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Thursday, June 27, 2013

Touch of Mist Photo Contest 2013

Submit your photo and win exciting prizes

A picture is worth a thousand words, but it could be worth a lot more with Touch of Mist Photo Contest.
Submit your best snapshot for a chance to win an exciting gift as well get a chance to get it published as cover page.

Theme: Touch of Mist/Love
Capture a moment that suits the title.
Think you have snapped a winning Touch of Mist photo?
Then enter it into our Photo Contest to share it and show it to the world.
Simply fill out the form below and upload your photo for a chance to win an exciting gift

Category A Single photo
Category B Photo Story (two to five images that present a theme or idea.)


How to Submit :
To enter, Upload your picture and complete the entry form available at http://touchofmist.com/PhotoContest.html with the required information, including your name and e-mail address.

Rules and regulations :
 All photograph submissions must bigger than 2 megabytes in JPEG or JPG format, and must be at least 1,600 pixels wide (if a horizontal image) or 1,600 pixels tall (if a vertical image).
Photographs that include sculptures, statues, paintings, and other works of art will be accepted as long as they do not constitute copyright infringement or fraud. When photographing the work of others, it must be as an object in its environment and not a full-frame close up of another person's art.
The Photograph and the Description, each in its entirety, must be a single work of original material taken by the contest entrant. By entering the Contest, entrant represents, acknowledges and warrants that the submitted Photograph and Description are original works created solely by the entrant and that no other party has any right, title, claim or interest in the Photograph or the Description.
Though you retain copyright in each image submitted, the digital image file(s) submitted will not be returned or acknowledged.
Each entrant may submit up to five Photographs.
The entries will be judged in accordance with the Judging Criteria.

For more information visit

http://touchofmist.com/PhotoContest.html

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Ring the Bell

"Coming.." I answered for the 5th time to the person who was standing outside and recklessly pressing the doorbell for the past 10 minutes.
I tried forcing myself to land my legs on the floor to wake up but couldn’t succeed. I covered my face with blanket and went back to sleep again.

This time my mobile buzzed and I answered in a sleepy tone, "hello".
I could hear my maid’s voice from the other end requesting me to open the door as she was buzzing it for the past 10 minutes. Finally I opened the door with my regular sentence, “Sorry, was watching movie late night. Couldn’t get up at all when you rang the doorbell”
She gave me a nasty smile and walked towards the kitchen to kick off with her work as she knew this was my default dialogue over every Sunday morning. 

While brushing my teeth, I asked her about her kids just to keep up the conversation, (being a working women it is very difficult for me to even say Hi to her during week days) .
With proud she said, "All started going to school". I was happy to hear her kid’s studying.  Meanwhile I finished my brushing and was heading toward sofa, she gave coffee along with an application form to be filled in. As it was in English she requested me to help her.

It was actually an application form to open new account in a bank. After I had written her full name in BOLD letters, went to the second field which was Date of birth. While I asked her date of birth (in my mind based on her physical appearance I concluded that she must be in her late 30’s.) While I was deciding on her age she responded “Madam its Oct 2nd 1990”

I was shocked that she is much younger to me. With this big surprise I completed filling her form. She continued with her work but my thoughts were around her.

She has 4 children at the age of 22. As per my guess, she should have been married at age 12 and had the first child at age of 13. While all these was running in my mind she said she have finished the work and will take leave.

I stopped her for a moment and out of anxiety/ curiosity asked her, if she doesn’t take me wrong can she tell me Is her family from very rural place?
She answered, "Ours is town not village”.
Then I couldn’t stop myself asking her next question that, then why did she get married so soon?
For that she replied, she was very good in studies and dreamed to become a teacher. But her parents were not interested in girls getting education. So they stopped her studies after she finished 5th and in couple of years they got her married, as her parents felt a girl child is a burden and she was not strong enough to oppose them. So she had to marry the person whom they said. She thought she will convince her husband after marriage for further studies, but her in laws wanted kid and so on..
Her whole life was twisted.

While she was about to take leave she said, "I will not do injustice to my four female kids."
I felt very proud for her but felt guilty for losing a Teacher.

There are number of children who get married at very early stage. Pease stop the Child marriage and empower the girls by offering them opportunities to gain skills and education. This is happening to our sisters, mothers, grandmothers, aunts, and daughters around the world. Its our time to wake up and Ring the bell.

This post is submitted Ring The Bell for IndiChange contest

Monday, June 17, 2013

Symptoms/Warning Signs of Suicide Act

Symptoms/Warning Signs of Suicide Act

If you find a friend, relative or colleague with the below symptoms, then he/she may feel suicidal. And its time to act upon. . .
  • Talk about committing suicide.
  • Lose interest in their personal appearance.
  • Withdraw from friends and/or social activities.
  • Lose interest in hobbies, work, school,etc.
  • Increase their use of alcohol or drugs
  • Have trouble eating or sleeping.


Feeling suicidal?
Please contact any one of the below help lines:

National Associations
Befrienders India – National Association
c/o Sneha, 11 Park View Road
R.A.Puram
Chennai - 600 028

Centres

MAITREYI
255 Thyagumudali Street
PONDICHERRY - 605001
Contact by: Face to Face  - Phone  - Letter: 
Helpline 1: +91-413-233 9999
Website: www.maitreyi.org.in
Opening hours: Mon, Tues, Wed, Thurs, Fri, Sat, Sun: 14:00 – 20:00

State : ANDHRA PRADESH

ROSHNI
1-8-303/48/21 Kalavathy Nivas,
Sindhi Colony
S.P. Road
SECUNDERABAD - 500003
Andhra Pradesh
Contact by: Face to Face  - Phone  - Letter: 
Helpline 1: 9166202000
Helpline 2: 9127848584
Email Helpline: help@roshnihyd.org
Opening hours: Mon, Tues, Wed, Thurs, Fri, Sat: 11:00 – 21:00

State : GUJARAT

Saath
B12 Nilamber Complex
H.L. Commerce College Road
Navrangpura
AHMEDABAD-380 006
Gujarat
Helpline 1: +91 79 2630 5544
Helpline 2: +91 79 2630 0222
Opening hours : 1pm to 7pm All 365 days

State : KERALA

MAITHRI – Cochin
ICTA – Santigram
Changampuzha Nagar (P.O.)
Kalamassery, Ernakulam
Kochi- 682033
KERALA
Contact by: Face to Face  - Phone  - Letter: 
Helpline 1: +91 (0)484 2540530
Website: www.maithrikochi.org
Opening hours: Mon, Tues, Wed, Thurs, Fri, Sat, Sun: 10:00 – 19:00

State : MAHARASHTRA

The Samaritans, Helpline
c/o Lowjee Wadia Trust
Riddhi Siddhi CHS, Next to Lal Baug Police Chowky
Dr. B. Ambedkar Road, Parel
MUMBAI -400 012
Maharashtra
Contact by: Face to Face  - Phone  - Letter:  - Email: 
Helpline 1: +91-22-32473267
Website: www.mumbainet.com/health/samarita.htm
Opening hours: Mon, Tues, Wed, Thurs, Fri: 15:00 – 21:00
Sat, Sun: 10:00 – 21:00

AASRA
104, Sunrise Arcade
Plot 100, Sector 16
Koparkhairane
NAVI MUMBAI -400 701
Maharashtra
Contact by: Face to Face  - Phone  - Letter: 
Helpline 1: +91 22 2754 6669
Website: www.aasra.info
24 Hour service:

State : NEW DELHI

Sumaitri
1 Bhagwandas Lane
Aradhana Hostel Complex
Basement
NEW DELHI - 110 001
Contact by: Face to Face  - Phone  - Letter: 
Helpline 1: 2338 9090
Website: www.sumaitri.org
Opening hours: Mon, Tues, Wed, Thurs, Fri: 14:00 – 22:00
Sat, Sun: 10:00 – 22:00

State : TAMIL NADU

SNEHA
11 Park View Road
(Near Chennai Kaliappa Hospital)
R.A. Puram
Chennai -600 028 Tamil Nadu
Contact by: Face to Face  - Phone  - Letter:  - Email: 
Helpline 1: +91 (0) 44 2464 0050
Helpline 2: +91 (0) 44 2464 0060
Website: www.snehaindia.org
Email Helpline: help@snehaindia.org
24 Hour service:

State : WEST BENGAL

Lifeline Foundation
KOLKATA
West Bengal
Helpline 1: +91 2463 7401/7432
Helpline 2: +91 2474 5886
Website: www.lifelinekolkata.org
Email Helpline: reach@lifelinekolkata.org

NON-MEMBER HELPLINES

State : KARNATAKA

SAHAI
47 Pottery Road
Frazer Town
Bangalore - 560005
Karnataka
Contact by: Face to Face  - Phone 
Helpline 1: 2549 7777
Website: www.mpa.org.in
Opening hours: Mon, Tues, Wed, Thurs, Fri, Sat: 10:00 – 18:00

Thursday, June 13, 2013

Touch of Mist - A Hi Tech Romantic Love Story

Touch of Mist - A Hi Tech Romantic Love Story 



About the Book:


Reena was distraught. It seemed unbelievable that she too had succumbed to this rat race of life. The consequences had been dire: a marriage that had broken even before the profundity of those three magical words, “I Love You” could sink in.

Touch of Mist” is a glitzy, modern-day love story of two young, sophisticated, IT professionals, Gautham and Reena, who meet by chance, sparks ignite and they fall head over heels in love with each other.

They tie the knot and start a new life. But no sooner do they do that that fights erupt and egos clash. The first casualty is love, which plummets and marriage turns miserable; break-up beckons and the relationship dies.

Aftermath. Does Reena commit suicide or fall in love with another person? Does she reconcile with her first love Gautham?

This story meanders through different emotions that touch the lives of the protagonists such as love, friendship, marriage, heartbreak, grief, anticipation, humour, disgust, joy, fear and ends with a heart-warming credo that “Life is to Live”.



Friday, June 7, 2013

Failing to plan is Planning to fail

Apeksha's tenure in the last 14 years with ABC organization is the mirror for her loyalty towards the Organization. Apart from being an excellent performer as an employee, as a wife she was exceptional.

How many of us are aware that Mother is the best Project Manager? She delivers with passion in all the activities and REMEMBER she does it all alone. Let me quote a small example “I still remember the date, it’s was 25th Sep 2008. I messaged Apeksha at around 7.30PM saying that I will reach home with three of my friends who were in town to attend an urgent business meeting.” By that time I reached home I was stunned at the delicious dine in a span of 1hour! Before I went to bed I also understood that she took care of evening snacks party, again a sudden invitation given by my 12 years Son. Apeksha's planning is just perfect at work and at home. She believes in “Failing to plan is Planning to fail". She always reminds me and my son on this. We planned to give the best future to our Son, as all parents do. But her physical departure is God's plan. It is heartening from deep inside but her words are echo in my mind that warns me to plan properly and not to fail. Let this echo stop with my last breathe. Sorry not able to control my tears for the love, affection, passion etc… she shared with me and my son for all these years”. The unseen tears in my heart are paining me more...

This is the Eulogy I want my husband Adyouth to share when I depart.

I am selfish to leave him early as I can’t imagine my and my son’s life without my loving husband. Let my husband use this Eulogy to inspire and motivate himself, my son and every individual he meet to plan properly in everything we do before God’s plan of departure reach us.