Post #31: When I was a kid...

[Copied from other website, It made me smile, so sharing]

When I was small :

• I'd put my arms in my shirt and told people I lost my arms

• Would restart the video game whenever I knew I was going to lose

• Had that one pen with four colors, and tried to push all the buttons at once

• Waited behind a door to scare someone, then leaving because they're taking too long to come out.

• Faked being asleep,so I could be carried to bed.

• Used to think that the moon followed our car

• Tried to balance the switch between On/Off

• Watching two drops of rain roll down window and pretending it was a race

• The only thing i had to take care of was a school bag.

• Swallowed a fruit seed I was scared to death that a tree was going to grow in my tummy.

• Closed the fridge extremely slowly to see when the lights went off.

• Walked into a room,. forgot what you needed, Walked out, and then remember.

Remember when we were
kids and couldn't wait to grow up? and now we think why did we even grow up?

Childhood Was The Best Part Of our Life

Finally, I found the answer to the most asked question in my childhood ..
What do you want to become when you grow up?

A child again.:)

Post #30: What makes Virgo stand out in the crowd!

[ Probably... My personality. Taken from Yahoo.
https://in.lifestyle.yahoo.com/10-things-t-resist-virgo-130506228.html ]

No one is perfect in this imperfect world. But there times when you meet someone and you just can’t get enough of them. Let’s find out what makes a Virgo stand out in the crowd! 

1. Down to earth- Virgos are the most ‘down to earth’ people you will ever meet. They don’t like the so-called word “show-off” and, keep a safe distance from those pretentious people as much as possible.

2. Realistic- Virgos do not live in a fantasy world. In fact, they keep a very practical approach towards life and in all their endeavours. They know how to keep their emotions in check, enough to not let them affect their decisions.

3. Meticulous- These people are very observant and have a keen eye for details. Details, lists and facts are what make a Virgo tick! This ability to discern things makes them the perfect pick to pursue their profession as a detective or in the research field.

4. Ethical- Moral ethics are on the top of their priority list, and they make sure not to let any sort of achievement get ahead of their ethics under any circumstances. No bribe is enough when it comes to their morals and ethics! 

5. Perfectionists- Virgos are idealists. They like to be perfect in everything they do. They are insanely systematic. They will not leave a task until it is finished and is in its complete order- alphabetically, numerically, and color-wise! (That sure makes it easier for people like us to find things later!) Due to the perfectionism they exhibit, most of the times they become health- freaks, but wait, who doesn’t like a fit person?

6. Reliable- A person born under the sign “Virgo” is the most faithful one you will ever come across. They will be supportive. You can always find them standing right by your side even if the boat starts shaking but they will also make sure to get you out of the water before your boat starts sinking, and you won’t see a single sign of frowning. And, Yes! Your secrets are perfectly safe with them! 

7. Value quality more than quantity- Virgos value quality more than anything. And, it won’t be wrong to say this trait makes them the ‘perfect lovers’. They sure are not the most romantic types but they do have huge hearts and do not hesitate to offer their whole heart to their loved ones. They might not express their love in beautiful phrases or poetry but their little gesture from time to time does the magic.

8. Balanced- They are very balanced. They remain calm and placid even in the most confusing situations. They plan everything in advance to improve things. They are likely to bring order to chaos due to this miraculous gift they possess. They value security and stability in life.

9. Devoted- Assign a project to a Virgo and they will make sure to put all of their heart in it. They will not leave anything before it is completed in its true sense. They are self-disciplined, serious and sensible, which makes them win most of the ‘employee of the year’ awards.

10. Intellectual- Virgo is said to be the ‘Wisest’ sign under the zodiac. They are very intelligent but do not like to show off their abilities. Dare ask them a specific question, you will get a one word or one liner answer but that would be the best answer you can ever get

Post #29:How system of cardless withdrawal from ATMs works?

[Via The Economic Times]

If you are living in a metropolitan city and wish to transfer funds to your family member who does not have a bank account, you can use of this service.

MUMBAI: Several banks have started offering cardless withdrawal facilities to their customers. ICICI Bank is the latest to join this bandwagon. Bank of India had launched a similar facility earlier this year.Other players in this space include Axis Bank and IndusInd Bank. Customers of the banks can use the facility to transfer funds even to those who do not have a bank account.

"The sender needs to have an account with us and he can use either internet banking or walk into a branch to send money to a beneficiary's mobile numbers. The beneficiary need not have a bank account," says Rajiv Anand, group executive and head, retail banking, Axis Bank.

For example, if you are living in a metropolitan city and wish to transfer funds to your family member who does not have a bank account, you can make use of this service.

However, the recipient should have a mobile phone connection to complete the transaction. The entire transaction can be completed online, and the process for initiating transfer and withdrawing the amount is similar across the banks.

How does it Work?

To begin with, you must add the name of the recipient to the list of cash withdrawal beneficiaries and provide the mobile number, name and address to the bank.

Once your request to register this recipient is accepted, you can select the recipient and initiate the transfer. You will get a numerical code on your cell phone, which should be shared with the recipient. The system will send an SMS containing another code (onetime password) to the recipient's mobile, too.

The recipient can visit specified ATMs, enter both the codes, mobile number and withdraw the transferred amount.

Remember, any variance in these sensitive details could lead to termination of the transaction -the funds will be credited back to the sender's account. Also, you should make sure that the recipient withdraws the money before the deadline specified (subsequent midnight to 14 days, depending on the bank).

Banks have set a limit of Rs 5,000-10,000 per transaction for the sender using this facility. The monthly cap for each recipient is Rs 25,000.You, as the sender, will have to pay charges of Rs 25 for every money transfer made.

Money transfer apart, you can make use of this facility for other purposes too, particularly when you are travelling. "The facility can be used by the account holder, both for self withdrawal in case of lost card, or for remittance to any beneficiary who may not be an account holder," says Ritesh Raj Saxena, EVP and head, direct banking and savings, IndusInd Bank. That is, if you add yourself as a beneficiary, you can use your mobile to initiate the transfer and withdraw money from the bank's designated ATM. The assumption here is that your mobile phone, with Internet access, is secure in your pocket. Ascertain the Reach

While the facility seems attractive and comes at very little cost, the only hitch is the limited reach -some banks allow cashless withdrawals at select ATMs, while others have a smaller network of ATMs. You need to enquire whether the facility is enabled only at selected ATMs -if the recipient does not live close to such an ATM, travelling to the location could be a hassle. In contrast, non-banking mobile payment entities have a wider network--of distributors and franchisees--though the charges could be higher depending on the issuer and amount transferred.

"However, mobile-enabled money transfers require bank accounts or wallets at both ends and do not facilitate instant cash out," says Anand. Lastly, you should be careful while sharing the code sent to you. Advise the recipient to carry out the transaction herself.Sharing the code with the security guards or others in the ATM can compromise the transaction.

Post #28: Self Appraisal

Liked n sharing it through my blog...

It's awesome attitude.

A Little boy went to a telephone booth which was at the cash counter of a store and dialed a number. The store-owner observed and listened to the conversation:

Boy: “Madam, can you give me the job of cutting your lawn?”

Woman: (at the other end of the phone line) “I already have someone to cut my lawn.”

Boy: “Madam, I will cut your lawn for half the price than the person who cuts your lawn now.”

Woman: “I’m very satisfied with the person who is presently cutting the lawn.”

Boy: (with more perseverance) “Madam, I’ll even sweep the floor and the stairs of your house for free.”

Woman: “No, thank you.”

With a smile on his face, the little boy put the receiver down. The store-owner, who was listening to all this, walked over to the boy.

Store-owner: “Son….I like your attitude; I like that positive spirit and would like to offer you a job.”

Boy: “No thanks.”

Store-owner: “But you were really pleading for one.”

Boy: “No Sir, I was just checking my performance at the job I already have. I am the one who is working for that lady I was talking to!”

This is called "Self-Appraisal”

Post #27: Determination & Persistence

(Liked the story and thought to share with you all.)

Determination & Persistence

This is a real life story of engineer John Roebling building the Brooklyn Bridge in New York, USA back in 1870. The bridge was completed in 1883, after 13 years.

In 1883, a creative engineer named John Roebling was inspired by an idea to build a spectacular bridge connecting New York with the Long Island. However bridge building experts throughout the world thought that this was an impossible feat and told Roebling to forget the idea. It just could not be done. It was not practical. It had never been done before.

Roebling could not ignore the vision he had in his mind of this bridge. He thought about it all the time and he knew deep in his heart that it could be done. He just had to share the dream with someone else. After much discussion and persuasion he managed to convince his son Washington, an up and coming engineer, that the bridge in fact could be built.

Working together for the first time, the father and son developed concepts of how it could be accomplished and how the obstacles could be overcome. With great excitement and inspiration, and the headiness of a wild challenge before them, they hired their crew and began to build their dream bridge.

The project started well, but when it was only a few months underway a tragic accident on the site took the life of John Roebling. Washington was also injured and left with a certain amount of brain damage, which resulted in him not being able to talk or walk.

“We told them so.” “Crazy men and their crazy dreams.” “It’s foolish to chase wild visions.”

Everyone had a negative comment to make and felt that the project should be scrapped since the Roeblings were the only ones who knew how the bridge could be built.

In spite of his handicap Washington was never discouraged and still had a burning desire to complete the bridge and his mind was still as sharp as ever. He tried to inspire and pass on his enthusiasm to some of his friends, but they were too daunted by the task.

As he lay on his bed in his hospital room, with the sunlight streaming through the windows, a gentle breeze blew the flimsy white curtains apart and he was able to see the sky and the tops of the trees outside for just a moment.

It seemed that there was a message for him not to give up. Suddenly an idea hit him. All he could do was move one finger and he decided to make the best use of it. By moving this, he slowly developed a code of communication with his wife.

He touched his wife’s arm with that finger, indicating to her that he wanted her to call the engineers again. Then he used the same method of tapping her arm to tell the engineers what to do. It seemed foolish but the project was under way again.

For 13 years Washington tapped out his instructions with his finger on his wife’s arm, until the bridge was finally completed. Today the spectacular Brooklyn Bridge stands in all its glory as a tribute to the triumph of one man’s indomitable spirit and his determination not to be defeated by circumstances. It is also a tribute to the engineers and their team work, and to their faith in a man who was considered mad by half the world. It stands too as a tangible monument to the love and devotion of his wife who for 13 long years patiently decoded the messages of her husband and told the engineers what to do.

Perhaps this is one of the best examples of a never-say-die attitude that overcomes a terrible physical handicap and achieves an impossible goal.

Often when we face obstacles in our day-to-day life, our hurdles seem very small in comparison to what many others have to face. The Brooklyn Bridge shows us that dreams that seem impossible can be realised with determination and persistence, no matter what the odds are.

Unable to write...Will be back asap

Hi friends,
       My six year old laptop has stopped working. I'm not able to post anything. As soon as I buy a new laptop,I will come back to blog.
Stay connected by joining my blog. Thank You.:)

Post #26: A journey to cast my vote

            I,being the first-time voter, was damn excited to vote. As soon as the dates of 16^th LokSabha election were announced, I booked my railway ticket to hometown without any delay from my side,though you know the irctc website forces you to delay unnecessarily. In my parliamentary area voting was on 24^th of April,2014. My journey was scheduled on 20^th of April,2014, 23:45 PM ,almost 21^st of April. I left my house at 10 o'clock in the night to catch the train. And, from here the journey to cast my vote  started.

            The nearest metro station was located at the walking distance of 15 minutes. I had ample time,so I decided to walk on foot to reach the metro station. After 15 minutes I checked-in and went to the platform. The metro train didn't take so much of time to come. Whenever I travel,I travel with a very few bags. I don't like to travel with so much of luggages, because I think “Less luggage,Happy journey”. Metro train was not so crowded, Some seats were vacant. I rushed to the seat and sat down after making sure that seat was not reserved for ladies,old-age person or for specially-able person.

              From the station I boarded, New Delhi railway station was situated at the distance of half an hour. After crossing 2 stations, commuters started coming in a large number. I saw two ladies were standing, I,being responsible and law-abiding citizen,immediately vacated seat for them. Though only one lady could accommodate it, whoever seats I don't care, I fulfilled my duty. Now I had to stand nearby the gate,I leaned by the virtue of glass near gate. I could comfortably stand as I had not that much of luggage.

            Some commuters were not obeying the rules of metro like keeping the bags at your back while great rush is there in the train, not eating anything inside metro, not taking any photographs, listening to the musics and offering seats to the needy people. All were tending to defy the rules. But anyways, at the next station, Rajiv Chowk, which is usually known for great gatherings of commuters as from this station people can change their metro to reach the respective destinations.

             I too had to change the metro to reach New Delhi. I stretched myself to get some space and deboard the train. But people standing outside to board the train were standing just in front of the gate and they were making difficulties for deboarding commuters. After so much pushes and pulls, I managed to deboard the metro train. I took the backpacks back on my back and checked out of the station.

             I reached to New Delhi railway within 2 minutes after walking. So many people were standing,sitting,lying on the ground with lots of baggage. Some migrant laborers were with bori, dibba, bartan, potli etc. The razzmatazz kind display board was displaying the information of scheduled trains. I saw the Purvottar Sampark-Kranti(PSK) super fast express was illuminating and right time, platform number 13 were written with the bright orange color.

            Walls of the station were looking very dirty because of pan-masala and gutkha spits, floor was full with used polythene, biscuit and chocolate wrappers. I stood in the queue to cross the x-ray machine check-points, I was having doubts if that was working. There was only one policeman was seating near x-ray machine,literally there were no intensive checks at such important station of capital of India.

              To reach the platform,I had to go up ,walk through the foot-over bridge and then get down to the platform number-13. Escalator was out of order. Some thought it was working and went then saw it was not working, some walked on escalator, some get back to stairs. I went up with the help of stairs of around 50 steps. After seeing the signboard of Platform-13, I got down. There was a huge gathering of travelers. It was obvious that the crowd was for PSK only.

             It was 22:50 PM and the train was at 23:45. You will close your nose when you will see the state of sanitation around railway tracks and platforms. This is the capital's main railway station. It is true that Delhi Metro stations are so neat and clean, it is because of collective responsibility of people and management authority. In Indian Railway(IR), neither people care nor management care, it lacks the collective responsibility. All I can say is IR is in a sorry state whether it comes to providing time-bound service, sanitation, catering or infrastructure.

             I kept on roaming, though there was not enough space to roam, and observing about people and management there. I repeat the train was scheduled to depart at 23:45 and it was 23:35, but there was not even a single announcement nor people were able to see the train looking far away. Finally train came at 23:40, train was looking very filthy, composed of old fashioned boggies, some were washed and  new. There were signboards displaying boggy number  attached to the platform-roof but was not working at all, which was working ,was displaying wrong number. Nothing about boggy number was written down on the boggy.

               This mismanagement created a huge chaos at the platform number-13. All were abusing IR for not displaying the boggy number. People with lots of heavy luggages were running to grab the seat back and forth as the time was 23:45. I guess, there were many people with waiting tickets, may be because of  this it was creating a great chaos. Had there been display board of boggy number, there would have not been created such kind of fuss. I thought, train had just come from yard to platform, it would not depart on time for sure. So I took my step back and stood where there was no rush. I kept on watching people, in how much hurry they were in. It's all because of mismanaging the system by railway authority.

              After everyone got settled down, I slowly slowly walked and reached to boggy no. S7 after asking the people inside, “is it boggy no.-S7?”. I saw TTE was coming from the back-end of the train and he was sticking those charts simultaneously. I tried hard to enter the boggy, there were so many people at the gate, those people were with waiting tickets,but could not. Meanwhile, train slided a little bit in the forward direction. There were many people standing outside, struggling to enter the boggy.

              However, I entered the boggy by playing jumping-japang-jumpak. My seat number was 71, it was just near the dirty,stinky washrooms and wash-basins with leakages. Water from the bashin was entering where people were about to seat including me. I saw some people were seating on my seat, they were with the waiting tickets. I inquired about them by not telling them to vacate immediately. They told me they are from Assam and they are going to vote. And, in that boggy, there was not the space even for keeping the steps on the floor. It was because many people had entered the wrong boggy and they were trying hard to reach the respective seats.

             I asked some people(mainly Assamese) if there is any festival in Assam as it is a huge rush.One guy answered they all are Bangladeshi infiltrators . But, mostly told me they are going to cast their votes. Many village people were going home, probably they were migrating from Delhi with bag and baggages as they had like a big 100 kg rice-bag filled with some old clothes, some traditional snakes , 1-2 kg capacity empty curd plastic jars,canisters, that rice filtering instrument made with bamboo ,ohh lot of bizarre things were there. Slowly slowly, people started settling down like some chemical precipitate and space for breath was created automatically.

             People who were seating on my seat, I asked whom they will vote for, they replied AGP(Assam Gantantra parishad),the key ally of BJP in Assam. They said, Modi is the need of the hour, it's an election to choose Prime Minister, so we want a strong leader like Modi. I was happy to see their awareness, so I offered my seat to the leg side,at least one people could sit down while I could sleep. The train departed from the New Delhi station at 12:20 AM. People were bit relaxed, but due to smells of washroom, I was not comfortable. However, someone switched off the light and I put my bag below my head and fallen asleep.

             It was 8 AM and Kanpur. I checked ,till now train is approximately 2 hours late. I went to freshen up myself. Toilets were so dirty that I could not sum up all the courage to go inside and pee. But, I had to get freshen. I went to some other boggy and found one usable washroom and felt comfortable. I came back to my seat, ate some bikaneri bhujia. Whenever I travel in train, I usually don't eat the canteen food of IR,it is disgusting food.

               Reached to Allahabad and ate some guava, it is very famous here. I was feeling hungry, I ordered veg food. After 2 hours around 12 PM, pantry car staff came with the food. When I opened the packet, it was like local yellow,fat swollen rice, liquid pickle quite bitter in taste, old pumpkin veg, watery pulses . However I ate half of the food and paid Rs. 90/-  Food was of Rs 20/- max though.

                Two people were with digi-cam, they,after seeing the plightful condition of railway, started interviewing people and making video about sanitation,food etc. In one boggy, usually there are 9 compartments with 8 seats each making 72 seats per boggy. 4 charging points were available but none of them working. Fans were throwing hot air. People, after paying above Rs. 500/- as fare, were feeling deceived to get the facilities while traveling.

              The train had entered Bihar, chain-pulling is a big problem in Bihar. Local people and hawkers board the train, when they reach their own destination, they pull the chain and deboard. No one cares. I did not see even a single Railway Protection Force
(RPF) man inside the train. From New Delhi to my destination(1200 km), there are only 2 stoppages, third is my hometown station. But, the train was like passenger train, stopping at every small,big stations, sometimes even at the halts.

              Somehow I reached my hometown station at 12:05 AM in the midnight, the train was scheduled to reach at 8:20 PM, it was late by almost 4 hours. My elder brother had come to receive me. I came to brother's temporary house with my brother and next day went to visit my elder sister and her two sons. Same day Mom said "I have come to nearby your sister's house, so be ready I will be coming and receiving you". Mom came with her BJP election vehicle with a flower bouquet to receive me. That was nice, felt good. She let me meet Sushil Modi and other BJP leaders present at  the BJP office . In the evening reached home. Mom, sister-in-law and other family members were happy to see that I have come just for voting. Especially my mom, who is also BJP Mahila Morcha block president.

             Next to next day, there was polling scheduled in my constituency. Election campaign had ended on that very day. In the night, we all family members including sister, she had come later as her name had come in the electoral roll, were seating together near the dining table and discussing about who will be the next PM. I was feeling so good that after so many years ,I was seeing everyone together, thanks to election and thanks to Modi. Because of his candidacy I was excited to vote.

             I told my mom to wake me up at 6 AM in the morning as I had to go to cast my vote. I wanted to become the first voter at my booth. I took a bath, got ready,took my electoral cheat, id-cards and left home. When I reached to the polling booth. I saw around 60-70 young voters like me were already standing in the queue despite sun and waiting for their number to come. I was like what, is this the Modi wave? I'm sure they all were the first-time voters like me. After standing for 2 hours in the queue, I got my number. I got my number so late because many ladies and old-age people were coming , so security personnels were taking them to the front. Electoral staff checked my name, inked my finger and told me to go inside and cast my vote. As I wanted to vote for Modi and mind has made up for this, so only lotus mark was appearing in the machine. I casted my vote, I heard a deep long beep sound and saw the red light illuminated in front of lotus symbol. I got assured and left the polling booth.

            I asked the youths and some older people about whom they have voted for, all were saying lotus and Modi. I being curious asked if they know the name of candidate whom they are voting for? They answered me, They are voting for Modi, they don't care that much about the name of candidate at least for this time.Yes, It is the Modi wave. I came back to Delhi with the train 9 hours late. My voting journey ends here. Indian Railway is in a sorry state. Ministers and bureaucrats are sleeping with pouring the oils in their ears. They are not caring about the problems being faced by the commuters. I hope, the new Modi government, if it comes to power, hopefully it will be, will address the railway issue making it to the top of the list.