LOL: Life Of Leo

Image Source I've been wanting to write about this for quite sometime but I kept putting it off because it is a very sensitive topic and I did not want to offend anyone. Money has always been a debatable topic. I am someone who believes that money cannot buy happiness, but it can certainly make your life comfortable. But, is this the only thing in your life? Is money the only thing that can make you happy? Is having a big fat bank balance your only goal? These are the questions we need to ask ourselves. I come from a lower middle class family where I was used to fighting for the basics let alone the luxuries. So, I always knew the importance of money. When I grew up and started working, I did not take it for granted. I am very smart when it comes to money and I invest it wisely. Yes, I do shop and indulge in luxuries once in a while, but that is not my sole agenda when it comes to money. I am a person with many passions and passions come alive only when you invest something...

Image Source " Show me the pictures. I hope you clicked many of them ." " How much did it cost? " " What did you bring from there? " It's been close to two months since we've come back from our vacation and we are still being plagued by these questions. Some people prefer to right away ask these instead of asking how our experience was or what places we visited. It is really annoying, to be honest. Travel to me was something new until I met my husband. Right from when we started dating, we started traveling together and we enjoyed it a lot. As people who can talk non-stop, we were each other's perfect travel companions and since our thoughts and ideologies match, we love traveling together. Initially, it was all the thrill about the travel. I used to take a lot of pictures and check in on Facebook as often as I could. After a couple of vacations, it was all about the place and the person that I'm with. Nothing else mattered aft...

Image Source Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma got married yesterday, far far away from the public eye and for some reason this makes me very happy. Honestly, I'm not a huge fan of either of them but I do respect Virat for the amazing sportsman that he is. I truly believe that he will create magic in the world of cricket. Together, he and Anushka make a wonderful and a powerful couple. He is a thorough gentleman and has stood up for her ladylove time and again and she has continued to support him silently. As a couple living in the time of social media, they were not too in your face with their PDA or just their love in general. Virat did give us peeks of their love story on special days like Valentine's and Women's day, but apart from that they were in a world of their own. I have never said this about any celebrity couple till date, but they do give love a whole new meaning and make us believe in the concept of togetherness once again. I know most of you are bored by n...

Image Source What is the best part of a holiday? The destination and that awesome feeling. And the worst part? The planning, of course. Honestly, I am an avid planner and when it comes to travel I leave no stone unturned. My husband and I try to take a vacation every quarter and we plan our year around this. Traveling on a fixed budget is never easy, but if the planning is right, you may even get to save some money from the budget. What the first step in planning a vacation? Yes, choosing the destination. The next step is to decide how you would get there. Air transport has become so convenient these days that you can fly to any destination from any city. The one thing that troubles me as a traveler is the fluctuating prices of the flights. One day it is low, a few days later it is high and a few days later it is back to being low again. This sinusoidal wave of high and low always puts me in a pickle when I sit down to book my flight tickets. A few years ago, when we booked our...

Image Source When you have worked in the IT industry for as long as I have, you will know that almost everyone here is craving for money. While 99% of them work their ass off filling documents to get a chance to go onsite, the rest 0.9% percent are cribbing about not having a decent salary. I on the other hand, happen to be one of those rare 0.1%, who is not bothered about either. I think I get a good salary and am more than content with it. My work place is a stone throw away from home, I love the work I do and I get enough time to follow all my other passions. That is more important to me than a big fat pay cheque. Going onsite to the US of A is something that has never fascinated me. I have had my share of travel years ago and I'm sure that I do not want to do it again. I do not want to leave my husband and family behind to go earn in dollars. If a hike comes my way, I graciously accept it with a smile. If it doesn't, I just let it be. No point in cribbing anyway. Th...

Image Source When you come from a middle class family, the only time you would hear the word "Savings" is due to the lack of it. I come from a family where both my parents had to work hard to make ends meet. The focus primarily was on having the basics first and then save. Growing up, I saw the struggle my parents had to go through to raise us in a matter that was considered apt for the society. My sister and I were put in the best of schools and colleges and were given the best education possible. When I turned eighteen, I decided that it was time that I took atleast my expenses on to myself. I started doing promotional jobs during weekends and holidays and thought that to be easy money. Once I finished college and joined a Corporate job, I understood how difficult it is to make money. A regular monthly income guarantees security, but I wanted something more than that. I wanted my money to work for me today and tomorrow. No matter how small the amount is. But unfortuna...

Image Source Pride is a very dangerous thing It can elevate a person to the highest high But it can also crash one to the ground Without an answer to the how and why All humans are born equal Religions are created by man High and low is preached everyday With no one to come forward with a ban Who defines the David and Goliath Are the rich always considered great What happens to commoners like you and me Do we just have to succumb to fate Money today can buy almost everything But love and happiness it cannot If you prefer to stay on the pedestal Remember from below, you look like a dot Flaunt everything while they last It doesn't take long for the tables to turn No matter how high you sit When the fire comes, you too shall burn No one is superior, no one is inferior What matters is the goodness of the heart Develop trust, love and relationships Else be prepared to fall apart Others might lie low and not talk much ...

Image Source The best thing about ' Tanu Weds Manu Returns ' was clearly Kusum aka Datto, the Tanu doppelganger. I absolutely loved the scene in which Tanu calls her a gawar(villager) and she retorts saying that she is not a gawar as she makes her own money and supports her family unlike Tanu whose underwear also is bought by someone else. I clapped the loudest for this scene. In my honest opinion anyone who is over the age of eighteen irrespective of sex should make their own money. I started earning very young, not because my parents couldn't afford to, but because I wanted to earn my own money. Financial independence is not only about the money. It is about the confidence and self respect that comes with it. Earning money gives you the freedom to do what you want with it. Constantly asking for money from someone else does no good to ones self confidence. Age old customs and history has made the man as the money maker of the family while a woman worships him by pr...

Bond of Union, 1956, by M. C. Escher  In today's big bad world The coveted enemy of man is man No one here provides a helping hand Everyone wants to rise as much as they can It does not matter how they reach high Even if it means to push someone else down Man is divided in more ways than one It is much beyond the lines of white and brown Money has now become the center of being Human emotions have gone for a toss Man is ready rob, cheat or kill For one gain, there are hundreds of loss Infidelity, rape, theft and murder All these vicious crimes are on a steady rise For one man's five minutes of glory With their life, someone is paying the price Pointing fingers has got so easy Everyone wants to stand out and look No one wants to come in and help When pain and tears peep from every nook There is no humanity left in humans Animals now seem to be the better race The journey of life is now a competition Hurting others t...

Image Source December is here and along with the Christmas season, it is also the shopping season with almost every store putting up a sale board. Christmas is a beautiful season, there is always happiness in the air and pixie dust falls on everyone. Santa is watching and soon it will be time to buy and stock gifts for all your loved ones. But do we have the time to do all that shopping? My clients have a leave from 19th Dec until the New Year to celebrate Christmas but we have just a day off and nothing more. So how to complete shopping for a big fat family in just a day? And do we have the patience to parade from store to store, surviving the crowd and the dizziness? Well, I don't. Last week I went shopping with my best friend. We went to the famous Commercial Street of Bangalore that houses almost every brand that you can think off. This place also has innumerable street shops that sell everything from bright accessories to Jodhpuri jootis . As much as I enjoy the vibran...

Image Source: Google They call me pretty I don't see what they do see It does not matter It does not matter This is all that I can do I need the money I need the money So this is how I should be Thin, frail and fragile Thin, frail and fragile Almost lifeless I feel now Beautiful they say Beautiful they say Its so hard to stay this way I only feel bones Written for Haiku Horizons : Prompt - Bones .

Image Source: Skyscanner The first time I visited Sri Lanka, was on work and I was there for a very short duration. Yet, the beauty of that small country baffled me. I was put up at Colombo in a room facing the pristine clear ocean. I could see the clear sky and the blue water. The roads were well built and there was no speck of dirt at all. Yeah, coming from Bangalore, I was surprised to see such neat roads. The weather was calm and peaceful and it felt like a vacation even though I was there for business discussions. The best part about Sri Lanka is the currency. One Indian Rupee is approximately equal to 2.13 Sri Lankan Rupees. Yeah, more than double. The next best thing, is the food. Since India and Sri Lanka are neighboring countries, there is no much difference in the food. The spice and salt is accurate hence making everything almost edible. Why, my five star hotel even served dosas! And finally the bestest thing about Sri Lanka is that it just an hour and a half away fro...

Image Source: Google I come from a middle class family. Both my parents were working in order to fend for my sister and me. Yet, we were content and happy. But somehow, the people around were not. There was a constant comparison by others, trying to put us down. Oh you do not have an own house, you guys don't own a car and more blah blah. Any normal person would feel bad when such questions were hurled. We did too, as it was offending to say the least. The people talking had their houses and cars, yet they only felt content when they compared themselves to us. Reassurance perhaps. As a child, my parents gave me everything that they could afford. Strangely, I was never a demanding kid. I was content with whatever came my way and my folks made sure that I was taken care of well. I was put in the best of schools and thankfully for my parents I was a topper and received scholarships one after the other. I went to one of the best colleges for my degree, in which I secured a free...