STREETTROTTER, Author at STREETTROTTER

Author: STREETTROTTER

February 18, 2023

Why you should rent a car for a road trip in Oahu, Hawaii

Oahu is the third largest island in the Hawaiian archipelago and home to some of the most beautiful beaches, lush forests, and volcanic landscapes in the world. It's a place where ancient culture meets modern-day luxury, where visitors can experience authentic Hawaiian traditions and immerse themselves in the natural beauty of the island. Oahu offers something for everyone, whether you're seeking adventure, relaxation, or a little bit of both. So pack your bags, rent a car, and get ready to experience the magic of Oahu, Hawaii.

Editor's Notes

June 21, 2022

I made a career switch in my 30s. Turned out to be the best decision of my life.

But first, let me start from exactly where I left. I quit my job at 31 to take a break without a plan B? - But that was back in 2019 - SO WHAT HAPPENED NEXT? Fast Forward to today: I am currently a UX Manager and Design Lead in a tech+design agency in Toronto, and it took me a while to find this career that I have really started to enjoy. It did not happen by chance, and I didn’t just fall into it. In fact, I chose it.

March 27, 2021

Deconstructing the Ravana Effigy Making Craft of Tatarpur, Delhi and meeting the Ravanwalas

A line of effigies shaped in bamboo in the form of humongous heads, giant mustaches, and fearsome eyes, lie around on an open road. Some are ready to be painted, some are getting their finishing touches, while others are all decked up to be assembled. Besides the heads are huge structures of limbs and torsos that range from a few feet to about three or four storeys high. These effigy parts lying around are of the mythical demon king of Lanka, ‘Ravana’ in Hindu mythology. And the place we are describing is popularly known as the “Lanka of Delhi'', ‘Tatarpur’.

March 8, 2021

Inside the Amazon’s Spheres: A link between nature and the human workspace

In the center of the Amazon office towers in Seattle, three connected glass-domes have become one of a kind structures in the world, used as office space for most of Amazon’s Seattle-based employees. It is without a doubt, an architectural marvel of our times and a botanical conservatory - built on the foundations of extensive research and innovation. The Spheres are a fully functioning, self-contained ecosystem - a greenhouse with more than 40,000 different varieties of plants collected and curated from universities and botanical gardens all over the world.

February 15, 2021

Untangling the threads of the Toda Tribe

Historically an ancient tribal community of the upper Nilgiri plateau, today the Todas may be popularly associated with their art of creating distinctive, geometric red and black embroideries of the Poothukuli craft. But the more we probe into understanding their culture, the less we are led to stereotyping them as only expert craft weavers from the South of India. What makes them truly distinguishable is their unique outlook, customs and age-old traditions - all of which have gone down the books of history as a fascinating subject.

DESIGN

February 10, 2021

Spotting Student Talent: Makeup & Styling

Makeup artists and fashion stylists together have moved from the backstage players to the frontstage of fashion today, becoming celebrated for their creative work as image-makers for magazines, advertising, and fashion designers. Featuring five such budding individuals, this month’s Student Talent is a mind-blowing mix of eccentric makeup artists to a visionary filmmaker and an unconventional fashion stylist.

January 25, 2021

A Day trip to Mysore: City Guide

Nestled in the heart of the southwestern state of Karnataka, at the foothills of the Chamundi Hills, India's City of Palaces sits quietly. Mysore, or Mysuru, is one of India's most beautiful and culturally rich cities with a whiff of history wherever one turns to. One of the best ways to plan a trip to Mysore is to make a round trip from Bangalore. At a distance of 140 km from Bangalore, a road trip would be ideal for making certain stops and visiting the most important and beautiful places that this place has to offer. If we had to make an itinerary for a day, we recommend 4 must-see places that everyone should visit.

January 3, 2021

Ghazipur Phool Mandi: A morning with flowers

“The lone porter snakes through a few winding lanes while it is still dark. The first flush of sunlight appears, but it is still some time before dawn. If someone watches closely, there are bright red roses and bundles of yellow daisies that are peeking out on either side of the load he is carrying over his head. He finds his way through the crowded marketplace, making his way in between vans and rickshaws pulling in with similar sacks, filled with colors and smells that are spreading throughout the area.” - It's 4 AM, and the day has begun at the Ghazipur Phool Mandi.

December 16, 2020

The Masjid-i Jehan Numa: The Mosque that displays the world

With its imposing structure, tall minarets, and sprawling courtyard, the Masjid-i Jehan Numa (translated: world-displaying mosque) is one of the most beautiful mosques in India. More popularly known as the Jama Masjid, this monument is an architectural marvel from the Mughal era. From the pages of our history textbooks, we have come to know about Emperor Shah Jahan and his love for building breathtaking monuments. As a spectator to four centuries of history, this mosque has become an important tourist spot and a center of cultural heritage in India.

December 13, 2020

Life of FRIDA: A Walkthrough La Casa Azul

Frida Kahlo is more than a legend, but one who has left an indelible mark in the realm of art, fashion and culture around the world. One of the most iconic artists of all time, and today even a celebrated fashion icon, when I first read about a woman wearing pantsuits and creating ground-breaking art in the 1930s, it immediately ignited my curiosity about her background and the kind of life she must have lived. Having set foot in Mexico City became the perfect reason to get to know her more as I booked myself for a tour at the famous ‘La Casa Azul’ (The blue house) - Frida’s residence which has now become a museum open to tourists to get a glimpse of her memorabilia throughout her life.

DESIGN

December 4, 2020

Spotting Student Talent: 5 Startup Journeys

The best encouragement a budding entrepreneur can receive is - ‘acknowledgment’. Life is all about seizing the right opportunities which come in fleeting moments, and the ones who act upon it, eventually make all the difference. In the second series of our Student Talent feature, we scouted for five talented entrepreneurs featuring their startup journeys, along with a pat on their backs for inspiring us with their creative thirst.

October 12, 2020

Tattoo Culture: From Ritual to Revolution

Tattoos have been marks of our uniqueness since 3300 B.C. Humans have turned to altering their physical appearances and ways of body modifications ever since the dawn of civilization. Within the realms of body piercings, esoteric branding and scarification - tattooing became a common practice amongst various cultures and tribes as tangible signs of identity. From prehistoric rituals, to carefully carved sub-cultures and today an important art form in our popular culture - the evolution of tattooing as a practice is intriguing.

October 6, 2020

Spotting Student Talent: 5 inspiring think tanks of art and design

The pandemic gave us much to ponder over, especially it gave us the time to stop, sit back and look at things and activities that truly inspire us. As students we often get buried in coursebook assignments and are left with no time to pursue a skill we are truly passionate about. However the quarantine nurtured some unique creative talent and we spotted a few budding think tanks of art and design who bloomed into magnificent masterpieces. Sharing their art / illustrations through a social platform like Instagram, students from various fields pursued art in various forms and started to get noticed for their artistic techniques.

CULTURE

September 30, 2020

Top 10 PANDEMIC & VIRUS OUTBREAK Movies

When a pandemic outbreak in 2020 made our worst sci-fi fears come true - who can now not believe that a life in quarantine is indeed the reality of our times. Over the past three decades there have been many pandemic and virus outbreak movies that have warned us of such a future. They indicated of technological conspiracies, political agendas, medical experiments that can go dramatically wrong, and a limitless greed for power and scientific innovation. However until 2019 we never saw such cinema beyond the scope of entertainment, did we?

September 8, 2020

KERALA Unseen: The offbeat city of Thrissur

June. It’s the month of eternal bliss for us Malayalees who are surviving farther north from where our parents learned to walk. The very air changes flavor as soon as the train enters Kerala borders. The tourist version of Kerala is something all have seen or read about. The Kerala my childhood had been to, is not for those who spend money just to get fancy pictures of their feet in the sea.