#NaBloPoMo Day 7 - 10 Things To Remember When You Hire A Co-working Office

I have already shared my experience of how co-working spaces helped me afford an office in Mumbai. While that was fun, it was only a short term thing for trial. But I once again went looking for a new space in a better locality. And what better than Hiranandani in the heart of Mumbai. But can individuals like me really afford a place in The mecca of great architecture? You will be surprised at the deal I got at Regus! Even though it's obviously not a huge, posh office of my own but just a pod in the lounge, it works out to be a great space to move away from the din of life and get some work done.

Since I looked around this space and finalised in a matter of hours, there were things that came to me as an after thought. And that made me want to put it in a blog post where others could learn pointers when they go out looking for co-working spaces:

1. The space should be easy to travel to
2. Timings of the space and holidays list - I'd expect such places to be open all days since entrepreneurs don't follow a schedule. But apparently not.
3. Is there a contract or can you move out after a month (this one has a 6 month contract)
4. Eating options around the office - unless you live with mom 
5. Do they let you eat at your seat - especially if you are in a lounge like me? (this one doesn't)
6. Do they have a separate pantry where you could eat? (this one doesn't have that too. Bummer!)
7. Check out the loos - just in case. That, to me, is the touchstone to any place
8. The proper terms and conditions- the pods at Regus are open and you can occupy any available (and they are mostly gone if I arrive late)
9. Check plug point compatibility with your devices. With so many types of chargers, this is critical. The American one that I have needs an adaptor and that's a pain. 
10. Check for customer service - do you have a number if you need to contact them, would they help you with adaptors in case you forget yours, will they make exceptions if you need help. 

These are the things that came to my mind. I knew about some of these limitations before I decided to rent it. But then with the rate of offices in Mumbai, price was the clincher for me. 

Have you worked out of a co-working space? Do share your experiences. I'd love to hear them and learn more. 

#NaBloPoMo Day 6: My biggest fear as a child

This blogging challenge seems to be bringing all my secrets out. First it was my childish dreams of being a school teacher when I grow up and now talking about my biggest fears as a child!

As children, I don't think we fear failure or other serious things in life. I remember the fear of darkness and ghosts to be the strongest as a child. I would be scared if the electricity went off suddenly - which was a common thing in Bangalore, where I grew up. Since I am the youngest in the family, I thankfully had elders in my family reassuring me that there's nothing to be scared and they were around.

I don't know how and where kids get the notion of ghosts from, but that was the second thing I was scared of. The thought that something that isn't alive could be lurking around scared the daylights out of me. I remember that there was a thriller series on TV at 10pm and I had watched the first episode. It was about a fort where people went in and came back with hand prints on their back even though they hadn't met anyone there. Spooky? I was so scared that I was put to sleep before 10 on the day of the program.

Have those fears gone? Not entirely. I still prefer to have a little light on at night if I am in a new place. It's just reassuring to know my way around the place. I am fine in my own house since I know the place. Also, I steer clear of all kinds of spooky things - even movie trailers with 'ghostly' content. It's just not something I want to watch/hear or read about because I know it will disturb be later.

Well! It wasn't exactly fun revisiting my fears. And I think this is quite a personal post compared to the kind of things I write about.

#NaBloPoMo Day 5: Book Review: Mrs Funnybones by Twinkle Khanna

Much Ado about Nothing (Photo Credit)

The Brunch Book Challenge by HT Brunch is about finishing just 30 books in a year. Any books of your choice. A very achievable number, right? Wrong! When one is hard pressed for time and keeps postponing reading because the book she started is too boring to pick up but has to finish it, it becomes a huge number to finish. And I am still on book 19 with 11 books to go in only about 9 weeks! So, I changed my strategy - read simpler, shorter books but at least keep reading. And that's when I decided to buy the famous and much talked about Mrs. Funnybones by Twinkle Khanna. I guessed it's just fluff and it isn't hard for someone like to her get media footage and celebrity endorsements for her first book. (And I was right) Anyways, since it suits my purpose, I went and bought a kindle version of it. (I have turned into an ebook reader, at least it's easier on the move).

My review in one line would be - Much Ado About Nothing!

First, the good

True enough, it was a breeze to read! You can put your brain to rest and sleep walk through it. We all are familiar with her columns. When put together as a book, you tend to see the pattern in her life. It's like a peek into her life that resonates as the story of any woman. I know she has a lavish lifestyle with a lot of staff to help her. But deep down her issues are pretty much the same as any woman's or mother's - getting her son to do her homework, tantrums of her younger child, managing packing on her own, the banter with the spouse, the love-hate relationship with her mother-in-law, getting stains off the sofa, dieting and weight issues, fears of what her daughter-in-law will be like, balancing between work and home, to name a few. The A-Z chapters give it a semblance of structure as a book.

The book is interesting only in tiny bits. The monotony of talking about her daily routine is broken only by her pontification about the topic of the chapter. For instance, when she talks about how despite Karva Chauth, Indian men are nowhere near the top of the highest life expectancy list or when she sadly ponders over the rising suicide cases in the country and hopes she will be able to teach her son never to give up. Some of her quips hit the nail right in the head. For instance,

"A punjabi mother, her son and food form a triad as sacred as Brahma, Mahesh and Vishnu".

Actually true or all mother-son duos :)

Also, my favourite one is her take on people who forward inspirational messages every morning and think that their good deed for the day is done. Her suggestion instead is -

"Go out there! Sweep a pavement, plant a tree, feed a stray dog. Do something, anything rather than just using your fingers to tap three keys and destroy 600 people's brain cells in one shot." And I so agree!

The funniest line in the book is when she says that it helps to have the man of the house cook sometimes so that you can relax on your couch with enriching books "like this one" - truly hilarious and I am sure the irony isn't lost on the intelligent readers.

Now, the bad

Firstly, I did not realise that it was a collection of her columns and not an actual book she wrote to make a book. I actually remember reading some of those chapters before. So, it was a dud for me. The chapters made sense when they were stand alone columns about a topic dealt humorously. It does not make much sense as a book. It just feels like a series of chapters about her daily routine which gets boring pretty soon. The transitional notes between chapters make no sense. The font is too small to read on my kindle and I think this is important since considerable people read books on ebook readers. The book has no meat, nothing to ponder over and exhibits no literary prowess. For once, I am going to say that Chetan Bhagat deserves credit since he at least cooks up a plot and thinks of characters. So, you can imagine where this one stands.

Unless you have lots of free time and can spare for a book like this or need something to speed read through to complete a challenge, you can give this a miss. There will be more columns you can catch up with instead.

For your reading pleasure, here are 12 hilarious lines from the book and you can safely add this book to your list of 'finishes reading'.

#NaBloPoMo Day 4: What did I want to be when I grow up

Recalling what I thought of my parents' profession as a kid is a hard task! My dad ran his own business and my mom ran the household. Going by what I wanted to be when I grow up, I definitely did not aspire to be either of them. From what I remember, 2 things come to my mind. Like most kids of my generation, I had a strange attraction to becoming a school teacher when I grow up. We all love our teachers as kids. I think us wanting to become teachers is a manifestation of the love and respect we have for them. After a mother, it's the teacher who takes care of us, imparts us values and ensures we are safe outside of home. I had my own set up at home. I would write on the door of the cupboard and hit pillows which were propped as kids. Yes, it sounds so silly and embarrassing now but teaching was serious business to me back then. Actually even now since I am a soft skills trainer and do a pretty similar job.

It was hard not to aspire to be like these immaculate speakers (Photo Credit)

The other thing which I thought I will be when I grow up was a news presenter. I am talking about a time when Doordarshan was the only news channel and we held on to every word of the presenter. We knew each reader by his or her name and they weren't short of national celebrities. They looked stern and business-like like our teachers, with impeccable diction, flawless fluency (I did not know about a teleprompter then) and absolutely professional  presence. As a kid, I think it was hard not to aspire to be like them. I'd memorise lines from the newspaper and try to present like them to my family. I did not understand a word of the front page English but it was fun to emulate them.

Thank you #NaBloPoMo for this trip down the memory lane! 

#NaBloPoMo Day 3: This Diwali, clean the cobwebs of your mind first

I stayed home today to finish some errands and work from home the rest of the day. I had just sat down to work and warming up to whatever I was doing. Just then the maid came and asked me to move from the bed so that she could clean the fans. I moved to the table on the other side and just about began my work when she was there too. A quick wipe and the fan in the bedroom was done. I had to move out of the balcony so that she could clean that area. I packed my stuff and left home to find a more peaceful place to work in. But that set me thinking.

The first thought that came to my mind was why such thorough cleaning? Scrubbing everything clean for Diwali has always been the most cliche concept I know. If you are really that keen on being squeaky clean and spotless, once a month will help achieve better results. Once a year is too infrequent. Plus, doing everything once a year needs more time and effort. Wouldn't it be more intelligent to spread it across the year?

The second thought that jumped at me was that there’s no point making our homes look pristine if we can’t get rid of the muck and filth in our minds. Even though I had a specific person in mind when I thought of that, I think it applies to all of us. I was also reminded of this picture that Gurprriet Singh, who I follow on Twitter, had posted a while back. And to me, this is the real cleaning for any occasion. Why scrub our homes to purity while we still nurse grudges, feel jealous of the neighbour's prosperity and discriminate against the poor!

Clear the cobwebs in your mind first! (Photo Credit: @JoyAndLife)

A spotless house is of no use unless the people living in it make it a home with uncluttered thoughts of pure love for each other. Why wait till the new year to let go of the old and make a fresh start? Look inside, peep into dark corners you’d like to light up this Diwali. Wipe out the dust of indecision, scrub out the hatred and suspicion you have held on to, make peace with things that’ll never be and make space for the beautiful things that life has to offer instead.

Scan your thoughts and think of what is it that you want to get rid of this Diwali. And what would you like to bring in. Dare to clear the cobwebs and look forward to new things you’d like to decorate the space with instead. Maybe share one of your blessings with the less fortunate. Try to support someone who's a poor performer at office. He may just get better with your help. Thank the woman in your house who puts your comfort and needs first. Be patient with the elderly in your building who take their own time to go down the stairs. Maybe lead a helping hand. Look eye to eye at someone you haven't spoken to in years. Maybe they are just waiting for you to break the ice.

Or call that long lost friend you always think of. Enrol in that hobby class you thought you’d pursue when you have a job and the money but never found the time after that. Let go of petty grudges you take home everyday. There will be so much less cleaning next Diwali. Like I mentioned, if clearing out clutter and dirt is important to you, do it regularly. In your house and in your mind. Don’t pile it for a year and try to frantically get rid of in one shot.

Try this new form of cleaning this Diwali. Feel the weights lift and your soul unburden itself!

(Thank you Yash Mahadik for the very appropriate word, cobwebs, that just stuck in my mind)

#NaBloPoMo Day 2: #BNLF: My Review Of The Most Disruptive Blogging Event Of The Year

Blog Now Live Forever, the blogging event by Indiblogger was a 2 day mega fest with an impressive line up of Indian and international speakers. Learning, knowledge, networking, food, catching up - it was a great place to be a part of the blogger community this weekend. This was my second Indiblogger meet and third blogger meet in all.

The venue was close to where I live and there's nothing like a cool Mumbai morning to look forward to an event like this. 15 minutes and I was there. There were serpentine queues to register but the efficient Indiblogger crew took charge of the situation and the lines vanished in minutes.

Ready for Day 1 of BNLF, Mumbai

As I got in and registered, I instantly recognised Purba Ray chatting up with people. It was my fan girl moment! And I was surprised that she remembered me and many others from Twitter. Now that's called being down to earth! And it goes without saying that a selfie is mandatory!

Selfie with ace blogger, Purba Ray

After all this excitement, it was a damp squib to find out that not only was there no breakfast but we had to wait for 2 keynote speeches to be over before we even got coffee! It seemed like a repeat of Karva Chauth for many women who fasted the day before and had an early start even the next day. Pushing our hunger pangs away, my friend Ankita and I found seats for ourselves and started milling about. The rocking start to the day was with a live rock concert - just the kind of energy we wanted!

And then started the key note speeches by the impressive line up of speakers for the day. The first session by Purba Ray who spoke about the hilarious responses one gets on telling people that we are bloggers. And Purba brought in all her trademark humour and we were in splits by the end of it. Arnab Ray was next, talking about how blogging changed his life. He traced back his journey of blogging from a time when it was a lesser known concept. Anshul Tewari's speech, though uninspiring was relevant in driving home the power of blogging and the difference it can make to the society. On the other hand, Kanan Gill seemed to have forgotten that he was supposed to talk about content in videos. We all kept waiting but he never got to it. Jeff Bullas and Christoph Trappe were at their professional best with useful insights on social media and story telling, respectively. (Although Jeff's session seemed to drag along and people got a little tired since it was post lunch too). Preeti Shenoy's session seemed like her standard marketing presentation which dutifully ended with - ps: please buy my books (!) and did not add anything new to my knowledge of blogging. Or publishing after blogging. I think the highlight of the day was Bruce Dickinson, the former lead singer of the rock band Iron Maiden but then also a successful business man and commercial pilot. The sheer volume of things this guy has managed to pack into his life is beyond inspiring!

Selfie with Ankita (@LifestyleProBlog)

In between the sessions, we had our much awaited and looked forward to lunch. We caught up with people we knew on Twitter but now got to meet them in person. My friend, Ankita introduced me to bloggers she knew and was in touch with. I met a lot of new people and it was inspiring to know the their stories of blogging. We also stayed back for a quick peek into the back stage party. The speakers were all so down to earth that we caught up again with Purba, Arnab and Jeff. Day 2, likewise, had masterclasses from the best! Christoph had great points on how one could use story telling to make an impact on others and get a buy in. His session was particularly interesting since drove home most of his points through stories. So it was like actually looking at how stories work. It kept us all riveted to the session. It was also inspiring to hear him share personal stories of how he makes time to do all that he does and still ensures he has time with his kids. (I missed Jeff's session since I had to leave early)

Day 1: Backstage party - with Ankita, Sahana, Puneet and Arnab

The event was definitely a winner for networking and learning, which I will get to in a bit, from the brilliant minds of blogging and social media. However, I found glaring gaps that dented the impact of the great event this could have been. To begin with, there wasn't anything disruptive about it. There weren't any path breaking ideas that would disrupt our way of thinking about blogging. No talk about bending rules of blogging or a revolutionary, thought provoking insight of how blogging can be newly approached post the event. It was a series of experts offering insights into how blogging should be done, which is informative at best, definitely not 'disruptive'.

The event sorely missed an energetic MC/host/compere that could have kept the event together and the crown energised. The energy was flat right from the start. Not that we weren't excited but there's only so much energy we can muster during an 8 hour event without some boost from the hosts. We had a semblance of a compere who introduced a few speakers and then we were told that she hadn't prepared the introduction of the next speaker! That came across as so casual and unprepared on the part of Indiblogger. Technically too, the clicker kept getting stuck and the guests had to check for the slides to come on to continue speaking. The audience was seated such that people in the front had more chances of getting noticed and asking questions.

I may be overly critical but that's because an event that includes esteemed speakers from other countries is expected to be glitch free. It's the reputation of the organisers at stake. With the kind of speakers Indiblogger managed to get, this could have been the best and the biggest of the blogging events.

Not robbing Indiblogger of the credit for organising an event like this, I think all of us had something to learn and take home. And when you have the best brains on stage, I guess there are some personal meaningful lessons which speak only to you. Since I have been blogging and active on social media, it wasn't the basics that interested me. The valuable lessons for me were:

1. Jeff Bullas' "Done is better than perfect". And this applies to so many other aspects of my life. And also, as bloggers, we wait for that elusive bout of inspiration and creativity to hit us so that we can come up with that perfect post which we secretly wish will go viral. When that does not happen, we come out with half hearted posts we aren't happy about. So, getting things done as a goal is a valuable lesson for me. If we just went ahead and did things, we'd probably have much better results too.

2. Christoph's session was about story telling but I learnt valuable lessons on time management from him. During the masterclass, he shared his routine which involves waking up at 4.30 am so that he can hit the gym in then morning to be able to spend time with his girls in the evening after office. His story of how he has blogged typing with one hand while his other hand held his one year old while she slept on his shoulder left an indelible imprint on my mind. So, it's all about really making time for things you really want to do. And I was quick to apply this lesson too. I ran into a blog chat as I looked at Twitter first thing this morning. I found myself browsing through it along with making my bed and brushing my teeth. At other times, I would have just ignored that chat as being too early in the day!

3. Bruce Dickinson's prolific career as a musician, commercial pilot and businessman takes the cake in inspiration. While Christoph inspired me to use every minute and every opportunity to do what I love, Bruce showed how much we can pack in one life! We are never too short of time to pursue things we really want to do.

To sum it up, #BNLF was a power packed event with something for freshers and experienced bloggers alike. It did add to strengthening community bonds through meeting and learning from each other. More power to you guys and more support from the blogging community.

#NaBloPoMo: Day 1 - It's time to take on the challenge!

It's time to make up for all the lost time. It's time to pay back for all the excuses for not writing. It's time to leave sloth behind. It's time to take up a challenge. And it's time to prove to myself that I can do it! And to do this, I am taking up the November Blog Posting Month challenge, commonly known as #NaBloPoMo hosted by BlogHer

The most common complaint about blogging is not being able to find time to write. We all have plenty of time. And yet we often fail to find that creative slot in the day when we can put our thoughts down and post online. I think there's more anxiety of not being able to post than the joy of being able to write. I am someone who writes when inspiration hits me. If writing becomes forced and laboured, it doesn't make sense (Unless you are do it as a part of your work). But waiting for inspiration sometimes, well most of the times, turns into laziness and life just takes over. I have had my share of excuses. But this time I have decided take it up and just do it!

What is life without a few challenges thrown in! And one involving writing has to be the most exciting!