Guilt-free tips for a healthy and fit vacation!

It's holiday season and we all have our dates marked in the calendar for that annual vacation. Unfortunately, with memories we also pile on a lot of calories while traveling. We work so hard throughout the year for that perfect and fit body just to lose it all in one single trip. That sounds too harsh. Doesn't it. Well, you could take things under your control with a few of my traveling tips for that health-freak in you.

1. Have healthy items on the complimentary breakfast menu:

In case you are staying at a hotel that offers complimentary breakfast (which most hotels do these days) then opt for healthy dishes like cereal, fruit bowl, boiled eggs with salt and pepper, salads without mayonnaise, toasted wheat bread with peanut butter, baked beans or oats. Have healthy fruit juices instead of milkshakes. Don't even think about touching the french toast, maple syrup, muffins, puddings, hash browns and other fried items.

2. Have a hearty meal once a day:

Assuming that you have had the complimentary breakfast in healthy style, you are permitted to have a nice sumptuous lunch at a fancy restaurant. It would be ideal for you to stay moderate instead of going overboard with everything. For your daily dinners, pack some masala oats packets that only require the addition of a hot glass of water, or buy some wheat bread and ketchup/diet spread from the nearest 7/11 store and enjoy the meal in your room watching some good shows on TV.

3. Walk or cycle while exploring the new place:

Always prefer to walk or rent a bicycle to explore the new vacation spot. It gives you a good opportunity to burn all those extra calories that you collected the previous day. Additionally, it is an inexpensive and interesting way to discover stories of the destination that you have selected.

4. Have desserts, but share:

We all know that sharing is caring. In this context, you are caring for yourself. I know it's a crime to go all the way to Paris and not have the raspberry crepes there, or return from Switzerland without having that large slice of Black Forest Cake! So go ahead and have a bite of each of the desserts you feel like having, but do not binge on them.

5. Lose the key to your hotel room's mini-bar:

Your room's mini-bar usually will have the tastiest yet unhealthiest goodies stored in it. Do yourself a favor and never think about touching any item in it even once. 

6. Drink warm water always:

Prefer to ask for warm drinking water, whenever and wherever possible. Warm water helps in digestion of food and keeps your metabolism rate intact instead of making it haywire. 

7. Watch your poison:

You definitely have to booze while you are on a vacation. But ensure that you don't stuff yourself with too much alcohol. Its the most calorie-rich item that you need to keep a watch on. 

Have an amazing and healthy vacation with these interesting and fit tips for you to not cheat on your diet. In case you need assistance to book tickets for your travel, you could look-up here.

Do you have what it takes to be an Enterprising Entrepreneur?

A successful entrepreneur possesses certain key qualities that separate him from the common man. Skills can be attained with practice, however, there are some attributes that are in-built and developed in an individual over the years. Do you think you have those qualities in you? Take a look at the personality traits of a startup superhero in this infographic.

So, what are you waiting for? Start here to get more visibility and also find your target audience! Share your traits in the comments section below. 

Do you know The Roommate Rules?

Scared of sharing your room with a stranger? Well, to be honest, you should be a little anxious about this as it might unknowingly affect a lot of things for you, both personally and professionally. Although you have very little power to know everything about your potential roommate before starting to live with him/her. However, once you have decided that he/she is the one, you need to bear certain things in mind to make things a lot easier for you. Listed below are few pointers to help you stay amicably with your roomie.

1. Present a crystal clear image of yourself beforehand: Mention you habits and preferences in a polite manner to your roomie before itself. Don't let him/her discover your choices as and when instances take place. That you have an OCD for neatness, you are an early riser, you are an introvert, you prefer listening to music in high volume, etc. should be clearly communicated to him/her.

2. Resolve matters when they are little: Never let any issue grow bigger until you have a complete showdown. Try and talk about the bothering issues and resolve them then and there.

3. Respect your roommate's belongings: It's always fine to borrow something with your roomie's permission. However, don't take undue advantage of his liberty and start assuming his belongings to be your's. Respect his stuff and be courteous. Ensure that you never cross the line here.

4. Watch whom you bring to your room: You may have group study sessions or even a partner with whom you'd want to spend some time. But make sure that you discuss with your roommate about this and know that he/she is comfortable with this.

5. Maintain safety measures: Always remember to lock doors and windows before leaving the apartment. This may seem silly, but its quite easy to be careless. Never assume that the other person would've taken care of the doors/stove. Make sure that you physically check each time you step out.

6. Extend a hand of friendship: A roommate need not be a good friend, but just imagine if he/she was. It would be really great to have a buddy in your roommate. Things would get so much easier. more fun and interesting to spend your bachelor days with an awesome roomie. Try to befriend him/her and keep things simple.

7. Learn to adapt to new things: Your roommate may follow a different religion, speak a different language or have a staunch belief of his own that you may disagree with. Best thing to do in such situations is to be open to everything and accept new things in a positive manner. You'd be surprised to find out so many interesting things yourself and who knows, you may learn a new language itself!

8. Always follow the Golden Rule: The Golden Rule, as we all know it, states that - "Always treat the other person in a similar way you'd want to be treated." Isn't it so simple to follow this rule? Follow this and you'll discover the meaning of the word MAGIC!

If you think you could add a few more points to this list, please feel free to mention them in the comments below. I see a lot of students looking out for roommates right now before migrating to the USA for doing their Masters from a reputed University. For all those who are still on the hunt, check out this site and find your suitable roomie! All the very best and don't forget to share your experience here.

Inspiring Stories of Indian Entrepreneurs!

Indian entrepreneurs are really very inspiring and some of their heroic stories are untold. Being enthused by such success stories, I did a bit of research on various websites and magazines to figure out how one could make it big with simple yet powerful ideas. Based on this little research, following are a few really amazing stories that encourage you to go that extra mile with a humble idea and reach the pinnacle.

Sulekha.com : This is a really inspiring story that I came across when I was reading a magazine in the plane. Mr.Satya Prabhakar and his wife went to America through his work and slowly settled there. However, back then, they did not have any relatives or friends who could help them with small services like a good Indian cook to help them out, a decent Indian salon for their beauty essentials, etc. They decided to start noting down all the help they figured out somehow and developed a blog to spread the word across to their neighbors and fellow Indians in their community. Now, he is the owner of a really big company called Sulekha.com, that has its wings spread not only in India, but in USA, UK and Middle East. What started as a blog is now a big business. Sheer brilliance and dedication. Something this simple really inspires me a lot. Every successful startup caters to some or the other need of the society and Sulekha happens to be the biggest example of that!

Jayaashree Industries: Arunachalam Muruganantham, India’s “Tampon King.” He acquired this title by figuring out how to locally produce low-cost sanitary napkins that have the dual benefit of not only providing women with an affordable, hygienic management method for that time of the month, but also providing employment to many women.

Sandeepha Restaurant: Starting from merely 50 paisa per day, Mrs. Patricia Narayan now earns INR 2 lakh a day. She started her career 31 years ago as an entrepreneur, selling eateries from a mobile cart on the Marina beach a midst all odds. Today, she has overcome the hurdles and owns a chain of restaurants.

ID Idly Dosa batter: Musthafa P.C, a school dropout who went on to study at IIMB, quit his software job to start an enterprise that sold idly-dosa batter. His is a success story that has trickled down to his 600 –odd rural employees too.

What are you gifting your Mom this Mother's Day?

Mother's Day is around the corner and a lot of chatter is going on in this regard. Although I never used to believe in this concept of celebrating your mother just once a year, I do understand the significance of having such days when you stay away from your mother. I live in a different city and miss my mom a lot. These are special days when I can do something for her consciously and she wouldn't mind it either. So for all those sons and daughters who aren't living with your mothers at the moment, can take help of these ideas to make your creator feel special and loved on this day that is dedicated to her!

Send across a Mystery Box that has all the measured ingredients necessary to make her favorite dish. Since you can't cook for her personally, you could send across a box like this that will make her eyes gleam when she receives the bundled joy!

Order a Home-Spa kit that has all the essential creams and oils that she could use to feel relaxed and rejuvenated on this special day.

Gift her a personalized Photo-book packed with photos of both of you right from your childhood till today. Make her cherish and relive her journey as a mother through these pictures.

Create a personalized Blog or Website for her on WordPress or Wix and fill it with photos, stories and videos. If you have siblings, ask them to contribute as well. You could create a forum and start discussion threads of interesting episodes or trips that you'll took together. She'd be too surprised to read them.

Send her a Salon gift coupon for a stylish haircut and body massage and give her a really good make-over. You could include manicure, pedicure and other services if you want. Make her feel pampered!

Ask her to switch on the radio and dedicate her favorite song in front of all the listeners! Let her feel like a celebrity and enjoy all the stardom that she truly deserves.

Help your mom have a great and special day this Mother's Day. And if you're looking for more services that could ease her busy and hectic schedule, you could try this site and explore your options! Share your ideas and experiences here with all the readers. 

Hacks for homemakers to make money from home!

A homemaker, be it a male or female member of the house, is the true pillar of the family as he/she holds the house together with respect to innumerable tasks. You may be a new mother, a new wife, a person who's been asked to take rest at home for medical reasons or simply a homemaker by choice/customs. However, a lot of times, they too feel the need to live their passion, make some money and feel independent. Why not? They have every right to live their dream and feel content and a sense of accomplishment. So, for those who want to experience this feeling but don't know where to start, here are a few starting points that could help you discover your passion.

1. Cook some more food!

You may already be cooking for your family and receiving compliments for your variety and taste. Why not take this further and start your own catering service from home where you can pack small portions of your most popular dishes and sell them to your friends and neighbors? You can either wait for the word to spread through word of mouth or get listed on a famous site offering essential services to your locality.

2. Blog your way to success

If you are passionate about something and love to write, then start your own blog. All you need is a fancy name for the blog and a domain (you could go for the free version on Blogger or WordPress for starters and later upgrade it if necessary). You could blog about food, art, travel, fashion, or anything random under the sun. Enroll for Ad-sense program on Google to make some money. You could also create your own YouTube channel if you are a video person and can present good videos to the world!

3. Sell your stuff online

There are plenty of websites today that offer a free platform to people who are interested in selling their work online. Be it paintings, jewelry, handbags, pickles, antique stones or your own book, you will find a site that is willing to sell your stuff!

4. Conduct exhibitions at home

Take your friend or spouse along with you on a weekend to a wholesaler and purchase items in bulk. They could be saris, jewelry, handicraft items or even unique toys. Make an announcement to your friends and their friends through Facebook/WhatsApp and display everything at home with a profitable margin attached to the price tag of each item on a convenient weekend. 

5. Teach a skill of your choice

You may choose to teach online or at home. Select a skill that you believe you are the best at - dancing, singing, painting, academic subjects, yoga or even baking. Spread your knowledge for a fee that the skill deserves.

6. Go green with gardening

Cultivate a garden in your terrace/backyard with a variety of plants. Grow them to an extent from where others will feel comfortable and convenient to take care of. Sell it off for a good price and encourage the community to go Eco-friendly!

SAPnish for Starters

Today's IT professional often comes across acronym-packed jargon that may be scary to many. I worked in an IT giant for a couple of years at the beginning of my career and trust me it was crazy to the core to remember the full forms of innumerable acronyms. I would curse all those people who invented these terms saying they were poor with their alphabets so forced it upon us as well. Although I hated it, I had no choice but to memorize all those terms that were relevant to my project as I had to communicate with my clients and colleagues in the preferred language. Frankly speaking, it's really not that tough to remember them if you learn it in a fun way and understand what the term actually stands for rather than blindly memorizing the terminologies. So here's a quick guide for all those SAPiens who find it difficult to keep in mind important terms related to SAP.

ABAP: pronounced “ah-bawp,” is SAP’s foundation and stands for Advanced Business Application Programming language

BOBJ: pronounced “bob-jay,” is not a type of rarely seen North American bird. It’s actually a the short form of SAP BusinessObjects, the business intelligence vendor SAP acquired in 2007. SAP is totally banking on BOBJ for its future success

Business ByDesign (ByD): SAP Business ByDesign is a suite of on-demand ERP applications. (Note: SAP also uses the ByD technology to build its OnDemand business applications.) At the close of 2011, SAP had signed up approximately 1,000 customers.

Cloud: SAP was a late comer to the cloud-computing arena, embracing it with all the enthusiasm that a five-year-old has for eating his vegetables. Which is to say, not so much. That’s changed as of late, however.

Colgate-Palmolive and Valero: two SAP reference customers (the former in consumer product goods, the latter in energy services) who you are most likely to hear from at an SAP conference. They put the “early” in “early SAP adopter.”

“Drinking Our Own Champagne”: SAP’s take on the classic “eating our own dog food” vendor euphemism. (Too many cynical comparisons have been made to the price of champagne, relative to dog food, and the price of SAP software. Woof!)

Ecosystem: as in “SAP Ecosystem.” Ecosystem makes one think of the symbiotic relationship among mammals and the Earth’s plants, oceans and land; in this case, think of the occasionally dysfunctional relationship among SAP, its customers, consultants and IT integrators.

ERP: a catch-all acronym (enterprise resource planning) for critical back-end business software, for which SAP is best known. Typically includes financial/accounting, operations/supply chain, HR (or human capital management), and project/portfolio management. The “sex appeal” of SAP ERP apps is very low, but see how “hot” your CFO gets if any of those financial apps don’t work properly.

“Game changing”: SAP executives, in 2011, began working this phrase into their presentation lexicons to describe SAP’s “innovative” portfolio of technologies and software.

Go to Market: if you meet an SAP employee with “Go to Market” in his or her title, know that it’s either someone tasked with getting SAP products delivered to customers or a “rain making” sales honcho (the Brooks Brothers suit, nice watch and iPad are also a dead giveaway)

Hasso: the first name of legendary SAP cofounder Hasso Plattner. Like Madonna, Michelangelo and Lindsay, you will rarely hear someone refer to him by including his surname, because there’s only one Hasso. (Which is probably why his interview of himself actually makes sense.)

HANA: unlike Hasso, HANA is not the name of a famous SAP executive. It is, however, Hasso’s pet project: HANA stands for High-Performance Analytic Appliance and is based on SAP’s in-memory technology initiative. In layman’s terms: HANA allows your company to process a ton of data really fast.

In-Memory: you’ll hear this term often when the discussion involves SAP HANA, which uses in-memory computing principles (not invented by SAP, by the way) to analyze massive amounts of data “up to 3,600 times faster” than on SAP Business Suite with traditional disk-based databases, according to SAP.

“Innovation without Disruption”: a significant marketing push by SAP, though you don’t hear that much about it anymore. One guess: SAP ditched the negative “disruption” part and prefers to talk about the positive “innovation” piece all by itself.

OnDemand: SAP’s (slow) growing line of on-demand business applications—a.k.a. “The SAP Cloud.” As of early 2012, the OnDemand portfolio includes: Business ByDesign, Sales, Sourcing, Carbon Impact, BI and StreamWork. (Planned for later 2012 are OnDemand apps for: Career; Environment, Health and Safety; Sales and Operations Planning; Service; and Travel.)

On premise. On demand. On device: as Brad Hamilton said to a bewildered Jeff Spicoli in Fast Times at Ridgemont High: “Learn it. Know it. Live it.” This is the three-pronged strategy that SAP co-CEOs Bill McDermott and Jim Hagemann Snabe have laid out for the vendor’s future.

Optimize: you are forewarned: You will hear this word a lot and may be tempted to use it in SAP discussions yourself: We need to optimize our customized SAP solutions. Don’t get sucked into the “Optimize” vortex!

Orchestration: a new entry into the SAPnish lexicon, you’ll be hearing more and more about this topic from SAP execs: an ability to manage your company’s data across IT environments and applications, via on-premise, in the cloud or on mobile devices. Easier said than done, by the way.

“Our Next Largest Competitor”: rarer than a week passing in which Oracle doesn’t buy another company is SAP actually referring to the “Stack Attack” by name.

Run Better: SAP’s 2011 marketing campaigns were anchored by the “Run Better” slogan, multiple tour stops and a hip video showing cool SAP customers such as Burton and Skullcandy

@sapcio: the Twitter handle for SAP CIO Oliver Bussmann, whose stock has risen right alongside his company’s. Gartner’s Thomas Otter once tweeted about him: “IMHO @sapcio has done more for SAP’s brand than a 100,000 airport posters.”

SAP Acronym-o-Rama: PI? SRM? FI? GRC? There are too many to include here, so click on this SAP glossary page to figure out that SAP product acronym that’s got you thinking WTH (what the heck?).

SolMan: though it is pronounced like the zany 1980s movie Soul Man, it has absolutely nothing to do with C. Thomas Howell, applying to Harvard or “bronzing pills.” It’s short for SAP Solution Manager, the oft-derided and chronically underused technical and application support and management tool set. Ask your CIO how the company is using SolMan to lower TCO of your company’s SAP investment, and see what happens.

Solution(s): this is a word that every SAP employee (from co-CEO down to janitor) is contractually bound to use in at least every other sentence they utter. (OK, that’s not entirely true, but you get the point.) If you abhor this word and all who freely use it, then don’t buy SAP software.

StreamWork: this is SAP’s collaboration platform, and SAP wants us all to love it like it was Facebook. Or even Myspace circa the late 1990s.

SuccessFactors: a cloud-based HCM vendor SAP purchased in early 2012 for $3.4 billion. Its CEO, Lars Daalgard, is slated to become SAP’s cloud chief and figure out SAP’s all-important cloud strategy. (No pressure there.)

Sybase / SUP / Afaria: SAP acquired Sybase in 2010, and that deal included the Sybase Unwired Platform (a.k.a. SUP) for managing enterprise applications and Afaria for device and security management. (And, FYI, Sybase people don’t think “Wass ‘Sup?” jokes are funny or clever.)

TomorrowNow: Just. Don’t. Talk. About. It. Ever.

Walldorf: SAP’s headquarters in Germany. Don’t confuse it with the famous NYC hotel and salad, which is spelled Waldorf

Hope you enjoyed learning Spanish..oops..SAPnish as much as I did writing it! In case you are interested in teaching or learning some modules of SAP online, then go through this site for more details. If you think you have more terms that are not mentioned here, please add them in the comments below.