All posts tagged: northeast

rootsandleisure_merenla imsong

A Fun Chat With Stand-Up Comedian and Viral YouTube Star, Merenla Imsong On How She Uses Her Roots To Make Us LOL

Making someone laugh is no easy task. For anyone inclined to comedy, getting any kind of reaction to their jokes can be immensely satisfying. Our featured guest today is the young and super talented viral comedienne from Nagaland – Merenla Imsong – who has effortlessly tickled our funny bones with her honest and engaging content. She attained her social media star status in March last year when her home video titled ‘Presumptuous chinky assumes the North Indian way‘ went viral on YouTube – It’s currently sitting at over 200,000 views! Many of us who are working and living outside of our hometowns, regardless of where we come from, have undoubtedly faced similar presumptions as her famous alter-ego Pinky Singh. So, it’s no surprise that her many characters and “Vegg ya Non-Vegg” videos hit us at our funniest and most relatable spots. We sat down with the rising comedy star – Merenla Imsong – to find out what exactly tickles her funny bones, her comedy inspirations and how she conceptualized her first viral video and more. …

rootsandleisure_arunachal-Tawang

#FACES | “Sangestar Tso Lake in Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh is a Piece of Heaven on Earth” – Gom Chozom

  “This photo was taken in Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh. It was my first visit, and the experience was surreal. Literally felt like I was experiencing  Heaven on Earth; everything was so serene and the scenery was breathtakingly beautiful!  This particular location (in the photo) is called Sangestar Tso Lake and is also famously known as Maduri Lake. It is next to the India-China border and the Bumla pass. Walking amidst the stretch of flowers and lakes was the highlight of the visit. Being a nature lover, the sight of the clouds, flowers, and mountains brought so much peace, happiness, and calm. The valley here is full of wildflowers during this time of the year (Aug-Sept) So you will see plenty of small wildflowers blooming along the walkway and all over the trees. The fresh breath of air and the chirping of seasonal birds makes the place even more enjoyable.” ~ Gom Chozom 

rootsandleisure_Twins

Vloggers “Twins and The Other Girl” from Sikkim Gives Us a Glimpse into Their Lives in Gangtok

Youtube stars behind the channel ‘Twins and the other girl’ – Pinky, Tinku, and Prakrithi, take us on a tour of the beautiful state of Sikkim, known for its shimmering waterfalls, lush green forests, the mighty Kanchenjunga mountain range – and their leisurely cafe culture.  22-year-old twins Pinky and Tinku, and their friend Prakrithi use their YouTube channel and social media to share fun yet simple snippets of their life in Gangtok, Sikkim. They make sure to stay super stylish and on-trend while doing all of that! The trio takes us around their favorite cafes in Gangtok and also gives us a glimpse of their everyday lives – interview and video below. YouTube stars of “Twins&theothergirl” – twins Shreya Rai (Pinky) and Shraddha Rai (Tinku) and their friend Prakrithi from Gangtok give us a peek into their everyday life in Sikkim and also take us around their favorite cafes. Read on to know more about them, their passions, inspirations, and much more.     Hi girls! Tell us a little bit about yourselves. We are Shreya (Pinkey) and Shraddha (Tinku) …

Rootsandleisure_Pastry Chef_Lhaden_Sikkim

Young Pastry Chef – Lhaden Wangmu Bhutia from Gangtok, is an Artistic Genius with a Warm Heart

Coming from a small town armed with a heartful of ambition – and trying to make it work in a big city, can be daunting at times. But what keeps the spirit high are the daily progress we make towards achieving our dreams, and the crafts we hone with each passing day. For 24-year-old pastry chef Lhaden Wangmu Bhutia from Gangtok, her story is a true example of what it feels to be challenged every day only to be pushed closer to our ultimate goals. “Working in the hospitality industry can be quite challenging, but hardships are incomparable to the experience I gain daily, and the amount of creativity I can showcase through my work.” From baking to impress her dad to training under world-renowned chefs abroad, to now grinding it out as a pastry chef at The Oberoi, New Delhi, our lady has come a long way and her dreams have gotten bigger. We chat with Lhaden Wangmu Bhutia to know more about her journey so far, the influence of her roots on her art, and her ultimate …

Rootsandleisure_fashion

Young Fashionable Folks Share What’s Trending in the Local Fashion Scene in Nagaland

If you ask the people in Nagaland to pick which one is more important – feeling good versus looking good, very likely that the responses will be equally divided for both for most folks. Reflecting the general attitude towards dressing up  – with an added premium to personal style and comfort, you will see a variety of trends and trendy painting the outdoors and indoors of Nagaland. We wanted to take you guys into the streets of Nagaland to give a quick glimpse into the local fashion scene, so our contributor reached out to seven of her friends to give us an insight into what they are wearing, and what’s trending in their neighborhood.  Arenzung, 28 from Dimapur looking chic and summer-ready with a classic white button-down shirt, beige cotton skirt, and comfy flats. Her statement accessories and tote bag in matching colors compliments her look to the T. Tote bags are hot items in Nagaland this season, so get yourself one too! Shop Here “Thanks to social media, fashion inspiration to actually wearing the latest trends is almost …

rootsandleisure_trance effect

Indie Rock Band From Nagaland “Trance Effect” Wants to Make Music That Heals Depressed Souls.

“Its alright, no more pretending.  Just ride without no worries  Its alright, don’t hide  . .” Just free yourself and let it dance ” goes the lyrics of the latest single ‘Stop Pretending’  by TRANCE EFFECT. This Indie rock band from Nagaland wants to use their music to talk about mental health issues and by doing so, aims to help people overcome their dark phase by creating beautiful music that heals. TRANCE EFFECT can be a safe haven for anyone who believes in the healing power of music. We sat down with the members of Trance Effect to know more about the team members, their music and some more Hi! Please introduce yourselves We are Trance Effect, a newly formed Indie band based out of Dimapur. We are a new band, formed in 2017. On vocals, we have our dynamic and compelling performer Iuli Yeptho, an energetic performer with her powerful vocals. Temsujungba on guitars, the bigger than life character and an outstanding showman. Sosang on drums, a quiet but an expressive player who never fails to …

rootsandleisure_The midmess

This Sister Duo from Assam are Taking Food Aesthetics to Another Level Through Their Food Blog “The Mid Mess”

Two sisters  , Sabiha and Samee Taskin from Assam works 9-to-5  job but their passion for food and photography led to the birth of food blogging journey “The Mid Mess ” . From experimenting new recipes to creating an aesthetic plate of food that will make you think twice before you take a bite , these sisters will make sure you have your cravings fixed with the right amount of nutrition. We talk with the brains behind “The Mid Mess”  on how they started their journey , dreams and their love for food. Tell us a little about yourselves . We are Sabiha and Samee hailing from Assam and currently living in Bangalore who loves to eat, cook , nerd out about anything nutrition related.We also love travelling and has a passion for photography. We also work as freelance photographers so ,we take up many food photography projects across India, where we click photos of either their new launches or good looking delicious photos for their websites. Tell us about your venture <The Mid Mess>. How did you …

Rootsandleisure_Onen

Turning The Mundane Into Something Insane and Outrageous | Meet Self-Taught Digital Artist Onen

Today’s artist is a digital artist-cum-engineer who goes by the name of “Mr.Brightside” whose weird, twisted yet profound sketches is a reflective exploration of the human state – physical and mental. His art stands out from the multitude of other artists due to its accented uniqueness and inventiveness which enthralls and unnerves all at the same time. Onen’s works are multi-faceted and open ended to the point of debate. It embodies a sense of existential vagueness that instinctively entices the feral remnants of our collective primate heritage. Our contributor Jungio chats with the self- taught digital artist about his transition from drawing cartoon characters as a kid – to diving into the dark and surreal inspired by Japanese art and culture, current art scene in Nagaland and more. Tell me a little about yourself? My name is Bendangonen Atsongchanger but I go by the name of Mr. Brightside :D.  I am 25 years of age from Mokokchung, Nagaland and currently pursuing my Bachelor’s in Computer engineering from Pune. How would you describe your art? What or …

RootsandLeisure_Nemngai Mosang

This Self-Taught Dancer from Arunachal is Melting Our Hearts with Her Dance Moves | Meet Nemngai Mosang

Meet 22-year-old Nemngai Mosang from Arunachal, who is a passionate dancer, plays the guitar and enjoys listening to K-pop. Don’t brush her off as just another dancer on Instagram – yet. The fact that is self-taught, working hard on her dreams – every day, manages to inspire us with her dance moves and fun-loving attitude, and brings together multiple cultures – the Northeastern and Korean cultures through her love for Korean music and dance moves is admirable. Also, she is a talent powerhouse (she plays the guitar too!) with tons of positivity! So let’s get to know her a little bit more 🙂 This 22-year-old enthusiastic powerhouse of talent chats with R&L to talk about her dancing journey, her creative mantra and more. Hi, would you like to tell us a bit about yourself? I am Nemngai Mosang, 22-year-old self-taught dancer from Arunachal Pradesh. For me, dancing is everything; I just can’t express how much I love dancing! Dancing allows me to be completely myself and makes me happy. Apart from dancing, I also like to play the …

RootsandLeisure_World Cup 2018_11

Football Fans in Nagaland Gears Up For World Cup 2018

Northeast has always been open to the culture of sports and football has definitely been one of the most celebrated sports in this part of India. Nagaland has now rolled over to move a step ahead with the rest of the world in cheering for their favourite team this year and if you are a football fan, you would have surely noticed the houses hoisting the flags as well as cars passing by with proud waving flags of the country they are supporting. World Cup 2018 has definitely become a festivity rather than just a game. With the FIFA World Cup 2018 kicking in ,we spoke to some of the football fanatics from Nagaland sharing their memories from previous World Cup, and their thoughts on what is going to be the destiny for the team they are rooting for and more! Alem Aier, a teacher by profession, is a true Manchester United fan and says he is supporting Belgium this year. “My favourite memory last year was organizing the screening of final match at police point, …