Celebrate Diwali with Expressing Life : Double Contest Alert!
Diwali, the festival of lights, is one of the most celebrated and sacred festivals of Hindus in India.
The significance is the celebration of the homecoming of Lord Rama after rescuing Lady Sita, his wife, from the evil King Ravana and completing their 14 years of exile.
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| Source: www.play.google.com |
With Diwali around the corner, on the 30th day of October, to reward you all for your loyal readership of my musings, I have two splendid contests in store.
My love for books and coffee is overflowing, so the reward is likely to be one of both, or maybe both!
Contest I: Coffee lovers, this one is for you! - CLOSED
Recently, I came across this app called Gestu that gives you a chance to gift your loved ones what they actually like, be it a cappuccino or tickets of their favorite movies! Wouldn't you rather gift them something simple & sweet, send them a little note, materialize the sensation? That's exactly what Gestu lets you do. AND that's just one of tens of emotions that are expressible through Gestu!
In its early days, Gestu is striving to revolutionize your gifting options and would like to know your opinions!
I have partnered with them and they're reaching out to you! They want to know what you'd like to see on their app. That one awesome, old or new brand/product that conveys your emotions better than anything else!
So, all you have to do is:
- Download the app via this *link*
- Check out what the app has to offer.
- Comment your view in the comment box below on what should be added on to the app (Something unique, Okay?). You can choose any brand, be it Pizza Hut or Shoppers Stop, PVR or Starbucks!
- To increase your chances of winning, follow me on twitter, and tweet your answer there as well with the hashtag, #Gestuit, do not forget to mention me, my twitter handle is @radhikamundra99.
Contest II: Now, I'm celebrating a win which is a secret, for now. So, what is the one thing that tops Coffee? Books, yes, books! - CLOSED
Just answer these questions in the comments and you're good to go!
- Tell me about that one book which made you rethink life!
- Would you choose an hour's worth of happiness every day or a full day of happiness 24 days from now?
- Tell me about a post on my blog that you loved and why!
Prizes:
For Contest I: The best, most unique or the uncanniest suggestion wins 7 Gestus (2 for you, 5 for your friends)!
For Contest II: Best 3 comments will win a book each. The first prize will be a Paperback, while the next two will be Kindle editions.
Rules:
- Do not copy. Frame your own answers!
- Share the post once you've answered.
- Contest I has ended.
- Contest II ends on 28th October 2016.
- The #GestuIt contest extends to Indian Residents only.
- The II Contest is open to all.
- The final selection of winners is undisputable.
So, enough reading, start writing your answers!
Results:
The winner of Contest I is... *Drum roll*... Krishna Sharda.
Here's your congratulatory message from the App Makers:
Kudos to you, champ. You just aced the Gestu test!
Not only did we love your suggestion, but WILL BE (Onboarding the commented brand, i.e., McDonalds!)
You get to send 5 out of the 7 to your friends, based out of ANY STATE OR CITY in India! Now quickly send your details to us so that we can gift some Gestus to you!
xxx
The winners of the second contest are:
1. Hemant Kapoor
2. Tara Farah
3. Neha Bhandari
I have read all your comments but my exams demand my time and I'll have to skip on answering them for the time being! Please bear with me and thanks awfully for participating in this contest! xx
xxx
The winners of the second contest are:
1. Hemant Kapoor
2. Tara Farah
3. Neha Bhandari
I have read all your comments but my exams demand my time and I'll have to skip on answering them for the time being! Please bear with me and thanks awfully for participating in this contest! xx
xxx
A request for you all. While we're fortunate enough to be celebrating, there are people out there who are struggling desperately to make ends meet. Share your festivities with them, share your joy. Remember, the good you do comes back to you!
Until next time,
Be kind to one another.
Bye Bye! :)
Hello...
ReplyDeleteFor contest II, my answers may strange for you. But that's the fact (for those who lives a life with good salary but most difficult in sense of travelling and real life challenges)
1. One most important book i used to read for my inner peace is "Shri Bhagwat Gita"
(Which gives real meaning of life, our work, values and a lot spiritual things)
2. I will go with Daily one hour happiness. As life has unlimited things to do daily one hour i can spare to live "life"
3. Your blog "Jaisalmar trip" sounds interesting for me. As from last few years i am India traveler and being a witness of various cultures, food, people and life styles; at last i can tell that Life itself is a travel... no matter who joins you or leaves you!!
Thank you for your patience to read answers as first contestant for the blog.
Manan Bhatt
Twitter: @mananbhatt1991
Thank you so much, Manan for sharing your wonderful answers!
DeleteBhagavad Gita is truly a life-changing book, no doubts about that.
I would choose one hour as well.
Ah, that is one of my favorite posts too! :D
Thanks again and good luck to you! :)
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteContest 1st.
ReplyDeleteAdd book my show
Thank for your participation but you'd have to leave your details here to be eligible.
DeleteFirst of all congrtualtions to you on your secret win ;)
ReplyDeleteNow I am submitting my entry for contest 1.
I really loved the idea of gifting online,
And as it 25th year of my favorite brand, As it celebrates its Silver jublie being loyal to it I will say it should add Shoppers Stop E Gift voucher facility and another suggestion I Have is I am coffee addicet, coffee is in my veins
Coffee go best as hiring, because coffee create sweet stories so why not CCD vouchers :D
It will be great gift idea.
So at present I am looking to these two 😍
Downloaded the app, exploring it ;) and Diwali is round the corner
Some vouchers are to be gifted now .
Thank you so much, Dixita!
DeleteI love Shoppers Stop too! :D
Fortunately for you, they already have CCD and if you win, they are surely going to add Shoppers Stop!
Happy Diwali! :)
Contest II:
ReplyDelete1. I have a great urge to write "my class 12 Science books" because it did ultimately lead me to "rethink" life, but more seriously - Helen Keller's autobiography. The book very subtly showed me the difference between "sight" and "vision", and had me rethink about all the complaints I had against life.
2. An hour of happiness everyday simply because I'm an impatient soul, and would hate 24 days for happiness.
3. "We're all in this together" closely followed by "Marriage can wait..." because of the messages they served, and how effectively it's been done. More so, in the present scenario in our nation and elsewhere.
The book sounds amazing, Rahul. I'll have to check it out.
DeleteI'm an impatient soul as well. :D
Thank you for your generous words.
Good Luck. :)
Contest 2
ReplyDeleteBook- Harry Potter series
Reason- well where to start from. There are so many reasons. First it teaches that anyone can be a hero. Second it's our choices which make us who we are not anything else. Then it teaches about the great sacrifices that one has to make for love. And obviously the magical world. It just reminds us that we ourselves are living in a magical universe, n there are so many mysteries yet to be uncovered. And yes "don't pity the dead Harry, pity the living. And mostly who live without love" ❤ Always
An hour daily. " Ati sarwatra varjyet" 😂 too much of anything is bad.
Ur short story on colours.. that was really intriguing.
Thank you for your wonderful answers, Akshay!
DeleteI'm an ardent Harry Potter fan, so I can understand what you're saying!
Haha, ati har cheez ki buri hoti hai, truly said.
Thanks, the story was offbeat, an experiment and looks like it worked! :)
A1) The Five people you met in heaven, It made me think, How in ignorance, avoid few people whom we should be spending more time.
ReplyDeleteCOntest 2.
A2) I choose an hour's worth of happiness every day, because people whom i love, are special to me, they are my life.
A3) http://www.expressinglife.in/2015/11/were-all-in-this-together.html is the post I loved, because Its something which i also promote and I also blog about.
We have to come together to make this world a better place !
Hey, this is for the Contest-2
ReplyDelete1. Well, there are many books which inspire me and make me think about them in a different perspective. But, currently there's one author who's kindling so many thoughts in me,and that is Danielle Steel. Her books are like out of the world. My personal favorites are "Family Ties" and "Until The End Of Time". Both the books helped me "rethink life!!". Both the books made me understand that life is something which you need to live and it's a full wholesome package of emotions and it's definitely a roller coaster. It tells us how important our family is and how much they actually love us and support us even if we do enough tantrums worth making this world upside down. And I would like to quote something from the book "Until The End Of Time" - "Love is a shooting star that lands in your heart, and lives forever."
2. Well it would be an hour of happiness everyday, because happiness is an emotion which know's no bounds and i guess an hour of happiness is just not enough, because we need to much more happier in our life and we can face thousands and thousands of dementors sucking our life away!
3. Radhika, seriously all your posts are amazing!! I love your blog! And i do not want to show importance to just one post and lower the respect of other posts. Way to go Girl! :)
Hey rad,
ReplyDeleteThis is for contest 1
“Happiness only real when shared.”― Christopher McCandless
I will go with Pizza Hut, best part about sharing pizza with our friends is our love with pizza and love for our friends .This app talks about emotions, the best part about sharing a pizza with friends having it together. Its overall charm of getting with a friend finding the right pizza, when it arrives leaves a smile on face.
Btw I am not coffee lover but I drink coffee only after hangover. I liked getsu because beer café is already added in list
Twitter-prashanthkrr
Thanks for your entry, Prashant! I love Pizza Hut! Let's see if the appmaker loves it too! :)
DeleteHaha, I see, but we're not giving out beer vouchers! :P
Good luck!
Contest 1:
ReplyDeletePlease add Crossword on Gestu App so that we can gift our friends a gift worth giving!
Thanks for your entry, Vaidehi! I'd too, like it if they add crossword! :)
DeletePlease add Subway on Gestu App as it's my best friend's favorite and would make a good gifting option.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your entry, Kanika! Good luck to you! :)
DeleteSince my sister lives away, I'd like you to add '-Mc Donald brand-' so that we can send her treats even though we do not live in the same state. It'd be a good option for everyone who has friends and family living in far away places.
ReplyDeleteI really like the thought behind your suggestion as McDonalds is quite a popular brand and its outlets are present in all the major cities. Good luck to you! :)
DeleteHello Radhika,
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your "secret-win"
My answers for the "Celebrate Diwali with Expressing Life Contest 2" are as follows-
1- That one book which makes me Rethink Life everytime I read it is - "A Little Book Of Life" by Ruskin Bond
In the said book the author presents thoughts on nature, friendship, love, family, money, enemies in short, pithy statements ; thus almost covering every aspect of Life!
This is a book you can dip into anytime, and come up with something that will make you smile or think with its wit and gentle common sense.
2- Definitely an hour's worth of happiness every day.
Happiness is like Perfume. You can't pour it all on one single day. Instead you wear it drop by drop and choose to feel ecstatic daily!
They say- "Everyday may not be good ; but there is something good in every day!"
Let that one hour of happiness chosen be the 'good' for that day.. To sail through every dark night in hope of another brighter day!
3- I loved "The Pursuit Of HappIness"
Blogpost on your blog because it stresses on to be happy in this very moment and also very vividly list out the Little things in our everyday lives that motivates us to wake up the next day.
#cheerstolife👍
Contact me on - neha2001bhandari@gmail.com
and if you happen to choose me a Winner; I'd appreciate if you make amends to the prize from paperback to Hard-cover; reason being, they are easily preserved till Eternity and they give a much-much better feel.
Thanks :)
Contest 1:
ReplyDeleteI suggest you to add Domino's Pizza to the Gestu App as pizza is everyone's favourite and it would be fun gifting pizzas to family and friends.
Fortunately for you, they are already in talks with Domino's! So your wish is going to come true soon! :D
DeleteMy entry for Contest 2.
ReplyDelete1. The one book that makes me rethink about life is "Tuesdays with Morrie". I would suggest every young adult to read this book once. It teaches you to respect your near ones, your surrounding and your overall being. We just take life for granted and then one fine day we realise it slipped through our hands.
2. I would go for being an hour or any moment of happiness everyday. Being happy everyday will lead to being happy always because being happy will become a habit then :)
3. I loved the post on " Marriage can wait, Education cannot"..Remember it was through this very topic of discussion we met in Mumbai.My parents believed in that and never put any pressure on me to get married once I turned 20. Dad said "soar freely in the sky, all birds anyway home to nest to rest". I found the one I would love to share my nest with and now I & my fellow birdie fly together before returning to our nest we call home :)
would lyk #Gestuit to add more options for fast food chains, video game parlour, Recharge/Promo Codes & Petrol if possible 😂
ReplyDeleteHaha, Petrol gave me a good laugh! :D Lets see if they can do it! :)
DeleteContest 1:
ReplyDeleteI would like you to add Fastrack to your options as it is a very popular brand and a worthy gifting option.
Thanks for your suggestion, Madhav! If they do add it, let me be your first receiver! :D
Delete- Steve Jobs by Walter Issacsson,
ReplyDeleteA big inspiration, what difference one can bring to others'lives, to create that is unprecedented with making an impact at a larger scale is worthy of appreciation, leaving behind a legacy for future generations to admire. What difference can I make to others' lives, To share what you have in excess, at thy end that's what will count.
- Full day of happiness cause I don't prefer long life, whatever time I have to make it count, do productive. Would cherish my accomplishments in last 24 days + spend whole time with family friends without a smartphone or laptop.
- Tough to choose one, seriously! But if have to choose one then 'Marriage can wait not Education' is one of your best blogs. Its a must read, should be published too cause if people read understand and implement then it'll do a lot good for our country. Education is a must n women should study + work as much as they wish to.
I would suggest you to add chumbak on getsu as it have variety of fashion and lifestyle products at an affordable price, which are quite amazing for gifting purpose.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the suggestion, Dolly. Good luck to you! :)
DeleteContest 1:
ReplyDeleteI would like to suggest www.covetlo.com
Covetlo is a next generation product search, discovery and sharing platform, created for the suave taste makers like you.
Covetlo is social. Stay connected.
We have got all kinds of social features to share your journey with your family and friends. Invite them to follow you and be a taste maker in Covetlo community. Follow them back and show your love.
Hey Himanshu,
DeleteAs explained, you had to add a brand, not a social media site. Your entry is hence, disqualified.
There are times when thought of thanking a person through a small gesture (like gifting a chocolate with sweet small note) strikes sometime later and this is where Gestu can be the saving grace. A very creative thought, I liked the idea. In this busy world, mood of a person fluctuates very frequently. The gift received today might not render same amount of happiness than that received after 3 days. I would love to see it partnering with express delivery services like BigBasket or Amazon where you can gift a kindle book. We then will have an option to gift anything from sweets to chocolates to perfume. Guess what, You know your special friend is going to a party with you that evening. How about you Gestu a deo?
ReplyDeleteThank you for your wonderful entry, Aashish. I really like the thought behind it but since it has been added after 12, I'll have to disqualify it. Still, try your luck on the second contest! :)
DeleteThe season of gifting is upon us, I suggest bring the brand Patanjali aboard. It has quality products on reasonable prices and is Made in India!
ReplyDeleteThat's a very good idea, Sonu Di, but you're too late! You had to comment before 12 yesterday! :D
DeleteContest II:
ReplyDelete1.Tell me about that one book which made you rethink life!
The book which made me rethink about life is "Shree Mad Bhagwad Geeta".
I had never read it as a holy scripture but a pure form of set of guidelines about different aspects of life. There are two different ways the way I see it. One, way of Karma. Two, way of surrender to the divine. Both are equally important, but the former is my favorite.
Also, the critical part I found is the portrayed god Krishna had, also, used word 'Dharma' to talk about Karma way. Sadly, it had been misinterpreted several times by various scholars. There are various such examples which had helped me to understand the fine line between two similar things that exist in this world.
According to me, the beauty of 'Shree Mad Bhagwad Geeta' is not because of Lord Krishna, but the sincerest disciple 'Arjun'. Had Arjun accepted what Lord Krishna said at first, there would never be 18 chapters. World would never know about other aspects of life in this inter connecting way. It is Arjun's curiosity and questioning habit took it further. And this taught me to ask "WHY" in every single thing, and not to accept until you are satisfied. Be it ritual, be it norm, be it law, be it belief, it can be anything; ask "WHY"?
2. Would you choose an hour's worth of happiness every day or a full day of happiness 24 days from now?
Neither.
Few reasons:
1) Happiness is a broad and extremely generic term which is, largely, dependent on various materialistic aspects.
2) Choosing the former option would make me question why only one hour?
3) Choosing other option would make me anxious. It is like I know I'm gonna die on 25th day after living in heaven for 24 days. My situation would be like 'Sahadev', youngest Pandav, of Mahabharta.
I prefer my happiness to be independent of many factors, specifically Time. Yes, I do feel happy when I get salary, when I see a 2 year kid smiling with highest level of innocence, when I help the needy one etc, but I'm happy without any reason at all.
3. Tell me about a post on my blog that you loved and why!
"Do you support the right to die?"
I loved this post. The most beautiful thing about it is it started with the definition of Euthanasia. Now, you might wonder what's the big deal about a simple definition, right? Let me tell you why. Our mind, sometime, reads so fast that it skips a or two words in the sentence. Just imagine the horror if one misses one or two words while reading the definition. Just imagine what would happen if the definition is somewhere in the middle of the post. I personally read the definition twice before moving forward.
Secondly, the way argument is put forth, it completely reflects the practical approach to the counter measures to the disease while being extremely sympathetic to the sufferer.
Another good point about this post is that it's a different viewpoints welcoming creation. It doesn't end there. All the viewpoints are very well addressed by the author.
1.An epic rendition in "David Copperfield" by Charles Dickens for it was one of my early read. The characters riveted me for reasons difficult to surmise but gave me reasons to dismantle assumptions, challenge perspectives and illuminate possibilities
ReplyDelete2.Give me a day to celebrate and revel. Given every millisecond i would trample the two world underfoot and dance forever.
3.Amidst running errands, i has this 5-10 mins of hit on your blog daily. The listicles and the posts had this unique diaspora of thoughts, culmination of ideas and estranged opinions weaved under the threads of literature brilliance. I happened to chose the post in "My fit Fuel Whey protein 80". The narrative was so astute for it convinced a workout guy in me to buy a different product ! Voila Scribbling genius
The last brink, minutes before the deadlines here's my response for Contest 2 . Bonne Read !
DeleteHello! I first want to thank you for holding this contest and giving me the opportunity to connect with you (and possibly win!). Second, I love your blog and social media sites! Your posts are inspirational and make me smile 😀, so keep up the great work!
ReplyDeleteContest II:
1. A book that has greatly inspired me and/or changed my life...seriously, only one?! I am a teacher, and I love books, so this is a difficult question to answer! But, I would have to say I that I really love quotes or shorter reads that I can pass on to my students so they have something to think about and apply to their current or future lives. With my students being teenagers, it's better to give them bits and pieces each day because they can only digest so much without feeling overloaded. For that reason, I choose a book called Don't Sweat the Small Stuff by Richard Carlson. He has a way of teaching others to slow down and live life with less stress by focusing on the people and moments that matter...rather than the "small stuff" that really doesn't. When you sweat the small stuff, your life feels stressed and hurried and you forget to enjoy all that the world has to offer. If my students are able to take the author's advice, their lives will be happier and mine will, too, as a result! Knowing that I introduced them to his ideas and helped to guide them to more fulfilling days, fills me with joy! I am happy just knowing I was able to guide them in a positive direction.
2. Without a doubt, I would choose to be happy one hour a day. Everyone deserves to have something to smile about every single day. The more we practice something, the better we get at it. My hopes are that the more I practice finding things that make me happy, the one hour I began with, will turn into two...and then four...and six, and so on! Living 100% unhappy until day 24 and then making the switch for the next 24 hours would be a very difficult task, since we tend to be creatures of habit. When you have practiced and lived for almost a month being unhappy, to jump into a full day of the exact opposite, doesn't predict good results! Baby steps are necessary to help us learn, appreciate, and absorb the realities of life. Plus, 100% of one thing isn't healthy, either. We need the bad times to appreciate the good, and we need the good so that we have something to look forward to and build on to improve, so that we are better than we were the day before. Therefore, mixing a balance of happiness each day with bouts of unhappiness gives us a reason to wake up and live life in a healthy way. :-)
3. Although all of your posts are great, my favorite one has to be the one that brought me to here to your blog in the first place! Here is the link: http://www.expressinglife.in/2015/11/were-all-in-this-together.html?m=1 I absolutely love this poem! It reminds us all that we need to love and take care of each other. Instead of looking at each other's differences in a negative light, we need to embrace our differences so that we can learn and grow together! Thank you again for allowing me to post this poem in my classroom so my students can learn from your words to better themselves!
-Tara
Hi read your blog its great, ur story telling is intense, its a great art which i feel that u have mastered it, ur command on english language makes it great. Just a correction and not at all being rude sita was not any lady but she was wife of lord rama
ReplyDeleteThank you so much! I'm so excited to be chosen as one of the Contest II winners! All of the entries I read were great...congrats to everyone! :-)
ReplyDeleteThank you for choosing me as one of the winners. How to claim the said prize?
ReplyDelete