WOKAL A love letter to Humanity
The Toxic Hustle Culture
E X P L O R I N G
Human
ps i h s n o i Relat
C R E D I T S WOKAL DIGITAL MAGAZINE
Editor in Chief: Alina Ahmed Editor: Aabiyah Zehra Layouts & Design: Krishika Choudhary, Nicole Kharjana, Nikhitha, Harshul Narag Cover Art by Anushree Mishra Cover Design by Alina Ahmed
Section Heads Director of Photography : Aabiyah Zehra Associate Photographer: Bilal Ahmad Makeup: Hitashi Art Director: Krishika Choudhary Pride and Prejudice: Elizabeth Reji Travel: Vanshika Seth Food & Culture: Megha Diwan Pop Culture: Vinay Agrawal Entertainment: Mehak Pasricha Head Columnist: Hiba Social Media and PR: Aarzoo Kumar, Kashish Chopra, Srijana Columnists: Mitula Sai Subramanian, Ananya Bhammidimari, Samiah Anjum, Sara Jamshed Siddiqui Content Head: Aarzoo Kumar
N O V E M B E R 2 0 2 1 • I S S U E 1 3
CONTENTS
08 The Toxic Hustle Culture
18 The Evil Eye
28 Winter Skincare
04 A Love letter to Humanity
13 How Food makes your Mood
23 Review: Squid Game
32 Visiting Expo 2020
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A love letter to humanity By Samiah Anjum
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Dear Humanity,
Have you always
remained unchanged? I remember reading about an instance where anthropologist Margaret Mead was asked what the earliest sign of civilization
was. The answer expected was something that was built for survival, something like a weapon, a vessel, maybe even a toy for entertainment.
Instead, the answer given was, “A healed femur.”
You see, a broken femur, being the longest bone in the body, would take around six weeks of complete rest to heal without the benefits of modern medicine. Mead explained that in the animal kingdom, no creature survived long enough for the bone to heal. This was because without the use of your legs, you couldn’t run from danger or shelter yourself, you couldn’t hunt for food or search for water, you couldn’t save yourself from predators.
A healed femur meant that somebody decided to look after this person instead of deserting them and saving their own life. Somebody decided to bandage the wound, carry the person to safety and see them through their recovery. Somebody decided to go against the very law of the jungle of survival of the fittest, and decided to help someone else.
The first sign of civilization, therefore, was not a weapon or a vessel or a toy. It was compassion and patience, the same one that caused somebody to hold up a child so that they could paint on the walls of the cave, the same one that caused somebody to chew food for an elderly person for years so that they could live longer, and the very same one that caused somebody to drop off food for the healthcare workers anonymously.
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I don’t think you will ever change. I remember looking at these old black and white photographs. A man cycling by on a snowy day and people on the sidewalks laughing, pelting him and each other with snow – just because. There was no rhyme or reason to their actions, no higher purpose or historically important event that occurred as a result.
We like to portray history as these arduous, depressing years full of wars and suffering. We forget that people always have been and always will be, people. The world could be going to hell, but the event that would get documented in a personal diary would be Molly fought with me today, or why did it have to be Eric out of all people to ask me out?, or I cannot eat boiled potatoes for even one more meal anymore! and maybe one line at the end, almost like an afterthought, Germany surrendered today in Reims.
These are huge events for us, the people who came after, because in the grand scheme of things, nobody talks about Mr. Smith in the neighborhood who’d married his childhood sweetheart and who couldn’t cook even if her life depended on it. But the people who lived it, they were only trying to get by one day at a time. Didn’t we do the same while living through one of the most isolating experiences of our lives in the past couple of years? Do you think history books will someday talk about The 2020 Coronavirus Pandemic and print anything but the death count? Nobody will remember the dalgona or banana bread trend, the home workouts or the washing of hands to Happy Birthday or I want it that way, the balcony singing and the neighborhood joining in. Nobody, but us.
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I hope you never change. There is comfort in your invariance, in the fact that we think we are so different but completely overlook our similarities. I hope we never forget the times where you shone, in the bleakest of hours, whether it was a truce between two warring sides on Christmas in 1914, or the voluntary exposure to a deadly disease to provide other people with sustenance. I hope we never understate the importance of laughter and happiness through ill-timed ‘unnecessary’ humor, both in the past by writing runes on the ceiling of a cave that took years to translate to this is very high, or in the present by conducting Josh-fights. I hope we never underestimate the power of people, of their actions, of compassion and sensitivity and gentleness, both personally as well as on a world-changing level.
Humanity, I hope you stay the same, and I hope you keep teaching us through both your successes as well as failures.
With love,
Your ardent admirer.
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THE TOXIC HUSTLE CULTURE
BY SARA SIDDIQUI
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THE TOXIC HUSTLE CULTURE “Get up and get going”, “sitting won’t get you anywhere”, “there’s no better time to start than right now”. I’m sure you’ve heard these phrases used by motivational speakers. In an attempt to mobilize people to action, they emphasize the urgency of doing so. This is done in context to lazy, unmotivated people who are looking for a sign to start their journey to success. It excludes the part of the population that is unmotivated for a reason, blocked because of an obstacle, going through something and not in the mental state to, in fact, “get up and get going”.
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Motivational speeches, more often than not, are impractical. They can be implemented only in certain scenarios and still, to an extent. Moreover, people have different potentials, paces, and timings. Just because your peers are reaching their full potential right now, does not mean that you must do so as well. Your life conditions are different. You are dealing with your own problems right now and that is fine. I wish more motivational quotes, speeches and speakers emphasized the reality of the true situation behind the scenes. This is hustle culture. For those of you unaware, hustle culture revolves around the concept of overworking, never stopping and reaching goals whilst ignoring all other aspects of a healthy life. After years of believing in the concept, social media recently enlightened me to the fact that hustle culture isn’t healthy. While the real situation still has a long way to go, a little awareness on Instagram occasionally does provide food for thought. When you think about it, people brag more about the number of hours they’ve worked as compared to the amount of work they get done.
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It focuses specifically on workbased success and does not follow a holistic approach. There comes a time when it pushes people too far which can be dangerous and counterproductive. People think that they must always be working whether they’re productive or not. Simply doing work for the sake of it will not get you anywhere if you aren’t taking time off to relax and reevaluate.
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The concept blatantly ignores the mental health component towards productivity. You cannot be productive with a preoccupied mind. The impact this culture has on physical and mental well-being is devastating. Burnout is serious and must be avoided at all costs. It includes social, mental, physical and emotional exhaustion. Scientifically, burnout can lead to chronic health issues and major fatigue.
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I saw a post on Instagram which read, “stop glamourizing many hours of work and start glamourizing getting 7+ hours of sleep, having healthy relationships, feeling safe, being paid good rates, working hard when you’re at work, boundaries and self-caring your way into the industry.” This is important to understand because this culture, like all others, is a manmade concept and can be changed. We just need to unlearn the toxicity and understand the importance of working toward our goals while treating ourselves well. A very close relative, who is a doctor, told me that to stop my brain from racing at full speed during the later hours of the day, I need to imagine closing the door of work-related topics when I hit the bed. That was helpful advice, and it genuinely works.
Taking time off, spending time with loved ones and working on your health are a part of success as well. Social and recreational aspects enrich our lives in ways we don’t particularly appreciate. So, let’s vouch to hustle only when we can and not misinterpret this into being lazy and uninspired. Work hard but also relax. That’s the gist.
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Here's How Food Makes Your Mood!
B Y
A N A N Y A
B H A M M I D I M A R R I
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F E E L I N G
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A N X I O U S ?
Incorporating some dark chocolate in your diet can help! This seemingly-absurd statement is in fact not so absurd. Experts have observed and proven that dark chocolate helps ease stress and anxiety. Basically, low serotonin levels are one of the causes of anxiety.
Dark chocolate provides huge amounts of Tryptophan, an amino acid that enables the production of serotonin. By having dark chocolate, your serotonin levels can improve, thereby playing a role in relieving your anxiety to some extent.
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The point is, while it is widely known that nutrition affects one’s physical health, food has an effect on one’s mood too. Certain foods help your brain produce chemicals that can have an impact on your mood, attention, focus, stress, energy etc.
The science behind food’s influence on mood: the brain and the gastrointestinal tract have a direct relationship and that is why diet and emotions share a bond. Your gastrointestinal tract houses bacteria that affect neurotransmitter production. Chemicals produced carry messages from the gut to the brain (dopamine and serotonin are two examples).
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Eating healthy enables growth of good bacteria which positively influence production of neurotransmitters. So, your brain receives these positive messages and your emotions reflect it. But when production goes askew, so does your mood.
The best meal to enhance your mood is one that contains a mix of complex carbohydrates and lean proteins (basically, let the food plate be colourful!). Complex carbohydrates like beans and sweet potatoes can increase levels of feel-good serotonin in your brain. Fruits and vegetables rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants are also known to boost happiness.
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Food tips for an improved mood: Have foods like quinoa, mushrooms, dark chocolate, bananas, oats, nuts and berries. Consider a healthy snack during your hunger pangs instead of packaged and processed foods. Eat fresh fruits and vegetables instead of fruit/vegetable juice. Reduce sugar intake (you must have heard this a lot but establishing its importance once again). Avoid overeating, have only as much as your body needs. Consume healthy fats like olive oil and avocado. Don’t overdo caffeine. Limit its intake.
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THE EVIL EYE
By Vinay Agarwal
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Why Everyone is Buying 'Buri Nazar' Merch These Days! Buri Nazar or the evil eye is feared upon universally. It is one of the commonalities across diverse cultures and beliefs irrespective of the demographic, race or ethnicity. Also known by the names Kali nazar (black eye), Cheshme Nazar in Persian, mal de ojo in Spanish, an evil eye has roots in many places making the location of its origins, hard to trace.
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A poison is said to be the best antidote for poison. Similarly, an evil eye charm is supposed to be the best antidote for an evil eye and said to protect the wearer from the dark energy by creating a shield around them. In the recent months, the evil eye charm has been trending and how! Much of this renewed interested can be linked to the nature of times where the uncertainty is the only certainty. It is hence natural for the people to lean towards the things that provide them solace and promise to cut the negative energy caused by overthinking about an uncertain future.
Enter the evil eye. Today, an evil eye is no longer used as a home accessory placed in the porch of the home. It has gone beyond that and can be worn in chic formats be it as Tshirts, cool jewelry (there are options galore in terms of evil eye jewelry), badges, pins, foot wear, stickers to even permanent and temporary ink.
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The evil eye has also become a runway fixture with local and international designers exploring its symbolism in stylish formats. In 2017, supermodel Gigi Hadid came up with her evil eye themed shoe collection in collaboration with the designer Stuart Weitzman. The evil eye wave has caught on among celebs too. The ‘always-in-news’ Instagram influencer Kim Kardashian has be papped wearing evil eye on numerous occasions (Is she also responsible for the resurgence in the evil eye charm sales, we think so!)
The Instagram throws up around 789k and more search results if you enter the hashtag evil eye. A lot of people are also incorporating evil eye into their home décor in the form of furnishings, wall painting and more. Never before, an evil eye has been commercialized like this.
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Oh, you can also eat the evil eye as there as evil eye themed cakes as well. Not to mention, the evil eye face masks that are the need of hour. A trend skeptic like me, for one, drew an evil eye rangoli, last Diwali. Another factor behind its glaring popularity is the visual element it provides. Done in the soothing shades of aquamarine, white and rich inky blue, an evil eye looks as pretty as it looks mysterious to decode.
It's our guardian angel and don't we all love having one?
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REVIEW:
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Squid Game's Cho Sang Woo By Mitula Sai Subramanian
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CHO SANGWOO: THE MOST REALISTIC PLAYER FROM SQUID GAME With Squid Game becoming the most watched Netflix show ever, it is an understatement to say that it is one hell of a show. With a unique premise of indebted people playing children’s games with their lives on the line, the show puts forward diverse characters with different strategies that manage to keep everyone at the edge of their seats. Viewers cannot help but analyse why certain characters chose certain actions. Out of all such amazing characters, Cho Sangwoo is definitely the
most intriguing, complex, and realistic character we have come across. He is introduced as a Seoul National University graduate which is the epitome of a remarkably successful life in South Korea. He is intelligent, rational, and has a successful business. Or so everyone thought. Sangwoo was charged with fraud and embezzlement of his business funds. He eventually entered the Squid Game with hopes of repaying his debt.
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Throughout the series, Sangwoo remains practical with only one thing in mind: winning at any cost. Compared to other characters who faltered at points because of their connections with others, he would repeatedly bring them back to reality- this is a game that would decide whether they come out with money and a life of dignity or where they face their demise. Though harsh, his opinions were valid. Sangwoo is an anti-hero; his actions and behaviour are not because he is inherently evil and loves to torture others by manipulating them. All of his choices are a result of the situations he was put into, and he did everything to save himself. Viewers did not like him because they could see themselves in him. Sure, his actions are not applaudable, but who would not want to save themselves? All the players entered such a deadly survival game because they realized that the life out there is no better than in the game. Except here, they get a chance to play fair and square, which is not an option in the real society where very often one’s destiny is dictated by their social and economic class.
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Is Betrayal and manipulation therefore the
? r e w s n A
Of course not. The only reason everyone has a love-hate relationship with him is because he does not shy away from doing what is the best for him. Even though it hurts others. Just like there is no ethical consumption under capitalism, there is no way for him to have reached where he was without hurting others. It is time that viewers accept that his character was not meant for being liked; rather, Sangwoo is a cruel reminder of our society and what it takes to maintain one’s position in reality.
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A Perfect Makeup Routine By Hitashi
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Since winters are here our skin tends to become very dry, flakey and basically not the best version of it's self.
Now in order to tackle that we make few changes to our skincare routines but often neglect the few changes that must be made in our makeup routine as well in order to keep our skin and face looking fresh!
TWO STEP MOISTURIZING
Never stop moisturizing no matter what the season is! But in winters make sure to follow the two�step moisturizing routine i.e., by using a moisturizing mist first and then going ahead with a moisturizer for some extra hydration!
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PRIMERS Previously in summers and monsoons I’ve recommended everyone to use a matte siliconbased primer but in winters I recommend everyone to use a water based or an illuminating primer because there is no such thing as too much hydration in winters!
GO LIGHT BUT HYDRATING I know taking off your makeup in winters can be a task so why not use things that are super light weight but also does good to your skin! Here I’m talking about using tinted moisturizers or just mixing in your favorite beauty oil with a small drop foundation and trust me it’ll make your skin look like skin but better!
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SWITCH TO CREAM PRODUCTS Give your face palettes a break for a few months and start using cream and Liquid products like a cream blush, a lip n cheek tint instead of a powder blush, a liquid or cream highlighter instead of a powdered highlighter and likewise a contour stick for contouring!
NO TO POWDERS It’s doesn’t take long for our skin to dry down and look flakey in winters then why would you want
to add more powder in your makeup routine. So basically, say no to loose powders and baking instead to set down your makeup use a compact powder just on the areas that tend to move and crease a bit and avoid setting your whole face with a powder.
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V I S I T I N G
T H E
U A E
E X P O
2 0 2 0
BY VANSHIKA SETH
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VISITING EXPO 2020-UAE Expo 2020 is being hosted by Dubai, UAE from 1st October 2021 to 31st March 2022. Expo 2020 Dubai is the celebration of the UAE Vision 2021 by supporting the growth of tourism, stimulating the development of innovative businesses in the UAE, and enhancing the country's international reputation as a location to do business. Expo 2020 Dubai will host the world for 6 months, each day brimming with new experiences. It’ll be a time to create, collaborate and innovate. And it’s going to be fun.
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Expo 2020 promises to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for all. It highlights the below mentioned area of interest. Innovation and Technology Entertainment Arts and Culture Culinary Experiences Architecture
It is the Middle East's first global Expo, it holds for you surprises and excitement galore. Experience the amazing at the earliest.
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Terms & Conditions Download the Expo 2020 Dubai App for a smooth visiting experience. Ensure that you are either fully vaccinated or carry an RT-PCR negative report in any other case. Ticket cost ranges from AED 45 - AED 1750. Certain peak days require prior reservation via the Expo 2020 website or mobile app, and entry will be allowed based on site capacity.
Visit timings - 10:00 am to midnight, daily Sat - Wed and 10:00 am to 2:00 am on Thursdays and Fridays. One can reach Expo 2020 via Metro, Expo Rider and RTA Buses, taxi, car, etc.
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ISSUE 13| NOVEMBER
ISSUE 13 | NOVEMBER 2021
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