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Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop - Reflection, Not a Review!

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Like many, I love watching K-dramas. I first discovered them in 2012, accidentally, after watching a J-drama, back in the pre-Netflix days! K-dramas felt so different from Telugu/Hindi dramas and films: deeper characters, daily life themes, exploration of diverse professions, and a poetic way of expressing love and pain. Yet, they shared the familiar hero complex and extreme slow pace (grateful to 1.5x speed on Netflix now, IYKYK!). What truly pulled me in, though, was the stronger female characters, a refreshing change. Even though I’ve been a K-drama fan for years, it never translated into reading webtoons or Korean books, until now. Welcome to Hyunam-dong Bookshop was my first Korean translated read, and it was a happy accident. I found it at my favorite bookshop in Leeds, a small, independent store run from a cozy boat at the Leeds Docks. The owners are warm, often leaving little handwritten notes near books. This was one of their recommendations. I happily spent my poster prize m...
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Feminists: What where they thinking: Review and reflection

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Netflix Documentary Cynthia Adams, a photographer had captured pictures of women during second-wave feminism (1970s) and published a book named 'emergence'. 40 years later, this documentary explores what were they thinking back then and what do they think now . Source: Screenshots You can't help but notice how free, bold, confident they all look. Poised and elegant with their own identity. The rational thinker in us would say, But, aren't all poses for any magazine the same? Just a pose? Aren't you over reading? Well, these pictures could as well be another act, expressing how freedom might be rather than how it was for them. But, that is the thing, I wonder what would my magazine picture pose be? how do I think freedom looks like on me? source: google You'd see that most women opted to be nude in their emergence shot. But, they have consciously chosen it. And No, they weren't in the entertainment industry and were not pornstars. T...
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#StartTheConversation on how to #AddressDomesticViolence

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October is the month of Domestic Violence Awareness and Breast cancer Awareness. As an urban educated society, we have acknowledged the importance of physical health and successfully removed any inhibitions on discussing Breast cancer openly. But, we fail, when it comes to even acknowledge  Domestic Abuse. And to add to this open secret, are the only stereotype abuses shown in films, which further hampers our understanding or ability to grasp the depth and intensity of the subject. kyunki, estraang hai hum! I am approached almost every once in 2 days by friends, acquaintances and sometimes strangers for help, advice, network to address abuse in their life or their closed one's life. The system has anyway failed many victims, but so have we as a society. We only intervene when things go out of control and we do that too very conveniently.  According to NFHS-4, every third woman has complained of domestic abuse, but the cases registered are a mere 3 digit number. ...
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5 Must Watch Feminist Movies!

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Here are my 5 favourite movie suggestions (Part-1). Do watch and let me know your views! All the stories are somewhere inspired by true events. They are powerful stories of women fighting this patriarchial society in their own way, in their own places. But, their fight is for all of us.  I bring you movie recommendations from across the globe. This is to indicate, that women across the world are fighting together for our collective future! And, this is to celebrate more and more such women! May our tribe increase! 1. Suffragette (2015)  -  UK Imagine a time when we didn't even have the social media opportunity to say #metoo. Thanks to the power of many many suffragettes, the world indeed is a better place for women. It started with the 'Right to Vote'. And if you thought all the women were suffragettes, you are wrong! Just like misogynistic women in our era who question the #metoo of their fellow women, even suffragettes faced such harassment from t...
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Know what can you do for PCOS Awareness!

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What is PCOS? Why is it important to address it? Why is it further important to talk about it? What are the symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment? Can it be cured? Can women with PCOS still bear children?... Stronger with or without PCOS! samjhe kya?! September is observed as the PCOS Awareness Month. Despite working on Menstrual Hygiene Management closely, I didn't know much about this. So, when two of my fellow Women's Health advocates (Triparna and Kamal) spoke to me about the idea of an event - I was all in! PCOS affects 1 in 10 women globally. And is one of the most common endocrine disorder in women. PCOS can occur in girls as young as 11 years old! and, if not diagnosed early, the risk of other health problems increases. A woman with PCOS has 4-7 times higher risk of a heart attack than a woman of the same age without PCOS. and so much more... Why is this not talked about? I often see women with dark patches around neck and arms who also suffer from hirsutis...
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I celebrated my 28th Birthday planting 50 trees with 10 friends!

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I loved celebrating birthdays as a child. I remember surprising my parents by inviting all my school bus kids to an unplanned party and put my parents on the spot, who'd then run around making my birthday arrangements! But, that was it! Growing up, I dreaded my birthday , either cuz I didn't have enough pocket money to treat my friends (which was, unfortunately, the norm!) or having to spend the day out with 'The Guy' (you know!) or just going too philosophical 'Why should i celebrate?', 'what have i achieved?' etc. etc. The Turbanator, they call her! But this year, I was ecstatic! I loved every single day of my life, I loved the people in my life (even those who have moved halfway across the world!), I loved what I was doing for a living, I loved what i was doing otherwise, etc etc. And i was determined to make my birthday special! I wanted to plant 28 tree saplings indicating my 28th Birthday and asked mum to help me arrange saplings at home. L...
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