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    Princy G. James

    Princy G. James

  • How beauty pageants influenced Indian consumer culture

    When Sushmita Sen and Aishwarya Rai won international beauty pageants in 1994, the duo became national icons as their triumph received an unprecedented coverage throughout the country. Back in 1966 when Reita Faria won the Miss World title, the enthusiasm was perhaps limited to an elite circle. For Aishwarya, the Miss World crown was just another feather in the cap as she had been an established model prior to her pageant entry.

  • How beauty pageants influenced Indian consumer culture

    Back in 1966 when Reita Faria won the Miss World title, the enthusiasm was perhaps limited to an elite circle. But Sushmita and Aishwarya had a larger audience, especially the former; her narrative struck a chord with many young girls, because her underdog backstory had elements that an average middle class person could relate to—a typical teenager who had to deal with many insecurities and challenges in life, but battled them with grit and self-belief .

  • Why you should Marie Kondo your smartphone

    Smartphone usage can cause stress and anxiety because we are expected to be constantly connected. Although convenient, smartphones can overwhelm its user with the demand for constant connectivity. Back when mobile phones used to be a source for communication than entertainment, it was only a few with whom we interacted on a daily basis.

  • Married but sleeping in separate bedrooms

    Is technology ruining your relationship? One of the oft-discussed topics in marriage counselling is the lack of communication between the partners. Despite being physically present, there is a lack of meaningful conversations between husband and wife ever since technology has tightened its grip on the humanity.

  • Living with a depressed loved one

    A genuine smile, a bright day, tasty food, a familiar voice you haven’t heard in a long time, etc., are simple things that can make a normal person happy, and supplies him with the fuel to function for the 14 to 16 hours of everyday life, provided his material needs are adequately met. For a depressed person, none of these things make any difference, because he is exhausted dealing with his inner demons that make him perceive the world as dull and monochromatic. Neuroscience doesn’t categorise chronic depression as a mere psychological condition, as it understands the biochemical imbalances happening inside a human brain, thereby vindicating the victims who had been pointed the finger at in the past for not trying enough to cultivate a positive mentality.

  • Is cooking solely a woman's responsibility?

    The saying—the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach—reflects how intricately aligned the notion of nurture and care is to cooking and how the same is perceived as one of woman’s foremost objectives in life. Patriarchal societies that otherwise set limits on the aspirations of women dares not to mess with the freedom she enjoys in the kitchen, for it is highly convenient for men to evade such a monotonous task.

  • Mother, why didn't you see my pain?

    The lack of emotional security, a safety blanket that all children deserve, made life difficult for her, especially during the formative years. True, her mother was a victim, but so was Kiran. Drowning in self pity, her mother made it a point that no pain is worse than her own, thereby creating a wall between herself and her daughter.

  • When she doesn't want sex anymore

    Ever since the birth of her child, the physical intimacy towards her husband took a nosedive, and she feared whether they are heading towards a listless marriage. While it bolsters the bond between husband and wife, physical intimacy often takes a backseat owing to the stress and novel responsibilities associated with parenthood. Most women find it tough to manage work, home and family without ample support from their partners, ergo parenting also serves as a litmus test on how functional any relationship is.

  • A gay trapped in straight marriage

    Thanks to the predominance of arranged marriages and the shame associated with sex outside wedlock, we are often denied the luxury of time for finding the right partner through a trial and error method. As our culture is strongly rooted in the strength and security a family offers, being a black sheep can be daunting. There isn’t much to talk about how Kripa and Rahul met.

  • I was pressured into marriage because my mom was ill

    School, college, career, marriage, kids, own abode, etc., some of us cross off the boxes that comes against the checklist of the societal requirements as if in a sleepwalk, thanks to the herd mentality. Rhea was one such unfortunate person who failed to fit in. Rhea was devastated, but she yielded in to the emotional pressure from the family, as she didn’t want to pursue her dreams with the burden of guilt.

  • I’m married, but I’m attracted to another man

    As a young girl, she used to secretly calculate relationship compatibility with her crushes using the ‘flames’ game — the ultimate relationship quotient calculator almost all adolescent kids swear by. Fast forward several years, she managed to survive the four-year-itch and seven-year-itch with her man, successfully overcoming several relationship roadblocks en route.

  • Lest We Forget: Memorable moments from World Cup

    “World Cup is a special time of the year. Serena Williams perfectly articulated the feelings of millions around the world, who are experiencing a low following the culmination of FIFA 2018, the month-long football extravaganza. The 2018 World Cup was all about surprises.

  • Iconic World Cup Hairdos

    The FIFA World Cup enjoys vast popularity because the long interlude and build-up for the quadrennial event fuels immense enthusiasm throughout the world, that it is watched even by a casual observer of the game. When the players get red carpet treatment by the media, they would love to show off and would want to stand out from the lot, even if it means sporting a zany hairdo. Long before the poster boy of football David Beckham wowed fans with his myriad hairdos, there had been many others including the likes of René Higuita, Ruud Gullit, Carlos Valderrama, etc., who used to enjoy a special attention and fan-following all because of their idiosyncratic styles.

  • Darling, Can I Cut My Hair?

    While an average educated woman is aware how exploitative patriarchy can be, awareness doesn’t always translate to emancipation. Some might want to avoid confrontation, while others find a strange joy in being owned and dictated in day-to-day matters, provided they feel needed and cocooned with care.

  • Cheating in the time of social media

    Admit it, we all have searched for our old flames on Facebook, and not always does that mean we are pining for a long lost love. Often, it is out of simple curiosity; some of us even take a sadistic pleasure in seeing how they have changed over the years, their once desirable looks giving way to something less appealing — sombre faces with midlife crisis written all over them. But then, there are some really exciting stories of virtual reunions that have happened all because of social media.

  • An Indian’s eyewitness account of the Spain terror attack

    When terror strikes unawares, one of the oft-quoted responses is, “I never expected it could happen here.” Although I am of the opinion that no place is totally immune to a terror attack, when it struck Barcelona, the place where I have been living for the past four years, I found it hard to come to terms with how vulnerable we all are in this asymmetric warfare. Thronged by tourists throughout the year, a walk along the entire stretch of Ramblas is customary for anyone who visits Barcelona, and our afternoon meant sauntering through the Ramblas. While standing in front of the Barcelona Cathedral, close to the Ramblas, we saw people running helter-skelter, looking visibly scared.

  • What the world was like when first Harry Potter book was published

    Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone — on June 26, 1997. All those kids who ardently devoured the story of the young wizard boy back then are in their late 20s or early 30s now. For Potter fans, celebrating the two decades of the book is an emotional experience as well, for it more or less defined their lives, broadening their imagination and inculcating reading habit in them.

  • Living in a sexless marriage

    When I met Nayana last time, I felt like her outlook on life had changed tremendously. Gone were her outbursts of laughter as well as her short temper, only to be replaced by a lackadaisical attitude towards life. Nayana, a devout Catholic, was in favour of arranged marriage, and she felt she found the right guy in Alex, an enthusiastic, approachable guy with a happy go lucky attitude.

  • Rafael Nadal: A flesh and blood hero

    Phenomenal would be an understatement to describe Rafael Nadal’s La Decima in Roland Garros. This year, there was little doubt over whether history would be made in the Philippe Chatrier court, and people are revelling in the return of their king. At a glance, Nadal’s 10 French Open titles look fathomable, for we are used to his legendary status as a player.

  • I'm just not into babies and I'm a woman

    Someone reminded me that it’s been 10 years since Charlie bit my finger — YouTube’s most-viewed non-music video. I wasn’t really familiar with that, like many other viral kids’ videos, as I don’t particularly enjoy viewing them. My lukewarm response to baby anecdotes or videos  often raise eyebrows, all for the fact that I’m a woman, who is stereotypically supposed to be affectionate and warm. I walk on eggshells during gatherings that involve babies, struggling to not make my impatience obvious, for fear of being perceived rude.