What you need to know while moving to a new city! 1

To those who are shifting to a new city. 

This was my experience and it is still going on!

Part 1 : Know it all!

In the month of October 2016, I moved from Trivandrum (Kerala, India) to Hyderabad (Telangana, India). It is a 1.5 hrs journey by air and 1.5 days journey by rail or road.

Why I moved..

I got a job and a guy, both in Hyderabad 😉. Seriously! that is what happened. I was engaged to my fiance who works in Hyderabad and so I tried for a job in Hyderabad. I got one and I moved.

The first feeling..

I wanted to become a minimalist. There was some confusion because I wanted a proper wardrobe, nothing which I would not wear, unlike at home. That is an important thing to remember guys! You get to restart when you are shifting. So try and be organized this time eh! 😏

I was very much excited about the pre-shifting shopping because I got to buy new things, little things but it was a lot of fun.

10 Category of items you MUST BUY :-




1. Bathing essentials
2. Washing and drying essentials
3. Basic cooking essentials including a cute mug for tea and coffee
4. Basic stationary items
5. Getting ready essential plus skin moisturizing cream and lip balm
6. Daily wear jeggings/jeans and shrugs/jackets
7. Multi-purpose shoulder bag and handbag
8. Water bottle and flask
                                             9. Bedsheets and pillow covers
10. Cleaning essentials for utensils, floor, bathroom


 Lot of curiosity and anxiety rushed through me every second because everything was going to be new, for the first time.


Place of stay..

I stayed in a rented room in a place called Attapur. It was a three-floor building. The owner lived in the ground floor. Two additional rooms were there on the terrace. I stayed in one of them. It had just one bedroom with a bathroom and a tiny kitchen..just enough for two girls. Yes! I had a roommate. She had already moved in before I did. We were going to be colleagues too.

Finding about this place was kind of easy for me. My roommate had been staying in Hyderabad for quite sometime with her sister. One of the employees of our workplace connected us. She was also in search of a place to stay. So when she found out, I was informed and we agreed on this room. The room, though it was small, was very cute and cozy. At nights I used to enjoy watching the neon-lit highway which was the direct view from the terrace. And the sky view was was also awesome. I felt independent for the first time in my life!💪

4 SEARCHING TIPS for place of stay :-

1. Look into all popular websites that advertise hostels, PGs, apartments etc.
2. Narrow down the list by matching with your requirements :-
1) Near by the workplace
2) Easy transportation
3) Safe street
4) Good food and accommodation at reasonable rate
3. If you have friends or relatives who can help you, ask them to visit the places you think are best for you and give you a feedback. Specifically check for water and electricity availability from the inmates.
4. Communicate with the people at your workplace, both current and future. Someone will be able to help you for sure.

Work, People and Food.

Anywhere you go with a different dialect, the first challenge is talking to people and getting around. I did not understand Telugu (the language of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh) at all. To my relief, everybody knew Hindi and I knew just enough. Yet I was hesitant to talk and kept my communication to the minimum.

For me, the work environment changed drastically. From a cheerful park full of people always having fun, I was thrown in to a dark dungeon with less than 5 people, not even seeing each other. Around the time of my marriage this was the last thing I wanted - loneliness!!

Some people, especially guys may be thinking that given a quiet place and a computer, you are free to do anything. I wasn't that kind of a cool loner. I like being around people especially since I am a single child. I had my share of me-time for a long time now. What I need is that comfort feeling that only people can give by sharing happiness and sorrows with one another.

More misery bestowed upon me when the God of Foods also had abandoned me to starve. There was no canteen giving food in my office. Only one place existed and that was a restaurant across the road, outside the campus. My salary was already reduced big time and I was already paying rent and now this!

It was like I threw my old comfortable cozy bed and bought a new one (don't know why!) and I am twitching and turning full time, not getting sleep. I felt continuously frustrated. I already quit my job in my mind. I was just dragging my body around.

5 Things to WATCH OUT while shifting to a new job and moving to a new city :-

1. When you are shifting your job and especially city for that job, collect the complete details of job requirement, working environment, food availability and quality, career ahead etc. Check thoroughly if the job is what you would love to do for a long time or at least you would not mind doing, because you are going to leave your comfort zone. You do not want hardships beyond a limit.

2. Do not fear taking a break from career life if necessary. Relax and enjoy the life before taking decisions, if you are at a crossroad. Seek advise from people who care about you. Finally draw a line and take the leap.

3. Explore all options. Establish connections with people prior to shifting and gather as much as information about the city like climate , diseases , wallet-friendly shopping places etc. Find out all opportunities for working and living in the new place where you want to be.

4. Money is not everything but it is still something. Never accept a job with less salary than what you were already earning (unless it is a strong passion of yours and you were longing to get into it). The reason is simple. Our expense and savings together give us joy. Take away any one, you will immediately feel that you are worthless. It is just a feeling but rather than overcoming it, you can certainly avoid falling into it.

5. Always keep a plan B if things did not work out in the new place or new job like you wished. And do not take stress. It does not solve anything. There will always be something to enjoy. Look around with an open mind.

Everything was slipping out of my hand like sand. I lost my peace of mind. The comfort of my city. The warmth of my home. I was not a homesick person. I became one!

The Biggest Loss in Gain!!

    What else can a girl lose at her marriage time apart from her own home ??.................. Weight!!😂
I gained weight because my food was irregular and lunch was regularly from restaurants. That was for me the height of depression.

There is a chance that you may fall into the hands of the city and the city will feed you with wrong stuff. So, always take care of your health. As soon as you settle somewhere new, find out the ways off eating healthy and staying fit.

5 Easy ways to STAY FIT :-

1. Start by doing small stretching out and exercises in your home.
2. Go for walking regularly. Avoid too much sitting. Keep an alarm to stand up if you are like me. 👧
3. Cook light food and avoid eating from outside. Depend more on fruits and water. Again, set alarm to drink water.
4. Go vegan until you feel confident to have non-veg.
5. Find out swimming, dancing, yoga or anything that works for you nearby your home or workplace.

Your clothes can measure your growth. Mostly it screams unwanted growth here and there. Nothing is more sad if you love a dress but you don't fit in it anymore. For someone who is right now feeling not so fit, get ready to change the way you feel. Keep a goal! The city is new. So can you! If nobody is watching, that's when you can start changing.


New City is New Life! Best or Worst, the Experience is Worth it! Make the Most of it!

Picking Out a Dress Part 3

PART 3: A-line Kurta Styles

First of all, A-line is a form of cut which takes the shape of A. It can be done in a Skirt, Kurta or a Dress.

We will see in detail regarding A-line kurtas in this post. A kurta is basically an Indian ethnic wear. It is worn along with leggings, pants, jeggings or jeans whereas a dress is a Western wear. 

As long as you are buying A-line you are safe around the hips. This is because the bottom half doesn't stick to your body like straight cut or body-fit. Both A-line kurta and dress looks awesome on all body types.

Secondly, A-line can have a variety of design combinations and flairs. It is not a single-style. We shall see some of the varieties below. 

Kurtas

Out of the numerous types of A-line kurtas available, I will explain 7 different types of looks. They are based on the following [Online links for the kurtas are also given]:-

Fully printed

White simple pattern

1. Color & Pattern -You can choose plain colors with or without simple patterns or go for fully patterned ones. It is totally based on your taste. The former can be paired with plain as well as printed bottoms. With multi-colored or fully printed ones, plain bottom would be more suitable.

Knee-length collared

Long and collared

2. Collar - Kurtas with Chinese collar look sophisticated and good for work environments. You don't have to worry about the neck line falling down. People with less height should wear collared and knee-length (left). One thing to add is, if your neck is short, closed collars will make you look suffocating. So go for open necklines. V-cut necklines are rare to find in  kurtas but if you do, that would be the best option for you.

Visible side-slit

High-slit middle

3. Slit - There can be no slit, small slit at middle or side, high-slit starting from waist (left pic) or a visible slit located anywhere(right pic). The last two look better with jeans, jeggings and palazos. Slits make it even more stylish. The good thing about visible slits is that your legs will appear longer through the slit. So they are particularly good for elevating the height.

Layered asymmetric

High-low 

4. Symmetry - The lower line of the kurta can be of even length or asymmetrically cut. In the left side, you can see a high-low cut which as it sounds has a length that is lower in the front and longer in the back. On the right side, you can see a double-layered asymmetric cut. Both are equally trendy. With plain block colored asymmetric kurtas with open neck like on the right, you can add accessories like chains or scarves or long earrings etc.

5. Double-design - In some kurtas, you can see two separate halves with different designs.The designs are arranged either  vertically(left), horizontally (right) or diagonally (middle). The best thing about double-designs is that the focus shifts entirely from your body to the design of the dress. It is an illusion creator.

Horizontal double-design

Vertical double-design

Diagonal double-printed

Medium flair 

6. Flair -  Flair is determined by how far you can hold the two sides of your kurta away from your body. Within A-line kurtas, the flair can be as less as equivalent to straight cut, moderate or full. Moderate flair suits all.

Full flair

Overcoat

Medium flair gives a slim down look with a good shape (left and middle) while large flairs have a heavy look since more fabric is present at the bottom(right). But it looks rich and therefore is more suited for special occasions to stand out in the crowd. Same way, kurtas with the overcoat type design (middle) can add an interest to the regular casual look.

Maxi kurta

7. Length - Kurtas usually have a length starting from just above the knees and can go up to the ankle. If your height is less, the shorter kurtas or complete full length kurtas have better chance of making you look longer ; the idea being show maximum length of legs or don't show at all! Full length kurtas sometimes look like maxi-dresses (left). They can be worn pretty much like a dress. It looks equally good on long and short, lean or chubby people, the reason being the dress prevents any assumption about the length or width of your legs.

Hope this post helps you in opening new options while looking for the perfect kurtas. Try out different styles and create a mind-blowing wardrobe. In the upcoming post, we shall see the A-line dress styles available and what type of look each one creates.