#WhatTheBlack activity organized by Blogadda

If you have been following my blogs, you must have read an article on 5 Black things I'd love to have! Blogadda shortlisted me for the activity, which basically has a hint being sent to me daily for 4 days, and I need to figure out what is the final product, basically #WhatTheBlack is! The confirmation email got me really excited, because this is my first activity with Blogadda after all!

Day 1:

A person delivers a small little black package at home, and since I am at work, folks at home send me a photo at it, and they try to figure out what it is too!

In the package is a pitch black egg! It comes along with this hint card that basically asks if I can crack the code. www.whattheblack.com is the official website to stay updated with what's going on.

Once I got back home, I tried to scrape it, it had a very crayony feel to it. I read updates by other bloggers saying it is a chocolate, but thought maybe its a bluff because you couldn't possibly eat this charcoal egg! Then from another blogger friend I got to know that the hint card is also different for different bloggers, his clearly said its edible and vegetarian! I suddenly had the urge to try washing it, since rubbing did nothing except get my hands all black and dirty. And the washing was inspired by Harry Potter & the goblet of fire, where the egg gives the clue when submerged under water! :D

Eureka - look what happened!

The black colour washed out in a jiffy, leaving the egg in a royal purple colour, with a small hole from which I peeked inside and saw what everyone claimed it contained: Chocolate!! I have resisted from breaking the egg and devouring the yummy chocolate, because I want to wait till I get all the hints. But yes, a chocolate egg is the 1st one.

Day 2:

After Day 1's excitement, curiosity and expectations both are higher, awaiting the guy to come with the hint! Look what came in today-

A black #WhatTheBlack Times newspaper, with the front and back having funny fictitious news articles and all the other pages in middle blank and black with the website mentioned. 

This second hint has got me scratching my head! All I can think is that they are both things we use in the morning, both usually white. So what could the answer probably be?

Day 3:

So today's package wasn't hand delivered by someone, but came via a courier service. And had the marketing agencies details on it i.e. Candid Marketing. (It had been subtly mentioned on the newspaper too yesterday).

A black tissue and a black paper cup this time! Again things that are usually white and are now black. Along with it was another hint card that says now try to put things together, it is the last day to guess!

So what is common among all the clues-

1. Things that are usually white, sent in black forms (Egg, Newspaper, Tissue, Paper Cup).

2. Things that people usually use in the morning.

So, what else is white and used in mornings? Toothpaste was the first thing that came in my mind, along with that tags toothbrush. We also have milk/tea/coffee but black tea and coffee already exists, and black milk, well that's just not possible!! So a li'l bit of googling (Thanks to which we can all become spies and detectives), I saw all the clients Candid works on and spotted Colgate. And on further searching came across this-

So like a few others who seem to have cracked it (Someone actually had Colgate written on their courier, which definitely wasn't on mine) I also strongly feel it has something to do with dental care. That explains the chocolate in the egg too!

Eagerly awaiting the correct answer to this mystery that comes tomorrow!! Can't wait!

Skyscanner Dream Trip to Phuket!

I love to travel, visit different places and on to memories that I would cherish for life!! I logged on to http://www.skyscanner.co.in/ and am really intrigued by the name of the website, as if it really is scanning the skies and the grounds to get me the cheapest deals on flights, hotels and more!!

The first thing my eyes caught was the fact that they compare all the top travel sites, it listed all the sites I sit and compare when booking a holiday, and this place does that all in one go for me!!

I started with first selecting the flights. I had three destinations in mind - Bali, Maldives & Phuket (All three of which are on my wishlist by the way), but settled for Phuket which seems to fit the budget. Now comes the most awesome part, once you select your departing city/country and destination city/country along with dates and number of people, it searches live and across all 15-16 websites that too REALTIME! So you have the lowest rates on your screen in a matter of seconds. 

I selected a flight I preferred (after seeing the duration, timing etc) and clicked book. It again searches for the lowest in the market, which happened to be cleartrip for this search, and directed me to Cleartrip's website to complete the transaction.

Next is the hotel, and my God there was such a long list of hotels! Filters plus comparisons of various websites meant the best deals ever! Though it was really tough to select one hotel, I searched by reviews rather than star rating and thought to go with Holiday Inn, the safest bet and it was pretty pocket friendly too!

It will lead you to the hotel portal to confirm and book your room. And voila! Trip sorted! Not only that, you can even books cab/cars at your destination if you require! So basically a one stop place to book your perfect vacation.

Now I can sit back and imagine myself on the exotic islands and beaches, sipping margaritas and mojitos and living the life!!

This post is a part of Skyscanner travel wizard activity at BlogAdda.com

5 black things I'd love to have! #WHATTHEBLACK

This blog post is a great idea, specially for someone like me who always says that Black & White are her favourite "colours". And they can never go wrong I tell you!

BLACK has this mysterious, deep, dark charm about it. Also, black is BOLD yet SAFE, and continue reading to know why - 5 things black that I would love to add to my wishlist:

1. The little BLACK dress-

This one is going to be in every female's list for sure! Whenever confused about which outfit to wear for a party, or dinner at someplace fancy or a date, this one is your safest bet! I would love to have one that fits me perfectly, and I could accessorize differently every time and make it look different. Say with a floral blazer, or with gold accessories..go wild!

2. A pair of BLACK pumps/boots-

This would also be my safe bet / back up plan or something I just can't go wrong with. Can't find a matching pair of shoes with the outfit? Wear black!!

3. A BLACK watch-

I love watches, and believe that whether you own 5 watches or 50, make sure you have at-least 1 white, 1 black, 1 gold and 1 silver; these four in your closet and you need no more! A black strap black dial preferably with studs or diamonds is something I'd love!

4. BLACK aviator sunglasses-

Yes yes I know that those round vintage coloured sunglasses are very much in, but the trend shall not last long, would it? A pair of nice RayBan aviators in black can make you look hot, while protecting your eyes at the same time!! Something that I'd say is a must have!

5. A pair of BLACK skinny jeans-

We all need denims of-course, and the best thing about owning at-least 1 black jeans is that you can pair it with absolutely anything (Yes, wear a black on black correctly and you can carry that off too!). And an added benefit is that stains are less likely to be seen so you can continue wearing them without washing for a couple of days more! ;)

I guess I am done with listing the 5 things I would have in my wishlist, but there are others like a sleek black phone/tablet and other gadgets that would add to my list, but I guess these listed above make to the top!!

This post is a part of #WhatTheBlack activity at BlogAdda.com

Being a pregnant lady working & travelling in Mumbai

You can get a dozen of books and thousands of articles on pregnancy, with all the symptoms and to dos and not to dos mentioned. But there are some things not talked about, like for instance, how it is for a lady in India to be working & travelling by public transport.

I am 23 weeks now and almost ending my second trimester. And before this, whenever I used to see a pregnant lady, I have always made it a point to give her my seat. So I obviously expected the same for myself, but how wrong was I!

First of all, women are getting obese day by day in our country (No offense to you people, just stating a fact). So there are soo many females who look bulkier and have a bigger protruding tummy than me and who are not pregnant, but who can tell? It would be so awkward to offer a seat to someone who looks pregnant but is not, so I totally understand when people do not offer me a seat because I am of average built and could pass off for someone who has a beer belly or something like that.

Only if you're very obviously looking pregnant, probably in your last month or something can you expect people offering seats, but I don't plan to travel anymore by then, and seriously don't know why other ladies take that kind of risk?!

God blessed me with a colleague cum friend, who travels with me and who got to know about my situation and whenever we're in the same train she gives me her seat and stands herself. Other passengers obviously observe this and get to know, but when I am alone in the same train, I am not offered a seat (even though they know). The max is they will suggest me that this lady is going to get off at this station so you better claim it (Another weird unstated rule if you're travelling by the Mumbai locals).

I wouldn't mind as long as I got to stand comfortably, in peace. But when that happened a couple of times I would get dizzy and my doc told me if you stand for too long or are hungry for too long your Blood Pressure can go low resulting to dizziness. So sitting is a must.

What I do at times when I don't get a seat is start rubbing or protectively placing a hand on my tummy, giving subtle hints to others. It works sometimes! But I have also sometimes stated that I am pregnant only to hear in shock from other ladies that you should have taken another train or you should not travel. So, don't expect a lot of compassion, you'll get that only 1/10 times.

Travelling by buses, well as per a rule you're allowed to climb from the front if you're handicap, of old age or pregnant. So I tried that once, only to be humiliated by the conductor & driver yelling at me telling me to climb from the back door like others. I had to yell back & say "Hey! I'm pregnant!" to shut them up. Now if I have to make a public announcement everytime, thats so not happening. I might as well wear a tshirt that says so.

The doc suggests to avoid autorikshaws because of the bumpy ride. I do that whenever possible but sometimes you cannot help it. In such a case I tell the guy to be careful on potholes & speed breakers, which can be found in abundance everywhere.

I'm sure cabs and your own car are the safest bet. But not all of us have the privilege to use them on a daily basis.

And before I forget, whenever someone helps you, offers a seat etc do not forget to thank her/him profusely and encourage & reinforce the behaviour!

Do share your personal experience & anecdotes with me! Even if its you simply offering a seat to another expecting woman! :)