How to help an injured bird

During their first flights, not all birds make it through. A lot of them end up on the ground..injured and helpless. If you find one such bird lying injured on the ground, the best thing is to call a wildlife rehabilitation centre. But if that doesn't work for you (as it did in my case), you need to know what can you do on your own:

1. Get a shoebox or a container and cut some holes in it for air to pass through.

2. Fill in some newspaper or thick paper towel for the base.

You can also add some leaves and/or a soft cloth

3. Put some water and bird food in the box and sprinkle some seeds around.

I put some Pearl Millet (Bajra) and Oatmeal (Daliya)

4. Here lies the tricky part : Gently pick the bird and put it in the box.

DO NOT listen to those old tales people say about how if you touch a bird, its parents will reject it. Its not true at all. I needed to hold the baby bird to feed it and take care of it. And the parents did not reject it afterwards. Birds recognize their babies from their chirps and cries, and not by their smell.

5. Feeding the bird

If the bird is an adult, it will be able to eat the seeds or drink water on its own, if it's a baby and cannot eat/drink on its own, you should feed some water by a medicine dropper/eye dropper.

That's how I feed this little one

6. Place the box near where you found the bird and there's high chance that its parents will be able to find it. I put the box outside in my balcony and stepped away to observe. Within 30 seconds, its parents recognized its chirps and responded by chirping loudly..swooped down and fed the seeds I had kept in the box, to the baby bird.

One of the other birdies that I found injured in my balcony some years back. Named it 'Ginni' :)

I'll take care of it till its able to fly again. Until then, do recommend some name for this little baby. :)

10 things working as an Intern Architect taught me!

So I just got done with 12 months of my training in KGD Architecture - Delhi. This was my first experience in an architectural firm, and to my utter delight, it turned out way better than my expectations, or apprehensions, if I may say! 

I met, worked with some reallyyyy nice and "interesting" people. Learnt so much over this one year that it's funny to realise the difference between the how I was back when I joined to how I am today. (I was pretty awesome back then too btw!!)

So for all those who are aiming for an internship/training in the coming year, I have some gyaan to share. What working as a Trainee/Intern Architect taught me!

1. Life is going to change completely
Okay so in the first month, everything is going to be new but exciting to you - the place, the people, even the AutoCAD layers of the firm's template also, for that matter :D You weren't used to spending long hours in front of the computer or sitting on the same chair in the same position for 8-9 hours earlier, so your eyes will hurt a little, and the power of your specs which was constant for the last year will suddenly change in a month!
but again, its okay, embrace this change and understand that all of it is a part of your growth.

Incase you think you've bid goodbye to hand drafting,
let me tell you that in most probability, it will come back to you! :P

2.  Don't shy away from doubts
NEVER say "yes" when you're asked "Got it?", if you haven't really got it. Its okay to feel like a fool for 2 minutes when you ask that silliest of silly doubts, than to make a fool of yourself by working on a file which you had not understood in the first place. 
And because a) you are only a baby in this vast field and b) it is human to forget new things, keep noting down everything that comes your way - a new command, how to set layout, new doubt that got cleared..just anything! This will save you the hesitation of going to your trainer again and asking the same thing, and will also serve as a record for your own information.

3. Maintain records
Keep a written record of EVERY thing that comes your way. Coming late to office? Mail the HR. Planning to take a leave? Mail in advance. You completed the files you were assigned but your trainer is in a meeting/has left already? Mail it. It's always best to pre-inform; plus you never know when and how written record might just save your ass.
Maintain your Daily Work log-book right from the very beginning because you'll not remember what did you work on the 23rd of March while you're preparing your training report on the 23rd of December.

4. Ask for site visits, incase you're not offered/asked to. The more visits you make to the site, the better will you understand the project.
                                      

5. Be very careful to understand that your personal and professional life are two VERY separate worlds.
Discussing about the feel of a place you last visited, is still okay but talking about how you and your friends got totally sloshed in that party last weekend, and how your almost-happy-story with your ex-girlfriend didnt work out eventually, is just unprofessional. As college go-ers we're used to discussing all this with our friends..but here lies the difference - this isn't college and your colleagues aren't your friends. You will always find people around you talk about such stories.. My advice to you : plug in your ear-phones and refrain yourself from any such talks.

6. Ouch! That hurt!
More than what you do, its important to know the strict no-no's. NEVER, even in jest or fun, just never use a phrase or pass a comment to anybody which can, in any way, be 'personal' in nature.
India is diverse in culture, and more often than not, you'll have people from 10 different cultures working together with you. You'd never know how talking or commenting about a religion/region/caste/sex/community in most casual way also would offend someone. A guy in my office used to comment on how 'these Delhi girls' walk with attitude, and also sometimes said ridiculous things like "Baniya matt bann yaar!" not realising that nobody likes such talks/stereotypes in office, even if they aren't directed towards them.

7. There's life beyond office!
Working over-time once in a blue moon if the project demands is okay, but working over-time shouldn't be an everyday thing. You know why? Because you have a life. :P
Well, of course your manager would want you to work every living hour, and every submission deadline may appear to be the most important thing to exist, but you should know the art of saying 'no' if and when required. You might also enjoy working over-time sometimes thinking that "I'm learning so much!" but you have to realise that the kind of work-habits you develop in these initial years pretty much stay with you for the rest of your life. 

8. There will be a lot of "Oh-shutup-you're-only-an-intern" moments that you might face in various ways. My advice to you: Never take anybody's shit. You're learning. Walk and talk with dignity and let your work speak for you.

                                 

9. The phone is best kept on charging
Having said that (Point 8), you should ensure that you give in the best of your potential during the hours that you are in office. Excuse your phone, and those thoughts about your crush :P and concentrate on your work to the very best of your ability. Chatting on WhatsApp when you think nobody's looking (they're always looking btw) and trying to work simultaneously, will not do justice to your own potential.

10. Keep that zest for learning
Always always keep new/exciting things going. You can never know too much and every single person, no matter how senior or junior has something to teach. Accept your mistakes, (trust me, you're gonna be making plenty-ful of them! :D ) learn from them and move on.
Most importantly, have fun, you're never going to be an intern ever again. :)

My not-so-organised desk at KGD

P.S. Thank you dear trainers at KGD - AC, Akshati and Nimisha.. for making this internship enriching, both personally and professionally! :)



P.P.S. Did you find this post helpful? Sharing it will help others too! :)

18 Struggles Only Over-Thinkers Will Understand

I read this article on here on thoughtcatalog that talked about the struggles that over-thinkers face (read 'create for themselves') and couldnt help but say "hahaha..that's so true!" on every point that I read.

So you think that you think more than you should think? :P If yes, then read on, and giggle on your description!

1. Your need to find meaning in everything usually culminates into crafting conspiracy theories about what the period placement in a text means.

2. You end up making every situation in your life about 100x more difficult than it has to be.

3. You cannot let anything go, because you’re convinced that if you just run over the details a few more times, you’ll finally uncover some new understanding of the situation or it will somehow change the outcome.

4. You’ve probably never been sure about a thing in your life. You’ve approached everything from choosing a school and a partner to your outfit in the morning and brand of bread at the grocery store with equal levels of angst.

5. You could get a Master’s degree in interpreting what the song lyrics people post really mean.

6. Though your critical thinking skills are pretty on point, the toughest reality you’ve had to come to terms with is the fact that, simply, noteverything has a deeper, secret, hidden meaning that everyone knows but you.

7. You’re constantly thanking the friends who stick around to hear you mull over the same details of a situation or relationship again and again, and though you never really arrive at a different conclusion, just the act of overthinking is enough for you.

8. Constantly having to consult your other friends with screenshots and vivid details of any chance occurrence in your life is daily routine for you.

9. It doesn’t matter what word someone used, if there’s any way you can spin it to mean something more, you will. You’ll take the fourth definition of it in the dictionary, apply it to your worst trait and spend the rest of the day reeling.

10. You are known to regret texts, hesitate over writing emails, delete and re-write tweets, all because you could and should have said something other than what you did and will.

11. Your hangover after a night out drinking is nothing compared to the fear of what you could have said to that one person you’d rather die than act like an idiot around while drunk.

12. Sleep is the most difficult aspect of your life, because laying silently in the dark is the only time you aren’t distracted enough to not be able to sink into racing thoughts.

13. You convince yourself that the worst case scenario will come true in basically, y’know, any scenario.

14. Social media is a minefield for you. You are certain every subtweet has something to do with you, even if it’s from a stranger, that so-and-so used that emoji because they’re flirting with the love of your life and so on and so forth.

15. If someone ever breaks up with you/declines to go out with you, you convince yourself it’s because of a hundred inconsequential missteps you made.

16. You often find yourself proudly stating to your friends that you “figured out” what someone “really meant” by something, only to have them laugh and say “you are so overthinking this, I can’t even right now.”

17. You end up torturing yourself over every other banal side comment someone makes because obviously there is some meaning to be uncovered, it’s clearly just a matter of thinking about it until you find it.

18. God forbid anyone unfollow you on Twitter or Instagram, or unfriend you on Facebook, because you won’t sleep until you figure out who it was and why.

How to clean Rotring Isograph pens

If you're an architecture, design or fine-arts student, you might find this post particularly helpful. Although I'm not sure how many colleges (if at all) still recommend using Rotring pens; because I see everybody running after digital world of softwares now. 

Anyway! So it is jury time.. Rotring pens have been taken out of the drawers. Sheet is set, so is the mood, but your Rotring Pen JUST wont agree to work! which is because last semester you were waiting for the exams to get over SO BAD that the thought of cleaning your pens before storing them in the box for another 4 months just didn't cross your mind. and now you don't want to get bankrupt to be able to buy the whole set again. What to do? 

Instead of getting irritated, soaking the pen in hot water and re-filling the ink a gazillion times in hope that your blocked pen would start working again miraculously, you could follow these steps and enjoy a smooooth time working for submissions!

Take it into bits as shown above. The black butt bit that connects to the cartridge can be unscrewed with a knife or a flat head screwdriver, incase you're too scared of knives.

View of butt of inner nib. Use tweezers to carefully remove for cleaning

Then remove the inner nib with tweezers, or just pull it with your long manicured nails. :P

The inner nib

                                         
Carefully and extremely gently, wipe off any stuck ink from the nib inner (the needle like bit). A steady hand required.

After rinsing in hot water and scrubbing with a toothbrush and hot soapy water, blow into the main outer nib (after carefully extracting the outer nib with tweezers) as hard as possible to dislodge stuck in the nib. 

Then very carefully put inner nib into outer nib slowly and gently finding the hole in the centre. 

Add the other bits.

Load up the cartridge and lock and load. If all's gone to plan, the ink should flow!

If you find it useful, do let me know! :) Good luck for your submissions!

Hot ≠ Beautiful

I read an article today that discussed about how being 'hot' differs from being 'beautiful', and I couldn't help but love it. Here are the last lines from that article which I thought of sharing.. 

"Hot is admired from afar; beauty is to be held.

Hot is perception; beauty is appreciation.

Hot is smokey-eyed; beautiful is bare-faced.

Hot is an appearance; beautiful is more than skin deep.

Hot is the way she moans; beautiful is the way she speaks.

Hot is a strong appeal; beautiful is strong mind.

Hot is youthful; beautiful is ageless.

Hot is conventional; beauty is unique.

Hot is a one-night stand; beautiful is sleepless nights.

Hot is a state of being; beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Hot is devious; beautiful is innocent.

Hot is bending her over; beautiful is baking her blueberry pancakes.

Hot is sultry; beautiful is wholesome.

Hot is her curves; beauty is her nerves.

Hot is a text message; beautiful is a love letter.

Hot is a facade; beautiful is a woman."

Although the article read about how its time that men need to be reminded about the difference between being hot and beautiful, I think before that we as 'women' need to realise this difference first. I see a lot of women around me investing so much of their time and money in that race of impressing the opposite sex. And more often than not, I see them feeling bad about not being able to look as beautiful in that party as that girl who totally stole the show with her LBD and stilettos. I think before blaming men for running after this show stopper, we as women need to take a breath, embrace ourselves and feel beautiful for the person we are. 

For “hotness” doesn’t last past midnight, when the makeup has smudged onto the pillow and the hair extensions have been taken out. It doesn’t last when the spray tans have washed away and the tight dresses have come off; but "beauty" always does. 

And you can expect any other person to acknowledge and appreciate your beauty only after 'you' do! :)

What are your views about it? Do let me know in the comment box. 

You can read the full article here- http://elitedaily.com/life/culture/the-actual-difference-between-women-who-are-hot-and-who-are-beautiful/

Gifting some positivity..

Sooo.. since I've been very determined to make 2014 the most positive year I've lived so far, I decided to gift some positivity too!
I decided to make this painting for all my friends, family and cousins, which would remind them about how 'Happiness is a choice that we make. It is always upto us to let or not let worries and tensions linger on around us.'

Here is a quick tutorial! 

Drew the outlines using a Camlin pencil of B grade.

I outlined the face and filled the birds using a black Uniball Eye pen, that we generally use for writing.

Filled the words with a red Uniball Eye pen.

Had some pieces of chalk pastels that I used in childhood. Chose the yellow little piece.

Powdered it a little using a cutter.

Spread it a little using some cotton.

Gradually changed the shade from yellow to red from top to bottom.

Voila!

  

Will post more pictures once I frame it. I hope you like it. If you do, I'd love to make it for you too! :D

Incase you want to shower me with some Tips, Suggestions, criticism.. or maybe some love ;) you're most welcome in the comment box! :)

So after 4 years of maddening (read studying) a course that teaches me everything about designing and construction of buildings and cities, opening an online store that deals with fashion and well-being,and blabbering about philosophies of life to every second person around,
Here I am, writing about all of it - architecture, design, decor, DIY, fashion, well-being, relationships and life as a whole, on one platform.
and I wouldn't miss this opportunity to introduce you to my best friend cum business partner cum soul sister, who inspired n insisted me to start this blog.

So by now almost every second status on your facebook friendlist must say it, and yes I'd say it too - "What a roller coaster ride 2013 has been!"

I discovered and learnt so much in this year! and I'd share some of the many things that 2013 taught me..
"All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exists and their entrances" - William Shakespeare
"Each person we meet comes into our life for a reason, and once their reason is met, they are meant to depart." - words of wisdom from my best friend. :)                         

2013 strengthened my belief in the 'The Secret' and the 'Law of Attraction' - Your thoughts become things! Whatever my mind can conceive, and my heart can believe, I can achieve!
and the best and the most important lesson that I learnt in 2013 is that "Everything is OK in the end; if its not OK, its not the end."

I bid good-bye to a lot of people and habits in 2013, and said Hi to a lot more, and better ones! :D

If I had to describe the year in one word, it would be the year of 'strength'.
Strengths discovered, met and acknowledged.

and with mind all strong and arms wide open, I welcome 2014!                                      


This year I will strive to get rid of all the weaknesses..known and unknown; and strive to be a better person than I was in the year spent. 
I will eat healthy, work sincerely and stay happier! Thats how I percieve an ideal life to be like! and this life is all about that chase to ideal-ness, isnt it?

Btw, before we meet again, did you sign up for the 100 happy days project?                                     

I found it to be an absolutely lovely idea to acknowledge the 'much but little' happiness in this chaotic schedule. and you can be grateful about the happiness in your life, only after you acknowledge its existence, right? :)