmother’s sarees kept for this particular purpose, specially worn, softened in natural organic fabric wash were cut to size and kept ready to be the first touch between our baby’s skin and the already soft blankets. The wraparound was also selected weeks before, thoroughly washed and ironed.

Our shampoo changed because it was slightly harsh and might irritate her. Our soaps changed, detergent changed, my cologne changed, we stopped the use of perfume, stopped wearing a formal shirt as it was leaving the button marks on her feather soft skin when I hold her during lunch or before going to office. I started wearing cotton tees, wify skipped all the decorative work-kundan-designer dresses and shifted to cotton ones so it was easy to handle. I started shaving every day to make sure my stubble doesn’t hurt the little one. Pillows, cushions grew multi-fold on our bed, on the floor around the bed. So everything around was which didn’t fit the softest in the world category was shown the door and we moved to the softest and the most natural one to do.

Then came the question of nappies.

Some suggested the use of cloth, some suggested the use of some pant model ones, some said use grandmother’s saree, some suggested napkins. We were also searching in Google, with doctors, friends and everywhere possible. Our primary logic was to ensure the baby’s skin doesn’t get rashes and the nappy shouldn’t hurt her. No compromise on that. No compromise on freedom of movement too. We didn’t want the legs to be too tight or hard to obstruct her freedom to move her little legs and do her cutsy things. We didn’t want her to feel wet either and get disturbed in the night or just before going to sleep. Comfort, peace of mind and safety were our primary concerns apart from a thousand other things all parents are worried about.

Then we found pampers. Pampers gave us the freedom to let her rest comfortably and move around as much as she wants. She wore them to sleep, wore them to parks, wore them when bored, wore them to fights, wore them to pin me down when wrestling, boxing, biting, fighting, basically wore them everywhere. She never felt that they were obstructing her movement. She loved them and to be frank, we change them very often. We also play with the colorful elephants, giraffes on the pampers. I keep joking that I have a masters degree in pampers changing. Thankfully no rashes, no leeks, no other problems in the last two years. Won’t we all choose the best for the baby? After all nothing is more important than her care and comfort. So why compromise!?

Pampers brings you the softest ever Pampers Premium Care Pants. Its cotton-like softness is #SoftestForBabySkin and allows it to breathe, thus keeping baby’s skin soft and healthy, and your baby happy. This post is a part of the Pampers #SoftestForBabySkin activity at BlogAdda.

Monday Blues: Take Timeout

Every now and then we are bogged up with routine and the way things are going at home and work. 

As it is important to have a break from work (usually on our week offs), we also need some space from home/family routine. This applies for both husband and wife and kids. Basically, you need to get a chance to step out of the treadmill, monotonous schedule and get a break. Yes! Monday blues can be handled better if you catch a break. So today's post is about beating the Monday Blues or Tuesday Blues by taking a time out and relaxing.

Now you must be thinking that everyone knows that a break will help and what is new with this post? I am not talking about the break from work. I am talking about the break from family. Special timeout for you from your family. I agree that holidays with family are relaxing too and would help in your rejuvenation but the best way to take a break personally is to just go out of the family and let yourself unwind. I am talking about the break with your friends, childhood mates, other people who would help you unwind. 

Once you step out of the family, you would have enough freedom (pun intended) to do whatever the hell you want to do or not do. This will reset your clock and attitude and help you realize how important you are for your family and vice versa. Thus Monday Blues wouldn't have a chance to creep back to your family life and would be purged regularly.

I for one believe in letting my partner off the hook when it comes to chores sometimes and also believe in letting her relax alone with her book, music, movie or her friends or go shopping without bothering about our kids, dinner or anything for that matter. These ME-timeouts would help both of you. Just like once in a while you tend to take out your phone battery and let it relax, you need to give timeouts and take some too. This would unclog your brain and help you come back with more passion, more love and more respect for what you have. 

So go ahead and take your timeout today. Kick the #MondayBlues with a #Timeout. Be where you can be, want to be and who to be. Make a difference in your life and in the lives of people who interact with you. 

Book Review: Punjabi Thali

Things change after marriage. Any change is good but usually the change is met with resistance. Some people fight it and lose. Some people welcome and win. I had a friend called Shalini. She got married about four years ago and went out of touch. It was a love + arranged marriage and we all went to the wedding. Soon after the wedding we lost contact though we were on facebook and stuff. I heard she was doing great from other friends but she rarely met us at any of the social gatherings. 

Recently I met her at a mall and we got to catch up and over coffee the chatterbox that she is, she told me everything that happened over the last four years. We had so much fun. I loved meeting her. I always wondered if this bubbly chatterbox, Shalini would get tamed at her in-laws or would they get bugged by her. But she surprised me. She fit right into the Punjabi family and won their hearts with her sincerity and love. 

Now I am not talking about my friend Shalini but the protagonist in Swati Gulati's book - Punjabi Thali! Yes, Swati manages to build a character so interesting and lucid that she wins over your love and makes space in your close friends list. Shalini is married to in to a Punjabi home and has to cope with the pressures of a joint family and a well oiled machine like life where the diktat of elders is final and any change is questioned. It doesn't end there. 

What actually troubles her is that her all caring, loving husband is neutral to the fights that happen at home and rarely ventures to defend her. Her mother-in-law is a lovable mom but turns all her anxieties amplified towards the new claimant to the house. In this situation how does Shalini cope up with the Punjabi Thali and understand all the nuances of life is what ensues in the book.

Though the book sounds like a long complaint, it actually is readable with the pleasant narrative used by Shalini with ample doses of humour and anecdotes woven in. This book is the story of every woman married in to another family and how she matures to be the Bhabhi or Wife. This transformation happens to everyone in the family and is very pleasant if you want it to be. Unfortunately very few put in the effort to make the journey happy. Shalini's in-laws are much better to be frank and Shalini is smart in her ways too. 

So why should you buy the book and read it? Buy it to see how you can make your journey from a girlfriend to a wife fun, buy to know why you should take up the cause and not the sides, buy to see how you can fall in love with a family, just like in the movies. This book is fun, joyous and true in its core, a tad bit direct. A plate full of sweet, sour, hot, spicy, chunky and fun just like its name.

Buy Punjabi Thali here on flipkart.

Why I need to #ProtectHerHeart

When I met her for lunch for the first time, we spoke a lot, we laughed a lot, ate a lot and planned to meet again. Few days later we met for my coffee and her tea at the Taj and spoke over snacks. As our relationship progressed, our foodie expeditions moved forward too progressively increasing in time, space and quantity. The whole relationship was bonded over a good dose of food, frolic and fun. 

The numerous coffees that got cold as we spoke or ice creams melted over our engrossment in each other, or the hundreds of cold coffees that turned hot as our fights turned to silent waiting out to hear a sorry (It was always me by the way and never her). Life is good. We cherish the moments we spent with each other and will spend with each other. But most of these additional calories that got added to our tummies were burnt in the long walks we took after food though our car was parked next to the cafes and restaurants. If sharing food isn’t accompanied by the friendly chats, silences and walks later then it is no fun at all and in the process I won her heart.

Then we got married.

I make her breakfast, coffee and prepare food, milk for the little one and slowly wake them up. We still love our tea (She converted my coffee to tea! And I didn’t even realize?!!!), snacks, chats and the time we spend together over food. She tries to replicate my mom’s recipes and her mom’s snacks. Remember the word ‘try’ and then look up The Kitchen Story. She likes experimenting in the kitchen, cooks and plates mean food that makes me clean the plate. She waits while I taste the dish and tell her how good it is and then lets me enjoy it.

Then The Little Tigress stepped in to our lives. I don't just have one or two but three little hearts to protect and #ProtectHerHeart I will. 

Healthy options crept in. Though initially we hated the tastes, we started to love them. I gave up on all the food that she had stopped eating. So no snacks, junk food, Mcd, KFC, burgers and pizzas or colas and coffees. We were watching what we ate. Our food changed, choices changed. Then came the cravings. Biryanis. Many of them. We binged on everything and then once the little angel came into our lives, we decided to get fit to be there. I still cook for her. She makes so many nice things for the little one and I am forced to eat what is left out :)

Today, after checking out the Weight-Heart Test at www.saffolalife.com, I decided to tell you all as to what is our secret to #ProtectHerHeart. Here are the five things I would do to #ProtectHerHeart.

1. I will make you laugh every day and keep you happy and pamper you with so many gifts that make you smile
2. I will take you out for walks, talks and those street side hot teas while kids are at school
3. I will eat good food with you with all the calories and eat all the ice creams, pizzas, but in moderation
4. I will take care of the little one and give you ‘Ýour Time’ so you can have free time for yourself and do whatever you want to do
5. I will adhere to your strict diet that you have been pushing me to start and take my health and yours seriously

Most importantly, I will not break your heart and promise to protect your heart all the time for it is mine.

I am joining the Saffolalife #ProtectHerHeart initiative and pledging my support to better heart health in Association with BlogAdda.