Syndet bars

There is a lot of crap floating around as information !That too zealously !
There are advocates who can't differentiate between good chemicals,better and worst ones !
Like SLES ,Syndet bars seem to be getting a bad rap !
Why have I switched to bodywashes and Syndet soaps ?
Simple,they are mildest !Syndet bars like Dove , Olay and Fiama gel bars ,...yes in that order are mildest,can be used on face  and in climate like ours in India doesn't requires moisturising every time !
I am one of those people who don't moisturise regularly !
I forget sometimes,mostly I am in hurry or because I don't feel the need !
As I grow older,saponified soaps which are amply available in India don't hold my interest and the handmade, so called mild just burns and makes my skin stretchy !
I love soaps  and bodywashes like Dove and Olay is what I put my money because while travelling I need to carry only 1 bottle !
I preserve small 100 ml bottles after cleaning them and sterilising them in boiling water !
These I use to carry body wash and lotion !
But bar soaps of Olay and Dove are my go to!
I have stopped buying facewashes I just use Syndet bars or body wash on my face !
In that way ,I am back to square one- one product from top to toe !
And yes I have washed my hair with Syndet bars and applied conditioner like dove or tressemme and my hair is quite good like any shampoo !
I no longer DIY especially when it comes to cleaning products for body and hair !
Life was never simpler or better !

make up removers ,..….anyone ??

I don't understand hue and cry about removing makeup,especially this day and age when foundation and  base double up as rich lotions,sunscreen and are light porous,fluid !
Now pan cake is completely different - the kind used for media,television and cinema.it is thick enough to coat a spoon and its main job is to create a  blank canvas.
But most ladies who buy  drugstore make up these days are not buying  pancake type makeup.
Recently I have seen a slew of makeup removing  products running in hundreds of rupees.
They are mild sure ! But does an average woman in India need them.
Quite by accident, I applied  a pink coloured Ayur lotion - herbal moisturiser.
I hadn't applied a lot of make up and just wanted to clean my face quickly,splash water and go to sleep.But I had applied waterproof eyeliner!
As I wiped my face ,I was surprised that all make up came out in one single go.
Ayur moisturiser has paraffin liquidum I.e mineral oil.
I suspect all moisturiser  can work as makeup removers and since then I have also tried to use Boroplus lotion.
That one to works fine.
I follow up to wash face only if required.
Waterproof makeup comes out in a jiffy.

Auntyness

Even though I am 35 and kiddies call me aunty,I am not aunty like in my thinking.At least that's what I feel though others may differ on that.
I have always serious,studious kind,usually did what I was told by parents and really didn't have a life while growing up.
So,now when some one calls me Aunty I don't feel like one.
In India, everyone is an auty and uncle.And usually people just see the body,grey hair or not to call some one aunty.
However there are some specifics and behaviour patterns which means one is an aunty,no matte the age.

1. You start mothering everyone 's children and not just your actual nieces and nephews.
2. You start giving advice,in fact you itch and ache to give advice.
3. You have an strong opinion on everything and no amount of facts make you change your thoughts.
4. You automatically know how children should be raised without raising any .This is different than having mere opinions on how children are brought up these days.
5. You discuss food recipes and eating healthy. Young people are not into health though they might starve to become thin.
6. You skin is drying and hair thinning,...first sign of advancing age.
7. Followed by aches and pains in joints,mood sswings.

OMG ........,Wtf?

Have you  ever seen blotches ,mash of colour ,dull rough cloth tiny bobbers under arm area of your favourite cotton Kurtas or even shirt? At first,I thought they were sweat stains,....but then again I don't even sweat so much.
I read up on Google  and it turns out your favourite anti perspirant is damaging your clothing.It doesn't wash out with detergents,the textile around the underarm area blotches,get discoloured.
I have spoiled many Kurtas....and I didn't even realise.
It seems if you want to continue using deodorant and antiperspirants then this cannot be prevented.The only option it seems is to apply aerosols and if applying roll one,...one needs to wait till it dries completely.
Gosh,.....an important thing like deodorant is messing up my clothes.
Aerosols too may not completely prevent this damage.

Update: It seems roll one which are  just deodorants and Not antiperspirants as well do not spoil the fabric.So ,I have been using only Fa does  and not antiperspirants which seems to not cause this problem.

Do you waste food?

Do you consider  hip to not complete food on your plate?Do you throw away vegetables and fruits from your fridge without pangs?Do you pile your plates in weddings and then throw away half eaten cake or kulfi,or Gulab jamun?

Did your parents forget to teach you not to waste food and water?
Or have you forgotten your parents  teachings to appear cool in your posh and hip crowd of friends??
......
I belong to Dawoodi bohra community which loves food,feeding people and then getting together to eat.
But one thing which other people from other religion and communities do not know is ;We consider wasting food criminal.We teach children to eat with their hands and finish the food in their plates.We have a custom of sitting in a thal and volunteers serve food to us....we are obliged to only take that much in the thal that its 8 members can finish.
Nowadays many people in their ego sometimes do not finish the last morsel in the that but thankfully others implore,suggest and ask each other to finish so that not a single grain on the thal ,dal or curry goes waste
....
Personally I store vegetables in containers,buy only for week and don't buy if I know I won't be cooking.I process vegetables when I buy I.e pick palak,methi leaves ,dry them on the newspaper and then put it in dry plastic containers. My curry leaves stays green in plastic containers for 2 weeks.
I use vegetables depending on requirement and how soon they can go bad.
I make one pot meals and pulaos...I.e make only that is required. I store leftovers properly and finish them immediately the next day.
I don't let leftovers sit more than 3 days in the fridge.
I store extra rice or chapaties in air tight containers so they remain fresh.

In my house,everyone eats leftovers not just women.

Chemicals and lifestyle.

My aunt uses only shampoo,soap,toothpaste,hair oil,and laundry detergent.She eats regular traditional food,home cooked. - I don't think she knows MacDonald's,KFC etc.She doesn't like burgers,noodles or maggi .

In short ,she is an aberration.
 She used a lipstick probably 2 decades ago,no face creams or sunscreen,no nail polishes etc.She is 'natural' all with super dry skin .She has never dyed her hair and neither does she apply henna.
She thinks All chemicals are bad....not just SLS,phthalates,parabens,formaldehyde etc.She used wash hair with soap for last 55 years ,its only from last 3 years she is using shampoo.
Her exposure to chemicals is 10 percent of an average well maintained city woman.
Once when I was talking about formaldehyde,pesticide in food and water which enter our bloodstreams via food and water,....and that a little moisturiser and body lotion, a little lipstick will probably be a speck on her.....given all the chemicals we consume  by food and water.
She said: I can't stop eating food or drinking water so I am probably doing the right thing by limiting exposure to chemicals.( by not using creams,conditioners,makeup etc)

Going natural means dry,wrinkly skin,grey hair,combed into a bun or pony tail always...because 'natural' in the bottle is not completely natural  and I doubt it'll ever be minus hefty price tags
..….................
I don't really use nail polishes regularly,neither am I crazy about it.So,once I finish my current polishes I'll buy only couple of colours for occasional use..probably pthhalates etc free.
We can just limit the exposure to chemicals ,choose to go grey,dry  because food and water is mostly out of our control.Is it viable?..….its a choice.

all in one products

Earlier 2in 1 shampoo and conditioner were very common and popular especially people who came from foreign lands.Then suddenly India became a favoured market and we were taught face,body and hair requires different products.Now a person has a face wash,a body wash and a shampoo and conditioner...and in some households its for 1 person.
For men,shampoo and body wash in one is still available but there is not a single all in one product for women.
I am now tired with multiple bottles in bathroom and shelves.I have decided to stop using  bar soaps and face wash tube will be only in my handbag for travel.Body washes are now available in big bottles...so I search now for face and body wash in one and will spend on formulations which work as both.
I really am waiting for shampoo,body wash in one since conditioners are best applied after shampooing.
By the way ,I am already using body wash as face wash and am not worse for it.
Just think,an all in one product will reduce expenditure and travel issues-one bottle will serve as body wash,shampoo,face wash and hand wash.

Coconut oil

We Indians love coconut oil.And with good reasons too.Coconut oil is great for 2 main reasons:original virgin oil is very mildly fragrant and it contains lauric acid rather  coconut oil is triglyceride of lauric acid (fatty acid)
Lauric acid is naturally antibacterial. That means you can moisturise your skin with coconut oil on daily basis.
Coconut oil is the only oil at present that can enter hair shaft therefore can improve the feel of your hair along with scalp moisturization.It prevents protein loss from hair.
Its available everywhere and is cheap and can be eaten too.What else do you need -a multitasker.
I use it mixed with a plain basic lotion,or cetaphil lotion post shampoo on the sacalp. I mix it with plain lotion for application on skin.

SLES or SLS ?

I have read so many times how SLS and /or sles is bad.I am just tired of the drivel.The problem with rumours is it is spread by people who have just heard from someone else....that means no individual thinking goes into it !.
There was a time when they were no ingredient lists at all on the bottles.
Now that we have full disclosures on most branded bottles...new age unfounded marketing drivel has become truth.
I am OK with people who want to go completely natural and use handmade soaps for everything and oils for moisturization.
That's probably how much you can go 'natural' and still be clean without irritating the skin and hair too much.
There are  dishonest companies promoting 'complete natural' and those are the ones which have abundant sles /SLS.
For those who don't know ,
Sles- sodium lauryl ether sulphate is Completely different than SLS - sodium lauryl sulphate.
In your shampoos these are cleaning agents- surfactants.They foam,and clean your hair.
SLS is an irritant but not carcinogenic. Sless is gentle and if at all choose products with Sles than SLS.

all drugstore shampoos are good..

Yep, manufacturers use standard products these days and whether drugstore/high end the ingredients used are same.So no brand can really jusify high prices for haircare products.
Don't spend a tonne for fragrance and irritating plant oils and packaging .You can spend that money on a great anti aging formulation for your face and body.
Fragrance free or mildly fragrant products applies for your hair too.

Choose a shampoo for your hair  type and you'll get same results across all established brands. While choosing products,remember....HAIR IS DEAD...DEAD...that's why it can be chopped off.Hair cannot be repaired...why because it is dead!All the conditioners and oils in the world cannot repair it ..they only make it look good till the next shampoo.
Don't listen to claims that marketeers highlight while making ads..check and compare the ingredient list and in most cases the chemicals are same...only the order is changed a bit.
Like I have used and changed so many shampoos over the years...and the reason a shampoo didn't work for me was because it was not for my hair type.

LASIK- Is it for you ?

Here's a brief intro to my eyes- I am wearing glasses from age of 5- that's when myopia was diagnosed. And since I am a girl and since girls grow rapidly in first 15 years every year my numbers increased exponentially .All doctors said nothing can be done to my parents.In my case my minus number[ myopia] increased because of rapid increase in my height. By the age of 14-15 i was already 5ft 8" tall.So when 1 was 15  I had -15 or -16 in left eye [L.E] and -14 in R.E. My height therefore i consider a curse....

Myopia is genetic in nature due to the father.As i grew up in 1990s , i was wearing thick glasses [the kind people make fun of].At age of 15 i started wearing contact lenses- hard ones and then semi soft because my power was available only in these. The problem with these lenses is you can wear only for 6-7 hrs. And dusty city travel by bus etc made life a small regular hell for me. i got infections small and big. Here i was a college going teenager who couldn't do many things because of lenses. My life revolved around lenses and manipulating myself so that in college nobody could know i had very very thick glasses i had to wear.

I did things as i thought right. My parents couldn't understand really what i was going through. I used to come home remove lenses and not really go out the rest of the evening.I spent reading ,knitting and embroidering my teenage years at home and only rarely went out.Of course at that time it just seemed normal to make sacrifices pick and choose lens wear time.
I grew up like this finished college and studies and nobody really knew what was going on in my head and nobody in college or friends knew i had such thick glasses.
Marriage prospects because of these were always a question mark for my parents..Of course i knew too. So here i was a 20 year old who thought i would never get married because of this. Every one knows indian Marriage market- so i don't really need to get into details.Its a different thing that i still haven't got married because i never really found a compatible person because of my height etc.

The point is my parents were on a look out for PRK [ another procedure to reduce eye numbers]which was done in hordes by Surya hospital  et al. Camps were carried out but it was a highly invasive procedure and didn't seemed worth it. So when i became 20 someone told us of this new procedure called LASIK with minimum invasiveness and most importantly could be done for kind of numbers i had in my eyes
   So with permission from our religious head Syedna- i got LASIK done at Bombay. Things went well. My doctor told me i will still have to wear glasses because my number was very high to start with.
We had understood it - atleast what the surgery was and what happens immediately after.In the informed consent, that the doctors take there was lot of fine print.But can someone like us or my parents really understand the implications and complications??? Still my parents being cautious must have asked all that must have really known to ask - after all me and my parents are not doctors to weigh in medical facts and make a decision.Nowadays doctors don't even want to take responsibility in critical and required operations so for elective procedure like LASIK i am sure they won't take any.
For comprehensive and right information on LASIK go here

Its been 15 years for my LASIK - i got it done from the best and the oldest LASER CENTRE there is.Yet, when i google LASIK today  there is no debate over it. I don't see doctors or clinical trials studying long term effects of LASIK on the cornea and quality of vision or if they have studied talking about it and making it known to the general public.The earlier procedure i went through where a corneal flap is cut and cornea is lasered is still being done.Lots of improvement have come up and last i read BLAdELESS LASIK has come up[ unfortunately this procedure hovers around a lakh of rupees for both eyes]

At the time i underwent LASIK, longterm safety effect on eyes were still not known and it seems the case even now. LASIK is purely market driven and it is a cosmetic procedure.


After 15 years,here's the truth about LASIK as i have dealt with:

1. I knew it was a cosmetic procedure. I knew i had to wear glasses after it too.
Here's what doctors didn't tell me:

• That i would have dry eyes for the rest of my life. They told me its mild discomfort for a few weeks after operation. My dry eyes have become only drier over the years. Now with gluacoma medication they are even more dry.Blurry vision because of dry eyes is no fun.
• Eyestrain is real and quicker than if you would normally have according to your age and workload.
• I have double vision in both eyes which has persisted and become worst over the years.Harsh vehicle lights shining still cause discomfort .I don't drive vehicle so i don't really have to deal with this everyday.
• Night vision is poor.
• Overall even though my myopia was high my quality of vision after wearing glasses was quite good.Its not same after LASIK. what with double vision etc.
• LASIK causes permanent changes in the cornea.
• Eyestrain is frequent even reading for an hour is troublesome.Working for long on computers is even more problematic. But I ignore/ manage/sacrifice to work on computer or read or even watch TV. I don't know how long i'll be able to do this.
• Some people get eyepain as a side effect.
• Only now i know Intra ocular pressure readings in LASIKed eyes come inaccurate. And in future cataract operation which practically happens to every one becomes tricky as compared to non LASIKed eyes.
• And after a year of operation, my numbers again increased and little by little they have increased in last 15 years. So its not true when doctors say LASIK results remain stable.I suspect high power or low power most people must be ending up wearing glasses again years and years after LASIK.

My viewpoint: 
LASIK is not easy and sideeffect free procedure that doctors make it out to be.Dry eyes [ google dry eyes for more info] for rest of your life and double vision is really problematic.
Consider LASIK only after careful delibration and only if your numbers are above -8 etc.You will have to wear glasses maybe after LASIK too.Doctors have not really done follow up studies on how many people end up wearing glasses over the years- so the marketing advertisement of 'crystal clear vision','freedom from glasses or contacts' is not true in all cases.


Do LASIK if your eye numbers are high like me especially if cornea and retina are normal but be prepared to live with dry eyes and double vision.

LASIK IS IRREVERSIBLE.

Don't do it because your friend did it. 

If you are managing with specs and contact lens fine, DON'T do LASIK.

Your beautiful clothes.....

Your beautiful expensive clothes ,with all those natural fibers like SILK or Cotton require lot of love and even more care than babies.

Expensive luxury wear is a LOT of work especially if you have never done it, or have neatness, labour gene missing from your life !That's one reason certain things i never buy - but then its me. I don't have time or energy to take care of SILK or even branded zari or gota but then for some occaions you go and buy expensive stuff and then bang your head against the wall if it gets destroyed or fades during washing !

I have few branded stuff which i love that i want to wear preferably till it starts to fall off :P. So i take care of those few things and have learnt taking care of clothes - all kinds of them along the way. I loved wearing clothes but when i was growing up i was a fool [ just like you] and IGNORED what my mom kept saying about clothes.

Then i started embroidering my ridas[ a kind of burqa] and  Mom stitched them...it started because i used to not get adequate cloth in ready to stitch ridas for my height.My height has caused me a lot of woes ! So ,when anybody praises my height [ and not me] i roll my eyes and just laugh a sarcastic laugh !

Anyway ,here's some unsolicited advice for taking care of your expensive, very expensive and hard earned clothes especially things like silk sarees and salwar kurtas. Why ???
Because my heart literally bleeds when you lose your coveted branded apparel just because of your stupidity,ignorance and laziness.

1. Don't buy real silk expensive sarees if you work 10 or more hours daily at your job,travel through public transport and have no MIL/mother at home to help you. And especially if you have children ! Luxury  ,branded attire and silk requires regular attention and care.And even after all the care, one slip up is enough to mess up your silk saree/kurta.

2. Buy if you have good full time help,a nanny for kids when you go out, a proper cool aerated wardrobe/closet where you can hang your clothes or fold and keep them.And if you wear your silk saree/kurtas frequently and often.

3. Buying costly branded apparel means - HANDWASHING !. One item at a time without soaking or using harsh detergents.

4. That's where semi automatic washing machine comes in! It is the gentlest way to wash any clothes however for sarees etc any kind i recommend a bucket with either reetha water or something like Surf Excel Liquid.

5. Dry clean your pure silk sarees - preferably just before you want to wear them so it means no last minute yanking off the pile and wearing it but a lot of planning and trips to your dry cleaner.

6. I don't buy clothes which require dry cleaning- since i make my own kurtas and simple cotton clothes. I buy materials like cotton, khadi etc and soak them for the first time in salt water for half and hour and wash them either in clear shampoo /reetha/ or a bathing soap. Yep, i use bathing soap for first time wash.
But if you buy off the rack dry cleaning may be the only option for you especially if you buy organza,tissue, silk based kurtas.

7. Handwashing delicate and new clothes is a pain. One has to squat in the bathroom fill 2 buckets with water . Wet the clothes and gently apply whatever soap you are using to stains  and then to hemlines ,collar etc.Remember the work required when you buy clothes. Will your maid wash like this ? No !

8.Even when you use semi automatic washing machine don't spin dry more than a 2 minutes for most clothes except towels and bedsheets. Our indian summers and sunlight is great for drying clothes. Especially if you time your laundry post 3pm drying and early evenings.No damage from sun .

It goes without saying treating stains the moment you reach home increases the life of your clothes.Cotton and synthetic are great that way so it lessens your laundry.Yep , the same way removing makeup before you go to sleep is most important.

If you don't want to handwash just dry clean all your costly pieces and sarees. Or do like me- if you are a regular working gal who requires maintenance free clothes buy most of only that.

I like cottons and don't really bother with wrinkles and the rugged and simple look cotton gives.I wear khadi too a lot actually especially things like salwar,kurtas ,pyjamas and sundry. i don't know if its 100% cotton but the cloth i buy from khadi bhandar gets only softer and softer like mulmul after every wash. Don't ask me why ! I have bought cloths of all kind from Gandhi bhandar from 2 different cities and all the kurtas are strong ,with non fading color and no color running. Cotton is not cheap especially 100% cotton.Mangalgiri, kalamkari,bandhani and jaipuri cotton suits if you can get hold of original stuff is great stuff.Terycot[ blended cotton] comes in various qualities...so yeah i have take care of my cotton clothes too.

All in all dressing up is a lot of work !

The curious case of Indian Doctors !

We are surrounded BS in what i call 'Bullshit Age'.Bull shit is most articulately spoken nowadays and educated people are spreading more myths for their personal gains than ever before. You don't need a con artist to swindle you and make you a fool these days! Educated con artists are everywhere !Thanks to MBAs, we even market and advertise myths and lies till they become 'truths' !
Gosh, it'll all come and bite our backsides one day ..........

Seeing that India is making strides economically , the doctors too have jumped in to spread bullshit ,get more lab tests done and generally scare and confuse patients to astronomical heights. These days i long for crisp, practical blunt doctors who will tell you to go home to die if need be !And not run costly tests or use you as scapegoats ! i long for responsible doctors who can examine you and not need hundred tests to find out what's wrong with you. I am sure they are there- those few dedicated brilliant ones !
I stay in quite a big city -Pune so i thought that gimmicky doctors usually ruled in rural  and semi urban areas where well educated population did not exist in high numbers. But recently i went for a routine gynaec exam which somersaulted into an expensive and emotionally draining exercise. I have internet and scientific education at my side so i could get through my doctor's scare mongering and complicated explanations for everything but i wondered how many can navigate the complex Indian doctors.

Not so long ago, doctors were next to God ! Period! The faith people had in doctors and the reverence was next to only GOD !Then why fate loving Indians are becoming more and more cynical about Indian doctors and their way of treating. Professionalism is supposed to be good then why medical profession commands less respect.
Look at my journey- i went to gynaec and told her my Mom's  breast cancer history and asked for routine exam since I am 35.She asked me to get sonography and mammography done. She scared the hell out of me and i spent next 5 days in pure hell. When my reports came normal except for a single cyst on ovary. , she told me we'll need to treat cyst and can't really do much about fibroids in breast and on uterus.
All the while she looks sombre and makes it look like a very big thing. I go to Internet and find many people have cysts in reproductive age and usually smaller ones are only monitored. So she gives 10 days of hormone pills and call me next during my periods. By now, I have already spent 500 on sonography and 1200 in digital mammography and her consultation fees.

I went again today where she prescribed me some pill for 21 days. She doesn't tell me directly that she is giving me OCP - oral contraceptive pill but makes it sound as if its a big, important course of medicine. I speak to her in English and most people can gauge my education through my flawless english so its not that i am a regular middle class woman who wouldn't know ' Oral contraceptive PILL'. Instead, in complicated way she explains how she is giving me tabs to suppress ovary function.Meanwhile, she keeps asking whether anyone has diabetes and blood pressure. Now come one, we are Indians - who doesn't have Diabetes and blood pressure after age 45 in India. What's family history has got to do with it?

I find family history a latest clutch to scare the shit out of patients- you need to be alert and i know few people who are insulin dependent at age 45 without family history of diabetes and people who have got cancer without any family history !By the way, its true certain diseases and disorders are strongly genetically linked- those are genetically transmitted diseases and they are usually the whole different ball game !Cancer in the family only marginally increases risks usually when it comes to breast and ovarian cancer along with other risk factors ! But there are many cancers which can happen to anyone without family histories too !So cancer is a bummer by and large !

On confirming that my Dad has diabetes she writes down a battery of blood tests- Like lipid profile ,TSh,Blood sugar and CA-125.Remember, this is after i have visited her thrice already.

Not only that, she tells me to do this tests at a particular pathology lab nearby. I have visited her in an hospital's OPD - and when i ask her if i can get it done somewhere else, she tells me- ' this is a lab,they do the tests here only while other places collect blood samples and send somewhere else to get the tests done. Now CA-125 is  a costly test- a marker which is elevated in ovarian  tumours but its also present in other indications. So she was asking me to go through a battery of blood tests without any reasons or symptoms but just for the heck of it.

Maybe she thought these tests are routine- people do them anyway in those fancy health checkups packages ...so i might else well make some money out of it !

The point Satyamev Jayate brought out was- what doctors are doing hand in glove with chemists and pathology labs to earn more money through commissions . So i guess , Indian doctors have begun to do away with any propriety and are openly practicing and forcing emotionally the patients to go through tests.These blood tests will cost me Rs1650. I have already spent Rs 2400 on just a regular ovarian cyst.

I have from childhood visited eye doctors because of my very high myopia and now because of Dad's Glaucoma history. There the same story repeats !

I have more than my share of doctors - Indian doctors think patients in india are dumb stupid people ! They don't think its important to 'explain ' or be ' appropriately truthful' to patients. Heck, they don't have time for it !

What i don't understand is why these 'uncaring ,dry and cut people become doctors. In India , its only because of family history- doctor father /mother begets doctors, prestige and to make money.

To make money there are so many professions- you can even eat commissions there and no one will say anything ! Why become a doctor ? Doctors are supposed to be- 'Next to GODs' . That means limited money,only patient's well being in mind and appropriate care and truthfulness. Medicine is the only profession where there is no room for dishonesty- i mean zero !

Its a cycle - Pharma makes drug at pennies ,markets it at thousands,advertises to doctors, chemists get their profits, pathology labs need their full profits plus an extra amount to pay the doctors.So, pharma cos greediness gets passed on !

Just like a toothpaste is made in pennies and sold for 50 times more price- established generic drugs can be provided at fraction of costs- same goes for laboratory tests.And do we even need fancy hospitals to go die or pick up a nosocomial infection - we just need scrupulously clean and well maintained huge hospitals !
I am writing this for 2 reasons- be alert and don't get scared when a doctor scares you- nowadays he is only after your money and in maintaining a corrupt system. I am going to change my doctor and will never recommend her. 

Don't become doctor, or nurse or even physiotherapist to make money especially if you have no empathy or any care giving abilities. Go become a banker/stockbroker or even lawyer for full on cut throat money making spree. Do jobs where you require very little conscience if you don't have any values!

If you are a patient :

Be frank, read on the Internet.I recommend Web MD and Mayo clinic website for appropriate information.Be cynical, doubtful and don't trust a doctor blindly unless of course he has earned your trust !

Ask questions- indian doctors don't answer clearly and frankly ,still do your homework and get second opinions.

Learn to read between the lines- and know your body.

Don't do any tests unless asked by the doctor- Its a waste of money, and unnecessary load. Those preventive health check ups are another money making rackets. And doctors are going to run the tests any way all over again !

 Its only human beings who can see death and disease as profit making business.Since greediness is uniquely human, i really don't see a way out ! Its a jungle out there and the worst animals are humans!!

Bathe in Milk ??

This is not for people who find milk's smell yucky and in general dislike milk.
My easiest skincare routine? Slather Milk as cleansing milk,as face mask/pack and over scorched sun burnt skin.
 I have been using milk as mixing agent for years now especially when i had no money to spend on rosewater in school and college !Now, when i am spending more freely I use rose water !   
 Decades ago when Afghan snow and Pond's cold cream ruled minds of indian women, there was no concept of using readymade cleansing milks to remove oily foundation bases.
   I still remember my Mom pouring cold milk in a vati,dipping cotton and wiping her face to remove makeup after a wedding function.
   Zoom to circa 2011, i now use cleansing milk as a face wash. I use face wash but its usually after sweaty ,dusty outing otherwise cleansing milk seems to do a fine job.My belief in cleansing milk as face wash confirmed when i found that i did not get acne or dry stretchy skin as a result.My favourite cleansing milks are Garnier, Butic lemon milk and Lakme Deep pore cleansing milk !Butic is the cheapest amongst the three and its very good.
  
But i use cow's milk curdled with lemon juice for a alternate pampering session.I don't like milk's smell but what to do ?I like how silky clear my skin feels after using it.
  Summers make my skin more dry and a day of sauntering in sun is enough to tan it.Shower gel and soaps dries it further.
  I am already using curdled milk as face pack/cleanser so i decided to go ahead and 'bathe in milk'.
  
 Take a 1/4th cup milk and add half lemon juice ,let it curdle add ambahalad and any other herbs of your choice 3/4th tsp riceflour to thicken it- just enough so that application becomes easy.
 I just add ambahalad and use it runny !Just apply this over your whole body,it dries up super quick and the wash off with water.Use it just like a ubtan.
  The cleansing effect of milk is superb- you would think only soaps and gels get you clean !In summers when most people bathe everyday, this is easiest way to moisturise and cleanse at the same time.I was shocked that curdled milk could actually give a clean feeling to the body.
  Like Cleopatra, you can actually bathe in milk without wastage or vanity and without breaking the bank !
  

The Girl revisited ....

Some articles are just well written. Do read this one...lets keep revisiting,let's keep talking about it till something solid and substantial comes out of it.

The Girl Who Fired an Outcry in India

Do you save water ?

Or are you one of the urban higher middle class who use and 'require' more water than the rest of us?
I don't belong to arrogant,impervious,bratty society who doesn't 'wish' to see what happening around the world and their neighbourhood and is busy maintaining her social standards?
   I consciously save as much water as i can. I use only that much that is required.No , i don't face any day to day water cuts or shortages.I stay in a 2 bedroom flat.But yes,i have seen and experienced first hand what 'no water' means.
My early childhood was spent in a South mumbai chawl.Those old buildings where people stay in 2 rooms or 1 room but are lower-middle class not poor !
  Yet ,when i think of water i see my parents climbing 2 floors with buckets in hand. Even after we shifted to Pune 2 decades ago, the first thing my parents did was to install Sintex ka taaki. We still have that taaki in the small bathroom installed on metal bars near the ceiling.Fortunately, we have not faced any water scarcity in so many years.
   I am very thankful for that. I thank God every day that i don't have to fill buckets of water because i don't think i am physically upto lifting weights on daily basis.
   I know 2-3 people like me whose primary concern is how to minimise daily usage of water.In contrast, over the years i have seen maids who throw buckets and buckets of water  to get balconies and bathrooms clean.
  The area where i live now, has become dusty and grimy due to increase in vehicular traffic , new construction - basically 'development' .To make the mall near my house, 1 sturdy very old Pipal tree whose branches came to my 4th floor balcony was cut down and another jungli badam tree and gulmohur[Cesalpinia] were also cut down.No new trees were planted by the builder !
  Maids who themselves wash with very less water [ and soap] because in their slums they have to carry water to their homes suddenly become arrogant and wasteful in memsahibs/ madams hflats and bungalows. They don't want to scrub so they use more soap and then to rinse that soap they run the taps louder.
  We had maids of all caste and creeds in so many years. Only 2 of them didn't waste water and used water judiciously. The last maid I had was like an arrogant cow. I implored her to use less soap and therefore less water and not throw water in the bathroom like a mad woman.But she never listened to me. She continued to keep the tap full on while washing utensils and threw buckets of water to clean the bathroom. My mom was very sick so i had to keep her and also in my past experiences i knew 80% maids waste more water and soaps.
    A week after my mom died, I threw her out ! I use a vacuum cleaner to clean and since the vacuum cleaner[ i have a dry vacuum cleaner] is inefficient in removing grime and stains, I mop the kitchen and doorway areas and balconies every time i vacuum but  i don't mop the entire house all the time.
   The ways in which i try to save water:
1. I don't keep the tap running while i brush my teeth or wash my face. I use a small mug most of the time to gargle or wash my face.
2. I use overhead showers only in hurry or when washing my hair. For day to day baths, i fill a bucket and use that.
3. I use a Gala /Scotch brite mop and use old cotton torn shirts/dresses as use and throw wipes. I usually make pieces of old rags to clean fans etc and don't rewash i just throw them.
4. I wash utensils cleverly- soak them ,clean the grimy bits with stainless scrubber and then wash with green scrub pads. I use liquid gel Vim only.It rinses clean at one go and is very good on hands too.
5. I use a semi automatic washing machine and reuse detergent soak water for atleast 2 load runs. I recommend semiautomatic machine which is the next best option to handwashing. It allows the reuse of detergent water- I run the whites and new clothes first and then put household linen and clothes jeans in second run. I use water in the machine only as required and since i use a good quality washing powder like Surf quick wash , it rinses clean in an single rinse cycle.That's the beauty of using enzymatic detergents.Here i would like to mention that the water quality i get is good so i don't need to use more detergent to get clean clothes. I also prescrub the stains with laundry soap- Foaran. Foaran is an excellent natural soap especially for hand scrubbing and wash.I use the old fashioned biolaundry soap[yellow] from Foaran not the newer syndets cakes !
6. I mop only grimy areas regularly and the kitchen.But i know if you have children at home, you may have to mop the whole flat. Still restrict your maids to mopping the balconies everyday and not throwing water to get the dusty balconies clean . My balcony which gets so dusty and with bird shit that i have to use water once a week with a broom.Still, i use only half a bucket -no more.
6. To clean basins and bath room, i use liquid soap - Cleanol.Its an excellent find. I think its a local liquid soap brand which I found in Dorabjee. It cuts grease which is especially useful for bathrooms and just scrub with the plastic broom and little water gets it clean.
7. For flush tank i have got it adjusted to half the tank of water. So that, it fills only upto half the tank so that not much water is used in a single flush just the bare minimum required.

 As i said, i try and work around to save as much water as possible .And i can do only this much at my end,since rain water harvesting etc is more of a community effort than an individual's.But i believe, if we truly use water as 'a precious' commodity just like our gold and money then i think we'll be much better off. In future, water like other things only higher middle class,rich and superrich and powerful people will own !For the rest of us,God help us !

Badtameez dil....

Have you seen the trailers of this song from Yeh Jawani hai Diwani? Well,I thought we will probably only hover around 'item girl' and so ...but ranbir kapoor is an 'item boy'.

I was blown away by Ranbir's performance in this song..and after a long long time there is this high energy song with fun,cheesy,bold 'streetsmarty' 'alecky' lyrics.

God, i was so sick of seeing close ups of Katrina Kaif's and her ilk's kamars,bosoms and butts [ Priyanka Chopra has jumped in too- suggestive and boring outpouring of overt sexuality moves in some Babli song] .In this song, they had to bring in the girls but thankfully their shots were less and only in supporting role !
 
I loved Ranbir in this song and love the song too. It compels one to hold and watch through the trailer and instead of changing the channel.
   But then, I am weird when it comes to what i like in Hindi cinema.I cannot tolerate most songs - especially their visuals. I don't mind 'listening' to some of them on radio or otherwise. You know ,just tracks ! Just the other day, X was telling me how I got the movies wrong for 7/10 newer tracks i really liked !
    Let me tell you , this is only for most movies post 1985's. Ask me about Hindi cinema's disco tracks,and anything really old 50s,60s,and 70s and I’ll probably get the answer right. I have grown up playing gramophone records well through 80's - my golden years when dancing came naturally and all i and my sister needed is a gramophone record!
    i still have a gramophone and those records !By the way, i still love Disco and rock and roll !

When DIY is plain stupid.....

I do lot of DIY,....in fact there are so many things which i do at home and therefore blog about those which work well for a long time too. So me saying that DIY could be nonsensical is a little oxymoron !

So, here's what i think :

1. Don't trust all the bloggers and their recipes: Why ? Because some people try them from someone elses' recipes and get excited after 2-3 times use ,blog about it in superlative terms and then abandon it  !So the cycle continues !
  Internet is littered with a lot of people blogging about poorly thought out and useless DIYs ! E.g Baking soda for hair wash and to wash dishes as well - not as and when required but daily use!
 Trust recipes which people having been using for years and ALWAYS make a little ,use it for months before raving about it!One man's honey is another's poison !

2. If DIY is an expensive replacement:
     Why would you want to go buy raw materials and then combine to make a mediocre product. DIY is usually about saving money, having the pleasure of making a product which you like and which performs great too.
For e.g: Making a scrub soap with oats and soap which you have at home is a great idea.But if you don't eat quick cooking oats but you go and buy 200g pack [ near my house usually available in 400gm and 1kg packs ] oats to make a scrub soap then isn't it stupid ?
 The same thing applies to herbs: Herbs work well when they are fresh !For e.g:Though ritha and shikakai whole pods keep well when stored properly, but if you are the kind of person who has rushed mornings and wants to only laze in weekends or forgets to use them or whatever , there is no point in investing in them if you not going to use them regularly. The last time i bought ritha 6 months ago it cost me, 80 rs for half kilo and i use them regularly.
 Let's face it: Its much work and planning and cleaning the bath room afterwards ! Though i am used to the drill, on lazy or tiring days i use shampoo happily.
    And i usually buy only Reetha these days not even shikakai or other hair care herbs - I am using up shikakai which i bought 4 years ago and i have 25- 30gm of nagarmotha and jaswand lying around which i use only with egg hair pack  which is rare in itself !
    If you are going to use besan face pack once a month- there is no point in collecting skin care herbs just because recipe calls for it. Besan and milk work fine in itself ! Ayurveda is not cheap anymore.25gms of good quality packed herbs,if you atleast use 3 of them for face pack will cost you double of what brands like Lotus and Himalayas sell the whole tube of face mask or pack.To give fancy feel, you'll atleast need 3-4 herbs plus besan/multani mitti.
     So, if you are one of those people who use a DIY only once or twice a month , then i think buying the readymade tubes from good brands makes more sense !
     I have been buying only rose water- rest of the herbs i use which i had bought years ago and i still haven't finished them !I use face packs only 4-5 times a week that too if i make it a point to use.
     If you don't suffer from soap/SLS or commercial shower gels allergy or don't have issues like eczema then there is no real need to invest so much time and energy in herbs/powder ubtans especially if you are assembling them on your own !
    I use reetha/ soapnuts as hairwash /bodywash/facewash [especially in summers] when i make the liquid twice a week. So the effort vs advantages works quite well for me.Spent /used reetha works as fertilizer/bulking agent for my potted plants too.
    The feel of hair with reetha in any form is NOT same as using a shampoo so that requires getting used to. So think before trying out any DIYs especially for skin and hair care.

3. If DIY doesn't have shelf life:
     I do sewing,make chutneys,pickles, masalas ,pasta and pizza sauces because i have learnt things in details and also these things have shelf lives. My mom had a sewing machine - the traditional table one- i oiled and took care of it,learnt to use it and now i sew on it. It was free of cost- all i had to do is learn sewing from mom and actually Sew !
     I usually buy whole khada spices- so making all masalas on the go and as required comes easy to me...
I make preserved lemons, amla murraba because they stay well and are easy to make !
  So if your DIY doesn't have reasonable shelf life, it is less of headache to buy ready made especially if consumption vs effort vs time required to make it is not proportional !
   In contrast, i never make namkeen at home except puris for sev puri [ My mom started tradition of making pani puri details at home- we bought puffed puris from outside though].
Deep fried snacks are to be eaten only once in a while anyways.So,i don't bother making them at home anymore and also its only me and dad at home!We buy from reputable shops for ourselves and guests. That way, our consumption remains less and under control !

   What do you think about this?

George Carlin

Amongst some of wise people i have heard and read about, George Carlin is my favourite! If I’m in mood for some philosophy, i watch his stand up acts. He's sarcastic,blunt and uses too many english gaalies which sometimes distract me.

Here are the links to my favourites:

Arrogance of mankind

Stuff

Enjoy !

Foundation

While i believe shopping for right foundation is absolutely important, Indian [ and imported companies] absolutely, positively make it difficult and a useless expedition.
I personally am still fact finding, yearning and i still go bare faced to malls now and then in hope to find the right foundation.

Here's what i think is making 'foundation buying' a hopeless and tedious and frustrating task in India.

1.Untrained staff: At the department stores, those poor salesgirls themselves are made up so badly and sometimes so thickly made up that the thought of taking her advice on ANYTHING is already counter productive ! I would advise people to IGNORE their advice especially when it comes to foundation.We live in a culture where 'fair is beautiful'- believe me no matter how ignorant you are when it comes to foundation a wrong shade match is like signing a suicide pact and whenever you'll wear it - you 'll look WEIRD, BIZARRE and TERRIFYING.
       Please don't buy a foundation shade listening to online advice or by any advice !Go to the shop and apply it on bare face ,come back home and see how it fares on your skin - in daylight ,night and indoors !

2. No samples: We buy so much make up in India ! There is no return policy - that means you can't return a wrong foundation !And the imported prices for drugstore brands abroad are nowadays sold in India with at least 15 to 25% higher markups. The least companies can do is give 'samples' at their department counters.
I have never received a sample of anything at the department store. Sure there are freebie offers...but everybody knows in india the freebie offer is either junk or even non existent per se. Buy 1 get 1 free- chances are you are already paying for both !
          I am even open to buying samples of foundation to try  before I commit to it! Till the companies, don't give/sell foundation samples in india, I won't be buying a costly foundation at all !

3.Limited shades: Do all of us Indians fall in ivory, beige, or toast shades? What about light, medium and dark Toast ?
Or do companies think that since majority of Indians don't use foundation and those who do use are ok going out of their houses- ghostly,cakey and 'whitened' that we don't need more complementary and wider range of shades to choose from ??
     I mean you conglomerates have the know-how - Then why not make flattering and complementary shades for Indians or Indian type skin tones !

Personally, I use foundation as tinted moisturiser. I have dark circles - the bluish ones and i don't know where to get Correctors/concealors for it . I have heard Kryolan can help. But since a counter is not in my city....... i chug along without a concealor.
Concealors are non existent for dark bluish under eyes circles and for Indians in general. Most of the ones touted on makeup blogs are simply inappropriate for severe dark circles- so don't waste your money on it. We require correctors to camouflage dark undereye circles.For undereye concealors, i have tried even MAC which proved useless for me!

And no, i don't use foundation to hide undereye circles !
All in all, i have really sobered up when it comes to foundation hunting ...anything new hardly excites me these days and right now i use Panstik and revlon Colorstay in combination to get right shade match and coverage.

Am not happy but what to do ?