ritisha.blog

Hello! I have some exciting news – with the undying support of all my followers, I have been able to reach 100 followers! A massive thank you to all those who have accompanied me on my journey so far, and I hope to be introduced to many more like-minded bloggers along the way!

Now, on to yet more good news! I have been nominated by both modest28 and Silver Stone for the Liebster award! Thank you to both of these amazing bloggers! If you have not yet had the chance to check out their blogs, please do – I assure that their posts will prove interesting and enlightening reads. Without much further ado, let’s proceed on to the rules!

Rules:

• Thank the blogger who nominated you, and provide a link to their blog.
• Answer the 11 questions given to you.
• Share 11 facts about yourself.
• Nominate 5-11 other bloggers.
• Ask your nominees 11 questions.
• Notify your nominees once you have uploaded your post.

Answers to Silver Stone’s Questions:

1. What was the one song that got stuck in your head? ‘Azul’ by J Balvin. I came upon it by chance, and I happened to love it! The song is in Spanish, too, which makes it sound all the more exotic!
2. Tea, coffee or hot chocolate? Take your pick and state your favorite flavour (if you’ve not chosen hot chocolate). Hot chocolate! As well as having a sweet tooth, I hate the bitter taste of other hot beverages. There’s nothing better than enjoying a hot chocolate (complete with extra sugar, fresh cream, and mini marshmallows) on a freezing Winter’s day.
3. What’s the one thing that reminds you of school? There are so many things! Whether it be dreary assemblies first thing in the morning, or rushing to class helter-skelter following the warning bell, each and every instance holds a special place within my heart.
4. Two positive and two negative things about yourself? Two positive things are: I like to think of myself as empathetic, and able to understand and sympathise in difficult situations; and I am a natural leader. Two negative things are: I am often stubborn; and I am very lazy!
5. Would you rather have the ability to control the weather, or have the ability to talk to animals? Talking to animals sounds far more appealing to me! I enjoy the natural course that the weather takes in all the seasons – I love making snowmen when it snows, and it calms me to hear the sound of rain slamming on to the roof of my conservatory. Talking to animals would be very fun indeed! Oh, the mischief I would get up to…
6. What inspired you to start blogging? I’m afraid my answer isn’t particularly awe-inspiring! My father started up this blog for me, a couple of years ago, thinking that it would be an opportunity that I would enjoy. I uploaded a single post, and from then on my blog remained stationary. A year ago, I was given the opportunity to start blogging on my school blogging platform, which you can access here. My father took the blogs from my school blog, and posted them on this blog. However, it wasn’t until less than two months ago that I thought it might be fun to revive my blog. And what an experience it’s been! In the space of just over a month, I’ve acquired over 100 followers, all thanks to the amazing support I’ve received from fellow bloggers! A big thanks to my father too, for starting up my blog in the first place!
7. What’s the best book you’ve read? The worst question to ask a bookworm – there’s too much choice! One of my favourites would be ‘Listen to the Moon’ by Michael Morpurgo. I read it long ago, but the book has stayed in my mind and heart ever since. It’s a fascinating tale of finding hope in the darkest of times.
8. Name the celebrity you admire and the one celebrity you dislike. I admire the musician Stevie Wonder, due to various reasons. At six weeks of age, he developed a condition named ‘Retinopathy of Prematurity’, causing blindness. Despite this setback, he persevered as a musical prodigy and went on to become one of the most famed musicians of his time. His story is so inspiring, and encourages me to be the best version of myself. I don’t particularly dislike any celebrities.
9. If you could time travel, where would you go? The future! It would be so exciting to see what the future holds!
10. What’s your favorite holiday? The New Year. It’s a tradition for my family to meet up with our closest family friends on the night of New Year’s Eve, and to all crowd in one room together for the countdown to midnight. It’s a beautiful way to celebrate with both friends and family, and I love celebrating it every year! In addition, the start of a new year marks fresh beginnings, and is an opportunity to improve yourself.
11. Are you a talker or a listener? It depends on the situation. With my friends and family, I’m a total chatterbox! With people I don’t know, however, I tend to become very shy and withdrawn.

Answers to modest28’s Questions:

• What do you do when you’re frustrated? I like to think of myself as calm and collected. Instead of going into a rage, I remove myself from the situation and immediately start venting to my best friend.😂
• What is your most challenging moment? I do not remember my maternal grandfather, since he passed away when I was two. I have been told wonderful stories of the bond we used to share, and the mischief we would partake in together. I wish I could remember him.
• If you have to choose another planet, which will you prefer? One upon which I wouldn’t spontaneously combust! So, one in the Goldilocks zone.
• What’s your best fashion label? I’ve never been that fussed with fashion, myself. If I had to choose a fashion label, it would be Oscar de la Renta. Though I’ve never actually bought any Oscar de la Renta items, I have seen a couple of their items. The items I have seen so far are very elegant and beautiful.
• Which do you prefer: thriller, romance or adventure movies? I like both romance and adventure movies equally. I love an action-packed movie which keeps me on my toes, and I love rom-coms just as much as any other teenager.
• Which do you prefer: calling or texting? It depends upon the person. If it’s somebody I see often, I prefer texting. I like face-to-face conversations with those I am familiar with, since I seem to become a little tongue-tied on the phone! If it’s somebody I don’t see often but am close to, such as family members, I prefer talking on the phone since there is so much to catch up on!
• If you have the opportunity of going back in time, what would you change about your past? See my answer to number two.
• What bad habit are you desperate to change? My laziness! It often leads me to procrastinate and leave work unfinished until the very last minute. If I changed this bad habit, I would have lots more time to pursue my hobbies, such as blogging!
• What is friendship to you? There is a beautiful quote upon friendship, which sums up my views:

1 universe

9 planets

204 countries

809 islands

7 seas

and I had the privilege of meeting you.

• Politician or activist – which would you rather become? I would rather be an activist, since I would be able to fight for the cause(s) I believe in. Along with others, I would be able to influence laws and rights, and bring about much needed change.
• What’s the best book you would like to read again? See my answer to number seven in the set of questions above.

Facts About Myself (11 for Each Nomination):

• I’m in Ravenclaw.
• I am the biggest bookworm you have ever met. I have way too many favourite books. I’m going to stop talking about books now or I’ll soon be writing a five-foot essay. No kidding.
• I play four instruments: violin, viola, piano, and I learn singing. Violin and viola I play at grade eight level, piano at grade seven level, and I sing at grade six. I do LAMDA (speech) too – grade five at the moment.
• I like cycling! True, I may not be your next Olympic gold-medalist, but I find it fun. I enjoy badminton, too.
• I am an only child. I wish I had siblings, or a pet.
• I am obsessed with the Apprentice (UK). It’s my dream to grow up to be an entrepreneur, and the CEO of my own business.
• My favourite TV series is Modern Family. It’s downright hilarious!
• I am extremely tall for my age. People automatically assume I am a couple of years older than I actually am.
• I am a MENSA member, with the highest possible IQ of 162. I am proud of this achievement.😊
• I’ve never tried sushi! *GASP*
• I speak Bengali.
• I have two favourite animals – sloths and tigers.
• I won the (UK) national Junior Language Challenge in 2016. It was a brilliant (and nerve-wracking) experience. I enjoyed an amazing trip to Africa as a prize!
• My favourite subject is mathematics.
• I’ve had short hair my whole life, but I’m trying to grow it out now.
• I’m terrible at swimming.
• I perform recitations around the country, in Bengali.
• I’m a Hindu, though not particularly devout.
• I love ketchup. And chocolate. And cake. But not all together.
• My favourite Disney movies are Beauty and the Beast and Mulan.
• I don’t have a particular taste in music, but I’m leaning slightly towards pop. I enjoy other types of music too.
• My dream holiday would be going to Australia.

Nominations:

1. Rajesh khanna
2. Nabeela
3. Francisco Bravo Cabrera
4. Lotus Laura
5. MoM MooN
6. Ishaan Sharma
7. Aman kumar
8. wondertips777
9. Neha nandwana
10. Bon Repos Gites
11. Christina Kyranis
12. Wm. Allen
13. Mounzer
14. Roser
15. Praise Adesina
16. sarthak2700
17. arifullahkhan685
18. YBP
19. srijan
20. Craig White
21. #Blue_Soul_Kriyations💙
22. ADARSH SHARMA

In terms of questions for nominees, please choose any 11 of the questions I answered, since the questions provided were thought-provoking and interesting. That’s all for now! I hope you all have a great day, and I hope you are all safe and well.

– TishGirl❤️

 

Fingers calloused as hardened bark

Rest, weary, upon his handiwork.

Eons of burning the midnight oil – 

From dusk till dawn he doth toil.

The candle burns low; the night drags slow

Yet the tireless labour fails to cease.

Upon velvet paws creeps slumber deep,

Mother Nature among all falls swiftly asleep.

Night and day he works away

For the pitiful fruits of his labour.

A leisurely lifestyle my father forewent – 

His sacrifice for the kin of his descent.

My legacy is crafted day by day – 

Each engraving carves my future

This is the raw beauty: the everlasting love

Inscribed, stroke by stroke, by the crafter’s hands.

– TishGirl❤️

Hi everyone! I’m really excited to say that that I’ve been nominated for my second Vincent Ehindero award, by pooja rani. Please take a look at her blog – it is full of interesting insights into her mother country as well as her enlightening opinions, to name a few. Thank you, pooja rani!

Rules:

• Thank the person that nominated you with a link to their blog.
• Make a post of the award (with a photo).
• Post the rules.
• Ask 5-10 questions of your choice.
• Nominate 10-30 other bloggers.
• Follow Vincent Ehindero at vincentehindero.wordpress.com (to qualify for a free blog promotion and shoutout and more blogging opportunities).

Answers to pooja rani’s Questions:

1. What is your favourite blog site and why? I don’t have one! I value everybody’s different opinions, and I enjoy any blog site which always ensures an interesting read.
2. What is your favourite post, and which post is bad? I have lots of favourite posts but one of the top ones would be a post named ‘Gender is Over’, written by a 13 year-old boy named C.J. He explains his gender identity and expression, and writes about his experiences of being gender creative. The reason this post is one of my favourites is that it would be so inspiring and encouraging to those struggling with their gender identity, and is beautifully worded. None of the posts I have read so far can be described as ‘bad’. There will always be something to improve on each and every blog, but this does not make a post ‘bad’.
3. Write three hobbies which are bad and good. Three good hobbies I have are: reading, as this helps build my vocabulary as well as broadening my imagination; cycling, since this assists in keeping me fit and healthy; and blogging, because this leads me to explore varying opinions and lets me put my thoughts into words. Three bad habits I have are: watching television, since this often leads me to lose track of the time; wasting time online, as this is pointless and leaves no time for the more important things; and eating too many sweet foods, because this eventually leads to weight gain.
4. If you had a chance to change the world which thing would you change and why? I debated eradicating coronavirus, but my trust in scientists and doctors in fining a cure as well as awareness of bigger underlying issues caused me to change my mind. There are so many things I would want to change, but the most important would be helping those suffering in poverty, so that no person would be rendered homeless and without sufficient resources.
5. What would you choose: books or your phone for the rest of your life? I would choose my phone, simply because I would be able to read books electronically. While I would most definitely miss the sensation of turning pages, the fresh smell of a new book, and the feel of the pages between my fingers, a phone would be more useful to have (with numerous added benefits, such as contacting others).

Nominations:

1. hashtagzindagiwithneha
2. Karan Mahajan
3. indianeskitchen
4. Spoorthy Alla
5. Gabriel k Jones
6. elganspo
7. Zainab Chhatriwala
8. Anyichie Camillus
9. Tangie T. Woods
10. mentalhealth360.uk
11. Nathi
12. jeofreyogire
13. Ava Tripathy
14. Ingramuniversal.com
15. Kelly Curtis
16. SIMRAN TOTLANI
17. Antonia
18. The Godly Chic Diaries
19. Shaunak
20. Mateo
21. parneetsachdev
22. Kally
23. worddroid
24. shantanu mishra
25. Matt P
26. Cindi
27. Lucy
28. drjurisharma
29. Mizou
30. WildHeart

My Questions:

1. What is your favourite aspect of blogging?
2. What is your favourite social media platform, and why?
3. Are you more of an indoors or outdoors person?
4. Tell me a weird fact about yourself!
5. What is your favourite season?
6. What is your favourite memory?
7. Cats or dogs?
8. If you were an only child, would you wish to have siblings?
9. What is your favourite ice-cream flavour?
10. What three wishes would you ask from a genie?

Thank you all, and I hope you are safe and well!

– TishGirl❤️

 

Hello everybody! I have exciting news: I now have 50 followers!

It has been just over a month since I revived my blog. It’s been an amazing journey so far, and I owe this journey to each and every supporter. Whether it be a view, like, comment, or follow, I really appreciate it. Thank you so much, to all of you!

On a side note, please do stay safe and I hope you are all well.

Here’s to many more followers in the future!

– TishGirl❤️

Hello everybody. I hope you’re safe and well during these times of unrest.

I was recently nominated for the Vincent Ehindero award by science_girrrrrl! A big thank you for her nomination, and do check out her blog for interesting posts to do with all things science. She is a great and informative blogger who writes with a unique style.

Rules:

• Thank the person that nominated you with a link to their blog.
• Make a post of the award (with a photo).
• Post the rules.
• Ask 5-10 questions of your choice.
• Nominate 10-30 other bloggers.
• Follow Vincent Ehindero at vincentehindero.wordpress.com (to qualify for a free blog promotion and shoutout) and more blogging opportunities.

Answers to science_girrrrrl’s Questions:

1.  What’s your favourite unrealistic eye colour? Turquoise eyes, by far. Honestly, I can’t put it into words. Take a look (pun unintended) at the image below, and you’ll see what I’m talking about.
2.  Growing up, what was your favourite story? I have many! Even at a very young age, I was a total bookworm! There was nothing better than snuggling beneath the covers of my bed on a Winter’s day with a book to accompany me. If I had to choose one, it would be ‘Adventures in Puzzle World’, a book I received when I started pre-school. This was a collection of short stories that let my imagination know no bounds! In my mind, I was with each and every character as they trekked through caves, battled pirates, and hopped from planet to planet. I would even dress up, imagining myself going on these magnificent, death-defying adventures and emerging a hero. It was pure bliss to a seven-year-old like me!
3.  Which song is currently stuck in your head? I know it’s been quite a while since it came out, but I can’t seem to get Dance Monkey (Tones And I) out of my head! The catchy tune and rhythmic beat seem to make an annoyingly brilliant combination!
4.  Which chore do you absolutely hate doing? The dishes. Does anything more need to be said?
5.  If leaves were any different colour, which would you like them to be? Autumn is my favourite season, with all things coral orange, lemon yellow, and crimson red. Leaves do indeed have these hues, but only in the Autumn. It would be beautiful to see these colours on leaves all year round. Another interesting colour, perhaps, would be transparent…
6.  If you had the chance to learn any language, minus the hard work, which would it be? One of the sign languages. It would be a welcome change to learn a language without speech, and generally interesting. Alternately, I would love to learn Hindi. As well as being a widely-spoken language, it would be great to have the ability to speak the main language of my country, India. I already speak Bengali, but Hindi would be useful to learn.
7.  According to you, what was the last experience that made you a stronger person? In these troublesome times, it would be going into lockdown. Each dreary day of waking up with nothing to do or look forward to all day has taken its mental toll. The uncertainty, whether a cough is just a cough or an indication of disease, is haunting. The disconnection from friends and wider family leaves me helpless. Of course, this is among the least of the disease’s toll upon the world, with each death a tragedy. While it may be trivial to others, accepting the course this deadly disease could potentially take on my loved ones has mentally prepared me for the effects of Covid-19 to come. On this note, I hope you all stay safe and are able to avoid suffering from the coronavirus.
8.  Do you believe in afterlives and reincarnation? As a Hindu, my religion dictates that reincarnation occurs after death, and the ‘afterlife’ is reached (God’s union with the atman/soul) after generating enough good karma. Enough of the RS lesson!
9.  Let’s say you were doomed to speak only one word for an entire day. What word would it be? Help! I may not need to use the word ‘help’ during the day, but it would come in useful in an emergency.
10.  What’s your favourite kind of workout? Any workout that doesn’t require me to do physical exercise! I’m much too lazy… Does a brain workout count?

 

Nominations:

1. taikisy
2. Katie Miller
3. Deep Tuesdays
4. sakshi ‘s poetry
5. Resa
6. Sonam Tsering
7. Roberto
8. SumitOfficial
9. Elizabeth Burns
10. LifeTube
11. ApostleTakimQuotes
12. Deepsh
13. bubblebathselfempowerment
14. Rising Star
15. SaaniaSparkle 🧚
16. Brothers Campfire/The Storyteller
17. stevescountry
18. deeply shreded
19. Sheree
20. Farida Hakim
21. Anish Nair
22. Devon Brock
23. Ianus Christius
24. Haroon Mirza
25. Lydia Potter
26. sarthak2700
27. kopfundgestalt
28. The Freethinker
29. Adi
30. Paul

My Questions:

1. Who is your role model, and why?
2. What are your hobbies?
3. What would you do with a million pounds/dollars?
4. What is one thing you would change about yourself?
5. Chinese or Indian food?
6. What is the thing you are most proud of?
7. Sweet or savoury?
8. Recommend me a book!
9. Which country is your favourite, and why?
10. Why did you choose to blog?

Thank you all, and I hope you are well!

– TishGirl❤️

 

 

A Daydream’s Fancies

Take me afar where the moon rides nigh

And stars sit on my fingers.

Fly me away from this maddening crowd

To where a smile forever lingers.

A place where wonders never cease,

Where the cosmos kneels to me.

My heart as if fit to burst – 

For this is where my soul is free.

Take me away, my charming freer.

Paradise lures from afar.

I long to be under the navy abyss,

Under many a sparkling star.

I await restlessly for the beckon of day,

To experience my musings divine.

Why so special are these fancies, you ask?

For this ‘reality’ is none but mine.

By Ritisha Baidyaray

I recently wrote a poem based on the transatlantic slave trade, which occurred from the 16th to 19th centuries. Since this is such a sensitive issue, I tried my best to capture the emotions of those enslaved in such horrific conditions. This is in honour of the enslaved Africans who suffered unjustly.

Ebony-Skinned

Kente cloth adorns his body,

Complete with a youthful grin.

His soul is at its peak of joy, with

Pride in his ebony skin.

The sudden boom of an approaching gun

Startles him in his wake.

Whisked away by pale ghostly spirits

He must obey, for his life is at stake.

He is taken at gunshot to a colossal ship

Upon which the torture does begin.

Week upon week of shaming dehumanisation

Shatters his body and soul within.

He is bid to a cotton plantation.

Months of burning the midnight oil.

Branded. Identity stolen.

Months become years of merciless toil.

His ebony skin – once the pride of existence

Has become a symbol of lesser worth.

He longs to be freed from this cycle of life

But he is trapped on this hell upon earth.

Ritisha Baidyaray

I recently went to the ‘Red Shoes’ ballet in the Birmingham Hippodrome, and here is a review I wrote:

     On Thursday 13th of February 2020, L4th was thrilled to have the unmissable opportunity to venture to the Birmingham Hippodrome, to watch the famed ‘The Red Shoes’ ballet. Viewing a ballet would be a new experience for many, including myself, so it was with high hopes and effervescent manners that we anticipated the ballet.

     The purpose of our trip to the Birmingham Hippodrome was to see for ourselves how music can assist in complementing the style, atmosphere, and mood of dance. This would be fitting with our current ‘Music for Dance’ topic, which we are studying in Music. Experiencing the ballet would help in identifying the features in music for each individual dance.

     The music used was particularly effective in that it rose and fell along with the mood and tone of the part being portrayed in the ballet. I can specifically recall the orchestral music playing in a forte, and emotive manner at a point of high tension in the ballet. I liked that the music reflected the ongoings of the ballet, since this assisted in understanding it (especially in parts where the plot was ambiguous).

     I was genuinely spellbound post viewing the spectacular choreography used by the dancers, particularly the main characters such as Victoria (Ashley Shaw) and Julian Craster (Dominic North). A feature of the ballet that continues to remain with me is Dominic North’s dance solo, due to its dramatic and thought-provoking choreography. The choreography was perfect in that it was always clean-cut and synchronised.

The designer had effectively put the set and lighting to full use. During the times at which Vicky and the rest of Lermontov’s troop were performing to the onstage ‘audience’, it was completely clear due to the use of the moving curtains. Another standout piece of set was the sliding screens from the wings, as they provided an interesting equipment for the choreography to be based around. The lighting, too, was reflective of the mood of the ballet. For example, in depressing parts of the ballet, the lighting became blue (associated with sadness).

I had a personal appreciation for the costumes since they showed the type of clothing that people of the 1940s would have worn, so the historical context was present. I liked this as it added a more realistic touch to the tale.

     If I had to point out a criticism, however, it would be to make the plot clearer. This is due to the fact that there were times at which I was confused at what was going on in the ballet. An addition such as narration may have helped. Despite this, I would undoubtedly recommend ‘The Red Shoes’ to anyone because it was entertaining and the audience was able to empathise with each and every character (since they showed such emotion in their dancing).

Personally, I have learnt that music in ballet can help in building tension and creating atmosphere, which would be a useful addition to any type of emotive dance. Music can be the key to portraying emotions, and helps in the understanding of the ballet.

– (Edited with the assistance of my music teacher.)

Blinding lights of numerous cameras, pining to capture a fragment of your enchanting looks. A cascading dress, accentuated and perfectly complemented by the rouge blush of the red carpet. Fan upon fan, mesmerised at the sight of their idol, hustling and bustling to get that One. Step. Closer…

And you awake from your dream, not nearly ready for the drudgery of your ordinary life. While we may not be fortunate enough to experience the renowned Academy Awards, this dream was a reality for lucky few on the 10th of February (at 1 AM GMT time, no less). The 92nd Academy Awards made history, with the critically-acclaimed Parasite claiming a whopping four Oscars, to funky and flashy outfits stealing the show.

    Parasite was one of the show-stopping films of the annual Academy Awards, becoming the first foreign film in Oscars history to receive an award for Best Picture. It was proud to claim Best Original Screenplay, Best International Feature, and Best Director, in addition, with Bong Joon-Ho (director of Parasite) joking, “After winning best international feature I thought I was done for the day and ready to relax.” Brad Pitt made a dig at the US Senate during his acceptance speech for Best Supporting Actor, “They said I have 45 seconds. Which is 45 seconds more than the Senate gave John Bolton this week.” While the crowd found the joke rip-roaringly hilarious, supporters online were quick to respond with disappointment of yet another mention of tedious politics. Meanwhile, Rebel Wilson and James Corden were quick to bring on the laughter with their cat outfits (complete with face-paint) to represent Cats when presenting the award for visual effects.

The Academy Awards have wrapped up for yet another year, with comical jokes and emotive speeches being among the highlights of this year. With such triumphing successes among unexpected winners, who knows what next year’s Academy Awards will present?!

After a much-needed Christmas break, L4K were back in the lab, ready to begin their new topic of food groups! We kick-started 2020 Biology with an experiment – the perfect way to start any term!

     Apparatus consisted of four test tubes and a test tube holder, as well as the food groups we were testing and their reagents. First up was starch with the iodine reagent, turning from a fiery orange to a deep blue-black. There was a unanimous gasp as the unexpected colour change occurred, and the fact that starch was present was confirmed. Next, was protein with the biuret reagent, the colour change from a sky-blue to a light lilac hue. The aesthetic shades of the colour change were much appreciated, and were all the confirmation we needed to state that protein was present. Following this was lipids (fats) with ethanol, whereupon the clear/colourless starting state had been transformed to milky/cloudy white. Albeit some confusion at first at the little colour change observed, we proceeded to shake the test tubes vigorously (after which we were rewarded with a lovely bubbling milky mix)! Last but not least, we tested sugars with the benedicts reagent. After the sky-blue benedicts had merely given the sugars a blue-ish tinge, we placed the test tubes in a hot water bath. Our curiosity was wholly satisfied after observing a dramatic colour change from sky-blue to varying shades of brick red, orange, and yellow.

As you can see, our first lesson back was extremely productive, and I can vouch that each and every member from L4K has learnt something new. While getting involved and seeing for ourselves how actual scientists tested for various nutrients was greatly enjoyable, we were happy to apply our new-found knowledge to studying more and more of the food groups topic. With such an interesting experiment to begin with, who knows what the rest of the term will bring?