Book Review: Truly, Madly, Deeply by Faraaz Kazi

Title: Truly, Madly, Deeply
Author: Faraaz Kazi
Paperback: 258 pages
Publisher: Mahaveer Publishers (November 10th 2010)
Genre: Romance
Read: Paperback
Stars: **/5
Buy On: Amazon | FlipKart
Summary: (Goodreads)
What happens when the most popular guy in school falls in love with his beautiful female equivalent?

A pompous Rahul is head over heels in love with Seema, a shy lady from the same school. After a whirlwind of innocent encounters, their teenage romance blossoms but the two never confess their love for each other. Friends and even a few teachers approve of their relationship which is no secret to anyone thanks to Rahul’s flaunting nature.

Seema, on the other hand, finds it difficult to handle the unnecessary attention she gets due to Rahul’s ostentatiousness. What follows is a series of misunderstandings and ego clashes causing them to drift apart.

Rahul loses his popularity, his numero uno status, his sanity and ultimately his love. By the time he realizes what he has lost, it’s too late. He takes desperate measures to woo her back and win back her love. But will Rahul ever get back Seema? And will Seema ever realize how much Rahul loved her and all the misunderstandings that transpired between them? Is there really any room for misunderstandings in love? In today’s world, can a person’s first love ever be his last?

My Review:

I won this book on Freado.com; Thanks Faraaz Kazi for offering your book as a prize.

Cover: Dark and sad.

Paper and font: Smelt like a textbook! :( And the print was readable even on the next page.

Readability, language: : Simple language but be warned its draggy with lots of philosophy. :(

Why did I choose this book: Had to read the book that claims to be "The only book written by an Indian author to be nominated in the 'Top 100 YA Global Fiction List'."

Truly, Madly, Deeply is a story of young love. Of Rahul and Seema who fall in love in school. What follows is the joys of teenage love but also misunderstandings and heart-break as two people learn to understand each other and withstand peer pressure.

The title is appropriate for a teenage romance for it is only at that age that we use the words truly, madly and deeply to describe love. With age and maturity we realise love is much more than that but as a teen we believe true love to be mad and deep.
Purple and blue make for a dark cover; I would have preferred a more upbeat cover but Kazi is trying to tell a dark story and that may have been his reasoning behind the cover. However a more warm cover would have been a better choice if you ask me. The cover reminds me of SRK sitting on a bench in KKKG but without the bright sunshine and green grass.
The blurb does spark an interest in the story though the testimonials and announcements about the books nominations could have been placed after the blurb rather than before. It's as if Kazi thinks I would require convincing to read the book (after reading the book, I think he's right).

It's not often that a teenage romance gets written by an Indian author set in India, so Kudos Kazi for doing the unconventional. The story of the chain of misunderstandings between Seema and Rahul is entertaining and I found myself reading the whole book just to figure out if they managed to work out their differences and have a happily ever after.

Kazi switches between the U.S. and India as a morose Rahul has flashbacks to his love-story. Studying in the U.S. Rahul is a quiet to-himself chap who mops about and avoids making friends. But incidents there set-off the playback of his life and he drifts to India in his mind, reliving his romance. Kazi inserts a poem just before every flashback. The poems he has chosen are beautiful but it was irritating to have them pop up in the middle of chapters with no real connection to the story. Next time Kazi maybe you could put these poems at the start of the chapter? Also I couldn't understand the necessity for flashbacks from the U.S. of A., a straight story would have been better.

The two main characters in the story Rahul and Seema, are typical teenagers except for the philosophy they keep spouting. Theirs is the typical teenage love story with it highs and lows, jealousies, scheming, back-biting, egos, one-up-man-ships and such. That said it is a rather true and cute lovestory that took me back to my school days. Rahul and Seema's friends who make up the support structure of the story are just that - supports - they add little to the story. I wish there had been more of a role for Sahil, Rahul's one friend in the U.S., as he made for an interesting character.

The storyline by itself is fine and even interesting but Kazi could have written the story in half the number of pages he has used. There are long descriptions that are not required along with philosophical discourses that make the book a drag. And the end is too abrupt and hazy. A more crisp story-telling would have does wonders. Also the book could have been formatted better and some language errors avoided with a better edit.

Truly, Madly, Deeply is a test of patience for a reader. I wouldn't say its a bad book, rather its just fair with a lot of scope to have been better. Pick it up only if you are someone who likes lots of life and love philosophy. Definitely not worth a second read.

About the Author:
Truly, Madly, Deeply is Faraaz Lazi's first book. He is a certified soft skills trainer and three-time post graduate! He runs a social media agency, Digi Imprint Solutions and lives in Mumbai. You can find him online at www.faraazkazi.com.

Buy On: Amazon | FlipKart

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Book Review: Just Married, Please Excuse by Yashodhara Lal

Title: Just Married, Please Excuse
Author: Yashodhara Lal
Paperback: 258 pages
Publisher: HarperCollins (July 1st 2012)
Genre: Romance
Read: Paperback
Stars: ***/5
Buy On: Amazon | FlipKart
Summary: (Goodreads)
Caution! Marriage Ahead-

Yashodhara, a quick-tempered gal from the big city is hitched to Vijay, a laidback desi boy from a small town – in one word - Trouble!
The young couple must learn to adjust to married life and to each other – whether it is Yashodhara's 'temper tantrums' or Vijay's foot-in-mouth syndrome – with a little help from their idiosyncratic staff, Zarreena and Vinod, their nutty friend Vivi and, of course, their respective families.

With the unexpected arrival of baby Anoushka a.k.a. Peanut, the battles escalate, fuelled by their vastly divergent views on raising a child. Will their many differences – so endearing at the start of their romance – actually turn out to mean that they are just incompatible? Will they ever manage to agree on anything? Or have they just bitten off more than they can chew?

My Review:

Cover: The cover reminded me of the posters of movies like Bombay to Goa (old); simple and bright. Could have done without the hand showing fingers crossed though, that looks a bit out of place.

Paper and font: Easy on the eyes!

Readability, language: : Simple language makes for a fast read.

Why did I choose this book: The title and blurb had me looking forward to a lot of marital drama. Being married myself, how could I not want to hear someone-else's.

A quick and short romance leads Yashodhara to the doors of marriage and before she knows it, she has been carried over the threshold. And there starts the drama of two people living under the same roof. Marriage is like a tug-of-war, only here the objective is to keep the marker dead-centre. It takes a while for each side to figure out just how much to pull and how much to let go. Just Married, Please Excuse is a retelling of Yashodhara's first three years of marriage; her trying to find equilibrium with surprises like a relocation and a child thrown in.

The title and cover had me expecting a lot of Just Married drama but the honeymoon period of marriage turned out to be just one part of the book. The blurb also let me believe there would crazy-ass fireworks in the story but alas, there were more sparklers than rockets.

The initial years of marriage is an age-old plot that doesn't age as long as you have a good storyteller and Yashodhara is that. She weaves the story of two people of different minds and backgrounds coming together and finding the peace such that there is rarely a dull moment. The conflicts between Yashodhara and Vijay are things any married woman would associate with and had me chuckling often through the book.

Set in Bangalore and Mumbai the book took me down memory lane to the days when the Old Bangalore Airport was still on Airport Road and at a walk-able distance and in Mumbai there was a possibility of wrangling a flat at Bandstand with a sea view and claiming you had Shah Rukh Khan as your neighbour even if you never really visited or saw him.

Yashodhara does justice to each character in her just married story, describing them well not only in looks but also mannerisms. I laughed along as Vijay the quirky guy with foot-in-the-mouth syndrome learns to navigate the choppy waters of marriage and pregnancy. He has an awesome sense of timing and humour that brings out many a chuckle as long as you are not the wife at the receiving end. Zareena is the quintessential bossy Bombay maid. Kajal the fifty something maid from her mothers house makes for some hilarious moments of misunderstanding. Not to forget the families of both Yashodhara and Vijay that hold true to the saying "In India you don't marry the boy/girl, you marry his/her family".

The story has three parts - getting married and the honeymoon period, realising that wow, you're really married, pregnancy and early baby days, and what follows the introduction of a third character in a two person equation. Yashodhara and Vijay share moments of bliss alongside some nasty friction as through the three years they slowly learn the art of being happily married. Yashodhara ties it all up well to end on a high note.

Written in the first person, Yashodhara uses simple language that keeps you engaged through the book. Her usage of languages and accents along with her sense of humour and wit add to the the comic timing to make the book an enjoyable read.

If you are in a relationship, just married, or 'plain' married, this is a book to pick up for an entertaining evening filled with nods of 'having being there' and many a laugh.

About the Author:
An IIM Bangalore graduate with over 10 years of work-ex, Yashodhara Lal started out as a writer with her blog - www.yashodharalal.com. Just Married, Please Excuse is her first book and I'm definitely looking forward to more books from her with similar wit and humour. She currently lives in Gurgaon with her husband Vijay and three children - Peanut, Pickle and Papad.

Buy On: Amazon | FlipKart

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Review: Vishu Sadhya at the Sanjeevanam Restaurant

I've not been to a lot of sadhya's and until recently I didn't even know what a sadhya meant but I do appreciate good food. So on Saturday when Che suggested we go out to lunch for a Vishu Sadhya there was no way I'd say no. A meal with 27 varieties of dishes is a treat for the tongue, especially when it's an all-vegetarian fare!

The Sanjeevanam Restaurant in Koramangala (owned by the same guys who make the Medimix soap) was offering a special Vishu Sadya on 13th and 14th April, and we figured we'd beat the crowd and go on 13th. We'd never been to this restaurant before and this seemed like a good opportunity.

So what's Vishu?
Vishu is a Hindu festival celebrated in Kerala usually in the second week of April. The occasion signifies the sun's transit into the Meda Raasi (first zodiac sign) according to Indian astrological calculations, and represents the vernal equinox. "Vishu" in Sanskrit means "equal". It is the start of the new year.
"Vishu" is celebrated with much fanfare and vigour. People wear new clothes, elders give money to youngsters and childern set off firecrackers as part of the celebration.It is also a day of feasting and the foods consist of equal proportions of salty, sweet, sour and bitter items.

And what does Sadhya mean?
Sadhya means banquet in Malayalam and is typically a feast of the people of Kerala. It is traditionally a vegetarian meal served on a banana leaf and can have about 24-28 dishes served as a single course.
The main dish is plain boiled rice, served along with other dishes collectively called Kootan which include curries like Parippu, Sambar, Rasam, Pulisseri and others like Kaalan, Avial, Thoran, Olan, Pachadi, Mango pickle, Naranga curry, as well as Papadum, Banana, plain Yogurt or Buttermilk, and plantain chips. The traditional dessert called Payasam served at the end of the meal is of many kinds and usually three or more are served. The meal may be followed by vettila murukkan, chewing of betel leaf with lime and arecanut. This helps digestion of the meal and also cleanses the palate.
The dishes are served on specific places on the banana leaf in specific order. For example, the pickles are served on the top left corner and the banana on the bottom left corner, which helps the waiters to easily identify and decide on offering additional servings. Some say the reason for including so many dishes in the Sadhya is to ensure that the diners will like at least two or three dishes.

The 27 Dishes Served
Below is the list of the different dishes on my leaf (/the ones I ate). I've tried to remember the order of serving and have even tried to find the traditional names. Please let me know if I've got it wrong, so I can correct it :)

1. Salt
2. Banana Chips (salty)
3. Banana Chunks (sweet)
4. Achaar - Mango Pickle
5. Achaar - Ginger Pickle
6. Achaar - Lime Pickle
7. Olan - Sliced pumpkin in coconut milk
8. Kaalan - Yam cooked with yogurt and coconut
9. Bittergourd Thoran - Sliced bittergourd cooked in a sauce
10. Aviyal - Mixed vegtables cooked in a coconut sauce
11. Vegetable Thoran - Sauted beans and carrots with grated coconut
12. Vegetable Thoran - Sauted cabbage with grated coconut
13. Pachadi - Pineapple and pumpkin
14. Kichadi - Yogurt and cucumber
15. Koottukari - banana or jackfruit in a coconut sauce
16. Pappadam
17. Boiled Rice
18. Parippu - A simple dal
19. More Kuzhambu - a curry made from yogurt
20. Buttermilk
21. Ada Pradhaman - Milk-cream payasam
22. Palada Pradhaman - Milk and rice payasam
23. Banana - as a finishing fruit
24. Vettila Murukkan - betel leaf/paan

There was also Sambhar, Rasam and Yogurt to be had with rice, but it was all too much and I had to skip these.

My Thoughts
I enjoyed the food. I am a non-vegetarian but being South Indian at heart I love good vegetarian food and this was a large spread of the good stuff. Tasty and cooked well the food was stored and served in simple clean home-style manner and the servers were attentive hosts always somewhere in the background ready to replenish the food on my leaf before I could ask. I had to stop them after a while, saying no-more with a sigh.

I'm looking forward to more sadhyas at the Sanjeevanam Restaurant. I hope that next time along with lunch they'll offer a bed too; I'd like to complete the meal with a siesta!

Information Credit: Wikipedia

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Book Review: Under The Hawthorn Tree by Ai Mi

Title: Under The Hawthorn Tree
Author: Ai Mi
Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: House of Anansi Press (January 1st 2011)
Genre: Historical Fiction
Read: Paperback
Stars: ***/5
Buy On: Amazon
Summary: (Goodreads)
Yichang municipality, Hubei province, China, early 1970s. High-school student Jingqiu is one of many educated urban youth sent to the countryside to be "re-educated" under a dictate from Chairman Mao. Jing's father is a political prisoner somewhere in China, and her mother, a former teacher branded as a "capitalist," is now reduced to menial work to support Jing and her two younger siblings.

When Jing arrives with a group at Xiping village in the Yangtze River's Three Gorges region, she meets geology student Jianxin, nicknamed "Old Three," who is the son of a high-ranking military officer, but whose mother committed suicide after being branded a "rightist." Despite their disparate social backgrounds and a political atmosphere that forbids the relationship, Jingqiu and Jianxin fall desperately in love. But their budding romance is cut short by fate...

My Review:

Cover: The book I got had a cute still from the movie. Not great but not so bad either.

Paper and font: Ivory and Ebony! :)

Readability, language: : The language is simple but it's an easier read if you know some of the history of China.

Why did I choose this book: I impulsively picked this up at the library since the book has been a sensation in China since 2007 when Ai Mi shared it on her website and is now even a movie.

Set during the Cultural Revolution in China this is a quaint love story of Jingqui a poor city girl. Jingqui is selected along with a small group of students to go to the countryside for an educational project. The students live the rural life and interact with the farmers while writing stories that will become a part of the education system to further the cultural revolution.

Jingqui who comes from a politically questionable family knows she must be careful about what she says, writes and does to stay safe politically. Her life is already mapped out for her; after her schooling she will be sent to work in the fields somewhere in rural China where she will get a meagre wage. Love isn't on the cards for her but fall in love she does with Sun Jianxin, the son of an army general.

Sun Jianxin or Old Third is an intelligent and kind boy but way out of Jingqui's league. And there starts Jingqui's lessons in love. A naive girl Jingqui has feelings for Old Third that she doesn't understand. She struggles with her emotions and tries hard to avoid slipping. Her mother has always told her that one slip could cause much harm but Jingqui doesn't know what her mother means by a slip. As her relationship with Old Third progresses, so does her internal struggles as she tries to figure out if she has slipped.

Completing her stint at the village Jingqui returns to the city and her life where she hopes time will help her forget Old Third but she finds that she cannot. And when Old Third starts to visit her in the city, her love is rekindled. She embarks on the journey of love, learning to accept and embrace it while discovering the meaning of true love.

Being ignorant as I'm about world history, Under the Hawthorn Tree took me a long time to read. Initially I found the story difficult to understand and it took me a while to grasp the history and setting of the book. It would have helped I think if I knew a little of China's history before I read the book.

The characters are easy to associate with and feel for though. Jingqui's naiveness brought a smile to my face as she struggles with her heart. Old Third's love makes for the magic in love stories. The big heartedness of people who shared what little they had was touching. The societal structure of China in the 60's and 70's was an eye-opener.

Overall a simple love story, Under the Hawthorn Tree was an education in the lives of the people of China and their trials and struggles during the Cultural Revolution.

I did enjoy reading this book even though I had to push myself sometimes to read on. If you like touching love stories or have an interest in the history of China this is a book to read.

Buy On: Amazon

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Plastic: Burn It All Up!

Last Saturday as I was leaving to go on my walk I saw a few men of the colony/area cleaning up the garbage. It was a real nice and heart-warming site to see people getting together and solving problems. Until now I haven't seen people do anything together. Here it's usually the 'every man to himself' rule that applies. Over the last couple of weeks the people have bonded over the dog issue and it seems the dogs have broken barriers between people. Finally maybe some good will be done in the colony. I only wish they would show some of this unity and vigour towards our apartment activities and issues too.

Anyway, the garbage outside our apartment had become an eye-sore. 'Become' nah its always been an eye-sore. Earlier we had a dustbin designed so dogs cant get at the garbage but people still threw their garbage outside the bin on the ground. We'd have stripped sanitary pads and torn diapers strewn all over the place. After all a pad and diaper are great playthings for dogs. :)

Then BBMP made segregation mandatory. Its another matter that our garbage collector doesn't keep waste segregated, all wastes are thrown into the same mix at the back of the van. We did a drive back then and also gave pamphlets so those who slept through the talk could read later. But its too much work for most people so segregation happens only in some houses. Some don't have time to put their garbage out for collection on time, so its simpler to walk out late at night and throw the garbage in the empty field where the old dustbin was. People would look at it everyday as the mound built but just walk away, then the maids were asked, even the BBMP guy was asked.  No one wanted the clean-up job.

So, its good to see people take actual action together rather then just have meetings and keep talking.

The men were gathering all leaves and waste into a heap and setting it alight. I stopped by to pass on a message about BBMP wanting to send a representative volunteer to speak to the despiser group and ask if I could help with the cleaning. As expected it became a heat discussion on the demand that dogs have to go. In our talk Mr.M also told me about how there was so much plastic and they had to collect so many dry leaves to burn them. I looked at him aghast... 'You burned the plastic?'. To which Mr.M shrugged and said, 'If you burn it along with the leaves, its not toxic. I know all about it.' Imagine... What do you say to someone who reasons like this. And while this conversation is happening there is a little toddler playing in the smoke along side Dad who's also standing in the discussion group.

So I figured I'll write about it after reading a little bit.

The fact sheet by WECF (Women in Europe for a Common Future) says

"How does home plasticwaste burning affect people’s health?
Most people who burn their plastic domestic waste do not realize how harmful this practice is to their health and to the environment. Current research indicates that backyard-burning of waste is far more harmful to our health than previously thought. It can increase the risk of heart disease, aggravate respiratory ailments such as asthma and emphysema, and cause rashes, nausea,or headaches, damages in the nervous system, kidney or liver, in the reproducti- ve and development system. The burning of polystyrene polymers - such as foam cups, meat trays, egg containers, yogurt and deli containers - releases styrene. Styrene gas can readily be absorbed through the skin and lungs. At high levels styrene vapor can damage the eyes and mucous membranes.Long term exposure to styrene can affect the central nervous system,causing headaches, fatigue, weakness, and depression. Not only these people who are burning the trash are exposed to these pollutants, but also their neighbours, children and families.

Dioxin emissions from plastic burning
The most dangerous emissions can be caused by burning plastics containing organoch- lor-based substances like PVC. When such plastics are burned, harmful quantities of dioxins, a group of highly toxic chemicals are emitted. Dioxins are the most toxic to the human organisms. They are carcinogenic and a hormone disruptor and persistent,
and they accumulate in our body-fat and thus mothers give it directly to their babies via the placenta. Dioxins also settle on crops and in our waterways where they eventu- ally wind up in our food, accumulate in our bodies and are passed on to our children."

Here are a few other sites with more info -
Project Green Bag - Plastic bags must never be burned
Plastic is Rubbish - Burning Bins
Daily Kos - Burning Plastic can Kill You

I always thought that burning leaves was fine, but the Breathe Campaign site says even burning leaves is bad! I didn't know that.

So now its confirmed, burning plastic is bad. So where then did Mr.M learn about this burning leaves and plastic recipe? And why the hell do parents not care about the health of their child? We all learned in school that burning plastic fumes are bad. So why don't we give a damn about our health? Its cancerous fumes we are talking about here. Why did no one else stop Mr.M from burning plastic? Mr.M is turning out to be a good brain-washing politician after all.

Is there a way I can complain about this? Any authority I can complain to? I hadn't recorded the conversation but I do have photos. It's not ok to burn plastic. They're putting me, my family and people at risk!

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Buddha Root Canaled

Buddha is my 9 year old wire-hair dachshund. He's simply adorable, looks cute and has a great temperament. Keeps to himself most of the time. In almost all confrontational situations he walks away and rather than fight. He's timid and takes a long time to get friendly with most people (both Che and My Mom were exceptions, he took to them right away), so is loved even by non-doggy people. All in all he's all buddha, saint-like, wise and almost always meditating.

Around New Year's Buddha broke his front-right-lower canine. He didn't seem to be in a lot of pain or discomfort at that point in time so we let him be to see how things would progress. Things seemed fine for a while and we left for TfN. In the middle of the tour Preeti who runs Windward Kennels where my dogs board, called to say she was concerned about his tooth and wanted to take him to the vet. He was becoming finicky about his food, not using the right side of his mouth, losing weight and seemed to be in some pain.

So, off Buddha went to the vet. The Doctors at Cessna looked at it and realised Buddha was in a fair bit of discomfort as there was a lot of sensitivity. Also canine's are important teeth for dogs. Buddha has already lost some of his front teeth due to age so losing this one would make things difficult for him. They decided to try and save the tooth by doing a root canal and restructuring the tooth.

When Preeti called me with this news, I had a mini panic attack. My dog was doing into the OT and I wouldn't be there for him (also a little bit miffed that I would get to watch a one of a kind procedure :D ). There was no question of not doing the procedure; if it would help Buddha, we had to get it done but we'd rather have been there. This is where Preeti comes in, she's someone I trust, I know her and with her I don't need to worry. Buddha couldn't be in better hands.

The guys at Cessna did the procedure and it was a success. Within a few days Buddha got less cranky, started eating on the right side and put on some weight too. And I became the proud Mum of a dog with a root canal and restructured tooth!

Here's are photos of before and after. Check out more photos taken by the Cessna guys on Buddha's first of a kind root canal.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="423" caption="Before"][/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="423" caption="After"][/caption]

Of course it doesn't all end with the root canal. We now need to take care of the tooth to make sure he doesn't break it. At his age a repeat procedure is just traumatic and best avoided. The cost of doing it again is also a great deterrent. :P

Taking care of his tooth isn't as much work as it sounds. Buddha doesn't like toys much so there isn't much random chewing that he does. Most chewing only happens with food. So we have to watch what he eats and while he eats. Chicken bones are just fine and don't hamper his teeth. It's beef bones that we have to be careful about. Initially we stopped giving him beef bones completely but Buddha loves bones and not getting any upset him and he started to try an steal bones from the other two.

Over time I also started getting a bit confident so we started with very small pieces of bones. I now give him larger bones but still not big enough to have contact with the canine. He grinds most bones with his molars at the back, so as long as the bone size is such that it doesn't touch the canine in his chewing, all's well. This took some time and learning but I think I've got a grasp of what bones he likes and what is safe for him so, both he and me are happy.

Buddha also has a heart condition and arthritis which means a controlled diet and exercise to keep the weight down along with medication. But he seems to be dealing with it all in his usual Buddhaisque manner and no one looking at him would know his secrets.

Now why did I make this post? Just. I wanted to tell the world about Buddha and his Root Canal. Also this is a thank you and recommendation of Cessna. The Docs there do such good work! Thanks Doc :)

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Product Review: Prakriti Herbals Products

This review has been long over due. Initially I put it off because I wanted to try out the products for a while but then it just became simple procrastination. Sorry Neeta, I know this was promised a long time back.

I have straight hair so, like a lot of other people with straight hair I adore curly hair and perm my hair every chance I get. I know what you're saying, it'll cause damage to my hair and I'll lose it all. Yeah, I know but I don't mind being bald, I think it looks cool on me. :D

Anyway, so we've established that I love and want curly hair and will do anything for it. But the perming does cause dry frizzy hair and after a while my permed hair becomes unmanageable. I also start to have a lot of hair fall. Some years back I remember using some L'Oreal product but for the life of me I can't remember what it was now. So, I've been on a hunt for a while to find something that would work for my hair. Enter Neeta.

I met Neeta at a Social Media Workshop. When I complained about the trauma my hair was causing to my life she recommended her herbal conditioner and hair oil along with recipes to work magic on my hair at home. Since I was already trying out other products I figured I had nothing to lose.

I started out with just two of her products - the Herbal Hair-oil and the Jojoba Alerovera Conditioner. But over time I've tried her other products one at a time and now I use quite a few. Here are the products I currently use and my thoughts on them...

Herbal Hair-oil - I've used a lot of oils and I hate most of them for their greasy feel. But this one doesn't feel heavy and is required in very small amounts. Works like a charm on my hair. The oil has Amla, Brahmi, Bhringraj, Triphala, Fenugreek & Hibiscus leaves to help control dandruff and hairfall, and nourish the hair, preventing split ends and dryness. I think it works!

Jojoba Aloevera Conditioner - This product took some learning. I was so used to using large amounts of conditioner that it took a while to get use to using small amounts. The conditioner makes my hair smooth, soft and NOT heavy and flat like before. And it takes so little that it lasts really long and is easy to carry on travels.

Aleovera Cucumber Gel - This gel is great for a lot of purposes. Works well on burns as it cools the skin (I've tried it), is great as a moisturiser and night pack and works well on hair too. I use it the most in Neeta's Papaya Hairmask, you should try it... I love the feel of my hair afterwards.

Strawberry Aloevera Arnica Face Wash - Most facewashes don't work on my skin, I break out into pimples soon after using them. But this facewash from Prakriti Herbals worked for me and I love it. It smells lovely and I love to go to sleep with my face smelling of it. Leaves me feel all nice and refreshed. Again brownie points for only needing a drop at each use, which means a small bottle in my handbag goes a long way and its always handy!

Lemon Handwash - This is one of the most recent products I've tried and I like it. Leaves my hands smelling all lemony and clean. Bought it three months ago and finally it ran out only last week. It's time to take a trip to the Prakriti Herbals store near home I think.

Hibiscus Shampoo - Choosing a shampoo took me a while, I tried all the shampoos Neeta had to offer before I settled for the Hibicus one which suited my hair best. Like all her other products this one also doesn't need to be used in huge amounts and yet it lathers well and cleans the hair sweaky-clean too. Brownie points for customer service and patience is helping me find my perfect shampoo.

I know I already use a lot of products but I'm looking forward to trying out new products from Neeta's stable. They work as she says they would (as of now) and I'm happy with the results I've got. Her products aren't all that expensive either, especially when you take into consideration the small quantities required.

If you're looking for herbal products to use at home, you should check out Prakriti Herbals products. They are now available on Flipkart.com too. That said don't take my praise to heart, I can only vouch for the products I use and how they work for me; please try them out for yourselves and do tell me what you thought of them and what products you're using. I've love to hear of other great and not too expensive products I can use.

You should follow Neeta's blog if you want more home remedies and herbals recipes.

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