With my 19th birthday coming up, I thought it would be fun to share 19 facts about me!! I can’t believe this is going to be my last year as a teenager, but I am super excited for what’s to come!
1. I was born in India.
Not a lot of people know this about me, but I was born in Kolkata but moved to the US when I was 5 months old!
2. I know how to play the guitar and the ukulele.
I learned how to play the guitar when I was in middle school, and I taught myself how to play the ukulele! Both instruments are very similar, so it is really easy to learn how to play both at the same time!
3. I love going to concerts.
Some of my favorites so far have been Ariana Grande, Tame Impala, and The Weeknd! I was able to sit basically front row for The Weeknd concert, and that was hands down the best day of my life!
4. My favorite artists are Tame Impala and The Weeknd.
I absolutely love both of their music and I started to really like them in middle school! My favorite Tame Impala song is Mind Mischief, and my favorite The Weeknd song is probably either I was never there or Is there someone else.
5. My favorite food to eat are burgers.
My favorite burger spot in the Bay Area is Slider Bar in Palo Alto! They aren’t really burgers since they are sliders, which are basically a smaller version, but I love their food so much! I’ve been going here since probably 4th grade!! Check out my blog on the sliders I made at home!
6. I have a tattoo!
I recently got a tattoo of my nickname, Gunai, which my grandpa lovingly calls me. I wanted my first tattoo to be something meaningful, and I love my grandpa a lot, so I decided to get my nickname written in his handwriting near my wrist! The pain was a 6/10, and I loved how it turned out! I will definitely be getting a couple more in the future!
7. I’ve been dancing for 10+ years!
Since I was in kindergarten, I’ve learned Kathak, an Indian classical dance form. I love being able to wear different colorful outfits and dance on so many stages with my close friends in my group!
8. I love traveling.
My favorite places so far have been Hawaii and Mexico! However, I really want to go to Australia and London in the future!
9. I’m a freshman at UC Berkeley!
I can’t believe I’m almost done with my first year! I love everything about Berkeley, and being close to home is so nice!
10. My favorite macaron flavor is coffee!
I love anything coffee, so it’s no surprise that I put a lot of time into making my coffee macarons one of the best flavors offered!
11. I’m a true crime junkie.
I had a Buzzfeed Unsolved phase during the pandemic, and I was HOOKED! I loved learning about different unsolved crime cases, and that’s what honestly got me even more interested in psychology and criminal psychology!
12. I’ve been on TV!
When I was fundraising for Sunday Friends, I was fortunate enough to receive some media coverage! Seeing myself on TV was unreal, but the most important and best part was being able to spread awareness of my cause and educate more people about the educational disparities that the pandemic accentuated.
13. My least favorite foods are olives and bell peppers.
I just don’t like them, and you can’t convince me otherwise!
14. My favorite city I’ve been to so far is Boston!
I went to Boston right before I started high school for a week because my dad had some work events he had to attend. He told us to come along with him, and I’m so glad I did because I loved everything about the city! I also met my uncle, who lived there back then, and we got to see a lot of different places within the city! I would love to move and work there in the future if I had the chance!
15. I’m an only child.
Not much to say about this, but I definitely loved having all the attention on me growing up!
16. My favorite brunch spot is La Note at Berkeley!
Check out my blog about my favorite food spots in Berkeley, and you will see why I love this place!!
17. I love art, and I worked on an art portfolio in high school!
I did an art portfolio inspired by various different influences, like my culture, my love for design and architecture, and, of course, Meraki-X! You can take a look here!
18. I love photography.
My portfolio also included some of my photography! But I love how easy it is to find your own unique style when it comes to photography. Food photography and styling is something which I love to do and have learned a lot about over the years. I’m lucky to be able to continue food photography through Meraki-X! Check out my macaron portfolio for more!
19. One of my favorite books is The Namesake.
I read this book during high school, and I’ve never related more to a story. I always say that this book literally describes my life and my upbringing, and it is just very comforting to read. Seeing the different references to Bengali culture always reminds me of home, and I love it!
I hope you guys had fun learning more about me!! If you can relate to anything, do comment below or DM me!!
