Where to get nose piercing in Mumbai?

Remember my post from here? I've been wanting to get my nose pierced since eons. The only reason I was resisting is not because I wasn't convinced of the idea but because of two reasons a) I was scared it may react badly and will leave a scar on my face. b) I was looking for the perfect place to get it done. I wanted a place where they do gun shot piercing and was hygienic,experienced and safe.

After asking a few people I shortlisted on these 3 places:

• Al's at Bandra  - This is the place where I got my tattoo done. And was considering going there,but I got mixed reviews about this place for piercing
• Le Bijou at Bandra - Recommended by a friend. But this place is really tiny and, also my friend had gone there a long time ago hence was not sure how well do they do it now
• Cutis Clinic at Bandra - Recommended by an aunt who had gone there to fix her earlobe piercing. This place is a skin clinic and they have trained people on board, super hygienic and professional. Thus this was the place i decided to go to. Click on the name and you can see their website and some pictures of their clinic.

The experience

Having taken a prior appointment for me and a friend, the clinic sent me a message to confirm the same and a reminder on the day of the appointment. After arriving at the clinic, they seated us and asked us to fill a form , post which they took our profile pictures for their record.

They then escorted us to a room where they rested uson reclining chair. The doctor/skin expert came in and helped us decide the exact position on the nose where the piercng would take place with the help of a red marker. She then placed the tiny swarovski stud in the gun and shot it in my nose. I'll be honest here. I was dumb for a split second. It felt like a sudden THUD on the nose as if someone's hit you really hard on it. And there is after pain as well, which lasted for two days. But the expert was quite comforting and did try to console us saying it'll subside.

We were then each given an anti septic gel  to apply on our nose for a week so there is no skin reaction to the piercing (I also regularly applied oil  on the piercing to make the stud loose, on my mom's advice).

My first selfie post piercing!

Overall I was quite satisfied with this place and would recommend it to anyone who wants to get piercing done.

Fees Charged: A little expensive compared to what other places charge- INR 2000 inclusive of the titanium swarovski nose stud. 

There you go again! - Time to make her feel special

If you are a woman reading this then send the link to your man and if you are a man reading this then go ahead  :)

First of all - I am no feminist and I believe if you want to be respected you have to earn it. And that is why I take celebrated days like these with a pinch of salt. But for you my dear man, I have a message -I really feel for you! 

It all starts with Dec - Jan, when more than half of India has it's wedding anniversaries, then comes Valentine's Day and just when you thought you are done planning and gifting and making your girl feel special and loved, you are bombarded with women's day ads on TV and newspapers talking about sales and gifts meant just for this day.And there you go feeling pressurized once again, and to top it all she drops not so subtle hints asking you what's your plan for the day (guilty as charged!).

Image courtesy Jokesie.com

But incase you have still not planned anything.. Do not fret, just tell her you have a lot of things planned and  here some quick and pocket friendly ways of fixing things up (Yes! you can thank me later!):

Plan a movie date at home:

Image Courtesy: marriagesuccess.com 

Nothing beats the good ol charm of watching a chick flick with some pop corn, cola and icecream. Incase you have no DVDs a home, just browse through your TV guide. I'm sure Star world, Movies, HBO and alike have lots of women's day shows and movie marathons on their schedule. Just pick one up, let her enjoy the movie while you cook up some popcorn and call for a pizza

Chocolate Indulgence:

Image Courtesy: ohcrumbscupcakes.co.uk

Go give some business to one of the gazillion cupcake shops that have recently sprung up in your neighbourhood. Add a small personalised note - And poof! You are the best boyfriend in the world.

Book her and her BFF a salon appt

Image Courtesy: someecards.com

This may not be that easy on the pocket, but  think long term -it's like killing two birds with one stone. Not only will your girl love you, her BFF will feel grateful and love you too. You'll be the new benchmark for the "best husband/boyfriend" in the group.

Be her slave for the day

Image Courtesy: memecenter.com

I know you are always ready to help out, but for this one day just let her not leave the bed. You do the running around, serving food, get a magazine or two, while you do all the shouting on the maid. Bring the spa at home, give her a nice massage while she relaxes to the ligh fragrance of some aroma scented candles.

There you go. Hope your girlfriend/wife has a great day. Well as for me I thought I would wake up to some great smelling coffee and roses, but nothing of that sort happened! So I went ahead and planned the day for me on his behalf - some shopping and a dinner date coming up. Yayy!

Postcards from my Instagram feed - May 2013

I switched from my precious Blackberry to an Iphone lately. Not out of choice. Mainly cos my BB died. Call me primitive if you want to but I never thought I'll be able to give up on BBM. The blackberry messenger was pretty addictive and although, there's always Whatsapp but there was this feature of Recent updates on BBM which was pretty entertaining. However, a lot of people started moving from BB to Iphone/Android and once my BB gave up I thought it's high time I did too.

And the one thing that I was most looking forward to on the Iphone is using Instagram. It's more or less like facebook where you can upload and share photos, but here you can edit and filter them as well.Thus, it brings out the photographer in you. Here's are some pictures that I clicked and filters and uploaded on my Instagram and the stories behind them:

Tamilian thali at Saravana Bhavan

I was in Chennai and wanted to try authentic Tamilian dishes. I didn't know what to order after seeing the menu. So decided to order a thali so that I could sample lot of things at one go. Bad decision! The meal looked and felt too heavy for my palate.I could hardly finish all the things that they served for just around 200 rupees. Must be around 10-12 items. The Sambaar and Rasam were the best parts. And please STAY AWAY from the paan that they serve hear after the end of the meal. I almost spat it out. It was soooo spicy! One of the worst things that I have put in my mouth recently.

Orissa handicraft from Dilli Haat

I am a very touristy kind of a traveller. Whenever I go to a place I want to check off places that are usually recommended for tourists. On one of my work visits to Delhi I wentt o the Dilli haat, besides looking for some phulkari dupattas for my self, I also bought this colourful handicraft from the Orissa stall. Just to spice up my dining table and also to do my bit to encourage these arts.

Jenga @ Doollaly

This place - Doollaly a brewery in Pune ( a lil on the outskirts, quite a long drive from Mumbai) was discovered by my friend. Personally I am not a beer fan. But their apple cider is sweet enough to turn non drinkers into fans too. They also serve vodka, rum and cocktails for non beer drinkers.We were a group of 8. Beer, Mojito pitchers, jenga and some really good music gave us good company. Totally enjoyed the experience!

This picture of a painting of a not so good looking woman wastaken at Darios in Pune. From the same trip as mentioned above. Had heard so much about the place. The food and the ambience really lived up to it. Although I went there in the month of May, so couldn't realy sit in their apen air zone. But I'm guessing winter will be a great time to visit this place.

Mango Margarita @ Sammy Sosa

I love Margaritas. I love my Margaritas even more when they are served with some authentic yummy Mexican food. Mumbai has such a dearth of authentic Mexican restuarants. The only ones that are there are Sanchos and Sammy Sosa.   I know the month of May for some is fully welcome because of Mangoes. Not a big fan of them. But this Mango Margarita was a great accompaniment to my Mexican meal.

That's it from my this month's Instagram feed. (Yes I am planning to make this a monthly post). Are you there on Instagram. Do follow me. My handle is @rajvibhow. Would love to see your pictures as well. After all, pictures tell great stories and I love stories!

Checklist 2013

I had done a wishlist way back in 2009! When I look at that list I wonder how small my wants were..I ended up checking off most of the things from the list that year except for the Swarovski ring (which I still haven't bought!!). And I'm back again with a wishlist 4 years later (naming it checklist, because these are not exactly wishes, and definitely not a bucket list as it is restricted to this year) with bigger wants!! I guess we all just keep demanding more and more from life. So here goes - 5 things that I have to, want to and (maybe need to) do this year: 

Get my nose pierced 

When it comes to piercing, I have got my ears pierced (well not surprising since 99% of Indian girls do). Got them done when i was a kid so don't remember how bad the pain was. I also have gotten a tatto done so yes, nose piercing shouldnt be that bad. But I'm struggling to find a good jeweller who does it in Mumbai. Anyone knows anyone in Bandra or town who can do it for me? Would love to know.I plan on wearing a simple, tiny diamond stud like the one seen below not into nose rings much.

Image Source

How pretty it looks on Sonali!

Take a trip on my own

I have been wanting to do this since a long long time now. Probably since, the time I read Eat Pray Love. It may not be the best book that I have read but one thing it did was inspire me to travel on my own.. Its surprising how common it is abroad to travel alone.. but we Indians think that it's quite a looser-ish thing to do na? But really I want to take up  a trip maybe not very far and just within the country. Maybe somewhere up north in the hills not very commercial and just laze around for a week and explore. 

The book that inspired me

Get an add - on done to my tattoo

I have a small cute-sy tattoo right above my right ankle. Frankly, when I got it done I was just checking off something off my bucket list, and although I knew I wanted some pretty looking thing on my leg I didn't really put any thought to it. So now, I have something in my mind that will not just add some meaning to my tattoo but also mean something to me. Will put up pictures of this once I get it done, to explain this better.

Take a European Holiday

This is mainly because of two reasons 1) I want to go on an international holiday 2) I'm bored of Asia, have gone to Thailand, Dubai, Malaysia, Bali, Singapore so you see besides Hongkong there's not much left to see. And flying to the USA is as expensive as a full vacation. So I'm trying to plan a trip for me an my husband either to Turkey (Istanbul, Cappadocia, Izmir) or Italy (Rome, Naples , Amalfi). Keeping my fingers crossed for this one.

Image Source

Image Source

Get working on that draft 

I have an idea, not very unique, but want to put it down. And this year I better get working on it. I know many bloggers aspire to write a book someday. Ive been wanting to write one too. I don't know how good or bad it'll turn out to be. But one can always try right?

So here's my small but heavy checklist! Do you have one too?  

Follow me on Bloglovin

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

So the latest buzz in blogger's world is that Google reader is shutting down and we will no longer get daily feeds from each other. So like the rest I too have jumped on the bandwagon and joined Bloglovin. Please show me your love by following me on Bloglovin. And I shall follow you back!

2013 - Nearing the big 30

This is the year. Its a year of big deal to me. This is the year that marks a milestone in my life. This is the year of course it is the year, I turn thirty.

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I was watching the Friends episode where Rachel turns 30 and she's feeling so sick about it that she doesn't want to face it. Yes that's exactly how I feel. You know after this year, I cannot call myself a twenty something. I cannot read articles on quarter life crisis. I'm no longer in that stage of my life. I'm gonna be 30 (boo hoo). Wow I'm gonna grow old. I'll have to start thinking about planning my family, anti ageing, marriage (oh no! Thank god that is done) and retirement plans (may be not as yet but soon!).

There is something about turning thirty that is scary. That makes one want to delay it, avoid it and then not face it. And no it's nothing to do with ageing. It's nothing to do with how people look at you (hmm maybe some of it is!) but its mostly because of your own pressures and expectations from life.

So many times have we given deadlines like before 21 bucket list, before 25 bucket list, before 30. Like you know get a great job, (which I have but not too happy with my designation you see. But still a lot of people I know want to be in my shoes. So yay!) Buy a car with my own money (don't think that's happening soon) or see 2 countries a year. God!! Can I not just for once delay this??

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Anyways I still have a good 10 months to face it. Hope things change till then and I am brave enough to face it.

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Is it just me or you have the same problems too? Let me know how you faced them. Some advise would surely help.

Yes! We know you love your partner

It makes me cringe. It annoys me. A lot! This PDA (public display of affection for the uninitiated) on Social Media. Let's just call it SDA. I mean, no one really believes in keeping their personal life, personal anymore. Isn't it?  

Let me give you’ll an example to elaborate on this:

Wife writes on Husband’s wall: “Hi darling Happy New year to us! May we have a great year ahead”

I mean really? He’s your husband. Go and wish him personally, if he is not with you pick up the phone and call him. For all you may know the couple must have already wished each other but yet to show it to the rest of the world that they love each other a lot, they feel the need to put it Facebook too!

Image Source

And it’s not just communicating with each other on social media that bothers me. Whatever they do for each other in real life is also out there in the open on Facebook for everyone else to see and appreciate. Whether it is setting up a brunch table for one’s husband, or the gifts that one buys for his partner, or complimenting one’s wife on her cooking, it’s all there much publicised by means of display pictures and Facebook statuses. These things sometimes make me feel as if everything that is done is done for garnering attention and praise not from the partner but from everyone else.

Forget Facebook, I'm subjected to it on BBM also (Blackberry messenger). Irrespective of the fact whether the person to whom the status\display picture is being dedicated to is there on BBM to read it or not.

Agree there’s no harm in doing it. But my question is why? Do you want your friends and family to acknowledge your love for each other? Do you need attention/compliments/recognition about how you make the world’s best husband/wife? Do you want us to feel jealous? Do you want to invoke the “oh wish my husband/wife did the same for me” feeling in us?

Whatever it is, the whole lovey dovey act is really annoying. And wish people grow out of it and spare us the mushiness and restrict their love and affection between themselves. 

No Thank yous Maa'm!!

When i sit back and think through why, have I not been writing frequently I realise the reason is that I actually have no time to sit back and think through!! And well, I only have my job to blame for it (apart from my laziness, sometimes!!). That does not obviously mean that the other blog writers do not have their own respective jobs to take care of.No offense to them. It just means that I haven't got any time out of my job to cultivate or maintain my hobbies.

Before this post starts sounding like a dashboard for my cribbing, I would like to say that this isn't meant to be what it sounds like. I just thought Ill talk about what I do to earn my bread and butter.Well, I work in an ad agency as a client servicing executive or account management. They all sound so fancy I tell you! When I entered the advertising industry I had no clue what amount of hardwork goes in. It all sounded so glamorous to me. But it is not.

Well, to begin with I joined this industry six months back fresh after my MBA purely for my love for media (Ahhh! the power of media these days..it's nothing you can describe). Now, about my job profile, well client servicing literally means at the client's service 24/7. It includes taking the ad requistions from the client and running them past the creatives and then looking after is execution till end in simple words.

Simple it may sound but, only a client servicing executive (CSE) will understand how tough a task it is. Well first it is the client, then the creatives and then the production guys..a CSE has to beg and plead at every stage to get her work done. An agency relies on its creative department to come up with good ads so that it can earn its revenue.. But everyone in the agency thinks it is only the CSE's responsibility (why??). When the client comes up with a tough deadline to meet or if a creative has to wait till late and work overtime then the CSE has to face a lot of scorn (but even the poor CSE is waiting till late na?).

A typical scenario

On a typical day, 4:40pm: The client calls the CSE " Hey XYZ, I have just emailed you a new brief. I need the creatives asap"

CSE to client, "Oh yes! I read it but its difficult to give it so soon. Give me some time. Give my creatives some time to think"

Client to CSE, " No! i really don't have time. I have to get this done today itself"

And just like that, all the stress of the client is transferred on the CSE . (Well, all that stress has made me resort to some good stress busting techniques. No silly! not on the lines of what your thinking. These are some goody goody ones. Shall post them sometime later ;p)

4:45pm: The CSE goes to the creative to get this urgent work done. The creative at this time is out for a smoke.

5pm:The creative comes back from his (smoke) break. CSE to creative guy, "I have a new brief for you. And its very urgent, it has to be delivered today itself". Creative guy (CG) to CSE, "Today?? I was just getting ready to leave. We will do it tomorrow". CSE to CG, "Well I tried but we can't push it till tomorrow". CG to CSE, "Well, in that case come after 15 mins. I am doing some other work right now." (The other work is chatting on gtalk or booking tickets for a weekend movie show and it is ofcourse more urgent and important than the actual work).

5:15pm: the client calls back "Where is my job? It is such a small thing and your taking hours to finish it. I told you it is urgent." CSE replies ,"Yes! I understand. (Rule no 1: You always have to understand the client's problems or act like you do and Rule no 2: You cannot afford to be even slightly rude to them). You will get it in sometime."

5:20pm: The CSE rushes to CG and the CG finally does her a favour by taking the brief and doing "her" job.

Well! this is the reason why they say that servicing is a thankless job. You have to bear the brunt of everyone's tantrums and there is no one to take out your frustration on.

It does need a lot of patience! I do not mean to sound discouraging to my budding CSEs nor do I mean any offense to the other parties talked about out here. I just needed some space to talk about what i go through in my daily life. :p

At the end of it being a CSE does help you gain a lot of experience in dealing with people and gain some marketing and selling skills. So what if you are underpaid and overworked right now? You will eventually earn more and work less when you move up in hierarchy some day;p

Me, Myself & I

If you ask me what is my favourite book or what kind of books do I like to read, I would say anything that is nice, light and something that I can identify with. I am a total chick-lit fan (for those not in the know- chick lit is chick literaure for books as chick flicks is for movies). The more I read them the more I like them and the more i crave to read some more. And all of them have this one pattern that appeals me the most. The protagonist is often a strong willed lady-girl in her 20s something who loves to shop, falls in and out of love, works for a living and above all stays independently all on her own (picture Carrie Bradshaw of Sex and the City).

There are times when i wonder how easy or difficult it would be to stay all alone on my own. I know its going to be mostly difficult but staying alone can make life simpler too, by: a) not having anyone to answer to b) you can do your own thing without anyone coming in your way (helps! Especially during those grumpy,irritable days) c) not having anyone to keep nagging you (you can organize and clean your space at your sweet time) d) you can personalise your space the way you want it to look like (believe me i would love to have candles all around me) e)You can manage your daily chores at your own sweet time (can eat whenever hungry, no fixed time for lunches and dinner) f) And the most interesting of all: Invite friends, throw slumber parties etc whenever you want (fun!).

Well, the only way i see myself living alone is if I shift out of Mumbai since currently I stay with my family. (That would also mean i get to explore another city fully, ohhhh I can write a whole post on my love for travel. More on that later!)

Hope that this dream comes alive someday! Till then, here is something more on what I have been upto the last month:

• I have joined the much hyped family of twitter. Now I like to call myself an HNI - highly networked individual (;p well atleast on the net!) what with facebook, linked in, my blogspot and now twitter
• I have taken to the whims and fancies of being a farmer. Yes! Farmville has a die hard fan in me. I am totally addicted to it and keep worrying about my crops and animals all day long even at work :)

Wishlist 2009 !!

It has been a long time since, I got some time off for myself (feels soooo good). The lil time has given me enough time for some introspection and the result is - this post of mine!! I know it is too late for a wishlist "2009!!", but what the heck!! I just started earning again and I thought I could do with some shopping here or there. What follows is a total materialistic, pocket heavy list of things that I want to buy myself (or rather spoil myself with) :

• An ipod - Well, I own one already. But, it is rather an old model. Would like to upgrade it and if possible then will buy a pink one ;p.
• A new phone - I have just given my Sony W580i for repairing for the nth time. This time I think I should go for Nokia. Ive already decided the model.7210 supernova it is. Unless, I decide to change my mind the last minute
• A Swarovski ring - I just love wearing rings. Since, diamonds are totally out of my budget I think Ill settle for a Swarovski for the timing.
• A new pair of shades - Ive been using this one pair for too long. Now, I want something with a better brand name (probably a Guess or something)
• DKNY be delicious - And last but not the least a good fragrance. I have never ever till date bought a bottle of perfume for myself. The ones that I own are either vials, miniatures or bottles that have been gifted to be. So this one is a definite must - have. :p

That's it. Hope, I can strike off one from the above list every month; that way I'll reach my target by the end of the year!! Will keep you all updated!

Grumpier by the day!!

One most painful thing about Mumbai is or rather "are" the cab and the rickshaw wallahs.. Is it me or is it them? I am still trying to figure out the cause of the problem.. Have you noticed off late how difficult it has become to get a cab/rickshaw driver to agree to take you where you want to..and how grumpy they have become? I would say they are getting grumpier by the day!

Where in the name of god do they really want to go? I wonder how on earth do they manage doing good business? All they do is just sit and refuse potential customers all day long. I guess they must be making a lot of money by just chilling in their respective vehicles.

And do you know what bugs me the most? It is the fact that they behave like they are doing a big favour by helping us travel. Their expressions or the lack of them are worth a watch. Example: I say,"Churchgate station" (mind you If you are at Andheri (east) and you want to go to anywhere near Seepz, Chakala etc you are soooo doomed) ; the response, "..." (Point to be noted: Here, "..." means no response & when I say no response I mean zero, zilch, not even a slight nod & no, not even a murmur). Oh yes! How could I forget to mention that a few of them actually did a favour to me by either nodding, or by pointing to the other cabs. Well, and they show no mercy to anyone..age no bar, sex no bar, colour no bar (wow! Atleast they are not racists :p). The other day, I saw a poor old lady trying to catch a cab and no one even stopped at her calls leave alone taking her.

Well, its not not like I haven't had my share of good cab rides in the city. There are days when I get really lucky and the first guy I ask actually says yes (Yeah, I sound like some guy I asked out has said yes, but believe me the joy I get is definately comparable ;p). Sarcasm aside, I have come across some very sweet cab drivers who have helped me out when I was lost with the routes, or who havent insisted on change or those who have even let go of a buck or two 'cos I could'nt shell out change.

But overall, I do wish that the system gets better and these drivers show some consideration towards poor us mumbaites.

P.S: I think I sound as grumpy as them in this post. So please excuse the tone. Just had to let out my frustration somewhere, sometime. Cya!!

Of Bloggers and Writers

Its been some four or five years since I first heard of the blogging concept..Initially, I felt it was meant only for the erudite; people who could write well,were passionate about writing and those who had lots of opinions about the tiniest of the issues that struck the world (well its one quality i have always envied, mainly cause it evolves from extensive reading.. but anyways I have always ended up being neutral to most of the things that are unrelated to me..
However, things have changed since then (no.. not me being non-opinionated but my feelings about blog writers)...Its been a while since the blogging trend has set in here in India (I dunno about the rest of the world) And, now we have every tom dick and harry indulging in the blogging activity ..yes that includes me too (*embarrassed*) and that is what gets me to write about this entire blogging mania. I can't boast of having read too many blogs but from whatever I have come across I can presumably state that there are these four main type of bloggers:

a. The Opinionated Addicts- Well as the name suggests these people always have some views to share regarding everything that happens in their city,state,country, neighbouring country and their neighbours and so on..whether it is Satyam's falling reputation or the recent terror attacks you can always rely on them to share their thoughts on the same on their respective blogs.. Well yes some of them are really good at it and I do appreciate a certain few (visit http://www.indiauncut.com/ for proof)

b. The Hit by the Blogging Syndrome - These are the "I dont know why do I have a blog" ones.. they are the ones who do not really have any substantial matter to share but yes they write cos their friends write and their friends write cos their friends write.. phew!! here ull come across a whole bunch of non-writers who write on anything from movies to their daily lives to some philisophical melodrama..(God save us)

c. The Subject followers - These are my favourite ones.. they are the people who write only about the one subject that matters to them (e.g- capital markets, the fashion industry etc) being a marketing student http://marketingpractice.blogspot.com/ is one of my personal favourites. They are mostly learned professors of professionals and their blogs are the ones that make the most sense.

d. The Dear Diary Writers - These are the ones who use the blog medium to write about their daily lives and vent their anger,desire and depression in the form of mystical prose and poems. And the worst is when they make it public and publicise it (I mean if its a personal diary why share it with anyone at all??).

Well, I do not know which one of the above do I classify into but I want to maintain a different stand here (oh yeah!! ;p) I am here purely to improvise on my writing skills.. and yes the three comments on my first post have been very encouraging. Thank you! :p

P.S - I'll try to be a lil more regular with my writing. Cya till then.

My First Post.. Well almost

Is there any such thing as waiting for the “Right time”?? Or is acting “Right now” that helps?? It was an episode from the Sex and the City that started me thinking on this one –liner. And that is when I (Always a procrastinator by nature) decided to act “right now”.

I decided that I just couldn’t keep waiting for the right time to start my blog. I always liked writing but thought I am not too creative with it. But then again, there is always a first time with everything.

But but but..I just couldnt find a single url that was available here on blog spot.. so i registered the name that I wanted with wordpress.com..But again wordpress wouldnt give me the kind of visibility that I wanted and also everyone else I know is also on blogspot.. so I tried and tried all the names that I could think of (I even tried something like "blogspot goldspot" and guess what its available :))) till I found something that was "available" for me. So here I am.. phew finally !!!



P.s: please excuse the in your face pink colour of my blog .. its just that if its me it has to be pink!! ;p