Showing posts with label People. Show all posts
Showing posts with label People. Show all posts

3 Inspirational Stories in last 24 hours

It's personal, but i am sure you will be emotional. So, just read on.

Yesterday at Gym, a Sardarji who must be above 60 years was walking faster than me on the treadmill. He looked cheerful and there was no sign of any pain while he was doing cardio. He was enjoying every moment and age was just getting re-defined. I am surely going to take his interview very soon. It will be interesting to know what is driving him to do something which is rare, considering his age.

Today morning i was waiting for green signal at IIM cross-road, near the blind school. I saw a person near the foot-path who was holding a small girl of about 3-4 years in his arm. The eyes looked different and blank. I was feeling sorry for her. But, the next moment i saw something which almost broke my heart. The person was stretching his hand in front trying to check if he is going in right direction. HE WAS BLIND TOO! Before i could help them in finding their way, a young gentleman who was walking by, helped them. We get bogged down by simple problems and keep feeling frustrated. Just think about this person and his courageous attitude. He was taking her blind daughter to the Blind School. He seemed worried, but his face clearly resembled "a face of determination".

Third and last story is already there in today's TOI Mirror. 2 professionals working in telecom company who were earning more than 1 lakh/month have left their job to pursue their dream. They will roam India. They will not carry mobile or money. Complete story is there in Mirror.

No one knows what will happen the next moment, so just make the most out of every minute of the present. I am motivated by these characters. I love Ahmedabad where such motivated people live.
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Horses Around Us

Here ApnuAhmedabad is happy to bring you an article about horse written by none other than our own "Horse Man", Anish Gajjar. We promised to publish an article written by him when we wrote about him. That article got rare reviews and we hope the same for his article.

Anish Gajjar
Horses Around Us

At general discussions, the question that I have most frequently been asked by aspiring horse lovers is, “Which is the best horse breed?” and in spite of knowing that this has no answer, I often find myself wondering. My answer has always been, “The one that YOU like !”

There are hundreds of breeds of horses around the world, which have evolved over thousands of years to adapt to certain climate, conditions or functionality. People have bred horses for various reasons. The Thoroughbreds have been bred for their racing abilities and longer stride; the Arabians are known for their looks and enduring power; the Shetlands for their small size suited for carriages and riding for children; and the draught horses for load pulling and hauling. Every breed has some or the other purpose which they are good at. But in general, most of them are good for riding.

In India, we have 8 commonly available breeds from the equestrian family. They are the Marwari, Kathiawari, Sindhi, Thoroughbred, Manipuri, Zanskari, Bhutia and Spiti. There are also other crossbreeds of these that one can find, depending on what purpose one is buying a horse for.

When one thinks of horse riding, they always perceive it to be very expensive. It has been known as a sport of the kings. But you would be surprised to know that most of the equine population of India is found in the villages with poor farmers. The same activity  becomes expensive if pursued in a metro city, but can be very affordable in a town or a village or even a city with the farmlands nearby.

The main costs attached to owning a horse is the feed of the horse, salary of the caretaker, medication and first aid, farrier charges and tack. It is possible to manage all of this, very economically and well within the amount one pays for charges at riding clubs. Within the same amount, one can own and keep a horse. This gives us the freedom to ride whenever we want and also breed from the horse if required. 

Most countries adopt a system of sharing a horse, which makes it easier to afford, exercise and maintain a horse between 2 or more people. People share resources like space, time and expense in order to keep a shared animal comfortable.

Horse Riding is the only international sport, where men and women compete at par with each other in the same arena and there is no handicap given. Riding is a complete exercise and also helps to loose weight and remain fit.

~ Anish Gajjar (Co-founder : Equestrian Club of Gujarat, Ahmedabad; 09825307774)
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Ad Mad Ahmedabad!

Innovation should be the middle name of every Ahmedabadi. The accompanying story is a classic case in point.


So you are a successful professional in a well paying stable job. You have a loving wife and family. You are artistic by nature and a God gifted singer. What do you do? What is there to do?

Majja ni life, right? Wrong!!!




Vishal Shah (31) decided to challenge the status quo. Stability sucks for this dude! He decided to move to the US lock stock and barrel around 3 years ago. After a few months of sight seeing and exploring avenues he hit the jackpot.

Being artistic in nature Vishal wanted to do something in the advertising space. He soon came to realise that there is a huge potential in tapping the humungous NRI population targetting companies. Soon Global Media Adworks was conceptualised which specialises in creating TVCs and Radio jingles for companies advertising in the American and other NRI markets. Still not impressed?!

He ensures that all shooting and production work happens right here in Apnu Ahmedabad. "This city is a part of my identity. I shall try and give back to it in whatever small way I can" says Vishal. All you aspiring actors out there, you now know whom to get in touch for an audition!


Here is the link to one of the TVCs - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuHLj1l2kvw. Do check it out.


As an outlet for his vocal chords, ViSej Media (ViSej = Vishal + Sejal (Vishal's loving wife and his inspiration)) a music company was launched which has come up with a series of Sai Bhakti albums. And yes, you guessed it right! The singers are Ahmedabadi and so are the recording studios and musicians!!!

Very good yaar! I hear you guys saying ....

Not one to rest on past glory Vishal is now giving back more to Apnu Ahmedabad. He is neck deep in the launch activities of an Energy Drink and a first of its kind ready to drink Coconut powder for the American markets.

Well well ... needless to say we at Apnu Ahmedabad wholeheartedly wish Vishal all the very best in all his endeavors. We know a winner when we see one!
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Art of the matter


Whoosh! What a rush!
Life is exciting at apnuahmedabad. The sheer range and depth of talent citizens of ahmedabad possess never ceases to amaze!

One such talented ahmedabadi is Ms Rinku Guzraty. An international marketing professional to the world, but peel a few layers over a cup of coffee and a really aesthetically gifted person emerges. Many people are born with an artistic talent. Some appreciate music, others poetry and quite a few others let brushes and the colors on a pallette run riot with their talent. But very few nurture it lovingly.

Rinku has been fascinated by painting since the tender age of 8. A plethora of people starting from her Mother to a series of art tutors at Kolkatta have mentored her in her painting pursuits. She has even cleared 2 levels of the prestigious Fine Arts programme at the Kolkatta University with distinction!.

In Ahmedabad since 2003, Rinku has been in awe of Ahmedabad ni Gufa ever since she first went there with a cousin. She frequents that place regularly and is one of the very few who has a signed painting and a few other souvenirs of the legendary M F Hussain himself! "That interaction with MF Hussain changed my life forever. I was caught with the demands of my career and painting had taken a back seat. He inspired me to seriously focus on painting as a way of self expression and I am so glad for that fated interaction with a genius of our times!" says Rinku.

Apart from MF Hussain, Vincent Van Gogh and Leonardo da Vinci are painters whom Rinku adores. Her aspiration is to paint a wall sized replica of Van Gogh's 'Starry Nights' some day. "Who knows I might have my own exhibition one day at the Ahmedabad ni Gufa?" she says coyly.

Why not we say?! It is this spirit of dreaming big that is so integral to Apnu Ahmedabad. And let apnuahmedabad.com be her first virtual art gallery!

We leave you with a few samples of Rinku's talent as well as a few words of inspiration from her to all of you hidden goldmines of talent out there.


















A tribute to the Master!


















Still Life












Dreams













India - (No brushes only a spatula has been used for this painting).

"Go sit there in front of the canvas with a brush in one hand and a pallette in another. Just do it and let the magic unravel!" Like we always say ... dont take Rinku's word for it ... try it!



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Horse Man

How many of us ever think of riding a horse? And how many of us ever do it? These questions raise many other questions and they will keep coming up. 

A few days back I met Anish Gajjar, the Co-Founder of the Equestrian Club of Gujarat, and a Freelance Equestrian Trainer & Riding Instructor.Our interaction and interview went on for about 90 minutes. The time spent was cherishable. I will never be able to erase those moments which were fully engrossing. I kept on asking questions and was stunned with the amount of knowledge the guy has. He is a walking encyclopedia on horses. His passion for the horse is crazy. He has developed his hobby into a profession and he is a real gem of a character. There was no sign of any sort of arrogance. He is smart and handsome. Most noticeable is that he is down to earth, generous and very humble. There is a lot to write about him and the knowledge that he shared with me which I will write in parts in upcoming posts on this website. The best part is that he has agreed to write some articles for us. He has recently been featured in a leading online equestrian magazine based in the USA. You may check by clicking on the following link http://www.goinggaited.com/aSaddleStringsnOtherThings.html

He has been training horses and coaching riders since the  past 18 years. He has a farm for the horses, but prefers to keep his favorite stallion at home in his backyard. When he started training, there were only about 50 horses in town. Now the number is more than 300 and many new farms have come up. He wants more and more people to take horse riding as a serious sports activity. His youngest student is a 6 years old girl, so there is no age limit to learn riding. He has dispelled various myths related to horse riding and clearly stated that it is the most thrilling outdoor sport, and the only sport where men and women compete in the same arena at par.



According to him, if you have bought a horse for the joy of riding, then you must know that 70% of your time will be spent on horse keeping and 30% for horse riding. Bonding and compassion for your horse is very necessary, if you want to learn horse riding. It is not as expensive as it is often misunderstood and a horse can be maintained within a reasonable budget, but one needs to dedicate time and interest into it. Most people find it impossible to keep a horse at home or at the farm due to various constraints, which is why Anish and his partners have solved this problem with a very innovative idea. They have opened a livery facility for people who would like to own a horse but have no space to keep him. This is a kind of a lodging facility for horses, where several horses are kept together and riding is enjoyed as a group activity.  This also reduces the maintenance cost for owners and is also good for the horses as they get professional health care and other support. 





There is a lot left to write, but due to various constraints, I will continue talking about other interesting aspects related to horse training and riding in the next part. Thanks to Anish and we hope that we all will soon see his article here. He is best suitable to write about horses as he is a "Horse Man". His passion for horse riding will inspire so many of us who have always thought of riding, but never found a way to do it conveniently and affordably. Just wait for more exciting stuff !














It was mind-blowing to see such good comments for our "Horse Man" .
So, we thought we must share this with our readers. Have a look! 



My coverage in 'ApnuAhmedabad' by Vishal Kashyap

How many of us ever think of riding a horse? And how many of us ever do it? These questions raise many other questions and they will keep coming up.

A few days back I met Anish Gajjar, the Co-Founder of the Equestrian Club of Gujarat, and a Freelance Equestrian Trainer & Riding Instructo...See More
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