All posts tagged: Conversations

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#Faces | “I Wanted to Capture The Moment When This Mom (Who Runs a Homestay) Finally Gets Time to Piggyback Her Baby” – Abi Lama, North Sikkim

“I work for a travel company, so this was taken during one of our work visits to a homestay at Gnathang Valley which is at an altitude of 14,000 ft. The woman in the photo runs this warm homestay with her husband, who is posted in North Sikkim. In the picture is her baby Hissey, who is as adorable and caring as her mum. She had just finished serving us breakfast and I managed to take this picture of her and her baby. This picture, to me, really captures her warmth as well as her strength as a woman and as a mother. Because her husband works as a police officer in Sikkim, she runs this homestay by herself for the better part of the year. Gnathang Valley is such a remote place… life up here isn’t as easy as it looks, so just her unabashed zeal and commitment is truly inspiring.” ~ Abigial Lama “I felt like capturing those little moments, like when she gets time to piggyback her baby” – @AbigialLama

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This 21-Year-Old Illustrator and Storyteller Draws Inspiration from Jane Austen and K-Pop, and Creates Art You Will Want to Live In | Meet Anna Abola From Latvia 

“A dream doesn’t become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination and hard work”- Colin Powell. For Anna Abola, 21-year-old digital illustrator and artist from Latvia – a small country in Northern Europe, her passion for art started at the tender age of 3 and she practiced hard to get every detail right. This love for art blossomed as she got older and at just 8 years old, she joined her first art school. Born with a disability, but with her ever so cheerful outlook on life, she uses art as a healing mechanism to voice out her ideas, thoughts and emotions. Anna and her art is a true inspiration for us, the world over. We chat with Anna to know more about her and her artistic journey. We had an intimate talk with artist Anna Abola from Latvia about her life as an illustrator, her passion for art, her main source of inspiration for her beautiful illustrations and more. Hello Anna. Tell us a bit about yourself. Hi! My name is Anna Abola and I am …

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“I Write Roles for Women – Beautiful Women with Soul, Will and Strength” | A Chat with Filmmaker Tribeny Rai from Sikkim

“If there’s specific resistance to women making movies, I just choose to ignore that as an obstacle for two reasons: I can’t change my gender, and I refuse to stop making movies” – Katheryn Bigelow. Growing up in a family of 4 girls, Tribeny Rai faced gender bias at a young age. That experience only gave her the drive and conviction she needed to come out of her shell and do something that was new as well as challenging. That was the start of the journey that strong headed Tribeny set out to embark on for the rest of her life. At 27, she has 8 short films and 1 documentary to her name. Interestingly every one of her works has either won an award or has done the rounds at both national and international film festivals. Today, we’re happy to feature Tribeny Rai, a passionate independent filmmaker from Sikkim. She is everything you wouldn’t fathom at first glance, but behind her charming smile is a powerhouse of creativity that hits you into real-world subtlety. She chats …

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#Faces | This Portrait of an Old Man Captured By Tenzing Will Transport You Into A World Of Fantasy And Fairy Tales

“We had a day off and a friend of mine suggested we go birding in a forest a few kilometers out of Guwahati. So we grabbed our cameras, some supplies to eat and headed out. My friend is an avid bird-watcher and frequently visits these forests. It was my first visit there so I didn’t know what to expect. We reached the edge of the forest and reached a temple that we needed to pass before actually entering the forest. As we approached the temple gates we were greeted by this old man. He wasn’t a man of many words nor was he a ‘ray of sunshine’. He had one job to do… Perhaps the most important job there. It was to make sure that no one enters the temple grounds with their footwear on. My friend explained to me that even though we weren’t there to worship and were simply passing by, the rules applied to us all the same. His eyes looked our way as I took a quick shot of him. When …

#Faces | Shwayi’s Beautiful Visit To Paro Taktsang ‘Tiger’s Nest’ Monastery, Bhutan

  “I was in Bhutan for a vacation with my Bhutanese friends from college. I’m from Mizoram and currently studying at Sharda University. Since we all take the same course (Bachelors Degree in Dental Science) we visited Bhutan as an ‘after exams’ trip.  This picture was taken at Taktsang, Bhutan. Taktsang means  “Tiger’s Nest.” I loved vacationing with my friends – to see the place they’re from and to see their hometown through their eyes. The whole experience turned out to be a giant memorable trip but Taktsang Monastery stood out. It was beautiful to see the devotion with which so many people walk through such a steep mountain to pay their respect. The tiger’s nest cave was scary and different from anything I had ever done before. The climb was hard for me but it was such a treat to finally look upon a temple constructed on such a precarious cliff. I liked almost all the food I ate there, although I had tasted many prior to the visit courtesy my friends who sometimes cook in our …

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“I Wanted to Capture the Special Bond Between the Old Farmer and His Faithful Buffalo – Spotted at Tharpu Village in West Sikkim” by Nityam Rai

“He is a farmer who works for his landlord. I met him at a field in Tharpu Village in West Sikkim, which is about 30 kms. away from my house. This was my second meeting with him, and I feel we are friends now. The first time I met him, I couldn’t take his picture as it was raining but I had a beautiful conversation with him. The conversation kept my mind awake the whole night. Apparently, he comes to the area regularly to work, along with his faithful friend – Kaley, the buffalo. I regretted not taking their photos, so I went to the same location the next day. Lucky for me, I met both of them, and I took a lot of pictures that day. I could see that he shared a special bond with his buffalo. For him, it was more than an animal; it was both a friend and a family for him. In the middle of our conversation, he cut off saying that his buffalo was thirsty; he pulled him towards the shade, dug a temporary …

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“Capturing Her Wrinkles Felt Like Capturing a Lifetime of Emotions – Frozen on Her Face” | Old Lady at Maring Village, Manipur by Gautam Raj

“I don’t know her personally. Met her at the local market as we stopped by at Maring village in Manipur on our way to some other village. She was selling fresh vegetables from her garden and was calling out to us to buy them. That’s when I saw her face – and call it timing or luck, the sun was just setting making the lighting perfect for a picture. So I grabbed my camera and asked her if I can take a picture instead. She stared blankly at me, perhaps disappointed that I didn’t buy her vegetables. My first attempt failed.  I told her she was beautiful. She was indeed. In my eyes, the wrinkles on her face made her look even more beautiful and her eyes seemed like she had a story to tell. She smiled shyly and then, laughed a lot when I complimented her smile. Her laughter gave out a feeling of genuine happiness inside. That’s when I clicked the second photo – this picture. This time it came out good. I …

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“This is How I Juggle Classes, Campus Fun and Working with R&L” | Face Reveal: Naro, Content Manager, R&L

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 …

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Three Friends From Northeast India Bring Yummy Food and Great People Under One Roof | Meet the Founders of “Cultured” Cafe, Delhi

Dubbed as ‘The mini North-Eastern food hub’, Humayunpur located in Safdarjung , New Delhi is a haven for North-eastern cuisine lovers and fashion enthusiasts. The streets are filled with restaurants, cafes and chic clothing stores. And as you walk through the lanes, “Cultured” cafe trails you back to another narrow passage – which is as beautiful as a picture (read: #Instagramable) and a perfect representation of the place that awaits the visitor. This pet-friendly (yes! you heard that right) cafe cum co-working space serves freshly brewed coffee and absolutely delightful food – ranging from breakfast favorites to wholesome and healthy meals to fresh desserts, prepared by one of the founders, who also happens to be a passionate baker. Here’s a chat with the founders of “Cultured” cafe – a team of three friends from Northeast India. They talk about their passionate venture, their collective roots and their influence, and of course, the food! Hello guys, please introduce yourselves! Hi, I am Esha and 1/3rd of “Cultured” cafe. I am 24 years old and a communication graduate. …

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I Stopped to Admire How These Kids were Lost in Their Own World of Happiness” Vivas Anand from Darjeeling

“It was a beautiful cold evening as I strolled leisurely through Mall Road in Darjeeling – with a camera in hand and trying to soak in the flavors of the area. Evenings here are always crowded and has a busy ambiance. As I continued to walk, I came across this family with two kids on a bench, and I was instantly drawn. I couldn’t walk past without capturing them – and that happy moment of theirs; so I took out my camera and took this photo. Nothing extraordinary about this picture, but I was pleasantly taken aback by the simplicity of the moment and how they were lost in their own world of happiness. I just loved how they were thoroughly enjoying their munchy snack – and so mindfully at that. In this busy world we live in, it’s hard to be satisfied with what we have, and these kids somehow reminded me of that by showing a contrasting picture where it didn’t cost them much – but looked immensely satisfied. Everything was transparent and it was beautiful the way it was in front …