Ah! What a lovely weekend we had and now the stress begins...

Most of us go through the same agony every start of the week when we pamper ourselves with the stress-free weekend. We treat ourselves with an adequate amount of sleep which we hardly get on the weekdays. There is no work related stress to meet the project deadlines. We enjoy the time with our family and friends forgetting about how stressful we were in the last week.

Why is it that Mondays have to bear the brunt while we go to work on other weekdays as well?

• Ditching the sleeping schedule: Most of us are tempted to sleep more on the weekends because we don't get enough sleep during the weekdays. More sleep ditches our sleeping schedule and we tend to sleep late on Sunday nights which in turn makes us sleep deprived on Monday mornings. Sleep deprivation make us tired and grumpy. It is better to have weekend sleeping schedule only until Saturday and let the normal sleeping schedule be back on Sunday. 
• Leaving things on the last minute: Weekends are for relaxation but we also have some time to prepare for our weekdays. Weekends the perfect days for doing laundry and also for any ironing needed. Ironing your work clothes on monday morning when you are already have so many things lined up, will put you in stress for getting late to work.
• Skipping breakfasts: It is very common that having a tighter schedule on early monday mornings while getting ready for work will make the most important part of the day to be skipped, the breakfast. Imagine skipping the petrol while for a long drive. Studies have shown that breakfast is the most important meal of the day which helps us in concentration. Would you like to stay hungry with your stomach growling in the meeting if you skip your breakfast?
• Unprepared for the busy commute: Did you just make an excuse to your boss for getting late that there was a traffic jam on your way? Were you not prepared for it? Mondays are always busier as compared to other weekdays when it comes to commute. Be it a bus, train or your own car, you will find it very busy to get through the traffic hassle. Consequently, you'll end up making it to your work with stress to avoid getting noticed for coming late to work. Arriving early can make a positive impact psychologically on you. You can have some time in your hands to get prepared for any unexpected work landing at your desk.
• Forget to smile: Ending up at your office late and being cranky due to sleep deprivation is not going to do any good to you and your colleagues. Make an extra effort to smile and your smile can be contagious. There will be a better environment at work and you'll enjoy your work.
• Rome was not built in a day: If you think that everything needs to be done on Monday, you are probably wrong. There is always someone at the workplace who is famous for pressing the panic button. By the end of the day, you may realize that there was no need to rush things and it could have waited. That's what other weekdays are for. Not to forget, Mondays brings the promise to send the weekends in 4 days!

Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada has showed once again that Canada is inclusive. There could be a delay in an apology but there is one for sure. He formally apologized from Sikh community in the House of Commons for the infamous Komagata Maru incident on May 18, 2016. The apology came after 102 years of the Komagata Maru incident which was the symbol of discriminatory and exclusion laws in Canada designed to keep out immigrants of only Asian origin.

All you need to know about Komagata Maru

April 4, 1914 

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Canadian Immigration Policy and the ill treatment of Indian passengers in 1914

India comes to a halt for an hour on the weekends from 9pm to 10pm. Ask someone who lives in a foreign country and tried calling the family on the weekends got an answer, "Call us after 10, we are watching the Kapil Sharma show." Seriously???

Why is 'The Kapil Sharma Show' so popular?

When thought of writing and researching about a country I knew the least about, I couldn't resist thinking about India. The country where I was born and to whom I owe my heritage is full of paradoxical mysteries. The land of linguistic, cultural, racial and culinary diversity often seems to be generalised and stereotyped. I seem to know a lot yet feel ignorant when it comes to facts about India.

Sharing some facts about India which I researched about:

1. If you are a non-Indian:It is illegal to keep Indian passport if you acquired citizenship of another country. Also, it is illegal for foreigners or non-Indians to take Indian currency (₹) out of India.
2. The most expensive home: Mukesh Ambani's "Antilia" is the most expensive private home on this planet constructed with whopping $689 million and the cost of the land contributing together towards $ 1 billion . It has 27 floors, 3 helipads, 6-floor car park, 4-storey hanging garden, a cinema and around 600 staff members working in it 24x7.

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3. The largest civilian evacuation operation in the history of mankind: Only after watching Airlift, a recent bollywood movie of Akshay Kumar, I found out about the civilian evacuation operation which was successfully completed by Indian Government with the help of Air India . It was indeed the largest civilian evacuation operation done ever in the world which saved the lives of 1,70,000 Indians stranded in Kuwait during Gulf War when Iraq invaded Kuwait. Indians living in Kuwait had nowhere to go and were scared of their lives. Over the course of 59 days, it took 488 Air India flights to evacuate all the stranded Indians from Kuwait to India for which Air India still holds the Guinness Book of World Record. 
4. Dolphins cannot be kept captive: India is fourth and the largest country to put a ban on captivating dolphins. According to the scientists who researched on dolphins stated that dolphins have high intelligence and sensitivity closer to humans and thus can be regarded as "non-human persons". They should also have their own rights and it is morally unacceptable to keep them captive for entertainment reasons.
5. Unbeaten Kabaddi world cup winners: India has never been beaten in any of the Kabaddi world cups ever held till date. Both in men's and women's category, India has been invincible in any of the league games of Kabaddi and has always won the world cup for the country.
   

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6. Stark financial inequality: According to the Asia-Pacific 2016 Wealth Report by New World Wealth, India is amongst the top 5 nations in Asia Pacific with her total numbers of individuals whose net worth is $1 million or more. India ranks 4th on the list with 2,36,000 such high net worth individuals. In correlation to the above achievement, India is also at the bottom of per capita income. Even though the World Bank's data shows that India's gross national income per person has increased from previous years but it is solely due to the addition of new millionaires into the list rather than the overall increase in income levels. Sadly, to buy a big mac from McDonald's in India, an average person has to work 6 hours.
7.  The largest free kitchen inside Golden Temple: Everyone knows that Golden Temple is Mecca of Sikhs but this is not entirely true. Golden Temple, also known as Shri Harmandir Sahib in Amritsar city of Punjab, feeds more than 100,000 people every day irrespective of their religion, race and class. The food is entirely free and never runs out at this holy shrine. The langar or free kitchen service is practised in the temple everyday where everyone, sits cross-legged, row upon row and enjoys the food without paying anything for the food.

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8. Pollution - a silent killer: According to a report by Global Burden of Disease (GBD), outdoor air pollution is 5th largest killer in India. Nearly 100,000 premature deaths happen in India due to air pollution. World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared Delhi as the most polluted city in the world surpassing Beijing which puts residents of Delhi at a high risk of respiratory diseases and lung cancer. The air that school children in Delhi breathe is 4 times more toxic than the required safety limit. Similarly, breathing the air in Mumbai for just one day is equivalent to smoking 100 cigarettes. Approximately 30 million people in India including children suffer from Asthma. 
9. More mobiles than toilets: The world's second most populous country has surprisingly more mobiles than toilets. A report by Water Aid shows that approximately 774,222,300 people in India alone out of 2.3 billion people of the world, do not have access to a safe and private toilet. This means that more than 60% of India's population does not have access to sanitation and it invites diarrhoea and other diseases due to the lack of sanitation in children. On the other hand, there are 1,017,968,757 mobile connections in India which means 80% of the population has mobile connections.
   
   
   
   
10. Banned alcohol consumption: Alcohol consumption is banned in 5 Indian states namely Gujarat, Bihar, Nagaland, Manipur and Lakshadweep (Union Territory). Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Mizoram and Tamil Nadu had previously imposed the ban but were forced to withdraw the ban. Drinking age also varies in different states from 18 years to 25 years. 30% of Indian population consumes alcohol on regular basis where 11% of them are moderate to heavy drinkers. An average rural Indian consumes more alcohol than an urban Indian. Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Arunachal Pradesh, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Andhra Pradesh, Daman & Diu, Sikkim and Puducherry are among the highest consumers of alcohol and spirits in the country.

If you know some more facts about India, please share.
Writing for In^dispire topic116.

Maa, mum, mom, mother, mummy, mommy - so many ways to call her but the superhuman called by these different names fills our lives with compassion and unconditional love by her imaginary super powers.

A mother's bond with her child starts with the umbilical cord. After this physical attachment is disconnected, another bond which keeps the mother and her child attached emotionally and psychologically all their lives is the unconditional love which mother always "gives".

A mom reads you like a book, and wherever she goes, people read you like a glowing book review. Robert Brault

My mom, very unique and special yet like every other mom in the world, has been very devoted to my well-being. She has been a housewife all her life which means she has been working 24x7 without any weekends and sick days off. I, not being a thankless daughter, want to thank my mother for all the love she has showered upon me and trusting me in all the decisions I have ever taken in my life. On this mother's day, I want to make some promises to my mom which I'll keep forever.

• A Strong Woman: Mom, I have always seen you as a strong woman who would keep her head high with pride and your family has always been your pride. You have always taught me to believe in myself, to be firm in my decisions and to have strong yet compassionate attitude. Your silent sacrifices for my academic and career development won't go unnoticed. I promise you that I'll be a strong woman all my life and will excel in every milestone of my life. If I lose, I'll take it in my stride and will work hard to achieve it. I'll never quit and will continue to make a difference amongst those who believe a woman cannot do anything. 
• A Perfect Wife: My colleagues at work never understood the concept of an arranged marriage. You and dad are the perfect examples of an arranged marriage I give them. It takes two to make a row but you are the one who provides strength to dad and keeps the family together through every thick and thin. I promise that I'll follow your footsteps and will be a perfect soulmate to my partner in crime. When we'll get angry or upset with each other, I'll try to resolve the issues as soon as possible. Although your son-in-law is already impressed with the wife he has chosen yet I still wish I could be more like you. 
• A Great Mom: I have yet to receive the gift of motherhood but I have you to look up to for understanding the concept of selfless love. I may not be able to match up to the standards of motherhood you have set for us. As you say that there is never a "perfect mother" in the world, I'll live up to that.Your amazing skills of managing three kids of different temperaments have been unbelievable. Thank you mom for still loving us when we kept on throwing tantrums at you. I promise you that I'll be a great mother and will try to be at least a part of what you have always been to us. 

A punjabi song by Ranjit Bawa is so apt in this situation when I talk to my mother who is about 50,000 miles away from me.