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Lockdown 2.0 – WHAT ARE THE THINGS YOU SHOULD DO TO KEEP YOURSELF GOING?

Lockdown is back again and we all can agree that we feel the same way we felt back in 2020. The only difference from last year is that we are more careful and prepared this time to face the virus, and also now we have vaccines .  The situation is also much worse than it was last year, everywhere we are getting to hear only depressing news and in such a situation it is very normal to feel very down and demotivated.  But as we know life doesn’t stop for anyone and up’s and downs are a part of our live but at the end,  we must have the courage to pull back ourselves together. 

So here are 4 ways I feel you can keep yourself motivated and happy in these difficult times :

  1. Read Books : As someone once said that “books are our best friends”, this phrase is becoming true day by day. In these days when we want to travel, we don’t have to do anything, we can just open a page of our book and travel the world. Along with killing time and enhancing our vocabulary , reading books give us a peace of mind. Reading books also positively affects our life in many ways , like it strengthens our brains , reduces our stress and it also helps to increase our concentration.  I am an avid reader and I at least read two books a week and I urge others to reduce their screen time and read more books !





Pic courtesy : https://www.huffpost.com/archive/in/entry/hard-to-read-books-lockdown-anxiety_in_5ed104cfc5b6fe25da3cb7a0
  • Spend Time with your family – As we all know from our experience in last year that these lockdown times are the best times to spend quality time with our families. In these times , you get to understand your family better.  You should try out different things with your family and those things which might have been impossible to do during normal days like playing board games, watching a movie together or baking a cake!  Also catch up with distant family members and close friends .
Pic Courtesy – https://foodwithiron.com/what-are-the-benefits-of-spending-time-with-family
  • Europe,2019
  • Meditate & Exercise  : The most important thing in lockdowns I feel is to make time for yourselves. Meditation helps us to reduce stress and helps to improve our emotional health.  Staying mentally and physically healthy is also important during these times, one should maintain a healthy exercise routine and go for half an hour walks or cycling in the garden as spending time with the nature also gives one a peace of mind.
45 minutes walk is a must for me everyday!
  • Maintaining a Healthy Diet : Maintaining a healthy diet is very important  as we tend to eat a lot of junk food in these days. Earlier, we used to have a fixed routine for everything including our eating schedules but now I don’t think many people follow that routine and neither the eating schedules. Occasionally, ordering food from outside is okay but doing that everyday leads to health problems and now the situation is so bad that the hospitals also won’t admit anyone without a Covid test.  So, to be on the safer side we should always eat healthy. Some of the healthy dishes that one can try out are : Banana Coconut Idli, Roasted makhana with dry fruits, peanut butter sandwich and many more! You can check out more dishes at – https://www.shawacademy.com/blog/easy-healthy-recipes-at-home-during-lockdown/ . Some of the healthy dishes that I made with my family in the lockdown are Mango Kheer , Kashmiri Sooji and along with that I also had fresh fruits!!
Fresh Fruits!!!
Mango Kheer!!

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How To Make Reels?- The most happening feature of Instagram.

HOW TO MAKE REELS ? :  Simple steps to make Instagram reels for beginners             

Reels are the newest and the most happening feature of Instagram now days. It is their take on the popular TikTok which was banned in India last year.  Reels are basically short multi-clip videos that can be recorded up to 30 seconds with audio, effects and new creative tools.

According to Instagram, “reels in Explore offers anyone the chance to become a creator on Instagram and reach new audiences on a global stage.”

So, lets learn how to make the most happening feature of Instagram. Below are the simple five steps to make reels on Instagram :

  • You must download the Instagram app from the App Store or the Play Store. All those who have Instagram in order to use reels you must update your Instagram app to the latest version.  Then scroll down 4-5 times in the search section until you see the reels option.
STEP 1
  • Then you have to click the Instagram stories camera and select the reels option and then select an audio which can be a popular song or an original audio of another user. You can also use your original audio by simply recording the video.  If you are using a song you can also select a specific part of the song to use in the reel. 

Note: If you have a public account your audio can be used by other users.

STEP 2
  • After selecting the audio, you have to record the reel by pressing the capture button it has to be  up to 30 seconds maximum or you can also use any video from your gallery which is 15-30 seconds long.  Reels can be recorded in a series of clips one at a time or all at once, or by using video uploads from your gallery. If you are recording you can select Instagram effects for the video like done in stories.   You can use GIF’S or stickers or hashtags and text on the reel. Also if you want the text only to appear at the beginning or at the end of the video you have to set the slider so that it only covers the first few seconds of the video or the last few seconds of the videos.  After recording the video or adding it, you have to click “preview”.
STEP 3
  • After you click preview your whole reel along with the audio will show and you can add a caption, hashtags of your choice and edit the video thumbnail.  You can also add a cover of your choice from the camera roll and tag your friends and family.
STEP 4
  • The last thing you have to do is select where you want to share the reel. If you have a public account the reel can be shared in a dedicated space in Explore, where it has the chance to be seen and discovered by the wider Instagram community. You can also share your reel with your followers by posting it to your feed where it will appear under the new reels section.  When someone views you reels, they can see the song , hashtags and effects you have used in the reel. But if you have private account , reels will only be shared to your feed and your audio will not be shareable with users who don’t follow you.
STEP 5

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WHAT IS THE ESSENCE OF INDEPENDENCE IN OUR LIVES?

Independence means “ free from any force that was binding upon us”. At least to me it means this.  I think independence is one of the most important aspects of our lives. We all must agree that we are all truly blessed that we are a part of an independent country where our opinions matter and our existence hold a value.

It is very important to be independent in today’s world as to be honest everything depends upon our capability these days. Whatever we do on our own there’s a bit of independence attached to it. That’s why after doing things independently we tend to feel a bit proud. For example, when we get a new job or receive our first salary, we feel proud of ourselves. Have we ever sat down and wondered the reason why? It is because we are finally independent. Of course, this is the last realization we all have, or we do not realize at all. But in our subconscious mind we always wonder the reason for us to be so happy? Well, the above is the actual reason. Independence is nothing without being independent.

As I mentioned earlier that we all are very lucky to be born in an independent nation , there are some countries that do not have this privilege. In fact, even we did not have this privilege few years back. I feel this privilege is very important, but we do not value its importance much. Now the reason for us not valuing this opportunity is because we take it for granted and do not understand it’s importance.  But I feel that it should not be taken for granted at all. We do not imagine the consequences of being backed by an external power as some of us have never faced it and we do not know the consequences of it. But our previous generations understand it as they can compare the scenario’s now and at their times. Independence and liberty give us so many opportunities that they have not even experienced in their childhood. Our and their childhood is different. When the British used to rule over us there were so many restrictions that people had like they could not go to the schools, restaurants and hotels they wanted to. Without independence, the country is as rigid as a rock.

Thus, we must all thank our stars for being lucky enough to born independent and we must all understand it’s essence and value it’s importance.

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Online Writing Competition on the topic :” Imagine the concept of time dissipated. Your favourite feminist icon has to survive in modern age mayhem. Can she get through? Write about her day among the Gen Z”

The world still remembers the valour and fearlessness of Rani Lakshmi Bai, who played a prominent role in the Rebellion of 1857 to defend her kingdom Jhansi which she wanted bequeathed to her son as his hierarchal right and which, the Britishers in guise of doctrine of lapse wanted to usurp.

 I imagine this favorite feminist icon of mine in present times as a woman who is stuck in a difficult marriage where she is berated by her in- laws as they refuse to accept the hierarchical rights of her adopted son.

In 1857 when the Doctrine of Lapse was introduced which did not recognize the queen’s adopted son as the rightful heir , her motherly instincts took over and she fought tooth and nail for her son. The same happened in this 21st century too – while adopting a son the queen did not face any resistance as adoption is a  common practice nowadays, but indirectly the queen faced resistance from her family as they were not comfortable with an adopted child being their family’s heir.  However, the queen decided to stand on her own feet and provide for herself and her son . She was a skilled designer but after marriage she couldn’t work properly due the restrictions imposed on her by her family, but now she had the willingness and the reason to focus on her career.  With no one on her side , she set up her interior designing company and soon she had many clients and was capable of handling  her and her son’s expenses.

Across generations we thus see the maternal instinct remains the same and so does the societal norms. Time and again mothers have stood up for the right of their children and persevered to give them a better future against all odds.

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The Country India

India is one of the most diverse countries in the world. We are known for our culture , traditions , food and the ethnicity within us. With uttermost pride we tell people that we are Indians and while we tell somewhere in our hearts, we feel a sense of belongingness . Now at that moment none of us really understand the reason for that feeling but later we realise that India is country that has always taught us to be  united like brothers and sisters. No matter what hurdle comes we must not look back and fight it as “INDIANS” . That is the reason we have that feeling.   It is the teaching of our national leaders, our freedom fighters and our forefathers. They have taught us to be strong yet not assertive. Non-violence and satyagraha were an eminent part of our nationalist movement.

Gandhi ji whose birthday we celebrate every year ,  had played a major role in for our independence.  He had emphasized the most on “ non-violence”.  He had taught us never to be violent as situations worsen if we bring in violence. He had stopped a major movement “ The Non-Cooperation Movement” as somewhere there was a scene of violence.  This meant that he was extremely honest with his words. He expected us Indians to follow the path of  “non-violence” and abide by “ahimsa” .

Over the years I feel that we have let down Gandhi ji badly. My reason for saying this is that , there have been numerous mobbing . kidnapping , communal riots , country wide riots and most importantly violence towards women

In the 21st century , standing in the year 2020 , I feel India always finds a reason for violence. Sadly, most of the things in this country cannot be done by peaceful means , whether it is a meeting in The Rajya Sabha or it’s a disagreement over an issue.  Violence must take place. It is sad to see that we have forgotten the teachings of our national leaders and we are leaving no chance to disrespect them.

I am emphasizing now on the most on the violence towards women.  It is not an uncommon thing in India. India has become one of the most unsafe country for women.

There are numerous rapes that are being held every day. Not one week goes without a rape in this country.  The most sad part of this whole situation is that these rapes are covered and no light is put in these cases.  There is a common belief that women will be “ put down in the society “ if the news of the incident is publicized. Due to this societal pressure the victims get traumatized and refrain from saying anything. This is the reason why we are not aware of the numerous number of rapes that take place in our country , especially the ones in the rural areas.   I feel that this is a practice that we need to stop. Women must learn how to speak out and give their miseries a voice. If any person is wronged they must have the courage to speak out. This is the learning that we have got from our forefathers. They spoke out when the British wronged our country and due to their efforts we are an independent country.

I have always believed that India has the power to change also and also to bring the change. But it is not going  to be possible if we , the citizens of India change ourselves.

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LIVE OR JUST EXIST

Live or Exist ? It is a question that we should ask ourselves every day. Post the lock down period our lives have mostly gone back to the same hustle bustle. I feel that in the busy schedule of our lives we forget to live , we only care about fulfilling our basic needs . Most of our days go in sorting things for the future and securing our future, but in this process we forget to live the moment. The ironical part is that the future that we are sorting and when that future becomes the present we are designing for the coming future. We forget that we had missed some of the precious moments of the past in order to this present.  This means that we are so busy existing that we forget to live our lives to the fullest.   However some people feel that materialistic things like money , fame and status are everything we need to survive and be happy. To a certain point they are something that helps us to survive and makes us feel good about ourselves but they cannot make us happy from the inside. As materialistic things have a limit. We exist for them but not live. A billionaire and a beggar are same in front of a gun waiting to shoot them.

I feel that the pandemic is a very important lesson for all of us. It made us realize the things that actually hold value for example  spending time with family or reading a book quietly and enjoying the rains or maybe sitting in the car and suddenly a song plays that reminds us of a forgotten memory.   We  never get to do these  in our everyday lives.  These are the moments that  we actually lived and could connect to our minds.

A poem that is similar to our everyday lives is the poem  “ Dolphins” by Carol Ann Duffy. It talks about the difficult lives led by the dolphins who are captured by men in order to fulfil their  parsimonious needs. They live a life where even their movement is  controlled by someone else. They are captured in small aquariums  where they live a claustrophobic life.  The voice of the poem are a few dolphins who are talking about their miserable lives , they tell that they don’t live they just exist for the sake of it and they know that they will meet their end  in the claustrophobic place.

On reading this poem I thought our lives are not miserable like the dolphins. We have an option to live but we chose to just exist. Unlike the dolphins who want to live their short life to fullest but are ceased of it.  The ironical part is that we are those people who don’t let the gentle creatures live their life and neither do we live our lives to the fullest.

I think its high time that we human beings understand the importance of “live and let live” and it will be better for our world. As among all the creatures in the world we only have the power to bring a change.

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We All Belong Time

 

It is rightly said that “ we all belong to time “ . This is because time is a very integral part of our everyday lives.  I strongly believe that if a person does not give importance to time , eventually the person will lose its importance in everything else.  I consider myself to be an extremely pedantic person and thus, I was always particular about not only time but also everything else around me . However, I do have some grudges against people who do not value time. There are people who always take things in their hands at the last moment and then obviously struggle with the task.  It beats my logic to understand that if a person is  getting an opportunity to achieve something and do something in a better way , then why back off? As I strongly  believe that if time isn’t given to a particular thing , it can never turn out to be up to the mark.

In other aspects, there are certain things that we can do only one time and it is our duty to cherish that time , as we do not know if we will see a “ tomorrow” soon or will we ever see it. For example, if a group of friends meet at a place, they should cherish every moment of it as no one knows what will happen next. That is why “cherishing of time” very important.  The reason I feel that every moment that we are spending should be cherished is that because there are few things that catch our attention at a certain time only. No matter whatever the thing is, it can have a great impact on some of us. I am saying this from my personal experience.  Also, when we look back, we realize that how beautiful the times that we just let go.  Also, sometimes we realize that we have missed out on certain things which were important,  but we did not value it.

As the saying goes, “ tough times don’t last, but tough people do”.  I completely believe in this saying as  certain times makes people tough .  Anything in the world can be controlled except time. Time is like an unbeatable river that never seems to stop and wait for anyone and it will never stop , even a second extra and so yes, we all belong to time, there’s nothing beyond it.

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A Letter to Bulbbul

Dear Bulbbul,

When  I first heard the name, I was sure that the name belongs to a woman who has a very charismatic personality . There are some characters that have  such an impact you that you wish that they were not  fictional, and for me you were one such character.

Behind your strong, smiling , face , you carried a secret that no one could even get a hunch of. The amount of drastic changes that went in your life, you were bound to become this strong.

A big haveli that captured your childhood, you were separated from your dear “baba” and “pishima”. I guess when you asked your “pishimaa”  that “vash Kya hota hai” I am sure staying in the big haveli you got your answer. You only found one person who understood your value that was your same age brother-in -law, Satya.  But soon he was also gone leaving you to be all alone in the big haveli once again.  Another person who could have understood you was your “Binodini Didi ”. But instead of understanding you she was jealous of you and her jealousy kept on increasing day by day.  She envied your relationship with Satya  and also fuelled your Thakur against you. This was probably because she did not have a Satya in her life.  Just like the saying goes on that “ A woman is only a woman’s biggest enemy” your Binodini Didi proved the statement right, once again.  When she said that “Kahin log yeh na soche Ki Badi Bahu aap nahi hum hai” proves that she was also envious of your position and wanted to snatch it.

You were a subject to  intense violence only due to a mere misunderstanding, which prevented you from running like a free bird anymore.  Not only that , you were then mercilessly raped by your Thakur’s younger brother, Mahendra.  Next morning, you are a completely changed woman. No more the loving , innocent  and lively Bulbbul, but a woman who has nothing to lose and only knows to avenge wrong doers.  Binodini comes to cover up her husband’s deed. Like Lady Macbeth she shrewdly tells you that big houses have big secrets and asks you keep quiet. She says “chup rehna” after every sentence and doesn’t support you or give you strength.  It gives us a glimpse that maybe she was also a victim like you only , but she chose to keep quiet and let patriarchy prevail.  Women were probably supposed to stay like that and pass on  the learning of “chup rehna”.

But you Bulbbul, learnt to be the change. You did not supress yourself to these  atrocities.  You flew like a  bright bird only to stop the  atrocities against women around you. No wonder that little child called you a “goddess” .

You did not give Satya an explanation about your friendship with the doctor as you felt that it was not required, you could live in your own terms.

You scarified your life in killing demons who snatch the lives of women.  At least, at last you were satisfied with you self.

Every woman is a “Bulbbul” but just like you they need to spread their wings and fly.  I am sure you will be happy seeing that from where ever you are.

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HUMANITY AND THE COVID-19 CRISIS

 

The world is at standstill. It seems that everything is nearing its end. But still at this this time of crisis there is something that is giving us hope every morning and is motivating us to look forward to the day, and is Humanity

Yes, “Humanity” is binding us all together at this situation. The novel corona virus had originated from Wuhan city in China. This was an unknown virus according to the reports. When it started to spread, only it’s symptoms could be identified and apparently, its source were bats. After two or three months it started to spread like wildfire across all countries especially at that time in China. It soon became a world crisis and a war between life and death.

Many people are still struggling with this virus, throughout the world. They all have their families, children, mothers who are waiting eagerly with open arms for them to comeback. Those families who have already lost their loved ones have lost their faith and trust in the world. But still there are people like doctors, nurses, pilots, policemen, who are not worried about themselves or their families but are bent on saving other families and the world from this deadly virus. All caste, creed, religion, social prejudices are nothing now.

These petty things now are long forgotten, as now the world has come together and have become ONE. The world is still fighting this deadly virus. This virus is extremely contagious and can spread rapidly, it becomes especially dangerous when it starts to spread community by community.  Due to this mostly all countries are observing a complete lockdown for a certain number of days as that is the only way to combat the virus as of now. This virus has no specific treatment yet. All the citizens are asked not to leave their houses, stay clean and take all the required steps to stop the spread of this contagious virus.

The government, the hospitals, the doctors are trying their best and we all should try to give our best by just cooperating with them. Before taking any wrong step, we should think about the thousands who have lost their lives and loved ones and of those who are still fighting a battle to win over this virus.

This virus has definitely taught us to enjoy each and every moment and not to take anything for granted as we do not know what the world has in store for us the next morning.

But as of now, let us all wait for that morning when finally, we have won the battle against this deadly virus. Till then let humanity prevail and let humans help humans by just cooperating with each other, as this shall too pass and humanity will win once again, against all odds.

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5 Things I Learnt from Rakshit Tandon Workshop

Friday morning, the middle school assembled for a special event. It was hosted by Mr. Rakshit Tandon. He explained us how to use a mobile phone.

The main topic of this event was about social media. He told us that being on social media is good, but we must also be very careful. We all have heard about the dangerous cases taking place all over the world, due to social media. So, what did he tell us? Here are the 5 things I learnt from him.

Never follow unknown people….
He told us that we must never follow unknown people. We must always keep our account private.
5 things I learnt..
We got to know that in snapchat nothing gets deleted. We must never add unknown people.
He told us there was never a game called blue whale it was just a challenge to see how people could be fooled in social media.
He told as that we should never go in any social media before 13, as it can be dangerous.
He also told us that if we follow any famous person, we must see that it has the blue tick.

GAMES..
He told we must never be addicted to any games. Instead pf playing games in phone we should play real games.

CYBER BULLYING..
We were told that if we had any rivalry with any one we should never cyber bully anyone. We should instead go and solve the matter personally.