2016 recollect

Looking back on 2016 in my online world :-)
Best of 2016 song playlist:
1. Mei Niagara - 24
2. Maya nadhi - Kabali
3. Thalli pogadhey - Acham yenbadhu madamayada
4. Ei sandakaara - Irudhi sutru
5. Vaa machaaney - Irudhi sutru
6. Naan un azhaginiley - 24
7. Halena - Irumugan
Best of Books read in 2016:
1. The secret dreamworld of a shopaholic - Sophie Kinsella (thanks Nandita Hari for introducing me to this author)
2. Shopaholic abroad - Sophie Kinsella
3. Shopaholic ties the knot - Sophie Kinsella
4. Finding Audrey- Sophie Kinsella
5. What to expect when you are expecting 4th edition - Heidi Murkoff and Sharon Mazel
6. Babies and bylines - Pallavi Aiyar
7. The greatest Bengali stories ever told - Arunava Sinha
New entry - Best of products bought online, who knows someone might find it useful ;-)
1. Handmade Wooden Tangram Puzzle
2. Iris Reed Diffuser
3. Kanvas Katha Women’s Tote Bag
4. Whitmor Plastic Document Boxes
5. Kalsi Hand Press Juicer
6. Bumberry Cloth diaper
7. Organic unfiltered apple cider vinegar
Top used shopping apps:
1. Amazon
2. Limeroad (Meera Ramachandran thanks for introducing me to this app)
3. Big basket
4. Ferns and petals
5. Urban ladder
6. Pepperfry
7. Zomato
Top used other apps:
1. All in one printer remote
2. Expense Manager
3. Inshorts
4. SHAREit
5. Ola
6. Uber
7. Quikr
PS: now no need for any app to steal my user preferences… ;-)

school days

School days:

1. Slipping through the gate just in time before it closes. Finally getting assigned as gatekeeper to catch others so had to come early!!
2. Wearing flag for independence day and getting a cup ice/chocolate/drink
3. Standing in queue and getting bus pass
4. Playing kho kho during PT period
5. Getting chalk from office room daily for classes
6. Evening time off during Ramzan month
7. Sports days and annual days exciting times
8. Collecting the year’s books from book stall before reopening day
9. Carrying rough note on first day of school
10. Lunch under usual tree with usual gang
11. Grape ice and coloured muttai shape sugar mittai from canteen
12. Mango slices outside school gate
13. Reading news headlines during morning assembly
14. Writing talking names on board
15. Skating in the corridors

college days

1. Sense of achievement after getting a seat in engg but wanted to slow down and not try to be the topper each time
2. All days colour dress suddenly
3. Eating veg puff in bakery opposite college entrance
4. Making it to the 8:30 AM schedule with a travel of 1.5 hrs after school days where school was nearby. Can never forget the ride on 5A cut in first year and the separate essay I wrote on that (to be shared later ;-))
5. Second year onwards hop skip and jump, three legs of journey - bus from nandanam to guindy, suburban train from guindy to tambaram and college bus from tambaram to college
6. Occasional tiffin at veg refreshment stall in stations
7. Occasional tea at bhatt’s tambaram with friends
8. Guitar practice and performing in freshers party
9. Symposiums and college day functions and event organizing
10. Tiring workshop sessions in first year - sleeping from friday 6 PM to saturday 6 AM after the session
11. Ring tournaments - some sports activity
12. Cricket sessions with friends
13. Satisfying dream of cutting class and going for movie - managed to do it once :-)
14. Solving crossword puzzles while in class
15. Some class trips and gifts on birthdays managed within budget
16. Aspiring to get a good job and preparing with focus for campus interviews

shopaholic review

The shopaholic series by sophie kinsella:

for those with the shopping bug this book series will be just a dream come true. the heroine of the book becky bloomwood is a compulsive shopper. just like any of us but maybe on a greater degree. how many times have we gone to buy some item of necessity and come back with a bag full of goodies. how many times have we shopped for “future” when there is a sale going on - but the difference between a normal shopper and a shopaholic is that - a shopaholic hunts out for sales and buys stuff - shopping is in their blood - its something like a hobby whether or not you need the product. So much so that the heroine in this story gets into debt - but this doesnt stop her from her hobby - she just finds a smart solution - earn more, get a better job to satiate her greed - how she gets this going and how her life gets transformed - quite gripping a tale when you identify yourself with her. I have read three of this series and the first one was the best “Confessions of a shopholic”, the second was also good “shopaholic abroad, third "shopaholic ties the knot” was kinda ok, but a bit dragging. Read it to experience it yourself ;-) Still more for me to read in the series, think there are 8 books in all.

Thogayal/thuvaiyal recipe

Ingredients:

Coconut - 10 spoons (scraped)
Broken urad dhaal - 10 spoons
Red chillies - as per requirement, 1 will do for mild flavour
Tamarind - ½ small lemon size
Salt - as needed

Procedure:
Fry all the above in a kadai (except salt) in medium flame for 10 min

Keep it aside for cooling

Once cooled first dry grind in mixie with salt

Then add 100 ml of water and grind again to a paste with the required consistency

Can be used as a tasty side for kootu/rasam 😀

Corrections:

Add idli chilli powder a bit if you find it has too much coconut or tamarind taste

Fry the paste a little if you feel it has a raw taste

health tips

Be aware of yourself, in all aspects - this is message to myself 😊 and others in case they need it ;-)

When you have a chronic health problem, take notes, monitor your activities, understand what causes problems and what can be done to solve it. Consult a doc when needed with clear notes about your problem, check if the treatment suits you, go with feedback about treatment, because each person is different and the doc needs to monitor the patient to suggest alternate treatment. There are various types of treatment available, so be open to try them out while being cautious about your earlier experiences. The concept of a family doctor is actually very good, but you will need specialists for addressing specific problems. Again specialists will be busy, so you need to have patience to get a sitting. Meanwhile you have to monitor yourself and be in harmony. There will be times when everyone around you will be giving advice (some blindly just for the sake of giving), they will be having a helping intention only, but you might be overwhelmed by it. Filter your inputs and again restart your notes and seek harmony. Set expectations so that you can get your much needed peace.
So be aware and make others aware :-) that is the thought for today

Bye for now folks!

useful gadgets

Useful gadgets :)

Like apples? Here is an easy 30 sec way to peel and cut them.

The orange apple cutter is a great gadget that my chitthappa used to employ for cutting apples, this buy from amazon is inspired from him :) The light yellow peeler is a good buy and this was bought by my husband from the local store - good to peel carrot, potato and beetroot too but when they are fresh and hard and medium or large sized. The other thing I love is the cutting board in the pic - newly purchased, its a bamboo board (environment friendly) and has a steel ring to hang it in the kitchen after use - need to check the durability of this product though before recommending - as wood usually catches fungus due to dampness, this was also bought from a local store.

good morning folks, have a great day!