The short story: Loud thinker. Chaos creator. Noodle fan. Graphic Designer. Food/Book/Travel nerd. I curate/scribe content on science, tech, media, arts and the society. Passionate about representation, access to education, clean environment, safe cyberspace and mental health support. An occasional photographer and short story writer. I also do social media freelance consulting as a side gig.

For details on my professional experience, take a look at my LinkedIn profile.

And now the long story if you have some time:

I lived for almost two and half decades in India before moving to Canada. While in India, I moved from Shillong: an extremely matriarchal city, to Chennai: an epitome of patriarchy. This difference was the first big eye-opener in my life. I learnt to adjust my expectations and live in a big city while holding on to my aspirations. And then came Canada. Canada was a pot-potpourri of emotions and experience. It is well known for its multicultural and socialist society. I saw glimpses of both Shillong and Chennai in Ottawa. Canada taught me that liberalism exists in the most unexpected of places/people. It also taught me that age-old misogyny is hidden deep inside sophisticated sections of the country. I can say that I have a (more or less) global picture of the condition of women empowerment and women rights.  and I would like to use this knowledge to educate and erase misconceptions that the first world and third world economies harbour about each other.

As a kid, I used to write for pleasure. Now I write out of necessity. There is a lot we need to talk about and think. And nothing is stronger, indelible and more permanent than the written word. I have a huge issue with representation of women (and men) in media. Almost all ads and films seem to rub me the wrong way. I write about representation, free education, rape culture, mental stability and the stigma surrounding mental illness, true equality and the root of sexism, awareness of sexual fluidity, more opportunities for transgenders, capitalism versus socialism, and a need for a more tolerant world.

I have a background in electrical engineering and worked in tech for 4 years before deciding to switch fields and move to digital media management/marketing. However I haven’t severed ties with my inner techie. I am deeply committed to social engineering and green technology. I am involved in a few low budget development projects; working on a freelance basis and communicating directly with customers to deliver the product they want.

Interacting with people from different backgrounds, races, ethnicity, and sexual identities has made me realise how much I was unaware of. I want to learn how to use the media not just  to inform or educate, but to also enlighten and sensitize people about millions of social issues. Even the fact that there are different kinds of feminists and that there is no blanket rule for everyone is something that I would love to explore and promote. I enjoy interviewing local artists and artisans who are in need of media exposure. Perhaps what I would love most would be to use the media to show through my experience that despite cultural, linguistic, economic and political differences, transgenders and women face similar adversities around the globe. And at the end of the day, we are all fighting for the same kind of equality.

This is my official blog page. As part of my job, I also manage the official Tumblr page of the Ask Women Anything series, a talk show organized by Media Action Média, an Ottawa based NPO that promotes gender equity in media. I am also an author with Wingd, another Ottawa based community that promotes rich, informative and intellectual content online. I am also a contributor to Shillong Advisor, an online community of local tourist attractions in Northeast India. I recently joined The Festival Of India, also an Ottawa based community, as the director of social media and design. My most recent accomplishment is securing the Google analyst position with Women in Communication and Technology, A Canadian non-profit organization.

At some point in my life, I was a pretty decent Bharatnatyam dancer. I love 60’s and 70’s rock music, metal, Shakira, Beyonce, instrumental, The Fresh Prince, The Good Wife and Karnatic classical. Favourite authors are Ruskin Bond, Amitav Ghosh, Arundhati Roy, Chimamanda Adichie, Ken Follet and Jhumpa Lahiri. I also love smelling new stationery.