Month: May 2017

RootsandLeisure_CallanGreen

Architecture Student and Full Time Traveller | Callan Green from Australia, Shares His Travel Story.

  “Traveling – it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller” – Ibn Battuta. And a story teller we find in this young Australian traveler who embodies every millennial’s dream to travel the world.  Meet Callan Green from Melbourne –  studying at Deakin University and currently living in Ahmedabad, and travelling across India. Callan is an architecture student at Deakin University and a full-time traveler. Years of traveling have also nurtured in him a passion for photography. Interacting with communities as a volunteer across the world has taught him various facets of global education. He attributes his deeper understanding of architecture and sustainable living also to his extensive travels.We spoke with Green to understand what drives travelers like him to keep the travel bug alive. “I am a student at Deakin University. I work as a barista at a small café in Melbourne, Australia. Slowly, my studies and travel became so intertwined with each other that over the past four years, I’ve spent nearly three of them overseas. I started this chapter of my life by …

RootsandLeisure_NagaWeddingOutfits

How To Look Fashionable While Attending a Wedding in Nagaland.

Wondering what to wear to your Naga friend’s wedding? Fret not, because we got you covered! For starters, the dress code in a Naga wedding is usually western formals, with a high dose of fashion. Join us as we give you a sense of the stylish, yet understated fashion with photos from actual Naga weddings. [Also, most weddings in Nagaland happen during winter, so you might want to take notes on how to look fab in a dress while keeping yourself warm.] Ashom Wangnao (left) wears a black fitted dress with a gray fur coat, and Tinali Sumi (right) pairs her gorgeous green dress with a long gray coat. Going by their pink lips, it looks like the experts recommend a bright pink lipstick to brighten up your ‘dressy-yet warm’ look. Also, golden and black stilettos will never disappoint.  Need to pick up a bridesmaid’s attire for your best friend’s wedding? Lusano (2nd from left) dressed her petite frame in a long fitted gown in pale brown color, with golden details. She finishes her look with dark berry lips and …

RootsandLeisure_ArrowRootPickle

Recipe | Indian Arrowroot Flower Chutney – Naga Style

We bet you are going to love this unique yet simple chutney recipe today at lunch, made with arrowroot flowers and raja mircha. INGREDIENTS: Two medium sized potatoes Axone (fermented soya bean) 8-11 cloves of garlic Indian arrow root flower 6-8 cherry tomatoes 2 king chillies Salt to taste DIRECTIONS TO COOK: Boil water in a pot and put all the ingredients except the arrowroot flower Clean the arrowroot flowers under running water, and shred them into thin strips and put it in the pot – along with the other ingredients Boil until the water dries up. Once the water is dried up, take out the ingredients and mash them together Add salt to taste, and mix well Chutney is ready to be served. Serve with Rice Contributed by Rokonuo

RootsandLeisure_Faces

Conversation With My Friend About How Instagram is Taking Over Our Lives  

“I think cotton candies are so magical! Just look at them! They’re so fluffy and sweet and so Instagram friendly! Oh my lord! I cannot wait to post this!” And then we laugh, and get into some ‘serious’ talk about how Instagram has taken up so much space in our mind, and our lives at large. My friend continues, “It’s a little scary but I don’t think it’s all bad. I mean, it is making our world fuller and bigger – as in, we now get direct access to people across the world, and vice versa. Also, what about the memories we get to make? How else can we freeze moments from our everyday lives? Now that you have made me say it, I am even more convinced that we NEED Instagram in our lives! Shall we take more pictures Jungshi?” I couldn’t help but nod and admire how logical she sounded indeed. I guess some changes are not so bad after all! ~Jungshi

Of Kindness, People and Food | Meet the Founders of Barefoot Cafe in Chiang Mai, Thailand

We have been stumbling upon quite a lot of pretty little cafes and coffee houses in and around Thailand. We especially love the small cafes and  coffee shops, as they have the most interesting offerings and stories. So today, we are having a chat with the founders of ‘Barefoot Cafe’  – a quaint little cafe in Chiang Mai. Meet Sathita and Tasasin, owners of the Barefoot Cafe in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Before we talk about your cafe, enlighten us a bit about yourselves. Sathita : I’m 27, originally from Bangkok, but moved to Chiang Mai when I was pretty young. I graduated from Chiang Mai university majoring in Literature. I have been selling homemade (baked) stuffs ever since I was in high school. After graduation, I began working as an assistant for a Japanese artist for a year before opening this restaurant. I was also an exchange student in Germany for a year. I then attended a self-reliance course at PUNPUN organic farm and that’s where I learned about nurturing the deep connection between humans and nature. I like traveling …

RootsandLeisure_IndianPennywortSalad

Recipe | Pennywort Salad – Naga Style

Any fans of Pennywort leaves? It’s known to be a medicinal plant – native to India and China, and is consumed across Asia especially India, Burma, Thailand. In Nagaland as well, the local people make salads out of these leaves. So today, we are sharing a salad recipe made with Pennywort leaves mixed with peanuts. Ingredients you’ll need: 200 grams of Indian Pennywort leaves 100 grams of peanuts 5-10 Green chillies 2 medium sized onions. 6-8 Cherry tomatoes. Salt to taste. Directions: Wash the pennywort leaves in running water, and make sure it’s thoroughly cleaned. Heat the pan and put a little oil and fry the peanuts for a minute or two. Chop the leaves into small pieces (1”) and keep them aside Finely chop the onions, chilies and tomatoes Next, grind the peanuts. Do not make it too fine – keep it coarse Add all the ingredients together in a bowl and mix it well. Add salt (as per your taste) The salad is ready to be served.   Serve the fresh salad with any …

RootsandLeisure_ArtistLiChing

Chat with Li Ching – Artist & Illustrator from Singapore Who Ignited her Artistic Flame Later in Life at 42, Proving It’s Never Too Late to Follow Your Passion

It can be challenging to manage a hobby alongside our regular job. Lost in our hectic 9-5 lives, we often find ourselves struggling to make time for personal passions. Yet, there are those among us who skillfully create a new realm through their hobbies, offering respite from the urgency that surrounds us.  One such inspiring individual is Artist & Illustrator Li Ching from Singapore. We were absolutely mesmerized by her art so we approached her for an interview. As we started delving into her background, we were even more inspired by her story about how her life meandered into the dream life she had always wanted at 42!  Having graduated from the National University of Singapore, she spent a good amount of her career as an HR professional. Then she moved to Thailand to teach Geology and Chemistry to International students. It was during this period that Li Ching acquired a newfound love for teaching – and reconnected with the art world, eventually giving her the much-needed opportunity to dive fully into the world of …

RootsandLeisure_SchoolKidsNagaland

High School in Nagaland | Catching Up With Friends During Lunch Hour

  “These are the people I hang out with at school (Northfield School, Kohima). They are my close friends and we are like family. We are talking about a trip, that we plan to take during our summer holidays. We are so excited and almost visualizing our trip – acting it out like we always do. Also, all of us are not in the same section but we make sure we meet up to have lunch and spend time together and it’s always so fun!” @jungshi_imti

RootsandLeisure_TilPithaAssam

Recipe | Sesame and Rice Cake (Til Pitha) from Assam

Rice Cake, also known as Til Pitha locally, is a household favorite in Assam. The combination of a soft, chewy outer shell and the sweet, sticky sesame filling makes it a perfect treat. They are traditionally made during Bihu, the chief festival of Assam, which celebrates the harvesting season. However, you can make pithas any time of the year with just three simple ingredients and indulge in these delicious cookies. Rice cookies filled with sesame and jaggery, locally known as ‘Til Pitha’ in Assam. Note: Preparation for cooking is quite simple. The key to perfecting the recipe is the technique and more importantly, ensuring the right temperature of the pan. Once you perfect these two key points, the delicious pithas will turn out perfect. Ingredients: 2 Kgs of Sticky Rice (Bora rice, Japanese sweet rice, or any glutinous rice available in your local area) 1/2 Kg Black sesame seeds (Til) 1 Kg Jaggery (Gur) Directions to cook A) Making the Rice Outer Layer Wash and soak the rice for an hour. Strain rice and spread …

RootsandLeisure_CafeGraph4

A Cafe for Serious Coffee Lovers | Graph Cafe in Chiang Mai, Thailand

  To travelers who are familiar with the city of Chiang Mai in Thailand, many would agree that cafes are showing up in almost every corner of the city. Yes, there’s a vibrant coffee culture that is brewing within the heart of Thailand’s cultural capital – driven by the popularity of coffee+ leisure among the local youth and travelers alike.  It’s in the middle of this chaos, that ‘Graph Cafe’, tucked away in one of the old town’s streets, caught our attention. Meet the owners of  ‘Graph Cafe’- Kharuaporn Satraphai, 39 and his wife, Pae – Ajaree, 33. Thee gave up a lucrative job in Bangkok where he worked as an engineer to pursue his dream of owning his own cafe business. Despite no experience in the cafe business, the couple have managed to take their dreams to the next level with lots of passion, hard work and coffee – of course. They now own two outlets : Graph cafe and Graph Table Why did you name your cafe ‘Graph Cafe’? This is inspired by our journey …