Tag / escapewindow

by Aman Sharma

Spending Quarantine the right way

Most of us are entering or going through the 2nd, 3rd or 4th week of lockdown. We have been forced to stay in our homes, but that’s all for our betterment only. The current picture of the situation is not very good but everyone is doing best to cop out with this situation. The picture has become clear that overcoming this pandemic will be a marathon and not a sprint. After all, Health and family are the first priority.

The lockdown has also affected our daily routines very much. Our routine life has been unbalanced tremendously. The main issue is how to make use of the day even by staying at home, many of us might have found various ways but I am writing down 10 tips by which we can be productive even during this quarantine.

Below are 10 steps by which you can use your time properly and keep going through this fight. The one thing to keep in mind is try to stick to the routine you used to follow during normal days and in addition try using these steps also. You will definitely become a better version of yourself when you get back to work. Here are the steps-

1-Keep in touch with your professional work– This basically means that you should be doing your work even staying at home. Many companies are following the routine of work from home. But still if you are not having any work, keep doing small things related to your professional life. Keep practicing your skills and upgrading the level of your work. This will definitely help you grow your value in the company and who knows this might land in your desired position that you have always dreamed off. 

2-Take care of your skin– Staying in doesn’t mean that your skin will not come in any contact with dust particles. They are present everywhere. Wash your face every day with face wash. Scrub it twice a week. Take baths daily. Do remember to wash your hands carefully before touching the face or nose.

3-Workout– Keep this on top in the list of things to do daily. Try various workouts every day and keep your body in a good shape. You don’t want to come out as a couch potato. Do it with your family to make it more fun, keep doing them every day even if you only do minimal. A 20-25 minute workout will be enough. Don’t be too hard on yourself. Your can do various exercises such as skipping, jumping, push-ups etc.

4-Read books or listen to podcasts– Books are your true friends. Books can be really helpful at this point of time. Read your favorite books it can be any genre- fiction, great personalities, romance or self-improvement. You can also read books online if you don’t have hard copies. There are various websites for e-books that can be read with a monthly or annual subscription. Also make your kids and family members read it, developing the habit of reading is very much beneficial in the life. One can also listen to podcasts. They can be listened anytime even during doing your work.

5-Treat yourself– Yes, you read that right. You can still treat yourself without stepping out. Cook yourself your favorite meals, try out different recipes. Have family breakfasts, lunch and dinner. If you’re good at cooking start uploading video tutorials. Let your talent be spread in world.

6-Devote time to yourself– Have an amount of time just for yourself. Devote it to do the things that your personally love or follow your passion/hobbies. Be it be dancing, singing or anything else. Just do it. Study have found that doing things you love helps in the relieving of your stress to an extend amount.

7-Walk for 5 minute every hour– Most of us spend the time by sitting. This might be relaxing but sitting for too long results in back pain or any other type of body pain. So take a walk of your house every hour or so. A 5 minute walk will be enough. This will also rest your eyes as you move away from your screens.

8-Invest in learning– The biggest investment that one can do is learn something new. People complain that they don’t get time during the working days so why don’t we use this time. Learn something every day from google, watch video tutorials on YouTube. It doesn’t need to be related to your professional life but it can be anything. It can be related to how to cook, finances or marketing or learning guitar/piano etc.

9-Spend time with family– The best time is the one spent with family. Take advantage of this lockdown and grow the bonding between the family. Technology has given us many benefits but somehow it also resulted in distancing the relation within a family. Use this time to sit together, play games, meditate, workout, eat and what else you love. Don’t only watch movies or T.V. with them instead do any activities. Also help your family especially mom in cleaning or other household chores.

10-Music and movies– Above were the things that can be done to make your day productive but also you shouldn’t be keeping yourself away from entertainment. This time can be used to watch movies or shows that you added to watch list before. Listen to your favorite music and groove to their beats.

This were the things that can be done to make your day productive and also keeping yourself entertained. I am also sharing a time table or schedule in which you can divide portions of time to be devoted to a specific task. This is what I follow, you can customize it according to your suitability.

7:00- 8:00 am– Wake up

                        Workout

                        Bath

8:30-9:00 am– Eat breakfast

9:00-11:00 am– Devote time to learn something new

11:00-12:00 noon– Midday snack

                            Have a look on your professional work

                            Practice it for a while.

1:00- 1:30 pm– Do family activities/ can be used for the

                       Preparation of lunch

2:00 pm– Family lunch

3:00 pm– this time can be used to help your mom in

              Cleaning dishes or any other household chores.

              If everything is done you can take a power nap   

              Of 20-25 minutes.

4:00-5:00 pm– Keep this time for yourself. Paint, dance,

                      Sing, cook. Do whatever you love.

6:00 pm– Skin care.

6:30-7:30 pm-Board games, Movies, Music or do what’s

                     Left.

7:30-8:30 pm– Dinner

9:00 pm– Wind up time.

              Listen to any podcast, Read or prepare tasks for

              Tomorrow.

10:00 pm– Sleep.

This will help you to keep your routine similar just like in normal days. Sleeping too late might results in waking up late and hence your half day is passed until you wake up. This results in wasting your entire day and blaming yourself later.

So this were some of the things that can be done. Also guys share your suggestion below in comment box. Any other ideas are welcome.

Stay in. Stay safe. Be Responsible.

Escape window

by Aman Sharma

Re-decorating your home.

Everyone loves a new home. The aura of it, beautiful bright wall and the new furniture pieces. It is almost everyone’s desire to maintain their house like new forever. We try our best to keep upgrading with best that we can do. During the regular routine life we don’t get enough time to fully create the house we really want. While we are in this quarantine period why not utilize the time and decor our homes that we dream off and that too without stepping out of the house. This will have two benefits specifically one is- your urge to go out will end and you will help the country to fight against this covid-19 virus and secondly by the time you finish decorating your home you will eventually love your place and will want to stay in. In this article I will share some ideas to re-decor your home with already available things. Check the ideas below-

Play with curtains-

We can give our home a makeover by just placing curtains differently from usual. Earlier window used to be smaller than door but today they can be as large as doors, so this also demands in change of the patterns of hanging curtains. Here are some ideas that you can try-

1- Using various colors– Pop colors schemes are trending today. Red, orange, blue, pink colors can be used. If your wall colors are white or cream shade than you can go with these curtain colors. Either you can play with all colors or just choose two colors to shade.

2- Hang from one side– This design can be used if you want window to be visible all the time. Just hang both curtains on the same rod on one above other. Now, take the front curtain and hang it in the middle of bar with a holder and leave the rest of it either hanging or tie it on the other end. The curtain that was behind let it hang but tie it from the middle.

3- Make a new shape– You can also give a new shape of your own. For example- you can use 4 curtains in total. Hang two curtains straight and hang two at the bar above the hanging curtain, like in classical movies. Either you can hang two curtains and roll them one over. It will create a unique design from top to bottom. Else create a zig-zag formation.

The next one is related mainly to all women out there. These are few ideas that can be used to keep your jewellery. Making a jewellery box from waste. Below are few of the ideas.

1- Earring holder– If you have an aluminum sheet at home, it can be used as your new earing holder. Various earrings can be hanged at a time. It will also help to prevent losing them and will also look beautiful.

2- Jewellery frame– Have an old frame that you were thinking to throw, well maybe this is right time to use it again. Paint the frame of your favorite color and apply a paper in the Centre.  Let it dry and then apply pins or nail over it to hang the jewellery.

3- Jewellery hanger– There are always a lot of hanger in the home. If you have a hanger that is bent down or not usable you can still use it. Cover it with color paper or paint it. Hang the jewellery once it get dry.

4- Jewellery crockery– Old crockery can also be used to put jewellery in it. Bowls or other crockery can be painted with various styles (Check google to find various designs) and can be placed on your dressing table.

Another thing that can be done is painting or decorating the walls. The best place to do this is your bedroom or the living room. You can totally convert either bedroom or living room into an art gallery. Try painting different designs, it does not matter if you are a good artist or not. Try using some abstract patterns or any other of your choice and fill you walls with it. Let the artist in you come out. To make it more fun add your family members to it and let them play with their creativity.

Bohemian theme based living room
  1. If you are good with stitching you can create some art on fabric and hang in your home.
  2. Have colorful fabrics? Hang them in living room along with some frames.
  3. Clear the cutter and manage the furniture pieces.
  4. Make your bedroom/Living room colorful. Bohemian theme is very trendy these days and also loved my many.
  5. Try maintaining your garden.

These were some of the ideas that we can use to give our home a new look even without stepping out of the house. Apart from this, clean and manage your home as much as possible. Maintain the store room. You can also pick a place in your home to arrange cozy sitting to spend some quality time your family. You can also design mirrors, for that please read my blog- Mirror re-décor. You can also find various interior topics in my blog feed that might help you. I really loved these ideas and also have tried some of them in my home too. If you have other ideas please feel free to share them in our comment section below.

Please stay in your home people. Stay in. Stay safe.

Thank you

Escape window.

by Aman Sharma

Living room according to vastu.

Living room is a place where you spend most of the family time together. Cherish memories with loved ones. This is the place where your guest are entertained once they enter your house. So it is very essential to make your living room according to vastu to have positive vibes in your house. Below are preferred location for a living room in the house.

 In a North facing site: The Living room can be in the North (brings health and wealth to the family), North-East.
In a West facing site: The Living room can be in the North-West (good location, but guests feel restless and leave early).
In a South facing site: One can have a South-East Living room but if there is no other choice, opt for the  South-West (guests feel at home and stay on for a long time). 
In an East facing site: The Living room can be in the East, otherwise in the North-East corner.

But for any of the reasons if your drawing room is not in the right direction you can still do some small things to keep positive energy around you in your happy place.

  • Colour of walls and décor must be positive.

Wall colours of the living must be light or pale like Light blue, green, peach etc. Avoid using black, brown or dark blue. Heavy furniture and décor more than required creates a hindrance in the way of having a positive vibe in the house, try to be a minimal or use things according to requirement only. Battlefield weapons, Animal skins, dry land painting or sad statues are not considered good, avoid them.

  • Place an aquarium

Fish aquarium not only gives you happiness but it is also believed that it protects your family from any upcoming dangers. Aquarium also keeps a steady flow of positive energy and money in the home. Aquarium can be place in east, north east or north.

  • For paintings

Paintings have become an essential part of décor. But paintings also are related with energy in the house. Putting a painting of horses running inwards on south wall is considered good. It results in making you a popular personality and gain fame. One thing to keep in mind while purchasing painting is that the face of horses must be happy, not in aggression. To have more positive energy you can hang the painting of sunrise on east wall.

  • Furniture

Heavy sofa and furniture should be placed on south and west side of the room, while small furniture items can be placed on east and north side. Wooden furniture is best for having positive energy around you. Broken furniture should not be placed in the room, it is believed that they bring sadness in the house and also results in the increase amount of bad/negative vibes.

  • Indoor planters

Plants are the best way to keep a positive atmosphere around you. Money plant or other indoor plants can be placed in east or north direction. They are believed to create a harmonious atmosphere, but only if they are chosen correctly for a specific location. Dry plants, thorny or bonsai are believed to have a negative impact in the house. Plants not only keep a good vibe but also a number of benefits to your health also.

  • What else to take care off –
  • Sofa should not be placed under the beam. Beam is considered as thing to separate and might result in the sourness of your relations. But for any reason if you can’t move you’re sitting anywhere than hang a flute or wind chimes.
  • The light in the room must not be too bright and hit directly into eyes of your guests or yourself.
  • Don’t build a toilet in drawing room or if you have one than don’t use it.
  • Electrical equipment must be placed in the south direction. While A.C. must be in west direction.

These were the few vastu tips that can be used in your drawing room to have a circulation of positive energy around you. Thank you for reading. You can ask your questions or leave a suggestion in the comment box below.

Escape window.  

by Aman Sharma

Holi Food Delight

Holi is vastly celebrated across India. It is the festival of happiness and colors. In India celebrations for upcoming festivals begin several weeks before, Markets are decorated and you can see children running in streets playing with colors. Last week i was sitting in my balcony when I noticed the children of colony playing and I remembered my good old days of doing the exact same thing. Although technology somewhat has changed the tradition of festivals as it was used to but you can still find people with great enthusiasm celebrating. I just had finished my work and now my body was demanding for some food. Usually I order food online in this type of situations but on that day I decided to cook myself a meal. I had eaten this dish before as it was made in my home near Holi every year. I would to like to share this recipe with all of you and would like to have your reviews in comment section below.

Palak Patta chat-

Ingredients required- 8-10 Spinach leaves, Gram flour (Besan) 1 cup, Red chili powder ¼ spoon, Turmeric ½ table spoon, Salt to taste, Rice flour 2 big spoons, Water according to requirement and Carom seed (ajwain) 1 small table spoon.

For Potato mixture-

1 big Boiled potato cut into slices, Red chili powder ¼ spoon, Chaat masala ½ small table spoon, Salt to taste, Few Coriander leaves, 1 onion finally chopped.

For toppings-

Green sauce1/4 cup, Tamarind(Imli) sauce ¼  cup, Curd ¼ Cup, Red chili powder & Chaat masala- a small pinch, Sev or crunchy noodles ¼ cup, Green coriander to decorate.

How to make-

Soak the spinach leaves in water and dry them. Take a bowl and add Gram flour, Turmeric, Carom seed, Red chili powder, salt, rice flour and mix them to convert it into a batter. Heat up oil in a pan and add spinach leaves to oil and fry them until golden brown.

In a bowl Put potato, Red chili powder, Chaat masala, Salt, Coriander leaves, onions and keep it aside. Now in a plate put the spinach leaves and add Potato mixture on it. Now add curd, Green sauce, Tamarind sauce, Chaat masala, Red chili powder, Crunchy noodles and garnish it with coriander leaves on top of it. Palak patta chat is ready to serve.

It is super delicious snack and can be made easily. You should definitely try this at least once and you won’t be disappointed. To accompany this dish I also made Drink called ‘Dry fruit thandai’. It is also a very tasty drink and is widely made during Holi festival. I am also sharing its recipe below.

Dry fruit thandai-

Ingredients required- Hot water, Almonds 30g, Pistachio 20g, Poppy seeds(khas-khas) 2 big table spoons, Musk melon seeds(Melon seeds) ¼ cup, Rose water 2 big table spoons, Anise(Saunf) 1 big table spoon, Black pepper ½ small table spoon, Cardamom(eliachi) 3-4 chopped, Saffron according to wish, Sugar ½ cup, Cold milk 1 cup, Rose petals to decorate.

How to make-

Pour hot water in a bowl. Add almonds, Pistachio, Poppy seeds, anise, Black pepper and let it soak for 2-3 hours. You can also keep it overnight in a normal temperature water. After 2-3 hours put all the soaked nuts along with water in a mixer and add ½ cup sugar, cardamom, saffron and mix it to make thandai paste. Take a glass and add 4 big table spoon of the paste and add cold milk in it. Your thandai is ready, decorate it with rose petals or cardamom. It is super easy to make and refreshes your mood.

So this were my two recipes that I Tried out last week, hopefully you liked it and would highly recommend this to make at your home. Please provide your review in the comment section below.

Thank you

Escape window.

by Aman Sharma

In the Lap of mother nature- Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an island country in South Asia, located in the Indian Ocean to the southwest of the Bay of Bengal and to the southeast of the Arabian Sea. Recently one of my friend went to this Beautiful country, it has been my dream to visit this country. I will go there one day but for now I went straight to his place to ask about his experience as it was his first time going out of the country. In this way I will also get a detailed note on my bucket list destination by sitting on a comfortable couch and a cup of coffee probably at his place.

The next paragraphs will be completely based on what he told me in his own wordings. I hope you will enjoy reading it as much as I did listening to his experience.

“On my way to Colombo, I was filled with lot of questions in my mind. A bit nervous, you know…It was my first time out of country. I was a little worried that what type of people will be there, how they will treat an Indian. But above all I was very excited to visit this beautiful country sitting in the lap of Mother Nature, and I guess this things kept me going.”

With this all going through me I didn’t came to know when I reached there. Picked up my luggage and started moving towards the exit of the Airport. As soon as I stepped out I heard my name being called out. A person standing on the other side with a board on which my name was written was calling me. I went to him, He was very polite and we gently shake our hands. He told me he is here to pick me up and drop at the location where I will be staying. He must be in his early 50’s but was sharply dressed in his chauffeur uniform and his body language didn’t show any signs of aging. I sat in the car and he put up my luggage in the boot of the car and started driving. We went out from the Colombo airport and were cruising towards the guest house. The guest house was quite far from airport around 35 kilometers. After getting out of the airport Lush green fields accompanied us on both side of highway. It cheered me up and all the worries I was carrying with me, simply vanished. This was way better than I ever could demand off. I slide my window down and let the cool breeze strike on my face, this made my whole body relaxed and all the fatigue of travel was now gone. The car driver probably guessed my happiness and to make it better, he played a local music radio station. I couldn’t understand it properly as it was in the local language but its beat get me grooving in the back seat of the car. Small Coconut trees also started making their appearances on our way. The road to guest went through Small jungles which makes you feel like you have come to a trip to safari. After a couple of turns the driver slowed down the car and parked it in a front of the well maintained house which was surrounded by coconut trees. Bonfire preparations were going on. I read the name on the hoarding and yes it was the place I will be staying. Driver unloaded my luggage and took it to the reception while I was still making my way out of the car. My fatigue was already gone on my way here and this guest house was a cherry on the cake. The guest house was right in front of the ocean. It took us around 30 minutes to reach here but this place was worth the wait. Ocean waves coming and touching your footsteps and going back. I paid the driver and thanked him for such a wonderful drive, meanwhile my luggage was shifted to my room so I decided to sit down on the beach to enjoy this wonderful moment. I kept sitting there until a butler from the guest house came and asked ‘If I would like to order something?’ by that time I came to know I have spent 2 hours sitting there, but for me it was just a blink of eye, I went in and order my meal and came back to my room to prepare for my meeting tomorrow.

Shopping fun.

It was my day 2 here or shall I say evening 2. Well, my most of the day was spent in the office work and in meetings. I got free by 6 in evening and went straight to the market for some shopping for my friends and family back in India. Usually in normal places there is a lot of crowd and traffic. But here things were completely different. If someone raises his/her hand to cross the road, vehicles will stop like sowing their respect towards the pedestrian. I didn’t saw a single overtaking and every single car was parked on one side. Market place were well maintain and totally clean. Despite of so much people in market there was a way of moving and not disturbing the traffic or blocking the paths. People were very friendly and disciplined. Colombo is not only famous for its cleanliness but you will also find a lot of variety to shop. It offers a wide array of shopping items, the most recognized being gems, batik, tea, and handicrafts. The most popular items among tourists are hand loom fabrics, leather products, reproduction antiques, jewelry and ceramics.

An image of my market visit.

Art and craft.

It’s my 3rd and final day of the trip. Today I will be exploring the local traditions, art & craft etc. If you have interest in local and traditional art than you should must visit Galle road in Colombo. Barefoot gallery is situated on this road and it’s a must visit. From clothes to Floor mats, books, paintings, wall hangings you will find everything here. Raavan is still alive here in masks. After visiting this gallery I went out straight to the local market nearby, I don’t usually go to purchase handcrafts or décor material but this time I couldn’t stop myself. You can find a lot of antique and unique items for your home décor and that too at a reasonable cost.

(a) Barefoot gallery
(b) Inside Barefoot gallery

Sea food to North Indian food.

I spent my whole day in the local markets and purchasing a lot of stuff which I have no idea how I will take along with me back to home. My both hands were filled with bags and was no short of a moving store and my arms work as a shelf to display products. I quickly booked a cab and put my bags in it. Settled down and could feel how lighter my arms have become after unloading those heavy bags. Pat myself for the efforts and asked the driver to take me to the guest house. It has been two days in Sri Lanka and I have only eaten the food from the guest house only. So I decided to take out myself for the dinner today. It was 5:30 in evening by the time I came back. So I decided to freshen up and then move out for dinner. Relaxed a bit, got freshen up and it was 7 by the time and it was time to move out. I asked the receptionist of the guest house to suggest a few good places. He suggested me the Pettah market. Pettah market is the biggest and reasonable price market to enjoy the food. If you are a foodie like me than you will find no better place than this. From sea food to North Indian, Chinese , South Indian you will get everything here. Don’t forget to try some local food including Asmi, Polos, Sri Lankan egg hoopers etc. This are some of the dishes you will absolutely love.

So this was his experience of travelling to Sri Lanka and now his new found love for travel has overcome his fears of meeting up new people and settling in new places. There are few more places to visit there including Independence square, Independence hall, Gangaramaya temple and much more. I hope you like reading this article, I have done my best to put every worthful detail of his trip in this blog. You can also share your views down in comment section.

Thank you

Escape Window.

by Aman Sharma

Design trends which are popular….but not useful.

1- Open shelves- This is really popular concept which is being used in our homes today.  This design looks very good and stylish in the pictures but it might not be the right choice for you. Open units are much better than open shelves. Open shelves shall not be given in the area where you work manually most of the time like the chopping or mixing area in kitchen because if you mistakenly touch anything than chances are every other thing on the shelf might also fall down. This can also result in damaging of the expensive glasses which are mostly put on these shelves. Open units/cabinets are a far better option because they provide more space and ease of use. But if you have an open shelf than put a bar (1/2 inch thick wooden or steel) in front of it, so when you want to take out something other things don’t fall down.

2-Cool colors- Cool colors are trending, but do you know the color of the walls also plays a key role in controlling the room temperature. If you live in a place which is less hot than cool colors can depress you. You can keep aside the white and grey if you are bored from them. Try using Red, Orange or Yellow these bright colors are suitable for any weather and will also enlighten the space if painted correctly.

3-Corner couch- The use of ‘L’ shaped or the corner couches has increased in the recent times. People tend to buy this just because everyone is loving them, but will it really look nice at your place? Rethink about it. The ‘L’ shape or corner couch only look good when they are placed at a corner of the house and not in the center of your living or drawing room. This will only result in filling of the space. If possible try to opt for long and simple couches which are more comfortable while sitting. Keep this bigger furniture items at a distance of few inches from the wall. This bigger couches will be perfect when you have a group of friends or family at your place.

4-Plain white wall- Light color walls have been in trend since the beginning of the design era. White, Ivory or Grey these color walls can be found in every house or commercial place. This might suit you if you are minimalist. But if you want a cozy space than you will get bore of this easily in few days and will start decorating the walls with paintings or any other hanging items, and slowly-slowly the wall will convert into an art gallery. But if you really want that ‘Scandinavian’ look than you can invest in a big and bright piece of art for your wall. This can result in converting of your plain dull wall to an accent wall.

5- Long Curtains- Curtains are the energy boosters for any interior. Floor length curtains are trending today. The main reason for choosing floor length curtain is they make an illusion of more space in the homes. Well if they have a pro than it also has a con at the same time, Floor length curtains may stuck in your feet while walking close to them. They also touch the floor so they get really dirty after a short of period time. Either you need to keep floor very clean or keep washing them again and again. But if you can’t manage it try keeping curtains a few inch high from the floor.

6- Exposed wearing- Exposed wiring trend has increased overtime, Now in bedrooms or work spaces people are preferring for exposed wiring than the switch boards in the wall. There various types of switch and sockets available in the market which are being used. These are not safe firstly and secondly if you are providing exposed wiring, there must be proper ventilation in the room. However you should never be giving exposed wiring in kitchen and bathrooms.

7- Vintage look- Vintage look is still inn. But most people today confuse the vintage look with the short term trend. If you have the furniture or any other items which have a history than these are always special. Don’t buy poor quality and cheap items in the name of vintage piece because these are only temporary and get out of style soon.

8- Stone tiles- So this one is a point that I notice during my recent visit to a house. Various types of tiles made up of stone are really in trend these days. These are being excessively used in bathrooms, kitchen, living rooms etc. But using them too much in a continuity may result in a dull interior and your place might look like a Stone Age museum. Use various types of tiles and textures over different areas. If you don’t want various textures try some different colors at-least.

9- Kitchen appliance display- No matter how expensive your microwave or oven is, it can’t stand up to its cost until it is placed at a right place. Appliances put on a kitchen counter only consumes space and make your kitchen look like a restaurant kitchen. Modular kitchens has removed this burden form the counters as there are so many options for storage including a tall unit specially designed for your micro and oven.

These were some the latest interior trends which if not used properly or according to your place might become a blunder for you rather than being decorative or making your easier than before. I hope you all liked above mentioned points and it might help you if you are thinking to renovate your house or a room or any commercial place.

Thank you.

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by Aman Sharma

Amritsar- The Golden City

Amritsar is truly the golden city of the Punjab state. The City is most famous for the ‘Golden Temple’ and secondly also for its food. It is safe to say that it is a food paradise. You can find every single food item that you wish for, from its very small street corners to the big bazaars the city is full with the lazeez zaikas. No one in Amritsar can starve because of food. The Golden Temple serves the meal for around 75,000 to 1,00,000 people everyday. Yes, you read that numbers right. So how can anyone deny to go to a place like this. So this Friday me and my 2 friends decided to go to Amritsar. It was the Saturday morning when we decided to leave. I packed my things prior to the day of leaving so I can get out on time, but like every time there is always tit and bit of things that I forget to pack. It was 11 in the morning by the time we started our journey, as we had to stay that day in Amritsar only so there was no hurry. We get the car fueled up and shifted to the main highway. It was a clear bright sunny day with a cool breeze flowing. We were going around 80km/hr and suddenly one of the tires of the car got a cut I don’t know from where, but we had to change it. We pulled up the car a side on the highway and changed the tire. After 15 minutes we were again ready to go now. (Tip- Always carry a spare wheel with you when going out of the city). Another 30 minutes of drive and we stopped at a roadside dhaba to have some Tea and biscuits.

 After filling our stomachs a little we were back on the road and at exactly 2:40pm we reached Amritsar. We first went To Baba Deep Singh ji Gurudwara. I have only come to Amritsar once before when I was around 4 or 5 years old, so everything I was going to see today had to be first time. We entered the gurudwara and it was such a nice place. We sat there for 15 minutes and went to eat langar in the gurudwara. The food there was really tasty. We came out and started looking for a room for our stay at night. What I had seen in pictures, Amritsar was more beautiful than that. We searched a few hotels on the google map and decided to book one which was near the golden temple. The market near the golden temple was absolutely amazing, more of a downtown of the city. We booked our room and relaxed ourselves for the next 20 minutes. We got freshen up and then decided to to go to the Golden Temple. It was now 4:30. We started walking towards the golden temple, as we were getting closer to it, it was getting big and looking more beautiful.  I had its glimpse around the corners of the road and I couldn’t wait to go inside. We reached the golden temple and I was simply impressed by looking at it. Every other person you saw there was in a great enthusiasm, happy and cheerful. We stood in the queue and after 2 hours we were outside the golden temple.

It was simply a great and wonderful experience and getting to know the Lord’s Teachings. While in the queue they have a hanged a few led screen on which they display the shaloks of the Gurbani, It was so inspiring and felt so wonderful reading those proverbs. We came out and headed straight to the local market. I love exploring the local area whenever I go out somewhere and moreover I know that the market was full with the amazing street food so how could I miss it. We explored around for 15 minutes when we came to one of the corner stalls named Amritsari special champ. Every eatery shop had this written on them- Amritsari Special, just maybe to attract the tourists. So we ordered Haryali and Achaari champ. We came to this shop after asking a few people where to get the best champ, so most of them suggested us this shop. Nearby was a stall of the Chinese food and we also ordered the spring roll. We punjabi’s love eating food and this place is a heaven to a foodie, doesn’t matter which part of the world you belong too. Our order came after 5 minutes and it was really amazing, champ was roasted well served with the onions and medium spicy chutney(Ketchup) sprinkled with a pinch of chaat masala. It tasted delicious and spring roll also came by the time I had the first bite of the champ. Spring rolls were also good, the golden brown color of the spring roll served with the ketchup and singaporian salad. It is fried noodles mixed with chopped vegetables. The food was delicious as we have heard from everyone who eats here.

Haryali and achari champ (above), Spring rolls (Bottom)

After the food we felt like we might not be able to have any other thing until tomorrow, but we had to have something more as we discussed before coming here. How can we only stop here, so we had a walk down the street and after 20 minutes we went to another local market, it was know as stall market or the locals pronounce it as ‘Rehdi market’. There were around 20 stalls selling different types of food, from Indian dishes to the Chinese and much more. Everywhere you see was food around. The market was filled with the locals and the tourists buying their favorite dishes. We sat on a table and looked at the menu of 5-6 stalls at the same time and bought a few items including pav bhaji , momos etc. I know it sounds a lot of food but trust me it’s almost impossible for one to stop after looking at this delicious food. We than came out after eating and again the food was outstanding.

Delcious Pav bhaji in the stall market.

We had spicy food so now we were looking for some sweet desserts. We than started moving towards the Market near Golden temple, we have asked some locals so they guided us to the shop. It was in a small street near the Golden temple and it served various sweets, kadhai milk and jaledbis. As it was getting dark and temperature was also falling down, so we ordered kadhai milk and jalebis. Hot milk and sweet jalebis, what else work better as a sweet dish on a cold winter night?

Kadhayi milk along with Sweet and Crunchy jalebi’s

So we came out of the street and had another walk round the street looking at some local shops and buying a little stuff for the home back before we head back to our hotel. We reached our room by 11’o clock at night and slept as soon as we laid on the bed. It was a good day. I set up the alarm for 7’o clock to wake up next morning as we had to reach home on time. The alarm went off at 7 next morning and I woke up on time and got freshen up and changed my clothes till 7:50. We planned last night that we’ll go to nearby place for a short round trip, but they wanted to sleep so I had to go on my own. I went out of my room at 8 and firstly I went to jallianwala bagh as it was just few steps away from our hotel. I went in there had a round of it, but I couldn’t see much because the whole place was covered as it was going under construction. So I came out and started moving towards the local bazaars (market), I was mainly looking for the food that we will have for our breakfast. I come across with lots of good options.

A classical designed building in between the market.

Clicked a few pictures on my way back and at 10 we checked out from our hotel and started moving towards where we will have our breakfast. We went there but the seats were full, but luckily as soon we went there a table just got empty and we grabbed that table. We ordered ourselves Gobhi naan. I have heard that this place serves one of the best naan in Amritsar. Our ordered came, a one piece of Gobhi naan with a thick slice of butter on it along with Cholay (Chickpeas) and salad accompanied by pickle. The naan was crispy and was roasted perfectly in the tandoor. It was amazingly delicious and I couldn’t stop myself from ordering more. We Ended our breakfast by ordering a glass of lassi.

Gobhi naan

After 20 minutes we were ready to move out of the city, put our luggage in the car and we were now on the move. We planned to stop at Jalandhar haveli for a cup of tea or so, It was around 80 kilometers from here. We reached there after a 2 hour drive and drink a cup of tea- absolutely amazing and we were again on the highway driving back home. So this was our day and half in Amritsar and it was really amazing. Hope you also liked it and please can you guys write me down where should I Travel next?

by Aman Sharma

Okinawa, Japan- A perfect place spend your days off

As the year is coming to an end so why not end with a smile and cheers to new beginnings. This is the time when you have a plenty of holidays to recharge yourself before taking on new challenges in the coming year. If you were planning a trip abroad, than this might be for you. Recently I was going through different destinations to go and I found this one really interesting, close to nature and value for money. This is none other than the Okinawa, Japan. Let’s get to know about it.

Okinawa is a Japanese prefecture comprising more than 160 islands in the East China Sea between Taiwan and Japan’s mainland. It’s known for its tropical climate, broad beaches and coral reefs, as well as World War II sites. On the largest island (also named Okinawa) is Okinawa Prefectural Peace Memorial Museum, commemorating a massive 1945 Allied invasion, and Churaumi Aquarium, home to whale sharks and manta rays.

Beach life of Okinawa-

Tropical beaches of Okinawa attract tourists from around the world every year. Japan is a land of culture and is also famous for its architecture and has lots of tourist attractions. But Okinawa has a separate fan base. As soon as you keep your first feet on land you will feel like you have landed in heaven. Sitting on the attractive beaches alongside the blue ocean with your better half, family, friends etc. would be great experience for the lifetime. It absolutely relaxes your mind and soul.

Flower valley-

Okinawa is also famous for some rare species of colorful flowers that grows here throughout the year. These flowers can also be found alongside the beaches. Sunshine falling on the white glittering sand enhances the beauty of these flowers and also your travel leisure.

Aquarium-

Churaumi Aquarium is situated in the in Okinawa city. It was considered as the largest aquarium till 2005 before Georgia Aquarium. Tourists can visit this amazing aquarium and can see a lot of species of the fish and so on.

Top attractions for the tourists-

Okinawa consists of 160 small-big attractive beaches. From which Miyakojima, Ishigaki and Onna are few beaches where you will feel more relaxed.

Hiking and canoeing are some of the activities you can experience here. Apart from this you can simply look around and find out a lot of birds of different species.

If you love Scuba diving, than this place is a bonus for you. Miyako  island is famous for scuba diving.

Shuri castle and City gate are also two historic monuments to watch out for.

How to Reach-

You can get a flight from New Delhi to Okinawa. On average it may cost you upto 60k. (The prices and routes are entitled according to Indian timings and currency. Please check your local listening before booking.)

Where to stay-

Okinawa have many luxurious hotels. On an average you will get a well maintained room between 3k to 15k. Sea beach resorts are also a good option to stay.

by Aman Sharma

Tasty recipes to make on Diwali

India is a land of festivals, absolutely no doubt in that. We celebrate different festivals throughout the year with great pomp and show. But one festival that I personally love is Diwali, this festival is above all on the list. And not just me everyone is so excited about it. The streets, homes, offices and every other place is so decorated with lights and all. The level of joy is on another level during the Diwali week. Everyone dresses up for this occasion and try to enjoy every moment of it. In India we love to eat food, we treat it like a religion. So, how can we celebrate Diwali without talking about food on this very special occasion. We wait so eagerly to get our hands on sweets and namkeens, but what if you can enjoy all this without being much curious about your fitness. Sounds good? So, here I will write about a few recipes that also the diet conscious can eat without a second thought. This recipes taste well and also don’t affect your fitness much.

1- Indo-Italian Chiwda

For Chiwda- 2 cups of flattened rice(Poha) little fried, Fox nuts(Makhana) ½ cup roasted, peanuts ¼ roasted, Potato chips spicy ½ cup, Bikaneri bhujiya 1 cup, Sweet neem(Azadirachta indica) leaves-15 , Italian Spice mixture- 4 small tbsp. Black salt and Pudina Powder- 1 small tbsp. each.

For Italian Spice mixture- Coriander leaves- ½ cup, Black pepper-12, Red Bell pepper, jeera(Cumin), Mix herbs- 2 small tbsp. each,  Chaat masala- 1 small tbsp. Black salt and Ajwain- 1 small tbsp. each.

Recipe- To make Italian spice mixture, heat up a pan and add Coriander leaves, jeera, ajwain and Black pepper in it. Cook it on a low flame and wait for it to cool down. Add bell pepper, chaat masala, mix herbs, heeng and lemon juice, grind it properly. Add the chiwda and spice mixture to a bowl and mix it well. This is ready to serve.

2- Gulkand Petha Laddoo-

Ingredients- Petha ½ kg, mava(whole dry milk) 250gm, Coconut filings(nariyal ka buraa) 250gm,   Gulkand- 2 or 3 big tbsp, Saunf(fennel seeds)- 2 large tbsp. Cashews- 10-12 finally     chopped, Pistachios (Pista)- 10-12 finally chopped, Grinded sugar- according to taste.

Recipe- Heat up oil in a pan and add Mava to it, Fry it until light pink. Take it out and let it cool. Grate(kadukas) the petha in another bowl. Add fried mava, chopped pista, chopped cashew and coconut filings to this mixture. Add Gulkand and saunf in other bowl and mix it. Now you will have the dough ready, make a small ball of it and fill it with material that we have made. Close it properly after filling the material. You can also keep it in fridge for 6-7 days.

3-Beetroot chakri-

Ingredients- Wheat flour(Maida)- 1 ½ cup, Salt ½ small tbsp. Grinded black pepper ¼ small tbsp. ajwain ½ small tbsp. Boiled beetroot paste ¼ cup, Grinded sugar ¼ small tbsp. Jeera(cumin seeds) ¼ small tbsp. White sesame seeds(Til)- 1 small tbsp. Salt- According to taste. Ghee.

Recipe- Make a dough of wheat flour and divide it into two equal parts. Add ajwain, grinded black pepper, salt and one big tbsp. of ghee to one part. Add beetroot paste, salt , grinded sugar, white sesame seeds, jeera and one big tbsp. of ghee to other part. Now make long and thick strips of it of both parts. Now roll the strips on one another collectively. After this, cut this into slices. Now, heat up the oil in a pan and add these into that and fry until little crispy. Ready to serve.

4- Namkeen Nipattoo-

Ingredients- Rice flour- 1 cup, Peanuts-3 large tbsp.  Roasted Chickpeas- 3 large tbsp. Coconut- 1 large tbsp. grate(kadukas), sesame seeds(Til), Red chili powder- ½ small tbsp. Salt- according to taste, Curry leaves( kadi patta)- 2, Oil- 1 large tbsp. Water-according to use, wheat flour- 1 large tbsp. Rava-1 large tbsp.

Recipe- Heat a pan and roast peanuts in it. If required, removed its outer skin. Once peanuts cool down mix it with Coconut and chickpeas and blend it thick in a mixer. Add Rice flour, sesame seeds, curry leaves, Red chili powder, salt in a bowl and mix it well. You can also add Rava and White flour to it. Heat up a pan and add 1 large tbsp. to it, now add the mixture to it and give it a stir. Now add ¼ water to it and convert it into a dough. Make it round circles of it, use fork to make some holes in it so it don’t effloresce(foolna). Heat the oil in a pan and fry it on a medium flame. Your Namkeen Nipattoo is ready to eat.

by Aman Sharma

10 Things to do when 21.

Travel more– When in 20s the major thing to do is travel as much as you can. This is the time when you need to explore and discover more what’s around you. When in20s you don’t need to travel in lavish style. You can always adjust in cheap hotel rooms, travel through public transport if you don’t own a car and try to eat in less fancy restaurants. If you will just wait to save a good amount of money to travel fancy than you can never understand the true meaning of travel. You can never do this type of things in your 40s. The freedom you have in your 20s is a bonus over any other thing, go make most of it.

Worry less– The biggest and probably the main hindrance in the development of a person is worrying more, rather than figuring out its solution. Although we worry about very little things through our whole lifetime period, but in the 20s it is at its peak. Worrying about the college debts, finding and landing into a secure job, watching out for family, trying to figure out everything  and much more. But trust me, the more you worry, the less the things are going to work out your way. When we overthink about something we put so much of our energy in developing its negative context than to simply find a solution. The best way to get out of this window is keep working towards your goal at your pace, you don’t need to race anyone. Don’t get in the rat race and things will eventually turn to your benefits.

Maintain your body– This is one of the important factors to look on. We need to take care of our body above everything. A healthy mind lives in a healthy body. Especially in your 20s when we all have a habit of eating the fast food every day, drinking alcohol etc. This things taste great at first but eventually will hurt in the golden and coming years of your life. Do some daily workouts or go for a jog for 20-30 minutes or so, but find some time for yourself on daily basis. Adopt to a healthy lifestyle at an early stage and it will pay its results throughout your life. But at the same time, it doesn’t mean to totally avoid the snacks or going out for food, but what I am trying to say is don’t do it on regular basis and maintain the balance between fast food and a healthy diet.

Chase dreams– In your 20s it is very difficult to stable your brain in one direction. One day you might want to give everything you have- for the job you always wanted, on other day you might just want to sit back on couch and watch Netflix all day long. So these things happen in a normal routine. Don’t be bothered if you haven’t work hard one day or you went off track for the day. Try to focus your mind on one thing you always wanted and chase it without listening to other people’s comments. Don’t you get fooled by the small brains telling you that your dreams are too big. It is all my personal experience and these things happen with me often, but most important is how you bounce back. If you really have a desire to achieve something, you will always find a way to get it. But if somehow things are not working out, ask yourself- Do I really wanted this?

Find sometime for family– As you grow old, your family is getting older too. When in 20s your most time is devoted to the studies, finding a job and sometimes you are healing from emotional breakdowns. With all this going through we can rarely devote anytime to our family. By the time you realize it how less time you gave to your family, it’s already too late. So just try to spend some time off from your work or social media with them. Not only this will make them happy, but you will also feel good. If you can’t find enough time everyday try to go out with them on the weekends. Spending time doesn’t mean to watch movies, instead talk to them. You will learn so much from them that you will feel why you didn’t talk to them earlier.

Go get a part time job– This option might or might not be liked by some people. I have heard many people say that don’t get to a job straight after college but instead travel more, do more fun things and so on. But what I have experienced is that you should try to get a part time job to just to cover your expenses. Sooner or later you have to do something that makes your end meet. You parents aren’t going to feed you throughout your life unless you belongs to a super wealthy family. Part time jobs not only provide the paychecks but will also provide you the experience if you are going to work in the same field later. And if we talk about travel, yes you should travel more but you are not going to travel 24/7 x365 days unless you become a vlogger or so. So get a part time job so your travel expenses will cover up from that without depending on your parents or anyone else.

Do more what makes you happy– Yes, Don’t be overburdened by the work sessions and burry down your hobbies somewhere. If you were doing something that made you happy either convert that into your income or if not find a time to do it as much as you can. With this developing world our most of the time is spend sticking to the computer and mobile screens. If you have habit of cooking, painting, exploring use your weekend windows as a time to do the things you love. Prepare yourself a fancy meal, Carve out your imagination on the canvas or go out to explore the joy, but don’t stop. Keep doing the things that make you happy because in the end we only regret the things we don’t do.

Develop a hobby– If you have one it’s good but if don’t, seek inside yourself and you will find an artist hidden beside the duties that you have been appointed with. Let the inner kid inside you come out and do the things that you have been avoiding with a fear, what people will say? May it be going for dance classes, knitting, playing your favorite musical instrument or whatever you like.

Read more books – ‘Books are your best friends’ completely agree with this. Always keep a small pocket of time from the day to read at least 3 pages of a book per day. This might be difficult if you haven’t read a book previously bit once you start reading, you will fell in love with the books. Books really help in unfolding the greatest secrets to live a happy life. You can start off with any novel, than read onto some of the greatest people’s biographies. I didn’t use to read the books but I just started this year, and I have already read around 9 books so far and I can assure you this will continue forever. Reading changes your vision and upgrades your knowledge.

Help the needy– I have always seen a lot of people who want to help the people out there, but somehow they don’t because they think they don’t have enough money to help them. They always says to their inner self’s that the day they will be earning enough will help these people, but with increasing income only our expenditure increase. Helping others never go for waste and there are a lot other ways to help than just going for materialistic things. If you have some extra time you can always teach these kids around the corners, probably the best way to help them and at the same time building their future, or you can’t do this than just simply when you leave for your class or work, cook some extra food and give it to the needy on the way. These small little gestures contribute to a lot. The main motive behind putting this point here is we all wanted to help somebody and as you are your in 20s, understand this and contribute in the betterment of the society.