Luckynumber13_Chai

                                         We were driving off to a friend's home for dinner and as usual, Ms I shouted to us, that she wants to put her songs to listen in the car. We wanted to listen to the radio for a change, but she was stubborn enough to have it her way. The phone was paired to the car's bluetooth. However, we were also looking at the map for directions in the phone and could not quickly navigate to Spotify and search for songs. We were also tasked with shutting her up at the same time by keeping a song she liked quickly.  That's when an idea hit and we started to call Siri for help. After calling her a couple of times, she responded.  We asked "Could you please play a new song of Blackpink?", which is apparently Ms I's current favorite band. After repeating our request a couple of times, Siri exclaimed "Give me one moment to open Spotify and play the son...

YouTube Shorts is here! Starting on 23rd July '21, anyone from across the globe can create a 15-second YouTube Short right from the YouTube mobile app, replicating the core dance moves from the “ Permission to Dance ” music video. The dance moves for this challenge are the “International Sign” gestures that the septet was seen doing in the music video, bearing the meaning “Joy,” “Dance” and “Peace”.  As the “Permission to Dance'' lyrics encourage listeners to move to the rhythm of their heartbeat, BTS is bringing the world together again with this special dance and inviting people to add their own style to their YouTube Shorts creations..... I think this could be an easy weekend activity for you and the family! Get your friends and family together and follow these steps: Check out the dance moves and learn them Open your YouTube app, click (+) to start creating your own Shorts. Use the Creator Tool to make your Shorts lit! Add the ‘Permission to Dance’ song to your ...

                                                                            I decided to include this recipe in my blog when a Googler I met during a virtual Ninja coffee meeting (originally from Ukraine) expressed interest in knowing how to cook Chicken Biriyani. It is so cool when you get to meet people from diverse parts of the world and share authentic and traditional cuisine recipes with each other. This is for you, OI. You know who you are. Ingredients: Basmati rice- 3 cups Chicken pieces- 1 kg Onion- 4 medium size for 1 kg chicken Tomato- 3 medium size Garlic- 3 pods Ginger- 1 inch piece Ginger Garlic paste- 2 tbsp Mint leaves- a handful Coriander leaves - a handful Ghee- 2 tbsp Coconut oil/Cooking oil- enough to fry the onion Green chilli- 3 medium size Chicken stock- 2 cubes Shan malay ...

The Monkey mind vs the Monk mind (excerpts from the book Think like a Monk by Jay Shetty)                                 Our minds can either elevate us or pull us down. The monkey mind switches aimlessly from thought to thought, challenge to challenge without really solving anything. However, we can elevate the monk mindset by digging down to the root of what we want and take actionable steps for growth. Read on to look within you and understand which of the two minds drive your life :) ______________________________________________________________________________ The monkey mind is overwhelmed by multiple branches. The monk mind focused on the root of the issue. The monkey mind coasts in the passenger seat. The monk mind lives intentionally and consciously. The monkey mind complains, compares & criticizes.  The monk mind is compassionate, caring, collaborative. The monkey mind overthinks and pro...

I had my share of a long break from the corporate world, after having spent 13 years in the tech industry. Those who know me know that I have been working towards one goal ever since I moved into a new country in 2019. And that was to find a job that aligned with my aspirations, follow my passion to solve problems and make an impact in the world. I used my break from the corporate world to do many things that I never found the time to before. Explored South-East Asia and found it to be quite different from where we moved, the Middle-east. The people, culture, cuisine, surroundings, trends, attitude were all unique to Asia. No more luxurious malls with glamorous architectures, no more excitement of seeing a gold Porsche driving by on the roads, no more sensing the Oud scent of the Arab world, no more summer & winter seasons, no more view of "Burj Khalifa"the most iconic tallest tower in the world, no more going for a desert safari when you get bored of city life, no more i...

We were visiting the Netherlands for 10 days in the Summer of 2017, spent a few days in Amsterdam and drove down to a little university town called Groningen for a couple of days. My cousin, Seethu who is married to a loving Dutch human, Rein lives there. We were invited to a dinner at Rein's family home one evening and off we went, all dressed up and ready to have a fabulous time. It was an hour's drive from our AirBNB.  The minute we reached, we were excited to see a house that was shaped like a pyramid. It was made of meta facade panels, shining under the sunlight. I was in awe. That was my first time seeing such a unique-looking house! It was a beautiful structure, built by Rein's dad who is in the granite business. The families bonded and we explored his childhood home, while a huge feast of barbecue was being arranged. They turned out to be one of the most hospitable people ever. There were drinks, food, desserts and everything we needed to end the evening on a wonder...