Tag

summers

Browsing

The scorching heat of May-June, sipping on countless glasses of Glucon-D one after another, monsoon rains to soothe our sweaty bodies; I miss summer vacations.

 Nostalgia is like an unforeseen wave on the vast and uncharted seashore of blurred memories; washing down our immortal soul with the bitter-sweet syrup of the past. A frequent visitor in most minds, the nostalgia of school days unconsciously forms a subtle curve on our lips; an uninvited smile at times and a known frown on some days.

After a tiring day of online classes while you sip into a glass of lemonade, scrolling through your Instagram feed to move your eyes up from the screen only to complain about the extra sourness of the drink, your eyes fall on the calendar. Apart from realising that fact that time flies away and disappears into stardust, you notice the month: June. Your mind spontaneously retraces itself to the fogged memories of summer vacations; no studies, endless rounds of hide-seek from dawn to dusk, stealing mangoes from the neighbour’s backyard and what not.

The last working day of school before the commencement of the vacation held a different vibe to it. The sadness of being parted away from your school friends for one and a half months was muffled by the joys of relaxation from academics. You restlessly tap your feet with alarmed ears to hear the ringing of the final bell. Once the hands of the clock align themselves with the chutti time, an uproar is followed with the same. The silent corridors become a witness to the thunderstorm of students storming out of their classrooms, the whispers of gossip and rumours amidst the commotion and the lively chaos for one last time before it delves into a state of hibernation.

You bid farewell to your friends for the short long duration of the summer vacation, get up on the bus and sit on the last seat. While you slide the rusted window with all your strength to allow some air to soothe down your sweaty forehead, you take one last glance at the school. An eerie silence forms around those once animated lifeless walls of the palace-like building. You carefully store the aesthetic scenery in your mind under the album of ‘school life’ to cherish when you reunite with your lost, unforgettable friends from school.

Looking back, summer breaks for me were nothing less than a patchwork of metaphors- amber coloured evenings laced with the sound of laughter, too many hands in one single basket of mangoes, my grandmother and her lullabies, wishes whispered upon dandelion fluffs, the sea and the sunshine. everyday blessed me with a new story of its own and i count each of these stories as my most treasured memories,

–cherishes Bidisha P. Kashyap from Guwahati, Assam.

 

These days of leisure which were supposed to spin off by laziness playing the role of protagonist goes on to start with your mother switching off the Air-Conditioner (AC) or fan and waking you up vigorously. Once awake, there’s no scope that any of your family members would find you in the house anymore. You hurriedly brush your teeth, push down a slice of bread into your mouth and boom! You directly run down to the ground floor to catch up with the buddies from the same housing society or nearby areas and decide on the games to play the whole day till the sun sucks all of the Glucon-D in your body.

On some days, you lazily lie on your bed while your mind goes on a stroll with Shikari Shambu within the colorful, twisted lanes of Tinkle comics; a golden era of innate happiness without the aid of social media and mobile phones. The cravings for a dozen sweet-sour mangoes take birth within you; a desire that a single mango handed down by your mother cannot satisfy. The longing for a frizzy Kala-Khatai would grow with the passing of each minute, eagerly waiting for the seller to set up his stall in the afternoon. You decide on your choice of flavour before going up to the seller only to reconsider your decision when you see those vibrant colours gleaming in front of your eyes. After fighting battles with your own self on the choice of flavour, you decide on one and you see the seller doing his magic. You suck into the colourful ice and the soothing water snakes down your throat to calm down the heat burning inside you.

Sometimes there is a desperate desire to go back in time and wait in anticipation till the bell rings on the last day of school before summer break. The memories of enjoying summer break in our grandparent’s village,playing in the rain,eating mangoes on the porch and kicking aside studies to live a peaceful life hit you hard now as you watch them from a distance

–states Mridusmita Barman.

The vacation would remain incomplete without a trip to your grandparents’ abode in which the walls speak of love and objects resonate memories of the past. You listen to their stories; some vibrate with patriotism, some with the innocence of your parent’s childhood narrations. You move away from the hustle and bustle of the city life to embrace the quietness of the abode, romanticising the peace and trying to pack a bottle of it when you return back to the city lights that cast a fainter light than the fireflies that you chased down in your grandpa’s kitchen garden.

Amidst the warmth of the summer fairies and the evenings dyed in raspberry shades, you suddenly realise the never-ending summer vacations are about to get over. You turn your eyes towards your study table to see a pile of assignments stacked at one corner; to cry and crib about spending the holidays in a more productive manner.

Unfortunately, all of these memories now feel like an utopian dream; washed away like the dust resting on the old photograph frames by the monsoon rains of time.

 

Read Also: “Delhi Rains: Evenings of Nostalgia and Love

 Featured Image Credits: Sukriti Singh for DU Beat.

 

Himasweeta Sarma

[email protected]

 

As the world celebrates May as ‘Gift from Gardens’ month, here’s looking a how Delhi has adopted a different method of gardening and how you can make your own garden in your homes.

Delhi has been choking for pure and fresh air to breathe. Over the last few years, excessive construction and overburdening of vehicles on the roads have led to Delhi NCR becoming one of the most polluted regions in the world. Thus, looking out for new and innovative methods is the need of the hour.

Keeping this in mind, the Horticulture Department of the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) has begun the development and expansion of vertical gardens in the city with its debut dated almost a year and a half back.

If you have looked around while your travel on the city, you must have found this beautiful plush of greenery wrapped around the pillars of Delhi Metro Network or beautifying the stretch of the new Yamuna Expressway.

Cities worldwide not only are facing the concern of pollution and warming but also space congestion. In a scenario like this, vertical gardens or “living walls” as they are called, have come out as a blessing for they cancel out all of these issues. Massive construction has led to considerable damage to the green spaces in the city. These vertical gardens not only occupy any landscape at all, but are cost-effective, too, as they are cheap to develop and maintain with plants like Asparagus, Jade plant, Syngonium, etc. and are seasonally grown in plastic containers.

This is what the NDMC is doing to enhance the quality of the air of the city and add to its greenery. But there’s a lot more that people themselves can do in their individual capacity.

Rooftop gardening is one of them. Space crunch in the city restricts people from owning gardens but they can always develop one on their own roofs. Due to excessive heat in the summers, the variety becomes limited but plants like Water Lilies, among others, grow well despite the temperature.

Gardens, apart from purifying the air, also give relaxation from the intolerable heat. The various products they provide are just an added bonus.

There’s no reason why you shouldn’t celebrate this month by doing your bit in developing a garden of your own!

 

Image Credits: India Times

 

Shreya Agrawal

[email protected]

 

 

We realise that the heat has made exam season even more unbearable,  folks. We have been tinkering with this problem all summer. Here is what we have unearthed.

As we breathe in the parched air of the exam halls, we look at ink-stained fingers and the slouched shoulders and the empty water bottles, desperate for a respite from the exams and from the blinding scorching heat. Here are our favourite tips for beating the heat while we have our noses buried in books:

  • Stay hydrated: This might not be the most original idea, but it has stood the test of time. Turns out keeping your body hydrated during exams might mean you end up actually not eating your hair at the end of a study session. So, keep those liquids near you, kids!
  • Sun blockers: Please don’t make the mistake of stepping out of the house without that shield, folks. Your skin is the largest organ of your body and deserves some care as well.  I leave it to you to choose the brand; just keep your skin type in mind.
  • Quick bites: For mid-study session meals, opt for hydrating and refreshing fruits like watermelon or fresh veggies like cucumber. They not only hydrate your body and keep you healthy; you can almost trick yourself into thinking you can finally get off of those baggy junk foods. You can also infuse your water with fruits; just buy an infuser bottle and add some refreshing and citric fruits and mint to it. This will give all the fruit-lovers out there some incentive to go through some plain, boring old water.
  • Change your hairdo: Go a little bonkers this exam season and change your haircut or hairstyle. If you’ve always wanted to chop off your hair, this is the best possible time to debut a pixie cut or long bob.  Keeping your hair off the back of your neck will help you cool down your body temperature. And if anyone asks you what happened, blame it on the Kardashians.
  • Take more showers: This shouldn’t come as a surprise. Whether you want to hibernate inside your tub for a few hours every day or take quicker baths multiple times a day, we promise not to judge. Just make sure you don’t let multiple showers dry out your skin by moisturising afterwards.

Happy Studying!

Feature Image Credits: Akarsh Mathur for DU Beat

Sara Sohail

[email protected]

With summer approaching, the scorching summer heat is guaranteed to be hard on our bodies, our moods, and our electric bills. After all, this is the time we forgo memories of our cooler past, we put behind us the days when constant sweating was not part of our daily routine.

For those of us sweltering away in this part of the world, with no obvious escape in sight, consider some of the following to beat the Delhi heat:

  1. Hydrate: Drinking 1-2 litres of water is very essential, spruce up your water game by opting for flavoured water instead (Strawberry is highly recommended!)
Credits: gethealthyu.com
Credits: gethealthyu.com
  1. Streat Treats – Cool off with a Chuski and some Banta: This is time for the pocket-friendly experience we’ve all been waiting for. So whether you head to Prince Paan or India Gate, I assure you that the mind-numbing iciness of one chuski will keep you cool for the rest of the day.
Credits: indianstreetfood.com
Credits: indianstreetfood.com
  1. Shop Till you Drop – Head to the Malls: What better way to beat the summertime sadness than some retail therapy at the mall. Enjoy the air conditioning and check out the latest summer trends without having to worry about tan lines or sweaty faces. Head on to your favourite mall and catch the latest flick.
article-2its-shopping-time-pt-3-credits-mygola-com
Credits: mygola.com

 

  1. Splash About – Hit the Pool: There is no better time of the year than to attend/organise that pool party you’v been waiting for. Step out and dive into the pool for a cool, refreshing dip.
Credits: shutterstock.com
Credits: shutterstock.com
  1. Cotton and comfort: Make use of all the summer sales. Adopt the boho style of dressing with maxi dresses, tie and dye shirts for the girls and linen shorts for the guys!
Credits: shutterstock.com
Credits: shutterstock.com

 

Anahita Sahu
[email protected]

 

Having completed an entire month in office, if I were given a choice again, chances are I might never choose to do an internship at all. In hindsight, whilst doing an internship is sometimes enriching and enlightening, not doing an internship also has its merits. Yes, internships are a part of your college experience, but not doing one doesn’t mean you haven’t lived your college life well. Yes, doing an internship is a good way of having a productive summer, but not having one is not the end of the world. So, here we are bursting the bubble, and breaking the myths.

 

  1. Internships are overhyped

     

    Contrary to popular belief, not getting an internship is NOT the end of your career. If you haven’t applied for an internship at some big ass corporate house, you will not end up living in your parent’s house forever. There are a bunch of other ways to kickstart your career. I am, in no manner implying that internships are completely futile. But they are not the only avenue for you to build your resumes or pick up skills and learnings. Don’t just do what everyone else is doing. If you utilise your summer well, you can work on defining your personal brand effectively too!

     

  2. Internships won’t solve the perpetual existential crisis

     

    There are other, far simpler ways to discover your potential and work on your skills. You could translate a new interest into a hobby, or take up some projects to hone your existing skills. You can enrol in an online course, or take up some research work based on your educational background.So stop panicking, or wallowing in jealousy. Just breathe.

     

  3. Internships might be a costly affair

    Keeping aside the fact that most of the internships available are unpaid, most paid internships too are a farce and often a trap. In case of unpaid internships, you need to finance your commute, eating expenses, inter alia. In case of paid internships, while the stipend will only barely cover your travel and lunch expenses, it might not necessarily bring life back to your wallet. And then there are internships for which students have to pay to intern with a company. Now that is another issue altogether.Hence, it becomes extremely difficult for an outstation student, particularly, to do an internship. If however, you do decide to take one up, be mindful of the return on your investment.

     

  4. It gets tiring

     

    With 12 hour days everyday, I am not just I’ll-take-a-nap-and-be-okay-in-the-morning tired, I am more like I-need-to-sleep-for-an-entire-month tired. How I wish to sneak away each weekend to recharge my batteries. Overtime, what I have realised is that I would have liked travelling uninterrupted for an entire month more than spending most of my days in office. Taking care of those pangs of wanderlust is a whole lot easier during the break than during college days. Plus, when you travel you’ll always have a cooler story to tell later on!

     

College offers an interesting proposition of permutations and combinations of fun and learning, and sometimes you really ought to choose well. My internship has taught me a lot of things, of which the most important lesson is: If I hadn’t taken this internship; I would have been just fine.

 

Image Credits: giphy.com

Surbhi Arora

[email protected]

 

Surfing the internet, one would easily find a ‘30 Day Challenge with Trainer Chintu’ to transform fitness or a ‘Get Your Summer Body in just 30 Days’. Anecdotes, on offer by the ‘summer fitness market,’ don’t offer much when practically put to use by a college student who has to balance social media, TV shows and academics. It seems as though Whatsapp has set the lower limit to ‘last seen’ as 2 AM for every collegiate. Alas, it is actually the latter that doesn’t sleep before that. Putting the ‘challenges’ to use therefore doesn’t reap anything. Here are five ways in which a collegiate, whose routine fluctuates with mood and engagements can transform his/her fitness this summer:

1. Water: The primary fat burner

Believe it or not, but water, if consumed sufficiently burns fat at a great speed even when the body is at rest. No matter how much you exercise or don’t exercise at all, dehydration can lead to storage of fat in the body. A study done by the University of Tokyo reveals that a hydrated body burns fat three times faster than a dehydrated body. The best way to check the sufficiency of water in your body is to check the colour of your urine, which if yellow hints at the dehydrated nature of the body and if colourless signifies the sufficiency of water in your body. Remember, the next time someone says that they have been exercising for a while but don’t lose weight or that they are fat although they eat very less, tell them that either it’s genetics or lack of water in the body. The latter can always be mended.

2. Don’t starve yourself, rather eat frequently

Starving is the most imbecile custom to stay fit. Not only will the body lose strength and immunity; you’ll also lose fat at a pace slower than a person who eats frequently but clean. Stupid as it may seem, but researches have revealed that eating clean meals frequently (after every three hours) helps in building a better metabolism and constitution. Eating frequently would help those of you in need of some ‘toning’ and also those who are into bodybuilding.

3. The Rule of input and Output

You are what you eat. But who can let go of those chicken rolls and pizzas. Well who told you too? You can continue eating street food and stay fit by burning the calories you eat. Fitness is all about controlling how much, not what you consume and how much of that your burn. Simple math, if you eat more calories and burn less, you’ll gain weight. If you consume less calories and burn more, you’ll lose weight. Therefore, jump onto all those hamburgers, but remember to burn what you eat.

4. Sleep well

Okay! Sleeping before 2 AM is impossible. But even after that, try sleeping for a minimum of seven hours. As per a study, lack of sleep ages you quickly. So, if you feel lack of strength or get tired easily, then focus on your sleep. If you sleep properly, your body will be repaired adequately, you’ll have less black heads or acne and you’ll have a better memory. Try sleeping properly for a week, you’ll see the difference.

5. Look for long term goals

Want to be fit to attract someone in particular? Want to have a body like that actor or actress in the movie? Well, nothing would work unless you strive to be fit for yourself and not to impress others. When the former is there, the latter automatically follows. Love yourself before expecting someone to love you.

Image Credits- www.beautynfitness.com

Sidharth Yadav
[email protected]

Summer vacations, in this relative world are a good time to get ahead of that person in class, fellow debater in the debating society or you. The learning done behind the curtains and entertainment through books that goes alongside watching Game of Thrones in vacations is, after all the one that makes the actual difference. Here is a list of ideal reads that not only celebrates the private space that we share with books but is sure to add flavour to the season:

1. ‘The Girl on that Train’ by Paula Hawkins

Image Credits- espngrantland.files.wordpress.com
Image Credits- espngrantland.files.wordpress.com

Filled with shocking twists, this book is already being deemed as one of the best psychological thrillers of 2015. Narrated by three characters, metaphorically related to each other, the book revolves around the search for Megan, one of the main characters, who suddenly disappears. Other characters, in quest for finding the truth behind her disappearance, constantly lie to each other, which ultimately makes the truth harder to find.

2. ‘The Boys in the Boat’ by Daniel James Brown

Image Credits- blogcritics.org
Image Credits- blogcritics.org

This book is about how a University of Washington 8-oared crew which represented the United States in the 1936 Olympics Berlin won the gold medal. The book largely focuses on the lives of the crew members, whose low middle class origins in the times of the Great Depression prevent them from entering the university. The book also has the backdrop of Nazism growing in Germany and also reveals the politics that were behind organising the Olympics.

3. ‘The Martian’ by Andy Weir

Image Credits- cne2.com
Image Credits- cne2.com

A science fiction novel, The Martian revolves around an American astronaut who is stranded on Mars and must find ways to survive after his spacecraft had to exit from Mars’ atmosphere due to a dust storm. His hope in life makes him survive all the odds when finally the NASA realises that he is still alive.

4. ‘All the Light We Cannot See’ by Anthony Doerr

 

Image Credits- anniephotosonline.com
Image Credits- anniephotosonline.com

Winner of the 2015 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, the plot is set in the World War 2 Germany occupied France where the paths of a blind French woman and an orphaned German soldier cross. The book juggles with time as the story oscillates in the progressive movement of the plot.

5. ‘Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking ’ by Susan Cain

Image Credits- simplerpastimes.file.wordpress.com
Image Credits- simplerpastimes.file.wordpress.com

Susan in her book shows how devaluing introverts in the current pandemonium of venerating the extroverts destroys a part of the society. The book has examples of introverts who have made a mark in the world and is sure to change your opinion of the people who love staying ‘quiet’.

Featured Image Credits- asamandlouise.com

Sidharth Yadav

[email protected]

 

“It’s a smile, it’s a kiss, it’s a sip of wine … it’s summertime!”  – Kenny Chesney.

Summer is mangoes and grandmothers, summer is long afternoons and lemonade…summer is the ideal getaway.

So, where are you headed to?  To grandma’s courtyard of childhood memories or the mountains which beckon with their chill laden breeze? The seaside if you crave tans and burns or just your bed with a great book to read? And then there are those with day long internships, not to forget the right-after-exams summer schools in tow. What then is the ideal summer? What’s your sweet escape?

Here, after long consultations with friends, foes and other animals, is the perfect summer recipe. Your kind of summer, with your kind of spice!

For the conventional:

As put by a former Outlook Traveller editor, hill stations are a swirl of social, commercial and political energy -and garbage and cement. Hence, off the beaten track we go. On the hit list is Paro, a tranquil retreat in that country of happy people- Bhutan. (Travel tip- traveling to Bhutan doesn’t require passports and visas if the North Bengal road route is taken). But, for us lone backpackers and shoe-string budget students, if Paro be struck off the list, take to the scenic lake town of Mirik and not Darjeeling, to Landour and Dhanaulti for sun and sport and not Mussoorie, to Munshiyari and not Shimla. Make it a memorable summer, like Rusty, with deodar and pine.

For the experimental:

Absolutely recommended is a cruise down the Sunderbans, it’s different, it’s great!

Why wait?

For the busy, for us:

In the middle of those summer classes and CAT preparations, find an extended weekend and pack that lousy backpack. Board a dusty bus and clear your muddled head. For this breakaway trip, we recommend students’ hostels, an example being Zostel- the student friendly travel and accommodation start-up. With great destinations and greater experiences, this is your economy package. Not your Rusty summer but a Kipling, perhaps.

And if you were that workaholic intern, make getaways within the city itself. It’s a beautiful mosaic, of the old and the new. Walk by the Lodi tombs, walk to St. James Church. In spite of the heat, this city has great haunts.

For the lazy, for all:

Stay home, have lemonade, sweat the summer away.

Go to the beach- bathe, relax, burn, bathe.

Go to the mountains, forget your phone behind.

Vacationing is not about trains and planes; vacationing is taking time off.

 

I almost wish we were butterflies and liv’d but three summer days – three such days with you I could fill with more delight than fifty common years could ever contain.” – Keats

 

And that is why the summer matters.

 

Alankrita Anand

[email protected]

Image credits:  imgkid.com