BODY SHAMING : A MODERN DAY CURSE

Now a days, amongst all of the notable issues an often neglected and over viewed issue is BODY SHAMING. How does it start? Why does anyone feel like degrading anyone based on their body size, shape, color, style . Is it the Society   which makes us believe that body shaming of any form or kind implies a sense of being cool or fun ? Or is it our personal self who tend to believe body shaming is acceptable ?

From our childhood , all of us have gone through phases teasing people by calling them names based on their sizes or color . The basic foundation of the problem somewhere starts here as the children don’t know exactly the meaning of what they are saying coz they believe its fun and accepted . Unless u curse someone it’s all considered good . As adults it is Important for us to understand the psychology of the child hearing such things and what implications the words can have on the social development of the child. Obviously, it is not possible to stop such behaviors on mass level so the basic thought should be to make the child in our families or whomsoever we usually come in contact with to let them know with our behaviors that they are appreciated and celebrated just as to how they are.

Coming into the youths, an attractive body is desired by all of us and  it is absolutely wonderful to try and be the best version of yourself but that being said, going the wrong way just because of the desire of looking good and in shape can invite trouble later. For instance, in relationships we often see partners within their sub conscious mind going extents to look fit and in that process often resorting to dangerous supplements or drugs. Whether it be the guy or the girl, it is important to know that the person you love must love you for how and who you are and that is the foundation of any successful relationship. If the respect comes from how you look , it isn’t even love in the first place .

No one but you should be the first one to appreciate and enjoy the colour or shape you have . No one should ever influence your thoughts towards the negative outcomes.  It’s a shame that being called black is considered an insult . Black is just another variant of a colour just like white is and any person with a darker complexion should be treated with the same respects .

Work on that body you desire, eat what your body craves for, don’t let the fear of judgements take you down. Wanna have that tattoo, go get it. Wanna get your ears pierced , do it. Wanna wear an outfit so bad, wear it !! Coz judgements and opinions are and will be a never ending cycle .

LET’S ALL BECOME A LITTLE MORE POSITIVE WITH EACH PASSING DAY AND MOTIVATE EACH OTHER TO BECOME BETTER VERSIONS OF OURSELF  NOT ONLY PHYSICALLY BUT ON A MENTAL LEVEL BE APPRECIATIVE OF PEOPLE’S JOURNEY AND HARDWORK . APPRECIATING SOMEONE WHO IS BETTER AT STUDYING OR SPORTS OR AS A MATTER OF FACT JUST ABOUT ANYTHING SHOULD CHALLENGE US TO BECOME BETTER AT IT AND LEARN FROM THEM.

                                                                                                                                                           

                    K DRAMAS ( THE PROTAGONIST IN WORLD DRAMAS )

It's been a long time since i came up with a post .Frankly speaking, I haven't had much time either lately. Anyway, Just recently, a Korean friend of mine asked me if K Dramas have a significant impact on Indian audiences . So, i decided to pen down my personal views on it. I have two opinions on this -

1. The People who tried watching K Dramas but didn't like them.

2. The People who love K Dramas like anything.

So, I have some sympathy for the first category of people coz the reason they didn't like  k dramas in the first place must be coz they haven't watched a drama worth viewing.

Similar to, every Entertainment Industry of the world, the Korean Entertainment Industry also produces some entertaining delights to binge on and some not so satisfying cinema . The key is to binge on the right kind of cinema . Korean people love their culture and its gaining its own kind of popularity in the Indian peninsula. Worth noticing is that most of this popularity among Indians especially youth starts from either Korean music or Korean dramas.I love both of them.

So, after a brief chat with my Korean friend about how positively Indians have welcomed the Korean cinema ,and for people who ask me which dramas will provide them the maximum utility in terms of satisfaction , i have come up with 5 latest dramas which i am sure everyone would love and appreciate.

                                                       #1 WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING

 The 2017 drama stars Lee Jong Suk and Suzy profoundly regarded     as the Nation's first love { 나라의 첫 사랑} as leads. A   supernatural  romantic genre where A woman foresees events in her   dream which turn out to be true and the hero's focus is to stop the   tragic events she foresees in the upcoming future from happening.   Drama unfolds as  the two tackle different situations and eventually   develop a romantic relationship. A person having an eye for   supernatural love stories would surely love this new age drama.

                                                     







                                                   #2 LEGEND OF THE BLUE SEA

A Perfect blend of comedy, romance, fantasy, action ,all in one place. This is one of my favourite dramas. The popular drama stars the mega stars of south korea in the form of lee min ho and Jun ji hyun .When two of the best the southern korean peninsula has to offer worked in a single frame it certainly prove to be a big success. The Drama focuses on two stories one based in the old times of Joseon era and the other in modern day Seoul having an age old connection among them. What makes it a special flick is how the lead  a mermaid comes out in the modern day era to find her long lost love and the hero who eventually finds out about the truth of his previous life.


                                              #3 STRONG WOMAN DO BONG SOON

This is one of the most viewed dramas in the history of korean dramas. The drama stars Park Hyung Sik, Ji Soo and Park Bo Young. This endlessly entertaining drama is about a young woman who posesses a special power of being strong and by strong i mean strong enough to pick up trucks or cars . But she keeps it  a secret from the world . The story revolves around her best friend and her boss. A entertaining drama to binge watch.


                                                 #4 WEIGHTLIFTING FAIRY KIM BOK JOO

This has to be one of the best dramas of recent times. The acting skills on portrayal from the gorgeous Lee Sung kyung makes it her best performance. Watch it for her and you won't be dissappointed. Accompanied by Nam Joo Hyuk makes their chemistry blossom and hearts flutter. A simple story lineup about a college girl who is a weightlifter and an enthusiast about what life offers and how she lives it on her terms.  A light hearted comedy romance flick which you would love for sure.


                                                             


                                                                   #5 THE HEIRS 

With all the big names working in a single drama , the least to expect is a lot of scintillating performances coming our way. This is exactly what The Heirs has to offer. Lee min ho, Kim woo bin, Park Shin Hye, Park Hyung Sik, krystal, kim ji won , kang ha neul with others. U name them and this drama have them. It is also a famous drama with great performances proving why each of the name here is a big dominating personality of the industry. 




CONCLUDING,

These are just some beautiful shells inscribed in the vast ocean. Gotta swim in the ocean, to feel it with complete compassion. I am sure u will be thanking yourself when you devote some extra time to it. 

THANK YOU  ALL FOR PATIENTLY VIEWING THIS TOPIC .
REALLY APPRECIATED . 



                                                     

                                                   

5 FESTIVALS FOR YOUR BUCKET LIST

For us Indians, a festival or say a celebration is always around the corner all year long. We always find joy and gaiety in every which kind of festival we celebrate. Considering India as just another part of the world, the Larger picture is that the world has a lot more in store for us which we can't help but adding these 5 festivals of the world in our bucket list. A list for all those who consider themselves as a "festie."

 SAPPORO SNOW FESTIVAL ( JAPAN )

If u love winters and the feel of vigor it brings with itself each year, the Sapporo snow festival should be on your list  to experience winters in a new and stirring way. Held every year in the month of february for an entire week , this festival is surely the one to give u "chills" out of excitement. It is held in the capital city of Hokkaido's. 

It is divided into 3 sites:

• Odori park ( Snow Sculptures )\

         The park is the main attraction for people around the globe. It features snow sculptures , 

         everything from popular japanese anime characters to famous buildings around the world. A 

         site worth seeing as it will leave you mesmerised.

• Susukino ( ice sculptures )

         Located just  about 10-15 minutes walk from odori park , in the entertainment district, here 

        you can view hand-made ice sculptures all across the area. 

• Tsudome (Family and fun snow activities )

         This area is basically for family fun. Children and adults can enjoy snow based activities such 

         as snow slides , tubing , along with various musical performances.

The entry fee of all areas is ZERO.  Cherry on the cake, Right. The  amount of astonishing views it offers to its audiences who gather from across the globe , is something one must experience by themselves and thus, makes it a must attend festival of Japan. Have a look at it below:

PINGXI LANTERN FESTIVAL , TAIWAN 

The festival of lanterns or being more specific , The Pingxi Lantern festival is the essence of showcasing taiwanese spirit to the World. A sky full of lanterns with prayers of  good luck and wishes of all kinds , floating up above the sky , offers a magnificient site to endure in one's heart for a lifetime. The visual enjoyment and and the mesmerising sight attracts a huge part of the world ,thus, is always flooded with visitors . The festival was voted as the 2nd biggest New year eve celebration across the globe, by discovery channel. 

OKTOBERFEST ( GERMANY )

It is hard finding a person who does not have an interest in BEER , like seriously! The Good news is for the beer lovers though because each year , the month of  septemer - october , brings with itself the BEER festival. The World's largest BEER festival held in munich, is a 16-18 day festival from mid - september to the first week of october. The kind of popularity it has gained is immense and thus , is also celebrated in different parts of the World. Our very own New Delhi is one such location. Ummmm,,, sounds great for all the 'delhiites ' coz' we all love to drink , right. The numerous other attractions include amusement rides , games , taditional foods like Hendl ( Roast chicken ) , Steckerlfisch (Grilled fish on a stick )....

WINTER LIGHT FESTIVAL (JAPAN)

Coming back to Japan , well, it also showcases one of the finest winter illuminations , including the famous TUNNEL OF LIGHT. No Sato , the flower focused park features greenhouses and beautiful gardens. Mid-november to Mid-march is the duration of this unique festival. 

The Park has an Ousen ( Hot Spring ) , a variety of restaurants including the Nagashima Beer Garden. Expect a lot of crowd since it is a popular attraction. With over 7 million LED lights , the No Sato botanical garden celebrates winter in an elegant style. Check out the scintillating view here:

CHINESE NEW YEAR (AKA:SPRING FESTIVAL )

Spring Festival is yet another mega cultural festival to look out for. A big event for the Chinese people. Chinese people believe that a good start to the year will lead to a lucky year , hence, it is celebrated to welcome the new year with wishes for a prosperous and lucky one. 

There are enormous number of activities done during the celebrations. 

• FAMILY TIME 

         The new year's eve dinner is also called the " Reunion Dinner" and is believed to be the most 
         important meal of the year. 

• DECORATIONS

         Red is the main colour of the festival as it is considered as an auspicious colour by the chinese.          Therefore , you can see the whole town covered with red lanterns on the streets , red couplets 
        pasted on doors. 

• CULTURAL ACTIVITIES

          The setting off of crackers is the main during the festival all over China. Traditional 
          performances can be seen (lion dances, dragon dances, or imperial performances like an 
         emperor's wedding.) Traditional Chinese snacks are on offer including some which are rarely 
        seen the rest of the year. 

        In the northern China, various versions of the Rice sprout song (Traditinal chinese dance ) are
        performed. Just like christmas in the west, gifts are also exchanged , the most common being
        the Red envelopes carrying money given to children and retired people.

       Chinese people are very superstitious as well. fish is a must for chinese new year as the chinese
       word for fish sounds like a word for surplus. Eating fish is believed to bring good luck and
       surplus money. Other examples are- no cleaning on first and second days, no washing of hairs,
       no crying, no asking for loans, and the weirdest one wearing red undeerwears.


The Tradition is setting off 1 string of firecrackers , followed by 3 big firecrackers, which symbolize
"sounding out" the old year and "sounding in " the new year.The louder the sound of firecrackers, the luckier it is believed to be for business and farming for the coming year.

well, a lot of reasons to be a part of this festival, ain't it.

TO CONCLUDE THE ARTICLE , I MUST SAY THE WORLD IS A BIG CULTURAL BALL WITH MANY SHADES WE STILL HAVE TO SEE TO BELIEVE. PLAN YOUR NEXT VISIT TO ANY ONE OF THESE FESTIVALS AND GET SOAKED AWAY BY A CULTURAL CELEBRATION. 

HORNBILL-" THE FESTIVAL OF CULTURAL GALORE"

Nagaland is a pleasing mountanious state in the northeast of India . No doubt that Nagaland is the " land of festivities" and is one of the major tourist attractions  located in the northeast .Nagaland certainly has everything to offer for every genre , but, if by any chance, you decide to come here or pop up here in the month of december , you are in for one of the greatest and  most pleasurable cultural festive experience of your lifetime. I am talking about the utterly prominent Hornbill festival.

Hornbill festival is one of the biggest festivals of Nagaland and is  certainly one of the most eagerly awaited festival of the state. Initiated in 2000, this festive event has become a principal festival in India's cultural calendar. 

It is a 10 day event celebrated every year in the first week of december and is profoundly regarded as the " festival of festivals." The aim of the event is to showcase the diverse cultures and traditions of Nagaland and protect them .

What makes the Hornbill festival so peculiar?

The festival showcases food fairs , craft exhibitions , local  tribal exhibitions and much more......so much that it cannot be expressed in words. 

The festival gets it's name from the Indian hornbill. However , the state's bird is Blyth's tragopan , but, Indian hornbill is a part of the folklore of almost all tribes of Nagaland.

While many people stay confused as Kohima being the exact venue of the hornbill festival , let me clear the bubble of confusion here , as the main venue of the festival is not kohima , but , naga heritage village, kisama which is about 12 kms south of kohima. Kisama is an open air musuem which showcases various aspects of Naga life. It offers a fascinating insight into the life and cultures of various naga tribes. 

An interesting part is that the 16 gates of the venue represent the 16 major tribes , which form the majority of nagaland's population. Each entry gate is distinct from the other and individualized with motifs of the respective tribes , so, a different kind of entry awaits for you at each entry.

Might come as a surprise to most, but , Naga is a dry state. and thus, expect no alcoholic consumption there since alcohol sale is prohibited. Still, if you want to go ahead with the idea, the only way left is to illegally arrange it and that is not a good idea at all. So, forget alcohol for some days and enjoy with an attentive mind this culturally enhancing festival.

The venue is a no plastic zone too.

What are the special things the festival  holds for us?

Though the festival extends for a long duration of a week , with continous activities to engage and impact you , the best of the best activities cannot be missed. 

Participants at the chilly eating competition

One of the most prominent and alluring competitions of the hornbill festival is the " chilly eating competition." Well, it is a one of a kind competition , and if you do participate , be ready for some running nose and spicy mouth.

Another famous competition is the pork eating competition and no prizes for guessing , participants take great pleasure in outperforming one - another.

Major highlight is definitely the Hornbill International rock festival. Expect the International bands to set the stage on fire. Since, it is one of the most celebrated festivals, expect music and dance to be on its peak. Some bands to have performed in the past are -

• Smokie- the british band
• Slain from bengaluru
• Jester from delhi.....

and many more.......

If music and dance does not inspire and entertain you or just basically not your cup of tea , Naga wrestling competition is another option. It is for people who love fights and wrestling. Do not anticipate or imagine  rash street fightings. With well planned ideas , fightings are done for entertainment purposes only . 

These i believe are enough reasons to be part of a one of a kind festival, and some would have already made up their mind for a visit to the prestigious hornbill festival. Therefore, Some things to be kept in mind before being a part of the epic cultural event are-

Expect crowd ,and by crowd i mean loads and loads of them because just like us , thousands and thousands want to relish this festival and be a part. Though, traffic jams are a part of everyday life in kohima but, heavy traffic jams are expected during the course or duration of the festival. 

Although , bookings are not necessary but advised to avoid any last minute hustle and bustle. 

Do bargain at the food stalls and souveneir shops to fetch the best deal since high prices are charged for services.

For every detailed information, an Information center near the venue location helps you out with ideal brochures listing the schedule , timings of events . Also, it details various other major attractions in Nagaland.

Pack your bags for the next early december and be a part of something you will cheish for life.

NORTH EAST INDIA - THE PREJUDICE THEY FACE

Youth of north east India

North East India , it wouldn't be wrong if we contemplate it as the most beautiful part of our nation. This part of India has given us nothing short of abundant reasons to be proud of. It is long due now that the north east Indians get the deserved respect and equality from the rest of the Indians in every each way. 

The big question is that when will all of India start accepting the fact that north east people are our very own people and they must be given the significance they should not even ask for in the first place. 

North east India comprises of Sikkim along with the profoundly famous seven sisters namely Assam , Mizoram , Manipur , Arunachal pradesh , Meghalaya , Nagaland and Tripura.

The people from north east India are very gifted and talented in some way or the other. They have produced gems for our country in every field such as sports , music , arts , dance and the count continues. Naming some of the prominent personalities to have made north east India proud are -

Mary Kom [ Woman Boxer]

Baichung bhutia [ footballer]

Angaraag Mahanta [ singer ]

Arnab Goswami [ journalist]

Somdev devvarman [ Tennis player]

Alobo Naga and the band 

And many more........

When it comes to Racism against north east Indians, even the most famous personalities claim to have experienced it.

Mary Kom accused the Indian referees and judges to have discriminated her on the basis of her race.

She Quoted - 

" Sometimes i feel very upset. Some of the referees and judges do not favour me but i don't mind. Okay,i am from north east, no problem, but, i am still an indian."

From left: Mary Kom and Pinky Jangra

The whole issue here was that the manipuri boxer lost to a fairly young Pinky jangra in the national women boxing championship held in haryana which seemed to be an easy route for her. Being rational to the whole situation, we must realise the fact that she had trailed her opponent for three of the four rounds. So, commenting everything in her favour would be an unfair deal.

In recent times, bigotry has reached to a different level against north east Indians. 

Why is it that many Indians still do not know or even if they know do not consider our very own people with the same dignity and respect ?

It has become so common in recent times that people especially in north India call foul names to people from north east India who have come here either for studies, work, earn a living and much more......

Delhi tops the list. Racism is done in various manners which are not acceptable or justifiable by any means or standards. People call names such as " chinki", " bahadur", "nepali", "momos", "chinese",......it is never ending......

Do we ever feel when we harasse them in any manner that it could put a worse and ever lasting impression of the rest of India on them ?

On what terms is it justifiable that we are racist to such innocent people ?

Just because tthey look different and practice different culture , does that give us the rights to be uncooperative and be rude to them ?

The biggest dilemma which i feel has created a barrier between northeast Indians and the rest of India is our mentality and not their looks. There are always some ill minded elements who treat the girls of northeast only as a sex symbol. Sexploitation is a huge no no for any girl facing it, does not matter from where you belong. 

Some futile minds believe that just because they wear short clothes or are much more comfortable in western ideas and clothings, thus, gives them an indication that they are easily approachable and would be interested in sex. 

In our country where women are given the position next to goddesses, does what we wear determine how we should be treated ?

If every northeast girl starts wearing full clothes from neck to toe , does that guarantee us no harassements ?


No. That does not . The fault is in our minds and thoughts.

My personal experience has also been quite disappointing where i have experienced people ill treat the north east youth.

I have a sweet and lovely friend from manipur and if u believe me she is nothing short of the cutest piece on earth. When she had first come to Delhi, and in college, she had this group project in the class. So , she was talking to this guy in her group about some project related thing and was finding it difficult to use the correct hindi word and pronounce it accordingly.After a while, this guy became completely irritated and very abruptly and in a rude tone of manner asked her to shut up and first learn hindi and then talk to him otherwise he will kick her out of the group.

She felt so bad about it. I asked her to leave that group and confronting that guy i asked him -

"OK! her hindi is weak ,but, she is trying right ...you are a well educated young guy " Can't you guys converse in english ?"

His reply was shocking for me - he said- " Aajate hain kahan kahan se yahan prr padhne "

What makes me so upset is the fact that the youth utters such words from their mouth.

Also, a recent case of racism took place when monika khangembam of manipur was harrased by a delhi officer at the airport after repeatedly questioning her nationality. 

MONIKA KHANGEMBAM

The officer looked at her passport and said you do no not look indian and continued to ask her stupid questions such as number of states in the country and states that border manipur. She posted this on facebook and drew attention and support of the nation. 

In a youtube video " The other Indians ", northeast students studying in delhi university stated - 

" If northeast India is all about small eyes , then, India is all about small minds."

Time has come and let us all join our hands to create an India which in it's true sense can be 
described as a united nation. 

To conclude , only coordinating some cultural events { now and then} and performing some theatre arts would not make a huge difference in the long run , but, our willingness to accept the northeast Indians as our Indian family and giving them the respect which has been long due would bring the change . The purpose of equality will only be assured the day every northeast Indian starts to feel at home in any part of the nation. 

LET US ALL PLEDGE TO CREATE ONE HAPPY AND PEACEFUL INDIA !