#Choose To Start with the all new Moto E

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There is a quote which says that a Man can live about forty days without food, about three days without water, about eight minutes without air, but now its time to add another phrase to this quote, he can live much lesser time without his smartphone. 

Smartphones have become the lifeline of our lives and it is hard to imagine spending even few minutes without it. Reminiscing old memories is always a pleasure, the first cordless phone where the entire family could talk from their own space, the first cellphone where we could talk to anyone in practically any city any place and then came the smartphones which are all the more special because they not just make communication possible anywhere but are also connect you to the world of possibilities.

And what better way to Choose my smartphone journey with the amazing and all new Moto E. This is a new class of smartphone which provides a great mobile experience and is friendly to the pocket.

So, here is my to-do list of what I would #Choose to start with the all new Moto E -

Me and my daughter in a Selfie

Selfies - My friends call me the selfie queen of the group, because I pollute their bandwidth with my selfies all the time. And now with my new Moto E this has become all the more easy. Just with a twist of the wrist I can launch Motorola's quick capture feature without even touching the phone. A 5 mp rear camera along with a front camera is perfect for taking photographs and selfies.

Music - I love listening to popular bollywood songs, yo yo honey singh and other pop music. Whether I am cooking, jogging, playing a mobile game or surfing the net, headphones are my best friends. Earlier I used to have a small transistor for my music, then came the walkmann, then I had my iPod and now my smartphone fulfills my music needs. With a battery that lasts all day, listening to music for hours on the go without having to break for charging is definitely worth an applaud.

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Gaming- I am an addict of mobile gaming (honest confession). Be it Candy crush, 2048, temple run, fruit ninja, clash of clans, you name it, and my powerful smartphone will assist me in faster gaming with its quad core processor

Paris on my Map

Travel bindaas without a map: My all new Moto E would provide connectivity to Internet 4G and 3G speeds, which means I can never be lost while meandering into the streets of Bangalore or Paris or Singapore. I no longer need a hard copy of the map to find places, my all new Moto E is just what I need to carry.

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Zing with style: Being fashionable and stylish is as important as being smart in today's world and the same is valid for a cellphone. Black and white are for business but when spending fun time, going to parties or even personal time at home, colors add zing to life. I would change the skins of my Moto E to match with my moods and shades of my dress.

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Get Fit from Fat: I would also choose to get fitter with the awesome apps like Endomondo, pedometer and other awesome apps which come with the latest Android OS, Lollipop to maintain my fitness and keep a track of my diet, jogging and more.

So this is how I would Choose To Start my all new Smartphone experience with the awesome Moto E.

This post is written for the #ChooseToStart campaign by Moto E in association with Indiblogger.

Read more about the all new Moto E on http://www.startwithmotoe.com/

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Nashta with Kellogg's waale Guptaji

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Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and if it is yummy and healthy the entire day goes well. Even dietitians and nutritionists recommend never to skip breakfast no matter your weight loss target.

My mom also thinks so, and that's why she never lets me leave home without breakfast. But traditional breakfast recipes are making me fat. Those aaloo parathas fried in shudh ghee, aaloo-poori, kulcha, jalebi's, though are very yummy but not good for health. My mom still understands that oil is to be used in limit, but if my grandma wishes, she would even fry idlis in ghee and put a chunk of butter on the dosa before serving.

To add to the fact, I have acidity problem and oily breakfast is the last thing I would want to eat. So I keep searching for healthy breakfast recipes that not only appeal to me but also pleases the taste buds of elders in my family. And my search ended at Kellogg's cornflakes, tasty and healthy.

This brings me to my new year resolution, rather every new year I have the same resolution, to slim down and loose the extra flab. And what better way to start your day with a healthy and filling breakfast which does not add fat or cholesterol to your diet routine. This is when I came to know about Guptaji's family and their breakfast recipes. They are known as Kellogg's Wale Guptaji's family and the entire locality is talking about them and wanting to have breakfast at their house.

This family knows over 100 mouthwatering recipes, that too using one secret ingredient - Kellogg's Cornflakes. This secret ingredient is healthy, low fat and filling and this makes it the perfect food for people like me.

I surely want to go to Guptaji's house for breakfast and want to learn those yummy Kellogg's recipes from Mrs.Guptaji. She has umpteen recipes in her pocket which can be prepared in minutes and are very tasty. Her recipe names are also as awesome as her breakfast - Nakhare Wala Nashta, First Crush Wala Nashta, Jagah Banane Wala Nashta, Movie Wala Nashta, Homework Wala Nashta and so many more. A Nashta for every occasion, wow, I didn't know that Cornflakes can be eaten in so many ways.

Some of the awesome recipes that I want to taste and also learn from Mrs. Guptaji are the following -

Sitaphal Cornflakes - Custurd apple crushed into cold milk along with cornflakes and walnuts is energizing, sweet and yummy

Best Family Wala Nashta - A combination of apples, cold milk and Kellogg's cornflakes with a twist of cinnamon

And for those in my family who love ghee, I would ask for Best Tiffin Wala Nashta, which is a lip smacking sweet laddoo recipe with cornflakes, nuts, milk and ghee.

Guptaji!!! Nashte pe kab bula rahe ho?

Read more about the Kellogg's Cornflakes and Nashta recipes on https://www.facebook.com/anaajkanashta

Visit https://www.youtube.com/user/kelloggindia for more information.

Being #together is the best feeling

While pursuing the larger ambitions in life, we often forget that the best moments and joys come from the smallest of things. My story dates back to 2012 when I had traveled to Germany for a project assignment leaving behind my family for couple of months. This was my first trip abroad and I was very excited but at the same time nervous too. Soon the excitement faded and I started feeling lonely in this world. I longed to meet my husband and family back in India, but I were to stay there until the project ended.

Although the phone and Internet connect us virtually almost all the time, but still the longing for each other increased with each passing day. Skype and Google talk became my best friends and I used to be in touch with my husband almost all the time, though I missed his physical presence. Festivals passed one after the other and so did some of the weddings of my close friends and relatives. And so passed my birthday and our first wedding anniversary too. The feeling of being lonely had started to sink in now and I wanted to go back to my roots now. 

New year was around the corner, holiday season had started and those Christmas decorations, night markets and jingle bells did not ring any bells in me since there was no one I could enjoy them with. On one such night, I was talking to my husband and telling him about the beautiful lighting and merry atmosphere in the city and that how much I was missing him. He asked me to go shopping as it would lift my mood, knowing very well that girls love to shop. I expressed my displeasure and told him that I don't feel like shopping without him. 

"C'mon, spend some money. It would make you happy," he had told me on the phone.
"If money could buy happiness, all the rich would be happy. Money can't buy happiness" I replied to him disapprovingly.
The next day I tried to reach him but his phone was not available. I looked for him on skype and other chat accounts but there too he was offline. I was slightly worried about him so I called his mother. She too was unaware of his whereabouts. Next day morning, my door bell rang and there he was, standing casually with his backpack and smiling. I couldn't believe if it was real or I was dreaming. I almost screamed in shock and hugged him tightly.
"Money can't buy happiness, but it can definitely buy tickets to Germany so that we can be together for the new year." He grinned. I had never felt so happy in the last few months of my stay away from home.
He was right, though money couldn't buy happiness, but togetherness definitely can make us happy. We spent the new year together in Paris and relived our romance once again on the Eiffel Tower. We roamed on the streets of Zurich and experienced the snow on the Alps. We watched movies, drank wine, went shopping and most important of all, enjoyed so many priceless moments together.
Those memories are still fresh in my mind and bring a smile to my face every time I revisit them.

This post has been written for #together campaign by @housing. Read more about housing on https://housing.com

Start Of A New Life

Change is the only constant thing in life. But then, we are so hesitant to accept change that we do anything to be where we are. Same was the case with me when I decided to challenge my personality faults and resolved to improve myself. Since childhood I was a shy and introvert personality.
I did not mingle with people a lot, had few friends and was mostly known as a silent person sitting on the back bench doing her studies in school. I never had the guts to face the girls who bullied me and I preferred to stay away from them. Neither did I ever had the confidence to participate in the cultural activities in school because the thought of going on stage itself sent jitters in my stomach and made my legs tremble.
An average student who likes to have lunch with the same set of friends, who never speaks up in class and doesn't have much to do with others was an easily forgettable personality. My parents encouraged me every time to be sportive, to participate in events and to shun my fear, but much to their dismay, I never did anything to surprise them.
The wheel of time turned, new session started and the school was inviting nominations for NCC Camp (National Cadet Corps).The entire class was excited about it and so was I. I had a fascination for the khaki dress, the march past, the rifle shooting and the camps. So, I too raised my hand for admission into NCC. I heard some giggles, some whispers from surrounding classmates and soon the entire class was laughing. The teacher asked -"Are you sure? Will you be able to leave your home and live in a camp for 10 days" I saw a strange belittling smile on her face too. I was ashamed, not at myself but at the teacher who, instead of encouraging me, was lowering my self confidence.
This was not an instant decision, I had been awake for almost an entire night to gather the courage to nominate myself for this prestigious group. Why couldn't I go to an NCC camp? Just because I was shy or lacked confidence?
I was determined to do this and nothing should deter me. I swallowed, brought all my energies together, and replied strongly. "Yes, I want to go for the camp. Is there a problem?"
That was a moment when I could feel a new found strength in my voice.
"Okay. I would put your name in the list. There will be externals who would be selecting. Let's see what happens"
My heart was pounding with excitement. This would be a first time I would leave my home and live with strangers in a tent. I would have to do everything independently, mingle with new people and survive in harsh conditions. I was thankful that the externals were selecting for NCC and my past record will not impact the judgement. There was a week left for selection and I prepared day and night. I contacted the seniors, which in itself was a humongous task for a person like me, and asked them about the questions that will be asked. Mirror became my best friend who witnessed my dialogue delivery and practice to be confident.
The final day came and I was the only one selected from my class. This was a good enough shock for those who had giggled and whispered behind my back.
 I left my home, stayed in a camp for 10 days and successfully concluded it.
This was a turning point of my life. Not only did I learn that I can survive alone, I made some new friends and was also promoted to become the vice Sergeant of my team.
My life completely changed since then and I never looked back. I soon fought my stage fear too and emerged victorious in the end.  I went on to win many personality titles in my school, college and work life too. \

Now that I look back, this seems like a small struggle which started a new life for me.

This post has been written for #StartANewLife campaign by @housing. Read more about housing on https://housing.com/

Take a look at this short movie to learn more about Housing.com

Hope is the essence of Life

Approaches to look at life are different for different people and it is circumstances that turn them into a positive or a negative person. I was not a very optimistic person, rather I used loose hope at the smallest of glitches that life brought at me.

There is too much work in office, why does my boss sit on my head all the time?

I did not get a promotion I deserve, this HR should kill himself if he doesn't respect the ambitions of sincere employees?

Uff.. this traffic is so bad, why do all the people have to take this road?

I need a bigger house, I need a bigger car, I need a fat paycheck, I am not willing to work weekends, I want to holiday abroad and blah blah ...

The list of unending desires and lack of job satisfaction had made me an almost whining personality. And then, the big news came that I had conceived.

I was happy, very happy but the nagging devil in me lifted his head yet again. 

I was fat, my thighs became like big tree trunks, I was vomiting day and night, food and travel was no more a joy and I felt that I wanted to slow down. My mind had lingering questions all the time - how will I manage the baby, will my career take a backseat, how will we work out of finances if I took a break and the list was endless.

I reached my 7th month and the doctor told us that my baby had a single umbilical artery and was not growing very well. I was asked to stay at home and take rest. It seemed that my mind will never come at peace, stress was a way of life. The more I tried to be positive and stress-free, the more stressful thoughts corrupted my mind.

"Umeed par to duniya kayam hai," my husband would say to cheer me up. "All is well" was like his mantra but I could never be like him. The more I tried the more I failed. 

And then one day, my baby arrived into this world. She was a healthy baby girl and we were discharged from hospital after couple of days. Soon the feeling of being a mother started to sink in.

When I brought her home for the first time, she wrapped her tiny hand around my finger and smiled in her sleep. I couldn't express my joy, I was in tears. That one moment changed my outlook of life. 

They say that Hope is a good thing, and indeed it is.

There is no fat paycheck, no appraisal ratings, no appreciations and you got to work on weekends too. But when you finally see your baby clinging on you when he has a bad dream, being sad when you are away, hugging you and expressing his selfless love, you cannot ask for more.

Being at home with your baby is a thankless and endless job, but then, it is full of hope and happiness. Our sweet little home is now more beautiful where my baby crawls, eats, makes a mess and experiences his world. 

This post has been written for #lookup campaign by @housing in association with Indiblogger. Read more about housing on https://housing.com/lookup

Book Review: Hifi In Bollywood

Book Title: Hifi In Bollywood

Author:  Rishi Vohra

Published January 15th 2015 by Jaico Books
Reviewed for Author

The boring life of aspiring film maker who is a finance graduate in the US and planning to go for arranged marriage gets a Bollywood twist when he comes to Mumbai to follow his dream. A fully filmy masala book which is surely a page turner. The characters are etched out neatly connecting through the story and moving towards a happy ending, just like our HiFi, I mean Bollywood.

The Premise: "AN ASPIRING FILMMAKER. THE DIZZYING HEIGHTS OF BOLLYWOOD. AND A STRAINED FATHER-SON RELATIONSHIP."
Rayhan, the protagonist, is an aspiring film maker and has always dreamt of being a director in the Hindi Film (HiFi) industry. The terms Bollywood and HiFi have been interchangeably used in the novel to signify the Hindi film industry. Rayhan's father, a middle class service man living in a flat in Mumbai wants his son to settle in the US and marry Vanita, his friend's daughter who is a medical student in the US. But Rayhan, has different plans, and to chase his dreams, he secretly comes to Mumbai to try his luck in Bollywood. His friend Shady lands him a job as an assistant to a famous director Saajan B by lying that he has experience in Hollywood. Mumbai takes him on a roller coaster adventure ride where he encounters different characters - Peter, the local don who vies for a role as villain, his maid who tries to make a move on him in anticipation of a role in films, a local politician who wants to marry his domestic help, Voila who makes him fall in love and film stars and their ego. 
Will his father go berserk when he sees him in Mumbai? Will he have a future in Bollywood? Is his lie of being a Hollywood return a big ticket to success or will it backfire? Will Rayhan realize his dreams in Mumbai or will he have to go back to US just like millions who try their hand in Hifi? Will he get his love Viola or will he go back to arranged marriage with his father's choice?


My 2 cents: The book is an interesting casual read with good narrations and character built up. It is narrated from the eyes of Rayhan, the lead character, a young, hardworking guy who is serious about his dream. The story flows seamlessly, the language is easy to read and twists keep coming as small surprises through the book. From page 1 itself the story grips you and it is unlikely to leave the book midway once you start it. I started reading casually one night, and I couldn’t keep it down until I had finished it by morning. 
The title is apt and the cover page design is interesting. The end though seems to be a little too filmy but then, it is about bollywood, so all is well that ends well :)

There are narrations about the lanes of Berkeley, Mumbai, movie sets, studios, filmstars, and many others which could be virtually explored through the book. The writing style is lucid and I must say, I see another Chetan Bhagat in the making. 

All in all, the book is a good read. Read it for some good humor moments, powerful narrations of film sets, seamless flow and lucid language, some magical twists and to visit the HiFi.. I mean Bollywood virtually.

My rating : 4 out of 5 stars.

Bedtime Rituals: The special time with my baby

Being a mother has been the most beautiful experience of my life. A new life was placed in my hands and I was responsible for taking care of her. I still remember the day my daughter was born, so small, so delicate and so damn cute. But being a mother comes with its own set of challenges. After 9 months of nausea, vomiting, uneasiness and final labor pains, now was the time for sleepless nights.

My baby never slept a single night for the first 2 months of her life and so didn't I. Night after night I used to spend roaming around the darkness with my baby in my arms, trying to make her sleep, changing her nappies and feeding her every other hour. Though I used to sleep during days, but I hadn't slept for 50 nights at a stretch and it was taking a toll on my overall health and moods. I used to pray to God to keep me sane during those tough days and make it easier. Slowly my baby started to adjust her cycle and understanding days and nights. Then my friend suggested to start bedtime rituals which will help my baby relax and associate her night sleep with the night time relaxing activities. I followed these rituals without fail everyday and it was pleasant for both me and my baby as it increased our bonding and improved our sleep.
Night time massage - I used to massage my baby with warm oil every night so that her body and muscles relax and she sleeps peacefully. I generally did not prefer to give bath at night as the elders in my family felt the baby was too small and might catch a cold if I did so in the night.

Comfortable night clothes - The massage was followed by a change of clothes to comfortable cotton dress in light color shades and I used to also change my bed sheet to a white one and avoid any glaring colors at night.

Pampers: I put her in her Pampers baby dry pants every night, so that she stays dry and sleeps uninterruptedly. This ensures a good sleep for not only my baby but also for me since I do not need to change nappies every other hour and it lasts entire night up to 12 hours. This was very relaxing for me as I could sleep comfortably without worrying if my baby is wet.

Cool ambiance: Every day at the same time, I switch off my lights and put a night bulb. My family was instructed to switch off all TV or other noisy activities in the house for the baby to calm down and prepare for sleep.

Cuddling and feeding - I carry my baby in my arms for about half hour and roam in my balcony for her to calm down and then nurse her to sleep. She sleeps almost a full night now only waking up once for feed.
I do not need to worry about changing her nappies or interruptions in her sleep due to wetness because Pampers provides a full dry night. The dry pants are very comfortable and do not cause any irritation to her skin.
Thanks to Pampers for giving both mom and baby a good nights sleep :)

This post is written for Bedtime Rituals happy hour contest on Indiblogger in association with Pampers.


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ASUS Indiblogger Meet 2015 - Bangalore

Well.. first of all my apologies that this post is coming so late. I had got stuck in something so couldn't spare time to write about this amazing event.
This was my first indiblogger meet so I was not sure what to expect. I am glad to say that thank God I attended it, because it was full of fun and activities.
The venue was ITC Gardenia which is a 5 star hotel centrally located in Bangalore, so it was not too far from my place. As soon as I entered, the security guided me to the first floor where the meet was happening. As soon as I entered, a musical performance was going on with electric guitars and drums on the stage and people in the audience were tapping their fingers and enjoying. Since it was my first meet, I didn't know any of the blogger but quickly made friends and joined their table.
Then there were some introductions and an activity where we had to collect the personal belongings from other bloggers. This was a fun activity which gave a chance to interact and know other bloggers.

Post this, the ASUS team launched the ASUS EeeBook X205TA and ASUS All In One PC ET2040. There was a presentation followed by the question answer session and then an actual product demonstration where we could touch and feel the product and understand its features. In my opinion, the ASUS ebook is very sleek and provides great config for an incredible price of 14999 only. The All in One PC is also something to look out for if you need a family desktop kind of a system.

This was followed by another group activity where we were divided into small groups and had to enact on a given theme and give a blogging angle to it.
The overall atmosphere was very positive and light. I met some nice people and made few friends too. The food was awesome and the Indiblogger team was very helpful.
Unfortunately there were no t-shirts as I was hoping. But All in all, a great experience.
Thanks to Indiblogger and ASUS and help to see more such meets in Bangalore.

#GoSleeekAsusExperience

Pimples and the Worst day of my life

Pimple Pimples Pimples... Describing the worst day of my life..

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This unwanted peril has never left me since my teens but this day is still vivid in my memory. It was my 10th board exam day.I was already stressed due to the study pressure, but that full day was one which left a deep scare in my life and kept on haunting me for many years.I was supposed to get up early in the morning to do my final revision ( 3 hours of revision, a time period where you need 200% concentration). I did get up but could not concentrate due to continuous itching and some discomfort. To my utmost horror, I was staring at 3 big dark red color pimples, which had increase din size over night. What a way to start a critical day!!! Some how I finished the revision, thinking and feeling only my 3 latest enemies. Even worse than my teachers which I hated and dreaded the most. In front of these 3 pimples, those teachers looked saints.

After finishing the revision, I decided to quickly get freshen up and get ready for school. As soon as I entered the bathroom, I just started staring these 3 terrorists on my face who have entered in my life without my permission. I kept on looking at mirror for 15 minutes, only to be shouted upon by my mom to come out and get ready quickly. It was nothing but excessive use of mirror.

On breakfast table, my dear dad after looking at these 3 naxalites on my face started giving lecture about my lack of personal hygiene and fooding habits. I expected some motivational talk but i only got some rant.It really put a big dent on my confidence to face any time of exam. I thought this was the worst day and it cannot worsen more. But to my surprise god had more in store for me.

As soon as I reached the exam center ( already late ), my whole class started looking at me as if I have come after playing holi. Entire class started making fun of me including my first crush, a tall dark basketball player, whom I admired so much. So much for the crush..my heart got crushed.

During the entire exam time of 3 hours, I only kept on thinking about it, scratching it, in between some taunts from my teacher about I should focus on my cleanliness and continuous neglect from my crush. Somehow I got through the exam, hoping, praying, making deals with god to take me through.

Now I thought the day is over and time to reach home and relax,

As soon as I got home, my mother took me to a dermatologist who gave some 3 different types of tablet, 1 syrup and a long lecture on how should eat well and live my life. Medication prescribed did not yield any positive result and trauma continued in next exam also.

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Midway I decided enough is enough and time to take matters in my own hand.I started using Garnier Neem face wash and I could really see the difference within few days. All my subsequent exams went well and I could score well. The score in those exams still helps me and thanks to Garnier, I am able to confidently share my results.








To know more about Garnier Pure Active Neem Face wash, check the following links -
bit.ly/GPABlogLinkIndiBloggerActivity and bit.ly/GarnierPureActiveNeemWebsite
This blog post is written for Garnier Pure active neem contest in association with Indiblogger.

Book Review: Lost in Pattaya

Book Title: Lost in Pattaya
Author:  Kishore Modak
Published June 4th 2014 by Grapevine Inda Publishers Pvt. Ltd
Reviewed for The Tales Pensive

Life is not always what it looks on the face value. Similarly the as the story reveals itself in the end, you realize it lands on different dimension that you earlier thought.The entire story is told from the eyes of a protagonist who is a drunk broke man. He has a darker side and it take time to adjust to his way of thinking. I hated the protagonist, the main hero (supposedly) but I loved the book. 

The Premise: "It is every dad’s nightmare – his little girl goes missing."
The story starts when a father looses his daughter in the streets of Pattaya while he is busy dealing with the drug peddler in a corner. His addictions have taken over his saneness and everyone blames him for the loss. His married life was already on a rocky path and due to this incident, his wife leaves him. The police too is not very helpful for him. His work too suffers and eventually he looses his job and there is no hope left for him. There is a ray of hope when he meets a lady who narrates him the story of how she rescued her daughter from the beggar mafia in Thailand. Determined to find his daughter, he sets out on a journey which will shock him to the core. Will he find and rescue his daughter or loose himself to Pattaya?

My 2 cents: The book is an interesting casual read with good narrations and character built up. It is narrated from the eyes of Palash, the lead character, father of a young girl, broken, drug addict and most of the time in drunken state. The way he thinks is not expected to be too sane, and so it took time for me to understand his point of view. There were places where I hated him and felt justified for his loss as it was difficult for me to put myself in the shoes of the narrator. Questions kept propping in my mind such as 'How could a distressed father of a missing daughter call the drug peddler for his regular dose of coke, even before landing at the police station?', 'How could he be lost and narrate to us the beauty in the eyes of a prostitute when he is on a mission to search for his baby?'
These kept me going through the book, but I would say this is a positive point. Generally, in most of the novels I fall in love with the lead character, or at least feel empathy for him. This is the first book where is felt strong antipathy for the protagonist for a good first half. The characterization done by author is so damn strong that he wants to peek into the thoughts of a helpless man caught in addictions. I felt this was one strong point along with the use of awesome language and flow.

The second half gets better when the mystery unfolds and it leads to strange revelations. It becomes more of a personal quest for Palash than for his daughter. Though the title and cover page with a sad girl suggests that the story is about a lost girl, it is more about the father. There are narrations about the lanes of Pattaya, drug peddlers, prostitution and other dark alleys where you would never want to venture, but can be virtually explored through the book.

All in all, the book is a good read. Read it for powerful narrations, good vocabulary, some magical sentences and to visit the darker side of the world.

My rating : 3.5 out of 5 stars.






The book was received as part of the Reviewers Program on The Tales Pensive.