A brand that shows us, ‘It’s all about relationships!’

Chocolates are something that is loved and enjoyed by everyone(age no bar of course). But add the name Cadbury’s to it and nostalgia seeps in as we reminisce of our childhood. How we pestered our parents and guests(more than parents 😉 ) whenever they asked us what we liked or how we ensured to check grandpa’s pockets and gradma’s purse to find that Cadbury’s chocolate, they always ensured to buy when they came to visit. It’s as though you could close your eyes and remember the first bite.

We crave chocolates when happy and even more when sad. They have always been our comfort food. It’s also something that we love sharing with our loved ones (only the ones who we really love 😉 and sure not as kids as chocolates are much more than anyone. Right?). Remember the old Cadbury ads? The iconic ad of the girl dancing in the pitch, as she celebrates her man’s success or the one with different generations just having fun. Women have been integral part of each one of them, celebrating a success or sharing a happy moment with a loved one.

The clichés around saas-bahu relationships are growing with great influence from the tele sagas, which seem to show more drama and competition than it may exist in reality, only making you wonder if these shows take inspiration from reality or are looking to be an inspiration to the audience watching it. The recent ad of Cadbury’s breaks just this cliché, taking a fresh take on the relationship. The daughter in law and mother in law bonding over dancing and a piece of chocolate is adorable.

It’s true isn’t it, that love resides in every relationship but in different forms and only awaits to be recognised. It’s about time you moved away from the ancient perceptions of how a relationship should be with mother-in-laws. After all, she’s a mother too, with just an ‘in-law’ attached to it. Wouldn’t you agree?

If you really see, doesn’t enjoying a piece of chocolate quite similar to a moment with a loved one – a warm and a happy feeling? It’s great when brands move away from just selling a product to being much more. Who could have imagined a chocolate to stand for so much more than just being an eatable. It’s even better as Cadbury’s embraces new generations and try to do their bit to show how different relationships can be celebrated with the tiniest of things.

Does this depict the power of marketing? No, not just that but the power of branding too, when a ‘name’ doesn’t remain to be just a product but much more. In this case, not just a chocolate but a memory, a feeling.

All this chocolate talking does make one crave for a big bar of it. Would you want a piece too? 🙂

Why are you soo afraid to be ‘you’?

A phase of confusion, sometimes even an agony you go through somewhere in your life, as you try to figure who you are or who you want to be known as. This short film reminded me of just that.

Identity. Some look for it. Some have already found it. But many refuse to  identify it. The society sure plays a very prominent role in it. Every time you start to identify with yourself, there is a finger waiting to be pointed at you and to tell ‘What do you think you are doing?’. Everything seems to have a preset definition and rules that should not be violated. Beauty is defined in a specific way – thin, fair and good clothes. Being a good friend is defined in a specific way – who’s nice, there when you need them and don’t change anything about you. Not to forget being a good girl – who doesn’t speak a lot, is charming (read smiles for everything but says nothing) and is likable  (read won’t mind being said anything and is always ready to help at her own cost too).

With this pressure and the confusion of not knowing who we want to be, we glide on through life wearing different masks, being different with different groups, blending in the crowd, trying hard to be likable but never satisfied and with a feeling that’s always nagging at you. Then you learn from your pain, from the let downs, from the disappointments and the insults. You learn some more as you realize there shouldn’t be an effort to have people like you, especially at the cost of yourself.

Then…you break free. You understand yourself better and know what you stand for , what you believe in and who really matter. You start to shed each of your masks and feel the weight diminishing too. You are FREE now! From the society, the rules and the demon in yourself.

Be YOU ! Because nobody can do that better than yourself.

I wish you were here…

 

Dearest Appaji,

How are you? It’s been a while since I have been thinking of writing this letter to you. I know it’s quite unnecessary as I talk to you almost everyday and it is weird am writing it in English and not in Kannada, sorry about that. Maybe someday I shall learn to and yes start to read kannada books too. 🙂 I am sure you would have made good friends there, discussing books, literature and us. We miss you as much too and know you are always around us, looking after and guiding us through.

There is soo much I want to tell you appaji but more so want to hear you back. It’s been soo long but it seems like yesterday, you went on to make new friends in another world but with an assurance to be around us always. Thank you for always being around. I am to step into a new journey in my life and I can’t tell you how much I wish you were here. In real. I want to tell you, how thankful I am for this life and how happy, proud I am to have been born as your daughter. It’s amma and you, because of whom I am the way I am. Not blaming you two for how stubborn and irritatingly outspoken I am at times ;), but for the confident, independent woman that I am today and with the ideals, principles I have inbuilt in me.

You have taught me soo much appaji and continue to do so even now, like a guardian angel who stands over and applauds for every success of mine, picking me up every time I fall down. The way you introduced me to books, stories, words and eased their existence into my life making them such a strong part of me. You showed me how important family, relationships are by not really saying it out but showing it in each of your actions. As I watched you read, speak passionately about a subject or hear you giving a speech, I realized the power of words, of a person and how they could inspire someone, change something. How humility and kindness are two wonderful traits a person could have. By being an amazing father, you taught how to love children and I think of you as I play with adith. How we could teach him everything but not really telling it but by showing it and being all that ourselves.

This new phase of life is around the corner and I wish you were here to celebrate it, enjoy it and not to forget, take all my tantrums that amma takes it now. Things would have been different know appaji, were you here. I am sorry we aren’t taking care of your wife as well as you did. We love her as much but just give away our childishness at times. I wish you could meet ‘him’ appaji. Am sure you would have loved ‘him’ and happily given me away, knowing he loved and cherished me as much. But you know am a bit glad you can’t give me away because I am going to take me with you. Would you be there all the time during all these functions and everything that is going to happen, holding my hand and maybe laughing at me for all the things I would be made? Also ganging up with amma as she teases me on everything? Would you support me as I fight to get my way in things? I remember as a kid, I would play this game, where it would be like I am leaving and hug you tight enacting to cry and say bye(yes. All the time we had guests at home in hubli, this is why I hugged you 😉 ) Would you tell me this time that all of you are coming with me and am not leaving anywhere?

Am sure you will. I love you appaji, more than I can ever say to you or to anyone else. I shall always be the kid who loves to cuddle up on her father’s tummy and hear it make all sorts of noise. I am excited about this new journey appaji. Stay with me…

Lovingingly,

Motu..

Melukote – A visit to history!

The travel bug bites you sometime during your life and when it does, the itch just doesn’t let you be. Well, this happened to my cousins and me (Surprisingly around the same time. Thankfully to be true!). It was not just a I want to travel different countries but the want to travel to every place there possibly can be. Because travel is not just about the stamps on our passport but more a learning journey you take with yourself and others to discover and rediscover things within you and around you.

With the travel bug was the hunger for history and trust me, this is one of the best blends ever. The rendezvous to discover your surroundings as far-away travel needed vitamin M(read money) which none of us seemed to have when needed. (everyone’s story you say?I don’t deny that, as we all sail in the same boat sometimes). My sister with the help of Google God discovered Melukote (Yes our families seem to already know and wondered why we had a sudden interest in it). The reason being, we had started seeing the world differently and that travel meant a lot more to us now. The structures and the history beckoned us to go visit and explore.

With time, this travel also became a sister’s day out(that’s another thing which made it even more exciting I must say). Travelling by car is totally fun but can be tiring,would suggest to have atleast two people who can drive (my poor sister had to drive all the way back and forth as the rest of us are waiting for a sign from god to learn driving. hehe). The path is filled with lush green fields and not to forget the never ending blue sky.

Reaching there the first thing I did was google the history. I am a sucker for history and Indian mythology with curiosity that can make me talk and listen to it infinitely.Click here to learn the history as I am going to skip that part considering you can get it off a lot of other sources. Another thing I did, much irritation to my sisters is click a lot of pictures(no not selfies ;)). Am an aspiring phone photographer you see.

Melukote is more a temple village as it is the home for the deity worshiped by Mysuru Wodeyars. Many a temples is what you find along with kalyani (a holy bath pond) near them. Melukote is also the infamous shooting spot with many bollywood and sandalwood movies/songs shot. But none of it can describe the beauty of those structures.

I stood mesmerized by the temple structures, the intricate detailing of the pillars and for that matter just the air of it. I felt transported to another era, where maybe I was this small kid dressed in traditional clothes ran along the temple touching the pillars laughing as I ran to escape my chasing friends. Historical places do that to me and I live day dreaming as I discover.

We visited Cheluvanarayana Swamy temple first. Our intent of going to Melukote was just this – to see, to feel, to admire and to cherish. We soaked in all of it. The stone used to build the temple was cold and soothing giving us some relief from the scorching sun. We sat there for a while admiring the pillars and the various deity sculptures on the top of the temple depicted the various incarnations of Lord Vishnu. Each pillar is carved differently and intricately, which sure would make you stop and admire it.

Akka (elder sister) and tangi (younger sister) kola/kalyani is a little ahead of the temple and is as lovely though the water was pretty dirty I must say. Not complaining though, as the steps that led down also had a story of it’s own, where many a tourists came by to freshen up before going to the temple. I raced down to the water jumping the steps, only to sprint back before the pandit took note of my chappal glad feet. 😉

We made our way to the ‘Pancha Kalyani’, the biggest pond in Melukote which sure did take our breathe away and we didn’t want to move from there at all. So there we sat admiring it. Due to heavy rains, there was a fallen tree which had resulted in parts of the mantap(the structure around pond) and the barricades to break. To be true, it added a charm to the whole place, making us speechless. There was a bigger mantap on the other end and I was curious to explore. The heat had taken it’s toll on us and yet I could not resist. It didn’t dissappoint me at all. I could spend a whole day there. All that was missing was a book. How I wished I stayed at Melkote, where in I would walk to the kalyani everyday on afternoons, lay on the cold stone in the mantap and read myself to sleep only to wake up to see the sun setting, only to return home as the moon rose to shine.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

A day etched in my memory and which will stay along with me forever. One of the best things to do is to travel and it’s always even more fun when it’s with your sisters. So the next time you need a break, take a look around and explore your surrounding cities and your country before you jump in for a stamp on your passport. As they say, beauty lies in many a things around you and all you need to do is…open your eyes!

So where are you travelling next? 🙂

Abish Mathew – So glad to have discovered him!

PC: AIB

AIB (All India Bakchod) shot to success in 2013, when they entered YouTube and came up with a video collaborating with Alia Bhat. This video went viral and it sure had too. Here was Alia, making fun of herself. These guys since then have given us some pretty amazing sketches and not to forget India’s first ever roast, which we totally enjoyed. More so, we were glad that the roast was sure taken in it’s true sense. (Except a few who were just meaning mental – the case, FIRs and everything else. God knows when they’ll grow up!)

Well the point is AIB introduced us to some very talented people, not to forget the power of social marketing. 😉 The ones I love the best in their team is Ashish Shakya(This guy is on sidelines most of the times but his expressions. You can not not laugh). But then Abish Mathew is the star for me. I absolutely love this guy! He’s not the ‘I make jokes about sex and curse’ (not just that 😉 ) but also on many other things you never thought were funny. It’s his acting skills, his writing skills and not to forget the cute expressions he comes up with. 😉

  PC: YouTube, SonOfAbish

Consistent – something I always stayed far from

I am passionate about work and the things I love. Always dreaming of doing what I love to make a living. Everyone dreams of that you say? Yaa..well I agree with you but you what I and most of you all out there don’t do? Do things consistently. Well yes! I have magically figured (read known all along) the secret to happiness and success. It’s about BEING CONSISTENT!

   Remember that fabulous home remedy you found to clear your face up like TIDE(washing powder) does to your yellow clothes making them clean. Or that super exercise regime that made you feel great in a week but didn’t give you a makeover. Or that painting you soo much wanted to try. Well you know why, none of them worked out? Of course it was a rhetorical question. I wonder what is soo hard to be consistent, when you can get it all by just being that.