Consumerism is not about consumers. It’s about consuming

The more we consume, the better our lives will be can be awarded as the most misleading notion of this world. Upto 70% off on Ego, Clearance Sale at Zubaida’s, Buy 2 Jeans and get 1 free from Levi’s and much much much more is ready to grab your attention while just passing by the road, a commercial area or a shopping mall.

Karachi, specifically, is the place where being Shopaholic is like winning a big game. Though the idea of consuming more is not communicated to us in a way as the crow flies but the bombardment of advertisements through different mediums leads us to this trail.

Many products have used consumerism as a marketing technique to lift up consumption of the product and elevate their profits. For instance, toothpaste ads are claiming that brushing twice a day every day is necessary but in actual, brushing while going to bed is needed and the person can have a mouth wash or so in the morning just to freshen up. But today, 90% of the world is not aware of this fact.

Why consuming more is negative? Rather, it can be beneficial for the economy. Turning the coin, global warming, destruction of forests, elevating standards of life for a common man, evaporating water resources, shortage of marine life, rapid rate of population growth, obesity and hunger are the problems in this world that are encouraged by consumerism.

Although, ethical shopping is also in practice in many developed countries and consumers too are concerned with the idea but they are still not ready to shop less for the sake of mother earth. Only not consuming a polythene bag or buying items that are not tested on animals is not sufficient.

Surely, the more we consume the more energy will be used and the world will move towards destruction. "Consumerism is now a lethal disease", says Jonathan Porritt. The need of the time is to change the culture..................... the culture of consuming more and more. Let our culture overpower on advertising industry and not the advertising industry to shape our culture.

Consume Less .......... Save the Planet !!!

Upbeat in a crunchy munchy planet....

Walking through a general store lets you have a glimpse of a bundle of crisps stack inside glass counters. Apart from the fact that they cost no more than a quarter of a hundred, they hold almost 80% of the space on the shelves. Why is it so?

Gone are the days when it was considered that 'girls' are fond of spicy snacks. Now, even age doesn't restrict you to have some crisp packet in your hand. What do people get from these snacks? Joy or satisfaction or is it just a matter of habit? Or maybe just to prevent sanction from the group that surrounds you? Whatever it is, Pakistanis are addicted to these snacks now.

Noticeable is a fact that not a single barrier is faced while entering into a snack industry in Pakistan. People here welcome every new kid on the block. Though it is reasonable to say that Pakistani market is widening her arms for new businesses that in-turn benefits our economy, but there are some other concerns too.

Most of the snacks, especially potato chips, are fatty and are not good for health, but they are consumed on a larger scale. Rising issues like diabetes, blood pressure, obesity, heart diseases and so forth are not in the pink of a condition in our country. Unfortunately, health related needs are not met appropriately and people are not ready to quit having these snacks like cigarette, chaalia and gutka. Surely, it negatively impacts on their health.

Children, adults and oldies...everyone is fond of these snacks. But, there can also be some smart choices to minimize their adverse consequences. Have some baked healthy crisps like Cheers!! Have a smart life!

You are more beautiful than you think!

“Oh no, a pimple again … right on my nose” I was worried in front of the mirror. When I told my friend about that, she responded someway like “C'mon, you are worrying for a pimple alone. See me; my eyes are too small naturally. I don't know how to give them a prominent look for today's party”.

These kinds of conversations are a part of our daily life. Every woman is found complaining, in some way or other, about her beauty. I don't know why visual aspect has always been a ‘topmost’ priority of feminine class. I never met a woman who is completely satisfied with her face cuts, complexion, hair texture, and so forth.

A goofy point is that every woman is impressed by her neighbor's bulgy eyes, her colleague's oval face and her sister's flawless skin. Like me, as I replied to my friend, “Your eyes are just perfect. You are taking it into your head for no reason”.

Dove, well known for its beauty platform and their round-the-way viewpoint on the topic, has picked the latent point and released a video. They produce a pair of sketches for a few women, one of them based on the woman's own explanation of herself and the other one was described by other people.

“I should be more grateful of my natural beauty” said a participant. They explained their faces as fat rounded one, big jaw, more freckles, big forehead. However, fellow participants praised them being fair in color, having a nice thin chin, nice eyes, cute nose, chic blue eyes and likewise.

Every woman is beautiful, indeed. We should now stop making faces each day in front of the mirror and accept as we are. 'What you do' is more significant than 'How you look’. Isn't it???

Crazy local BUS rides……… I am enjoying :)

EeewwWWw…… came out of my mouth suddenly when a woman stepped on my foot. She did not even understand why I was turning red. Well, I was in a local bus of Karachi. It’s not like that I was travelling in a bus for the first time. But, yes it gone a few years experiencing it.

At last, I got a seat that was somewhat suitable too. Still, 30 minutes more were required to reach my stop. Surprisingly, that half an hour was a little optimistic for me. I started to think the local buses as a ‘blessing’………. Do not raise your eyebrow……….yes, I said a B-L-E-S-S-I-N-G!!

With nearly 40 percent of the society recognized as a middle class, it would be a real blessing for Pakistanis to travel miles and miles against Rs. 20 only. Isn’t it? I found people sharing their stories and real-life problems to the strangers during their go. I wonder how many colors of people are living in a city. All with different mind sets, different languages, different attitudes, different accents, different attire and different backgrounds. No office or university will show you that much diversity than a few minutes travelling in a bus.

What I learned the most of all the encounters with buses is ‘patience’. Your mother will teach you to offer your seat to an older woman or to a lady with baby in her hand or even to a girl who is not feeling so well, but she will never tell you how to behave when you see a child with a running nose standing close to you or a maid who is sweating a lot after a whole day earning bread for her children or a kid who has started to vomit unexpectedly. It all happens! Here is the time to apply all the religious and moral lectures that you have been listening throughout your life.

Every time I get off from a bus, I find myself far more grateful to God than before. I have decided to travel more often in local buses, not only to get through new experiences but also to burn my calories. HaHaHa…. Yeah 30 minutes in a bus works equal to 30 minutes wrapping a sauna belt :D….. and with no side effects;) Am I right?

Load Up Your Wallets…..utilize spare hours!!!

Do you know your time is precious? If you do, then why not using it in a productive way. Due to elevating inflation and rising needs, we need to concentrate on other sources of income now less nine-to-five job.

You must be scared how to manage ‘another’ job in this hectic life. Well, solution is simple; manage time! I know you must be very busy whole day at your home too, but if you start arranging tasks to be done, you can save even hours to invest and get extra income. 

My foremost suggestion would be to flow your nip. A pen can say that a word cannot!!! If it fills up your pocket then what else could be taken as more delicious treat. Freelance writers are in great demand these days. What you need to focus is whether you are a ‘writer’ or not. If yes; go ahead else move forward.

‘Paid volunteers required’; this caption roll over your eyes while searching for job and you’re not paying attention. Am I right? This is so akin to waste of opportunity (Calculate opportunity loss just like in economics). Negotiate about hours or required dimensions of duties, and then you will feel it’s actually trouble-free to run. Hooray!!

Lifestyle enhancement is a bracket that covers a long range of businesses. You can set up many of them with a passion to excel. Masses are always in search of fresh sources to get latest designs, be it clothes, shoes, bags and wallets, women accessories, or household decorations etc. Initiating it on a smaller scale can be a smart idea. It can be photography too. When you start getting response; propel it.

Few of my aunts are engaged in preparing tempting baked items at home for orders and sending them out against a reasonable recompense. Your cooking and baking skills can now bring you bucks to spend on your wished items. Pull out a chef out of you and enjoy earnings.

The list is not restricted to the aforesaid. There can be a lot more based on your interest, skills and passion. What is in need is to prick the balloon and dote on surprises.

Indenting Co. & you.........

‘Indenting House’ – the expression might be unfamiliar to some of us but it’s pleasant to know that it is one of the most profitable and growing businesses in Pakistan. Like many other administrative and technical services, import of required items to produce or pack a product are also out-sourced to save time and curtail risk.

To effectively communicate, we must realize that we all are different in the way we perceive the world and use this understanding as a guide to our communication with others.

          ~    Tony Robbins

Alluring pair between communication and responsibility rises up as an endearing couple, which is the soul of any indenting house. And when it is about connecting with rich cultured countries, it gives birth to adorable offspring. The differences are its splendor; to own MUST BE its passion.

The milieu in indenting houses is somewhat casual yet the formality of work is unhurt. At an indenting company where I am just employed, you’ll not only make your own tea (with flexible timings too) but you’ll also wash your tea cup and spoon by yourself. At first, it was a little weird to me but then I realized that it has multiple favors in itself. You keep mobilized a little during work, no ‘peon’ concept and especially no complaints regarding the cup wash etc. It expunges the intent in people who are always in search of a point to disgrace lower level employees. (It happens in actual) Good job admin!

Somewhat monotonous job responsibilities are lessening the charm for employees like me :(.  This is what I am missing here, my creativity!!! I hope I will catch it in any form here. Broadening the scope of core business and maintaining endured relationship with customers can overlay a longer path for the company, my mind boogied down :D. Sending out newsletters, occasional greetings, arranging lunches / dinners, giving feedback and so on, can succor to make the most valuable tunnels to run through.

Well,

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anticipating for an improved sketch of tasks, I am going to make a cup of tea. Cheers!

                                

'Genres' of Interviewers – sharing experiences

Whenever we receive a call for job interview, we get a little excited and when it’s for the first time in your life then you may end up in juggling with hope, concerns and dreaming. We all are accustomed to do a modest research about the company, its portfolio, job description, salary negotiations and so on before arriving at an interview. In Pakistan, usually we do not get any information prior to the interview that who will be the 'interviewer'.

Every time the situation ignites me; since it remains veiled who will I encounter now, how he/she will judge me for the job, what questions I am going to face and even how will I answer. I take it all as somewhat audacious. It can also serve as a blueprint to remain confident and get over some defficile stages of your interviews. You too need to weigh up the company you are going to serve on the basis of the interview. Though, it was actually conducted to assess you. After all, interviewers are also human beings. *****Sticky note for today J*****

My first interviewer was an urbane gentleman who encouraged me on my skills. ‘I possibly will do something awe-inspiring in my career’, I truly felt at that time, notwithstanding the fact that I was a fresh business graduate. Excellence be to the interviewer who is willing to spill optimism into the society. Unfortunately, I couldn't join that company due to some unavoidable factors but I was positive enough to keep my job search rolling. A good day to recall!

Soon after that, my interview was scheduled in one of the Big Four accounting firms.  I was waiting in high spirits. At last, interview began. Ah! I was disappointed after only a couple of minutes. Their body language, face expressions, voice tone everything was only to express that you are N-O-T-H-I-N-G and we are GIANT. I feel sorry for them as they do not even know the basic rules of HR and Management. Human beings cannot be ‘calculated as numbers’, my poor advice for all firms with this attitude.

My headmost step towards a software house was very productive where I was able to point out where am I lacking and how can I cover it up. Interviewer was a young nice lady. I faltered that day but the good thing was that she taught me how to reply to a particular question (of course in an indirect way). Although I was not qualified for the job, but I still feel good about the company. I will register that experience as the most learning one.

You may come across some other colors of the stripes. Nothing to worry about, just capture this short span of interview as a precious point to learn what is not taught in classrooms. And yes, do not forget to show your gratitude to those interviewers who make you learn something and inject energy in you for further interviews.

"Every time you meet a situation you think at the time it is an impossibility and you go through the tortures of the damned, once you have met it and lived through it, you find that forever after you are freer than you were before."
~ Eleanor Roosevelt