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Tricity buzz: Psychology student sets up mental health café in Mohali
Visitors to the mental health cafe in Mohali are provided mindfulness colouring sheets as a part of art therapy besides colour games, personality test game and a game of dares
In order to break the stigma attached to mental health and encourage people to talk more about mental health issues, Chandigarh-based entrepreneur Angel D’Souza, 21, recently opened the tricity’s first mental health café, Your Sugar Daddy, in Phase 2, Mohali.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, Angel, who is pursuing psychology at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada, conceptualised the idea of providing a warm and welcoming space for customers to talk about mental health issues over a cup of coffee.
Visitors are provided mindfulness colouring sheets as a part of art therapy besides colour games, adapted from the Stroop effect, a personality test game, and a game of dares where a customer talks to another sitting on the table beside him/her.
When AAP leader Sisodia kept aam aadmi waiting
The aam aadmi of Chandigarh waited patiently for Aam Aadmi Party leader and Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia at an AAP event at CII building last week. “We were invited at 5pm, but Sisodia showed up around 7pm. Most of us waited because we know the aam aadmi has to wait for big leaders,” said a local resident. The AAP had invited residents from different walks of life to give their inputs for the party’s manifesto for the December 24 municipal corporation elections. For local journalists, who were asked stay out of the event room, the wait of two-and-a-half hours remained fruitless as Sisodia didn’t take questions on the Chandigarh municipal elections.
In hurry to take credit, UT cops jump the gun
The credit war between different wings of Chandigarh Police came to the fore last week when a unit, based on “a selective leak”, arrested the suspect who fired at the police in Industrial Area, leaving a home guard volunteer injured. In the hurry to take credit, the police team involved in the questioning of the suspect did not carry out proper verification and identification of the accused. Its claims fell flat as the victim failed to identify the suspect and he was released following a habeas corpus writ in the high court. In the “selective leak”, the police even said that the detained suspect has two cases of snatching against him and the weapon used in the crime has been recovered.
Cop drives home point on patriarchal mindset
A cop posted near the barricade at Elante Mall stopped a car the other day to challan a young couple as they were not wearing masks. Realising they were newlyweds, he congratulated the couple and let them go but not without a piece of advice, “Sir, shaadi toh mubarak ho, lekin gaadi aap chalaaya karo (Congratulations on your wedding, but sir you should be driving the car and not ma’am).” Patriarchy sure is deep-rooted.
Sorry, no western culture, we’re Indian
During the inspection of the Chandigarh railway station by passenger services committee (PSC) chairman Ramesh Chandra Ratn on Friday, a book stall seller was told to take down two magazines for their being “inappropriate and against Indian culture”. When some people objected as both magazines are from reputed publications, Ratn said, “I’m not against western culture, but I have to keep a check on material that can corrupt the minds of youngsters.”
MC elections: Three aces up the sleeve of RWAs
With the Chandigarh municipal corporation (MC) elections coming up next month, the president of the Modern Housing Complex (MHC) Residents Welfare Association (RWA) has made a video for voters regarding the three aces that RWAs and people hold. “Just as in a card game, whoever holds three aces wins. Whoever you vote for, remember these three traits: The candidate’s ability, availability and assertiveness,” the RWA president said, adding keep political affiliations aside and vote for candidates based on their performance.
Inputs by Hillary Victor, Munieshwer A Sagar, Shailee Dogra, Tanbir Dhaliwal and Rajanbir Singh
