Dipti's blog

If reports are to be believed, America’s oldest and favourite toy store Toys ‘R’ Us will soon shut shop in many countries in which it operates in. While a slew of reasons ranging from bankruptcy to expensive debt service, stiff-necked competition from ecommerce and big box retailers to loss-making stores are cited as the reasons behind the proposed closure, the store has not officially confirmed the reports on a possible closure (that might become effective at least in a few countries).  As a parent, I have had fond memories shopping at the stores, be it the USA, UAE or even in India (in our own namma Bengaluru). Whether the store will shut its doors to its customers now, or in later months to come, the fact remains that the 69-year-old toy behemoth will remain an iconic toy store for many.  Toys ‘R’ Us, which sells toys and baby products across 1,600 stores in 38 countries, forayed into Indian market last October with much hype. Its 20,000 sq ft. store that opened ...

It's quite ironic that we live at times when we get groped and molested every day, get eve teased every day, get brutally raped every day, get 'ignored' at work place and get branded as ‘incompetent’ sometimes when compared to the men folks, of course!  But this day we get flooded with “Happy Women’s Day’ messages from all quarters: known and unknown, sometimes with some free wine, free flowers, free food… so on and so forth! Give it a thought: Why would I want to be wished “Happy women’s day on one particular day in an entire year? Absurd right? If you really appreciate me or my efforts, you will respect me every day, you will think me worth the praise you might want to shower on me every day! Let’s face this: Women have always been the epitome of strength, grace, courage, beauty, love, care and compassion and will continue to do so irrespective of whether you give her a 'Women's Day' or not, whether you give her a free lunch or a drink or no! All of...

Picturesque lush lands, green beaches covered with white sand and clear waters, jungle-topped mountains.. she longed to be in one such ‘heavenly’ places… a paradise  where you could spend the whole day staring at the crystal clear water or while away time sipping green tea, while exploring unique verdant regions that showcase knock-out views. One’s ability to find solace with oneself in some far, uninhabited, untouched land is an art in itself- the constant craving for solitude, a bliss. Radha longed for this very solitude, to be able to be drifted away to a lonely plant- uninhibited by the race of human beings.. the only race that judge and misunderstands their peers easily, the only race who form judgments based on erratic, illogical, absurd parameters. Radha closed her eyes for a moment, in an attempt to focus back on ‘realty.’ She had seen a perfect dream. She looked away to see through her window – the children’s park was already abuzz with activities and people- ira...

  So it was late in the night when my good old 'girlie' Felexie rang me to ‘spill the beans’ that she has finally given that much-awaited nod to her long-time boy friend Alex. Yes, they were getting hitched. Excited she was and so was I. This time not only as a wedding planner but also as it was my best friend’s wedding – we had waited for this day from quite some time now. I could literally feel the excitement as Felexie kept checking with me as to how we should go about preparing for the big day. She trusted me and I decided to make her special day the most memorable one for the lovely couple and all of us around! The D-Day wasn’t too far and yes in my mind I had started jotting down notes. Yes, the preparations had begun. So we began our planning and made a few meetings both with the bride and groom to-be. While Alex wasn’t sure of the nitty gritties, I was surprised that Felexie had things very clear (in her mind at least). So we decided on the dates to shop for the d...

I looked out through the window, in an effort to catch a glimpse of the dazed sky...sun shone bright, as always...Wouldn't the people living in this part of the world be suffering from excess intake of vitamin D? I thought to myself...I looked again to watch people gain entry into the mall situated bang opposite... Mothers dragging stubborn children, taxi drivers slowing down every now and then in the hope of spotting a customer, some thin, pale-looking men riding on bicycles in the scorching heat, to feed some lazy, hungry stomachs.. I turned my face to look away from the hustle bustle outside only to be greeted by more chaos from within. I stood up from my seat and walked past cubicles to reach the pantry, trying to ignore the loud shouts of people as they screamed on their phones. “Do they actually realize the decibels at which they scream and then I’m greeted by women who are busy whipping out small mirrors from their vanity bags to check their thick coats of red lipstick...

Much of my time during the past few days were spent paying innumerable visits to the neighborhood bank/ATM centre, close to my home. Not to mention the scorns I earned from the unfriendly faces at the bank. And the agony I went through in the past couple of days unfolds here… Well… it all began on a Tuesday evening. Post the regular walk at the neighborhood park, I decided to withdraw cash from the ATM located just outside the park. As usual the jinxed ATM machine did not wear a very friendly look! I looked for the ‘Out of order’ poster usually hung next to the machine all the time. The poster was missing. I told my Mom, “Oh! Looks like the machine is ok today”. Without wasting much time, it was time for me to insert the card. “There’s no error message being displayed on the screen, then why is the card not being accepted? I thought to myself. But did not want to be aloud about my thoughts. What will my mother think about me? Uh! Afterall I have been using the ATM card for the past er...

The trouble with the human race is that if you tell them no, they want to do it more. Tell a child that fast food is junk food and he curls a lip in contempt and shrugs. Maybe junk to you but its pure good taste to me. Unfortunately, hyped advertising and indulgent parents make a terrible conspiracy against health. The ‘let them’ attitude has led to the UAE having one of the highest rates of child obesity and despite the writing on the ketchup, no one seems to care. The endless queues in front of Hardees, KFC, MC Donalds, Pizza Hut, Burger King, Taco Bell and the other lesser known international and local fast food giants at food courts have become the most common sight in the UAE and are testimony to the casual way we are treating what is not only a medical problem but a huge financial burden on the government and the healthcare system. Besides what is the great pleasure in having overweight, undernourished, unhealthy children? Statistics are often switch offs...