All posts tagged: Conversations

RootsandLeisure_homestay

Malinggo Homestay – A Home Away From Home in Sikkim

Published by Lisa

We have become much dependent on our environment but we have turned ignorant to them. Paul helps in bringing awareness and closeness to the nature with the concept of homestay. Here’s a quick conversation with the Founder of Malinggo Homestay in Sikkim who is in love with nature and its beauty of Gangtok. Tell us something about yourself My name is Paul Karna Rai and I live in the valley of Pastanga (East Sikkim). I used to be a Government Contractor and also worked with Voluntary Health Association of Sikkim (VHAS). Perhaps because I live in this valley, I have always felt close to nature, to the environment – the sound of the running river, the chirping of the birds, the cry of the crickets, the flowers of spring, the dew of the winter morning and mostly the first fall of sun’s rays on the mighty Mt. Kanchenjunga. Home is right here in the mountains amidst nature. How did you come up with an idea of a homestay? The concept of homestay first started in …

RootsandLeisure_Sohail_art

Design That You Create, Should Recognizably Be Yours – Sohail Khan

Published by Asmita Das

Sohail Nawaz Khan, known by the name Nautilus Shell, juggles between his education in architecture, art, music, creating design for brands, advertising and a lot more things. This multi-talented artist is passionate about his work and says, “Change is constant and good, adapt it.” A little background about Sohail 22 year old  Sohail Nawaz Khan is an Artist, Illustrator, a Brand Designer, Musician, Artist Manager and an Architecture Student. Born and raised in Hyderabad and Chennai, he likes to draw on curtains, doors, cars, shoes, paper, tee-shirts, anything with a surface! He is a designdood endorsed artist. Tell us about your art. What got you interested in this? I have been sketching since I was 6 years old and I still have my first sketches preserved. My lifelong interest in the metaphysical and surreal nostalgia is a heavy influence on my art. When I was growing up, most of my friends spent time travelling or going to the movies, usually involved in outdoor activities to have fun. I remained indoors and practiced my art rigorously. I …

RootsandLeisure_Faces

A Visit to the Traditional House in Zhavame Village, Nagaland

Published by Roots & Leisure

“We are sitting against the backdrop of a traditional house in Zhavame village under Phek district, adorned with wood carvings that signify the owner of the house has performed the ‘Feast of Merit‘ several times, the highest social status in the olden days. It’s a beautiful reminder of our rich cultural heritage. On colder days, it’s common for village folks to sit around the fire in the frontage of the house, share stories and discuss issues, reminding us that even in the midst of broken hopes and dreams, warmth and kindness can still be found.” ~ Rita Krocha Rita Krocha and friends sitting around a fire inside a traditional house in Zhavame village, Nagaland

Rootsandleisure_ProjectOtenga

A Chat with the Founders of “Project Otenga” – A Café in Ahmedabad that Brings Together Slow Design and NorthEastern Roots

Published by Shiori Chan

Having a professional degree in designing may be one of the keys to conceptualize and define a structure but to be able to metamorphose it into a café of abstract comfort takes a little more than that. It takes persistence, determination and unsparing creativity to fill every corner with ingenious passion. For Kabyashree and Dayananda these elements came in together at the right time and with the right push to help them blossom their entrepreneurial journey that beautifully combines their passion, their design background and their roots Here’s a chat with the founders of Project Otenga, Ahmedabad  – Kabyashree Borgohain from Assam (extreme left) and Dayananda from Manipur (extreme right) . They talk about how the project evolved from a house café in Gandhinagar to a full-fledged space in the University campus in Ahmedabad. Here’s a little background on the founders A native of Assam, Kabyashree Borgohain is a design strategist, a gastronomical food researcher and chef, and an alumnus of the prestigious National Institute of Design, Gandhinagar . She also has a degree in Fashion and Lifestyle Accessories from and the …

RootsandLeisure_Faces

“Aten Really is a no-rule-applies-to-me Person” | Kids in Nagaland Pose for a Photo

Published by Roots & Leisure

“Aten really is a “no-rule-applies-to-me” person. She just got that wallet as a gift from her dad (honestly, I don’t even know what kind of a gift is that – for a kid! lol) but she adores her dad 🙂 The moment she saw me, she showed off her wallet and what’s inside. She has lots of paper (maybe she thinks money is paper – and vice versa) and one 10 rupee note. Her mom wanted to take a photo of the three of them : Aten,  her older brother (middle) and their cousin. But she was not in the mood to pose at all – unlike her brother who’s always ready for a click. Her mom finally got her to pose by promising a jelly candy afterward. But she doesn’t look convinced. LOL” ~ Sungdi

RootsandLeisure_FacesSikkim

Faces | Kids Playing Badminton on a Cold Snowy Morning in Lachen Village, North Sikkim

Published by RNL Writer

  “This photograph was shot in Lachen*, North Sikkim. It was captured around 6:30 am on a cold January morning – just after Lachen had received its first snowfall (this winter). The Lachenpas woke up to see their village blanketed with snow. The two children in the photograph are little Lachenpa girls playing badminton early morning. Snowfall to these kids mean snowball fights, building snowman, running around and throwing snow at passers-by … fun times.I attempted to capture images of these raw expressions that a snowfall in Lachen usually brings. This was also a festive occasion because the community was engaged in celebrating cham dance at the gompa. So the general mood of the village was that of celebration and playfulness” ~ Mayalu Mesh (@thesikkimese) *Lachen is a picturesque tourist location in North Sikkim with just about 100-150 households. Temperatures in Winter months (Jan-Mar;Oct-Dec) fall below zero degrees, and the entire pine-clad village gets covered in snow. Lachen serves as the base for some wonderful treks in North Sikkim.

RootsandLeisure_Faces

Faces | Paan Shops in Nagaland are Like Local Meeting Hubs

Published by Roots & Leisure

  “One of the most interesting places you can visit here in Nagaland is the colony paan shop. The shop in this photo is a small paan shop (with the owner) in Jakhama village, Kohima.  These colony paan shops are like the local meeting hubs, where informal catch ups take place and titbits are exchanged. You’d probably end up collecting the latest news from all the nooks and corners of the world! This is a great leveller too; the old and the young, the wealthy and the not-so-wealthy, the school kid and the businessman, all rely on these shops to meet their daily needs.” ~ Shanthungo

RootsandLeisure_Faces

Faces | Sitting by the Fireside in Nagaland – Drinking Black Tea with Naga Dal and Grandma’s Memories

Published by Roots & Leisure

“I love this photo that I took while I was sitting by the fire, drinking ‘pika cha’ (black tea) with boiled Naga dal – just what my grandma used to offer me back in the days (while I was still in school in Kohima), when I used to visit her. While sitting there, I had those moments of pure bliss, reminiscing of my chats by the fire side with my grandma. No other thoughts – just those beautiful memories. And I recommend everybody to try it this winters. Just sit by the fire alone (no phone!) with a cup of tea and try to go back in time – those good ‘ol days where we had no mobile phones, and we actually used to chat and enjoy the warmth of the fire and the tea. So thankful that I got a chance to experience such days, because of which I have these lovely memories today- and not just hundreds of photos that actually don’t mean much. Instagrammable maybe, but what else?” ~ Holito Swu, Kohima 

Rootsandleisure_Chiang Mai_Thailand Travel

Faces | Traveling Like a Local In The City of Chiang Mai, Thailand

Published by Imtee Jamir

  “On a hot afternoon in Chiang Mai, my friend and I were wandering about and exploring the old city area of Chiang Mai. All we needed after walking around in the sun for a while was definitely a cold and fresh coconut drink. On our way, we spotted an alley with lots of graffiti wall art and a phone kiosk along the lane. To the locals, this phone kiosk might look vandalised, but to me, it was this super cool spot with an amazing aesthetic appeal to take a nice photograph in! Plus, my coconut drink seemed like the perfect prop to use in this picture to blend in with the city and get a real sense of the life out here. Why not travel like a local but take pictures like a tourist, right?” ~ Manki Lai, @ohmanki