Monday, April 27, 2015

#CelebrateLife Life Is Reflection of You: What You Get Is What You Give #CelebrateLifeAtIvy



Life is never same for all. The same instance or moment might give a different feeling to each one of us. Each individual is unique in that sense. One might like to be jovial and cheerful all the time while other might feel sad and downtrodden. So what all matters is the individual and his or her mood at a particular moment of time.


As far as I am concerned, I have always found that every moment is a moment to cheer and live happily. There is always something or the other to learn from each moment we spend in our life. During my childhood when most of my friends were busy in playing games or in outdoor activities, I used to spend most of my time in reading books. It is the books that have made me what I am today. Books are your best companion in life, in my opinion. I feel every individual is the master of his or her own life. You need to be your own driver. You need to play your game with your own terms and conditions. If that is done, probably, for every success you will admire yourself more. And for each failure you will not be in a position to blame anybody else. In fact, each failure teaches you a new lesson of life. That is the crux of the matter.


It is not that I have not participated in any game. I participated only when my heart said so and denied to participate when my heart did not agree. Each game I played, I played to its fullest. Win or no win does not matter if you put your hundred percent in everything you do in life. I have been less excited by the special occasions or events. Rather, for me, each moment is a special occasion and a moment to celebrate. After all, each moment should be credited for keeping you alive and joyful rather than waiting for some special moments in life. With this kind of attitude, the moments of downfall have never been able to demotivate me. I know if this moment is not as cheerful as the previous, the next moment in life also will not be as demotivating as this.



With this philosophy of life, one can spend every moment to its fullest and keep cheering for the present moments and the moments to come in life.



#CelebrateLifeAtIvy by owning a dream home atIvy estate, an 85 acre estate with 34 acres of greenery and open spaces. Join the 1600 happy families already living here. Check out this walkthrough video and decide for yourself.

Sunday, April 26, 2015

@canderejewels : Stop Look And See Before You Buy

I had a doubt about this site and to get it clear I registered here. Well, about the doubt and its result, I will talk a little later. The portal is good, precise and fast. That is something credible. The customer support is equally responsive. You seek a response by entering your name, email and mobile number and immediately you get a response, even on a Sunday. That is also good.

What is not good is the misleading but catchy taglines to attract you without clrealy stating the context hidden behind those words. The first catch is "Free Shopping: Rupees One Thousand off: offer for new email subscribers on first purchase only." What is not mentioned here is that there is a condition to it. The minimum purchase is Rupees Fifteen Thousand to become eligible for this first time discount. Logically what is the harm in mentioning this clearly on this offer. There is not even a star and no mention of "conditions apply". Another point is that if you are getting a less than seven percent discount would you like to go for it?

If this is a lucrative offer, why not mention clearly on website and promotional emails? And if Candere thinks it is not a substantial discount and nobody would like to avail it, what is the gain by hiding it as the buyer in any case would come to know about it before making payments online?

Well there is an offer on the home page to get 20% discount on all your purchase. I decided to go for a purchase but I landed into another confusion. I selected an item (code: C002699) od and a new popup flashed - "Don't go, Order now and get Rs 1500 off - (Rs 1000 + Rs 500) on your purchase. Now what is this? This confusing pop up is asking for my email id whereas on top it clearly shows that I am logged in, by displaying my name. Something passed through quality unnoticed and unchecked.



Did I say the site is quite responsive, and so is the Live Chat? Well, in first go it appeared. But then the live chat became a dead chat. There was no response to any of my further queries after the first reply. Some Aliya Rastogi appeared to be there on the chat but there came no response for long. Strategically there is no timestamp on the chat sequences so that the gap between the query and response appears in real time to the customer.

My bill amount for the purchase was Rs 10,151. The chat response finally came:

Customer Support
Hi Jaideep
Yes, the price has been discounted
By 20%

But the bill amount still showed the same price without any discount asking for my mode of payment

PAYMENT METHODS

   
  • You will be redirected to PayuCheckout website when you place an order.
    T & C
   

ORDER REVIEW

Product NamePrice
Shipping & HandlingFree
Grand TotalRs. 10,151

I stopped here till above confusions are cleared off.

Moreover, if you still make a purchase do try the two more lucrative offers:
1. 30 Days Return
2. Lifetime exchange

Both are ambiguous till you experience them in reality as there are no terms and coditions mentioned against each. Does it mean that if I make a purchase of Rs. 50,000 on day one and tell them on 20th day for return, it is hassle free full amount or there are some hidden conditions that will be told at that time? Well I did find the page explaing the return process and it specifies an easy process, but judge yourself, it is really simple process?

HOW DO I RETURN THE PRODUCT TO CANDERE WITHIN 30 DAYS?

1)  If there is damage to an item upon delivery, call our customer service center immediately at +91 22 6106 6262 or email us at services@candere.com for assistance.

2)  Please read the information on your original packing slip.

3)  Preserve original packing and the item in its sealed form with all accessories, tags, boxes, bags, stickers, papers and original Invoice. Securely pack the unused item back.

4)  Once your package is ready, just call our customer service team and we will arrange to pick it up at your doorstep.

5)  Check the return package to the address indicated on the packing slip:
Enovate Lifestyles Private Limited
35-36 UG, The Mall,
Station Road,
Malad west,
Mumbai 400064
India

6)  Keep the Return Tracking Number from the package you are returning to ensure that the package is returned to our distribution center as mentioned above.

7)  You can expect a refund within 7 working days of our receiving your returned product. Refund will be credited to the same form of payment used in your original purchase.

Now let's say you received a damaged item, an item you didn't order or the wrong item, we'll a. first apologize profusely and then b. exchange it free of charge, or refund the full cost of the merchandise and shipping charges. Again, not that we don't trust you, but we'll need to inspect the item upon receipt. If it is indeed an error or a defective product, your refund or exchange will be on its way shortly. 

For Lifetime Exchange - What will be the value of Rs 50,000 item I purchased on Day 1 that I want to exchange on Day 100? I again found some information on the same but there are some lines that are not in favor of the buyer. Check yourself:

LIFETIME EXCHANGE

Candere has demonstrated a commitment to providing high-quality diamonds and jewellery and superior service. We stand behind each of our products with customer-friendly policies designed to ensure your satisfaction and make Candere your lifelong jeweller of choice.

Candere jewellery can be exchanged or upgraded for any other item as under:

Only Gold Jewellery can be exchanged at 95% of the current market value of gold.
Jewellery studded with Diamonds can be exchange at 90% of current market value of all the materials.
Jewellery studded with Gemstones can be exchange at 80% of current market value of all the materials.

Our exchange policy only applies to undamaged jewellery that are accompanied by the original diamond grading report and/or certificate. No discount offers can be clubbed or applied against the exchange. Diamond and/or Gemstone jewellery cannot be exchanged against only gold jewellery or gold coins. The current market value will be determined by Candere.comYou will be given a voucher for the determined value which remains valid for 12 months. Please note that this voucher cannot be encashed. 

Solitaire Diamonds Exchange at 90% of current market value, subject to a value limit of Rs.10,00,000/-. Currently Lifetime Exchange Policy is available on orders within India only.



Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Guest Post from @UnaTiers Declaring April To Be the Book Review Month for JUDGE vs NUTS

To recollect from my previous posts, I interviewed Una Tiers on my blog in January 2014 and  reviewed her book Not Safe For The Bank(er) A Fonal Gavelle Mystery in December the same year. The interview was quite touchy and the book was a rare treat of mystery and fun.

Here is a guest post from Una for her debut novel, JUDGE vs NUTS that is re-released in March of 2015. She is some presenting some insights, intereactive activities and celebration April month with a Sale.

UNA DECLARES APRIL TO BE BOOK REVIEW MONTH + Celebrates with a SALE
Reviews are important, they tell the author what the reader saw and they tell other people what to expect. They are hard to come by but treasured by authors. Please consider writing a review this month.
Easy Bake Recipe for a Book Review.


1. Read the entire book.

2. Answer one or more of the following questions:
What was your general impression? Were you entertained, educated, did you laugh, did you love, like or enjoy the book?

What stood out about the book? Was it humorous?
Was there a quote you loved?
Was there an idea it promoted?
How did you feel about the characters?

Do you recommend this book? Do you recommend it to particular readers?

5. For Amazon reviews you only need 20 words. You don’t need to tell the story, this isn’t a book report.

6. Say something nice. A book takes time and heartfelt effort to put together. It’s a little of the writer’s soul.

Reviews are important to authors, please consider writing one today.
Thank you.

About the Author
Una Tiers is an attorney who writes mystery/humorcides. Her debut novel, JUDGE vs NUTS, was re-released in March of 2015. It is available on Amazon eBooks (links below) and is ON SALE!
Synopsis:
Fiona Gavelle expected fame, fortune and glory after law school. However she finds herself working in a dead end, dusty law office where she does more secretarial than lawyer work.
One snowy Chicago night, she learns she was fired from her miserable job and when her miserable husband doesn't support her plight, she walks out.
However, after attending the funeral of a man she only met once, her luck turns. She gets new office space, and is taken in by her favorite Aunt.
She struggles to prove the practice of law does not include car chases or running down the alley at midnight.
Join Fiona to see where she leads you.
US   The book is on sale April 23, 2015 8AM PST to April 26, 2015 12PM PST $.99  US Dollars
UK across the pond, the book is on sale April 23, 2015 8AM GMT to April 27, 12PM GMT  £ .99




You can find Una easily on her website and on: 
Leafmarks
Shelfari

Monday, April 20, 2015

कुछ अशआर : आज कुछ लम्हों के लिए मेरे पहलू में बैठ

आज
कुछ लम्हों के लिए मेरे पहलू में बैठ
मेरी आँखों में देख
कोई बात न कर
हो सके तो दिल की धड़कने भी
रोक लेते हैं दोनों
सिर्फ ख़ामोशी से
बता अपने दिल की ज़ुबान

तेरे दिल के ज़ख्म
मेरे दिल का गुबार
एक मुकम्मल मुलाक़ात
के मुल्तजी हैं
तेरे ज़ख्म भरने के लिए
मेरे आँसू बदहवास हैं

आज
कुछ लम्हों के लिए
सब भूल कर
बस
मुझे देख
मुझसे बात कर
इन कुछ लम्हों को
एक ज़िन्दगी का
जामा हासिल करा

#fame Ms Malini's Tips To Become A Social Media Jedi #LakmeSchoolofStyle

The power of talent and video is the real mantra of #fame. In this emerging and growing era of digital age, it is the video that will replace text and talent is going to be the topmost in demand. #fame is about providing a unique platform to talented individuals to live their life to fullest. #fame is something that has nothing to do with a business or a brand. It is about individuals and for individuals. It is basically a platform for each talented individual to provide a long term growth prospects. Every talented individual is free to join #fame to explore their talent in a most suitable environment. It is not precise for a profession or a particular area in life, it can be anyone – a chef, a singer, a musician, a blogger or for that sake anyone. #fame promises to merge talent with entertainment in a digital way beyond one can imagine. 

In this video from #fame and Lakme School of Style we have Ms Malini the Social Media Diva who is stating her rule sets for becoming a social media Jedi. Rule number one is to be original, be you, and be yourself. Once you are “you” only then you can be a true social. She emphasizes to be the most human version of yourself. It means a lot in reality if you are able to stay on this rule. So if you are tweeting, put your feelings and emotions in the text so that it looks most amazing and natural to everyone and then you will be in a position to get most responses/ replies.



Rule number two of the game is Engage. Ensure that when you are on the playground you play full heartedly. You cannot be the part of game and playing the game halfheartedly. When you are in the party, be part of it by participating to your fullest. You just can’t afford to stay standing in a corner and think that you will be able to enjoy the party. Don’t just talk about yourself all the time. Nobody would be eager to listen to you for long if you stay in this mode. You have to interact with people. Re-tweet other’s tweets, like some and reply to the tweets that are addressed to you. Response is must as the person who is writing to you is writing because he or she likes you and intends to interact with you. There is a saying that if you don’t engage with your followers on Facebook or twitter, you are prone to lose them by fifty percent. Example of Oreo and KitKat in this context was fantastic.

Rule number three is to be a Geek Chic. Use all the available tips and tricks available on internet. If you use hash-tags with more than 10-11 characters will have more chances of getting hit than the shorter hash-tags. Facebook and Twitter now allow videos to be a part of your post hence take full advantage of it by making your posts livelier. A single tweet allows to embed four photos in it. So, if you are a hair or beauty blogger you can send a step by step set of pics in your tweet.



Rule number four is that the Social Media Hacks. YouTube is the second largest search engine on the internet. Hence use meta-tags wisely to increase your reach. Rule number five says you to stay updated always. On social media it is now that is most important. And the final rule says to enjoy and have fun on social media. Overall the video is quite interesting and a must watch. This video series is a superb effort from LakmeSchoolofStyle and #fame

Note: Lakmé School of Style is a first of its kind show that will not only bring the newest trends and happenings from the fashion world but in the process will also create new age fashionistas and idols. A fashion brigade led by Editor-in-Chief, Karan Johar himself will bring the fashion news, views and events from all over the world to the internet screen. 

Hold Your Breath: Asus Zenfone 2 Is About To Launch









If you look at your topmost companions in life, probably for most of us, our smartphone would be on the top of the list. The reason for that is quite clear as it is the only one device that stays in our pocket, or in hand, almost throughout the day, wherever we are. For me, it only retires for the day when I go to bed. So, definitely the device that is so much and so close to you throughout has to be really smart to make you smart.



I became a diehard fan of Asus smartphones the day I bought Asus Zenfone 5 late last year. It is unbeatable in all aspect one looks into while buying a smartphone – price, technology, speed, look & feel, aesthetics and size. In technology one would ask for high speed, great performance, abundant storage, and a bouquet of excellent features. It won my heart in all aspects in real sense. The volume of sales and its high demand soon after it was launched tells its story itself. Now it is the turn of Asus Zenfone 2. The official launch is hardly a week away but one can clearly observe the eagerness among Asus’ fans.

If we talk about the features of ASUS Zenfone 2, it can go on and on with plethora of praises. The dual-SIM feature is not uncommon these days in smartphones. But when we talk about this particular dual sim model, it promises to provide you seamless switchover between the two. The model will be available with two options of RAM – 2GB and 4GB. The 4GB RAM is great to do multitasking on your smartphone without an interruption or slowness in the system. There is a stupendous difference between the power adaptor of 2GB and 4GB Asus Zenfone 2 models. The latter contains BoostMaster which will charge the device’s battery with a rocket speed. As compared to traditional smartphones chargers in the market, this one promises to charge Asus Zenfone 2 4GB model by double the speed.



User interface (UI) is probably the best in Asus smartphones and the global awards won by Asus confirm it. A dedicated team in Asus research center ensure to bring in the innovative rich experience in ZenUI brought by Asus in their smartphones. Asus PixelMater technology is another feather in their cap. With 13-megapixel rear (or primary) camera having zero shutter lag and on top of that its f/2.0 aperture lens is more than enough to give you best of the imaging experiences. It will not complete the story if we don’t talk about Asus Ergonomic Arc Design in Zenfone 2 to give it a superior look & feel with an elegance and impressive exterior that is class apart.

To sum it all, it is worth to wait for a while till Asus Zenfone 2 is launched on 23rd April 2015, to get the best of the features bundled together and device is bound to be low priced than its counterparts in the market. This astonishing smartphone will be exclusively available on Flipkart. 



Sunday, April 19, 2015

Bollywood Movie Preview: Bajrangi Bhaijaan @BeingSalmanKhan @Nawazuddin_S



Upcoming Bollywood movie Bajrangi Bhaijaan is scheduled to be released on the third Friday of July this year you will have a treat of watching Salman Khan, Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Kareena Kapoor Khan in the lead role. The crew is in the last leg of their shooting and are in Kashmir to shoot the concluding part of Bajrangi Bhaijaan. Earlier the plan was to visit Kashmir and finish the balance part was around a month before that had to be postponed due to flood.



The movie is directed by Kabir Khan of Kabul Express, New York, and Ek Tha Tiger fame. You be sure to have three things on the platter from director's end - excellent direction, perfect sequencing and super acting by all the actors.The movie as in the trademark movies of Salman promises to provide lot of masala action stuff.



Music is from Academy Award winner A R Rahman who needs no introduction. The cinematography is from Ravi K Chandran and if remember Dil Chahta Hai and My Name is Khan, then be ready to get a piece of excellent from Chandran who is a Filmfare Award winner.



Bajrangi Bhaijaan is a romantic action drama and has been produced by Salman Khan. It is an intense love story between a Muslim Boy and a girl belonging to Hindu community and the resistance that comes from the society against their love.  Just wondering if Bajrangi Bhiajaan is Salman Khan, would Kareena be also calling him by the same name?

Here is the trailer  below.




@TIME Hundred Most Influential People 2015: Exhaustive Analytics On Women Power Emergence

Oprah Winfrey is the only person in the world who has appeared ten times in Time Most Influential People. In the top four most repeated people, there are three women (see chart below).



During last decade, woman power has emerged tremendously and it is not only a particular area or areas where they have spread their wings and demonstrated their mettle. The fact that the same is not limited to a particular continent. The power of women is now visible all across the world whether it is a developed nation, developing or underdeveloped.

If we compare the data of TIME top 100 influential people across the globe for the year 2013 and 2015 we see a tremendous rise in the women power in all sections.



Hundred percent rise in Leadership category is phenomenal. Fifty percent in Titan and Pioneers categories, Forty percent in Artists is really a big achievement. Overall 30 percent increase in the women influencing the world in one way or the other is straightaway telling the world the message very clearly.

For the year 2015 if we see women emergence in various categories, it is substantial. We start with Titans for 2015 and following is the picture:


There are total nineteen out of which six are women.


For the Pioneers 2015 out of 22, 10 are male.


It is good to see women coming up as Pioneers on a global front. These women are from a diverse spectrum of profession and life ranging from a Ballet star to science & technology to advocate & judge to an investigator to transgender icon. 


In next category of Artists, we don't see much of a difference. Out of 16 globally influencing artists, we see 7 of them are female artists.


This spells out 44 percent share grabbed by the women.


When we talk of top leaders of the world who have wide influence we see that women are phenomenally less in this category. Out of 31 we have only eight women placed in this category. 


But if we see the women leaders of 2013 (chart on top) and compare with 2015 this is the category where we see hundred percent growth. If it continues at this rate probably within a couple of years women will cross men in global leadership.

In Icons category out of twelve global iconic personalities identified, we see women taking a winning edge here very clearly taking seven slots.


Finally when we look at the summary of TIME most influential people 2015, the category wise summary goes as below:



It can also be seen in graphical formation as below:


And finally the total summary graphical presentation will go as below:


Overall it is forty percent share of the total TIME top hundred influencers 2015 that has been taken by women. This clearly narrates the story of wits and wisdom of women power emerging on a global level. 

Saturday, April 18, 2015

#KoseMeet Bringing Spawake Range Of #Beauty Products In #India by Kose



A new cosmetic company launch, company is from Japan and they have already spread their wings to almost every part of the world. Now it is the turn of India and they have planned to come in a big way. This is about Kose and I am writing about #KoseMeet for the launch of their beauty and cosmetic products in India. The Indiblogger meet was planned for 10th April 2015 at Hyatt Regency and almost till two days before it was appearing to be an all women meet. 



There were only two kind of discussions going on in the discussion forum for this meet, prior to this meet. One section was of bloggers who were happy that they had got the invite. Obviously this block was having a direct connect with beauty, cosmetic, makeup as their daily routine. These were all women bloggers who were confirmed by Indiblogger for the meet. The other section was continuously curious to know – will they be allowed, will it be only a select few male bloggers, will there be a chance at all. Finally along with few others, I too got a call for attending the meet.



An Indiblogger meet was happening after a long time and it was quite cheering for everyone. It was nice to meet Purba Ray. I interviewed her way back in 2011 on Blogcritics (probably that was her first ever interview anywhere) and then reprinted the post on my blog in 2013. Meeting Shwetabh is always an interesting part of any meet. We had a quick round of registration and tea with snacks. I preferred to have the traditional masala chai. The prelaunch sessions were knowing each other well, welcoming freshers and newbies. After that the officials from Kose introduced about the company, products and history. There was a known celebrity Aditi Rao Hydari of Bollywood who is Kose India brand ambassador for their Spawake range of products.



There was a dish tasting session on each table when the dish was served. I mean Spawake face cream was distributed, one each table to admire its packing, packaging, cream and the good smell. Overall it was a fantastic session. 

Tuesday, April 14, 2015

eKavach App Review: A Must Have Proactive Parental App



How it sounds if for a while we talk about a new triangular relationship that is into existence almost for a decade now but its gravity and intensity has increased tremendously over last couple of years. Recently read a joke on WhatsApp sent by a friend where a guy tells his friends that few days back his internet was down for the whole day and data pack also had some issues in his smartphone. So for a change he spent that day with his family members and at the end of the day found (for the first time) that they are nice people. That is a harsh reality today. Teenagers are spending more time on social media websites rather than meeting their real friends, family members and relatives. The busy lifestyle has added a substantial weight on it where both the parents are working and the corporate life has no time limits to come back home.

It is important that someone comes forward to take a proactive approach. We are talking about eKavach (Kavach in English means shield) application. So the name itself denotes it is related to the cyber world and is talking about a protecting shield to protect your children proactively. This proactive app is for proactive parents or rather it is for all parents to help them in becoming proactive in the cyber (or internet) matters of your children. Tough to digest, but it is a harsh reality that the internet has become an addition for a majority of youth. As we all know a heavy traffic on the road has a high rate of threats and vulnerabilities, same is true when we talk about internet. Every day we come to know about the cases of cyberbullying, cyberstalking and more. These cases have become a global phenomenon and so is the addiction. In developed countries, in fact, medical treatments, relief camps etc. has become a reality. Internet addiction is treated an equal intensity of threat there as drug addiction.

eKavach is a parental application to help them in controlling and managing their kids falling prey to this threat. It is a unique application to give you a digital control of your children in real-time. The application acts smartly every time your child logs on to the internet for whatever activity. The application works in a smart way and promises to answer all your queries, as a parent, in this regard. Let us talk about some excellent features of this application. The Heartbeat feature keeps a track of latitude & longitude coordinates of your child’s smartphone on a regular basis. Not only this, it sends you an instant alert the moment it loses its track of the device. This can happen in cases like your child has gone to a no signal zone or the battery of the smartphone device of your child has drenched totally and the device has switched off.

The Offline Alerts feature tells you well in time as soon as the device becomes void of internet connection. This notification comes via SMS or through Push Notification, depending on the settings you opted for. Family Time is a very important feature of eKavach. Once you define time slots for family time – like lunch hours, dinner hours, rest hours etc., all applications on the digital devices will seize to function thereby everyone getting a sweet company and time of each other in a healthy manner. With More Control Over Applications feature you are notified as and when any new app is downloaded on your kid’s device. You can decide whether to block this app completely or define a time period for using this app. There is a Dashboard that provides you customized analytics on various parameters like the type of websites visited, type of activities done, time spent on each activity etc. thereby providing you your child’s browsing trends, preferences, and productive activities done.

SOS Notification feature helps you in getting an instant message from your child when there is an emergency or your child is in some kind of trouble and an urgent attention/ help is required. The message or notification that is triggers just by the click of a button send a preconfigured message along with the physical location coordinates. Communication with Parents feature keeps your child connected with you all the time with an exchange of routine or customized messages.
The installation of the application is done on parent’s as well as child’s devices. Firstly it is installed on the parent’s device where the installation completes with a SMS verification on the same device. One the parent application is installed the child version of the app then will be required to be installed on the device used by the child. Once it is installed on both the devices, it syncs the parent and child devices. The whole process is quite simple. 

The eKavach app is easily available on Google Play Store. After downloading it, a family account needs to be created thereby registering the parent. Now eKavach Child app is to be downloaded on Child’s device. After download log on to the family account and register this device as child and then activate eKavach protection. Once it is activated in both the devices, you must review standard setting to configure and customize as per your requirements.



In a nutshell eKavach is a must have tool to have a proactive parental control on your children. It helps you in content filtering, safe search, preventing exposure to unwanted sites, providing analytics on the browsing trends of your child and activities preferences, provides a good amount of control for family time, all time communication, remote connectivity, real time alerts and a lot more.




I am checking out the eKavach app as a part of an activity at BlogAdda.

Wednesday, April 08, 2015

Women in Leadership: Without A Doubt #EveryWomanIsALeader


The woman has always been a symbol of power, determination and energy right since the beginning of mankind. A woman is a key unit of our family, society and now workplace. Over a period of last couple of decades, women at the workplace have reached tremendous heights be it on corporate or on personal fronts. In earlier era woman was always shadowed by man but history proves that at the demand of time, a woman never hesitated to come in front and take the lead to draw great transformations in the world. If we look at the era of the oldest Hindu mythology epic Ramayana, we witness the extreme character of women.



On one hand we see the negative side of a woman who forced the king Dashratha for sending Lord Rama to exile and on the other end we see the fully devoted Sita who refused to stay in Ayodhya and decided to go along with Rama for the most painful journey of their life that lasted for fourteen years. A woman has always been seen as a giver – be it a mother, sister, wife or any other role they take in real life.



For years, women took the onus of the aspiration factor behind successful men. But when time and instance challenged a woman, she never failed in undertaking any kind of job, howsoever tough it may be and has been successful. Today we see a lot of women to the top of the corporate ladder and running the show successfully. A Global Leadership Survey conducted for women as workforce represents a wide gap between the women and men aspiring to reach C-level which is 36 percent to 64 percent. But then that does not prove the incapability of women.  Women can always do more and better than men, as stated in a report published by Fortune in 2014. The top Fortune 500 companies were 24, reaching a new height in 2014, taking it to near to five percent.



Women have always been facing more challenges than men in the corporate world and by crossing all these obstacles by reaching the top slots, they have proved their mettle. Feminine traits have been psychologically found different to masculine ones and it has been proved that a woman has been able to do her best in balancing demands, expectations and aspirations in all aspects. There is something called inner glass ceiling that a woman has to face in taking any call. It is a well-proven fact that when a woman is at C-level of a company, the administration control is much better and the company performs better in financial terms. The corporate world has understood this fact very well and that is why we see today at least a woman on the board of most of the successful companies. It is all on a corporate to give equal opportunities to women and provide them a successful path to reach the top of the corporate ladder.



Bosch has decided to make sure that at least twenty percent of women in the whole organization worldwide reach to the leadership positions by 2020 for which a budget of over $200 million per annum is already allocated for training, development, and exclusive mentoring charters. That is a great respect shown for heterogeneity and unusual career growth. This is one of the best policies of diversity management. In a similar attempt, European School of Management and Technology has started offering exclusive scholarships to women applicants in leadership positions for their executive transition program. Aon Hewitt has recognized recently DHL New Zealand as a great place for the development of women leaders where diversity is the key factor. The company aims to allocate more leadership positions to women to beat the gender inequality without any compromise in the pay packages. MakeMyTrip in India is also following the same path.



Bonnie Marcus in her recent article on Forbes, published just two days back, advocates full support to women by saying that provided a right kind of atmosphere is there and there is a sponsor on board to support, nothing can stop a woman to reach the top of a corporate ladder. Who had imagined that among Forbes Fifty Greatest Leaders of the World 2014, there will be a sixteen-year-old girl from Pakistan? Thirty-eight percent of world’s top leaders are women. And look at the chart below to see a great variation in the roles they are carrying in their successful journey. What else to say except #EveryWomanIsALeader.



Note: This post is a part of the blogging competition held by www.shethepeople.tv on the topic ‘Women in Leadership’. Entries can win an all-paid expense trip to an exciting destination. You are welcome to participate in the contest by visiting here: http://shethepeople.tv/leadership-contest/

Tuesday, April 07, 2015

Author Interview: Irum Zahra: I Am Madly In Love With Hannibal Lecter



Her name is Irum Zahra and she is from Islamabad, Pakistan. She was born and raised under the intellect of her writer mother. She started writing when she was in Grade 1 and she gradually improved her writing skills and grew fond of reading Literature by Keats, H.P. Lovecraft, Hemmingway, Edgar Allan Poe and Sylvia Plath. The first poem she wrote was inspired by Sylvia’s “Ariel”. Her first Book *Psychaotic: See The World In Black And Red* was published in November, 2014 and sold over 200 copies (Kindle and paperback) worldwide in the first 3 weeks of it’s release. She is the first Pakistani Poet to be published in two Gothic International poetry anthology books; both by the name of *Mirrored Voices*.
She was included in The News Pakistan’s most powerful Women List this year, in 2015. She was also featured in Pakistan’s first *Hand written with love* Exhibition held in Minerva.



Your real name and pen name?
My real and Pen name is Irum Zahra.

Please share some of the best memories of your childhood
* The best memory of my childhood is perhaps the way my mother brought me books by Enid Blyton. They were short and beautiful with a lesson at the end. I still remember all of them and they helped polish the creativity inside me. I always had a habit of making up an alternate ending to all of them.

About your education?
I did Bachelors in Commerce and then I diverted my mind towards Masters in Mass Communication as I wanted to go further into the field of books and publishing.

What career did you plan during your education days
* I always thought I would become a banker or an accountant. But as days flew by, I started to see myself as a writer and speaker rather than a person who crunches numbers. I don’t regret where I am, I’m sure I made the right choice.

What languages can you speak and write?
I can speak and write three languages: English, Urdu, and Punjabi. I’m learning to speak French these days. It has a very rich and Poetic ring to it.

What is your biggest source of inspiration in life
*My biggest inspiration is my mother. She helped through thick and thin, she supported me when I was in doubt about my writing, my life, and my career and Now she stands with me proud and happy.

What hurts you most in this world
Hurts… Well, I don’t think anything in the world hurts more than being rejected or denied love. So I’ll be hurt and vulnerable if I give my all to someone and they throw it away or disregard it.

What is the biggest challenge you have faced? How did you overcome it?
*The biggest challenged I faced was myself. I was insecure and I always thought I won’t be able to achieve this much and as I grew older, I gained experience of things and I tried my best to level with the anger and the insecurity. I started to use my creativity as an anchor and I took out all of my insecurity on paper. I think expressing through art, singing and poetry is the best way.

If you had to live a day of your life as one of the living or dead personality, who would it be and why?
O I would love to live a day as Thomas Harris. I am so madly in love and obsessed with his character Hannibal Lecter. I love the books, the movies, the Tv series and everything related to Hannibal. I adore the art based on Hannibal and I just want to live in that character through Thomas’s pen and feel that intimacy and obsession he had with them. I want to write so much about Hannibal and my next book will feature a poem about his character as well.

What is your favorite genre and why?
*I love reading all genres. I have so many books on different topics. It depends on my mood. But generally, I love to read poetry and thriller books.

When did you start writing? What is the purpose of your writing?
*Purpose of my writing is to show people how away they are from the reality. My poetry is based on life realities and experiences and reading them would make you feel closer to your inner self. There are always two sides to a person and I always write about the balance and the imbalance of both sides.

Which of your work has been published so far? Would you like to share a synopsis of your work?
*My first book Psychaotic was published in November,2014, It was followed by a poetry anthology Mirrored Voices: Emerging poets anthology and a third book, Mirrored Voices: Best new poets Anthology.



Here is the synopsis of my First book *Psychaotic*
Psychaotic is not a happy song. It’s a collection of poetry and passages that depict the struggle of a human mind with it’s veiled and untamed nature. It shows how far we can go if we incline ourselves to that side and how much we are willing to give up.
Psychaotic tells you the harsh realities of life rather than filling your head with fantasies and dreams that will never happen.
In that reality check, this book will change how you think about certain things. It will tell you, that wrongs can be right and right can be wrongs as well as, bad can be good and good can turn out to be bad.

What are your forthcoming writings?
I am currently working on 3 projects. My priority is another Gothic Poetry book which I will launch in 3 months and the other two projects include a Fiction thriller and a YA Supernatural series.

What keeps you motivating towards writing?
*I always write what I feel. I use feelings a fuel to my creativity. I will always have a heart and a mind, however, restless they both may be, so I will always have an inspiration to write.

How do you plan, schedule and monitor your writing commitments?
*Writing a book is not easy. It took me 5 years to write the book in bits and pieces and then compilation was a 6 month process including editing and proofreading. Also, the fear of *Not good enough* eats the writer from inside and he edits and then re-edits again and again.
If you take it as a project, I think the best thing would be to plan a timeline. Here is what I do:
Time to complete the book (Deadline)
Editing (two weeks max)
Preparing a Market plan (one week)
Gathering Resources (1 month)
Add-ons (Complimentary bookmarks, thank you cards, merchandise etc.)
Finding a publisher
Keeping track of all things
Final book launch
Tracking sales and updating market plan.

What are your future plans?
My future plan is just one, Become a legend

What is generally your preference in reading – a paper book or ebook? And why?
*I love paperback more than e-book. Reason is, I want to feel the book and the pages in my hands when I read it.

How much real life goes into a fiction writing?
Fiction writing is real. I guess in my head. I believe some of it or all of it is happening somewhere in the world or has already happened or will happen. That is a lot of REAL in fiction.

Is high level of imagination important to have for an Author?
Imagination and Creativity is all that is important for a writer. All the words, the stories, the poems, they all come from within and you can’t write unless you have an imagination and creativity. It is a writer’s fuel.



Your origin of birth and other countries you have visited/ stayed. What best things you liked in these countries around the globe?
I was born and raised in Pakistan. I’ve visited many cities in Pakistan but I haven’t had the experience to visit foreign countries, yet. I’m planning to do a book tour soon. Probably next year, I’ll visit US, UK, India and Australia.

Your favorite time of the day?
My favorite time of the day is not day, It’s the night. Lol. It is so peaceful and it makes me content. Maybe it’s the moon. I love the moonlight.

Your zodiac/ sunsign?
My zodiac sign is Cancer.

Your favorite color and why?
My favorite color is Black and I love it because it is the color of the night. It hides and it veils all things.

What is the last book you finished reading? What is the current book you are reading?
*The last book I read was *Beyond Desire* by Asghar Abbas. I have a signed copy!
And Currently I’m reading *The Green Wolves* by Vetle Sivertsen. I have its signed copy as well. Lucky me.

Your favorite book and why?
I love Dan Brown. His book *The Lost Symbol* is my favorite book. The way he writes, he makes you believe that all in the book is happening and you’re in the middle of it.

Your favorite movie and why?
*My favorite movie.. That is a difficult question. I love anything with Anthony Hopkins, Al Pacino and many others.
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What is the force that drives you?
Emotions Drive me. I think you should always write with your heart and heart is the thing that drives you to create great things. Things that matter.

What comes to your mind when you think of India?
India- I think of all the exciting Cricket matches, the amazing food and people with culture as rich as ours.

Some quickies: Sun or Moon, Laughter or Smile, Morning or Evening, Coffee or Tea, Mountain or Sea, Long Drive or Short Drive, Silence or Conversation, Water or Fire, Air or Earth, Mars or Jupiter, Tulip or Rose, Red or Blue, Left or Right, Glance or Stare, Fame or Money, Boy or Girl, Day or Night, Tree or Plant, Love or Passion
*moon, laughter, evening, Coffee, Sea, Long Drive, Conversation, Fire, Earth, Mars, Rose, Blue, Left, Stare, Fame, Girl, Night, Tree, Passion

What three words come to your mind for each – Technology, Life, God, Humanity, Terrorism, Racism, Childhood Abuse, Love, Parenting, Old age
Internet/Marketing/Connection, 
Love/Poetry/Struggle, 
Divine/One/Almighty, 
Wars/Cruelty/Poverty, 
Unjust/Wrong/Extremism, 
Discrimination/Social Lines/Ignorance, 
Innocence/Disgusting/Wrong, 
Life/Him/The color Blue, 
Happiness/Responsibility/Struggle, 
Partner/Coffee/ Sunset evenings

The first thing you do in the morning after waking up?
I say Salam and good morning to my family. It is a family habit.

Last thing to do before sleep?
I say a prayer.

If one fine morning you wake up and find your sex changed to opposite, what will be your first reaction?
*Wow. I’d be happy I guess. I could do much more if I turn into a man. But come to think of it, Being a Woman is all I ever want to be. A woman creates life. That’s what I want to be.

State your signature line/ tagline/ best quote
You see the world in colors and I see it in black and red.

The last line of your autobiography would be…
*Thank you God for making me what I am.

The title of your autobiography would be…
 That is a secret. I want to publish it later.

Links & other relevant details:
ISBN-10: 150326601X
ISBN-13: 978-1503266018
ASIN:
Publisher: Beyond Sanity Publishing

Twitter handle: @IrumZahraWriter




Any other links:
Wordpress:
Book page:
Touchtalent:


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