Author: Roots & Leisure

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Meet Keren Longkumer from LOQ | The Sole Whisperer from Nagaland

How many of us are familiar with the concept of the American Dream? This grand aspiration has inspired countless individuals worldwide, encouraging them to pursue their dreams and achieve great success in America. We had the opportunity to meet Keren Longkumer, a courageous young talent hailing from Northeast India, who embodies this spirit. Keren was born in Medziphima, spent some years in Kohima, and completed her education in Sanawar, Himachal Pradesh. Following her academic journey, she embarked on a path to Los Angeles to study shoe design—a decision that would prove to be fateful. In this vibrant city, she crossed paths with another budding artist, Valerie Quant, who shared Keren’s passion for unconventional forms, proportions, materials, and meticulous attention to detail. Today, both Keren and Valerie proudly stand as co-founders of LOQ, an internationally recognized footwear brand with operations spanning four cities and a thriving online presence. With a bold vision to redefine classic designs for modern women, LOQ aims to unveil a new perspective on women’s shoes. Here’s an exclusive interview with Keren Longkumer …

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Recipe | Nagaland’s ‘Axone’ (Akhuni) Chutney

Today’s recipe is a special one that showcases one of the most popular Naga spices – ‘axone’ (pronounced aakhuni). This fermented soybean paste has a very strong and pungent smell that can fill an entire house with its unique aroma. It’s no wonder that young people from Nagaland always carry a packet of axone with them wherever they go, to try and recreate their very own ‘Naga kitchen’ – a home away from home. While the smell of axone may be intense for first-timers, it’s addictive once you get used to the taste. Nagas use this spice in a variety of dishes ranging from chutneys and pickles to various local dishes like smoked pork with axone, nula (snails) with axone, and a host of stew dishes. To get you started, let’s learn how to make the most popular Naga chutney. Get ready to explore the unique flavors of Nagaland! Fresh axone is made by boiling soybeans and draining the excess water. Then wrapped in banana leaves and left to ferment for 3-7 days over a …

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Photos and Video | Ziro Festival of Music 2016

Some of our readers have shared some lovely photos for those of us who couldn’t make it to the festival. The location is beautiful and it definitely looks like a lot of fun out there! Check out the photos and a video. Hope you enjoy it 🙂 Waiting for the shows to begin! And there’s food as well! Oh just in case it’s not obvious, our friend (Sukesh) is trying to eat a grasshopper. Slurp!   Members SOFYIUM and Koloma bands warming up before the show. Italian band Gramlines playing at the fest Photo courtesy : Naren Jamatia, Rohan Abraham

Meet Aunty Sinju and her Mouthwatering Local Snack

“About 10 years ago my daughter suggested that I open a small shop. So I started selling Sinju* and I am happy that I have many customers today. I’m known here by the name ‘Aunty Sinju’ *laughs* Editor’s note: Aunty Sinju sits at Pakai College entrance gate , and her Sinju is so popular that people come all the way from Dimapur (about 15Kms away) to buy the snack. *Sinju is a local snack, which is a mix of shredded cabbage, nokna leaves (water crest), meat , crispy (uncooked) wai wai noodles , papad, chilli sauce and the special sinju masala. It is the perfect afternoon snack on a cold rainy day!

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Meet Asibu – Maker of Glamorous Jewellery

Lately, we have been witnessing some pretty awesome jewellery designers coming up from every corner – especially from the vibrant state of Nagaland. And we’re very proud to showcase each and every one of them. One of the most recent one to join the growing band of upcoming jewellery entrepreneurs is Asibu Yhoshu Peseyie, an NIFT graduate. We came across her jewellery brand  ‘Asibu‘ and they are absolutely gorgeous! No wonder everyone’s talking about them. If you haven’t yet come across them , fret not. What else are we here for? : )   Asibu has worked as an Assistant Designer for Amritraj Bora Couture, fashion brand that has styled for the likes of Malaika Arora Khan and Madhu Sapre. She has also worked alongside the renowned fashion stylist Mahima Shukla as an Assistant Stylist. Her career has now taken the natural turn by launching her own jewellery brand, Asibu. And, we can’t have enough of it! Tell us a little more about ‘Asibu’ and the design mantra behind it? Asibu is a handcrafted home-based jewellery brand that …

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Na Lemtur – Nagaland’s Hottest Fashion Photographer Right Now

We chatted up Temsuna Lemtur (aka Na Lemtur) who is currently creating rifts in Dimapur, Nagaland with her fashion photography. Lemtur decided to gain a better insight into photography after leaving Delhi, where she worked as a freelancer for a while. Almost at the same time her younger brother Moanungsang Lemtur aka Shinobi (who we covered a short while ago) was finding a footing in the creative design arena. #ArtistSiblings for the win! Na Lemtur’s creative journey since then has taken her places and to newer heights. Here’s presenting the pretty and very talented, Na Lemtur. Why did you choose photography as a career option? Photography just happened to me and I went with the flow. There definitely wasn’t a “eureka” moment as such but my interest in photography developed alongside my growing interest in fashion. I began it as a hobby with a Yashica compact digital camera and I remember being fascinated by a photograph’s capacity to suggest my subjects’ personality and bring out the life within them for everyone to view. That’s how I …

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New Music Video by our Favorite Naga Artist Virie

Folks – the gorgeous and talented singer and songwriter Virie just released her latest single “My Summer” on YouTube. The video is as dreamy and magical as her voice – shot in the beautiful Dzulake Valley in Nagaland. And as though the song wasn’t enough to enchant the listeners, the beautiful backdrop takes the viewer to a fairytale land – where summer and winter come together in perfect harmony . . ♫ How, how long will I walk alone Thousand miles on my own Miles to go before I sleep  Those summer days is all I dream ♪ Will I ever see you on the other side? Will you ever sing to me and make my night? ♪ This video was shot on a winter afternoon (2015 winters, according to Virie). But by the looks of it, it appears that Virie was indeed able to summon the summers after all. Check out the beautiful sun rays blending in perfectly with the color of winter. Watch the official music video ‘My Summer’ by Virie Song written and composed by Virie …

The Ticket to Travel

This Awesome Canadian Couple Visited Nagaland – and Loved It!

Oh no, it’s Monday again. Not looking forward to go to work? Tired of waiting for your vacation plans to work out? On most bad days, most of us can’t deny the thought of quitting our jobs to go travel the world – you know . . . to live a little  🙂 Well, we bumped into a beautiful, adventurous couple in Nagaland who are doing just that and loving every bit of it! Wanna know how they do it? Read on. Meet Nathan and Danica Reid, a Canadian couple who run the YouTube channel The Ticket to Travel. The Reids are currently based out of Nepal and have lived there since 2014. This is their story. What’s ‘The Ticket to Travel’ all about?  As young, enthusiastic people we both had experience in different kinds of jobs before we decided to move to Nepal. We could have taken up jobs here too, but because we had experienced travel quite extensively in our past, we thought, “Why don’t we share our adventures with rest of the world …

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“Handmade by Soren” | Crafts Made with Love from Nagaland

Located in the heart of Kohima town in Nagaland, Soren Odyuo is a craft maker whose work embodies the sentiment that “local is lovely”. Each handcrafted item on display in her shop encourages viewers to slow down for a moment, to look, to touch, and to listen. Her handmade crafts celebrate the colorful and exuberant aspects of life and serve as a reminder that a hobby can be both joyful and productive. Soren shares that she started “Handmade By Soren” when friends and family encouraged her to make something worthwhile out of her remarkable gift for transforming ordinary materials into works of beauty. “Every piece of craft in my store is unique and made by hand with love.” ~ Soren of ‘Handmade by Soren’ R&L: As an interior designer with a passion for creating beautiful handmade crafts, how do you manage to balance these two full-time jobs? Soren: Yes, managing two full-time jobs can be challenging, but I enjoy both of them immensely. I work as an interior designer with Zynorique Consultants, an architectural firm based …