Clinique – a high end brand for skincare highly recommended by 2 of my good friends made me check it out at Boots, Central London

My 1st ever visit specifically to buy a skin product saw me pretty impressed with the sales girls knowledge & queries & a simple questionnaire which took 2 minutes to fill to determine the right type of Clinique for my skin ( theres type 1, 2, 3 & 4 )

Also any questions I asked were patiently answered and I eventually bought the small 3-step set as a first trial.

Having passed my compliments I asked for a feedback form so that a good word could be put in for the employee but none seemed available ..well I carried on…and with more than satisfaction on my 1st experience & use of Clinique

Five years later a big Clinique store at Select City Walk, New Delhi reminded me of the good experience and I decided it was once again time to buy the product..more so with a curiousity to know if & how skin types change and what causes the change ( in mine!)

I was greeted by a girl in a white lab coat with atleast half an inch of makeup on her face.

It seemed to me a guinea pig had walked into a fake doctors laboratory and would now be skinned ( for money ) hey its an expensive brand !

Sophiya -as her name was on the badge- I wanted to ask her why she was hiding her real skin- didnt Clinique work for her ??

Using a hand sanitizer before touching my skin Sophiya asked if it was oily or dry ?

You’re touching it why you still asking me ?

She then asked what type of Clinique type I had used before and would give me a higher number which could result in pimples coming out…Im confused why did I come here in the 1st place?

Asking me to touch gel & creme based lotion Sophiya asked if I think the latter would be better.

My expert advice – I dont know but I’m shaking my head because I dont think you know either !

Anyways time to pay and having had Shoppers Stop vouchers from vouchersmate.com were refused due to a confusion over a high-end brand being exclusive – Well I called & checked with the concerned authorities and apparently I’m not the one whos confused !

Well I didnt end up buying anything this time and after getting glances of disapproval walked out of the store

There you go my Clinique Sojourn limited to London !

My love for Diwali is majorly centered around the concept of  ” ‘Tis the season to be jolly”

Lights in the form of diyas & candles as well as Diwali Melas are the best part

I visited the Blind School Diwali Mela 2011  at Lal Bahadur Shastri Marg and was surprised to see how well managed it was this time in terms of security, traffic control and cleanliness.

No cars were allowed to be parked infront of the venue which usually causes massive jams due to the crowds  and there was a separate parking space made available at ‘Sunehri Parking’ in Jawahar Lal Nehru Stadium with a shuttle service to allow visitors to & fro !

At the time of my going there were 2 shuttles (vans) available and within a few minutes the mela was promptly reached.

A huge line for security check for ladies & a tiny one for men ( because they dont carry purses ) ensured a sense of relief that untoward incidents would be minimized.

Starting from the 1st stall onwards there were a variety of products which not only were part of the festivities but also enhanced Indian crafts in their own traditional manner.

Though the actual products by blind students were limited due to their crude nature and obvious backseat in the ‘competition’ it was encouraging to see people buy them for the sake of charity

A good 2 hours spent there ensured that I make a buy and bought a lovely Thali made of ‘mitti’ with Lakshmi-Ganesh carved out in colored stone & space to light 7 diyas

Ending the tour involved waiting for the shuttle for quite some time & enquiring from the guards always yielded the same reply – that it must be on its way.

Well then…took an overpriced rickshaw back to the parking and ended one of the most looked forward places to visit this Diwali 2011 

Shubh Deepawali

Continuing with the saga of change in KarishmaDaswani.com  and with the onset of Diwali, one of the things that instantly comes to mind is Diwali gifts 

Indians occupying the 2nd position in global population, it is but an obvious fact that the hunt on google for online gifting portals goes on a rise.

I myself put in a variety of  keywords to access a good site from where Diwali gifts could be sent to India.

By ‘good site’ I mean cost effective, having a range of products, does not charge too much for shipping or rather has free shipping and most of all is easy to use!

Yes i’m very much a part of the virtual world day in & day out but when it comes to online payments & safety even the most famous of portals give a run for money!  pun intended

Mithai ,  Dry fruits,  Gift Hampers,  Diyas,  Idols,  Puja Thalis ……….this pretty much summed up what most of the gift portals were offering

Now which Indian would already not have these things in their house during or before Diwali that it should be sent online.

The search went on for something to gift which feels right & is unique in its own way..something that can become an experience ( and I dont mean a holiday ) 

I happened to then come across VoucherMate.com

  An answer to my prayers – VouchersMate had the most amazing variety of brands right from shoes, dinner for 2, books, healthclub vouchers, movie coupons, haircuts, spas, cosmetics, clothes, home furnishings, greeting cards, personalized gifts, hotel stays and what not

Whats more its tagline was ‘Gift an Experience’ !

All gifts available as vouchers it WOULD be an experience if my cousin got a new haircut just before Diwali, if my parents stayed at a resort Diwali weekend because it was all ( or half ) paid for with their gift vouchers, if my best friend bought new home  decor because she had a handy coupon, if my pregnant friend was gifted new baby clothes already because I mailed vouchers to her husband as a surprise !

Ooooo Boy ! I was full of ideas and seeing the price range VouchersMate offered I could send gifts to numerous people as the prices ranged from less than INR 100  to any large amount in USD, GBP, Euro & Australian Dollar

Now was the actual task…checking the payment system & it was a breeze ….that blew out quite a few greens from my wallet

Quickly joining the VouchersMate Facebook page for contests & discounts; I highly recommend checking out this unique gifting portal by which one can actually gift an experience

I did so !

Hi there !

This blog started out as a complete Human Resource blog.

Your feedback, comments and questions did a lot to shape it and help spread the knowledge.

Over a period I realized that though HR forms the major & favourite part of my education & experience….and the following of people on the blog is HR centric why not revel in change because I have so much to share

Daily happenings, events visited, products bought/seen, people met, places visited and just about everything & anything about everybody & anybody & everything & anything

Change is inevitable and the only constant of life…so why not adhere to this life concept even in the virtual world

Wish me luck because YOU make the change successful…… actually…… though your appreciation means the world – there’s also a change of thinking here ……… that I make myself, I make my work, I make my relationships, I make my life, I make my destiny.

See you fresh and anew !

We live in a beautiful world

Planet Earth with all its bounty has given us an abundance of essentials and aesthetics via nature and the miracle of extending life.

A gurgling waterfall, a shiny blue sunlit sky, pitter patter of raindrops, blossoming varieties of flowers, animals in all their types, stars that bejewel the dark skies, trees that reach yonder, forests that shelter, humans that look after with a heart, brain and emotions….what not is there that never ceases to amaze!

Having been bestowed by the Universe with powers of logical thinking and emotional nurturing, it is as Humans not just our duty, but our honour to be able to preserve this abundance and being ‘giving’.

Everyone seeks joy in their ecosystem- be it animals, birds, fishes or us.

So why not use our ‘power’ to thrive in  our environment while letting others do so in theirs.

‘Giving’ is an extensive concept which could deal with anything be it empathy towards fellow humans, nurturing flora and fauna, helping an old person cross the street, guiding a child to school, a puppy to food, giving a donation etc etc

It is not important what is given, how much is given, to whom it is given- what is important is giving!

Everyone could have a different definition of ‘giving’. One such organization that is involved in this beautiful concept of spreading joy by giving, in their own way is the ‘Spreading Joy Corporation’

I ‘gave’ today by smiling and being polite to a person inspite of rudeness. So i brightened a moment in someone’s life by giving a smile. ‘Giving’ can be as simple as this

How did you ‘give’ today?

In Sindh the beginning of the new year was called Cheti Chand. Most of the businessmen opened new account books on this day as was also done on Diwali eve but usually preferred on Cheti Chand. On the full moon day, people used to go to a river or lake or water body and offer ‘Akho’ - a pinch of rice mixed with milk and flour. and incase there was no river , the ritual was performed at a well. 

According to the Hindu calendar, Cheti Chand is celebrated on the first day of the Chaitra month known as Chet in Sindhi. Hence it is known as CHET-I-CHAND

A procession is taken out to a river front or sea shore with colorful floats, depicting the life of the Saint and other aspects of Sindhi culture. ‘Chhej’-the Sindhi folk dance is performed with the procession. Bahrano Saheb is immersed in the water along with “Akho”. which is customarily involved with singing of Lal Sain’s Panjras and Palav to seek his grace. 

The story behind this goes that Mirkhshah- a tyrant and fanatic, forced Hindus to embrace Islam. The oppressed Hindus prayed & underwent rituals and vigil on the bank of the Sindhu river.They worshipped God Varun, sang songs in his praise and prayed for their solace and salvation. No new clothes or shoe were used. Men did not shave. And finally on the 40th day, the River god spoke to them. 

He answered the prayers of the Hindus by presenting them with Jhulelal

Jhulelal was born to Devaki and Rattanchand of Nasarpur on Cheti Chand, two tithis from new moon of CHET. A Punjabi astrologer in Nassarpur called the child Uderolal, Udero in Sanskrit meaning 1 who has sprung from the waters while the inhabitants of Nassarpur called him Amarlal, an immortal child. 

The cradle of Uderolal used to swing on its own, hence the name “Jhulelal” which means one who swings to and fro. While still being a kid Uderolal performed many miracles for Ratanchand and the inhabitants of Nassarpur. 

Mirkhshah came to know about this child & was very curious. One day when Uderolal came face to face with Mirkhshah, he said, “Whatever you see around yourself is the creation of one and only God, whom you call ‘Allah’ and Hindus call ‘Ishwar’. Hindus, Muslims and other human beings are all His creation”. 

Mirkhshah pressurized by the Maulvies ordered the arrest of Uderolal. As the officials of the court moved towards Udero, water started flowing in the court. All the courtiers including Mirkhshah found themselves inundated in water. Simultaneously, fire also broke out. Mirkhshah realizing that he was really against some divine power whom he could not defeat begged for mercy.Immediately, the fire was blown out on its own and the water receded. The Hindus were saved & Jhulelal also came to be known as the Asht Dev of Sindhis.

Good Morning World :*)

Rise & Shine!!  Its lovely weather here today morning – a surprising & pleasant respite from the heat

The breeze is fresh & smelling of flowers (whose name i dont know?!)  & the drop in temperature is just marvellous. It seems to me am sitting on the seaside ..all i need is the sound of waves. Well thanks to technology i do have that now also on my laptop    and what else ? A mocktail to replace the cuppa chai..hmmm..well maybe later

I’m an ardent nature lover… give me a location with all of natures bounties & am never going to need any form of technology there….well maybe just my mobile phone ….or even my laptop with a wi-fi connection…         There you go we are so dependent on technology that even when Mother Nature is showering her affection..there is still this craving for modern day devices !  Thankfully am not upto the stage wherein I also want the TV & my sony player…like some people i know cant live without it          but yes a camera definitely   add that to the list

So basically i was talking about how good the weather is today

Have a nice day!   

Congratulations to the 3 ladies who were crowned Miss India 2009. I saw the event on sony last night & thought it was a very well managed 1.

The girls certainly looked very groomed & were very well trained when it came to responding to camera angles, walking the ramp & accepting the sub-contest awards. We have definitely reached a standard here when it comes to sending our beauty representatives abroad & proudly so. Though why they said the Miss India-Universe & Miss India-World are at par this time did not make sense to me!

This pageant is highly sought after in our country today. Rightly so, it has proven to transform a woman’s personality with the best of fitness trainers, skin & hair experts, speech improvers, dieticians, designers, choreographers & what not. So if 1 is looking to make it into the glam world, Miss India is definitely the best way to get into it. what follows are only accolades & opportunities to make it to bollywood.

But we are forgetting 1 thing here. Yes the prestigious Miss India pageant is a girl’s dream to transform from a duckling into a swan ( pun intended!    )  but isnt it supposed to really be a representation of 1′s country abroad in the best manner possible? That if it happens is a plus point what is more important today is how successful the beauty queen will be in Bollywood! Well evry1 to their own

Another thing which really surprised me as i checked out the news online today was the constant state comparison. “Delhi girl crowned Miss India 09″  was what a reputed website said. “Mumbai girls not far behind in Miss India 2009″ said another.  Well Mumbai or Delhi or Bangalore or whichever state it is all are a part of India so why the comparison between the states & which is a better “producer” of beauty. A mention of the state is obvious but drawing comparisons…hmmm… well again every1 to her/his own (opinion)!    

Hello there!

How you doing? I’m very happy today  

Its not even been a week & i already have quite a few visitors on the site & especially since i havent publicized the blog or the website & no one knows about it apart from 2-3 people.

There’s a whole lotta ideas in my head about the things I want to write about, how to write, how to present, the layout, extra features & so much more but all this is quite hotch-potch inside my brain as of now so much that its affecting the speed of delivering!

Incases like these its always good to write down all ideas as a ‘to-do’ list & classify them as ‘Very important / Urgent’ , ‘Important’,  ‘Fairly important’ , ‘OK’ ,  “Extendable to the other Month/Week’ , ‘Not Required’   etc etc…. the many fields as feasible.

Well thats what i’m going to do today!

Looking forward to a sorted out week       GoodBye   

I see Micheal Barham from London has already been finding the stuff am writing useful & commented on it. Thanks a lot Micheal.        Its great boost to know am in the right direction by already proving to be helpful to people like you especially considering its a start-up  project barely few days old.  Thanks a lot!