L2B travels: For the Love of Hills

By Siddharth Pandey

It is said that when the British came to India, the weather was not really appropriate for them. That was precisely why they moved their summer capital to Shimla (then Simla). Known as the Queen of Hills, Shimla is where I was born 23 years, 3 months and 26 days ago. I also have family there and though it was not a particularly special trip this time, it still kind of was because I had some really precious experiences.

Shimla is most famous for The Mall road. You can find tourists there early morning onwards. I was there at around 10 in the morning for an exhibition and there were more people there than I see in my town around 6 in the evening. A shopper like me could go crazy there. There is so much to do, ranging from brands' outlets to thrift shops to high end showrooms. My favourite way to get there is by the lift. Comfortable and totally easily accessible. Or you can get there from near the CM residence. There are parking problems in Shimla so I suggest everyone who asks me to use public transport and walk as much as they can manage. Trust me when I say, almost every place in Himachal is more beautiful on foot (it's like witchcraft).

First up, there are shops for, well, the shoppers. There is a great clothing store that holds clothes from the Madame label and accessories from NYCity and I can assure you, you won't leave it before you get something. The staff isn't the friendliest ever, but the stock sure does steal your heart. It is a riot of colours and the right bling. Up next is a more casual store called Batish. They are a pleasant set of people. I clicked lots of pictures there but the best things from a tourist point of view was a bag, some small mugs and a B-E-A-U-tiful Antique style watch. They had scarves in silk and cotton but I can only post so many pictures. While walking up the road you find many stores with many beautiful things. There was this red bodycon-peplum dress with a gorgeous neck detail and some great floral pants, which are high on the fashion radar this year.  A board with colourful shoes and slippers attracted my attention as I was walking up the road to the Ridge.

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Photography is something I really want to be good at. But if all wishes came true, the world wouldn't be a good place to be in. So when I chanced upon the photography display at the Gaiety theater, it was a treat indeed. The Gaiety theater is Shimla's more respectable heritage and the place for every good exhibition or play. This time it was Siddharth Pandey's expertise with a camera, the living proof that good photography is about the photographer and not at all about the camera. He uses a simple point and shoot camera from Lumix and.... well, you can just see the pictures he clicks. I doubt my words will do justice to the magic this person holds in his eye. I will also be sharing the link to his facebook page later on the post. The most charming and down-to-earth person I have met, he is more learned than artists are generally given credit for. The words he uses to express his pictures are so close to perfection, he might as well be a journalist and rock at it.

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The Jakhu hill is among the highest spots in Shimla and unless you have visited the statue of Lord Hanuman there, you have not seen the beauty of it. Visible from the Mall road, this statue stands watching over the whole city and looks every bit as mighty when you stand right next to it at the Jakhu temple. When in Shimla, the best place to buy trinkets and wooden souvenirs is the Lakkad Bazaar or the 'Wood Market'. And also, give up the boredom of Dominos and go visit the places Shimla is known a lot for.

I am now going to close up on this note and give you lists of places to visit in Shimla, where to eat and where to shop. There are also the photographs that are to come. Go on reading ahead.

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Where to go?

1. Mall road

2. The Ridge

3. Jakhu Temple

4. Kufri

5. The IIAS or the Viceregal Lodge

6. The Shimla Museum
7. Sadhu Pul
8. Potter's hill

By Siddharth Pandey

Where to Eat?

1. Ashiana, The Ridge

2. Sita ram, Lakkar Bazaar

3. Alfa, Scandal Point

4. Indian Coffee House, Mall road (not particularly a 'Shimla' place but is special becauese was once the hub for every author, poet or artist who has ever visited Shimla)

5. La' Pinoz, The Mall Road (amazing salads and great Pizzas)

Where to Shop?

1. Lakkar Bazaar

2. The Mall Road

3. Lower Bazaar

Travel Tips:
1. Always interact with the locals. This holds true for visiting every place and specially in Himachal, keeping in mind the myriad of roads and risky situations and places here.
2. Always Bargain. Everything has a so-called Tourists' price.
3. Click lots of pictures.
4. Do not rely completely on taxi drivers or tour guides.
5. Adventure sports are good, carelessness is not.

By Siddharth Pandey

Follow our FB page Here and to Check Siddharth's amazing work out, find his Facebook Page Here.

Things Parents say

Okay! First of all, I am Indian and my experience has only taught me what INDIAN parents will say to certain (may be ALL) situations. If, in case, you don't already know about our Amazing culture and history (that we all find loopholes in to support out so-called modern life), let me tell you. IT IS HUGE and slightly TEDIOUS. Anyway, Parents being parents will say things that will leave you speechless. And when it's about Indian parents, You can expect anything that will brutally murder your belief in..... many things actually.

1. Who will marry you?

Okay, soooo... Well, whatever! I don't spend my days planning who will marry me and who won't. And why do they say that, you may ask! If you thought that the round ROTI scenario was just a scene on Bend it like Beckham memes, you're mistaken. Moms do say that. Apparently, men want rotis round, their parents want clothes clean and long, their pets want baths and their neighbors want gossip and what not. For men it is worse, BE the BREADWINNERS. Why can't parents find women who don't need supporting, coz such women do exist. HULLLOOOO!!!

2. No heels!!!!

I don't know if your parents give you a hard time about that one or not, but mine sure do and the parents of about 50 other women I know (Yes, no use hiding that age, Girlfriend, YOU ARE NOT A GIRL ANYMORE). And if you ask why? Here's why: You'll trip and break your neck (I trip more often in Flats, really), your ass will grow bigger (and your point isssss???), You'll get bone problems (Ummm, no I won't). Lemme get this straight, parents will find a way of criminalising your poor 5 inches for almost everything that happens to you.

3. Why it no have any Sleeves?

Okay so I was at this store the other day and this girl came there with her parents and the mother asked the sales person to show them a SLEEVELESS blouse. The blouse was shown and chosen and the colour loved and then tried. The mother went, "Aren't the sleeves a little too...... absent?" *POKERFACE*

Indian Parents will, sometimes in your life, have a problem with your clothing. I have been lucky that my folks don't mind what I wear as long as it is age and place appropriate but well, there is a joke every now and then how the skirts are too short and the blouses to slinky and.... Okay, you got the picture!!

4. The '4 LOG' (meaning, 4 people)

Indian parents have a HUGE ghost following them everywhere. Those Bloody FOUR PEOPLE who shadow looms larger than the sky over everything you do. You wear something they don't approve of, '4 log kya kahenge' (what will the 4 people say). You eat like a monster at a family dinner and '4 log kya kahenge'. Your pictures from a club are seen at home and '4 log kya kahenge'. Your bf, who everyone in the family knows about, sends you a gift and.... you get the picture, I guess. Talk about exploiting a metaphor!!!!

5. You don't eat anything.

Apparently, unless you put on 5 kilos every week, your parents will never find you healthy enough. You could have grown 5 sizes in terms of clothes and you will still be WEAK. Apparently, the family friend's obese daughter who is secretly jealous that you can eat all the Butter Chicken that you do and still not gain weight, is healthy even if she gets heart problems in the next 10 years while you're still killing it on the trampoline. Yeah, Baby!!!

6. Put the seat UP.

This one comes right from my friend's mother-in-law (who, fortunately, is not gonna see this).While the whole world is busy trying to teach men to put the seat down, some Indian households are busy trying to teach their family to do the opposite. And why? Because, I believe, they have Trust issues. *wink wink* You can't trust men to shoot straight, can you? Apparently not!!

7. Who's that Guy?

While most parents, in most places, are busy trying to spy on their daughters' FEMALE friends, Indian parents have come to terms with Homosexuality and are completely at ease with, in fact forceful of, their daughters hanging out with girls all the time and the sons with the boys. But just in case, they see you with a person from the opposite sex, there come up issues about the 4 'log', the 'rishtedaar' and the neighbourhood aunty who is so keen on getting you married off that her own children feel neglected sometimes!

If you have any such THINGS PARENTS SAY, specially if you're not Indian, do share them with us!

See ya later, Lovers!

xoxoxo

PS, This is a light hearted post so please don't take it too seriously. We all love our parents. Also, the pictures are from Google, I don't know the basic sources.

Through the Lorgnette (part 1) Pictures and Post

I have a feeling that some of you are already planning hate mail for me and I can't even object to that I guess. But well, a lot of things went in directions they shouldn't have and it, in many ways, pushed this post. I will not whine to you all anymore (might plan a Taylor Swift stint and make a post about it all, though). Why don't we just start with the beautiful people and the beautiful pictures they click.

As of this minute, Mr. Amrit Pal Singh and Mr. Udit Chaudhary have not been able to connect with us due to personal issues and last minutes arrangements. You can find their wonderful works at the links below:

Amrit- http://birdsofmalwa.wordpress.com/

Udit- https://www.facebook.com/udit.singh.chaudhary/media_set?set=a.3171554725281.2156186.1157902041&type=3

Hi, Please tell our readers about yourself.

Richa- Well, I am Richa Nag, currently pursuing my post graduation in masters of fashion management from NIFT, chennai and interning in Bangalore. I belong to one of the most photogenic places on the Indian peninsula, Himachal Pradesh. Born and brought up in the small town of Baijnath, I always used my right brain more than my left one, which brings out that little tinge of creativity in me. Photography is a hobby turned passion turning profession for me now! Ummm.. Ya.. I guess that’s almost all that the readers should know.

Abhishek- I would describe myself as a simple, smart n stylish guy from the queen of hills Shimla, with big dreams to conquer. I've done b.tech (ece) from LPU,  am very passionate about life and grew up believing that no dream is too big as long as you believe in urself. I am crazy about photography. Along with that I spend time indulging in singing, song writing, sketching, travelling, cricket, adventure sports. If I have to describe myself in one line I will just say I am the opposite of ordinary.

What camera and lens Specifications do you use?

Richa- I own Canon EOS 600D, with 18- 55mm and 55-250 mm Kit lens. But, most of the time my eyepiece is 50 mm 1.8f prime.  For some shoots, have used Canon mark II 6D and Canon mark III 5D which are now my dream cameras!

Abhishek- It doesn't really matter to me which camera or lens I am using. I can do it even wid a simple phone camera. But if I have to specify, It's a Canon 1100d with 12.2-megapixel APS-C-sized CMOS sensor to do justice to your photographic vision. With a generously high resolution, the CMOS sensor will record all your favourite scenes from lush, sprawling landscapes to full-bodied, portrait shots with vivid colours and outstanding clarity. I have been using two lenses (EF S18-55 f/3.5-5.6 IS II & EF S55-250 f/4-5.6 IS II).

Obviously you love what you do; What made you so passionate about it?

R- It's in my DNA, I guess. My dad used to take pictures, amazing pictures I must say, and that too in the film era. The legacy then passed on to my brother, who is twice more awesome than me when it comes to clicking or rather anything. He is my inspiration and the biggest critic. If he hits like on a picture posted by me, then I feel 'OMG Richa, you nailed it!' I have grown up looking at him and his passion for things, which later on became my passion as well. So ya, it just happened. I attended this workshop in Chandigarh called Creative Monk, where Tej Pannu, a photographer, made me realize that I am good at framing and since then, photography is growing on me.

A- I am a nature lover. When I was way too small to understand much, I wanted to capture the moments , the nature and Photography was the perfect way out for it. When I felt my camera in my hand n clicked first real good picture.... Well, it was an awesome feeling, one that can’t be described in words.

Do you edit your pictures? What do you use for the purpose?

R- Well, I'd be lying if I denied post-processing them. Ever since I got Canon 600D the Post processing required is minimal. But I use 'Lightroom' and 'PS CS 5' for any edit, if required.

A- Yes, I do. Photography is, kind of, incomplete without editing. I use photoshop 5 which is best for this kind of work but still, too much fiddling must not be done with the photographs. Natural is beautiful in its truest form.

What is the best kind of photography for you? As in, I personally like clicking selfies and nature. Okay, let’s pretend I didn’t mention selfies.

R- Well, right now I am in the evolving stage and it's too early to list out my likes and dislikes. I never thought I could ever click a human face. Imagine 3 years down memory lane, at my cousin sister's wedding, I shot everything except her face. The diya, the fire, the bangles… EVERYTHING!! And my family would comment about me being a very useless photographer. Now, I guess I love clicking Portraits the most.  I love clicking nature and macro and still life and smoke and this and that, except wildlife, probably because I haven’t tried my hand at it. So as of now, I feel I am doing the best at portraits, the word “best” being the degree of comparison in terms of my work and no comparison to other photographers.

A- I can’t specify a single kind of photography since it's my passion. I like all genres, whether it's nature or portfolios.

Instagram has become, kind of, synonymous with photography these days, like a new age fad! What are your feelings about it?

R- Well, I made an IG account about 2 months ago, I guess. I know many people who are really into this whole thing. Insta presets do make the pictures look lovely and its good to see people experimenting with their stuff to post on IG! But it is not a synonym of photography I believe. I am not much qualified in terms of my photography background, to comment on this. But I think photography is worlds apart from that much liked instapic. And well, its now a fashion I guess not a fad anymore owing to the fact that it has been prevalent for a long time now!

A- In general, I think mobile photography is great for professional photographers. A camera is a camera. It doesn't matter what type. Mobile cameras allow pros to keep their eyes sharp and to keep practicing. And I think experienced pros can learn a lot from younger fresh minds and vice versa. I'm all for anything that establishes more community in photography than competition. Some say it diminishes or jeopardizes photography. I believe it opens doors for newer and unheard-of artists. The people who are concerned with having their voice lost because of outlets like Instagram are usually the one who focus on the product and not the artist.

Tell us about the latest photowalk you took. With some other people or alone?

R- Latest photowalk? Ummm… I recently , I mean yesterday only..covered up a Karnataka wedding with Joel Sandeep, who is one photographer whose work inspires me. But if, particularly, you are asking about a photowalk then the last one I went on was to this Tipsandra Market area, for street photography. And I went alone. Which was  a bad idea, because normally I am accompanied by my photography partners viz Md Ashfaque, Nasir Abbas and Sudhanshu Singh. They are amazing in their own style and we click a lot when together.

A- The most recent photowalk I took was  with my pal Pankaj Sharma on the hills of Shimla. The popular wild places like Glenn, Chadwick falls, and Potter's hill in a place known as Summerhill .

What inspires you? Some photographers, a model, a picture or a collection.

R- Some photographers and maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaany pictures. I like surreal art and love the pictures that represent the same. I have certain liking for B/W but I haven’t been able to hit one awesome picture in it. Artists from all genre inspire me. 

A- Nature itself inspires me to do this. Other than that, Alice Gabriner, Randy Olson, Dimitris Theocharis's works have inspired me a lot and all nat geo photographers are fabulous. Candice Swanepool , Miranda Kerr, Nina Dobrev and Megan Fox are the models who really force me into photography.

One photograph that makes you go “Hey! I want to do that.”

R- Theres this absolutely awesome Lebanese photographer LARA ZANKOUL. Her pictures are conceptual, surreal and totally different. They represent something beyond reality, something very unique. I like her whole series named UNSEEN. She is the best at what she does. And every picture she clicks makes me feel like 'Hey! I wanna do that.'

A- All the work done by Randy Olson, Dimitris Theomcharis, on Nat Geo is just fabulous. I want to do that stuff.

Any upcoming shoots we should keep an eye out for?

R- As I mentioned above, I covered a wedding with Joel, and I am working with him for more shoots in near future. I hope the results turn out to be worth the wait.

A- My upcoming events are a photoshoot for my company Exmuze's calendar and shoots in Goa n Malaysia.

Anything next on this front? Do we get to see you continue and reach higher grounds in photography?

R- Well yes, definitely. I am going to take up photography as my profession. So as of now, I can just say, wait and watch.

A- Yes,  for sure. You will see me on higher grounds... Soon, that's a promise.

Do we get to see you on the fashion scene anytime soon, 'coz God knows we’d love that?!

R- I don't know! Like seriously, may be yes; May be no. I don't know, really!

A- Yes, if an opportunity knocks at my door I'll grab it. Lets see what happens. May u see me working on Victoria's secrets photoshoots.

Where can we find more of your work?

R- Well, apart from my laptop, on my facebook page https://www.facebook.com/richanagphoto

A- You can find my work on exmuze.com and adronex.com. Along with that you can visit my page on facebook by the name of 'awesomeness(abhi’z photography)' and my id on flicker.

So that is all for now, Beautiful people! I am going to be back with more of such Awesome people (when I finish my search of the Shire). I need 1 more photographer, by the way and anyone interested in a feature on the blog is more than welcome. Just drop me an email with 2 or 3 pictures that you've clicked and make sure they're watermarked.

I am bringing you a guest post by someone Awesome I know and then something to curb your urge for a lot of beautiful jewels. It'll all be here before you notice and then there is still a lot more to come Through the Lorgnette!

The Shilly Shallying Vegetarian

"Do not mention Chicken in front of me!"

This is what I told my brother when we went out for lunch last month. Nah! M not one of those I-don't-do-it-so-you-shouldn't people. I am a new vegetarian. And no, It was not a New Year's Resolution or something. I have eaten everything from eggs to prawns to crabs to chicken (never even thought about eating pork or beef and I hate fish and Oysters) for as long as I have eaten hard food. Last year, in the month of October, A bird got trapped and hurt somewhere in our house and I saved it. It was still just a baby and an eagle would've devoured its flesh (Too Dark??). While I put it somewhere safe, I realised that while I am saving one bird, I eat some animals. So I stopped. Anyway, jumping over the details, It is a very hard thing to do. I love Non-Vegetarian food. It has even been my staple diet at college. Now, as I stop, I crave for it, but with the satisfaction that every time I suppress this craving, I can pride myself some more on being an animal lover.

This post is not about how more people should change and become vegans, but about how I felt about it and how I feel now, Why I played with the idea of becoming a vegetarian for over 2 years. I have eaten so much of chicken wings and McChickens and Punjabi Chicken Delicacies that if PETA knew, they would have burnt my statues at Trafalgar Square. I wanted to jump to the land of Plant eaters but something stopped me. It was my Foodie existence and there was a clash. I felt like a hypocrite when telling people to not eat the Monal (the State bird of Himachal Pradesh till some time ago) while I ate Chicken like a Chameleon eats insects. As an Animal rights supporter and an animal lover, This was something I wanted to do. It is kind of hard like going from a packet-of-cigarettes-a-day smoker to a non-smoker in a day. But I feel it was worth it. Tell me your experiences as a new vegetarian or old. How does it feel? Comment on the post or Send me an email at my id below and I will include it in my next post on this topic on the 1st of March with you name (or without if you ask me to not share it).

Shopaholics1628@gmail.com