I And My Story - Personalization Gone a Step Ahead!

Here's a business idea which makes me feel shucks-why-didn't-I-think-of-that! So this company offers comics or illustrated books wherein the storyline characters are all personalized by you. So you can have a storybook for your child which goes something like - "Niya goes on a treasure hunt..."

Wonderful way to lure children back to the world of books and create a healthy habit of reading in them. Brilliant guys.

IandMYStory.com - Imagine a book where your child becomes the star of the story, making reading enjoyable. The story comes to life with the child's name, age, hometown, family, friends, and uncles & aunts all being part of the adventure.

Not entirely original but fantastic adoption of concept. Hoochymail uses a similar concept to create personalized erotic fiction (eyeroll). Just wondering how feasible it's going to be to customize & print each & every book. But then my knowledge of the printing & publishing industry is minimal.

Am so interested to see if this concept of personalization is going to open up new industries. 

Top Five Diaper Brands

Having a baby inadverently means changing diapers umpteen times a day. It's also among the most important things one shops for & for quite some time to come. Having tried almost all the available brands in Bangalore for my son, here is a list mothers-to-be might appreciate.

#1. Pigeon Diapers - The best that I have seen till date. Soft, cloth-like-feel and a little more pricey than the rest, but totally worth it. Available at Apple-of-my-i, The Junction, Urbanite and other select outlets only. Japanese make.

#2 Nice Baby - The first diaper that my son used. Amazing fit, very comfy and never gave any kind of rash to my baby. We used to travel all the way to Mallya hospital to get our monthly stock since it used to be available at Mallya Hospital's Pharmacy alone. However it has been discontinued for some time now since they took up Pampers distribution. Made in Canada & imported here, I don't think its available anywhere else.

#3 Bella Baby Happy - Not a bad choice considering the rest of the brands available.

#4 Huggies Active Baby Ultra - The only huggies type that suit my baby's need among the rest of their products.

#5 Wipro Babysoft - Good design and sizing but very strongly perfumed, these diapers are fine to be used just for potty time.

Pampers is the worst of all diapers and will never recommend them for anybody. The edge of the re-adjustable tapes are very hard and cut into the baby's thighs. Very badly designed and gets soggy within 2-3 wettings.

Bijapur: A Quaint Old City

Last weekend we took a road trip to Bijapur, an ancient city that still seems to hold on fast to its historic relics and yet where modernisation is fast catching up. One might wonder why Bijapur, when the sun especially scorches down in all its fury, while better counterparts such as Ooty, Thekkady and Munnar are available. Well, let me hope that it suffices to say that we had our reasons.

We took the sleeper A/C coach from VRL, which seemed a little claustrophobic at the beginning but turned out to be quite comfortable once we got used to it.

Here are a few places we got to visit.

Torvi Narasimha Swamy Temple: It was here that Kumara Valmiki is said to have composed the famous Toravi Ramayana in Kannada. The deity idol is placed way down below in a cave and though the pathway has been tiled and modified, it yet gives one a queer feeling.

We were fortunate as it was supposed to be the week of Narasimha Mahotsav. Since our visit was on a Saturday, we offered coconut, sugar cubes and oil as was customary at the temple and also partook the mahaprasad.

Gopal Krishna Park: Located near the Alamatti Dam, this is a rock garden (not like the Chandigarh one) with life like models depicting Lord Krishna's leelas.

Alamatti Dam: There is also a model of the village that was in existence there before the dam construction began. The village replica with all those mud paths, water tank and the old run down school makes it look almost real. A scenic park near the dam provides a welcome break from the heat. With the Krishna flowing quietly by and the lawns neatly maintained, it is hard to imagine that this very place once housed an entire settlement. We spent quite some time simply walking around and taking in the view.

Gol Gumbaz: No visit to Bijapur would be complete without seeing the mighty Gol Gumbaz. The sheer size of the dome is impressive enough, but what fascinated me most was the famous Whispering Gallery. Even the faintest whisper seems to travel effortlessly from one end to the other. Watching visitors experiment with echoes, much like excited children, was perhaps as entertaining as the monument itself. The climb to the top is through a narrow spiral staircase and can be a little tiring, but the panoramic view of Bijapur from above makes it worthwhile.

Yelagur Anjaneya Temple: Nestled amidst quiet surroundings, the Yelagur Anjaneya Temple offered a welcome sense of peace after the bustle of the city. The temple itself is simple and unassuming, with none of the grandeur of the monuments that Bijapur is known for. Yet there was something deeply calming about the place. We sat there for a while, enjoying the breeze and the silence before beginning our journey back, carrying with us memories of a weekend that was quite different from the usual hill station holiday.