Tag Archives: proud to be a woman

Every Women’s Secret Dream ❤️

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Gone are those days when they would say that every women’s Secret Dream was to find the best life partner! I understood this over the years, but sealed it on women’s day this year 2023.

When I started by day at 4am to meet around 60 odd beautiful women at 5am on 8th March 2023 little did I know that I am going to seal my thoughts about a few things that has been running in my mind for so many years now. Like I always realised that everyday is a new day and every day we learn something new, that too from people whom you have least expected to learn.

A slum behind the most prestigious university of Chennai, the Surya nagar slum. I have been associated with them since 2015 in various social activities from cyclone relief to children education thanks to my previous organisation that I got to closely work with them and continued my association even after I quit the organisation 3yrs ago. Our focus when I worked with them was always children and education. This time since I was doing something on my own along with a group of friends I thought of doing something for the women who always put their Children’s need before theirs.

When I started the discussion with them 3 weeks before the event, they all seemed to have time constraints, since most of them work as house helps, the only time they could spare was early morning and so be it, I didn’t blink an eyelid before I said yes to the wee hours. I was as excited as them to do something that could create value in their lives.

Contribution poured in from my lovely community group called ” Eat Pray and Love” as always they are my strength and motivation in whatever I plan to do. Since Surya nagar is located on the banks of the river the place has its own charm, we decided to put up a beautiful tent with flowers to add colour to the location.

The day started with the beautiful view of moon setting and enthusiastic women who were dressed in their best outfits at 5.30am, when I saw this I knew it is going to be a energy filled day.

Over the discussion about what each one of them wanted to be and learn it was an amazing revelation middle age women wanted to learn driving and wanted to work as driver’s, few wanted to learn stitching, baking, beautician course and most of them wanted to learn to speak English, now this I thought was so much of a confidence booster.

Finally it is not about what we told them or what knowledge we imparted to them, for us it was so much that we learnt from them too!

Happiness starts from”YOU” we were able to convey to these women that happiness of their family starts from they being happy and if they pursue what makes them happy they will be able to cascade that happiness to their family and they all agreed. We all spoke about how beautiful life is for everyone and we could live a happy life if we had gratitude in our hearts and pursue our dreams! Saying that we are now on a mission to help them fulfill their dreams! The morning that started at 5.30am concluded at 7.30am with a hearty breakfast, goodie bags, loads of love, happiness and gratitude in each one of our hearts 💖

Food From The Northern Hills Of India❤️

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Food from the northern hills of India by the beautiful Miss Shimla runner up Chef Sherry Mehta.

I am a big advocate of the fact the new exotic food is the homestyle regional food.

This time it was from the northern hills of India, by  chef Sherry Mehta

What I liked about the food was the richness and simplicity of flavours, each dish had an unique flavours and a story to tell. 

This marriage of Punjabi and kashmiri food for me was purely made in heaven. The  Dham ( festive food of Himachal Pradesh) curated by chef Sherry had very minimal spices I tasted the real flavour of every ingredient/ produce used and that for me is real good food.

Adraki panje(Lamb ribs with fat, milk, whole spices, and ginger)

Chamba Chukh Chicken Tikka (Tangy spicy Himachali chilli marinated chicken tikkas grilled to perfection in Tandoor)

The soft Matara Kulcha with stuffed tikki gave a run for a sour dough bread, I am sure we discovered sour dough much before anyone did!

Siddu, the traditional fermented stuffed steamed bread was another favourite of mine. This is available with lamb stuffing, vegetable stuffing and sweet ( coconut jaggery) stuffing.

A special mention for the most famous Himalayan trout that was absolutely fresh and cooked to perfection. This sure was a treat for us in Chennai!

Some of my favourite main course dishes were the Chaa  Gosht  (One of the most popular dishes from Himachal cooked in buttermilk and roasted gram flour based    gravy)

Channa Paneer Madra (Chickpeas slow cooked in a yoghurt based gravy along with cottage cheese and nuts, a star of any Himachali dhaam)

Gobi Ka Palda(Cauliflower cooked in yoghurt-based gravy thickened with rice flour)

Seb Aur Bhein Ki Sabji(Local vegetable dish made with apples and lotus stem)

Kale  Chane Ki Maahni (Dried raw mangoes from the hills are cooked with black grams to create this unique Himachali dish)

Sepu Wadi(Urad daal fritters cooked in a luscious spinach gravy was once a humble rural dish and now am ambassador of mandiyali dhaam)

The finale is always sweet with the most simple yet rich food and lovely people around! Budane Ka Meetha With  Rabri it was! (Any dhaam is incomplete without this sweet dish which kick starts any dhaam experience)

What did Women’s day 2023 at DriveStream, India look like for me!

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This one is for the men at DriveStream, Chennai, India.

“When you change your thoughts, remember to also change your world.”—Norman Vincent Peale. And that’s what the men at DriveStream  did for us women on this special day.

I don’t know where to start but let’s do it from when I entered the office the decor and vibe was splendid to know that you did it all by yourselves talked a million words.

The exchange of hampers was such a heartwarming experience specially for me, since I got to do it with my favorite Lakshmi who unconditionally takes care of our needs every single day. I made a new friend today, Guna who came across to me to hand over my hamper and I got to meet her for the first time and understood her hidden talent of how gracefully she can dance.

For the first time I got to witness so much talent all on one floor ( though it required a little persuasion and also meant me shaking my legs to ensure other girls felt comfortable to join the dance floor) but once the mood was set in there was not much to do but just sit back and enjoy rest of the afternoon with so much excitement and fun. I made so many new friends and was jumping with excitement like a teenager in college.

The cake was not only beautiful but was so tasty that I gobbled up a few pieces ( that’s very not me)  The lunch was more of a festivity and community dining it was. 

The highlight of the day that we spent was a beautiful comradeship that we all built around us by realising that each person is gifted with a skill that is unique and that appreciating each other and applauding another person’s talent is what talks about one’s kindness.

Be the woman who fixes another woman’s crown without telling the world that (it) is crooked. … Be kind! We never know the battle others are fighting. I hope that we can all find a way to lead with an open heart and assume positive intent.”

Thank you my dear men colleagues for creating an environment on this special day for us to cherish!