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Reasons to visit LONDON this Christmas season!
This winter make Christmas memories in Britain. By Saanya Batra
23rd November,2017
If you haven’t experienced the Christmas celebration in London you’re really missing out on some awesome stuff! London has been one of the greatest tourist attractions since several years particularly because of its historic monuments, museums, weather, culture, food and much more.One can simply never get bored in the city as there is so much to see and do from shopping at the world-famous oxford street to drinking english tea at Harrods or having the best fish and chips in the world.
Picture credits: Saanya Batra
5 Road trip essentials you can’t do without! We all long for a good road trip with friends and family every now and then. There are 5 really essential things I don’t think anyone should miss out on while traveling
By Saanya Batra
Picture credits: Saanya Batra
London is a wonderland during December because of the extravagant Christmas decorations, dazzling lights and a list of other things to do like:
• Wet wipes –They’re extremely handy and you can need them anytime from car sickness when you need to freshen up or when you have sticky fingers. • Camera- It is obvious to carry a camera while traveling but now everyone has good quality cameras on their phones so people avoid carrying one. But a Polaroid camera can add a personal touch and make the trip more memorable. •Sanitizer – Sanitizer is a very important thing to carry while traveling for hygiene. • Snacks- We all can feel hungry anytime hence carrying snacks like chips, Maggi or energy drinks which can give you instant energy. •Blanket and pillow- Long hours in the car can be really tiring hence taking a nap is a great way to pass time.
1.Ice
skating in somerset house’s 18th-century courtyard ice rink or ice skating while admiring the city’s skyline from the rooftop ice rink at Skylight.
2.Singing
Christmas carols around Trafalgar Square’s world-famous Christmas tree.
3.Watching
christmas shows as London’s theatres have a great selection of classic shows with famous personalities and family-friendly fun.
4.Christmas shopping is never
as fun as in London with the most amazing stores in Oxford Street, Regent Street and Bond Street.
5.Cruising in the river Thames and admiring the mesmerising beauty of the city.
Picture credits: Saanya Batra
So if you’re planning a vacation this December London is the place to be!
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LIFESTYLE MEET HAPPY FEET 19-year-old, moves gently to the rhythm.
By Saanya Batra
25th November 2017
Anoushka has been an achiever It’s given me a personality and since she was a little girl. She helped me find the true meaning is an all-rounder who’s always of life. been performing been clear about her goals and Q-You’ve dreams and has done everything internationally, what is the reaction in her capability to achieve them. of the audience abroad? A- The reaction of the audience By Manika Agarwal 20th November, 2017 Bharatanatyam dance is a big Visiting Leh made me realise the importance of “father- part of her life and it has given there made me feel like no less daughter” bond. It was the most spontaneous plan with her direction by always keeping than a film star. I was being my father. All our trips are planned in advance and the photographed and appreciated by bookings are made but this time it was impromptu. We her motivated. Bharatanatyam is booked our plane tickets just 4 hours before the flight. a traditional Indian dance from thousands. Since we live in Agra, we had to rush to Delhi at 6 in the the temples of Tamil Nadu in Q- What is the difference between morning to catch our flight and somehow we managed to southern India. It is one of the most Indian audience and the audience make it in time. Leh is the capital of Ladakh, situated in the state of respected dance form. abroad? Jammu and Kashmir at an altitude of 11,562 feet. The A- Both can’t be compared. One population of Leh is 30,870, inhabited by the people of Q- Who/what inspired you to learn the Indo-Aryan and Tibetan descent, Leh spans from Bharatnatyam? makes you feel like a celebrity the Karakoram Mountain range in the north to the Great A- It was always my mother’s while the other mocks you for Himalayas in the south. Full of natural wonders, Leh is pursuing an Indian art form. home to scenic lakes, hilltop Buddhist monasteries, and dream to make me learn dance the world’s highest motorable pass. since she was never able to learn it Q- What are your interests apart dance? herself. From the age of 3, I wasbookings. on from I even interacted with strangers It took us two hours to reach there, as route for trading between India and the Central Asianitregion of Bukhara, Kokand, and I got to know their story. soon as we reached, we found a hotel has formed such and I became my own inspiration A- Since dance Turkestan, and Xinjiang region of China. I never thought that this trip would change nearby and then started planning our a big part of my life, there’s hardly to do better. next five days in the city. We hired a bike The double-humped camels are the most my relationship with my dad completely. time for anything else. But Q- What does Bharatnatyam and explored the city in our own way. beautiful beings in impact the Nubra Valley. We gotany to know each other better, we I stayed up late at night talking or playing After visiting Magnetic hill, Sanchi Stupa, Waking up at 4 in the morning just to sure do love to travel and explore have in your life? catch the sunrise at Pangong Lake was games. I am so glad I took this trip with Thikse Monastery we did river rafting in the I’mtheable to experience Bharatnatyam partandwhich cold waters of Indus-Zanskar confluence, breathtakinglyA-beautiful. I lovedhas howbeen the a him explored most beautiful city of which was a whole new experience. lake kept changing its colours from time India in the most adventurous way. of my life for 15 years now. thanks to dance.
3. LEH-VING IT - A trip to remember!
We were fortunate enough to ride a two humped bactrian camel. Bactrian camels are not of Indian origin. This particular species of camel came to India when a group of caravans used to tread this
to time. Unlike all other places, this trip was not about luxury but learning to adjust in different situations. I travelled in a local bus because we had not made prior
An Event you can’t afford to miss next year! Kala Ghoda Art Festival is taking place from 3rd to 11th February 2018. 4. NANITAL on my mind
By Batra BySaanya Omisha Dhatwalia
During spring break, me and my cousins Kala Ghoda is thegetaway. country’s decided to goArts for Festival a weekend We had been thinking of going largest art fest which takesto Nainital place in for quite a while. A three day occasion February each year. Multicultural festival just appeared the best time to do it.So takes place Mumbai a us week where we settled oninthe spot.It for took about 7 hours to reach the hills and another 1 hour people from all over the world show up. to find our hotel.The hotel had a perfect It is heldLikewise, in the Kala Ghoda district the near location. with any hill station, view of the valley beneath was there beautiful. Colaba, Mumbai. This year, were Alternate points of attractions were Snow appearances of celebrities and other view, Naini peak, Dorothy’s seat and Tiffin celebrated artists. top. The Himalayan snow caps were noticeable from Snow view however I visited Kala Ghoda as a student thisone year requires a clear skyline for that. On our 1st andwe observed of art and day enjoyed variety and ourselves, we displays. went to the then for a boat Of market course,area, it took a while for usride.The to enter lake was picturesque and the boat ride is as there was a huge overly excited crowd! an absolute necessity for everyone. We The ended fest the is day filled finally with awith great interactive dinner at the boathouse club. The next morning we installations made by artists/college decided to go trekking to the tiffin top.We students. Thethat treeit of hope awas one of were informed is quite distance and should takepeople horses were yet the vastto suchwekinds. Most trying majority of us wanted to trek anyway.So click pictures around it without noticing The trek began from bara pathar which is deeper meaning of theWe tree. One could athe spot for rock climbing had barely begun and we lost our direction.We then
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had to walk back and go down the slope to writethe down and reach right their track.messages/wishes After walking for 45 minutes weto reached the ‘land’s end’ which could tie the branches of the tree. Once gave a better than average perspective of the tree it lit up, it would radiate positive the slopes ahead. At last, we achieved a energy forsort these wishes to slope.We come true. little garden region on the sat there for a while and had a quick meal. Mostly, it was also about saving trees and We then reached tiffin top and it was truly wasting them for paper. a not moment of achievement. The wind was very chilly and could see there the entire Apart from justWe installations, are art town from the top.As it was getting dark works for sale too. These works are purely we finally decided to walk our way back. handmade we all were home totally furnishing exhausted products by then. to Everything was so quiet and dark and creative daily use objects. Super unique, all of us were getting creeped out.We thesetoarticles will not betofound anywhere started look for a place relax and eat something butare it was else. They soldoratunfortunate affordable luck prices that most of the restaurants were shut. too! These are generally a mix of creative Suddenly we all stopped outside a house modern lookreally to traditional elements. The which looked haunted and decided tostalls go inside.We all were extremely scared were crowded with buyers. Further but luckily for us, it turned out to be a we walked around the area and noticed restaurant which had great food.The next morning we packed our stuff of andthem headed huge installations. Most were back to Delhi. It was the most fun and made by college students. adventurous trip I’ve ever had!
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Depression As A Social Issue “It takes too much to find light but too little to be sucked into darkness”, I guess that is what we refer to as ‘depression.’
By Saanya Batra It is one of the most common and the least looked upon social issue. Living is hard, dealing with stress, anxiety, loneliness, and loss is not easy. We all try to deal with depression and we all have our own ways to do so. Some people self-harm, become suicidal while some get addicted to drugs and alcohol at a very young age because they do not get proper help or guidance from their families or loved ones. It often makes the person feel worthless, ruins their ability to have dreams and makes it difficult for them to achieve their goals because their mind is loaded with negative thoughts and anxiety. Anxiety is the most common side effect of depression. Often we see people who are going through massive changes in their life like moving out, starting college or ending a relationship may become down temporarily and then start to feel better as they adjust to their new circumstances. We’ve all experienced gloomy days with a foggy path ahead when nothing seemed right. For instance, my 16-year-old cousin shared her experience with social anxiety and how she dealt with it at a very young age. She was just 13 when social anxiety hit her. When I asked her about her experience she replied: “To feel so much at a young age and not understand what’s happening to you can be draining. I was 13 and devastated, to think back I could deal with my depression and anxiety in a much better way if I had someone to guide me but living in a country like India where people are not so open about mental illnesses made it really hard for me. I’ve
4th December, 2017 had a hard time dealing with depression and the fact that no one understood me led to social anxiety because I knew I was mocked and my feelings weren’t respected”. Life is not always a Sunday morning with breakfast in bed, sometimes it is a dark Monday morning when we struggle to get up. People dealing with this mental illness forget the meaning of happiness. They find it hard to love themselves and find inner peace. Only if they try to have a positive mindset and learn to appreciate the simple things in life a lot of their problems could be solved , perhaps that is easier said than done. Depression is a mental illness that affects 350 million people of all ages in the world. It is a serious and a growing problem that needs more attention. Depression corners you and leaves you all alone. It is a bottomless pit of sadness where you watch yourself fall apart and lose control. It is feeling sad when everything is going right.However, It is important to have people support you and get you out of this mental state. It can’t be dealt with alone. That is what people need to realize. Depression is not solved by one person, it is solved by many. In India specifically, It is becoming a large problem but no one recognizes or pays much attention to it. As a community, we should be more aware. People fake smiles and mask their feelings. It is difficult to recognize but there are always signs. It is also important that people who are depressed speak up and tell someone how they are feeling. Without both side’s cooperation, depression cannot be solved!
THE ULTIMATE GIRLBOSS
Carissa Smart is a Communication/Graphic Designer and Photographer based in Melbourne By Saanya Batra
She started her own business ‘Design By Aikonik’ in 2006 which is based on bringing daily inspiration by visually appealing photography and handwritten typography. She has a passion for fashion, travel and lifestyle trends. Carissa started as a freelancer and worked with a number of clients that helped her create an interesting portfolio. She always believed in herself and had bigger goals to accomplish. In 2014 she figured that Instagram is a perfect platform for her to showcase her creative ideas and talents to the entire world. Her posts on Instagram consist of everything that is pleasing to the eye as they’re extremely aesthetic and ace flat lay photography. For those who don’t know what flat lay photography is, it is a way to showcase items on a white or wood background to tell a story. Like every other blogger, Carissa has also collaborated with various brands including Clinique, Toni&Guy, Moccona Coffee, Decjuba and Fashion Bunker.
4th December, 2017
When I asked Carissa what inspired her to be an influencer she replied: “My motive was to show my content with some ‘tips and tricks’ of both fashion, beauty and flat lays through Instagram , blogging was never my agenda.”However, this is not the only job she has. Apart from being famous on Instagram she works 9-5 as a graphic designer. “I have a job as a full time graphic designer but i also do create content for my own Instagram blog at the same time. It’s all about multitasking so I can get the best of both worlds whilst still meeting all my commitments says Carrisa.” I further asked her the secret to her success to which she responded “Being the ultimate girl boss and running your own business requires a person to be a “jack of all trades”. You should have the ability to be organized and multitask by being your own boss If something needs to get done there is no one else to rely on but yourself and actually I wouldn’t have it any other way .”
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These pictures were clicked at PRIDE PARADE,2017 by Manika Agarwal.
Have Fashion bloggers democratized the fashion world?
By Saanya Batra
Whether we agree or not bloggers aka social media influencers have a huge impact on our lives.We look up to them for almost everything from what to wear to what places to eat out at. In a way, they have changed everyone’s perception of fashion and lifestyle. They have introduced us to a new world of fashion. Fashion is no longer only for the famous and elites. The internet has made it way easier for everyone to access fashion or to follow the latest trends than it was back in the day. Everyone is well aware of the styles around the world. Even the latest designs can be seen before they’re out there in the stores. Most of us know what to wear and where to shop from. They not only share the latest trends but also help us adopt the trends in an affordable way by giving us various fashion tips, hacks and alternatives thus making our lives simpler by being our own personal stylists that can stay with us all the time.They have also
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become a way in which the consumers interact with the fashion designers and the retailers as they showcase what a consumer really wants. Some bloggers have gained huge success and are appreciated by people because of their work while there are some who are doing it all wrong. Yes, that is true some influencers mainly focus on quantity over quality. They mainly try to gain more followers rather than working on their craft or content which does not work in the long term as people tend to stop looking up to these bloggers when their content is not accurate or well thought of. Some of them only want to become an influencer for their own benefits and to fill their own pockets! Some bloggers do not have a clear picture of their target audience resulting in providing unnecessary content to the wrong audience.Cherry Jain, a fashion and lifestyle blogger comments “ if i am creating content for a brand, I make sure I
give them brand visibility and they get what they’re looking for.Whenever I felt I won’t be able to live up to a brand’s expectation I have avoided working with them as i cannot relate it to myself or the audience. It is important to be true to yourself and to the brands.” To be a successful blogger is to be able to make a living out of blogging. But not many are able to do this. A life of a blogger is not as easy and glamorous as it looks. Creating unique content which is substantial for people and content which will attract a lot of traffic is what successful blogging means.the bloggers who write about things that they have knowledge about and are passionate about. It is very important for a blogger to know their target audience and then provide valuable and relevant information to them.