Who would you check out in a Human Library?

Anddd, this title sounds like a pickup line...Good job, Raashi. Whoops.
The things that happen when you try to get creative :P

Anyways...
Source

I found something that I thought was SUCH an incredible idea a while back, and just really wanted to share it with you guys!

So, about 15-16 years ago (it's crazy that 2000 is that far back now!) a guy named Ronni Abergal launched the 'Human Library'.

The premise?
Like at any other library, you can check out a book on a certain topic for a period of time. The difference - the "book" is now an actual human being that you can have a conversation with, form a connection to, and learn from.


Isn't this just such an incredible idea? It is things like these that are so refreshing, stimulating and restore my faith in humanity. 

I know that sounds super dramatic if you just read it plainly, but I think I mean that it's so endearing (and heartwarming!) that people of all different backgrounds, ages and lives, can sit down together for an open, honest conversation.

(Just saying that makes me smile ☺️ )

Source: Human Library Organisation

Abergel has said: "I figured that if we could make people sit down with a group attached to a certain stigma they don't like or even know about for that matter, we could diminish violence.

"Books" range from people who are deaf, blind, transgender, obese, homeless, autistic or a refugee - and more! This concept has travelled all over the world and is now in 70 different countries!

"Sometimes you see someone in the supermarket and think things about them, but you don't dare go ask them questions," Abergel said. "I wanted to build a space where you can ask them anything because they volunteered to answer."

A woman in Wisconsin brought her two sons, aged 11 and 13, to check out a book titled "International Woman, Leader of Color, Gender Justice" earlier this year - and told TODAY.com all about why:

"When else would my sons get the opportunity to hear a woman from Ghana speak about her experiences with racism after moving to the predominantly white city of Green Bay, Wisconsin?" 

A book volunteer in the library, Adam Jackson, a black man adopted by a white family at 6 months old, also told TODAY.com

"It was harder than I thought it would be to share my story...I did get a bit emotional, but I'm so happy I had the opportunity to enter the conversation on diversity in a meaningful way."


Things like this, they give me chills.

100% visiting a Human Library is now one of the things I have to check off in the lifetime.

What do you guys think of this initiative? What kind of "book" would you love to hear a story from?

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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The Beauty Lover Tag ♥

Two beauty-related posts in 2 months from Raashi ?!?! :O
Haha, sooo out of the ordinary for me!

But, the lovely Trishna over @ Tips Capsule tagged me in her version and I was actually so excited to give it a go!
(Read her version here!)

But, before we get onto it, just a little personal disclaimer...
---
I have been SO absent over here in the blogosphere, I feel absolutely horrible because I haven't been able to read a bunch of posts, let alone leave or reply to comments! D:

Uni has been crazy hectic between assignments, group presentations and workshops, mid-semester exams. I just have to push through till this Sunday and then I apologise in advance for the influx of comments from moi :P

So excited to have a blogging catch up and a nice, little stress-relief session!

But until then, hope you've all been well! ❤️

And now, onto the tag! ☺️
---

1. If you could have anyone in the world do your makeup, who would it be?
Now, Trishna said Charlotte Tilbury and I have to agree with that because her looks are incredible (Youtube search her tutorials and sit there like a big old heart eye emoji, I'm telling you). BUT, thanks to a handy little thing called Instagram, I found this dude: ALLAN AVENDAÑO


Makeup artist to the stars! Zendaya, Gigi Hadid, Hailee Steinfeld, Sarah Hyland, and countless other celebrities and models get their makeup done by him - and you can see why!

2. What’s your top makeup tip?
Hmmm, the 'little subtle cat eye liner' trick? 
Do you guys like that super professional, technical name? :P 
Haha, I guess all I'm trying to mean by this is that before doing eyeliner, do a little slanted flick from the corner of your eye angling it towards the end of your eyebrow - and then work your way in!

(This picture does a MUCH better job at explaining this than I do!)

4. What one skincare item could you not live without?
Skincare? Initially I thought this said beauty item and I was going to be like "Vaseline! Deodorant!", haha, but skincare specific? I think just a really nice face cleanser, I would suggest a name here but I jump around a lot when it comes to this!

5. What are you worst at when it comes to applying makeup?
Guys. Eyeshadow. 
I kinda can do it, but it becomes like a WHOLE project for me.
 I legit have to mentally prepare myself for it :P
There have been two occasions to date where I have been super proud of my eyeshadow and they have both been neutral gold-brown looks. BUT! I did try a browny-smokey look recently???

6. What’s your biggest pet peeve when it comes to beauty?
Too much, very apparent, blush or bronzer freaks me out. I also have to agree with the general clumpy mascara pet peeve, fluttery and pretty are my personal preference ☺️

7. What’s your favourite makeup era?
I would have to say right now, for two reasons:
  1. I got into makeup not too long ago just because of work and uni events
  2. I feel like there is SO much variety when it comes to makeup in this era (a huge part of this is thanks to the advent of beauty bloggers and vloggers everywhere) - glowy, matte, highlighted, contoured, neutral, smokey, bold - you name it, it's all popular!

8. What’s your guilty pleasure product?
I want to get a really nice highlighter! Haha, and when I eventually do that - that will become my guilty pleasure product :P

9. What’s your underdog product?
St Ive's Apricot Scrub - I picked this up after reading that it was a good exfoliator in a magazine, and it really is! 100% natural exfoliant and drugstore price? Winner!

10. What’s your favourite makeup product of 2015?
Ok, well last year was the first time I bought a proper foundation for myself and although it's not some newly launched product, it honestly became my favourite thing - even though I don't wear it all the time.

The NARS Sheer Glow foundation.

I know it isn't the cheapest foundation but since I had never bought a foundation for myself before, I wanted to get one really nice one - and this one truly exceeded that. Can't rave about it enough!

And, that's that!

Hope you guys enjoyed this fun, little tag! 
If you decide you want to give this one a go make sure you leave me your links in a comment below so I can check it out! ☺️

What's one of your favourite beauty products?

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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Are you willing to do that which you've never done?

Hi guys!

Can we just talk about HOW INSANE it is that we're already well into April!?!
This year is just flying by!

Amongst the business that has been this past week/weekend for me,
all I really wanted to was feature ONE quote today on my blog.

I love quotes. I have a document full of them, so many of them stuck above my desk, and send my mum little "Positive Vibes of the Day" texts every morning.



This year I'm thankful for a lot of different things,
but one thing I'm really grateful for is my mindset this year.

I am so, so sure of the things I want to achieve, sure of the fact that I really want to put myself out there in terms of challenging myself and sure of who I'm aiming to be.

One quote that is just consistently driving me this year is this one:

Thomas Jefferson Quote: “If you want something you have never had, you must be willing to do something you have never done.”
There are so many things I am wanting, and I think most of us can relate to having very little time to do all of them. Which is where priorities come in hey? :P

Keeping up with the blogging world has definitely taken a slight backseat,
but I am excited to be slowly catching up on blogposts/comments from everyone and everywhere during little study breaks this week ☺️ 
(I know, I know, try not to be too jealous of my exciting life *coughuniiskillingmyvibecough*)

Anyways, hope this quote brings some motivation into your day and week to come! 

What do you guys think of Thomas Jefferson's words? Is there something you're challenging yourself to do at the moment? 👊

New blog post will be up next Tuesday!!!
(And it's going to be one of those fun little tag posts thanks to Trishna @ Tips Capsule - stay tuned!)

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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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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