Swathy and Sky

Books 2014 Vol. 11 – “God is a Gamer” by Ravi Subramaniam

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God is a Gamer by Ravi Subramaniam book review

About the Author

Sometime last year, I received The Bankster by the same author which I was not very impressed with. It was a plot involving the corporate bankers and secret nuclear project and blood diamonds. But, I was not really thrilled over there and that book had a lot of grammatical errors. I might not be a grammar nazi but the editors are expected to be!!
But, a lot of changes have happened in the last one year. And, his latest book God is a Gamer is a real game changer. The plot is all over there right from America to India which starts with a senator assassinated to a major ATM heist in the heart of New York in broad daylight to a major banking CEO murdered and many more sub plots which will have you reeling!!

About the Book

Where should I start talking about the plot and which ones should I talk about? Russia plans an imminent change in their payment system and shut down the visa and mastercard and put up a nationalized payment card system. Gillian Tan, a senator, is called upon to control this change as it would result in billions of dollars of loss for the involved parties.

And, soon after, Gillian Tan is assassinated. The scene then shifts to PM’s office in India where appointment for the RBI governor is pending and he looks through the shortlisted candidates. On the other hand, Swami comes to know through his mother that some amount of cash was withdrawn from their neighbour’s account when she reacted to the almost-real looking spam mail.

Turns out that this fraud has happened with many of the customers of NYIB, the bank for which Swami is the retail head of India. Malvika, the CEO, has sour relations with him and holds him responsible for the damage and loss the spam has caused the bank. Soon after, to contain this damage and realizing that the CEO lacks leadership skills, the management of NYIB plans to replace Malvika which throws her into depression.

God is a Gamer by Ravi Subramaniam book review

Aditya is the owner of eTIOS and Indiscape, a BPO which has NYIB as one of its clients and a growing gaming company, is an ex-employee and mentor of Swami. His son, Varun, comes into his life after 20 years and takes over the gaming company with his bright and new-age ideas. He meets Tanya in Rio-de-Janeiro and accidentally bumps into her in Goa and then again in Mumbai.

Tanya, Malvika’s daughter plans a birthday blast for her in Four Seasons during which her colleagues and the who’s who are invited. Even the finance minister makes his appearance and just as he leaves, Malvika is found lying on the ground floor after a 32 floor fall. Tanya actively blames the finance minister.

And, in New York, a grand ATM heist of 5 million dollars in the heart of New York is planned and executed successfully. And, this money is taken from NYIB. The FBI gets on the case and then they start unravelling the threads which connect all the incidents happening.

My Verdict

But, the surprise is at the end of the novel and the tagline befits the plot perfectly! Though you would wonder if the motivation and the target were really in sync with each other.

The novel is breathtaking and everything moves at jet speed. The language is correct and I could spot only one grammatical error in the entire book which was a missing period, nothing major. So, yes, I would say its a treat for any crime thriller lover.

This review is a part of the biggest Book Review Program for Indian Bloggers. Participate now to get free books!

Loving It / Using It Vol. 10 – Vaadi Herbals Face & Body Scrub with Walnut and Apricot

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Vaadi Herbals Face & Body Scrub with Walnut and Apricot product review

After a long time, I have used a body scrub. I like that they are easy to use and less time consuming but then most of the body scrubs fail to show any results for me. So, lets see how did this one fare for me. 

Loving It / Using It : Using It 

Vaadi Herbals Face & Body Scrub with Walnut and Apricot product review

  • Price – Rs 68 for 90 gms
  • Availability – generally available on online stores like flipkart, nykaa. Vaadiherbals.com is the existing brand website as well. 
  • Packaging – Product comes in a plastic tub and will not leak. The tub is small enough to be carried around. 
  • Texture – The scrub is grainy and creamy. The grains are less in density and not very harsh so they do not tear on the skin but generally, it is advised to skip on the grainy scrubs as they can cause micro-tears in the skin and harm the skin in the long run.  
  • Usage – The product is a little more creamy so a bit of product diluted with water applies smoothly on the skin. Since it is a body scrub, it can be applied on both the face and body. I would say that it is gentle enough but still I would prefer to avoid it on face. 
  • Results – Even though the product is creamy, it does not feel as if it leaves a residue after washing off. And, it does leave the skin shinier than before and the moisturiser gets absorbed real quick after a scrub session. And, it does not leave the skin dry as well. But, yes, it would not do anything like removing the dark spots and all which it does not claim to do either. Yes, one thing, I did not notice if they really made a difference to the blackheads, though!
  • Ingredient List – Vaadi Herbals is notorious for not specifying the ingredient list which puts me off the brand a bit. 

Vaadi Herbals Face & Body Scrub with Walnut and Apricot product review

My Verdict

Well, it definitely is a product to try out. I did like it.

Have you tried the product? Have you tried any other product from Vaadi? How did you find it?  

Other products from Vaadi Herbals:

5 Healthy Takeaways from “Perfect Digestion” by Deepak Chopra {Five Series}

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Finally, I have also started reading some of the books which would be useful for the blog and me 🙂 And, this one has scored high on my list. For a beginner health enthusiast, it can serve as one of the foundation books. It explains ayurveda in a simpler way than I could ever understand it till date. So, check out 5 new things I learned from the book.

One holistic system

Ayurveda treats our entire body as a single unit with each part having its own portion of intelligence as opposed to a machine controlled by a central engine. The nutrients from our food enhance the said intelligence. Ayurveda also believes that perfect digestion is the key to keep the body free of any disease.

Our thoughts, our imaginations, our feelings, desires and energies are as much “us” as are our fingernails, our blemishes and our digestive tracts.

Ayurvedic Doshas

Pitta characteristics so do check out if they concur with your nature!
Ayurveda understands a body as a part of three doshas – Vata, Kapha and Pitta. 
Vata – controls movement like breathing, blood circulation, food passing through the digestive tracts, nerve impulses sent to and received from the brain. 
Pitta – represents metabolism or digestion like processing food, air and water and facilitate proper intellectual functioning. 
Kapha – governs body structure, holds cells together and forms muscles, fat, bones and sinew, also governs digestive fluids int he body. 
Everyone has all 3 doshas in equal measures but some imbalances in the body may lead to one or other dosha dominating over the others in which case the said dosha must be pacified and balanced . Our body is in a harmonious state when all these three doshas are in perfect balance. 
Digestion is considered a heating process in Ayurveda which is why it is denoted by the agni or digestive fire. 
  • Too high digestive fire means pitta dosha which leads to excessive appetite.
  • Too low digestive fire means kapha dosha which leads to low energy and weight gain. 
  • Too variable digestive fire means vata dosha which leads to extreme hunger or loss of appetite. 
  • Perfect digestive fire in which all doshas are balanced. 

Kapha characteristics so do check out if they concur with your nature!

Small Intestine and Its Role

Small intestine is one the major organs where the maximum digestion and extraction of the intelligence from the foods happens. To keep it healthy,

  • eat variety of foods everyday
  • foods should not be over-cooked or raw
  • foods must not be too hot or too cold  

That is why ice cold water is not a preferable option, as much you might crave it!!

Spice to eat to keep the digestive system in healthy order – black pepper, ginger and nutmeg.

Vata characteristics so do check out if they concur with your nature!

Ama and Ojas

When the body is in perfect harmonious state, it produces a biochemical called Ojas which represents the positive flow of energy in the body. It means the body is in complete harmony with the mind.

A complete opposite to this harmonious state is when the body feels sluggish. A sticky biochemical called Ama is produced in such a state. It can be due to improper lifestyle, improper diet or improper digestion.

Signs of ama production in the body – lethargy, feeling of  heaviness, weakness, weak immunity, fatigue, emotional instability, low energy levels.

Visible sign – white coating on the tongue which is also present throughout the digestive canals of the body. That is why tongue scraping should be done right after brushing your teeth.

How to eliminate Ama from the body?

  • Eat in a settled and quiet atmosphere where there is no television or talking. 
  • Rest quietly for a few minutes after a meal to begin the digestive process in a effortless way. 
  • Always eat while sitting. it helps the body relax. 
  • Do not eat while upset. Wait for a few minutes to stabilize your emotions and then start eating. 
  • Do not overeat. Always eat only 3/4th of your total capacity. leave eating when you feel almost full and still feel light. 
  • Always avoid cold drinks or foods. Cold freezes the digestive fires and may lead to creation of ama. 
  • Always eat slowly. After a bite, chew and wait till you swallow it before taking another bite. 
  • Do not eat till your preceding meal is digested. It takes 3-6 hours for the previous meal to digest so if you feel heavy but crave something to eat, snack on a fruit or any warm beverage. 
  • Always eat fresh food. 
  • Drink hot water throughout the day, as often as possible, to dissolve the ama in your body. 

sort of diet you should maintain according to your specific dosha

6 Ayurvedic Tastes

Ayurveda identifies 6 tastes in order of digestion – sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter and astringent. It is important to incorporate all these tastes in all our meals throughout the day. And, one should eat them in their order of digestion as specified.

For example, sweet should be eaten before anything sour which should be eaten before a salty dish which should precede a pungent one which should precede bitter and lastly, follow with an astringent. That is why dessert should be taken first and salad should be the last meal.

Have you read the book? Do you think digestion is the key element to our well-being?