It’s been more than two years since we launched Roots and Leisure, and today, our branches have grown wide and deep – with an ever-growing network of storytellers and inspirational figures. They are all bound tightly by our core team members, who work selflessly across locations – even time zones at times.Rushing against deadlines amidst their busy lives of their own, the sweat and passion of the team are what keeps the community alive.

So this is the first of our series of “Face Reveals” to give our readers a glimpse into the life of our R&L members. Starting off, we have Naro Longkumer from Nagaland, who is one of the many content managers in our team. She recently moved to Hyderabad to pursue her masters in Applied Linguistics, minoring in Management, and is also taking up a language course in Korean. Good to see young people finally taking up courses they actually enjoy, and have a knack for. Look she already has a job too – working with us! 🙂 

Here’s a chat with Naro, our content manager to know about her new campus life, and how she juggles R&L work with her classes.

When we called to check on her, she seemed satisfied and happy “I think coming here (University of Hyderabad) is probably the best decision I’ve made so far. I am enjoying my campus as much as am enjoying my classes!” Read on to get to know her better.

• Hello Naro, please introduce yourself

Hi. My name is Naro and I am currently doing my Masters at the University of Hyderabad. I am majoring in Applied Linguistics and minoring in Management. I am also taking up a Korean Language course which the university offers.

• Tell us more about your course, and what made you choose them?

While I was in college, during my 2nd semester, I realized that I had a very keen interest in linguistics. So I started researching as much as I could – in fact, that became a fun and daily activity for me:) That’s when I finally decided on Applied Linguistics, which offers the following subjects: Syntax, Semantics, Phonology, Phonetics, and Morphology. My current favorite would be Syntax. (study of the structure of sentences)

• Is this your first time away from home? What do you miss the most about home?

Not really first time away from home, but yes first time away from my home state (i.e.Nagaland.) My parents came down to Hyderabad to drop me off, and I have been missing them ever since they left 🙁 Apart from my parents at home, I miss my pets every day. I have 5 pets at home – two dogs named Ruff and Shadow, and three cats named KitKat, Ginger, and Garfield.

• Tell us more about your new campus.

My Campus! The word “love” is an understatement for what I feel about this place. It is pretty huge, with so many things to explore within the campus itself. We have amazing places to visit – like the place called “Mushroom Rock”, which is my favorite at the moment; a lake called “Buffalo lake” where people can go for fishing or for a picnic.

“I think the relaxing landscape along with a wide range of interesting courses makes the campus even more special for me. It’s a happy place.”

My seniors took me up to Mushroom Rock for the first time. 

My second visit to Mushroom Rock was with my own batch- my two new friends. We Cycled up the whole way.

• Tell us about your new friends? Are they also taking the same course as you?

The closest friends I’ve met in this college are my seniors who have taken me under their wing, and closely guided me. They have taken me in and around the campus and the new city everyday since I’ve gotten here. I’ve also made good friends from my same batch, a few from different courses and some from the same course. The people here are incredibly helpful and kind.

• How do you manage working with R&L and your classes, and other activities?

My schedule for the first few weeks of starting college has been hectic, as I had to manage my R&L works along with my running around and adjusting inside my new campus. But I have slowly started managing both activities without stress. My day starts early as my morning class starts at 9:30 am and ends only around 7 pm. But I have set a timetable to make sure that I can dedicate 2-3 hours every night for R&L, which is usually around 8:00 pm-11:00 pm. Here’s how my typical day looks like:

• 8:00 am – Wake up and have a quick shower.
• 9:20 am – Grab some breakfast and head off to class.
• 9:30 am-1:30 pm – Back to Back classes.
• 1:30 pm- 5:00 pm – Lunch with my friends. This is my favorite time of the day since I am always up to new things during this time. Be it casually hanging out with my friends, or getting some work done.
• 5:00 pm- 7:00 pm – Korean Language Classes. I always wait for this class excitedly.
• 7:00 pm-8:00 pm – Dinner at either the mess hall or cook dinner with my friends.
• 9:00 pm- 11:00 pm – Get some work done for R&L
• 12:00 am – Get ready for bed.

• What are your future plans? How is this course and your work with R&L going to help in achieving them?

I have always wanted to work in the entertainment industry – as a writer. Or work for Buzzfeed. That’s my biggest dream right now. So working with R&L is a good headstart for me, as I get to work with people who are making the news in the pop culture arena. Plus, learn the discipline needed to manage my time and learn the nitty gitties of the job.

I also recently got to know about “Speech Therapist”, and that has intrigued me so much that I applied for this course in Applied Linguistics. Plus, the fact that I get to learn Korean language is an exciting add-on, as I’ve always been fascinated by new cultures – especially Korean and Japanese.

That’s it for now. We wish Naro best wishes, and hope to hear more from her soon! If you wish to share your campus life story, or work with R&L, drop us an email at info@rootsandleisure.com

“. .The woods are lovely, dark and deep,   

But I have promises to keep,   

And miles to go before I sleep,   

And miles to go before I sleep..”