New Year Event Experience Nostalgia | Or What A New Year Party Should Never Be Like | Mumbai NYE 2019

"Happy New Year"

Three words that inspire immense happiness and hope and a zeal for celebration. Food, Fun, Friends, Frolic. After witnessing amazing New Year Parties in countless Bollywood movies, it is but natural for a Mumbai resident (like moi) to want to indulge in some out-of-this-world party. This is what happened 10 years ago...

My college friends (who were avid nightclub goers) decided on a long drive at first but at last minute the plan had to be cancelled because the farmhouse they had rented was rented out to someone else by mistake and there was a lot of confusion. This happened just 2 days before the New Year Eve! And remember, since this was 10 years ago, we did not have active social media scene like now- twitter, facebook were in nascent stage, instgram had not captured our attention and we did not have any centralized website to find out options for celebrating New Year. We had to go by connections, word-of-mouth, all that jazz!

So finally we decided that we would gate-crash whichever NYE Mumbai party we could score last-minute tickets for. Turns out that one of my friend's mother had a friend who got us 8 tickets for a New Year party at a resort at Madh Island. Yoohoo, we were so excited now. Madh Island sounded rad (that was the cool party term back then :P) So 6 of us friends and the kind lady who scored us the tickets plus 1 of her friends, we all landed at this huge resort at Madh Island on 31 December by 9 PM, dressed in our finest part attire and ready to boogie the night away.

(What we expected)

At first glance, it seemed okay. Guests were still streaming in. Of course, real party won't start before 11 PM, we all thought. Till then, we were ready to maybe play some fun games, indulge in light dancing, nosh on some nibbles, down some cocktails...but guess what, there was nothing in sight! Sure the place was all decked up, balloons and streamers and some stray disco balls too, but no food or drinks in sight at all. The invite had made it sound like there would be some entertainment program too but all we witnessed was a sad DJ belting some retro tunes sporadically.

(What we got)

We waited and waited some more. More guests streamed in and finally we saw some servers with trays roaming around. After frantically flailing our arms for 5 minutes, we managed to capture attention of one of them. Chicken drumsticks, that's what arrived. Now half of our party was vegetarians, so our non-vegetarian compatriots polished the plate clean and sent a special request for some vegetarian delicacies. Half an hour later, we got a plate of Paneer tikkas after 4 rounds of about half a dozen non-vegetarian dishes had paraded through the area. Come on, this is India, it is not difficult to come up with 3-4 good vegetarian appetizers at a New Year Eve Party. 

Meanwhile, 2 singers had started a sort-of entertainment program on the vast stage. They were good, but this was not supposed to be a singing event. Where was entertainment? Dancers? Maybe a magician? Maybe an emcee with some jokes, some fun games? Something to make it an interactive event? No idea. 

(What we wanted)

Finally around 11.30 PM, we were famished and started searching for proper food. There had to be main course and dessert, right? Especially for us vegetarians who by now were fed up of Paneer Tikka :P We found a small shack with literally 3 items- Fried Rice, Manchurian, some Mutton gravy. That's it. And unlimited Vanilla/ Strawberry scoops of ice cream. Yay!

(What we got was worse than this)

After dancing for 15 more minutes and watching a half-hearted cracker bursting at the stroke of midnight, we left the venue, trying very hard to convince ourselves that we had not been to just a kid's birthday party and this really was a New Year Eve Party. We reached home by 3 AM and the ride in car on the way back was more entertaining than the entire 3 hours we spent at this so-called New Year Party celebration.

But fret not, 10 years later, I know now that no situation like this can happen with my group of friends on NYE 2019. Just came across HighApe that seems to be the ultimate one-stop platform for discovering India's best nightlife options. And guess what, they have a handpicked list of New Year Events & Parties in Mumbai. No more landing at strange places with false promises of a rocking time, HighApe is where we get to pick and choose our poison aka New Year 2019 Event ourselves. 

How does a 'Masquerade Experience' sound? Intriguing enough? Or maybe NYE 2019 Event at an amusement park is more your thing..well how does 'New Year Bash at Imagica' sounds then? Fun, Food, Friends, Music, Dancing, Live Acts and more..it is all there ready for us to choose from and make our New Year 2019 very special. I am logging on to make NYE 2019 awesome for me and my friends, and hope you do so too :)

Source : 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Book Review | Without Prejudice By Author Devasis | Epic Tale Of A Mumbai Bar Dancer | Fiction Meets Facts | Opinion

Tale of a bar dancer in Mumbai, erstwhile Bombay, the land of dreams.

Background

Mumbai has always occupied a unique space in collective Indian mind. It is the most fashionable, most headline-grabbing, most glamorous and the most sought after city where India's biggest celebrities (actors, cricketers, businessmen, industrialists, playboys etc.) reside...This is the city of dreams, this is the city where 100s arrive everyday in dreams of becoming the next Shah Rukh Khan or next Aishwarya Rai, next Sachin Tendulkar or next Ratan Tata!

And like all the great cities in the world, there is a flourishing underbelly to this glittering city too. An underbelly full of violence, broken dreams, disappointments, crime, seedy localities, slums, abject poverty...This side of Mumbai is as widely covered in our popular culture as the glamorous and rich side of this megapolis.

A famous (or infamous!) shade of this underbelly has been the Mumbai bar dancer industry. This issue gained widespread attention with the movie Chandni Bar by Madhur Bhandarkar. Even in many other movies, bar dancers have played a prominent role, especially in stories related to underworld dons and notorious criminals. In modern Bollywood, bar dancers have often replaced the role played by Helen and Bindu in classical Bollywood era, that of quintessential 'item songs' girls to make movies more mass-based and commercially viable. In real life, most of the time, they have not been considered anything more than a 'prostitute' who puts the front of a 'mere dancing girl' to lure customers/patrons. Ask any common Indian on the street and it would be rare to come across a good opinion of bar dancer girls. For a layman, a 'tawayef' in 'kotha', a prostitute in red light district and a bar dancer are one and the same. 

Subject Matter

But where did these bar dancers come from? Beneath all the seedy dance bars, shady patrons, gaudy costumes, layers of makeup and whispers of prostitution, surely these are also human beings with complex personalities and complicated emotions. Does the society assume that a person is born with dreams of being a bar dancer? Why do we not look at them as humans anymore? What is their perspective on this attitude of society towards them? Do they wish to leave this industry and if they did, would the society accept them as a normal, dignified individual?

Without Prejudice by Author Devasis is an attempt to delve into this industry through personal story of 1 bar dancer, gleaned from his personal research into the subject matter and it does throw up some eye-opening facts related to bar dancers.

We meet Munia as a little child on the cusp of teenage, bartered as a precious cattle to be fed and groomed for her future role as a concubine, her destiny already pre-decided because of her caste. Through the eyes of her groomers and childhood 'protectors' (who frankly are saving her just to throw her to the wolf who pays the most for her innocence), we see her transform into Pallavi and then end up at perspectives shared by Roy and Rajkumar, 2 men who play an important role in Pallavi's life as a young bar dancer. Through their conversations and Roy's research into bar dancers' history (he is a journalist), the reader also understands the nuances of this sensitive, complicated topic. 

Personal Thoughts 

1. When I started Without Prejudice, frankly I thought this would be a typical 'prostitute with a heart of gold' story-line. Yup, I am ashamed to recognize myself as someone who takes refuge in stereotyping too. Having seen many movies like Pretty Woman, I thought that is the only track a story like this can take. Here is a woman, she is pretty, young and innocent with big dreams, she comes to Mumbai to achieve success and gets sucked into the big bad underworld where she is forced to sell her body and then she meets a handsome, kind hero who saves her from this wretched world because he recognizes her precious heart and they live happily ever after!

Wrong.

The story is pretty tightly scripted and while there are many cliches involved, they do not overshadow the fact that characters in Without Prejudice are richly developed, complex and give us an insight into their thought process. Yes, there is a happy ending and the last 20 pages of the story felt a bit rushed but it still ended up being very different from what I had expected. I finished the book in one sitting which would have been impossible if it was just another reproduction of something like 'pretty woman'. So kudos to the author for bringing to life a unique story.

2. Though the title says it is the journey of a bar dancer, we also see glimpses of other issues such as lack of communication in modern marriages, inside working of dance bars and HR policies being implemented informally there, political patronage supplied to seedy underbellies of our society, prejudice of not only a common person against dance bars but even media outlets prejudiced against them as worst social segments and so on. These are thought provoking instances that keep the story rooted in reality and also show the kind of in-depth research author did on the subject matter. This also does not let the story becoming claustrophobic by just setting it inside a dance bar, rather we keep moving through bars, newspaper offices, hill stations and page 3 society of Mumbai.

3. I personally liked the Yin and Yang approach showing the good and bad in every situation. There is a particular conversation that the character of Roy has with a taxi driver working outside Pallavi's dance bar that gives a nice overview of how different people look at same situation differently. It also brought out the spirit of struggle for survival in this tough city where people gotta do whatever they gotta do to keep a roof over their head, food in their bellies and clothes on their body without wasting their time on worrying about getting judged as 'badnaam aurat'. It wasn't moralistic, it was real and worth remembering. Inclusion of such conversations kept the task of reading Without Prejudice humane.

4. Most importantly, Without Prejudice brought to light extremely disturbing facts about the birth of the tribe of bar dancers, so to speak. Who knew that we actually had a Criminal Tribes Act of 1871 that branded people from 125 Indian castes, tribes and communities as born criminals thus making it virtually impossible for them to get any gainful employment? Even though they later became Denotified Tribes, the prejudice against them continued. This, combined by quite a few other socio-economic and historical factors, contributed the most in rise of bar dancers/ seedy 'massage parlors' and a good percentage of inhabitants in red light districts. This particular portion of the novel is worth its weight in gold as it transforms this journey of a bar dancer into  a huge cauldron of simmering social + cultural + economic + historical elements that most of us are unaware of, something that we ought to rectify right now. 

5. Finally, I would recommend Without Prejudice for the simple reason that it makes an argument for a consistent language for humanity everywhere- one that should dispel rumors and prejudices and embrace kindness, compassion, dignity for all people. From the Geishas of Japan to Bar Dancers of Mumbai to Strip Dancers of USA, there are similar human stories to be heard everywhere if one is willing to listen. And willing to listen we must be, as that is the first step to live a true life Without Prejudice!

A good read, go get it :)

Image Source -Niyogi Books

Book Review | Borderline By Author Shabri Prasad Singh | Mental Health Catharsis | Fiction Meets Facts | Opinion

Background

'Paagal hai kya'- A common refrain heard in India, sometimes in jest, sometimes in frustration. It is a word we loosely throw around without ever thinking of the serious subject matter it denotes -Mental Health. And then we worsen the situation by dumping every mental health related discussion in this very category of 'paagal'. Popular culture has more or less just added fuel to fire with numerous depictions of mental health institutions in dilapidated condition, hitler-esque doctors conducting weird experiments on inmates and the dreaded electric shock. Result is that every temper tantrum, every fist fight and every depressing situation is ignored/increased in India by remembering the horror of /using the taunt of 'being a pagal' and 'going to a pagalkhana'.

Subject Matter

It is thus a refreshing change to come across the book 'Borderline' by Author Shabri Prasad Singh that aims to tackle the much ignored as well as much maligned subject of Mental Health, not by way of eye-opening statistics, graphs, charts or sermons; but by way of a deeply personal journey of her own life as someone who has struggled long with Borderline Personality Disorder. Her alter ego aka Amrita Srivastava takes us on a ride through her childhood to adulthood and beyond, from being a part of a happy loving wealthy close-knit family as a child to shattering of that mirage with her parents' divorce, her era of teenage rebellion, extreme attention seeking behavior and lingering relationship issues well into her 20s and 30s. Her emotional extremes are triggered as a jolt by instances such as untimely death of her father who she was closest to, to feeling used and abused by her closest romantic relationship and thereafter a long spiral into the world of drugs. Her willpower to wade bravely through the lowest lows and take concrete step to get therapy lends an optimistic air to this personal saga of tragedy and sorrow. 

Personal Thoughts

1. The easiest job in this world is to point a finger at someone else. Feeling high and mighty while making someone else feel small and sad, we humans find it so easy and tempting to do. Just take a look at social media. Thousands have made a career out of 'trolling' and making memes! But what is the toughest job in this world? To point the same finger at oneself. To be emotionally naked and stand in front of the world, warts and all. The author does this marvelously in Borderline, which gains her massive respect from my side. The story flows seamlessly from one chapter of her life to another, filled with intriguing moments, much like an intense drama TV show and she gives a balanced view of all that happens, without making it sound like someone else's fault. That is not easy to achieve. If today I were to write a book about some of my childhood situations that molded my personality, I would be sorely tempted to place blame on someone else for all my shortcomings - 'This happened because xyz was mean to me'- but Shabri aka Amrita does not do this. This makes it easy for reader to look at every situation with an objective lens too. 

2. Author's honesty in accepting her shortcomings also makes it easier for us to look inside our own lives on all that we might think of as 'normal'. Her portrayal of being emotionally abused by the person she was romantically involved with or her description of turning into a stalker or going to any extreme to find validation for her very existence - these points might seem extreme but on thinking about it for a moment or two, I found that quite a lot of my normal friends (and sometimes I too) have indulged in some kind of emotional power game with each other. It is important to be self-critical in this way so that we may be better equipped to use the resources available to us for dealing with our shortcomings.

3. Borderline comes at an opportune moment. Claire Danes plays the main character of Homeland (one of my very favorite TV Shows) who suffers from bipolar disorder and the show is a gripping political action drama while sensitively portraying her mental health issues. Meanwhile, Deepika Padukone has made waves by openly talking about her struggle with depression and become a strong public face for the need to eliminate shame while talking about mental health issues. Borderline is a very brave step forward in the same direction. By taking mental health out of the shadows of hush-hush conversations dipped in a cloak of shame, it is an important reminder to society at large to be more sensitive and upgrade with changing times.

4. We live in a fast-paced world, with so much development in the field of technology, communications, healthcare, media and what not. But this is also the time when most of us are at our loneliest. The biggest message I got from Borderline is to keep an eye out for others. Brain is a complex organ, even scientists haven't been able to completely decipher all its secrets. We do not know for sure why some people are more prone to Depression or Parkinson or Alzheimer or Bipolar Disorder etc. But They Are! We All Are! And we need each other's help. In modern times of rapidly disintegrating familial relationships and intense materialism invading every part of our life, we have to take some time out to be kind, sensitive and considerate to each other as well as ourselves. In a rat race to be the 'best' and own the 'biggest, largest, most expensive' things, we might be losing a part of the very core that makes humanity beautiful. 

5.  It is harrowing to see Amrita, the protagonist, deal with the demons in her head, the loneliness and heartbreak she feels at every turn without being able to share them with anyone. It is an urgent reminder to all of us to be a part of the solution, not the problem. Our society places too less importance on anything related to mental health. So many times we will see someone sad and just say 'oh you have the blues, that is it, shake it off'. But what if it cannot be shaken off? We need robust resources, trained therapists, well-functioning and well-equipped institutions, strong support groups to altogether deal with this elephant in the room. The author was lucky to have met Dr. Sanjay Chugh and therapist Purnima who have helped her heal, but even this came after a horrible stint at an apathetic institution where every mental health issue was treated in the same way we have been trained to deal with it -say 'paagal hai' and give electric shocks!

6. Finally, even while dealing with the mammoth issue of mental health and heavy dose of tragedy, the author slips in little life lessons at every turn peppered with apt quotes, a few of which are:-

--'Permanency is a myth, change is the only constant'
--'To love oneself is the most important thing to do, otherwise all other love is hollow if you can't love you'
--'Remember there cannot be a rose without a thorn'

I also have a feeling that the author has immense intuitive skills or maybe her anxiety gives her this power to look beyond the obvious and reach the core of every situation. Throughout her life journey, she gets jittery before any bad event, be it her father's death or meltdown  after breakup with Hafeez. I have read many books where this kind of 6th sense is attributed to unexplained parts of our brain, be it premonition, precognition, deja vu or ESP. Maybe all those whom we categorize as 'mentally unusual or disturbed' also carry some heightened awareness that we haven't been able to understand or categorize. Maybe some day all the mysteries of brain will be unwrapped and we will look back at the days of calling everyone 'paagal' as a long-lost footnote in history!

As of now, I recommend Borderline as a Must-Read for everyone :)

Image Source - Bloomsbury 

Rub Shoulders With International Legends At Red Carpet Wax Museum | R City Mall Mumbai | Travel Tales

Having grown up reading about the wonders of Madame Tussauds in London & elsewhere, it had always been a cherished dream of mine to visit it and get a selfie clicked with the awesome life-like statues of global personalities there. The whole idea itself is so interesting. Celebrities from all walks of life, immortalized in wax, making them both dreamy as well as accessible to the masses. Kudos to the originator of this idea! But traveling abroad is not within everyone's reach. I know I have to wait quite some time before I can plan a dream vacation abroad. So does that mean my dream remains unfulfilled?

Absolutely not! This is where the good folks at R City Mall and the brains behind Red Carpet Wax Museum come to our rescue. Now we do not need to travel halfway across the world to appreciate global celebrities and legends in their waxed up avatars. Situated on 1st floor of South Wing at R City Mall, Ghatkopar West, Mumbai is Red Carpet Wax Museum, the brand new must-visit destination in Mumbai, something to charm kids and adults alike.

It took a good 5 years to bring this place to life and the results are stunning. From the grand entry that literally rolls out the red carpet for everyone, to the amazing staff that helps us get acquainted with our surroundings, to the true-to-life-effect of each statue and the innovative ambiance for us to get clicked at, it is an experience to savor. 

The entrance is akin to good old Golden Globes or Oscars, with blinding lights and array of photographers making us feel special, replete with a lovely welcoming lady (made of wax,ofcourse and vaguely resembling a young Hillary Swank) and a special Red Carpet Selfie Point. Thereafter comes the wave of global personalities from politics, philanthropy, religion, science, entertainment, sports, right from Mother Teresa, Anna Hazare, Albert Einstein, Steve Jobs to Harry Potter, Brad & Angelina, Lionel Messi, Saina Nehwal and John Cena! Whoa, that is some list indeed :D Each statue takes 4-6 months to complete and has been meticulously created by International craftsmen, no wonder it really looks like these can breathe and walk and talk at any moment!

It is not just the statues that take one's breath away. It is the little special touches that matter more :) First, every personality has its own dedicated little kiosk and accessories. So Barack Obama is standing behind a podium, just like a powerful politician making a speech while The Pope is standing in front of a 3-D church interiors wallpaper, Nelson Mandela is comfortable in a reading room and Steve Jobs seems to be unveiling the next big Apple product. It instantly makes us also feel a part of their lives :) 

Secondly, there are special accessories that we can use to pose and click photos with them. So put on a crown to stand right beside Queen Elizabeth or don a wizard's robe + hat and pose with Harry Potter. Albert Einstein looks on amusingly while we don special hats with bulbs on top while Michael Jackson screams happily while we pose with a guitar right by his side :D

And thirdly, there are hidden surprises, such as a sleeping watchman opposite Obama. It literally looks like a man has fallen asleep and it is only when we went near it that we realized it was a wax statue! There are 3-D paintings and more, suffice to say there is no reason for anybody to miss this fantastic place.

As Neil Armstrong famously said, 'One small step for man, one huge step for mankind', I believe this place also puts forward a small but significant step in providing something innovative + entertaining for us all. Each one of us have different favorites, so I am sure at the end of the tour everyone would feel like their personal hero should also get represented here (my sister reallllly wants SRK here, and to be honest, so do I :D) but ofcourse, it is not possible to include 1000 wax statues at one place! I find the selection here really well thought out and perfectly executed. Steve Jobs, Saina Nehwal, Albert Einstein were my personal favorites and I thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience. Priced at Rs. 300 for weekdays and Rs. 400 for weekends (and there are discounts/offers too), it is oh-so-worth-it and here is to looking forward to flourishing times with the Red Carpet Wax Museum :)

Do check out their website! 

Photo Credits : Loud Frames Photography

An Event To Remember | FBAI Dialogues | A Sunday Well Spent

Sunday. One word that conjures up images of singing angels and dancing cherubs for us Mumbaikars. Because sunday is when we sleep. Till noon. Hoping that it would take care of those deep rooted dark circles (failing miserably but nonetheless trying!) and also,maybe,ahem,meeting Leonardo di Caprio in dreams where he proposes to marry me with a diamond ring ethically sourced from a conflict-free zone... 

So imagine leaving all this behind and waking up early on a Sunday morning. But of course that's what we do when FBAI invites us to FBAI Dialogues at J W Marriott Juhu, a day long foodie fest of sorts. A melange of who's who of Indian culinary scene- from chefs and restaurateurs to bloggers and critics. An array of intellectually stimulating discussions on current and evolving trends in the food and beverages industry. I am almost out of all big words from my thesaurus, so here is a glimpse of the scintillating schedule that awaited us on this beautiful Sunday. 

Thanks to FBAI for designing and fabulously organizing this smooth event and a huge admiration filled hug for the good folks at J W Marriott along with Vikhroli Cuchina, Soulflower and California Walnuts who ensured that all of us attendees were well-fed with some delicious & healthy grab, surrounded by sweet pot-pourri at all times and basically pampered like a baby throughout the day :)

Now having seen the schedule details already, you have seen the stalwarts who spoke on so many varied topics. If I go into details of each session, it would probably fill up a 500-page book (do notice how I am trolling myself for being verbose :P) Suffice to say,this day was designed to be a little nuclear bomb of food-related knowledge, with little nuggets of wisdom spread throughout. 

When Kunal Vijaykar and Vicky Ratnani share their views on upcoming food trends or when Rushina explains her love for Indian ingredients, when a discussion on modern baking trends makes everyone salivate or when Ranveer Brar talks about cultural sensitivity when it comes to food, what can a mere mortal like us do but take it all in and hope that about 10% of it is retained by our monkey brain at least (also note to self: Ranveer Brar can replace Leonardo anytime in my dreams) :D

Some of my personal favorite moments from the day-long extravaganza include-

• Saransh Goila, of the #GoilaButterChicken fame, revealing he comes from a pure vegetarian family and the way his relatives are both shocked and pleased with his booming chicken business 

• Nitin Tandon's succinct session on Food Photography & Styling, a comprehensive guide on taking care of color,lighting,mood and crafting a story with each photo!

• Varun Inamdar expanding the horizons of our creativity, talking about using ingredients such as Chikoo, Monkey Fruit, Sesame Seeds and Kashmiri Kahwa in chocolates & more (For those who might have caught me drooling like a buffoon, he is the one responsible, #JustSaying)

• Chef Ajay Chopra sharing his long and harsh yet oh-so-worthwhile journey from a cook to a Masterchef. Enough said.

Finally, the session that I related to the most, the first one that started the day on Ethics of Blogging. The need of the hour for every blogger to do fact-checking and research on different recipes and ingredients before calling oneself a critic/reviewer, the ability to learn from mistakes + rectify them, the disappointing trend of hankering for more 'likes' on social media, the acknowledgment of one's personal background and preferences coming to fore when blogging about food and the crucial part about being honest with one's blog readers by telling them upfront about sponsored posts or reviews one were invited for, oh these are the topics all us bloggers think about daily and this session brought all these (& more) points together in a compelling way. 

Needless to say,none of us wanted the day to end but all good things must come to an end sometime. FBAI is perhaps the only platform of its kind for anyone interested in food in India (blogger,chef,home chef et al) and FBAI Dialogues shall remain a much-awaited event in all foodies' calendars for years to come. 

Arrivederci FBAI Dialogues :)

All Photos Credit : Loud Frames Photography (check out all pictures here!)

Antique Doll Collection | Hobby And So Much More!

Antique Doll Collection is one of the most popular hobbies. Yet, many people cannot fathom how dolls can be ever considered something worthy of collection because they look at dolls only as a toy which needs to be discarded after kids grow up. I have seen this first hand as a neighbor of ours (when I was a kid) used to keep a doll collection and I distinctly remember everyone in our neighborhood regarding him as cuckoo! However, just a couple of weeks ago, I came across him on a social media channel, participating in an international doll show as a sort of expert! That made me want to delve deep into this world and know more about it :)

Antique Doll Collection is a popular hobby which is not restricted to any particular group. Teenagers, businessmen, women, old people, basically people of all ages and genders have this hobby all around the world. They do not collect dolls only as an object of their fascination or reminder of their childhood; rather many of them are serious students of history of arts, sculptures and costuming as depicted through dolls of different eras. They can differentiate between the various kinds of antique dolls, from French Bisques to German Bisques, from Kewpies to Porcelain, from Madame Alexander to Boudoir!

It is a myth that Antique Doll Collection is a hobby reserved for the rich alone since there are many ways doll collectors can get rare vintage pieces at down to earth prices, such as at auctions or online portals such as eBay.

Another misconception is that only eccentric people or social misfits indulge in this hobby. Nothing could be further from truth! There are numerous doll forums, local clubs, doll shows and conventions where doll collectors meet up. These occasions are also a great way to showcase one’s own doll collections.

It is not true that all dolls are collected only for them to be sold off later at a higher price. But yes, in general, many dolls do increase in value after some time at which point their owners can definitely make a little fortune by selling them. For e.g. some dolls can be sold for as high as $3000 at auction even though they were bought for as low as 100$ some decades ago.

Antique Doll Collection is not a hobby to be undertaken lightly because upkeep of an antique doll takes a lot of effort. It needs to be cleaned regularly, preserved at the right temperature in right surroundings and protected from damage via pets, harsh lights, bugs, chemicals and so on. But for those who love antique dolls, it is definitely a very emotionally rewarding one.

Image Credit : 1

5 Reasons To Buy A Toy For Your Cat | Animal Lovers Corner

One of my childhood friends is a huge animal lover and just recently adopted her own cat. I have never had a pet myself and was never even aware of the whole process of caring for them just like our own kids. Having spent some time with my friend and her cute ''Bolshin'' (that's her cat's name!), I have realized that our responsibility as a pet owner does not end by getting a cat, rather it just starts. Buying a toy for the pet cat is one of the most crucial decisions to be taken. Here is a look at 5 Reasons you should buy your cat a toy:-

Respecting Nature

Cats are natural predators. Nature had gifted them skills to hunt for survival. The fact that a cat has been adopted as a pet does not change its natural instincts which are sharply honed to chase, stalk and pounce upon their prey. If they are not given appropriate toys to indulge in their agile predator skills, there are bound to be repercussions. This is the most important among the top 5 Reasons you should buy your cat a toy.

Eliminating Boredom

Cats are naturally curious creatures that always need some sort of challenge. Boredom makes them lethargic and shows as a multitude of unexpected problems in their behaviour and/or health. Watching them chase a bird or even simply looking out the window at the hustle-bustle of daily life proves how much they loathe boredom and need toys for a healthy output of their curious instincts.

Health Reasons

Being agile, curious and naturally hyper creatures, cats need plenty of physical and mental exercise on a daily basis. Toys fulfil this need in the most meaningful way. Even a simple cardboard box keeps them occupied for hours thanks to their fertile imaginations. In absence of exercise, they become anxious and are prone to health problems such as weight gain or even diabetes due to excessive sedentary lifestyle.

Bonding Purposes

Cats love to chase and would not hesitate to use their claws to hurt others while playing. They could also exhibit behavioural problems such as inappropriate anger or health problems if their need for mental and physical stimulation is not properly met. If you help your cat meet their instinctual drive, you will be happy to live in the company of a happy cat who will bond with you effortlessly. One of the most important among 5 Reasons you should buy your cat a toy is simply to make it feel safe and secure so that they look at you as a comforting friend and not as a dangerous opponent.

Behaviour Modification

Cats love to rest for long hours, but thereafter they are ever ready to indulge in their natural instincts of hunting. Their need to seek and hide, climb trees and stalk their prey teaches them life skills, builds confidence and relieves stress. With the help of toys, you can not only help in their development, you will also be able to modify their behaviour positively and get a great pet in return.

Image Credits : 1 , 2