Goa, India

Best Lifestyle Blog of Goa

Month: August 2016

Health, Fitness, Wellness, Beauty, All Under One Roof at A+ Medi Art

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

“Health is Wealth” an old saying with a deep meaning. In today’s stressful and fast world, sometimes caring about our health takes a backseat, and this is the reason we see diseases like diabetes, obesity and heart attacks on the rise. Also health has a wide meaning, it means both looking good on the outside and being fit on the inside. Most of the times we end up juggling between health centers and beauty salons trying to meet both the needs but eventually one or the other is left out. But now you can breathe a sigh of relief as A+ Medi Art, a state of the art centre for your health, fitness, wellness and beauty needs opens at Vasant Vihar. At A+Medi Art all your wellness and beauty needs like cosmetic medicine, cosmetic surgery, fitness training, weight management, yoga, ayurveda and beauty therapies are catered to under expert guidance.

Dr. Anup Dhir, a highly trained plastic and cosmetic surgeon with more than 30 years of experience in his field, leads the team at Medi Art with other panel of dedicated doctors and trained beauty and wellness experts.

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Dr. Dhir has a special interest in cosmetic medicine and surgery. He is one of the pioneers in the world for ADRC (adipose-derived regenerative cell) enriched fat grafting for facial rejuvenation, scars and breast augmentation. Dr. Dhir believes that the foundation of beauty and wellness is a healthy body and mind. He works passionately to help you to achieve your beauty, fitness and health goals by creating an environment of expertise and excellence.

I visited the center recently and had a very detailed chat with Dr. Dhir, where he went on to explain me different cosmetic procedures and their effects. It truly was like an eye opener. He comfortably shared what procedures work better and why. I felt far more updated about cosmetic surgeries, liposuction etc. after my meeting with Dr. Dhir. Also the centre spread across floors promises high standards of quality with their state of the art equipments, be it for the gym, or for the cosmetic surgeries and other beauty treatments.

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I also experienced two of their services, a hydra facial and an ayurvedic back spa. After experiencing both I can really vouch for all the services that Medi Art has to offer. Their standards of quality, attentiveness and knowledge of the attendants speaks volume about their commitment level. The staff is so hospitable, caring and well informed, that they impressed me beyond my expectations.

Hydra Facial, is one of the world’s finest medical facial procedures, this treatment is a red-carpet favorite abroad and was brought to India from the US for the first time by Three Graces. A non-invasive and immediately effective anti-aging procedure, the HydraFacial cleanses, exfoliates, hydrates, renews, and does all round-care of your skin. Each session is customized using the original US HydraFacial serums and creams topped with light therapy to improve the suppleness of the skin, diminishes hyperpigmentation, brown spots, and improves acne. I could not believe my eyes when I saw myself after the facial, the blackheads were all gone, the face looked so radiant and glowed like anything, and especially my t-zone which because of being oily attracts most dirt, grime and acne, looked as was polished. I have never been so instantly impressed with a beauty service as I was with this facial, and you really have to experience it to believe it.

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The next was the ayurvedic spa, which is basically a heat therapy with back massage and OMG; it was so relaxing and therapeutic that I wished it never end. But as they say all good things come to an end, and so did my experiences at A+ Medi Art. But I am going back there very soon and indulge myself in some of the wellness and beauty treatments, what are you waiting for.. Check their site now and book yourself a session!

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The contact details are as mentioned under:

Vasant ViharPlot No A, Basant Lok Community Centre, Vasant Vihar New Delhi – 110057 (India)
Phone – +91 11 4607 5757
Email – [email protected]

‘Massage’ By Rakesh Bedi, a true massage for your emotions!

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

Massage is a play that really massages your emotions. No words can really express the roller coaster ride of emotions that one goes through while watching the play. From laughter, to the agony of struggle, love, betrayal, guilt, it has heavy doses of everything. The best and the most unique part about this play is that one single person portrays all these emotions and that’s none other than super talented actor Rakesh Bedi.

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It’s a monologue and he enacts 24 characters in the play and each one of them is a treat to watch. The ease with which Rakesh gets into the skin of each character is commendable. His voice modulation, his walk, his gestures, his expressions, everything changes in a flash of a second as he walks in and out of one character to the other. I have been watching Rakesh Bedi in movies and TV serials and have always been an admirer of his effortless and spontaneous acting, but to perform alone, non-stop for two hours, without any scope of cuts and improvisations and play so many characters is another level. I truly respect him now as an actor after watching this show and I am sure anyone who ever watches this show cannot ignore the efforts put in by Rakesh to make this show a success. I saw the show last week and here I am writing about it after almost 10 days, because the show kept growing on me, there have been instances where certain scenes of the play just flash in front of my eyes and I long to see it again.

‘MASSAGE’ tells the story of Happy Kumar, a common man who comes to the big city of Mumbai with his pockets empty but dreams of becoming a hero. He passes through ups and downs, successes and failures, hope and despair, joys and sorrows, lanes and by lanes of the city. Rakesh Bedi’s enact of 24 different characters range from a Punjabi film producer to a South Indian actress and a Bihari politician. Happy Kumar leaves the film industry to become a gym instructor and then destiny takes a turn. The title MASSAGE refers to the massage of a person’s emotional state of mind. Though unable to realize his dream of becoming a hero, Happy Kumar is a happy loser. All his characters are noteworthy, but a few need a special mention. His portrayal of Kohli Saab, the producer with over the top Punjabi mannerisms, is simply amazing. The way Bedi changes his voice and his body language, you can actually visualize Kohli, a fat surd who talks loud, drinks a couple of pegs and gets emotional. Though Bedi doesn’t use a single prop to depict all of this, but you can see. His role as Minister’s PA, Pandey with his slurred speech is commendable and I think his best ever. The way he enacts scenes with so much finesse you almost forget that he is performing alone; you can actually visualize the entire scene and see other characters also. The scene where Heroine’s mother molests him in the music room, his walking up the stairs of his chawl, or massaging the back of Mrs. Kohli, every moment can be sensed, felt and seen.

Towards the climax, when Rakesh is reading a letter left behind by his wife Shanta, he exudes so much pain in his voice that your heart reaches out to him.

I feel privileged to not just have seen this show but also met this legendry actor in person where he shared his journey with this show that started 13 years ago. Check out what he had to say

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Watching ‘Massage’ was really a massage for all my emotions and I loved it so much that I am eagerly waiting for it to happen again. I would like to thank and appreciate the efforts out in by 3 Bells Productions in getting best of the plays in this two day Mon – Key Shanti Theatre Festival and I look forward to many more events by them. Wishing them luck and 3 cheers for Mr. Rakesh Bedi.

Stay Fit Fridays..SUGAR ADDICTION IS REAL. FIND WAYS TO QUIT by Dr. Anjali Hooda Sangwan

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

I come across so many people who always ask me doc can I eat some sweet post my meal every day? Or I have a sweet tooth and I can’t live without some sweet every day.

That sounds familiar?

Sugar is a standard term we use for table sugar, the white sugar. Simple sugar is made up of a monosaccharide example fructose, glucose; galactose. Table sugar is a disaccharide and is converted to glucose and fructose in the body. Our bodies cannot make fructose but can produce glucose from the stored glycogen.

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Consuming too much fructose will lead to conversion to fat and since the process takes place in liver, one can have a fatty liver. Sources of fructose include fruits, table sugar, added sugars to processed foods. Fruits usually can never be overeaten but you will be surprised when people will do that on all fruit fad diets, which includes fruit juices without any fiber.

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Every living cell has glucose without which survival is impossible.

Sugar is addictive and numerous studies have shown it to be very addictive.

Lot of people argue: but shouldn’t we eat sugar for energy, what do you mean give up sugar, how will we live? Almost all foods contain sugar in some quantity more or less. In addition to weight gain, excess sugar can also cause inflammation, have adverse effects on your heart, increase your risk for diabetes and possibly cause kidney damage. Giving up sugar now or never that’s how it works. One should learn the difference between natural and artificial sugar.

So if we consume lots of fructose then we can get numerous diseases like Insulin resistance, Diabetes, Cancers, Obesity, Heart disease. Addiction to sugar is real; sugar causes release of dopamine in brain (happy hormone) therefore more we eat more we want to eat. Although sugar per se doesn’t have a high glycemic index (Food effect on blood glucose) But addition of sugar to foods can cause the calorie intake to go high for the body.

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There has been conflicting studies regarding sugar intake but as far as data for obesity is concerned it’s a red alert and directly related to high sugary beverages.

I am of the opinion that moderation is the key, consuming high sugar foods and then adding an artificial sweetener to beverages is totally incorrect.

  • If you consume large quantities of sugar, try to give it up now. More you consume more you crave for it. It’s a condensed calorie so it will not fill up the stomach but will give a lot of positive energy balance.
  • Go easy in a party don’t let one night of fun ruin your sugar quitting, as party will end but cravings will not.
  • While buying, read food labels carefully, choose foods with less amount of sugar approximately 10 mg or less per serving.
  • Alcohol also contains sugar. It is called empty calories. Try to reduce or quit it.
  • Artificial sweeteners as low-calorie replacements have a variety of side effects.

Moderation is where the answers lie.

If you work on decreasing sugar in your diet you will develop a taste for low sugar intake. It’s a habit, which we have to work on. Choose your sugars wisely and decrease portion if you are going to have that scoop of ice-cream.

About Dr.Anjali Hooda Sangwan

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Dr. Anjali Hooda Sangwan, MBBS, MD (INTERNAL MEDICINE) (USA) is a veteran Obesity, Metabolic Medicine and Clinical Nutrition Consultant. She has an experience of, Hypertension, Cardiovascular Heart disease & PCOD. She is trained in Pre and Post Bariatric Management of Obese patients with and without complex Medical Issues like Thyroid Disorders, Diabetes Mellitus . She provides an advice on nutrition and offers people an opportunity to improve their health.  She helps her patients achieving healthy weight loss goals with alteration of life style and pharmacotherapy and micronutrient usage.

Apart from designing the food plans, Dr. Anjali Hooda also teaches the residents about obesity and nutrition and its application in assessing the nutritional status of a patient and how to manage it. She also indulge herself into the development and teaching of medical students and house staff on the hospital consult service, reviewing common and uncommon diseases affecting nutrition and their effect on patient recovery in postoperative period and treatment of malnutrition including pharmacology.

She has developed an App for Preventive Health and Weight Loss – www.livenutrifit.com. She did her MD in Internal Medicine, Lincoln Medical Center an affiliate of Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, USA and also trained in Bio-Identical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT). She is a member of The Obesity Society, American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) and American Society of Parenteral & Enteral Nutrition (ASPEN), American College of Physician (ACP).

Despite designing food plans for several celebrities and other eminent personalities, Dr. Anjali Hooda Sangwan ensures she is accessible to all her patients and provides the best course of action to each one of them.

Specialities:

  • Medical Weight Loss
  • Age Management
  • Clinical Nutrition Support
  • Childhood Obesity Management
  • Metabolic Syndrome Treatment
  • Bariatric Surgery Services

 

Peshawari Food Festival @ Kama, Radisson Blu, Kaushambi

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

Crownit, a social app that allows users cash-back on restraunts, spas and other offers, recently hosted a bloggers table at the ongoing Peshawari Food Festival at Kama, Radisson Blu, Kaushambi. For a foodie like me, food festivals are an opportunity to try authentic cuisines within the comfort of my city. This was my first time at Radisson Kaushambi and there I learnt that they keep doing these food festivals quite often and bring the tastes of different regions for their clients. The current food festival focuses on delicacies of Peshawar and continues till the 4th of September. IMG_5924

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Anjeer & Potato Cutlet with Buttermilk

The experience began with a combination of a welcome drink and a snack bite. It was Buttermilk along with Anjeer and Potato Cutlet topped with Prune Sauce. The buttermilk was good and so was the cutlet, but I found the sauce a little too sweet for my liking, I would have preferred mint chutney to it.

For drinks we were served Florina, which was a refreshing mixed fruit mocktail. The presentation of starters was amazing; we were served Suleyamani Murg ke Kebab, Peshawari Paneer Tikka, Tandoori Phool and Peshawari Raan. Out of all the things served I loved the Raan; I haven’t ever eaten meat so tender. In fact mutton is something I usually don’t eat outside, I am basically a chicken person, but oh my ghosh, this mutton was mind blowing. You simply have to try it out to believe. The next best was the Tandoori Phool, which were florets of cauliflower marinated in tandoori masala and roasted to perfection. The Paneer Tikka and Chicken were good too, but the raan and tandoori phool were clear winners.

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Tandoori Phool
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Peshawari Raan

 

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Suleyamani Murg Kebab
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Peshawari Paneer Tikka

Soups were brought in post the starters; there was Paaye Ka Shorba and Chana Pudina Ka Shorba. I opted for Paye Ka Shorba, though I have never really tried it and was a little apprehensive too, but I thought of giving it a shot. Paaye Ka Shorba aur Kharode Ka Shorba as its popularly called is made by boiling animal bones in water with a little bit of vinegar. The valuable nutrients are literally leached out of the bone marrow. After two to 48 hours of simmering, the liquid is retained and the bones discarded.

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Cartilage found in animal joint areas such as chicken feet, beef or lamb knuckles, trachea and ribs, hooves and skin, tend to yield the most nutritious broth. It contains cartilage (gelatine), bone marrow, amino acids and minerals. The end ingredient is a broth that contains all the valuable nutrients that are found in animal bones.

I couldn’t really accustom to the taste, I found it little oily, sticky and salty. It’s a kind of taste that one needs to develop over a period of time and may be cant appreciate in first instance. My mother who happened to accompany me tried the Chana Pudina Ka Shorba and highly recommended it.

The main course comprised of Dumpukht Murgh, Meat Kofta Curry, Paneer Handi Korma, Subz Gulbahar, Peshawari Choley, Yakhani Biryani, Maash Pulao, Qatlama and Khamiri Naan. Except the Peshawari Choley, which I missed by chance I tried everything and also I opted for normal roti in place of Khamiri Naan (never really liked them). The Dumpukht Murgh had a thick gravy and was delectable, but again for a change I loved the Meat Kofta Curry more. Though the koftas were little too big and also a little dry, but the gravy was awesome. Paneer Handi Korma and Subz Gulbahar will surely make a vegetarian very happy, even I liked them being a hardcore non-vegetarian. The Maash Pulao was a type of vegetarian pulao made with lots of green sprouts, a healthy option but surely not for me, especially when the aroma of Yakhni Biryani was pulling me towards it. The Yakhni Biryani served with Raita and Salan was just yumm, this is a must try and I am sure you will love it as much as I did. The most surprising dish was the Qatlama and I am sure no one can wildly guess with the name what it can be. Qatlama was like a desi version of pizza and is very popular in the Peshawar region. It was basically the khamiri naan, topped with vegetables and melted cheese just like a normal pizza and it tasted as awesome.

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Desserts are the last part of any course and sometimes it’s really true that best things are saved for last. Badam Nariyal Ki Kulfi and Sheer Korma were the real delights. The badam kulfi with hint of nariyal in it was really awesome, and I loved the faluda, which was coloured orange with the use of saffron. The combination of white kulfi on the bed of orange faluda was not only tempting to the eyes but a feast to the taste buds as well. Sheer Korma was no less, it was like the traditional meethi sevaiyan loaded with dry fruits and was very very tasty.

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Special mention for Chef Vishal Nigam and Chef Devi Lal who prepared these delicacies not just with expertise but also with lot of affection, passion and love.

Overall my experience at Kama was worth every moment spent there and I am feeling bad that I missed out on visiting the place earlier, but better late than never. I look forward to many more culinary experiences at Kama in time to come.

Do visit the Peshawari Food Festival at Kama, Radisson Blu, Kaushambi

From 18th August to 4th September

Kama - Radisson Blu Kaushambi Delhi NCR Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Pop It Up- The Next Big Thing In Fashion, Food & Music..!!

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

Are you ready for the most happening fashion flea of the year..? Its time for Pop It Up. A property of Splurge Entertainment Pvt. Ltd., Pop It Up is the first event in Delhi where people can come and explore the products of the country’s best and upcoming designers and along with this they can also enjoy live music, drinks and scrumptious food

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POP IT UP will take place from Saturday, September 10th to Sunday, September 11th 2016 in Delhi at the Nehru Park, PSOI Club.

The same venue has hosted some of the notable events in the capital before and is located in the heart of the capital city and is surrounded by embassies of over 15 countries. Hence, the expat community and notable VIPs are also expected to attend the flea.

The timing of the event is perfect because there are no major event happening in the month and also Pop It Up is taking place right before Shrad and Navratras start. Because of these factors, the footfall at Pop It Up will further increase

The expected footfall is between 15,000-18,000 visitors.

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It is a shopping festival where visitors can discover and shop from the local and country’s best upcoming artists and designers who they are unlikely to find in the city’s malls. The event will have 70 stalls for the designer and lifestyle brands.

It’s also a food festival where people get to sample food from dozens of upcoming chefs experimenting with world and fusion cuisines and also a bar & lounge with amazing variety of the best liquor. There will be 30 exclusive stalls for food outlets/home chefs/cafes.

It’s a music festival where visitors can listen to some of the most vibrant up and coming singer-songwriters and independent musicians from all over the country. 8 handpicked bands will be performing live at the flea.

Other attractions include hair & make up workshop, cocktail making workshop, t-shirt painting, pottery workshop, pet café, free book exchange section and many more.

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Here is a sneak peek from one of the designer’s collection. It’s called EEDHA by Heena and Vasudha- A texture for every story. Expression of pure glam merged in gorgeousness, simply styling your way!

Eedha places emphasis on fine tailoring and slick cuts, incorporating traditional Indian embroideries embellished in a refined modern approach.

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Speaking on Pop It Up, Vasudha said, “ I first heard about InstaBounce not long back from my friends who used the app to find happening parties in Delhi. Just around that time, I got a chance to be a part of the bar crawl they arranged and it was an amazing experience. Now being a fashion designer myself, when I saw the scale and the new concept of Pop It Up, it attracted me and then later knowing that it is done by InstaBounce, just made me go for it. I am really looking forward to this event and hope it becomes huge so that the fashion festival concept finally starts in the capital as well.”

Some of the other prominent designers participating in the fashion flea are Post Fold, Tj & Li, Poochki, Summation, The Patakha Closet, Desi Drama Queen, Rusari, Little Things, WearMates, Rosado, Harhighness, Hussain & Sons, Yellow Owl, Yellow Gypsy, Scherazad, Ah! StyleMe, Dastkari Collections, Ghungrooz, The Pink Seam, For Example, Khanak, Koo Koo Shop, Jewellery by Ritz, Zubiya, Naaz, A Bit Of Me, Eedha by Heena & Vasudha, Ilya, Auruhfy, Sonal Cotton Collection, Zurie, Sukriti, Bead Haus Co., Studio Enoy, Midnight Owl, Sitaara and many more..!

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The marketing plan for Pop It Up definitely aims at garnering huge publicity for a major turn out for the event, it includes

  • Radio campaign on 6 radio channels
  • The InstaBounce app (product of Splurge Entertainment Pvt. Ltd.) which has over 25,000 active users from 
Delhi/NCR
  • Email campaign for over 50,000 email ids
  • SMS campaign for a database of over 2 lakh people from Delhi/NCR
  • Social media marketing campaign that has already started since second week of July
  • Association with various portals and bloggers
  • Hoardings in various markets like Hauz Khas Village, GK1 and others main market areas
  • 2,000+ pole banners in Delhi/NCR
  • Sun-boards at all partner food outlets

Ikreate takes immense pleasure in being the online media partner for Pop It Up and aims at making it a huge success together. I hope to definitely see you all there.

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Those who seek participation at the festival can get in touch for floor plan, stall costs and other details at the following numbers and also follow the InstaBounce and Ikreate Facebook Page for updates.

  • Ananth: 9818496154
  • Harman: 9711103348

Chaayos Opens Its Doors at GK2 M Block Market..!!

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

Chaayos recently opened its doors at M-Block GK 2 Market and also launched a 7 star new menu. This menu comprised of special teas, both hot and cold, some mouth melting savories and teacakes. I was invited for a review with my other foodie friends and I am grateful to my friend and a co-blogger Radhika for that, do follow her page on facebook 

We began our tasting session with ‘Desi Sab Kuch Chai’. It was a very typical masala chai infused with spices like Cinnamon, Cardamom, Ginger, and Basil etc. A perfect companion for those rainy evenings or winter mornings. ‘Assorted Pakoras’ were served along with the chai and it made the perfect combination. The onion pakoras are just worth it, you will want more and more of them, they were so addictive. Its definitely a must try dish on the menu. Along with it we were served ‘Bun Maska’ and ‘Egg Bun’. I tried the Egg Bun and really liked it. It was soft and delectable. The taste was mild, as the egg was not loaded with too many spices; it was just perfect, and as soft and mild as the bun itself.
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Next up was a specialty tea, it was a lot of fun, because we weren’t told about the tea, we had to taste it and identify the ingredients. So after the first sip itself, I could gather that it was a honey lemon tea with a dash of ginger. It was amazing, and it had a very refreshing aroma, perfect for a sore throat or just to soothe it. From all the teas that I tasted, this one was my personal favorite. It came the ‘Loaded Chicken Cheese Max’. This one is a lethal combination, trust me. Don’t think much just go for it and I am sure you will love them both. There was a Paneer version too, but I gave it a skip, who wants to eat paneer when you can have chicken 🙂

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And now it was time for their very famous ‘Kulad Chai’, which was served in actual kulads. I am not very fond of teas otherwise, but the aroma of this tea made me go for it and I am glad I did. Its awesome. Those fond of tea, will love this preparation.

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The next tea that I tried was one of the most unique teas I have ever tried. It was the ‘Aam Papad Tea’. As the name suggests, it felt as if I was drinking a liquid form of Aam Papad. It had exactly the same taste, and aam papad is something I relish occasionally with the fear of having a sore throat. But just the way guys on TV promote Mango Drinks saying that the mango season never really gets over, you can similarly relish the taste of aam papad with this tea without any apprehensions. I loved it. From the savories, next we tried was the ‘Butter Chicken Wrap’ and ‘Kadhai Paneer Wrap’, I must say that the filling in both the wraps was very different, It was really loaded and every bite of it was heavenly. I wont really reveal what all it had; all I can say is that you must try it.

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Last but not the least, was the ‘Thandi Chai’. They have about 3-4 flavors available in the same, what I tried was the Saunf flavor. After trying all the savories and filling myself up, this saunf flavoured thandi chai seemed just perfect. I quite liked it and I am looking forward to try the other flavours on my next visit there.

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For dessert, there was ‘Bananaa Cake’ and ‘Lemon Cake’. The cakes were nice, but a little too dense for my liking. I know I know, I am little nasty when it comes to reviewing desserts, but what to do, I am a baker myself so I end up highlighting the negatives first. But nevertheless, the cakes weren’t bad at all.

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I had a lot of fun with my foodie friends and now its your turn..You must surely plan a visit to your nearest Chaayos and more specially this newly opened one in M Block GK 2 Market and enjoy a tea of your preference with some amazing food. I just love the warmth and vibrancy this place exudes, its so comfortable that you almost feel as if sitting at home with a cup of tea and some pakoras.. bliss!

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Chaayos Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Reebok Fight Night at Select City Walk- Engaging Fitness Enthusiasts

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

Strengthening its position as the leading fitness brand in the country and to celebrate the growing enthusiasm around MMA, Reebok India organized a real MMA fighting cage to enthrall fitness enthusiasts with the world’s most popular sport of fitness. The ‘Reebok FIGHT NIGHT’ was organized at Select City Walk Mall, New Delhi.

Women fighters battle it out in the MMA cage at Reebok Fight Night

The ‘Fight Night’ witnessed nine intense fights, among 18 amateur fighters, trainers & athletes from the MMA community. Renowned MMA expert and Reebok Master Trainers Siddharth Singh and Deepak Karai engaged hundreds of fitness enthusiasts in a power packed MMA master class that covered tips to champion the mental and physical groundwork needed to become a successful MMA fighter, and the secret behind keeping one’s head in the game when on the ropes.

The excitement was palpable as the event kicked off with a one of its kind MMA flash mob by Reebok MMA trainers. Those who volunteered to participate in the MMA master class definitely returned home with their head high as it takes guts to stand in a ring with another person knowing that the impending skirmish can get ugly. Participants were drenched in sweat at the end of the master class that focused on essential self-defense and striking skills from Thai kick boxing.

A Reebok Fight Night winner with Silvia Tallon, Senior Marketing Director, Reebok India

Commenting on the special session and her experience at the event, Silvia Tallon, Senior Marketing Director, Reebok India, said, “Today, MMA is described as the fastest growing sport of fitness in the world. Though still at a nascent stage in India, combat training and MMA have seen great response over the last couple of years. Reebok has been at the forefront of defining this trend and today’s Fight Night event was our attempt to further popularize this fitness sport in India. It has been a fulfilling evening as we have successfully engaged with Fitness enthusiasts to adopt our ‘fitness is life’ philosophy and encouraged them to train with us.”

To promote Mixed Martial Arts, Reebok entered into a partnership with the largest Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) Company in the world – the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC®) last year.

The brand has also launched its latest combat training collection across select stores in India. These also include the exclusive Tribute Collection Tee’s sporting global legends such as Ronda Rousey, Conor McGregor, and Chuck Liddell. To add to the excitement, fitness enthusiasts can buy gear worth Rs.10, 000 and stand a chance to win a full sponsored trip to UFC Fight Night at Manila scheduled for October. The winners also stand a chance to get merchandise worth Rs.20,000 and Rs.10,000. For more details on the collection, consumers can visit the nearest store or log onto www.shop4reebok.com

Mon-Key Shanti Theatre Festival Day 2- Dance Like a Man

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

The Mon-Key Shanti Theatre Festival by 3 Bells Productions truly came as something that provided me with a lot of man ki shanti. Spread over two days, it showcased 5 of the top plays of the country. I am glad that I managed to see at least 4 out of those 5. Day 2 on MSTF16 showcased ‘Uproute’(which I missed), ‘Dance Like a Man’ and ‘Massage’.

I cannot describe my experience of both these plays in one post and hence I am dedicating this post to ‘Dance Like a Man’ and would cover ‘Massage’ in the next post.

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I am doing so because both these plays were very different from each other and yet similar, as they had a strong message to give out. They rendered me speechless and now that I have found my words, here is a gist of what I saw and what I felt.

We often assume that men aren’t the victims of gender discrimination, it’s only the women who suffer, but it’s not true. Men also go through the agony of proving themselves on the yardstick of masculinity. Mahesh Datani’s ‘Dance Like A Man’ portrays just that.

Mahesh Datani in ‘Dance Like a Man’ has very beautifully shown the Indian culture and the social issues that have been in the society since inception. The theme of the play revolves around ambition, career, relationships, family responsibilities and society, all against the backdrop of dance as an art form.

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The play tells the story of three generations; Jairaj and Ratna, their daughter Lata and her finace Vishwas and also using the technique of flashback, Jairaj’s father Amritlal. Jairaj and Ratna have a constant conflict with Amritlal, who doesn’t understand their devotion to dance and more especially of Jairaj. As per him dance is made only for females and no respectable man will ever pursue a dance as his career or profession. He feared his son becoming womanly and hence it was unimaginable for him to see his son dancing.

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Dance had different meanings for different characters in the play. For Amritlal it was only a hobby that too for women and men shouldn’t pursue it at all. For Jairaj, it was a form of self-expression, and he wanted to develop a career in it. For Ratna, dance was her ambition, she had these slight shades of grey in her character, like she married Jairaj only because he was a dancer, as husband and wife they didn’t share a very loving relationship. In fact she even joins hands with her father in law in destroying Jairaj’s career as a dancer in order to pursue her own dreams. Ratna not only curbs jairaj’s ambitions and desires by constantly misleading him, but also moulds their daughter lata into becoming a traditional dancer. Lata on the other hand, though passionate about dancing, but did not think of it as a means to earn money or fame. For her dancing was an art form that she loved pursuing as a hobby. She had a balanced mind unlike her parents. She was strong headed too, she wanted to marry Vishwas but did not want to give up on her passion for dance. In the beginning of the play itself she once asks Vishwas if he would allow her to practice dancing after marriage.

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It’s indeed a beautiful play that touches hearts and brings in light the plight of our society and poses a question on gender discrimination. Datani has shown that not only women but also men suffer the burnt of gender discrimination and are not allowed to follow their passions if they aren’t accepted by the society. The actors are commendable. Each one of them seemed in the skin of the character. But a special mention for Gunit and Paras who played the roles of Lata and Vishwas and also the younger versions of Jairaj and Ratna. How comfortably they switched themselves from one role to another, it was a delight to watch. Also the director Prof. K.S. Rajendran’s  control over the entire play is just amazing.

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Prof. Rajendran teaches at the National School of Drama. He is a well known director of plays in various Indian languages.
His directorial work ranges from adaptations of Shakespeare, Brecht, Ionesco and Genet to contemporary playwrights and authors such as Omchery, Shankara Pillai, Shiva Prakash, Tendulkar, Alekar, Kambar, Indira Parthasarathy and Lalit Mohan Thapalyal, besides Sanskrit classics by Kalidasa, Bhavabhuti and Shudraka.
He has conducted workshops and lectured on theatre in India and abroad.
His noted productions include MARAT/SADE, UTTARA RAMA CHARITAM, GirishKarnad’s WEDDING ALBUM, MACBETH, AURANGZEB and VIKRAMORVASHIYAM.

If you have missed out on watching it this time, plus do catch up whenever the show happens next, I am sure you will love it as much as I did. I am thankful to 3 Bells Productions for organising such a great theatre festival and giving us an opportunity to witness something as beautiful and meaningful like this play.

Mystical Mondays-Short Term Pleasures or Long Term Joy.. What Do You Choose…? By Manoj Lekhi

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

Our Life is a result of the choices we make! When we look around in the world and observe people, we notice most people go after immediate pleasures for instant happiness which often does not endure for long. They indulge in short-term pleasures and in due course experience long-term discomfort in their life! You must be familiar with the adage SHORT TERM GAIN = LONG TERM PAIN!

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For example anytime we take a shortcut we may get instant results , but the pain we experience later is very disturbing. Take the example of a robber or a criminal who robs/cheats people. The gain is immediate but when he is caught and put behind the bars he is marred for life and that pain is very distressing! A short-term gain BUT a long-term pain!

Take an example of a business enterprise. Lot of people use shortcuts to climb up faster on the corporate ladder. The faster they rise for short term comfort, the faster they fall to an unpleasant long term pain. When we use incorrect ways to reach the top we do experience , short term gain that results into long term pain. There are many actors that reach overnight stardom with sheer luck. They are tremendously happy & joyous at the time. But when the fame disappears they are unable to face that. This of course does not apply to actors who have spent years and years in practice and gradually come to fame. One such actor that comes to my minds is Hrithik Roshan who put in a lot of effort in bagging his first hit.When interviewed he was asked, ‘How do you feel, becoming an overnight celebrity?’ He replied saying that this is not an overnight dream come true.What you see is just the outcome of years and years of practice which has made me famous today!

Life is not about shortcuts! Life is about taking the long route consistently with hard work and perseverance. It maybe painful and disquieting at the beginning but you will undoubtedly find peace and high divinity at the end. Lets take food for an example – people love to eat fried and junk food. It is very palatable and pleasurable but over a period of time it gives numerous problems to the digestive system resulting in ill health. Everybody desires the instant coffee!They consume considerable amounts for momentary enjoyment. Take drinking and smoking for instance. They give instantaneous pleasure but the damaging consequences to the body is known by all!. Now about Exercise. No one loves to exercise early in the morning. But many people take that effort of consistent exercise every day, realizing that the long term results is worth hundredfold.

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Many people ask me “What is the pleasure in getting up early every morning?”. But they later on realize its value as age catches up on them. I was one of those in the first 30 years of my life. I used to think why trouble the body so much? Reminiscing my foolishness at that time, I realize, I am now compensating for it. If we go the quick and shortcut way, we have to pay the price later on. If we go gradually day by day it will pay reap benefits in the long term.

With this experience and understanding we have developed a disciplined habit called – LiYA 1 hour. This includes vision book reading, setting your dreams and goals, being in gratitude , meditating and planning your day on a daily one to one basis. It is a very disciplined way which will pay rich dividends in the long run. But many people don’t follow it out of just sheer laziness or procrastination. The ones who follow it experience short term discomfort for long term comfort and fulfillment.

Take relationships also in this context. People want love instantly, but relationships is a process. It requires attention, energy and care. Just like the plant requires day to day water, manure, sunlight the same goes for the relationship which requires day to day nurturing. Anyone who wants a healthy relationship between two people need to work on it consistently. The same goes in the case of a marriage between the husband and wife both have to work on it consistently on a day to day, month to year basis.

About the Author:

Manoj Lekhi is a truth seeker at heart and a guide to thousands Indians all over the world. At the age of 25, he met Guruji Shree Rishi Prabhakarji, creator of the Siddha Samadhi Yoga (SSY) program. Under Guruji’s guidance and as his key disciple, Manoj Lekhi himself has blossomed into a Business and Life coach.

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He is a passionate trainer in areas like management and leadership development. He has been teaching management mantras to many corporate honchos for business expansion for over a decade. In the last two years he has conducted 250 programs across 11 cities and touched the lives of 15000 fellow Indians in India and abroad.

His passion for meditation and SSY has inspired him to adopt an entire village near the foothills of Pune. He has also started a school there inspired by the Gurukul structure. The Gurukul encourages community living and inspires everyone to become a contributing member of the society. The entire community stays, works, meditates, serves and plays together amongst the rustic dwellings and wide expanse of sprawling greens. Apart from this he is also the author of the books; ‘Your Child is your Parent’ and ‘ Money Wealth and Abundance’.

Manoj Lekhi’s love for Silence and Solitude makes him an obvious nature-lover. He loves trekking and loves taking a walk in the mountains and forests. Apart from this he also enjoys listening to the modern day Western spiritual and professional Gurus like Deepak Chopra, Wayne Dyer on one hand to ZigZiglar and Brian Tracy on the other.

To Know More Log On To: http://www.manojjlekhi.in/

S.O.A.R Success Over Adversity Reigns- Book Review

Posted on by Sunil Malhotra

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This is the second book by the author Abir Mukherjee who is an IT professional based in U.S.A.
The backdrop of the book is related to the IT industry.The three protagonists who come together in the book namely Uday, Adhyayan and Rajasekaran take you through a roller coaster journey of friendship, love, ambition and deceit.
The story rests on Uday’s dream of making it big. He hits upon a brilliant idea and leaves his job to pursue his dream. He ropes in his two friends Adhyayan aka Adi and Rajasekaran aka Raja to join him.
The three embark upon the journey which takes them through disappointments and trials and turbulations and breakups.
Then comes a huge shock as Uday gets embroiled in a case of cheating and is arrested.
Hearing the news Adi and Raja leave everything to be at his side forgetting the differences they had in the past.
The ensuing married life of Adi which suffers immensely due to the project and the new found love of Raja make a compelling parallel story.
Will Uday be cleared of the controversy, Will Adi’s married life get back on track and will Raja be able to marry his love, an outcaste marriage?
Grab a copy and find out. The book surely has some editing errors and could have been better in that area, nevertheless it makes a very interesting read for sure.

About the Author:

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Abir Mukherjee was born and brought up in Bardhaman, a small town of West Bengal. He is currently based in U.S.A having completed more than 8 years as an IT Professional. He has completed his B.E. in computer science and engineering in 2005 and started working in different software MNCs. ‘S.O.A.R’ is his second novel.Blackbuck Publication has published his first novel, ‘As Life Has No Undo’. He loves to sketch and write in his spare time. He writes to entertain people, not to teach them how to live life, how to be successful in life or any other philosophical lessons

Book Price: Rs 175/- available on Amazon

Rating: 4/5

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