Month: November 2019

rootsandleisure_asemyoubajamir

“I Started out Taking Photos and Videos of My Musician Friends on my Mobile Phone” – Photographer Asemyouba Jamir from Nagaland

Asemyouba Jamir’s love for photography began with taking pictures and making videos of his artist friends with a phone camera. Photography became a way for him to communicate, express, and understand the world. Currently pursuing a master’s in Mass Communication, he juggles with photography on the side as a hobby to keep honing his skills. Besides that, he’s also trying his hands at videography. Living in the Northeast, he captures the beautiful landscape, the people, and nature that are close to his heart.We spoke to him about his future plans, how he learned photography without any professional training, and more. An in-depth chat with Asemyouba Jamir to know more about his work and how it all began. Hello Asemyouba, please tell us a bit about yourself! Hi! I’m Asemyouba Jamir. I’m originally from Kohima, Nagaland but living in Shillong right now, where I’m pursuing my master’s degree in Mass Communication, NEHU (Shillong). Introduce your work to us. What got you started? Since childhood, I was always interested in photography and videography. But since there was …

#FACES | Introducing Sustainable Library to The School Children of Manipur With Nikita Barton

“I’m Nikita Barton, an educator, working with NGOs and Social Groups to promote education in rural villages. For this particular project, I travelled to Puichi in Manipur, to set up a ‘sustainable library’, with books donated by various well-wishers. While it was my job to train the local teachers to encourage students to read, and run the up-keep of the library, I couldn’t help myself sitting down with the school children themselves, and introduce them to a book or two. Their eagerness to learn something new is definitely contagious. Not to mention, the joy on their faces when they find something interesting the book and ask you questions about it. It is truly an enchanting and life-changing experience to see children so young, begin their journey as book lovers.”

Menule Chirhah, Founder of Mini Explorer, Is Helping People Find The Best Places To Eat In Kohima

Meet Menule Chirhah, an avid and adventurous gastronome. Currently pursuing her master’s degree in English Literature, she’s transformed her love for food into Mini Explorer, where she’s helping people discover restaurants and new dishes in Kohima. She’s always been a foodie and has a knack for finding the perfect spot for different types of cuisines. Inspired by this, she took it upon herself to discover, review, and share her discoveries with people.  Greetings Menule Chirhah! Tell us a bit about yourself. Hi, I’m Menule Chirhah, and I’d like to call myself a food enthusiast. I’m currently pursuing my master’s degree in English Literature but when I’m not studying, I like to live life vigorously. I also like exploring, be it food, places, or new experiences. I believe life has a lot to offer and I’m excited about what’s waiting on the other side. What is your key inspirations behind Mini Explorer? As a foodie, I loved visiting new restaurants and trying out new items on the menu. Since my friends know this fact about me, …

rootsandleisure_mughlai_kitchen

In Conversation With The Owners of The Newly-Launched Mughlai Kitchen in Dimapur

Looking at the lack of Indian cuisine restaurants in Dimapur, three childhood friends decided to open up their own Mughlai restaurant. Phanchamo Lotha, Abovi Achumi and Samuel Murry had always dreamt of working together on a business or a project. This dream materialized with the opening of this restaurant where the three of them came together to provide Mughalai delicacies to people at affordable prices.  We chatted with them to know about the restaurant. Don’t forget to drop by if you’re in or around Dimapur! Hello! It’s lovely to have you here. Please tell us about you and your team.  Hello, we are Phanchamo Lotha, Abovi Achumi & Samuel Murry. Abovi and I are in to business while our other partner, Samuel is a Govt. employee. As kids, we always had dreams of doing something together. After we finished our studies, we got the idea to open a comfort food restaurant. Our Chef is Sanjeev Dutta from NJP with experience in Mughlai cuisine. Tell us the motivation behind opening this restaurant! We opened this restaurant …

rootsandleisure_lentina

This Is How Local Folks Are Beating The Cold Weather In Style!

It’s almost the season again, of hot cocoa and baked cookies, of the carols and the lights, of warmth and love but most of all for experimenting and layering up! Today we bring to you some of our favorite winter trends from R&L folks from around the world.  Lentina Constance from Nagaland is a stylish mother of two, living in France. She loves food, traveling, fashion, and everything in between! For winters, she adores her puff sleeves, knitwear, and dark floral. Here, she is wearing her oversized knitted sweater and flowy black skirt with tights and boots.  “I appreciate the cozy yet chic approach to cold-weather dressing. There’s nothing quite like a new jumper to make you feel the warmth from a mother’s embrace. Knitwear has sartorial superpowers that shouldn’t be overlooked. After all, what else can instantly transform floaty midi dresses and printed skirts into seasonally appropriate attire? or can instantly update your jeans and trainers combination? Summer’s take on the floral dress errs on the side of pale interesting, with white base colour …

Julie Kagti, Owner of Curtain Call Adventures, Is Helping People Explore Northeast

Julie Kagti of ‘Curtain Call Adventures’, has come a long way since starting her business in 2016. Her venture focuses on creating localised travel experiences for people in the Northeast region. She promotes a more wholesome way of travelling by including local art, culture, and guides in your travel experience. She spent two decades in various roles of a designer, teacher, entrepreneur, and social worker, gracing her way in Lakme Fashion Week and Fabindia stores. Her childhood spent in Assam inspired her to start the venture and also bring the honest yet unseen side of Northeast to the world. Today we chat with her to know the exciting story behind Curtain Call Adventures and more.  Hey Julie! Tell us a bit about yourself.  Hi, I’m Julie, the owner of Curtain Call Adventures. I grew up in Assam, which exposed me to both the anglicised tea life and local culture of weaving. My exposure to the world of design in Bombay inspired me to pursue an education in textile design, after which I spent two decades …

rootsandleisure_the_restaurant

‘We’ve Been Serving Mokokchung For Two Decades’ | A Chat With Eden Kichu – Owner of ‘The Restaurant’

Eden Kichu has been in the food and services industry for over two decades. What began as a humble restaurant with his family, has now become a popular meet-up place in Mokokchung. For years, Eden’s focus has been to offer quality food to the locals, coupled with their signature homely ambience. We spoke with Eden about his journey with entrepreneurship, the opening of another branch of his restaurant, and more.   Hello Eden, it’s lovely to have you here. Please introduce yourself to our readers!  Hi, my name is Eden Kichu. I was born and brought up in Mokokchung, a place I can call home. Growing up, I always wanted to be an entrepreneur, and enjoy the thrills and flexibility. This inspired me to step into the food sector. It was challenging but I have been doing it for two decades now and I absolutely love it. What makes your restaurant special? We started off as a small family affair. My aunt and my sister started small by catering and doing small gatherings & offices. We …

rootsandleisure_books_and_coffee

In Conversation with Beeshantam Yumnam, the Owner of Books & Coffee in Imphal

Sometimes all you need to unwind is a cup of coffee and a good book–that’s exactly what cafe Books & Coffee is offering locals in Imphal. Started by Beeshantam Yumnam, the cafe boasts of a cozy ambience and a great collection of books. Beeshantam’s love for books is mirrored in the cafe’s warm interiors, its rare collection of books and a welcoming environment for people of all ages. His vision of creating a space where people can relax, learn, enjoy and create art has materialized in the cafe. He says, “I hope people take home the feeling of relaxing in a cozy ambiance for chilling out and appreciation of the arts. Many customers praise us for giving a platform to arts and providing a wholesome experience. We hope to keep giving that experience!” Hello, please introduce yourself to our readers Hello, thanks for having me. I am Beeshantam Yumnam from Imphal, Manipur, a history graduate from Delhi University but an artist by passion. On returning home in 2010 after graduating, I realized that the types …

rootsandleisure_smoked_fish_curry

#RECIPE | Manipuri Smoked Fish Curry Recipe by Kupatia Keishing

Weekends are the perfect time for family gatherings and dinners, and what better way to treat your loved ones than with a delicious meal? Today, we have Kupatia Keishing from Manipur, who will be sharing his simple and easy recipe for smoked fish curry. Simple to make, and easily one of our favorites go-to fish chutney/curry. INGREDIENTS Smoked fish Potatoes Onion Tomatoes Garlic Ginger Coriander leaves Cilantro leaves (Burma Dhania). Directions to Cook: Stir fry some finely chopped onions until they turn golden brown. Add half a teaspoon of turmeric powder. Add the chopped potatoes and fry for about 7 minutes with some green chilies (if necessary). Add tomato slices and roughly pounded garlic and stir fry for about 5 minutes, with a teaspoon full of chilly powder, and salt to taste. After a couple of minutes add water and ginger and let it boil for about 10 minutes. Take some pieces of potato and mash them to make a thick gravy. Add the finely cut or shredded pieces of smoked fish and cilantro leaves, …