Perks of online shopping

More and more shopaholics are now turning to online shopping. Ecommerce websites are fast emerging favorites with young and old alike and giving brick and mortar stores a run for their money.

So, what makes online shopping such a hit with the shoppers?

• It is more convenient. One can look up and shop for all sorts of stuff from the comfort of their homes. Instead of making trips to the market and going through different shops for different kinds of stuff, one can easily look up and purchase things online from a single website.
• Variety. One doesn’t have to visit different shops and sometimes even different markets for buying things. One Ecommerce website now stocks all possible items from a needle to wedding trousseau making it easier and convenient for the shoppers.
• Immune to weather. Online shopping is immune to the various moods of the weather gods. One doesn’t have to brave the rains, sweltering heat, biting cold or horrible humidity to go shopping. Online shopping makes it convenient to shop from the comforts of one’s home.
• Less tiring. Online shopping doesn’t require one to step out of the house and make rounds of the shops and markets. Hence it is less tiring and scores big time over the traditional shops.
• Sale, sale, sale. Unlike brick and mortar stores which are a bit stingy in offering discounts and sales, online shopping websites are pretty generous with providing attractive discounts and offers. There is always some or the other Ecommerce website which is offering great discounts on all sorts of stuff ranging from household items to clothes, shoes and even stationery etc.
• 24/7 availability. Online shopping is not bound by time of the day. Ecommerce websites are up and running 24/7. Unlike the shops they don’t have a closing time and one can shop round the clock from them.
• Easy return and exchange. These online shopping websites offer easy return and exchange policies. If you don’t like anything you can easily return or exchange it, and the money is credited within hours of the return request placed by customer. And it all happens from the comfort of your home!
• Retail therapy without guilt. Let’s face it some of the majority of our shopping happens when we are looking for a little lift me up. With online shopping the best part is one can browse endlessly and then instead of buying impulsively, place the items in cart or wishlist, and continue browsing for more stuff. So then, when one goes back to the cart he or she can judge better and make informed purchases instead of impulsively buying stuff and regretting later.
• No disturbance. These days you go to the shops and there is always one or the other salesperson who will follow around as you browse through the stuff. It gets very irritating and takes away the fun from window shopping or looking around. With online shopping there are no such pestering salespersons. One can look through as much as they want without getting disturbed and also do window shopping in peace.

With all these advantages over brick and mortar stores, no wonder online shopping is gaining popularity and so many Ecommerce websites are setting shop. Even though there is a certain charm in going shopping with friends or family but online shopping is hands down is less tiring and less daunting experience, and one, which will continue to find favor with the shoppers.

Few theater etiquettes

Watching a movie in a theater has its own charm and entertainment value. But eager as we may be at the thought of visiting a theater for a screening, it wouldn’t hurt to pick up a few etiquettes/manners so as to be on our best behavior and not spoil the show for others 😦

After a very recent run-in with some very rowdy, rude and ill mannered movie goers, I decided to pen down this article in a hope of driving some sense into the people.

1. Please try and arrive on time. It’s fine if you get delayed by few minutes due to some hitch but arriving 30–40 mins late during a movie show and then disturbing the entire row ’coz you have the corner seats is so not cool!
2. Pay respect to the National Anthem people. I know you may find it irritating to stop your interesting chats and status updates etc. to get up and pay respect to the National Anthem, but it is our National Anthem and it wouldn’t hurt you to stand still for few minutes to show respect. And no it’s not OKAY to check your phones/talk to your neighbours/fidget/eat, and practically do anything else but stand still while it’s being played.
3. Please put your phone on vibration mode/silent mode during the show. If ever there is an extreme emergency situation (god forbid) for which you have to absolutely take the call, either talk in soft tones so as to not disturb the others, or just step outside. And uncles, we are not interested in overhearing about your huge business transactions/deals. So please don’t be loud while talking on the phone.
4. Teach your kids some manners. PLEASE!!! I know kids are cute and all and being kids they would do naughty stuff, but hanging on the back of our chairs, or shaking them just for the fun of it, is not naughty, it’s bad manners. Had we been interested in getting rocked in our chairs, we would have got our own rocking chairs.
5. If you can’t control them, leave them at home. Seriously! We bought tickets to watch the actors perform on screen, not to watch your kids perform antics on the steps or run around shouting in the middle of the movie.
6. This is for all those who just love to kick the backs of the chairs of those sitting in front of them. Be it kids or adults, I have faced this situation with both and it’s irritating as hell. If you can’t sit still go take a walk, but kicking on the chairs in front of you is not done. Also, keeping your smelly feet on the chairs in front of you is simply not done mister! We paid for the plush seats and movie, not for some random reminder of how the fish market smells like.
7. This one goes out to all those selfie crazy people who would just out-of-the-blue take out their phones and start clicking. I have nothing against them, but do it before the show or during the interval. During a recent movie show, this girl was clicking selfies in the middle of the show, much to the annoyance of others.
8. Aunties and girls and even over enthusiastic youngsters, please refrain from indulging in your personal talks and that too loudly while the show is going on. The others seriously don’t want to know how the actresses’ dress is similar to yours or how a character reminds you of your College professor etc.
9. Also checking your WhatsApp/Facebook etc. in the middle of the show is distracting and irritating. I am sure you didn’t buy the Rs. 350 ticket to check your social media, so please refrain and let others also watch in peace.
10. Last but not the least, munching on food during the show is fun, but please be careful of spilling the food/drinks etc. At this movie show I went to recently, when the movie ended and the lights came back on, the spillage was so bad it seemed rodents had had a field day in the theater. I am sure you don’t eat that way at your home, then why behave like cavemen on an outing? The more you spill, the more time it will take the staff to clean and the longer will be the wait for the others who are waiting for the next show.

That’s all I had to say folks! I hope you will read this and next time you are out to watch a movie, will behave like a responsible person.

Pic courtesy: www.moviefancentral.com

My Sunday memories

Long before there was Cable TV, there was Doordarshan. And those of us born and brought up during those days, may still remember how we used to look forward to Sundays. Yes! It may come as a surprise to the Cable TV generation of today, but there was a time when Doordarshan was our only source of entertainment and though it offered somewhat limited content (from kids’ perspective) it’s line up on Sundays was a much anticipated one.

So let’s take a trip down the memory lane, and revisit some of the TV programmes that we used to look forward to as kids.

The broadcast would begin at around 6 a.m. with Doordarshan’s signature tune and to me it was sort of an assurance that today there will be stuff to watch on TV today 🙂

After this signature tune, the first programme I would look forward to was Rangoli. This programme provided us with a dose of Bollywood numbers and I remember every member of the household would watch it with rapt attention. Since at that time it used to air at around 7 or 7.30 a.m. we used to get up really early on Sundays (much to the surprise of our parents) to watch it.

After Rangoli if I remember correctly, it would be time for Ramayan and once it came to an end, Mahabharat took the spot. The family elders would be glued to the screens during the time it was broadcast and sometimes, we would also be forced to watch 🙂 Since in those times, not many households had the luxury of affording a television set,the neighbours would get together at one house and watch the shows collectively. In fact, I remember that on a visit to my aunt’s house in a small town, I was amused to see the neighbours huddled around the TV set at their house to watch Ramayan on a Sunday. It became sort of a community affair with tea and snacks doing the rounds as a group of 10-15 people, of all age groups, watched TV together.

In between these programmes there would be fillers like Mile Sur Mera Tumhara, other messages on national integration, etc.

Then after the mythological serials got over, the kids hour would officially begin with cartoons 🙂 I recall our mothers threatening us with “No TV on Sunday” if we didn’t study or complete our homework on time. The threat was enough to get our butts moving and completing everything on time 🙂

Potli Baba Ki, Gayab Aya, Danasur, Alice in Wonderland, Jungle Book, Disney Hour, Talespin, Duck Tales, Stone Boy, Sinbaad The Sailor, Faerie Tale Theatr, Malgudi Days, Gucche, etc. were some of the kids programmes which we used to watch with rapt attention.

And before there was Shaktimaan, there was Sigma, Star Trek on TV 🙂

Sigma

Guinness Book of World Records, Spirit of Unity Concert, Agatha Chritstie, Award winning regional movies etc. would follow later in the day after which there would be a break and transmission would re-start at around 4.30 or 5 in the evening.

Evenings were fun as there would be a Bollywood film to watch 🙂 It would get over by 8 p.m. and the news would follow. That was our cue to start preparing for the school the next day.

All in all, our Sunday would literally zoom past and before we could realize, it was back to school Monday 😦

Though I have tried to remember and include all Sunday programmes in this write up, if I have forgotten something, please feel free to add in the comments section below.

Also, do share how did you spend your Sundays.

Prepping and planning for a trip

I am super excited to be going on a short trip this weekend (it’ an extended one you see!!).

And though I am happy to be traveling soon, what’s got me more excited is the planning and packing bit. It might come across as strange, but the stage before I actually embark on a trip — packing and planning — gets me more excited somehow.

I guess it’s the whole preparation that we all do — planning what clothes to pack, what make up, accessories to keep, which shoes to keep, etc. etc. — you get the drift, right?

All this gets me more excited. And here I am sharing this excitement, while my mind is already at work planning what all I am going to pack in my bag.

Also while on the topic of trips, I guess it would not hurt to share a few tips as well when planning short weekend trips. So here goes:-

• Travel light – After all since its a weekend trip, i.e. 2-3 days max. it makes sense to pack light and enjoy the trip from beginning to end.
• Pack according to destination – Always pack keeping in mind the place you are going to and the weather there. It won’t make sense to pack stilettos on a hiking trip :p Also some places might be a bit conservative so Google about it first and then keep your clothes accordingly.
• Keep basic medicines handy – This goes for whenever you are traveling out of town. Always keep some basic first aid and medicines handy in case you might need it.
• Pack in some snacks – You might feel hungry while traveling so it makes sense to pack some snacks, fruits, water etc. for the trip.
• Personal Hygiene – This is especially for women, if traveling by road or bus or train, always keep a sanitiser handy in your purse and Use it to avoid getting a UTI infection. If you are chumming, wear dark colored, comfortable clothes and make use of suitable sanitary napkins/tampons to avoid any accident.
• Keep a book – A book is a very good companion during travel. It helps in passing time (unless you are in a group) and keeps one entertained. Plus its a good way to read those tomes you have been planning to start reading 🙂
• Personal Safety – If traveling alone, or even in a group, its always better to keep a torch handy and also always be on a lookout and be aware of your surroundings and fellow passengers. Doesn’t mean you start suspecting everyone :p but it doesn’t hurt to be a little vigilant. Ladies, you can also keep a pepper spray handy :p
• Mobiles and tablets – Before heading out, make sure your mobile phone/tablet etc, are fully charged and also keep a pocket charger (a charged one :p) with you at all times.

That’s all I can think of right now and hope that these tips come in handy to you as well.

If you have any suggestions/tips of your own please feel free to add on in the comments section below.

Pic courtesy: holidayiq.com