Tag

Podcasts

Browsing

Time spent travelling back and forth from college in metro is perhaps, the worst waste of time as a student. Here are a few suggestions to utilise that time better.

It is not new knowledge that students at the University of Delhi (DU) travel from far off places. We all have a friend (or are the friend) who comes from the peripheries of Noida, Gurgaon, Dwarka, and Ghaziabad in metros. Unfortunately, that also means that there’s almost a three-hour long travel waiting every day. The hours in the metro almost all go to waste. However, here are a few ways you can use your metro hours better-

  1. Read books:

It is rightly said that books are everyone’s best companion. Reading is not only a form of entertainment but also, an exercise for the brain. There are books on everything under the sun, be it on romance, or on how to become the next billionaire. Small book shops can also be found near Metro Stations, such as the one in front of the Vishwavidhayala metro station, where books are usually available at a much cheaper price.

Lenro Books Near Me

If carrying heavy books in your already heavy bag isn’t your thing, you can also invest in an E-Book reader, or download the various apps that are available to read on your phone. Not only are they convenient to use, but also usually provide books on heavy discounts.

  1.   Watch a TV show:

Through the various apps available for your phone, watching shows has never been easier. One of the easiest forms of entertainment, watching TV shows is a perfect way to pass your time and get into something new. Travel time provides the perfect opportunity for you to finally watch Sacred Games and shut up all the friends who’ve been asking you to watch it only to hear you say, “time kaha hai.”

Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hotstar, all provide a wide variety of content to download and binge on. Depending on how long your travel is, you could catch up on (or re-watch) the twenty-minute episodes of Friends or the hour-long Game of Thrones.

  1.   Listen to podcasts/audiobooks:

If you would rather prefer to gaze outside the window or observe the funny kid in the metro, you can do so while listening to podcasts. Recently gained popularity, podcasts are audio episodes which are recorded as a part of a series. There are podcasts on history, food, comedy, news, fashion, and practically everything else. Usually available for free, you can download apps specifically meant for podcasts or listen to them on music apps like iTunes or Spotify.

Image Credits:
Image Credits: Lopscoop

If you are into reading but don’t have the patience, you can also explore audiobooks, that has your favourite books read to you by someone. Takes less energy and can also make the story come alive, if read well.

  1.   Learn a new language:

You’ve perhaps been planning a backpacking trip in France and need to brush up on your French, or want to learn Japanese to understand your favourite anime better. What better time to finally learn a new language than in the metro? Apps like Duolingo have daily 10 to 20-minute tutorials where you can learn any language you want. Travel hours provide the perfect space for you to learn and practice new languages. And being multilingual is always an attractive trait!

1 (1)
Image Credits: Indian Institute of Legal Studies
  1.   Finish your assignments and reading:

Contrary to popular opinion, hours in the metro can be used to finish your assignments and readings. It gives you an extra edge over your procrastinating self and you don’t have to slog much when you get back home. Use the travel time in the morning to finish the assignment you have to submit that very day and haven’t started yet. it can even be used to revise the morning before your exams. Not to forget, also leaves you feeling accomplished and productive for the day.

  1.   Sleep:

When nothing works out, sleep! Use this time to catch up on your precious sleep before you go back home and get back to work. Be mindful of your surroundings though, lest you end up missing your station, or worse, your wallet!

Feature Image Credits: DU Beat Archives

Satviki sanjay

[email protected]

 

New to Podcasts? This guide will help you with a list of four Indian podcasts that will open your eyes and of course your ears to this incredibly informative platform.

There’s a war going on and it’s being fought for your attention. Every day, new applications mushroom in dorm rooms across the world. Existing tech behemoths are spending millions to convince you to spend just a few more minutes on their product. Your attention has never been valued as highly as it is today and the corporations will do just about anything to grab a larger portion of the cake.

In a war like this, you are the sole protectors of your attention and your brain, in extension. There are myriad options and you can choose where to spend that attention. It’s safe to say that for a lot of us, books have gradually disappeared as contenders and the video format is emerging as a strong winner in this race. When we’re not watching Netflix, we’re watching Prime Video.

The podcast, while being a widely known format is surprisingly not widely used. It’s probably because we as a generation have been bombarded with so much visual content that it has become our standard for stimulus. Shifting to a new format of receiving information can require a little time and effort. But, the podcast universe has plenty to offer, it has something for everybody and it’ll be nice of you to give your eyes some rest during the long metro rides to college.

The Indian podcast scene is booming with new ideas and discussions and with some research you can find what suits you best. However, to get you started, here’s a list of four Indian podcasts that will open your eyes and of course your ears to this incredibly informative platform.

  • Ask Aakar Anyhing

Mr. Aakar Patel is a writer and a columnist who has an answer to every question. The weekly show witnesses Aakar answering questions that readers send from across the country. Their topics of concern cover everything from architecture to pornography. The show is out of the ordinary, it teaches you and  makes you think. The answers are witty and insightful and without realizing it, twenty minutes later you’re an expert conversationalist on Japanese architecture.

Image credits: Ask Aakar Anything
Image Credits: Ask Aakar Anything

You can find it here- http://www.audiomatic.in/category/ask-aakar/. It is also available on iTunes.

  • The Intersection

Two young and extremely intelligent journalists take you through a journey about India, its rich history and cultural complexities. This podcast talks about seemingly random things with global implications. Unlike the two podcasts above which talks about multiple things in one episode, the intersection chooses to focus on one topic and both the hosts have substantial and well researched material to assist their arguments. The topics range from India’s homegrown dog breeds to fundamental errors in the Taj Mahal. Random? I warned you.

Image Credits: The Intersection
Image Credits: The Intersection

You can find it here- http://www.audiomatic.in/category/the-intersection/. Also available on- SoundCloud.

  • Our Last Week

Our last week is a weekly comedy podcast hosted by comedian Anuvab Pal and actor Kunaal Roy Kapur. In every episode, they discuss the week that went by in terms of the news and the events that occurred in their personal lives as well. They describe themselves as “just two guys trying to make sense of it all.”

Image Credits:Our Last Week
Image Credits:Our Last Week

You can find it here- http://www.audiomatic.in/category/our-last-week/. Also available on SoundCloud.

  • Cyrus Says

This show can be considered a veteran in the Indian Podcast scene; it has been on air for the past six years and is hosted by well-known comedian and political satirist, Cyrus Broacha. Every week the hosts invites other Indian personalities pursuing their hatke careers and another segment  follows where a panel is formed to discuss news, politics, culture, and urban life in India.

Image Credits: Cyrus Says
Image Credits: Cyrus Says

You can find it here- http://ivmpodcasts.com/cyrussays. Also available on Spotify and Soundcloud.

Feature Image Credits:The College Investor

Pragati Thapa

[email protected]

The ceaseless chatter and jam-packed surroundings of DMRC tend to make one feel annoyed and uncomfortable. This is when podcasts come to our rescue. Other than distracting the mind from the obvious discomforts, podcasts also upgrade our knowledge and make metro rides productive.

Here a list of five of my favorite podcasts.

  1. Bitch Media: Backtalk.

Bitch Media is a nonprofit, independent, feminist media organization dedicated to providing and encouraging an engaged response to mainstream media and popular culture.

Their weekly podcast: Backtalk is best described as a “Feminist Response to Pop Culture”. Basically, Backtalk is a snappy conversation between two Bitch editors about everything from movies, television, news magazines, fashion magazines, blogs, comics, advertising to computer games. Currently, Amy Lam (Contributing Editor) and Sarah Mirk run this podcast.  Every Thursday I update my knowledge on Hollywood, Trump and western pop culture. And even though you might think that western pop culture is not of relevance to a Delhi University student, but Backtalk is actually informational and interesting. If not for anything, then listen to Backtalk for the best-undiscovered music recommendations.

 

Back Talk
Back Talk

Link–  https://soundcloud.com/bitch-media

 

  1. NL Hafta

NL Hafta is a weekly podcast by Newslaundry, which covers everything that made “news” and also provides media critique. The format is such that, Newslaundry’s team sits, discusses, disagrees, and dissects what’s been happening and how it’s been covered by the news media. Area experts, authors, and journalists join in the conversation from time to time. It’s insightful and fun. Listen to NL Hafta and ace every serious “politics” conversation with the smartest of comments that you can pick up here.  Since NL Hafta is behind the paywall, to listen to it one needs to be a subscriber of Newslaundry.

NL Hafta
NL Hafta

 

Link- https://www.newslaundry.com/category/nl-hafta

 

  1. The Awful and Awesome Entertainment Wrap By Newslaundry

The world of pop culture is crowded with all sorts of stuff. Some of it is awful and some of it is awesome, but all of it is on Abhinandan Sekhri and Rajyasree Sen’s radar. Films, scandals, books, advertisements, music, and television — find out what is worth watching/listening and why some things need to be ignored. At the end of each podcast a question is asked and if you can answer five questions correctly then a gift from Newslaundry will come your way.

Unlike NL Hafta, this podcast is free for listening.

The Awful and Awesome
The Awful and Awesome

Linkhttps://www.newslaundry.com/category/the-awful-and-awesome

 

  1. Radiolab

Radiolab, with Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich, is a podcast that can engage an unscientific mind in a story about the gene editing capacity of DNA. Such is the charm of Radiolab’s sound and music-rich audio documentaries. All episodes are available for free download.

Radiolab
Radiolab

Link-  http://www.radiolab.org/

 

  1. Reveal

Reveal is an investigative reporting program made by The Center for Investigative Reporting (CIR) and PRX. It examines what governments, big businesses, and communities are doing while being hidden from public view. It is hosted by award-winning poet Al Letso and is produced by several renowned journalists of CIR.  Reveal does not accept donations from government entities, political parties, or individuals who could present a conflict of interest. Totally depended on money from subscribers, Reveal speaks truth to power.

Reveal
Reveal

Link- https://www.revealnews.org/episodes/

      6. Strange Flavors (Another week, another flavor – a little less stranger)

Strange Flavors simply sounds like a wholesome-relatable banter of three friends. It’s co-hosted by Faras, Shah-Ameer (Shimmer), and Amber who discuss everything under the ambit of pop culture from the perspective of desis living in America.  The guests who feature on their show are mostly PoC artists and tbh, I’ve discovered several hidden gems via this podcast. Tune in to Strange Flavors as you do regular chores or wait for metro to resume on the blue line. Caution: Don’t listen in the gym because you might drop a weight on your feet as you break into a fit of unexpected laughter.

Link: https://soundcloud.com/strangeflavors

stange flavors

Niharika Dabral

[email protected]