Thank you, Sir.

The Advertising Club presented The Mind Mining workshop with Madhukar Sabnavis, in association with The Telegraph at St Xavier’s College.
It was all about consumer insights and was a complete knowledge enhancement session.

Looking forward to such mind enriching seminars.

Source: http://www.adclubcal.com

'Unsocial'?

Scrambled eggs for breakfast, bad day at work, snide comments, indirect status messages, wishing even a good morning and wat's up is what one would usually see on the popular social networking sites. As everything, social media too has its pros and cons. The pros no doubt go a long way in being the individual we ought to be today. What worries me more is the cons. Are we losing touch with the real world? Are we drawing ourselves into a shell when it comes to being 'social' since we have created a comfort zone within 4 walls of our rooms in front of the screen? For some, may be yes. We find it easy to catch up, wish and communicate with each other through these sites. But is the personal touch missing in that case? Who talks about personal touch when the wife just finds enough time to catch a glimpse of her husband while she leaves for the day or a father gets to see his child only on a weekend? Social media is an add-on to what we have around us, it is not about putting what we have behind. My cousin is already an introvert who prefers keeping in touch through these sites. What should not be forgotten is to keep in touch with the real world within the possible time an individual can afford to spare.

Have we lost touch with our surroundings so much that we have to share our mental state with all those on our so called friend list? May be we are yet to utilize this medium to our advantage. We need to strike a balance between getting personal and extracting the best this medium is here to offer.

Attachments...

No this attachments is not about the ones we thinking of all the while at work when mailing. This one's neither the one with loved ones. This one's with inanimate things. Things that don't really speak (though I believe they do in their own ways). For me I have always been very attached to things around me.

I remember when our old and haggard off white ambassador car at my father's place was bidding us adieu and a new maruti 800 was going to replace it, I was not excited one bit at that point.

For me it was the innumerable memories I had with my basanti (my boy friend then and my hubby now used to call it basanti). That was our first car, hence overwhelming emotions attached to it.

Next when our Godrej refrigerator was reduced to a mere showpiece in the house, my parents decided to replace it too. The new kelvinator was never a source of happiness for me.

With Maruti 800 being replaced with the silver Alto and the Kelvinator getting replaced with LG and the black and white TV replacing with the LG; each time was equally emotional for me.

It is that strange kinda of attachment I feel with these inanimate things. As if they are saying that just because I can't speak, you think I don't feel a thing or what. Wasn't I part of you always, good or bad, sickness or health? The feeling and the thought is wierd but that's how I have always felt.

Having stayed outside my native place for quite sometime we also kept shifting houses. That too was equally sad for me. And now after marriage too we keep changing houses, staying away from our place. Though I have somewhat learnt to move on from these emotions with advancing age but the feeling is very much deep rooted within.

So much so last year we started celebrating Ganpati at home (we moved to maharashtra last year) and like everyone we too got and purchased our favourite Ganpati. After keeping him for 10 days the 11th day was when he had to say goodbye. Buy we decided to keep him with us forever.

Now this year too we celebrated Ganpati with our same idol we could not immerse because we loved him so much.

A Sad Realization

Just happened to see one of my agency's work on one of the advertising blogs. First reaction was a wow but as I read through it I realized that although if not more, I too worked hard on the account. Getting the account and coming up with the positioning as well.

But it's sad that the account person, the planner is not mentioned. Just the way it feels good to see the work, it feels even better to see your efforts acknowledged.

Wonder how fair it is!

Slaves of habits

Always thought it would be so nice when there would be nothing to do at all. Away from the daily chores - alarm rings, checking the time to clarify with one half opened eye literally watering due to an all time never complete sleep, somehow making tea, warming milk for hubby, making breakfast, packing lunch, catching up with ma and then finally dragging myself to get ready for office.

The same old tantrums of the auto rickshaw guys that they don't want to take me because it's a short distance and not good money for them. The same old way of me with a pitiful face requesting with eyes gleaming with hope for a yes as if a big achievement, all of this before my day at work starts and the many more events of the day - suddenly I realize that no, they were not so horrible, they were a part of me, a part of my identity, that is who i am... And yes i seem to be missing it now that I am on a month rest at home.

Strange as it may sound but doing all those small things and following the routine did give me peace of mind. I had a purpose and a reason to go through the day.

But since I got this phase in life, I am re-looking at me feeling like a slave of my habits and trying to do things my slavery would not have allowed...

Never too late...

It's been after a very long time that I finally logged in to my blog and decided like always to make attempts to be regular with it.

It's one platform where you do not really have to construct your thoughts in a perfect fashion before sharing. So thought of making the most of it.

Won't really stick to any one topic henceforth.

To start with, working on saturday in an ad agency is not that bad. The atmosphere is not that of a hurry curry as on usual days. The music is on througout and you have the luxury to work at ease.

As for me, I started my day at work with a real estate site visit. Wasn't bad at all. Attention span was intact since the open air made me feel quite calm and at peace with myself. (unlike when confined in an A.C. enclosed four walls where I literally go squint trying to look into the eyes of the person talking or making the presentation).

Planning to take the rest of the day slow and get going with jobs I am trying to park for sometime now. Intend to do some thinking now!

Wow Women

Fathers’ Day, Mothers’ Day, Valentine’s Day and also a Women’s Day! We often feel all this is just a reflection of the western culture. Ways and means for the greetings cards and the gift shops to earn bucks. We never had these days before. But the good side of it, we women at least feel recognized on one of the 365 days. I really am proud being a woman. Not being feminist, but to come to think of it, I now am able to look deeper into the beautiful intricacies of being a woman.

It’s only a woman who can happily give up her career because of her new life or ‘coz of a new member coming into the life; leave her parents and friends back and accept the family and friends of her husband as hers to a large extent. It doesn’t’ go onto say that she severs all her ties with her loved ones, but she accommodates a whole lot of new individuals into her close knit circle. As though suddenly she needs to create some more space in her own small world, where till date she carefully picked up the ones she wanted to be a part of it, but not so anymore. She quickly manages to place the individuals in her world keeping the order of her world intact.

It’s amazing even to think of it as to how we women can do all of it happily, without a frown. At least now we are blessed with more understanding and loving husbands who treat you as an equal but think of the times when our grandmothers would make such sacrifices without realizing or being acknowledged for their selfless contribution.

I just happened to come across an article today on organizations introducing flexi working hours for women so that they can strike a balance back home and at the workplace. I really hope more and more organizations introduce such policies. We can’t deny that there are some incredible women professionals who are assets to the organizations. Therefore in the interest of the organization and the nation as a whole these policies should be actively implemented across industries.

We are blessed; let us create opportunities that would spread success, happiness and fulfillment!