Friday 31 August 2018

Howdy to the Imaginary Folks who read my blog

Hey Hey Hey!

I am back to blogging after the longest time ever. The past year and half, when I didn't blog at all, has been eventful. So I present to thee, some key learnings from my interesting and not so interesting life events.

1. Finding an internship/ opportunity to collaborate



It is not a cakewalk to find a dream project that one would fall in love with at first sight (well if that exists). Last year, I wanted to find a thesis project that I would love - truly, madly, deeply. I wrote 75-80 individually crafted mails to companies over a period of 4 months which also includes follow ups with almost 50% of them.

some key learnings:
  • No one likes to read your life story, they want to know how your skills and calibre would complete them, so at the end-of-the-day, writing mails crafted in this fashion mostly works. 
  • Pitch mails should be seductive
  • One shouldn't sound desperate, but calmly confident. 
  • There might be frustration, but there is always light at the end of a tunnel.

2. Do not expect anything from anyone, expect from yourself



Some key learnings:
  • It is not a good idea to date someone who has just got out of a long term relationship. You could be a dish on the side but never the bride. And you also get to hear a lot of memories from the previous relationship. Not fun.
  • Whenever a sort of desperation is felt, or one finds themselves waiting for texts, or making plans for the weekend all the time, something is wrong. Love is between equals. Love is natural.
  • 'Unable to perceive the shape of you, I find you all around me. Your presence fills my eye with your love, it humbles my heart, for you are everywhere'. A beautiful line from 'The Shape of Water'. Need I say more?
  • If one doesn't love their own presence, how can they expect others to love their presence?

3. Damn Girl! Just watch your tongue sometimes!



So currently I am doing a job and previously I was doing an internship. In the internship, I didn't have much of a social circle, but in the job, I do. It took me a few weeks to realise that I have to watch my tongue, because all the people working with me aren't chuddy buddies and that I should keep mildly offensive content to myself.

Some key learnings:
  • Keep your opinions to yourself. Or if one has too many, perhaps like me, it is better to keep shh and pour it out in a diary.
  • If I am not particularly fond of some aspect of the work I am doing, I have learnt to keep it to myself. Otherwise, one day your manager might come and ask you, "I heard that...". Trust me, I have come pretty close to this situation. Office gossip spreads faster than wildfire. 

4. Health is Wealth



Two people who worked at my college died of stomach cancer and heart attack, which shook me to the core. They were just 40 something. Sitting in office the whole day is an obvious sign of sedentary lifestyle. So I have made it a point to be physically active as frequently as I can, which also means eating a balanced diet.

Some key learnings:
  • There would be many parties and events. One doesn't need to have cake and fried chips all the time. It goes to the thighs or bum anyway.
  • Free juice and coke in office = sugar overload, completely avoidable. Green tea is healthy and it has antioxidants too!
  • Work reasonable hours, don't waste too much time.

Disclaimer: Views expressed are completely personal.
gif credits: giphy

Tuesday 1 November 2016

Accessibility Audit @ NID

As a part of a workshop on Universal Design, we conducted an audit of our campus - National Institute of Design to check how accessible it is for people with disabilities. For this, we blindfolded ourselves, used crutches and a wheelchair ourselves to view, feel and experience the world from the perspective of a person with disabilities.



Monday 15 August 2016

Design for Dignity : Workshop with Margarita Matiz

The 4th year undergraduate students from Product, Furniture and Exhibition design came together to do a collaborative 1 day workshop with Margarita Bergfeldt Matiz on "Design for Dignity" on 11 August 2016. The main objective of this workshop was to be more sensitive, aware and empathic when designing future products.

Reading time : 3.5 minutes approx.
Content : Process of the Workshop


Thursday 11 August 2016

Design for Dignity & AccessAbility: 2 Swedish exhibitions at NID

Estimated reading time : 3.5 minutes

Hej Hej Tjena!

The National Institute of Design and the Consulate General of Sweden in Mumbai have organised a Swedish exhibition ‘Design for Dignity’ which showcases products that are designed to improve the quality of life for differently abled people. Produced by the Swedish Institute, the exhibition encompasses 22 products and highlights the importance and benefits of being inclusive while developing products for the future.

A photo exhibition titled ‘AccessAbility’ based on the everyday life stories of differently abled Swedish and Indian individuals, is on display as well. ‘AccessAbility’ consists of personal accounts of 14 individuals from Sweden by Swedish photographer Markus Marcetic and 11 individuals from India by Indian photographer Sunil Thakkar. These images tell stories of their dreams, hopes, sorrows, love, family, daily life, work and spare time.
(source : NID mass email)  

(a flyer from the exhibition)

Sunday 10 July 2016

Chindōgu - Invention, the Japanese Way

According to Ripley'sChindogu is the Japanese art of inventing silly & useless gadgets to solve an everyday problem. Translated literally, 'Chindogu' means a valuable or priceless tool. Yes, these inventions are genius, but you would probably look pretty silly using them out in public.

Today, when I woke up to a rainy morning and was listening to my favourite songs on Youtube, I came across the following video made by Top Most Rare, and it made my morning! These products are surely meant to pep up life. Are you lacking rainbows? You have struck jackpot. Welcome honey. 



1. Breast Feeder for males
When parents decide to be pregnant together and feed the child together. What is wrong with normal milk bottles eh? Well, the advantage is that you can make the kid have a variety of liquids. How about milk in one and chocolate shake in the other? 

Saturday 14 May 2016

The Humanure Project : Completing the Cycle

The human nutrient cycle is an endless natural cycle and in order to keep the cycle intact, crops should be grown on soil enriched by continuous addition and application of  manure which can be made from human excreta, cow-dung, vegetable peels, rotten vegetables etc. By repeating this cycle of nature, humans can maintain the fertility of the soil indefinitely instead of depleting it of nutrients.

Therefore to conclude the Humanure Experiment, the compost so prepared was used in the lawns of the National Institute of Design on 10 May 2016. The head gardener of NID was a huge help.