Answers from Ana!

Of...


Guys, I have something different but so exciting today!

I am absolutely honoured to feature her as my first blogger interview 
(and hopefully there will be many more interviews to come on here)!

I don't want to say too much about her because I want to let Ana do most of the talking today, 
so, here goes!

Raashi: Firstly, tell us a bit about yourself :) 

Ana: Hey to all you Raashi fans! ☺️
I’m Ana (Ananya), a British born, Indian-Bengali, girl living in the UK with a passion for photos, writing & maternal health.


Raashi: I love stories. What would you say your story is? I also know you are a PhD student, what are you currently researching?


Ana: What a great question, I think I’m constantly asking myself the same question on a repeated basis!

I’m just a girl trying her best to balance two different cultures whilst trying to express my views & passions in the most authentic way possible.

The aim of my PhD research, ultimately is to prevent babies being born too early. Around 15 million babies are born too early a year and this can have awful consequences for baby and mother. Currently I’m researching if we can improve the treatments given to women. This means during the day you’ll most likely find me doing experiments with human placenta!


Raashi: Why did you start your blog?

Ana: I’ve always found it easier to express myself through writing. Even though I focused more on sciences throughout university, I’ve always loved English, the arts & just being creative.

3 and half years ago when I started my blog [The Asian Destination] , I’d wanted to create a space where I could share and explain the significance of Hindu festivals such as Diwali or Holi with my more western friends.


Since then though, it’s now evolved into an online journal of personal reflection and my thoughts on causes that are important as well as my loves: lifestyle & travel.


My blog [Namaste, From Ananya] has helped me, a once painfully shy, introverted girl, believe in my own voice and ultimately attempt to face a fear everyday.

Raashi: How do you like to bring positivity into your life?

Ana: One of the best ways for me to feel positive is if I maintain a self-care routine. It’s so easy these days to procrastinate self-care; about 2 years of my PhD have involved 12 hour experiments which left little time for much else & I’d come home, aimlessly scroll through my phone and head to bed!


Recently though, I’ve really been trying to make an effort to switch off from technology an hour before bed and also not switching it back on in the morning until I’ve taken some time to meditate, journal or do some yoga instead. (I love Yoga With Adriene’s videos are just the right amount of positive energy needed to start your day well for anyone interested!) I’ve found this slight change has done wonders for my mood in the mornings & throughout the day!



Raashi: Who would you say is a role model of yours?

Ana: My paternal grandparents are a huge source of inspiration for me for a variety of reasons.

They moved to the UK from India for a better life & knowing the hardships they’ve overcome to be where they are today fills me with admiration.

My grandma is a very strong and determined lady. She left India & her family for the very first time, unmarried for a completely foreign country, to marry the man she loved. Even nowadays, that would be seen as quite a big leap of faith…! Before I was born though she underwent major back and neck surgery and doctors said she would need to be in a wheelchair. However, she knew better…& though today blind in one eye, she’s still walking & enjoying life like the fighter she is.

My grandfather is the one that has instilled a sense of service within me; he’s a retired eye surgeon but he founded and has developed a charity that offers life-changing operations to cure avoidable blindness to those that cannot afford them.

I guess together, they both represent a lot of the characteristics I look for in life: faith and hope of a better future & belief that whatever we can conceive, we can achieve with hard work & determination.

Raashi: Could you share one of your favourite quotes with us?

Ana: Ohh, there’s so many quotes I love & have stuck around my room (my friends to them as ‘Ana-cheese’/’Ana’s cheesy quotes’!)

I do have this stuck to my mirror though so I can be reminded of it everyday.

“Be humble enough to know you’re not better than anybody and
be wise enough to know you’re different than the rest.”

Raashi: You and I have talked a bit about our love for contemplative, mindful posts. Is there a blogpost you’ve read (doesn’t matter by who or how long ago) that has really stuck out to you or resonated with you? 

Ana: I’ll admit I’m a bit of a self-help junkie; I find human psychology and behavior really fascinating especially the way in which it can affect our whole demeanor. Back when I was going through a bit of a low point at university, I stumbled across Mastin Kipp’s blog: thedailylove.com.

One post really resonated with me: the idea that what we see in others is a direct reflection of ourselves; the qualities that we admire such as positivity, strength, enthusiasm all that greatness is the greatness we have within ourselves if only we tap into that potential*.

Similarly if someone says something to annoy us it may actually tell us more about our own insecurities and issues to work on.

I haven’t been able to find the exact blog post but this is quite similar for anyone interested!


(*Now thinking about it, it also makes sense why I love the word & meaning behind ‘namaste’ so much! ☺️)

Raashi: What is one blogpost you’ve written that you feel the proudest of? 

Ana: Oh this is a tough one since you & I know we both love writing such a variety of content! I guess for me the posts that have felt most rewarding have been the ones where I’ve been most ‘vulnerable’: A Blog Identity CrisisThe Story Behind A Blog Name.


There’s actually also one I’ve been working on based on something I’ve been told countless times whilst doing a PhD.

‘You’re doing a PhD, how will we find you a husband?’

It’s something I feel really passionately about but also I’m a little bit nervous about being so honest with my thoughts. That’s one of my main aims though with my blog, to ensure every post is authentic as possible, regardless of what I’m writing about.


[UPDATE: Since this interview, Ana has uploaded her post on this topic: ‘You’re doing a PhD, how will we find you a husband?’]

Raashi: And last but not least, can you share three random facts about yourself with us? ☺️

Ana: I think a lot of bloggers say this about themselves but: I’m actually a very shy &private person! I don’t like to have a lot of attention on myself, which seems quite strange for someone to save & put out personal content!

-I get irrationally anxious on the London underground (Tube) if I think there’s not enough time to board the carriage & there’s a chance I’ll get stuck in the doors! There’s usually a ‘beep-beep-beep’ sound and as soon as I hear that, it won’t matter whether I have plenty of time or not, I’ll happily wait the extra 3-4 minutes for another train to arrive!!

My birthday is Valentine’s Day, which means you’ll always find my family & me immersed in between all the couple tables…!  I used to hate it growing up but I’ve come to embrace it, as I’ve gotten older…plus no matter what happens, I know I’ll always receive some cards on Valentine’s ;)


You guys, how amazing is Ana’s PhD research. So incredibly impressed, don’t you think it’s such an amazing and worthwhile cause that she is working on?

I absolutely adore those stories about her paternal grandparents. I’m a big believer that the role models we choose in life speak volumes about us and do actively shape the person we become.

I want to leave a couple of the links she mentioned down here again for easy access. Her two proudest posts are, I have to say, are two of my absolute favourites from her. 
That being said I am very interested for when she publishes the “You’re doing a PhD, how will we find you a husband" post. 

[Update: The post is now up and I can totally vouch for it, it is refreshing to see someone be so straightforward about statements like this.]

I already have so much to say based on that one phrase alone 
but then again, when do I ever not have something to say? (Hi, I’m Raashi and I ramble).



And for all thing Ana:

What did you guys think of this interview? Do you have a favourite answer from Ana?
Would you like to see more interview with my favourite bloggers? ☺️

New blog post will be up next Tuesday!!! 

Until then, you can: Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Or follow me below at - 
They're all linked so you should just be able to click on them! :)


❤️Raashi

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24 comments:

  1. this is a really great idea and i loved reading more about ana! really impressive that she's doing a phD while balancing other things in her life :)

    danielle | avec danielle

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    1. Thank you, Danielle! It's fun for all of us to get to know each other across the blogging world! :) So impressive, right!?!?

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  2. I loved reading this :) so nice to hear someone's stories like that! I'm also a huge fan of Yoga with Adrienne videos, so relaxing before bed! xxx
    Lucy @ La Lingua | Food, Travel, Italy

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    1. Thank you for reading, Lucy! Connecting through stories is my favourite thing ever <3 Oooh, so far I've only done them in the morning but I can totally see how it would be so lovely to do before bed - gonna try that tonight! :)

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  3. Raashi,

    I am beyond honoured and humbled that something on my blog resonated with you making you want to feature me on yours! So happy & blessed to have connected with you and as I think I've said before, I feel as though we know each other despite only having found each other quite recently! Thank you for introducing me to your community of support and encouragement & also for your incredibly sweet (and overly) generous words! Much love, Ana xxx

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    1. Ana, thank YOU. So glad we found each other's blogs and got to connect over them like we did. Thank you for being my first featured blogger and for the never-endless support, love and positivity!

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  4. Larrved reading this Raashi, you really have a natural touch with interviewing haha. And its so nice to be introduced to a new blogger, urm she's a fellow indian, YAY lols. I like Ana, hate to have all the attention, it makes me feel all on edge lol :) Have a lovely week ♥

    tipscapsule.blogspot.com

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    1. Awww, Trishna, that actually means so much to me and is such a lovely thing for you to say! Haha, right! It's so fun for all of us to get to know more about each other :)

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  5. I love this girl soo much! She's such an inspiration and it was fun to get to know her a little better through this fab interview. :) She's so positive and inspiring - her PhD research is an amazing thing and definietly worthwhile! x Her grandparents sounds like wonderful people, also. :) Thank you for sharing! <3

    Kay
    http://www.shoesandglitter.com/

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    1. Thank you for reading, Kay!!! I looove her PhD research, and her feelings towards her grandparents, too!

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  6. Wow! Amazing interview! I agree with Ana on how she brings positivity in her life. I actually got a very tense and busy period in my life and it was absolutely essential for me to do a little yoga in the morning before anything else and try to take care of myself. :)

    Aeriko @ The Reading Armchair

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    1. Thank you so much for reading, Aeriko! It is SO important for us to take care of ourselves, we put ourselves under so much pressure it's necessary for us to take some time out! Hope you get some time to relax in between the all the business :)

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  7. Oh wow! A phd student, that's amazing. I've always been more involved in arty subjects at school but I always had a huge fascination for science and still read a lot of science articles online. Such a good post!
    Sally - DiagonSally

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    1. Oh my gosh, that's exactly me as well, Sally! I definitely could not deal with doing a science degree, but I have such appreciation for the sciences and the progress they bring about in the world :) Thank you so much for reading!

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  8. Hi, again lols. I know I've already left a comment, but I'd just thought I'd let you know that I've tagged you in my recent post, hope that's okay ♥

    tipscapsule.blogspot.com

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    1. Hehehe, love it! Thank you so much, Trishna! :)

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  9. Such a great idea! I love reading this! You should defo do more!

    Darriyan xx | www.darriyancateland.blogspot.com

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  10. Oh wow, Ana is so fascinating! I'm in total awe of her and especially her research, I mean how incredible is that? Her work could actually help so many women! I'm definitely going to have to head over to Ana's blog as I'm really interested to learn more about her culture, something that has always interested me.

    An incredible series Raashi, I can't wait to read the next one!

    Musings & More

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    1. Her research is honestly just such a worthwhile cause, I was so impressed to hear about it! Thank you so much for reading, as always, Emily! :) <3

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  11. I love this post! Ana sounds incredible and it's great to discover her x

    TOUCHOFGUCCI // BLOGLOVIN

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    1. Thank you so much, lovely, thanks for reading! Definitely - she's such an impressive person! :)

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