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Travel Diaries 3: Cappadocia, Turkey. (May 2016)

Finally, after our stay in the rich and extravagant Istanbul, we had to bid farewell and leave for a small town, Cappadocia. It was hard for me to say goodbye to the city because it had created a special place in my heart in such a short span of time. I was already missing the charming people, wonderful places, monuments and vast markets and the entire feeling of being in the city. My mood was a little down before we touched down in Urugup, the city where Cappadocia was located. The place is famous for its geographical features of rock formations and caves that are a result of the volcanic eruptions of the past. In fact, we actually stayed at a cave hotel that had real cave rooms. Their age ranged from about 200 to 5000 years old. The room in which I was staying was 4,500 years old, which was fascinating to know, as it had a huge history linked to it.

We met some of the friendliest people in that city. They knew how to treat foreigners and tourists and teach them about their country’s history. We had had conversations about Bollywood and how Turks respected and admired the Indian culture. They had also talked about one of the main occupations being carpet making. Most women were hired to do the sewing and make carpets that had impeccable patterns and designs; some even looked like portraits. This was one of the main sources of income in many households.

They told us about numerous underground cities used by early Christians as hideouts to protect themselves during war. They also used caves, as shelter and houses and they were all hand-made as the rock formations were of relatively softer material that was easy to scrape and shape. They are called the ‘tufa’ rocks; red ones made of iron oxide, yellow ones of sulphur and the black ones of basalt. Later on, they were also used for vineyards due to the suitable and constant temperature inside the caves that was suitable for human survival also. Thus, the rocks and caves had a great utility. In fact they were still used as houses by many families even in the 21st century.

One of the many tourist attractions was the hot air balloon ride that would take tourists and visitors all around the town to have a breathtaking 360 degree view of the caves, skyline and the natural beauty of Cappadocia. Unfortunately due to the restriction of time we couldn’t experience it but that leaves another reason to visit the place again.

On the first day of our tour, we got to visit the pigeon valley. The region is located in the center of the Anatolian Region of Turkey, with unusual rock formation that were a result of the erosive rains and winds along with the rock formations that were formed by the volcanic eruptions that had occurred 2 million years ago. Millions of pigeons in the area attract numerous visitors every year. It is one of the longest valleys located between the Goreme and Uchisar districts in Cappadocia.

We also got to visit a few churches like the Church of Barbara, built in the 11th century that was constructed to imprison a martyr called Barbara to protect her from Christian influence. She continued her faith and was killed by her father along with the 11th century Chapel of St. Basil that also contains many architectural splendors and frescoes of Jesus; Mary and Baby Jesus, and saints Theodore, George and Demetrius. There were many other churches named as per their shapes example the apple church aka Elmalı Kilise. These were together called the Goreme churches because they are located in the city of Goreme.

These frescoes were painted depictions of different events of Christ’s life and were made out of vegetable pigments. Thus, they’ve been in very good shape over centuries. The various churches that are again scraped out of the rock formations consist of these frescoes that depict the different stages of Jesus Christ’s life. It was intriguing to learn about the origin of Jesus and Christianity. The real exquisiteness of artistry in those churches made me appreciate the Christian history even more because now I could say that I had proper and adequate knowledge about the religion.

We later visited an underground city where I learnt pottery from a pottery guru. There, they taught us about the Turkish ceramics and their significance. The way the ladies painted the pots with free hands looked so effortless but it was pure perfection. The carvings and the drawings seemed as if they were machine made but it was magical how they effortlessly glided their hands over the glass leaving impeccably attractive designs. They explained how machines were replacing human labour but they believed in independence from technology. The underground cities were vast and deep. Some might feel claustrophobic in such conditions but the endlessness of the gullies and underground caves left me speechless.

The next day we spent discovering the hotel where we were staying and generally enjoying the sunny weather. My parents read their books on the terrace and I continued with my photography and writing. I loved how we could have some time to ourselves between all the travelling. The caves were not very WiFi friendly as they prevented radiation of any kind giving us ample time to take some time off from the virtual world and enjoy the beauty that the nature had to offer.

I enjoyed editing my pictures and editing drafts for my blog with a cup of the famous Turkish tea. It was surprising how the tea was served in such a small quantity yet it had a strong influence. Slowly, the new experiences after Istanbul were growing on me and the hangover of the previous city was wearing off. The last day was spent spending quality family time talking about how our daily routines took up so much time that we could hardly appreciate the beauty of life.

Here, native families were seen talking and laughing over a cup of tea and a plate of Turkish snacks. It was nice to see that even not very well-to-do families seemed to be satisfied with what they had and knew how to appreciate time spent with their loved ones. This helped my parents and I cherish each other even more. We realized that such experiences were nothing without our loved ones.

Even though Cappadocia was a small city, it had much to offer. The simplicity and accepting nature of the people is what we could all absorb something from. They didn’t need modern technological facilities or materialistic gains to be happy. The common feature among everyone that we met was that they were all laid back and extremely comfortable with who they were. They didn’t have anything to prove or show unlike most city people. Something about them was so welcoming and warm. They taught us that even though they didn’t have a lot, they still managed to make the most out of their limited resources. Unlike the previous city, the people of the town lived a relatively slow paced and pleasing life. They earned enough to keep themselves healthy and content. In the modern world where everyone is running and is not ready to slow down, the town people showed that one could live an equally happy life without running after materialism and giving more time to humanity, love and acceptance.

We had earlier met one of the natives who had talked to us about how their people were proud of their heritage and traditions and how it inspired them to not only work for their town but also for other humans. They strongly believed in humanity and equality and were not afraid to show it and pass it on to whoever came to visit their home.

They had a sense of compassion and empathy that made them stand out. Even if they met a complete stranger, they wouldn’t think twice before showing him just as much love as they would show to a family member. It wasn’t just a place that had rich history but also people who had so much to give unconditionally. The small yet wonderful town will always have a special place in my heart.

With that came the end of our vacation in Turkey. Although I knew that I would miss Turkey a lot, I was still excited for what Greece had in store for us. So, we bid farewell to everyone who had made our experience in the town unforgettable and moved on with the rest of the vacation.

[blogmy-life]

Mrs. Funny Bones - A Book Review

Now that I had finished my Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets book, I was looking for another getaway; by which I mean a new book to read. After a long incompetent search in my library, my mom disclosed to me that she had bought some new books the other day and suggested I should read one of them.

Out of curiosity, I gazed through the fresh pile of books and was particularly intrigued by Mrs. Funny Bones by Twinkle Khanna. And I must say, the highly entertaining book made me think of her as not just the wife of one of the most successful Bollywood actors but also a very clever and witty individual who certainly knew how to express herself very well. It was a book that even a mystery/thriller fanatic like me would enjoy reading. It was certainly a good change to read something that was not written by Jeffrey Archer or Dan Brown.

Initially, I had intended to read a few pages to see Mrs. Funny Bone’s writing style but I couldn’t keep my hands from flipping page after page. As a result of that, I – for the very first time in my life – completed the entire novel in just one day.

It was notable how she managed to highlight some of her most awkward moments as a woman, daughter and mother and still feature some important issues like adolescence, adult responsibilities, motherhood and childhood.

By giving us fits of laughter by talking about her ‘domestic wonder’ (worker) whose weird habits she had to deal with everyday, ‘prodigal son’, a loving Punjabi mother and a disciplined and responsible ‘man of the house’ (her husband), she has proven that the title of the book is very appropriate.

She describes her daily life struggles and displays that her life is pretty much like any other working wife/mother. Some of such instances included how women in India have to fast on Karva Chauth yearly and yet India ranks 146 in the list of countries where men live the longest; watching auntie jis jogging up and down the stairs to impress a new actor who had moved into their building; her mother naming her twinkle which according to her is one of the most embarrassing things that has ever happened to her and much more.

At the same time she touches topics like her wanting to be a child again and reliving a relaxed and warm childhood. She wrote, “I wish we lived like children. Run till you are out of breath, flop on the grass, stare at clouds, jump up again, chase a squirrel around every tree in the park, walk on your hands because the world looks different upside down, climb little hills and roll down the other side, do somersaults … just because you can. What do we do instead? We surround ourselves with all these big and small blinking screens, while our bodies and minds slowly forget how to tumble, how to wonder, how to live.” This certainly made me realize how essential keeping that child alive in us is, no matter how much we grow up.

She also went on about how technology has taken over our lives in such a way that we have become almost completely dependent on gadgets for our daily efficiency. She also wrote, “God was right when He told Adam to leave the Apple alone.”

She shared how she is always open to all kinds of conversations with her children because she wants them to blossom into open-minded adults; giving a good advice on how to bring up children. There was also a chapter in which she stated how nothing in life is as sacred as happiness and true love that meant mutual acceptance and one couldn’t deny anything she was saying.

Though I would describe her style of writing as casual and blog-type it is still apt for reading over an easy weekend with a cup of a hot beverage. One couldn’t help but fall in love with her subtle yet highly relatable and frank sarcasm.

Through this book, she has exposed a part of herself that describes her as an amazing woman, mother, wife, daughter and an overall good human being. This review is just a small hint of the matter in the novel and one will only know how awesome Twinkle Khanna is after reading it. It is an entertaining satirical book in which she has addressed serious matters in a light-hearted manner. It is as if you’re listening to a friend talk to you about life.

It is recommended for all age groups especially children and parents who would relate to it so much that after every chapter they would think of only one word: SAME!

[blogmy-life]

What it’s like being an ‘Ambivert’

For starters, ambiverts are people who are neither extroverts nor introverts but lie somewhere in the middle of the scale. For people who don’t know what that feels like, here is an idea of some of our daily struggles:

 1.  We cause misunderstandings sometimes.

 There are times when we absolutely love interacting and socializing but there are also times when we’d much rather stay home and spend time with ourselves than deal with the outside world. This may cause misinterpretations among friends by making them think that we are eluding them when that’s far from actuality. In this case, all you have to do is communicate and be upfront about who you are because no matter what, real friends always understand.

 2.  We find it hard to meet expectations.

 We are the kind of people who either enjoy being the life of the party or being the silent enjoyers; there’s no in-between. It’s just a little hard when people expect us to always be extroverted and amuse them. As a result of which we can’t say no to parties or get-togethers that we don’t really want to attend. It’s just something that comes naturally to us; sometimes we just want to be laid back without having any expectations to meet. We don’t want to disappoint anyone by not acting the way they want us to. Either way, we love some quality time with our loved ones including ourselves.

 3.  ‘You wouldn’t know, you’re an extrovert.’

 We also hate when someone says that we wouldn’t know the struggles of being an introvert. There have been many times when some people have told me how lucky I am to be such an open person while they talk about how being an introvert is a struggle. What’s the annoying part? The part where I tell them that I know how they feel and they debate with that statement. Like, excuse me, just because we like socializing doesn’t mean we don’t have an introverted side. At times we’re excited party animals but the rest of the time we love being alone not having to deal with others. You’re not the only one who gets conscious during social events and doesn’t always like interactions. It gets frustrating for us too. We’ve never really understood the whole “introvert vs. extrovert” dichotomy because we’re… both!

 4.  People constantly think we are sad or depressed.

 No, there’s no tragedy that we have been going through in our lives, it’s just that we need some time alone. A part of us loves the calm and quiet, it doesn’t mean something bad has happened with us. When we meet people at school or work places, we are frequently asked if we are okay when we are calmer than usual or when we escape tiring interactions. We love peace and alone time just as much as we love socializing. No, we don’t dislike you either; just because we didn’t converse with you much the whole day or didn’t make an effort to see you doesn’t mean we don’t like you, sometimes we just want to lay in bed and surround ourselves with comfort.

 5.  Things get awkward sometimes.

 When we aren’t in the mood for socializing, it’s hard to explain our reasons to people so we have to come up with legit excuses. We become unintentionally awkward because we at once feel the need to be a social life jacket for other people, though we’re just uncomfortable.

 6.  We can’t always entertain people and that might disappoint them.

 As stated previously, we don’t always like mingling. Because of the typical belief of us being extroverts, random people are constantly trying to be our friends, inviting us to events where people are completely unknown. We like taking things slow in a friendship; we get socially awkward too. The social pressure of always being open to new things and being exceptionally good at conversations makes us awkward. We are at times left in situations where we don’t know how to impress others and live up to their expectations. We aren’t anti-social but selectively social and it takes a lot of time for people to understand that.

 7.  We get annoyed too.

 Just because people believe that we are down for anything, some of them constantly act clingy. When we meet them they try to include us in their plans and expect us to always be there. This makes us want to avoid them sometimes. We really appreciate all your excitement but frankly, we don’t want to hang out all the time. We’re humans, we feel suffocated when you always forcefully make us spend time with you. Even a simple ‘hello’ turns into a huge, boring conversation with them. We get that you enjoy it but have some mercy on us!

  Anyhow, no matter how many struggles we go through, we still get the best of both worlds. We get to enjoy all the attention but at the same time we also get to relish the comfort we feel when we don’t have anybody to impress. Even though our nature makes us quite indecisive, we still find a way to spend our time in the best way possible.

Shout out to all my ambiverted friends out there! (Virtual group hug)

[blogmy-life]

Travel Diaries 2: Istanbul, Turkey. (May 2016)

After a long wait the day had finally arrived when we were leaving for my trip to Istanbul. After a long, stressful year filled with board exam preparations, I was finally being rewarded with the best present ever: travelling. We were all set to leave for the airport and my level of excitement was inexhaustible. After an entire year, I was finally going out with my family to a completely different land. Throughout the flight, I was busy watching movies and reading my Jeffrey Archer book. I made the most out of the four-hour flight. We had a connecting flight to Dubai and thus we had to stop there for one night but even at 3 AM, the city was lighted and people were out. It was almost like a scenario of Indian people with friends and family at 7 PM on a normal day. It was just 8 hours after which we left for Istanbul. I liked to call it “Aladin’s land” because it was mostly famous for its local rugs, lanterns, bazars, handicraft, antiquity and much more but at the same time, it was as modern as any other urban city. When we arrived at Istanbul, my first thought was how much I missed India already. Though I knew Istanbul would soon create an inimitable place in my heart. As we stepped out of the airport, there was a black SUV waiting outside that would take us around the city during our stay. Our driver Abraham introduced us to various shopping and hangout spots during our drive to the Çırağan Palace hotel that was the former sultan's palace on the shores of the Bosphorus, now one of the most famous hotels in the city. According to me, it had the perfect location because it was close to all the tourist destinations and happening places in Istanbul. I fell in love with the city and it’s people instantly after seeing their cordiality towards tourists. We spent our first day generally relaxing and discovering the hotel and the Ortokoy area that we would walk to everyday for food and entertainment. This was the place that every youngster would love. People there knew how to enjoy life with their party loving and spontaneous nature. Turks spent their time at open cafés playing their local game, the Turkish Tavla. One of the waiters at the café told us that it is an old game inspired from the “race games” of the Egyptians and Mesopotamians that is played in many other countries including Turkey and Greece. Another thing I noticed was the tea that almost everyone drank in every restaurant. On asking the waiter about the tea he told us that the Turkish tea, called çay, is normally Rize tea, an alternative of black tea that is consumed without milk and is drunk from small glasses. It was of deep brownish red colour, and tasted like a lighter black tea but was undeniably addictive. The rest of the night consisted of lively Turkish music along with some sheesh kebabs, köfte and döner. The Friday night filled with Turkish delicacies and music helped us pull up our socks for the next day of the tour. After we finished our breakfast, we met our guide, Mr. James. He gave us information about the tour plan of the day. He also told us about the history of the Ottoman Empire and it’s influence on India and many other countries. He also showed us the division of the Asian and European sides of Turkey in the map. The division was called the ‘Golden Horn’ because of its precious view and horn like structure. We moved on with our tour on a ship that took us around the various parts of the Golden horn. We started from the European side of Turkey and moved towards the Asian side while coming across various monuments like the Maiden’s tower, Blue Mosque, Galata Bridge, Galata tower and many more. James explained to us the history of some of these monuments during the tour. A few hours later, we got down at our initial stop and made our way for lunch. We learnt about the swimming kitchens that were boats floating on the water bodies. Some men would catch fishes from the sea and the cooks would make fresh seafood while the locals watched them do it. It was certainly entertaining watching them cook delicious food on a boat. We also tried the chicken version of Doner Kebab called the ‘shwarma’. There was no doubt that the people there knew how to cook their meat and make mouthwatering dishes. Our next stop was the spice market, one of my favourite parts of the trip. Never had I seen such a stunning market filled with vibrancy. The market was visited by locals and tourists, both, for buying food ingredients like spices, sweets and also tea. The shops were such that we couldn’t help stopping at every store and spending hours there. Be it Turkish confectionaries like the Baklava, the aromatic teas or the fragrant spices, we didn’t think twice before spending loads of money on them. Our minds were blown away by the neatness and hygiene of every shop along with the discipline of the people. The place was packed but not muddled making me wish for Indian markets to be like this. The spice market has a total of 85 shops selling spices, sweets, Turkish delights, jewellery, souvenirs and dried fruits and nuts. A shopper’s paradise, indeed! Next, we visited the Topkapi Palace, a palace that was one of the major residences of the Ottoman sultans for almost 400 years. In Turkish, the name of the palace meant ‘Cannon Gate’. The palace consisted of outer gardens and four courtyards. The first courtyard is an outer precinct or park and the largest of all the courtyards of the palace. It also consisted of the gate of salutation that led into the palace and the second courtyard. The architecture was said to be more Byzantine than Ottoman. It is said that the gate emulates the Gate of St. Barbara (Cannon Gate), which used to be the royal seaside entrance to the palace gardens from the shore of the Bosphorus. The Second Courtyard consisted of the palace kitchens, royal carriages, porcelain collections, imperial stables, imperial councils, dormitories, the imperial treasuries, the tallest tower of justice and also the gate of felicity. The third courtyard was made up of the audience chamber, conqueror’s pavilion, portrait gallery, library of Ahmed III, Mosque of Agas and the privy chamber. The fourth chamber had the circumcision room, Revan Kiosk, Baghdad Kiosk, iftar Kiosk and the prettiest terrace, the terrace kiosk from where we could gaze at the unreal view of the whole of Bosphorus. The entire palace was enormous with several sections of ancient tools and weapons along with the medals of the ancient Turkish rulers. We also got to see the deadly weapons such as a six feet long sword, one of the deadliest guns and what not. We even saw the warfare uniforms of the soldiers. One was left in shock and amusement as to how the soldiers managed to carry themselves in such heavy metal uniforms let alone fighting with extremely heavy and dangerous weapons. I could finally relate to the captivating stories of Turks in my history book. The end of the palace tour marked the end of the first day of our trip. After what felt like days, we finally got back to our hotel room and slept for hours after feasting at a local Turkish brasserie. The sleep felt even more sustaining after all the intense walking that we had done. One couldn’t compare this feeling with any other. The next day, we woke up with double the amount of energy we had the previous day. We were more than ready to get going and discover more of the magical land of Istanbul. We spent our second day learning about some of the most famous mosques of the city. Istanbul has about three thousand mosques but visiting each one of them was something one could only envision of doing, thus we visited the two most beautiful ones; the Eminonu and the blue mosque. First was the Eminonu mosque that is located on the Golden Horn to the south of the Galata Bridge and is one of the most important architectural benchmarks of the city. It’s exterior has about 66 domes and semi domes in a pyramidal arrangement along with two minarets. The interior is square shaped and four large piers that are the main support of the dome define the central area. Sultan Safiye, the wife of Sultan Murad III, ordered the construction of the mosque thus, it was popularly known as the New Valide Sultan Mosque. Alas, due to certain restrictions we couldn’t go inside but our guide didn’t fail to give us all the necessary information about the monument. Next, we visited the Blue Mosque or the Sultan Ahmed Mosque. Its Külliye comprehends Ahmed’s tomb, a madrasah and a hospice. Even today, the Muslim men visit the mosque for their daily prayers. Magnificent hand-painted blue tiles adorn the mosque’s walls, and at night the mosque is suffused in blue as lights surround the mosque’s five main domes, six minarets and eight secondary domes. After the Peace of Zsitvatorok and the crushing loss in the war with Persia, Sultan Ahmet I, decided to build a large mosque in Istanbul to reassert Ottoman power. It caused the anger of the ulema, the Muslim jurists. The mosque was built on the site of the palace of the Byzantine emperors, in front of the basilica Ayasofya and the hippodrome, a site of significant symbolic meaning as it dominated the city skyline from the south. Undoubtedly, it is one of the most significant monuments in Turkey and holds a lot of importance as it portrays the rich history of the nation and the sultanate. After a short lunch break that consisted of the local simit (round bread with a thin layer of grapes and seseme) we drove to the Sultan of bazars, the Grand Bazar. When one describes the Grand Bazar, he simply has no words. From the carpets to Turkish clothing to lamps and lanterns, it is the definition of richness. It represents the culture of Turkey; it defines Turkey. It is one of the first shopping malls of the world with four thousand shops and hundreds of gates. The bazar is almost like a labyrinth, one could easily get lost in the huge maze like market. My heart was bouncing with excitement as we wandered in the market going from one shop to the other, admiring the diversity and the insignia of the place. It was hard to get over the beautiful handmade lamps and ceramics. It was more like a bigger version of the spice market. A similar scenery of shopkeepers giving their hundred percent in selling their goods to visitors at bargained prices. The neatness and discipline was indifferent. The music being played in many shops made shopping even more entertaining. The rich jewellery and ornaments showed off the richness of the Turkish culture and history. It was the perfect place for family shopping with affordable prices and exceptional goods. Honestly, one couldn’t get enough of the place. Even though we spent approximately four hours in the market, we still wanted to see more. In fact, even in so much time, we had only covered about one-fifth of the entire market, that’s how huge it was! We shopped so much that we were falling short of bags, and it was just the beginning of our trip! However, after hours of shopping, we decided to take some rest in the hotel before visiting the Taksim Square, a more modern market of Istanbul. The place had all kinds of brands. Be it MAC or Chanel, the market had everything. Pretty sure my father was exhausted considering the fact that he was with two ladies! Finally, after four days of our stay in Istanbul, we had to bid farewell and leave for Cappadocia. It was hard for me to say goodbye to the city because it had created a special place in my heart in such a short span of time. I was dreading going to the airport because I knew that it meant my stay at Istanbul was officially over. Though I was excited for my future travels, a huge part of me still wanted to stay there. Truly, the city had made me feel so at home in just four days. I hope to see you again, Istanbul!

[blogmy-life]

[blogmy-life]

Amur Tiger by suhaderbent

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Being A Foodie

Speaking of my favourite topic (food), a foodie is the friend who loves everything about food. He is the one person in your group of mates who is in a staunch bond with delicious dishes be it sweet or savory. He doesn’t just eat out of hunger; he eats because it just feels so good! How do I know all of this? It’s because I’m one of you fellow foodies who just can’t resist that delicious, delicate cheesecake either.

Food is something we all need, for survival and our day-to-day bodily functions but that doesn’t make sense to a foodie. The definition of food to him will be, “Any delicious eatable substance that makes your stomach grumble no matter how much you’ve already eaten.”

You’re the person who knows the huge variety of eating joints be it local or exotic and the most delightful dishes. In fact you can innovate your own combinations of recipes.

Imagine the waiter bringing your blazing sizzlers to your table. The pot consisting of juicy tikkas swathed with various spices and fluids that will never fail to please your taste buds. Imagine the pizza man bringing you fiery pizzas with cheese dribbling off them; each bite consisting of an explosion of cheese and tomato sauce along with bites of pepperoni or your favourite toppings; the golden, crunchy crust ending your feast with pure pleasure. Imagine your Biryani so hot that they could burn grass but you don’t mind because the masalas and the flavours of each spoon leave you in complete bliss; the moist golden meat is unveiled like treasure under the layers of fragrant, aromatic rice. Oh, how indescribable the ecstasy brought by such delicacies is! You would be lying if you said this didn’t make your mouth water.

So this post goes out to all my foodie friends. My friends who are better known for their love for food; my friends who try losing weight but let their hearts melt at the sight of the soft melted fluids of chocolate; my friends who would choose food over love or money any day without thinking twice! And friends for whom the hardest task is naming their favourite food. Happy eating, eaters!

[blogmy-life]

19 Reasons Why Kylie Jenner is Awesome

Be it a 16 year old teenager like me or a 30 year old woman in any part of this world, we all are somewhere obsessed with Kylie Jenner in different ways. Her style and confidence are what we all look up to but that’s not it. So, as a tribute for her 19th birthday, I decided to list down nineteen reasons why she is awesome.

 1. She’s an ordinary teenager with an extraordinary life.

There is no denying that there’s a spark of jealousy when one thinks of how rich Kylie is just at the age of 19. Six luxury cars, her own cosmetic line, two apps, a six million dollar mansion, a dream wardrobe, four pets, a clothing line and the list is endless. That’s how rich Kylie is, everyone. It’s okay to drool but at the same time she is just like us. A goofy, crazy teenager who loves her friends and family but isn’t afraid to show all that off.

2. She has her own cosmetic line and the entire world is crazy about it.

As most of us know, she has a cosmetic line called Kylie Cosmetics and it is thriving. LIKE, LITERALLY thriving (see what I did there?). She went from being a cosmetic fan to having fans of her cosmetics. She began with three nude lipsticks and now she has 16 lip kits, 8 glosses, 5 metals, a ‘KyShadow’ palette and a limited edition birthday kit that has crème shadows, mini mattes, a makeup bag, eye liners and what not! Name it and she has it all.

3. She’s a nineteen-year-old businesswoman.

“Oh she has an entire team behind her success,” you might say. True, very true, but who keeps that team going? Who comes up with innovative ideas? Who comes up with selling strategies? It’s mostly Kylie. One can only imagine handling so much success at that age and yet being grounded. The girl knows how to please her customers with amazing quality and guarantee of the services that she provides. Honestly though, who knocks on their fans’ doors with a KyShadow in their hand?

4. She is the queen of Snapchat.

What is YouTube again? There is not one person I know who doesn’t follow Kylie’s Snapchat. You may or may not watch your bestie’s story but you’ll always be updated of Kylie’s snapchats. Be it her lip-syncing snaps, or updates on her cosmetic line or videos of her having fun with her friends, all of us enjoy it tremendously. It’s almost like she’s talking to you and it’s one of the best things ever. Keep slaying, Kylizzle.

5. She’s been best friends with the same people since middle school.

Anyone who has a fair idea of who Kylie hangs out with will know Stas and Jordyn. Their love for each other and their way of supporting each other gives our fangirl hearts so many emotions. In today’s world it’s hard to find faithful friends but these three certainly give us major squad goals!

6. Her sisters.

I don’t even have to give you guys an introduction of her family. Every corner of this world is familiar with the word ‘KarJenners’ and it’s honestly family goals. At least once in a lifetime one wonders how different life would’ve been if they had popped out of Kris Jenner’s womb. Lucky you, Ky, lucky you.

7. That glow up.

Teenagers like us are mostly brace faced, acne sufferers and awkward. Kylie on the other hand looks like a queen even without that flawless makeup. Even though she’s insecure about her freckles, there couldn’t be anything cuter than them. She went from an awkward 12 year old to one of the best looking teens ever with the perfect eyes, hair, skin and well, that body.

8. She isn’t afraid to stand up for what she believes in.

One of the biggest reasons why I admire Kylie so much is the fact that she isn’t afraid to use her voice. In her interview with Ellen, she stood up against bullying and shared her childhood experience with bullies in school and on social media. She used her power on Instagram by launching an anti-bullying campaign called #IAmMoreThan in which stories of six individuals who have turned their past experiences with bullying into something positive.

9. She promotes the idea of loving your real self.

While more than half of the world’s girls look up to her and her style, she still promotes self-love and self-confidence. The entire Internet started the Kylie Jenner lip challenge; Kylie took no time in standing up against the harmful challenge. “I’m not here to try and encourage people/young girls to look like me or think this is the way they should look,” she tweeted after seeing some disastrous results on Twitter. Apart from that she has earlier spoken about how she finds inspiration everywhere but doesn’t forget her real self. She certainly knows what’s right and wrong. Proving that along with being witty and crazy, she is undoubtedly mature too.

10. She is a 19-year-old fashionista.

If there’s someone who knows how to pull of a Balmain or Gucci or Chanel dress, it’s certainly Ky. Let’s admit it, while we struggle with wearing the same outfits to different restaurants, she receives gifts from all the brands we dream of. What’s better than that? The fact that she can pull each outfit off like a total boss and be on the front page of every magazine almost every day.

11. Her Instagram is life.

Sometimes her IG feed is so perfect that I wonder if she even needs to click a thousand selfies and then select one of them like most of us. No matter how many pictures she uploads, one can never really get tired of saving them. But one thing’s for sure, after seeing her photos, it does make me feel envious as to how one can have such an impeccable feed. Seriously, can I please have her face?

12. She loves her fans.

Whether it’s replying to fans’ tweets on twitter or liking their Instagram posts or taking out time for clicking pictures with them, Kylie is a total sweetheart. She knows that one of the biggest reasons why she’s doing so well is her fans’ support and love for her and she isn’t afraid to thank them back. She even asks for their opinions on various topics like her nail polish colours or lipsticks etc. She often keeps gifts that fans send her and has sent them some too! It’s hard to find successful people as grounded as her.

13. Her celebrity friend circle.

She’s friends with famous personalities like Justin Bieber, Pia Mia, Bella and Gigi Hadid, Hailey Baldwin and so many more. Now, who doesn’t want a lit squad like that? I certainly do!

14. She’s not a regular teenager, she’s a cool teenager.

Who said she’s just a businesswoman? She’s also an author along with her sister, Kendall Jenner. Yes, they’ve written a Sci-Fi novel called ‘Rebels: City of Indra’ which according to me is an amazing book. I totally recommend it for someone who has a sister. The heart touching story of Lex and Livia is certainly one of my favourites ever. Apart from that she’s also modeled and done cheerleading in the past. Total all rounder!

15. She said she doesn’t work out.

As hard it is to believe it, she actually said that she hadn’t worked out in about two and a half years in the past. She said that she did so because she wants to live out her youth not doing any exercise and eating whatever she wants. Isn’t it a dream to eat anything and everything and still have a Kylie Jenner body?

16. She has a framed mugshot of her boyfriend, Tyga.

Back then in a video on her app, while she showed off her rich mansion, she also spoke about the framed mugshot of her boyfriend. Talk about having a record of memories. Guess she was inspired by Khloe’s framed mugshot in Kim’s house.

17. She has the sass gene that she inherited from the Kardashian side of the family.

It’s not just Kim, Khloè or Kourtney when it comes to being witty and sassy. Kylie isn’t anything less at being sassy. Her spontaneous and boss attitude are just additions to her charismatic personality.

18. She’s broken the Internet too many times.

Be it her cosmetic line or her street style, it doesn’t take time for Kylie Jenner to break records. In fact, she’s broken Google too! She slays so hard that we are left with one question: Is there anything that she can’t do? And the answer to it is pretty obvious.

 19. She’s Kylie Jenner.

Does she really need reasons to prove how cool she really is when she’s Kylie Jenner? She’s a teenager who is getting the best of both worlds; the world of a nineteen year old and the world of a millionaire. She’s been growing up under the spotlight, in front of the whole world and today she’s finally 19, at the last stage of being a teenager. Happy birthday, King Kylie!

[blogmy-life]

Journalism Summer Camp 2016 (with Times of India): The excitement to make new friends and learn new things had the sky’s limit on the first day of the NIE summer camp, as we got ready before reaching the Times of India office. Two students from each school had been selected to take part in the workshop where we were all going to be taught about journalism and media. From my school, Shivali and I (Saloni) had got the amazing opportunity to meet new people with similar interests and ambitions and thus we took no time in accepting the offer. While the rest of the school studied and stayed back at school, my friend and I had the time of our lives. The first day started off with us introducing ourselves in front of the whole class and getting to know each other. We were given a task to write at least 10 facts about ourselves and then read it out one by one so we could be familiar with each other’s areas of interest. In the process, we got to know about some people who were crazy fans of various pop stars, some who were bloggers, musicians, artists, animal lovers and even a few fitness freaks. It was a fun hour as we discussed our mutual feelings towards many things. Later, we were all separated into groups and being the typical school kids that we are, we immediately gave our school partners the “I need you to be in my group” look. Surprisingly, the teachers had separated us in a way that we were all strangers to each other in the groups. At first we were all nervous to share ideas when we were asked to list the things we’d like to be there in our newspaper along with the things we’d not like to have in it. Later, as we introduced ourselves to each other, a sense of comfort was felt and we all opened up gradually. After that all the lists were given to our teacher, Ms. Althea Phillips and she wrote the wants and not wants alongside on the board. She then explained to us why every content of the newspaper was important. She also explained what could be removed and what could not be removed for various reasons giving us a wider knowledge of newspapers. After we knew what the important contents of the newspaper were, we were given home tasks to make reports on various things that are famous among the people of the present generation. Such topics included sports, fashion, society, environment, entertainment etc. The day ended with a spirit of enthusiasm. The next day, all of us were ready with our reports and were confident about the written facts keeping in mind the 5 Ws and 1 H i.e. ‘what, when, who, where, why and how.’ It was nice to read each other’s reports as we got to know our styles of writing and collecting our points. That day, our task was even more interesting and interactive; each group had to select one of its members to enact a celebrity so we could learn how to interview people. Anshika from group 1 as Aishwarya Rai, Lekhan from group 2 as Eminem, Mahak from group 3 as Kalki Kochin, me from group 4 as Priyanka Chopra, Shivali from group 5 as Anne Frank and Wahbi from group 6 as my rival, Deepika Padukone. It was a day filled with laughter as we asked witty questions but at the same time it made us realize how gossip helped a newspaper run in the market. Stepping in the celebrities’ shoes was a learning experience as we now knew how they had to face controversial and personal questions while making sure that you used the appropriate words. Later we learnt the different positions of editors and their contributions in the newspaper along with the rules of reporting and editing. Other than that, the exercises also strengthened our bond as friends. On the third day, we were taught the structure of a newspaper. We learnt the importance of newspapers, their purpose of educating people and making them aware but at the same time entertaining them. Even though we don’t realize it but newspapers help us have a thinking mind unlike television and radios where we usually agreed or disagreed with others opinions but never had some of our own. Even the fact that newspapers were the cheapest source of knowledge made us appreciate it more. Then we were taught how to form the front page of the newspaper and we even got to create our own front pages. Each group had to get together and form an innovative front page with chart papers, sketch pens and newspaper cutouts. After three hours of intense hard work as a team, our newspapers were given ranks from first to sixth. Even though my group didn’t get a very good rank but we had nothing to regret as we had given our hundred percent in creating the page. All of us celebrated with cold drinks and pastries after the little task. We realized how much work the editors had to put in while creating a newspaper in less than 24 hours and still be able to compete in the market by satisfying its readers. Even the first page took so much effort and hard work, think of how much work it is to formulate an entire newspaper. On the fourth day, we were taken to the printing press where the newspapers were printed. We went there by bus and what is a bus ride without singing songs? The long drive was a party time for us, as we missed no opportunity of having fun with our group of friends. On reaching the destination, we met the workers of the printing press where we learnt about the two stages of printing a newspaper that is the lithographic and impression stages. The lithographic stage included the technology part in which the graphics were created after all the text had been edited whereas the impression stage was the printing stage where the newspapers were printed in large amounts. The post press is the circulation of the printed copies all over the nation and to different distribution centers across the country. Although we couldn’t watch the entire process, we still got to learn a lot about the entire newspaper industry. It was an entirely different world inside, almost like Willy Wonka’s factory except this place manufactured newspapers. On the fifth and the last day, we were to report to the radio mirchi office in two separate groups. My friends and I decided to join the second group so we could all be together on the last day. There we met RJ Shruti, one of the coolest people ever, indeed. We started off by introducing ourselves to her and telling her our hobbies. Turned out, she was our spirit animal. A lover of TV shows and a huge animal lover, just like all of us. We chatted for about ten minutes describing our love for music and spoke about the job of an RJ. We learnt how hectic yet fun an RJ’s job was. We learnt that it was not just about playing music but being responsible and ready to take challenges. We were shown how the computer technicalities worked in a radio station and the limitations and liberty of being an RJ. We also ended up meeting other famous RJs and danced to some hit Bollywood numbers. Although it was only a five day summer workshop, we still made awesome new friends and gained useful knowledge. Overall, it was an unforgettable experience and I look forward to keeping in touch with all the people I met and got to know. Just as our mentor said, “It’s not a class, it’s a family.”

[blogmy-life]

Playing hide and seek with the little creatures at the horticulture park (Kolkata) during the photography expedition 📷

[blogmy-life]

[blogmy-life]

[blogmy-life]

adventure♡

[blogmy-life]

Chasing light and rainbows

[blogmy-life]

5 Ways to Deal With Anxiety

In a world of utter chaos and huge responsibilities, it’s hard for us teenagers to not get anxious. One thing that we must know is that it’s not just you who has it, it’s many others in the same boat. Anxiety is one of the most disturbing things ever but there’s a solution to every problem. So instead of pills I have some interesting ways that help me get over anxiety,

1. Exercising regularly:

As boring as it may sound, it’s an extremely useful and effective solution. Exercising helps your mind to work in a better manner by diverting its attention to much more positive things. Even a ten minute walk can do wonders. It helps you to not only get a good-looking body but also a healthy mind. So whenever you’re thinking of something that bothers you, take some time out and get your butt off that couch. After all, who doesn’t want health along with good looks?

2. Dancing:

Again, a form of exercise but even better than your regular stretches and bends. When it comes to getting over stress, nothing is better than music along with dancing. This option is not only for the outgoing ones, but also for the shy ones. Who is asking you to act like a typical Indian actress on the streets? Create your own Bollywood movie inside your locked room with loud music and feel the happy hormones taking over your body!

3.Spending quality time with yourself:

Do you ever have thoughts where you tell yourself that you have no one to talk to? You’re so wrong. Apart from your best friend from school or your parents at home, you have the best person to talk to and that’s you. Take a moment to think of someone who knows you better than you… Go on, think of an answer while I wait. What? No one? I thought so. When you think of your darkest, deepest, most embarrassing secrets, it’s hard for you to open up easily, thus creating anxiety to talk to people. One way is talking to yourself. It could be through writing a diary entry or talking in front of the mirror or just lying down and thinking of random things and questioning yourself or even going to a silent place like a park or beach. It really helps you open up to yourself and in front of your loved ones. The best way to strengthen your bond with others is by breaking down your walls and that can happen only if you open up to yourself more. Letting your feelings out is a vital thing to do otherwise keeping everything inside for a long time will only make it worse and one day your emotions bomb will explode.

4. Visit a therapist:

Sometimes, it’s easier to talk to a stranger than to someone you know. You may be thinking, ‘I can’t do that, that’s a stupid solution.’ Well, it’s not. When you let your anger and anxiety build up inside you, you unknowingly move towards depression. Your problems are to be solved not to be collected. Visiting a specialist who can give you the right advice is a great idea. When you really look for a solution instead of sympathy, that’s when you know it’s time to meet a therapist. Unlike the Indian psyche, going to a psychologist is not only for mentally challenged people. Many times, people end up changing their decision due to the society’s judgements but at the end of the day, it’s you who has to decide what’s more important, being judged for having problems or overcoming them. It’s best to go to someone who can help you with your issues no matter what people say.

5. Finding a hobby:

When none of the above work for you, the next option is to find something you love. That’s when you know you should experiment with various activity classes. Be it painting, playing a sport, photography, writing etc, a distraction is always helpful. Especially when you find something you really love to do. Going to classes even helps you meet new people with similar interests which helps you strike a conversation with them more easily, thus helping you with social anxiety. When you do something you’re interested in, you get so engrossed that you get over your personal issues.

There you have it guys, five ways to deal with anxiety. I know it’s hard but it’s all temporary. Just follow some of the above steps and you’ll feel much better. It’s what I do to help myself. I hope it helps you too.

[blogmy-life]

One week since I got back to India from Greece and I still can’t get over the feeling of connecting with nature. The magic of nature is surreal. It teaches me how to appreciate every breath and every second of life. ☺️