The last of the ...

It's been more than four months since the evening a pop up came through the Times of India app on my mobile, informing me that all old 500 and 1000 rupees currency notes are banned. The next couple of days were enough to convert the notes that I had. We could also take out enough cash from Banks / ATMs to suffice our upcoming family travel planned just four days later. During the travel, I did not even try to take out cash, but did not face any crunch whatsoever. The biggest challenge proved to be December, when the ATMs and Banks had limits / long queues / lacked cash to disburse.

Now, all this while, I had an apprehension that I might have kept a note or two somewhere stashed as a rainy day fund - well, not really a raining rainy day, but one of those days when you have ordered for food and you don't have enough cash and feeling too lazy to go out. This is something I keep in all my wallets / passport holders / card holders. Imagine my state of mind when just yesterday, while searching for a passport sized photograph, peeped out a bright and crisp 1000 rupee note!

Wonder if I should go to RBI and get it changed before 31st March 2017 or just keep it as a souvenir.

Happy International Women's Day

I am not a big fan of celebrating these "days"... Mother's Day, Father's Day, Brother's Day... these are relationships which should not need a special day a year to celebrate and rather be celebrated every day. Similarly, on a similar note, Women should not need a "Women's Day" to celebrate in an ideal world.

Having said that, it is not an ideal world, and though we have progressed a lot in terms of gender equality and rights, there is still a lot of progress to be made. So here's to all the wonderful ladies out there, following your dreams, breaking the so called glass barrier, making the world a better place to live in, achieving success.

Here's also to all the struggling ladies, working hard to make ends meet, fighting to earn respect and dignity, and staying strong even after hurdles after hurdles - because this celebration is of you, and to a better future where you don't have to struggle so much, you don't have to think about safety every time you step out, and you get to choose what to wear and what to do