Life without make-up

I met a make-up artist at one of the most visited malls in Bangalore showing off his make-up skills with strokes from different brushes moving seamlessly from one palate of colors to another. I asked him, what do you think is the latest or the evolving trend in make-up today? Without even a blink, comes the reply "Less is more".

This might be a bit of an understatement for a make-up artiste, but the indication it gives to life is larger than that three words. Look closely and you will realize, Life - is without make-up. It gets more vivid and more impactful as one grows over the years. Sometimes you put it to test and many other times it tests you. Whatever the case, its like a white light in a prism that comes out with colors exuding a different personality of you at every single second.

Style is your ticket to expression, make-up is the quirkiness on a dreary day. Take-off all this, its just the real you -  as free, or as discreet, as subdued or as flamboyant you want to be.

The technology available today allows us to integrate life and its many facets, but remember to integrate yourself with life and create a balance. Keep life moving and it will allow you to flow and let you count on the comfort it brings along the way. Don't always focus on the goal, instead take stock of how far you've come and cherish.

As much success allows you to celebrate in open, failure shapes you that much more and teaches you to be humble. It makes you realize you're very much human and connected to your emotions. Don't dread failure. It is as real as your success.

Colors make you chirpy, but be the monochromatic natural human as well.

Bas 2 minute - Maggi

From the time Maggi has grabbed the limelight and is on the front-page of all the leading newspapers in India, I was thinking how Maggi has helped me survive through all my growing up years. Still continues to do so. I am not a nutrition expert, so I am not here to judge the righteous nutrition or health hazard Maggi is causing. I leave the job to the experts. I am here only to bring back my good old days with Maggi. I am sure most of us who would read this blog will vouch on that.

To begin with, during my school days, I rarely packed Maggi in my dabba. Every time we had our lunch breaks, I would ponder curiously to see which of my classmates' got Maggi in their dabba's. All my classmates who got Maggi, I always segregated them as a class apart people. Yeah the naive school girl I was, I always thought Maggi belonged to the richie rich. I went back home and cried endlessly complaining how I looked forward to have Maggi in my lunch box as a surprise one day. I completed my schooling, but having Maggi in my lunch box remained a wish for ever!

When I thought it was safe for me to go near the stove and make Maggi myself, I knew for a fact that this would be my companion for those hungry days back from college. I ensured there was a Maggi packet available in the kitchen for my groaning stomach. On many occasions, when there wasn't any good food, Maggi came to my rescue as a substitute for "good and healthy" food. I savored till my hearts content, slurping and laughing all by myself.

The after-school or after-college Maggi did more than just suppressing my hunger. It still continues to be my one-stop solution when I have fights at home with my parents.

Having said all that and more, what I fail to understand is why Maggi has this tag line - "bas 2 minute". In no way have I been able to prepare Maggi in 2 minutes. It takes at least 150 seconds for the water to boil. And then cooking Maggi with the veggie's and the taste-maker takes easily 6-8 minutes.

I am sure Nestle, the brand that is, they'll have some stringent tests to pass Maggi as a safe product. I don't want to sound like I am writing a eulogy for Maggi, but one thing is for sure Maggi definitely holds a special place in every Indian's home. The only change I would like to see obviously is to change the "Bas 2 Minute mein Maggi ready!" tagline. It's so not true. :)