This post is dedicated to Guju Slang Kid – a talented and creative artist who happens to be my friend.
He has recently released his first single – After Party – a feel good tune with uplifting beats which will have you moving to the music before you know it!
Guju Slang Kid – After Party
Guju Slang Kid brings his mother tongue Gujarati to the rap scene by combining it with a house/club beat which creates a blend of modern elements whilst rapping in his first language.
I caught up with Guju Slang Kid to ask him a few questions about his music journey.
Where are you originally from?
I was born in Nairobi, Kenya and I moved to Northampton at the age of 11. In terms of origin, my family is from Gujurat in India
What got you into rapping?
From an early age, I have had a passion for music and for writing my own lyrics and songs in various languages. Myfriends and I used to beat box and rap together at the basketball court and we hung around in the area where we lived. Rapping is a reminder of those great times and simple pleasures that makes us smile
What music did you grow up listening to?
I used to listen to mixtapes of UK and US artists such as Kano, Stormzy, So Solid Crew, Dizzy Rascal, and Skepta, Tupac, Dr Dre, 50 Cent, Eminem, Snoop Dog and so many more, but I also listened to Northampton artists who I went to school with
What inspired you most to release your first single?
I have been writing lyrics since a young age, and I wanted to put them into motion and make them a reality. My goal is to bring good vibes and inspire more people to make music. I find immense joy in knowing that my music can uplift and bring a smile to people’s faces
Do you think you can be any better as a musician and how would you like to achieve it?
Everybody can grow with experience and by having a can do attitude and learning from others, I believe that anybody can be a better musician
How do you feel now your 1st single has been released?
I feel happy that people can finally listen to my track. It feels like all the hard work has paid off
What is the song about?
The song celebrates great humour between friends and family along with coming together, dancing, letting loose and enjoying yourself
Why have you chosen to create this tune in a different language?
Growing up in Kenya whilst having an Indian origin allowed me to learn different languages. My grandmother’s influence helped me become fluent in Gujarati and I learned Hindi by watching Bollywood soaps and films. Also, listening to a diverse range of music has inspired me to integrate rapping in various languages with modern style beats in the hope of bringing a wide range of audiences to my music
What are your plans to make a difference?
By raising more awareness in the hope that more people can relate to what the words mean and bring that extra bit of joy into their life
Where do you see your career going?
I don’t see this as a career, I see this as a hobby and a passion for music and a way to get my vibes heard
I enjoyed finding out a bit more about Guju Slang Kid and his debut single. He says he is ‘determined to bring authentic and relatable music to the industry.’ I say we should celebrate anyone who is creative and is brave enough to put themselves out there – it’s an inspiration to all!
I, for one, will look forward to seeing his new journey unfold.
To get ‘After Party’ go to Guju Slang Kid’s website, but for those that can’t wait, listen below! Enjoy!
COVID has had a toll on everyone’s lives! I, for one, have piled on the pounds during lockdowns, drank too much and lost all motivation for everything including exercise and the list goes on. Now, even though the virus is still with us, the world is slowly opening up again which means we might be able to have that long awaited holiday abroad. But, if you’ve already started your journey back to fitness, how can you keep the momentum going if you do manage to get away? Let’s look at 7 ways to stay fit and healthy on your travels.
1. Walk everywhere
Wherever you end up, instead of taking the local public transportation, take to your own feet and walk. Not only is this a great form of exercise, but you’ll discover places and see things that you wouldn’t normally see if you’re stuck in the back seat of a taxi. Walking is also a great way to ‘get your bearings’ when you are visiting somewhere new.
Walking in Bangkok
2. Go jogging
Go for a jog around a park or on the beach. It’s free, it’s a good way to clear your mind and you’ll keep those extra pounds at bay. If the idea of jogging makes you feel like throwing up, start slowly walking, then get faster until you break into a jog. You’ll be amazed at how energised you’ll feel and your body will benefit from the fresh air.
Jogging in King Rama IX Park, Bangkok
3. Enjoy a swim
A fabulous form of exercise that will work your whole body, swimming is easy to fit into any holiday or longer trip. Everyone takes time to relax and, more often than not, that time is spent on a beach or by a swimming pool. Get in and do a few lengths of the pool or wade out into the blue ocean.
Swimming in Glenelg, Adelaide
4. Do body weight exercises
Body weight exercises need no equipment whatsoever. All you need is a bit of space and the motivation to stay active. Try push ups, burpees or air cycles. There are so many exercises you can do and all are designed to get your heart pumping and keep your body strong.
When you go travelling, it’s so tempting to overeat. I do it all the time – all those delicious new foods! I feel like I’ve put on ten stone by the time I’m heading home! Try to abstain from foods that you wouldn’t normally eat at home – MacDonalds, KFC etc. If you are self-catering, head to the local market where you’ll find a huge array of delicious fruits and vegetables or try to stick to healthy choices when eating out in restaurants.
Shopping in Rotterdam
Markthall – Rotterdam
6. Don’t drink alcohol every day
As with overeating, drinking alcohol every day is easily done. We have all been guilty of this one, waking up with a horrendous hangover and vowing never to drink again. Don’t cut out completely, especially if you enjoy a tipple with your evening meal, but don’t overdo it. Your head and your liver will thank you in the morning. Trust me, I have been there!
Drink sensibly – if you can!
7. Keep hydrated
If you are travelling through a hot country, it’s imperative to keep yourself hydrated. Most of us don’t drink nearly as much water as we should, and this is particularly important when the sun is constantly blazing down on you. Being hydrated will stop headaches and keep your energy levels up.
Here is the UK we are going through our third lockdown and we just don’t know when we will get our lives back. It’s hard to know what to do to keep our mental wellbeing in check.
For me, art is a way to relax my mind and unwind from the stress of my day.
I think of art as drawing, painting, sculpture or photography and I love to create my own art, but I also like to see the creations of other artists. It inspires me, it gives me ideas and it makes me happy.
Last year I started painting by numbers and it is so addictive! I can’t stop! As soon as I finish one, I start another. I have completed 5 paintings so far. I find myself totally in the flow where I think of nothing except what I am doing. If you want to relax and take a break from your routine, I thoroughly recommend it!
My first painting.. Amsterdam..
A rainy night street scene and Vincent Van Gogh’s Sunflowers..
Dolphins surfing..
My favourite (so far).. Blue Eyes..
Not only will you create something beautiful, but it will also boost your mental wellbeing.
To give you a little inspiration, here is a round-up of art from talkingthailand.
We all have times when even the smallest of tasks seem like an uphill climb. Life has a way of getting on top of us sometimes. But, staying motivated doesn’t have to be difficult, all it takes is a little determination and an ability to see the bigger picture. So, get up from your seat and try these things to stay at the top of your game.
Do some exercise
We all know that exercise makes you feel good, although the thought of going for a run makes some of us want to retreat to bed. But, just a few minutes of any type of exercise makes you feel happier – it’s the release of serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine into our brains that causes the feelings of well-being. Your mind becomes clearer and you feel like you could take on the world. Exercise also helps you to become more motivated to try new things or even to finish that task you started.
Exercise for motivation
Make a to-do list
A to-do list is a good way to keep focused and you’ll feel motivated to finish all the tasks on your list in a given time frame. It’s such a good feeling when you cross off the last task! Keep it small though because if you keep adding to the same list, those feelings of despair might creep in and that will have the opposite effect.
To-Do List. Source: Max Pixel
Start with small steps
Rome wasn’t
built in a day, so whatever you’re doing, don’t race to finish it! Take your
time and produce quality rather than quantity. Start with the small things and
progress to the bigger, and potentially more complicated, tasks. The sense of
achievement you will feel at completing even the smallest of tasks will make
you feel more confident and more likely to carry on.
Small steps. Source: Flickr
Get out into nature
If you’re
struggling with motivation, there is nothing better than to get out in the
fresh air. Go for a walk and surround yourself with nature. You will be
surprised how much listening to birds or sitting by a lake relaxes you. Your
thoughts will be clearer and you’ll be ready to get back on that
self-motivation wagon.
Get out into nature
Educate yourself
I don’t mean go and register for a course, although, you could do that. What I mean by educate yourself is to do something that interests you. Go to an art gallery, watch a documentary or read a blog or a book. You’ll be able to find inspiration in these things and recreate it into the things that you set out to do. By doing this, you will think to yourself “I can do that too”!
Educate yourself
Don’t compare yourself with others
Everyone has different goals and objectives in life, so don’t compare yourself with anyone else. If you constantly think that everyone around you has a better car or earns more money or has a better job, you won’t get anywhere and you won’t need anyone to put you down, you’ll be doing that yourself. Remember one thing, it’s your life! It’s not your business what anyone else is doing and vice versa. Concentrate on living your life and achieving things for yourself – that’s where the motivation lies, not to mention the empowerment!
Don’t compare yourself to others
Remember why you are doing what you do
You could
be the most motivated person on the planet, but there will be days when you
just can’t be bothered. We have all been there. What you’ve got to do is to
think of why you set out doing what you are doing in the first place. Take a
break from it, sure, but always think about the end goal or the big picture. If
you don’t carry on, you’re never going to get there!
Remember why you are doing what you do
Celebrate
your Success
When you are focused on achieving your goals, whatever they may be, you might forget to stop and think about what you’ve done. It’s so easy to get engrossed in what you’re doing, to get in the flow of things, and that’s a good thing, but simply thinking about what you have accomplished rather than what lies ahead can help your motivation levels. If you take a moment to realise just how successful you are already, you will more determined than ever, so celebrate your successes – however small they are!
I got the idea for this post from a Netflix show called Skin Wars (a fabulous insight into body painting – you should watch it!). The contestants painted their ideas onto someone’s body, I have chosen to write about my defining moments in life.
My Favourite Childhood
Memory
I remember the horse at my nursery. It was a spring horse and it was my favourite toy there. I’ve always loved horses and this may be what made me love them so much. I went to that nursery every day and I was never off the little horse, wrapped up in a world of fantasy as I bounced up and down on the saddle. I loved it that much, no other kid was allowed to play on it.
Spring Horse. Source: PublicDomainPictures
My Biggest Passion (s)
Growing up, I can’t say I was passionate about many things, but since going travelling and moving abroad over 10 years ago, my passion for certain things has grown. I love writing and I love photography and, until recently, I was always out and about with my camera and my notebook. (I will be doing that before long again – but I’m taking a little break from things). With both of these pastimes , I get to learn about different things and develop new skills, so it’s a win-win!
Photography Passion
My Greatest Achievement
My greatest achievement was getting my Bachelor of Science with honours in 2013. I started my Open University degree back in 1984. It was an Open degree, so I could choose any courses I wanted to make up the points I needed in order to obtain the full degree. I chose to do science and biology, brain, and behaviour, because that’s the sort of thing I was (am) interested in. I passed, but only just. After that, my life got in the way and I didn’t continue. However, after moving to Thailand, I decided to pick up where I left off. So, in 2010, I completed a psychology course which I passed with distinction. I was so thrilled with the result, it spurred me on. I did subsequent courses in philosophy, grammar, and myth in the Greek and Roman worlds – the latter 2 I did at the same time. Finally, in 2013, I achieved my degree. I was as proud as punch when I went to the degree ceremony to receive my award.
Degree ceremony
The Love of My Life
As I am currently single, the love of my life is my family. I’ve just returned home from living abroad for the past 10 years and while I am thinking about what to do next, I get to spend time with my beloved family. It’s so nice being close to them, being able to have coffee with my mum and sister or see my niece growing up. It’s lovely to be able to see them at a moment’s notice and to fully know what’s going on in their lives and not be separated by 6,000 miles.
Mum and Dad
My Most Memorable Adventure
In 2005, I took myself
to Australia for my first ever trip abroad. My second husband and I needed to have
time apart to decide whether we should continue our marriage, so I went to the
other side of the world. It took many walks up the beach to come to the
decision that two would become one. My decision set me on a path where I ended
up living in Thailand for 10 years. Since then, I have become more independent,
much happier, and I have learned lots of new things.
Adelaide, Australia
My Favourite Song (s)
This one is too hard to name just one song, so I am going to name 7! There are many more songs that I love.
Daft Punk ft. Pharrell
Williams and Nile Rogers – Lucky
This song is very different
from Daft Punk’s usual tunes, but I love it because it’s very uplifting and
makes me smile when I hear it
ABBA – I have a Dream
This is one of my favourites
from the movie Mamma Mia! I love it because the words are very inspiring – having
a dream and seeing good in everything. Everyone should have dreams and follow
them as best they can.
Xzibit – Paparazzi
(instrumental)
I heard this tune on season 1, episode 6 of The Sopranos when Junior becomes the official boss and they have a banquet to celebrate. Unbeknown to Junior, Tony and the others the FBI are covertly taking photos of them all. Xzibit’s Paparazzi was the theme tune and I don’t think I have ever heard a tune that goes so well with a scene. I had to watch it over again!
John Denver – Leaving on a Jet Plane
I love this song just
because every time I used to leave my family to go travelling or every time I flew
back to Bangkok after Christmas, they would sing this from the front door! It
makes me happy and it makes me cry!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFEhzS0hYco
Caro Emerald – On a Night
like This
A friend of mine told me about Caro Emerald and I started listening to her jazz and pop songs. On a night like this is feel good tune which never fails to get my foot tapping. I defy you to not sing along! The video is fab too – it reminds me of nights out with friends.
Israel Kamakawiwu’ole
– Somewhere over the Rainbow
I love this song
anyway, but Israel Kamakawiwu’ole’s ukulele melody version definitely takes you
somewhere over the rainbow. His voice is beautiful and matches the soft sound
of the ukulele. It conjures up images of his native Hawaii with blue seas and
white sandy beaches.
Louis Armstrong – It’s
a Wonderful World
The world is truly wonderful and Louis Armstrong’s raspy vocals perfectly captures this sentiment.
Let’s face it, there are plenty of things you can do to have fun. You can go to a concert, go on holiday, go shopping or arrange a party for friends, but everything is so expensive these days. The cost shouldn’t stop you in your quest to have fun, but if most of your salary is spent on bills what can you do? It’s important to have fun though. Having fun makes your life that much happier and more memorable, so don’t worry about a thing, here are 9 ways to have fun without spending money.
Draw a
picture
There are
endless subject materials in the world around us, you don’t even have to leave
the comfort of your home in order to draw. Grab a pencil and paper, look around
for something interesting and create your own drawing. It doesn’t matter if
your artistry skills aren’t up to scratch, the fun is in creating your own
masterpiece.
My Art
Write
Ever wanted
to put pen to paper and write something? Do it! Write about what you’ve done
that day, write about a favourite book or movie or simply write down your
thoughts. Start a blog and really get those creative juices flowing. You never
know, it might be something that you continue with and make it part of your
life.
Write something
Go for a walk
in the park
Leave the car at home and take a walk around your local park. Not only is it good exercise, but the sheer joy of walking, surrounded by trees and ponds, as you listen to the chirping birds and watch the squirrels scampering around is one of the simplest pleasures in life. And it’s completely free. Being outside in the fresh air makes you feel better too.
Beautiful nature – right on your doorstep
Bird
watching
This might not be an obvious choice, but bird-watching is another way to make the most of the great outdoors and have fun at the same time. You don’t have to go far, birds are everywhere! Remember to take your camera because half the fun is taking a photograph, but the other half is finding your subjects!
Backyard birds
Photography
challenge
Get out and about with your camera. You don’t have to have the latest model, you’re phone will do. Set yourself a challenge for the day and go out and see what you can find. Look for the small details, choose a colour or photograph one subject in different places, like doors or windows. It’s amazing what your eyes can see when you really open them and take in your surroundings.
Photographing the details
Listen to
music
Listen to
your favourite music and play tunes that you haven’t heard before – the shuffle
option on your playlist is good for that. Music has a way of lifting our
spirits, so kick off your shoes and dance around your living room like no one
is watching. As the song goes – the best things in life are free!
Listen to music – Source: Max Pixel
Learn
something new
Ever wanted to learn something new? A language? History? Philosophy? Learning doesn’t cost a penny, not if you take advantage of the wealth of information on the internet. It’s all right there at your fingertips and it’s free, so choose a subject and educate yourself. Not only will you develop your own knowledge, but you’ll be exercising your brain too!
Learning is fun – Source: Pixabay
Go on a
walking tour of your hometown
There’s no better way to learn about your hometown than to walk around it. When you go abroad, you’re a tourist and you spend time learning about your destination and taking lots of photographs, so why not do this in your own back yard and discover something you didn’t know.
Walking tour of your hometown
Do some
exercise
Exercise makes us feel good, but all that sweating and hard work might seem far from fun. To combat this, try hula-hoop dancing, belly-dancing or some other exercise that is upbeat and makes you smile. It feels a lot less like exercise, but it’s still great for your body and mind.
Salvador Dali is one of my favourite painters, not only for his surrealism and imagination, but it’s so much fun to look at his paintings. Talk about tricking your mind – he definitely succeeds in doing that. Swans Reflecting Elephants is a classic optical illusion.
Swans Reflecting Elephants – Salvador Dali/Source: www.dalipaintings.com
You’re looking at 3 swans on a lake, but their reflections turn into elephants – the clue is in the name! Look at it some more and you’ll suddenly realise that the tree trunks behind the swans are reflected as the elephants legs. Move your eyes away from the central focal point and see what else you can find. Can you see the man? The first time I saw this painting, I was blown away. The creativity and vision to be able to produce a piece like this is more than a little impressive.
I love Dali’s work, so imagine my excitement when I went to see an art exhibition at the Bangkok Art and Cultural Centre a couple of weeks ago.
Let me introduce – Oleg Shuplyak – a very talented artist from Ukraine and his Bangkok exhibition – Imaginarium (great title, don’t you think?)
Imaginarium by Oleg Shuplyak
Since 1991, Shuplyak has been showing his work at exhibitions across the world and he is a member of the National Union of Artists of Ukraine. I’d never heard of this artist before, but he’s definitely on my radar now.
Self-Portrait
The reason I compare Shuplyak to Dali is because he (Shuplyak) is best known for his optical illusions – an element that Dali used in his paintings. His paintings are portraits of famous people with hidden images – the hidden elements are very Daliesque!
Imagine – John Lennon
Every piece of work is very bright and colourful with so much detail and, of course, his trademark “painting within a painting.” Like with Dali’s paintings, the first time you look up close, you can see certain elements, but the more you look and widen your focus across the whole canvas, more things become apparent. People see things differently, and I couldn’t see the faces at first, but after stepping back they immediately popped out of the painting. Once your mind focuses on one thing, it’s difficult “not” to see it. That’s the beauty of this kind of art.
I found myself smiling more than once at this guy’s sheer brilliance. I scrutinised the faces and what was a mouth or an eye, turned out to be a bird or a house.
Hemingway
I kept chuckling to myself too because as I was looking at the fine details and the paint strokes, I’d move my eyes to the right and I could suddenly see…. well what can you see? It’s really fascinating.
Double portrait of Van Gogh
It really was fun to see his creations and to challenge myself in trying to find everything that was hidden. Just like Dali was, Oleg Shuplyak is a brilliant artist. Their work has been, and is, such an inspiration for other artists that follow. It was so pleasing just to be able to see this work and to appreciate the talent that has gone into creating such wonderful pieces.
It’s not only portraits he succeeds in hiding. This is one of my favourites!
Since I left the UK in 2007, I have become more creative and I have travelling to thank for that. I once read that people become more creative if they travel and see the world, but just how true is it?
I can’t speak for others, but I believe it is. The first time I went travelling, I became more interested in the world around me. I saw some beautiful, and not so beautiful, things. I experienced amazing things, I visited intriguing places, and I learned to open my eyes and appreciate the small things – to see wonder in them. Trees, birds, heck, even buildings. I was never interested in these things at home, but travel awakened a sense in me that I was barely aware of before. It gave me a new lease in life and I was more inclined to try different things and be more creative.
Now I live in Thailand and my creativity hasn’t gone – it’s only been enhanced. I love to write and take photographs, and I manage my two websites where I document life through my words and photography. I draw and paint (although not as much as I’d like), I’ve made my own Christmas decoration (still dangling), I’ve made presents for my family, and a vision board.
Handmade Christmas decoration
Living abroad has its challenges, one of which is you might not have the network of people that you have at home and you might need something to occupy your time – to stop yourself going a bit crazy. That’s certainly true for me and that’s where creativity comes in. It’s not just that, I find pleasure in creating things – whether that’s writing an article, or adding my photography to my website, or making something. It’s relaxing and you can’t beat the feeling of accomplishment when you sit back and look at your completed creation.
For naturally artistic types, living abroad doesn’t mean you can’t be creative. There are plenty of art shops to buy supplies (probably at a much cheaper price) and no end of inspiration, so here are a few ideas to get those creative juices flowing.
Photography
These days, everyone takes photographs of just about anything, but try and think of ways to make your photography more exciting.
Walk around, open your eyes and really take in your surroundings – by doing this I have learnt to look past the obvious things and hone in on the not-so obvious elements.
Instead of photographing everything, which I tend to do, think of ways to limit the amount of photographs you take by setting yourself daily challenges – pick a colour for the day or small details of buildings.
Focus on colours
Find an art gallery or bar that holds photo exhibitions and talk to them about displaying your work – a great way to work on your creativity skills as well as other skills, like organisation and communication and, more importantly, you’ll have fun at the same time.
On the Trail of Bangkok’s European Heritage photography exhibition
Make presents for family or friends by getting your photographs printed onto canvas – it’s not that expensive and it makes for a more thoughtful gift for your loved ones.
New Zealand Canvas Print
Draw or Paint
This is a fun and alternative idea to taking photographs and it will really stretch your creative skills.
I can draw better than I can paint, but only if I create something from a picture. There are no end of images you can use from the internet or you could use your own photographs to recreate into a drawing or painting – just choose your favourite images and paint them onto canvas or on paper which you can frame.
Painting from photographs – Sri Lanka
They look really fabulous displayed on your wall.
Art wall
Take a sketch pad out with you and draw or paint your subject instead. I did this on a beach on Koh Tao in Thailand. I sat down with my sketch pad and pencils in hand and started to create what I saw. I had a couple of people approach me to see what I was doing and since I’m not the greatest artist in the world, I felt like I wanted to stop and run away! But, don’t mind about others or if you think that you can’t do it, everything you produce is your own creation and you should be proud of the finished article.
Life drawings – boat off of Koh Tao
Life drawings – Hillside accommodation
Start a Blog
Start a blog about your travels. I started my blog in 2013 after I had been travelling and was back in the UK for a couple of years. I kept a journal while I was away, so I had loads of material from my travels that I created into blog posts. Since then I haven’t stopped – I write about places I have been to and things I have done as well as thoughts that creep into my head now and again – like poems and a memorial for a friend who sadly passed away.
There is loads of inspiration all around you. Write about the things you see and do. Write about the people you meet. Write about the restaurants you visit and what you ate. Write about the places you visited and the feeling you had when you were there. Write about anything, the subjects are endless and it will serve as a digital record of your life and experiences. You could even use your photographs for story ideas or look in your books and find inspiration from their table of contents.
Start a Scrapbook
I did this when I went travelling. The day I left work, my team gave me a journal so I could record my travels. I wrote in it most days along with plane, train and bus tickets, photos, temple tickets, receipts, and museum pamphlets. It’s up to you what goes in your scrapbook, it’s your memento of where you went, what you saw, and what you did. Things are easily forgotten, so this is an ideal way to bring those memories flooding back.
Travel journal
Another idea is to buy a scrapbook, it doesn’t have to be big, and fill it with whatever inspires you – for me that was photography. I went through some old magazines and found pictures of art designs, fireworks, lanterns, beach and city scenes – things that I find interesting and ideas for my photography.
Photography inspiration book
Make a Travel Vision Board
Vision boards are a great way to keep you focused on achieving your goals. All you need to do is to think about what inspires or motivates you and pin or glue pictures or words onto a board. Once your board is complete, place it somewhere where you’ll see it every day and your wishes will be implanted into your mind and hopefully come true.
I made a travel vision board. I used coloured card to cut out the letters of the countries I want to go to, then glued them onto a separate sheet and put it in a frame. I did another one of countries I have been to and used my photographs to cut out the letters. They now sit side-by-side next to my bed, so I can see them every day.
Travel vision board
Who knows if the power of visualisation actually works – all I know is that Italy was one of the countries I wanted to go to and I went to Rome earlier this year! Regardless of whether it works, and I really hope it does, it’s a lot of fun putting a vision board together!
What creative things do you do?
Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere. ~Albert Einstein
