We’re catching up with Kanishtha Dhankhar, Supermodel, Former Miss India and FCC Mumbai Member. Since you last saw her giving us a tour of Mumbai, Kanishtha has been spending some time in Seoul, South Korea! We’re intrigued to know more about her and the time spent in Seoul.
FCC Mumbai: First things first, we’d love to hear about what’s keeping you busy in Seoul!
Kanishtha: I’ve spent 3 months in Seoul and I absolutely adore the city. It offers a wide variety of things to do. It’s a hobby based city and I love being creative, so I’ve been learning how to make ceramics, to make my own perfume and vegan cosmetics. I have also been volunteering at an orphanage where the babies are all between 1 day and 6 months old and volunteering with a women’s association which raises funds for many different charities in South Korea. I also got to go speak to the 6th graders at the Seoul Foreign School as a guest lecturer and had a super fun afternoon speaking to them about making positive impact in their lives and society. It’s been insightful to be part of the local life in Seoul. I feel I have learnt a new culture. The people are soft spoken and mostly keep to themselves but its’ a refreshing break from the noise and chaos of streets in India. It’s a super fashionable city, so it’s fun to see the street style every day, it’s the fashion lover in me . Oh and the South Koreans love coffee and design , so there’s a beautiful coffee shop on every corner, it’s just that I don’t drink coffee so it’s nice to pass by and smell the aroma of coffee all over the city. Also the South Koreans are big on cosmetics and skin care, there are isles and isles of so many different beauty brands to choose from, it’s like being a maze and there’s no one right product. It’s exhilarating to walk out without buying too much. 🙂
FCC Mumbai: As many of our FCC Mumbai members will agree, moving cities can be daunting! What’s helped ease your transition and helped you fit in to your new city?
Kanishtha: It definitely is daunting, but it’s also an adventure and I’m sure most would agree. It can be exciting when discovering new restaurants and parts of the city but extremely lonely at the same time. I have discovered after my time there that any peace comes from a certain balance of doing and being; to find new activities and discover new things but also be realistic and spending time with oneself just adapting to the new environment consciously is important. Much easier said than done. What truly helps is having a routine and finding a yoga class or running group can bring wonders to being able to process all the changes one is going through. Also looking for local hobbies is a great way to meet people and slowly get to know the culture. Lastly, but most importantly it’s important to take each day as it comes and not try to rush oneself into the feeling of being grounded, because changing cities means changing lives. It is a slow process of starting out again, meeting the right people for you and making friends and thus important to stay connected to yourself by not rushing into things.
FCC Mumbai: On a related note, do you have any advice for our FCC Mumbai members planning an international move?
Kanishtha: One day at a time and constantly re-centering oneself by reminding oneself that things take time.
FCC Mumbai: We’re keen to hear a bit more about Seoul! Any top spots or experiences so far that you can share with us?
Kanishtha: The Namsan mountain during spring is full of Cherry Blossoms, and a great place for a stroll or run. Hannam- dong is the coolest neighborhood with loads of cafes, restaurants which offer vegan and vegetarian and modern cuisine but also some cute jazz bars. There’s a lot of one day ceramic classes which could be fun to explore.
FCC Mumbai: What do you miss most from Mumbai and what do you have found in Seoul that wasn’t in Mumbai?
Kanishtha: What I miss is Coconuts! What I’ve found is Love.
If you have any questions for Kanishtha, write in to us at mumbai@frenchcuriosityclub.com !
To know more about Kanishtha, read her interview by FCC Mumbai.
