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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 Crisis
&
The 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.
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).
