DocDivaTraveller: September 2015

I have been a fan of Mandira Bedi since I can remember. I mean I was just 6 or 7 when she used to star in Shanti. There were obvious reasons..we both shared the same name and a head full of curly tresses! Over the years she not only became a seasoned actor (changed genres too...from a TV star to a cricket anchor and a movie star) but she got rid of her curls too. She became all the more fabulous with her boycut hair and an impeccable collection of sarees! Twenty years later when I got the opportunity to meet her, I could not say no!

I had been on leave from my clinic since a week. Read viral fever gone worse ( with excruciating pharyngitis and gastritis)! So when I received the invitation mail about the launch of Premium Pamper pants, I was not sure whether I could make it or not. But two names in the mail Mandira Bedi and Tara Sharma forced me to get well enough to meet them! Moreover it was a baby event... I wanted those premium diapers for my baby!

The launch of the Pampers Premium Care Pants was organised at Vivanta by Taj Ambassador. Apart from super moms Mandira and Tara Sharma, joining the panel were baby sleep expert Ajita and Procter and gamble Pampers research person Dr WeiSing Long. I knew that I would gain many things for my baby.

To start with Pampers launched the softest and the most comfortable diaper till date: Pampers premium care pants. Special features of it:

Special absorbent gel

Upto 12 hours of absorption

Wetness indicator (there is a yellow line that would turn blue)

Lotion that would prevent diaper rash

Easy to dispose

Last but not the least..the softest, smoothest surface a diaper can offer!

Then we had a Question and Answer round where we all parents solved our queries. From trying to solve baby's lack of sleep to baby's hygiene, they answered all!

Then we had a fun photo op session. We held cute placards and cut outs of babies. After that we had light snacks.

We were given an awesome goody bag to go home with. Apart from the Pampers Premium Care Pants, we were given a box of P and G products. I was particularly happy with the super soft diapers! ( Every mom would agree with me)!!

Pampers Premium Care Pants officially gets launched in India on the 1st of October!

On the stage speaking on what all I learnt from the event...

The experts: from left: Mandira Bedi, Ajita, Tara Sharma and Dr WeiSing Long

The R and D expert showing incredible properties of the Pampers Premium Pants

With the lovely Tara Sharma

Consulting Sleep expert Ajita on our naughty baby's sleep patterns!

“This blogpost is written for the Pampers #SoftestForBabySkin activity in association with BlogAdda”

Blazer: ELLE

Dress: Globus

Watch: Casio G Shock

Purse: By Ritu Kumar

9/28/2015 7 comments

Who doesn’t want to live with friends? It is a dream come true for many bachelorettes not only in India but across the globe. It is like a pajama party every night. The initial days or months of living in a bachelorette pad are undoubtedly amazing but when you see the mess you were capable of making in this house, you realize that a lot of responsibility comes with such a living arrangement. But the good news is, you can still retain the beauty of your bachelorette home. Follow these quick and easy tips:

· Your all-bachelorette home should look good as well as feel good. And for this, there is nothing better than scented candles. These will keep the good vibes flowing in. And to enhance their beauty, you can place them in attractive candle holders. They are good to be kept in the bedrooms or in the living room or anywhere else.

· A simple bedding can be well-enhanced by cushions and throws. They can not only enhance the beds but can also add vibrancy to the sofas. Choose the colorful and funky prints in these and give your bachelorette house the vibes of youth that it should have.

· To add more to the vibes of youth to your bachelorette pad, you can place comfy bean bags here and there. These will not only give you girls a place to sit but will also make your house look more lively and appealing.

· Little decorations here and there also make a great fit in your all-girly home. You can decorate beautiful ceramic vases and modish figurines to enhance the visual appeal of your bachelorette pad.

Log on to an online shopping portal and shop for the beauty of your bachelorette pad.

9/25/2015 6 comments

Well for us Indians, the name sounds fancy. In reality too, Casa De Roma was one of the prominent resorts in Paros Island. Ironically we avoided booking it to save money. We were in Paros for a single night and I thought why to spend so much for just a few hours? We would be be roaming around anyways. But fate had something else planned.

THis was the first trip in our lives where we booked an apartment. WE though of staying the Greek style. As you all have known by now, I need a swimming pool wherever I stay. WE found a reasonably priced place with apool and we had booked it without batting an eyelid. The problem arose when we landed in Paros.

The location of the apartment was not very clear on the map. The only thing we knew was that it was very close to Casa De Roma. So we headed there straightaway and started asking. Shockingly no one knew where Spiros Apartment was. And when we said that it had a swimming pool, people were dead sure that it was not there. Casa de Roma was the only place which had a pool in that entire locality. Crestfallen and anxious, I dropped to the ground. Hubs decided to go to Casa De Roma itself to inquire.

He came back after a while. The receptionist at the Casa was so sweet that she called up Spiros apartments to take us. After some time an old lady arrived. She did not even know a single English word.

I was highly disappointed at the apartment. It was just a building. Where is the pool dammit? Ironically I could not even ask that lady. She was absolutely blank at any English hurled at her. After sometime her husband Spiros called. He was anxious whether we would pay the rent to his wife. He had already sensed the gap of communication. After assuring him that we had payed, I asked him about the pool. The booking site had a beautiful picture of a pool...where was it? To my surprise, he said that we were supposed to use the one at Casa de Roma! Whoa! Really? That beautiful resort! But one thing was doubtful. What if they did not allow us? I did not want to face the language barrier again.

Immediately after dumping our luggage, I ran there. Surprisingly the hostess Katerina was not only sweet but she knew excellent English. And thankfully she nonchalantly said that we can use the resort services whenever we want! THose were the best 30 Euros we had spent!

green mania....

Such a cute place to have meals

Old school well and pulley....

Having the time of my life...

Entry to Casa de Roma

Our cute little Greek room...

9/22/2015 7 comments

In the end, you want to spend your life with the one who makes you laugh. Well this is the truth of life. Good looks, money, reputation are all temporary. But wit and humour are everlasting. No matter however charming a person may be externally, if he/she does not know how to make you laugh, life is futile. Laughter is the best medicine.

It has been proven medically that 10 minutes of laughter everyday keeps the doctor away. Laughter causes a surge in the blood supply to the heart and hence keeps heart healthy. It releases the happy hormones endorphins which infuses bliss in us!

So what are the sources of laughter? Comedy shows, jokes books etc. But I love live comedy hence stand-up comedy is my favourite. Earlier I used to google the places or restaurants where stand up comedians perform whenever I needed a dose of laughter. Thankfully now websites like live in style.com provides every bit of information related to this genre!

There are millions of websites dedicated to parties and events going on around the city. The city's nightlife guide is buzzing with events. Whether you want a Sufi night or an Arabian one, you get all the information. But when it comes to stand up comedy, the case is different. Liveinstyle is one of the very first websites that has an entire section dedicated to stand up comedy.

How did stand up comedy evolve in India? Who are the best comedians in India? Or wider, the best best stand up comedians of all times? You can find all these answers on Liveinstyle .com.

Moreover this site has stand up comedy videos which would leave you in splits. Also sections like 'Things that stand up comedians are asked everyday' or '8 things that you did not know about Stand Up Comedy' will leave you surprised.

My favourite section of this website's feature? The featured places where the stand up comedians perform like Blue Frog,et al. I can have my share of laughter whenever I want and even enjoy a quiet yet funny evening with myself. Loud music and dance are passe, stand up comedy is The way to spend the evening in style. Believe me take out your girl for dinner to a place where the stand up comedy is being performed. She would come out very happy and relaxed and you won't even have to try to make her laugh! So its a win win situation! When are you planning your date with laughter?

9/18/2015 7 comments

9/15/2015 12 comments

After Kolimbithres, our next stop was Naoussa, the capital of Paros Island. Actually according to our itinerary, we were supposed to cover Santa Maria beach first. But we were running quite late ( Courtsey all the drama with bike and wallet). Hence we were really hungry and needed to refuel ourselves. Therefore we sped towards Naoussa before hitting the beach.

Beautiful Naoussa....

Naoussa is the quintessential Greek town. Whitewashed houses with blue doors and super sweet people. We rode towards the port where all the restaurants were lined up. On the way we stopped at various locations for pictures. One thing I found incredibly common in these islands were grapevines. I got very excited every time I saw grapes. Little I knew that we would be surrounded by grapes in Santorini!

Each time I spotted grapes, I got super excited! Its not a regular sight for me!

We frolicked around the port and then went to the restaurant area. On the way we spotted a beautiful stone bridge and immediately clicked pictures on it standing. Later on when at home we were watching the movie 'Wanted' we got pretty excited. We knew beforehand that the song was shot in Santorini. But suddenly we spotted the stone bridge of Naoussa! This was the very place where the Song from the movie Wanted was shot!

The very bridge where the song 'Dil Leke' from 'Wanted' was shot..

Playing with anchors at the port...

beautiful sea shell shop...

One of the first restaurants at the port...

Our stomachs were grumbling and we entered the very first restaurant. The very moment I set foot on Greece, I longed to eat moussaka and today was the day. The only Greek food which I knew from childhood was it. So I ordered chicken souvlaki and moussaka.

So we decided to have lunch in the "Kous Kous" restaurant

In India we get veg moussaka as well as its chicken version. So when the ordered arrived, I asked out of curiosity what it had. I was praying it to be veg so that hubs could share. The girl politely replied that it did not contain pork. I got alarmed. So what did it have? BEEF!! Oh no! I could never eat that knowingly...that was against Hinduism! I had tasted beef unknowingly here. But I had immediately returned it after I came to know. This time I had just dug my fork into it. Now what? It costed 20 euro which is quite a sum in Indian currency. The owner girl was so sweet that she immediately sensed my dilemma. She quickly offered to change it without any extra charge. I was so relieved. I again took a risk and ordered grilled octopus. I had squid in Philippines so I needed to taste octopus this time.

Moussaka and chicken souvlaki. Little I knew that I have to return the Moussaka!!

Grilled octopus came with just a wedge of lemon. I asked for extra onions. Gathering up my courage, I took the first bite. It tasted just like prawn. I just had to erase the thought of octopus from my mind. Otherwise I could not have finished it! I kept the chicken souvlaki for the last as it was 'chicken' :D

I was quite happy with my meal. Hubs had nibbled on the Greek salad and fries. Charged up, we left for Santa Maria.

Grilled octopus

Bidding goodbye to Naoussa....

Dress: Globus
Bag: Shopper's Stop

9/09/2015 14 comments

I am a single child. Not that it is something that I am sad about; I have always got the sole attention of my parents. I have been pampered to the hilt and have always been the element of envy for my friends. But there used to be a single day in the entire year when I used to feel the poorest. That day used to be Rakshabandhan. Yes this very beautiful day when every girl waited for the gift from their brother and every boy waited to have a wrist full of rakhis! How I wished I had a brother!

After I got married I was deeply touched by the strong bond my husband shared with his elder sister. Similarly he loves both his nephews with all his heart. Just because they are his darling sister's issues. Sometimes I even felt that he would never be able to love his own baby like this because his heart was already full with his sister and his two nephews. The younger one is too naive to understand the complexities of human relationship. The older one though only nine years old now (he was four when I met his 'mama') always used to feel the void of a sister.

When I was expecting, he asked his 'mama' to get a sister for him. Maybe God had listened to him, we got blessed with a daughter. Our joy knew no bounds. Especially our older nephew, who was very excited at the arrival of his sister!

Last year my daughter was only four months during Rakshabandhan. We sent rakhis to both of her brothers. This year, she is seventeen months old and old enough to understand the fun of celebration. When Jabong.com came up with this wonderful #SelfieWithSibling Contest, I got excited to share my daughter's first Rakshabandhan story. So what if I don't have a brother? My daughter is an integral part of me and she soaking in sibling love fills the void in me.

We drove all the way to Rishikesh ( they are doctors at AIIMS Rishikesh) to celebrate Rakshabandhan. It was an awesome afternoon, something I would never forget. Our older nephew, Tejas was excited that his wrist would be adorned by rakhi by his very own sister for the first time; the younger one and my daughter were elated to find so many pastries and light flashing rakhis ( toys for them) all around. The three kids were so happy that I felt that I celebrated my first Rakshabandhan ever!

Mohi's (read my) first Rakshabandhan with Ojas

Happiness is all about sharing and celebrating with family :)

A modern Rakshabandhan spread...Ironman, Pikachoo and Doraemon rakhees, pastries in place of sweets!

Tejas excited to get his first Rakhee tied!

9/05/2015 10 comments

Our first destination in the beautiful island of Paros was the Kolimbithres beach. Since we had a long day planned ahead, we did not waste any time as soon as we reached there. A quick dip in the pool followed by hunting for bike. In order to save time, we decided to do that simultaneously. I swam in the beautiful pool of our Casa de Roma while hubby went to rent a bike.

This whole episode was supposed to take place very quickly. But gradually I realised I had been in the pool for too long. Hubby had not turned up yet.

Eventually I got tired of swimming, sun bathing, playing etc. Suddenly I got alarmed. Was he alright? Was he safe? This tiny, sparsely populated island was giving me jitters. After all it was just our 3 rd day in Greece. Every sound of a motor bike would bring hope in my eyes.

My mind was brimming with ominous thoughts when suddenly I heard him call me 'jana!!' I sighed in relief. Apparently the renters were refusing to accept his licence written in Hindi. Uttar Pradesh and its strange policies. Thankfully after banging his head at around four shops, he got lucky the fifth time. But that is not the end of the story.

I quickly changed and hopped on as his pillion when suddenly He felt his pockets. Where was his wallet? Hell broke loose. Not only his wallet had the Euros, Dollars and Indian rupees but lots of credit cards and other important papers. Not to the forget the bike rent agreement too!

Without losing a second, we sped towards the bike rental shop. What if he had left it there? We broke a law as we went in the wrong direction on a one way road. Who cared? We were dead scared about other things.

As soon as we reached, the owner approached us and started chanting 'You are very lucky ' and waved the rent agreement paper. Apparently his wallet got dropped on the way to our hotel. The person who found it saw the rent agreement and handed over the paper to his owner. The owner and hubs then went to that man to retrieve his wallet. We were indeed very lucky.

The story does not end here either. I bought a floater. You would spot them in every post after today's one. The way to Kolimbithres beach was slightly uphill and our bike broke down. Again, fortunately it happened in front of an office. The people there were so sweet that they called up the bike shop. Again a man came with another bike and changed ours. In the meantime, we played around with a BMW bike!!

So after such a saga we reached Kolimbithres. The rocky beach was worth every pain we undertook!!