World Social Media Day and its significance

 

Social media has revolutionised the world over time in the sense that it has connected people from across the globe. It is very hard to find someone with no social media presence today. Due to its immense popularity, the whole world celebrates 'World Social Media Day' on June 30 every year since 2010. The day was initiated by ‘Mashable’ - an international digital media platform to recognise the impact that social media has on communication around the world.

Social media has power beyond our reach, anything can go viral within a few seconds. People across the world take it to social media to express their emotions or feelings about anything and everything.

We all know how amusing it is to share memes, reels with our friends. There is nothing wrong if we say that social media is the smart pigeon of the 21st century. We have all heard stories from our parents and grandparents about radios and other traditional forms of media. In the past, people have used radio for their entertainment, then came television and now we have smartphones which have a range of social media platforms. Our entertainment is literally in our pocket.

The first social media platform was founded by Andrew Weinreich named Sixdegrees. It was launched in 1997. The website allowed users to list their family members and their friends and had various interesting features like bulletin boards, schools affiliations, and profiles. India also has its own social media platforms like Mitron, Koo, Sharechat etc.

Social Media has also become a great source of earning, there are several ‘content creators’ who have made their whole careers with their social media presence. It helps people with building relationships and connecting with customers to promote and advertise brands.

Social Media Day is celebrated across the world to highlight the  importance of social media platforms and how they have impacted our day to day lives. Social media platforms help people to understand and communicate in an enhanced way. One can connect with a person sitting thousands of miles away on a messaging service app.

CitySpidey talked to Jayant Kandoi, a six-time cancer survivor and now a social media influencer, who has 11k followers, he said, “Social media is a great platform to explain, understand and connect. If your subject and content is good, no one can stop you from reaching people. You just have to know how to choose right and wrong.”

CitySpidey also talked with Sandy Seir, a trans model and a social media influencer, “Social media helps our community to spread awareness. I’ve gotten a lot from social media and nowadays, it is a very powerful tool to spread awareness and share your feelings or emotions.”

Home garden – An easy way get close to nature

 Wherever we go, we are surrounded by pollution all the time. Parks and gardens were our little escapes to relax, but they too are occupied with people most of the time. So what do we do?

Well, here is the answer – a small home garden!

“Home garden connects you with the ground and relaxes you,” said Shivani Dogra, an Interior Designer.

A home garden is in trend not just because it makes our homes beautiful, but it can also have many benefits that you are not aware of.

Dogra continued and said, “A home garden can be just a small space in your home. It does not have to be too large. That space will be nothing short of beautiful and I think anything which is of beauty is uplifting. A home garden beautifies your home.”

Dogra says that especially in a city like Delhi, where you're dealing with traffic, noise, pollution, and construction almost all the time, home gardens are really important to have. Tired and exhausted, when a person gets back home, there will be a place where you can connect with nature. If there are plants, the birds will come around too and there can be a little private space for a person to relax with nature.

Dogra said, “I have seen people who want to maximise the space in the house into green spaces. This is quite common. There is clearly a requirement for a home garden because it is natural. We see clients coming to us asking for more green space rather than spaces made of glass, that is borrowed from another culture. People want more natural houses than artificial houses.”

Dogra recommended some of the easy-to-maintain plants. They are:

Areca Palm
Palm Plant
Fan Palm

These plants require some amount of sunlight.

Money plant (low maintenance)
Mother-In-Law Tongue Plant (really good for polluted places)
Cacti (easy to maintain)

It is always a good idea to place the home garden plants in front of a window, where there is direct sunlight. But some of the plants need some shade too. So just check the requirements of the plant.

Some of the palm plants need the right amount of shade and sunlight. Cacti also needs to be kept in a shaded area. Money plants can be kept anywhere in the house but not in too dark areas.

Dogra said, “For people living in apartments, plants can be kept depending on the sunlight that gets inside the flat. Placing plants indoors depends on the sunlight and the ventilation.”

“I do think plants purify the house. I believe that when I am decorating a space, I want to see some living aspects in that space. I think plants are the answer to this question. Plants not only add aesthetics to space but are actually living in that space. In my opinion, space is dead without plants,” she added.

Maintenance of indoor plants

Dogra suggested some ways to maintain your indoor plants:

If you do not want a planter, buy a plant stand. Stand is a practical idea because whenever you water the plants, you do not want the water to float on the floor.

If you want to buy planters, look for planters like jute, wooden, concrete and ceramic. You just need to put the plants in the planter and it will protect the floor and will not make the house messy.

Aim to keep more eco-friendly planters in the home.

Terracotta and ceramic plant pots are good options.

Brass planter is a good option.

Citronella sticks prevent the insects attracted to plants from coming inside the house.

Always remember that some plants like Areca plants need more care. They need to be taken out on the balcony in two to three days and then to be brought back. Money plants require watering probably once a day.

Well, now we think you’re all ready to have your own home garden where you can escape whenever you want!

'Love is the highest form of mutual respect'

 It was not love at first sight for Anaz and Abhijith, it all started with friendship. Anaz, 25, is doing his PhD in Malayalam while his partner, Abhijith is doing MBA. They first met each other during a meeting of Queerythm, which is a community-based organisation for the LGBTQIA+ people.

After that, they became friends. Talking about how things progressed, Anaz said, “We used to chat and meet occasionally for coffee sometimes. We discussed literally everything under the sun except romance and we eventually realised that we need this whole life to chat. That's when we realised we’re in love. We both were planning to express how we feel for each other. He said 'I love you' first and since then, we have been inseparable. It’s been about 2 years.”

Anaz and Abhijith have come out to their families and their families have accepted them happily. Anaz was aware of his sexuality from early stages of puberty but became sure of it during his college.

Anaz said, “My family was accepting and supporting. I am happy that I was able to explain everything to them. I always try to be optimistic. Luckily, there haven’t been many major challenges in my life due to my sexuality. As an introvert child, my happy moments are those lonely moments immersed in reading. The most hard period of all this was when I tried to accept myself as gay. It's a heavy process.”

He said, “Homophobia is caused due to ignorance and prejudices. We all need to try to understand that sexuality is a spectrum and love is the highest form of mutual respect. We are selflessly filling a void of ourselves with someone's respect and care. Love is everything to me.” 

Choosing the right cooking oil is essential!

 In the midst of the pandemic, a healthy diet can help to boost your immunity, aiding protection from various diseases. However, making healthy food a part of your diet can be difficult, due to several reasons. For instance, snacking has increased considerably during the present lockdown, not only at evening tea breaks, but also in between meals to power through the day. Given the shortage of time, we end up looking for options that need less effort. While we all know  that it is necessary for us to make mindful choices in current times, juggling between work-from-home and family duties makes it difficult to put health first.

Making small changes in daily cooking can go a long way in making your diet healthy, without adding any extra burden on you. An easy-peasy step is to use the right cooking oil. You may ask, why cooking oil?

If you think about it, cooking oil is one of the ingredients, which we probably use while cooking almost every meal, and among all options, it carries the highest calorie per gram. In effect, using the right cooking oil can make every meal a bit healthier. Now when we think of cooking oil, the first thing that comes to our mind is to reduce the usage of oil, however just that might not be sufficient.

No kitchen is complete without cooking oil. Used for sautéing, frying, baking, drizzling over vegetables for roasting or as salad dressing, there are endless ways to use oil. When used correctly, oils can have tremendous health benefits, including lowering cholesterol, decreasing inflammation and reducing your risks for heart disease and death. But if you use them wrong, they can increase your risk for all of these.

Fats and oils help you feel full; provide energy and essential fatty acids such as omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Oil also increases the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins (vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin E and vitamin K), improves food texture, taste and flavour and is required for many biologically active compounds made in the body. High-quality culinary oils are an essential component of a healthy diet.

Types of fats in oils

If you want to understand cooking oils, you need to learn a bit about fat. Natural fats contain different ratios of saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fat.
Saturated fats, like the fats found in coconut oil, are solid at room temperature. They’re also stable and resist oxidation, a form of damage to the oil.

Polyunsaturated fats are liquid at room temperature, and they’re usually not the best choice for cooking because they oxidise easily. Safflower and sunflower oil are two examples.

Monounsaturated fats are liquid at room temperature as well, though they tend to be more stable and resist oxidation better than polyunsaturated fats. This type of fat is found in canola oil and in  nuts and olives.

CitySpidey talked to Nutritionist Kalpana Aggarwal, she said, “Cooking oils are fats, and just like protein, carbohydrates and vitamins, they are very important macronutrients. Cooking oil typically consists of 3 types of fatty acids: monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA), polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) and saturated fatty acid (SFA). As per guidelines from the National Institute of Nutrition, healthy oils should have a good balance of all three fatty acids. Most single seed cooking oils available in India which we normally use are unfortunately rich in either MUFA or PUFA. This is the reason doctors and nutritionists ask you to keep changing your oil. But unfortunately, just alternating between different oils without understanding the fatty acid ratios of individual oil will not help you get the benefit you seek.”

She further added, “A great way to get the right balance of MUFA and PUFA easily is to use blended oils such as vegetable, canola, peanut or corn, with a lower smoke point oil, such as extra virgin olive, coconut or sesame oil. Blending is a scientific process that cannot  be achieved at home by just mixing oils; the oils are carefully chosen in ratios that are scientifically tested, so that we get the benefits of individual oils as well as the right fatty acid profile. These oils offer a lot of health benefits. Blended oils combine the benefits of two oils, to provide a synergistic effect, which helps to build immunity. It is also great for your heart health, as it helps in reducing bad cholesterol (LDL) and increasing good cholesterol (HDL). They also have a high smoke point making it ideal for all types of cooking (frying, sautéing, etc.).”

“Some of them also come with LoSorb Technology that helps food absorb lesser oil, keeping it light on your stomach. There are many options of blended oils available in the market like Saffola, helping with heart health and overall,” she concluded.

The stress of the ‘new normal’ can certainly take a toll on our overall health but making small changes in the ingredients we use while cooking can really help make it easy to help your family follow a healthy diet, while reducing the effort needed.

Laxmi Nagar market closed till July 5 for violations in Covid norms

 Amid the rising worry of the possible third wave of COVID-19 and its Delta Plus variant, the East Delhi district administration has ordered to shut down the Laxmi Nagar main market and surrounding markets till July 5 due to people not adhering to coronavirus appropriate behaviour. However, shops selling essential goods are exempted from the closure.

As per an order issued by East Delhi District Magistrate Sonika Singh and Delhi Disaster Management Authority chairperson on Tuesday, the stretch from Vikas Marg to Lovely Public School, Kishan Kunj and its surrounding markets, like Mangal Bazaar, Vijay Chowk, Subhash Chowk, Jagatram Park, Guru Ramdas Nagar, etc would be restricted to open from 10pm on June 29 till 10 pm on July 5 or till further orders. The restrictions are not applicable on shops dealing with essential goods and services.

The order further stated, “According to the Preet Vihar SDM's report, shopkeepers, vendors and the general public in Laxmi Nagar main bazaar were not following COVID-appropriate behaviour. Due to large footfall, the market association and shopkeepers were unable to ensure COVID-19 protocols last Sunday.”

Deputy Commissioner of Police (East) has been asked to ensure strict compliance of the order. The East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) is responsible for sanitisation of the place. The market welfare association has been directed to extend support.

Traders from the area, however, said that they were not informed about the issue of increasing congestion. Sumit Kumar Sharma, President of Mangal Bazar Traders' Association said, “The marken witnessed a rush for a few days because people from the nearby areas kept coming frequently to check whether the patri bazaar had reopened.”

“The civic body has not given permission to reopen the patri bazaar, but their regular visitors kept on coming. Otherwise, the situation would have remained quite normal here. We got the information after we contacted the local police,” added Sharma.

Chirag Mittal, a resident of Preet Vihar said, “We must be careful, the pandemic is not over yet and crowd should be controlled.”

The shopkeepers claimed that the authorities were not helping them in any manner. Anil Rastogi of G&H Block Market Traders' Association said, “We are making all the efforts to maintain social distance inside shops and the markets despite getting no help from the authorities. The crowd remains normal, except on Sunday evening. If congestion was noticed, then the authorities should have spoken to us first rather than closing the market.” 

Polka dots: A timeless fashion staple

 Polka Dots, one of the most popular patterns in the clothing, has been with us since ages. No one can deny the fact that this pattern has been reused in most of the fashion staples and we still aren’t bored of it.

Polka dot pattern trends more when summers and spring arrive. They stay in trend for almost two seasons but have you ever thought how this pattern came to be?

After the invention of the sewing machine in the 1700s, people were able to make proper round dots on the fabric. And yes it was a time when the industrial revolution was also taking place.

In the 1800s, the name “Polka” was given to these dots. But it was in the 1900s when polka dots gained popularity because the winner of Miss America wore a dotted swimsuit back then. And a few years later, we were introduced to “Minnie Mouse.”

Even in Indian cinema, actresses and actors, both donned the polka dots looks. Them wearing such clothes in their movies led to the entry of polka dots in the lives of common masses.

Here is the list of dotted clothes you can style in your everyday look:

Polka Dot Top

Dark colours like red, black and dark green polka dot tops can be paired with jeans but they will look even better with mustard-coloured skirts and high heels. Try to opt for long and ruffled sleeves whenever you buy polka dot tops.

Polka Dot Dupatta

Get funky and drop the idea of matching your clothes always. Try to spice up your traditional wear like plain kurta and plain lehenga with polka dot dupatta instead of choosing a net or chiffon one.

Polka Dot Saree

Polka dot saree is timeless. This saree is not at all heavy and gives out a better outlook than a heavy embroidered saree. With this particular saree, just look for the right bangles or bracelets to wear in your hands.

Polka Dot Midi Dress

More than a short dress, the polka dot pattern looks much more graceful in a full sleeve midi dress. Pair this dress with matching pumps (footwear with heels) and your look is complete. Make fishtail hairdo or keep straight hair for a more enhanced look.

Polka Dot Skirts (small and many dots)

Polka dot skirts with tiny and small dots clubbed up with plain white or black shirts are a perfect look when you want to just hang out. Wear gladiator sandals, as it will elevate the look.

Polka Dot Skirts (big and few dots)

With this particular skirt, wear a half sleeves short top. Try to make a braided hairstyle and attach a scarf with the braid. A ruffle handbag will complete this summary look.

Polka Dot Crop Top

Polka dot crop top with a jeans skirt is a totally chic look. Even this crop top can go with any long skirt as well. Sometimes these crop tops can be paired up with sarees.

Black and white polka dot crop with neon sarees is the go to look for young women whenever they are attending a wedding.

Polka Dot Tie

Men can style polka dot ties with a blazer to try out something new in their look. And yes do not only go for black and white dotted ties, try colours.

Do not go for vibrant colour polka dot print, choose pastel colour polka dots that match with the suit.

Polka Dot Coat

Move on and try out those colour polka dot coats.

Here is a simple but classy look for you – simple plain dress, polka dot coat, sling bag and the look is ready. Not only coats but polka dots print jackets can be worn in winters. Wear boots then to amp up the look.

Go people, try out and curate more styles with polka dots. 

Public toilets for third gender need of the hour

 Although there have been demands from the community for a long time now, dedicated toilets for non-binary individuals at public places remains a distant dream. There has been no significant development in this area. There is a lack of proper infrastructure to provide dedicated toilets for non-binary persons.

As the Pride Month is going on, CitySpidey talked to many non-binary individuals and raised their issues. Urooz Rizvi Hussain, a trans woman entrepreneur and social activist, said that it's time that we liberate the washrooms from gender binary. She said that the non-binary individuals are struck with a thought – which bathroom am I less likely to be harassed in?

She said, “Malls, cinema halls, metro stations, petrol pumps, schools and colleges should have toilets for the third gender, I understand that women might not get comfortable with gender neutral toilets in our country.”

Hussain shared her own experience and said that it's embarrassing for them to use the washrooms with all that judgmental gazes. “My trans men fellow mates can't step out of their houses while they bleed on their menstruation days. Men's washroom doesn't have facilities for sanitary napkins and dustbins. There are no advertisements/campaigns in my knowledge that have acknowledged the fact that 'trans men bleed', building third gender friendly toilets can make my community feel more safe and accepted,” Hussain added.

Hussain also highlighted the importance of sex education and sensitisation, she said that we shouldn't be ashamed of our own culture and traditions while talking about Shiva as 'Ardh-Nareshwar' and Shikhandi from Mahabharat.

Abhina Aher, 44, a resident of Delhi who struggled while coming to terms with her gender identity said that it's difficult for people who have undergone sex reassignment surgeries to hold their pee. She said, “Transitions happen in phases, surgery and hormonal therapy takes time to incorporate, a trans man or a trans woman has to face negative comments and get uncomfortable gazes from people whenever they use washrooms. I also got a urinary tract infection.”

The issue was brought to the fore by many trans persons. It is not that there has been no action. In 2014, the Supreme Court accorded “third gender” status to transgender people and an individual's rights to determine the gender they identify with. The verdict included a directive for separate toilets for transgender individuals in public places including hospitals.

However, even if the authorities have come up with plans to address the issue, it is quite evident that the developments have not come at a pace which was required. There have been actions but they were in bits and pieces.

To the solace of people belonging to non-binary group, the national capital has moved in the direction of providing facility. On Monday, the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) inaugurated the first public toilet for exclusive use by the third gender people. The toilet facility was inaugurated at the Press Club of India parking near Shastri Bhawan.

“There is also a plan for constructing more such facilities after assessing feasibility and identification of sites in NDMC areas,” a senior civic body official said. Incidentally, in January, the NDMC had announced plans for construction of separate toilets for trans persons in its annual budget.

Recently, the Delhi government had also directed all its departments, district authorities, municipal corporations and autonomous bodies to set up separate toilet facilities for transgender persons at their respective offices in the national capital.

After the inauguration of first public toilet for third gender, CitySpidey talked to persons belonging to the community. Abhina Aher said, “We welcome the move by the NDMC because we know how difficult it is for people like us to access public urinals. When we use the women's toilet, people make rude comments and attendants aren't happy to let us in.”

Aher also said, “Airports, railway stations and other public places should have a third gender toilet, she tells trans people are shy to express and their jobs are not easy, they are mostly roaming on roads and when these people are denied access to the washrooms they are forced to wear pads to pee in pants.”

Anjali Gopalan, an Indian Human Rights and Animal Rights activist, founder and executive director of The Naz Foundation Trust, is also a strong advocate for the sexual health and rights of the LGBTQAI+ community. She said, “Every public place should consider the queer community while planning to make toilets, the toilets could either be made gender neutral or a third gender toilet must be introduced to schools, colleges, malls, metro stations and cinema halls.” 

Dwarka on its way to become ‘city of lakes’

 

Dwarka has a new waterbody and soon there will be more of them. While it may not be fully filled with water, the newly created 7-acre pond in Sector 16, Dwarka will soon present a better view. From Saturday, the amount of treated water sourced from Pappankalan sewage treatment plant (STP) being fed into the lake was increased from five million litres a day to ten million litres. Dwarka news

Delhi Jal Board (DJB) would be using this treated water to create two more water bodies inside the Pappankalan STP in Sector 16, one inside the Dwarka water treatment plant and another inside the Najafgarh STP. All projects would utilise in situ measures, such as aeration, floating wetlands and ozonation to remove excess nutrients.

Dwarka has seen several citizen-oriented efforts in the past few years to revive waterbodies which has resulted in rejuvenation of ponds and lakes in sectors 5, 20, 23 and 24. The focus is now on two waterbodies in sectors 8 and 25.

Built under the “City of Lakes” project by the DJB, which is aimed at rejuvenating water bodies in the capital, the new lake is spread across 28,000 sq metres and will recharge the subsurface aquifers with more than five million litres of water every day.

A DJB official said, “In future, the possibility of groundwater extraction could be explored if it reaches a sufficiently high level. Tube wells may also be installed because several education  institutions and a Law University are located nearby. Groundwater extraction for institutional use can be explored once the levels rise to above 7-8 metres.”

The official explained that the lake could also act as a polishing unit for further purifying the water.

The 155 water bodies being rejuvenated fall in 14 groups, with the first phase ones expected to be completed by June, DJB had earlier informed the monitoring committee. Another 42 ponds and lakes are to  be revived by January 2022, while the rest are expected to be finished  by December next year. The frequently cited reasons behind delays in  completion include budgetary constraints due to the pandemic, the lockdown, election model code of conduct and, in some cases, local  resistance.

CitySpidey talked to Diwan singh, an activist who has worked with several locals and a group ‘Sukh Dukh Ke Sathi’ to revive water bodies in sectors 20 and 23 and recently, sector 24’s Dhool Siras.

Singh said that they were against using STP water, adding that the revived  waterbodies would be able to sustain themselves throughout the year by natural means. “Dwarka has adequate stormwater drains. If they are simply cleared out and diverted to a depression, a waterbody can easily be revived or created. The only safer option to use it is half treated water for horticulture purpose where its impurities can be dealt well with by elements of nature with little chance of waste water reaching the aquifer,” he said.

He further said, “A government agency is not expected to develop such an environmentally damaging model. Only fresh rain water captured through storm water drains is the best option. Dwarka has a good network of  storm water drains. They can be kept clean to receive rainwater runoff  and divert to water bodies. Urban areas present a better scope for water body revival than rural areas. It’s because the runoff coefficient in urban areas is 85. Whereas, in rural areas, it is about 20. So, we have much more rainwater available in urban areas than in rural areas. There is no logic in using waste water when so much rainwater runoff is available.”

Parents association raises issue of schools restricting students from classes

On Monday, the Supreme Court refused to stay the Delhi High Court order allowing private unaided schools to collect annual fees and development fees from the student for the period after the lockdown ended in the national capital.

After this verdict, CitySpidey talked to parents of Delhi and the Delhi Parents Association. Many parents were found to be afraid to come in front as they said that it will affect their children. Some parents shared that they are getting half of their salaries during the lockdown. Many others said that their businesses have shut down because of lockdown and thus they are unable to pay full fees to the schools. Parents raised a question as to why the schools are demanding full fees for online classes.

CitySpidey also talked to the Delhi Parents Association and they claimed that there are many complaints from parents that the schools did not allow their children to attend online classes when the fees were not paid on time. However, according to the court, the schools can’t prohibit students from taking online classes.

Aparajita Gautam, President, Delhi Parents Association said, “The parents have to pay huge amount of forty to fifty thousand as school fees and during the pandemic, middle-class families can not afford it. Many parents are facing salary cuts while there are others whose businesses have been affected during the lockdown. So it will be very difficult for them to pay.”

“According to me, a lot of middle-class parents are in trouble. Court also said that the schools do not have any authority to prohibit students from taking online classes but I have seen so many cases  where schools don’t allow students to be a part of classes. If the parents are not able to pay the fees then it is the parents' problem, so why do schools harass students for fees? That’s why parents are afraid to talk to media and raise the issue,” she added.

Bid adieu to pastels this summer and go bold!

 Colour is one of the major factors while we dress ourselves. Pastel colours in summers have always been trending, they are eye pleasing and go perfectly with the summer vibes but what next guys? We also need to move on somewhere.

A colour is more than just a hue. Do you all know that every colour carries an emotion? Our mood is uplifted if we pair one colour of clothes with another!

Faber Birren, an American consultant on colour and colour theory, who has written many books on colours, believed that most of the communication is non verbal and if somebody has the knowledge about the colour, that person can make a fair judgment about you just by a look at the colour you’re wearing.

We have created a list of trending colours that you can try this summer which will help you go beyond pastel colours:

Classic Blue

You may know this colour as the royal blue and it just never goes out of trend. No matter if you’re wearing traditional Indian clothes like lehenga, saree, sharara etc. or you want to look chic in a western outfit like a dress, suits, formal tops and so on, classic blue is always apt. You can always fall back on this colour whenever you’re confused.

Bright Yellow

It is summertime and bright yellow is trending not only in clothes but in accessories, footwear, bags, and belts too. Be it black pants, white pants or jeans, a bright yellow belt and bag will do the magic without requiring much effort.

Tide Water Green

Instead of always wearing dull and boring colours in your office, wear Tide Water Green colour. This colour is perfect because no matter if it is upper wear or bottom wear, it works in both halves.

Generally, the sweater and cardigan of this particular colour give a very stylish look in winters, but there is no harm in trying to pair them up with colours in summers. Floral dresses, pants, shirts, scarves are staples that make this colour more beautiful.

Marigold

Yes, this colour is not only meant to be worn in haldi ceremonies in India. The combination of white and marigold is one of the styles you can try out. Marigold and white striped dress is also not a bad option. When it comes to sarees, marigold and turquoise blue are a must have. This saree can be both dressed up or down with the right accessories.

Rust

Red is everyone's favourite but rust has its own charm.

Best fashion staples of rust colour could be a long dress, off-shoulder dress, ruffle saree, jumpsuit, jackets, overcoats, and even handbags as well. This colour is a “one-man army.” It can amp up your look when you are wearing something dull.

Burgundy

Yes, apart from hair colours, try to incorporate this colour in your fashion sense also.

This colour is more worn in winters, but in summers, you can wear it in two ways – burgundy semi-skirt with white top and burgundy anarkali kurta with white palazzo. This is something new which can be tried when you are bored of wearing the same old pastel colours.

Try out these amazing looks with popping colours and make your summers more bright and peppy. 

Single parents' kids will no longer be denied admissions in Delhi schools

 The Delhi government on Monday announced that schools cannot deny admission to a child on the ground that the child is declaring the name of only one parent. This has come as a relief for many single parents.

Also there have been instances in the past where schools had denied admissions to kids of single parents. However, the Delhi government has come up with this move to address the long standing issue.

Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, who also looks after the education portfolio, said no school in Delhi will deny admission to a child on the ground that the child is declaring the name of one parent only.

The order issued by the Directorate of Education (DoE) read, “All the heads of schools of all managements under the office of Director of Education are hereby directed to not deny admission to the candidates who have filled details of or even one of the parents in the application form while taking admission.”

The Delhi government's move came even as some single parents faced trouble in getting their children admitted to schools with management insisting that the names of both the parents should be mentioned.

Shabnam Hashmi of Anhad, a socio-cultural organisation, said, “This is a major step, especially for single mothers. It is a very progressive step in ensuring education for children of single parents.”

Shefali Rao, a single mother and a resident of Mukherjee Nagar, Delhi, expressed that she is happy with the decision taken by the Delhi government.

Sharing her experience, Rao said, “I know how hard it is to raise a child. My child faced challenges during her admissions just because her father's name wasn't written in the admission form. The schools had denied her admission. Pritisha's initial days of schooling started in an NGO, later I got my daughter admitted in a convent boarding school in Nainital with the help of my family and friends.”

Earlier, many schools were rigid on having details of the both the parents for admissions. Some of the single parents had raised their objections to schools insisting on the name of the other parent even when they were not involved in raising the child.

Theatre plays and musicals which were centred around LGBTQAI+ characters

 The month of June is celebrated as Pride Month, which is all about equality and love.  Pride Month is celebrated in honor of the LGBTQIA+ community, who have been through a lot just to be recognised and  respected for who they are and they have come a long way.

Pride Month is about acceptance, pride, history, and love, and with that comes the importance of LGBTQIA+ issues on screen. There are many plays and musicals that put LGBTQIA+ issues at the core of their plots.

Vijay Tendulkar’s 1981 Marathi Play, Mitrachi Goshta

Mitrachi Goshta is a Marathi language play by Vijay Tendulkar. It was first performed in 1981 and has been portrayed as one of the first Indian modern plays managing lesbian subjects or same-sex fascination. Indeed, the play has been around for quite a while now and is incredibly well-known in the world of Indian theatre.

Interpreted in English as 'A Friend's Story', the play rotates around a lesbian romantic tale. Mitrachi Gosta is the thing that happens when Bollywood draws in with homosexuality during the 1980s. It is a circle of drama carrying some sweet sentiments.

Frozen Fire

Frozen Fire by A Mangai is a composing piece that is based on the Mahabharata. The author A Mangai is known as Dr Padma Venkataraman. He is a Professor of English at Stella Maris College (Chennai). This play is part of the book – Staging Resistance. It was initially written in Tamil as 'Pani-Thee'.

The play addresses the various components of LGBTQIA+. This includes masculinity, gender-fluidity, transgender, transitioning, feminism, and basic human rights, with this play the message gets through to people of all ages.

Bare: A Pop Opera

Bare: A Pop Opera is a musical, written by Damon Intrabartolo and Jon Hartmere Jr. A pulsating, electric contemporary rock musical, it follows a group of students at a Catholic Boarding School as they grapple with issues of sexuality, identity, and the future. Peter and Jason have fallen in love with each other, but Jason – a popular  athlete – fears losing his status if he is discovered to be gay.

Fun Home

Fun Home is based on an autobiographical account of the life of cartoonist Alison Bechdel. It is adapted by Lisa Kron and Jeanine Tesori. The story concerns Bechdel's revelation of her own sexuality, her relationship with her gay dad, and her attempts to open the secrets surrounding his life. It is the primary Broadway musical with a lesbian protagonist.

Fun Home was nominated for nine Lucille Lortel Awards, the musical qualified as a finalist for the 2014 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

Tony Kushner’s Angels In America

Tony Kushner's Angels In America is regularly praised as the play that changed the public conversation about sexuality. In the event that you choose to watch a full creation of Angels in America, you're in for a seven-hour experience, however, one that is definitely worth consistently.

It is a play that raised many issues – including love, identity, sexuality, disease, death and it poses numerous questions about the future. The fundamental characters battle with sorting out what their identity is and standing by the individual that they love. 

Things you can relate in a new workplace that no one prepares you for!

 Joining a new workplace is quite exciting. Suddenly, the adult in you turns into a teenager and before you even know, you're prepping the outfit you want to wear on your first day (even shopping for the same), setting an alarm but waking up earlier, clicking too many selfies to create a memory for the future. God, this jittery feeling is pure gold!

This palpable excitement is something that almost all of you must have experienced. But, some great folks once said – there's more to this than meets the eye. Apart from the good stuff, there are also a lot of awkward things that you might experience at your new workplace. Sadly, people don't prepare you for things that can make you confused, awkward, and uncomfortable at your new office.

So, right on cue, we are here to tell you about all the awkward things that you might experience at your new office. Read on to stay prepared!

1.  Noisy co-worker

We all have that one colleague in our team who just can't stop talking! We love them, we really do, but, we will love them even more if they just keep it low sometimes. Their non-stop conversations can get so interesting that you might lose track of your deadline and before you even know, you end up working overtime.

2. Hello, what’s your name again?

On your first day at work, you are introduced to at least 50 people at once. All that is fine until you're a week-old in the office and you still haven't figured out your colleagues' names. You either keep forgetting them or even worse, call them out with wrong names.

In our opinion, just ask! We're sure your colleagues won't mind introducing themselves personally and it's way better than messing up with someone's name in the first place.

3. When you always say “yes”

As a newbie in the office, you might be an enthu-cutlet who wants to cover that extra mile and do that extra work. But remember to give yourself a break every now and then because otherwise, you might become the person who everyone comes to with their last-minute work. And honestly, it can get really awkward refusing the work out of the blue.

4. Applying for leaves as a newbie

Taking a leave in case of emergency is completely understandable but we all have prayed that such an emergency does not arrive in the first few weeks of our new job. But in our opinion, if you absolutely need a leave, talk to your boss personally because sometimes they are way more understanding than we know!

5. Who’s your boss?

First day of the office and everyone tries to be a boss and then you only get confused, “Who is my boss.” Well, it happened with me in my previous organisation working under a team where your team mates wants to boss around you because you’re new. Some tries to be good but some will throw shades at you. Well, I know you guys have done that too with the newbies, isn’t it?

6. Your boss keeps forgetting your name

So, we told you about the situation where you don't remember your colleague's name. But do you know what's even more awkward than that? When your boss keeps forgetting your name! Imagine the embarrassment when you're sitting in a conference room and your boss calls you with a name that's not even yours. And now, imagine the horror of either answering to them or correcting them. It is awkward.

7. Training times when you don’t fit in

While being proactive, interactive, and socially active are some of the common requirements for anyone to gel in well with their colleagues, sometimes the harsh truth remains that you simply don't  fit in. You can try but your thought process and working methods might not be compatible with your peers.

And you know what guys? It's okay! Don't beat yourself up for feeling awkwardly out of place at your office and focus on your performance as at the end of the day, that's all that matters.

8. Lunch break! When, where and how long

Different offices follow different lunch break duration, which can frankly, get very confusing. What if you are working during break hours? How much is too much when it comes to extended lunch hours? These are some of the awkward questions that might come to your mind at your new office. Don't worry, when that happens, just follow your colleagues' footsteps (wink).

9. What to wear

OOTDs can become an issue for almost every working person out there because honestly, when do we ever have enough clothes in our closet?  However, this dilemma can take an awkward turn if you think that your fashion sense doesn't go with the vibe at your new workplace. You might find your colleagues to be the ultimate fashionistas compared to your casual self. Or, you might feel you're a little extra while your peers like to keep it simple.

Here are the basic rule – you do you! You will blend in perfectly as long as you wear confidence on your sleeve.

10. Tough Boss

Remember, Even though Jennifer Aniston played one of the tough bosses in Horrible Bosses, we still loved to watch her. But, IRL, your boss ain't any Jen Aniston and you definitely don't want to be supervised by a difficult manager. All these bosses have a few things in common that you need to watch out for: “Don’t be a minimal guy.”

Their idea of 'perfection' usually involves you working, re-working, and re-re-working on a project till they find it 'doable'.

- Work-life balance, LOL what's that?
- Last-minute deadlines? So what?!
- Working weekends? Almost every month

Now that we have prepared you for all the possible awkward situations, you might encounter at your new workplace, we hope you are all set to roll like a pro!