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by Shaheen Rajan

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Crash Course: Setting up a business partnership in Berlin, Germany

Sarmad Hashmi suggests 12 must-have apps for content creators & digital entrepreneurs

A Tablet (computer) for Your Parents

Corona Warn App – all that you need to know about Germany’s contact tracing app for Covid’19

Black Lives Matter – The Berlin Edit

Two Ways to Avoid Yeast Infection

Crash Course: Setting up a business partnership in Berlin, Germany

Sarmad Hashmi suggests 12 must-have apps for content creators & digital entrepreneurs

A Tablet (computer) for Your Parents

Corona Warn App – all that you need to know about Germany’s contact tracing app for ...

Black Lives Matter – The Berlin Edit

Two Ways to Avoid Yeast Infection

Reversible Fashion
#Style

Reversible fashion: Making a purchase count – TWICE.

18th December 202018th December 2020 0

Back in 2014, I saw a bag in Ibn-e-Batuta mall. It was at a kiosk close to the entrance, with buttery black faux leather on the outside and hints of sunshine yellow on the inside. It was your usual tote, […]

#Lifestyle #My Berlin

Crash Course: Setting up a business partnership in Berlin, Germany

8th December 20208th December 2020 0

German bureaucracy is complicated. You know that. I know that. Blair St. Clair knows that. But here’s the good news – their processes are pretty standard. The challenge here actually is lack of concrete resources to guide us, expats, through […]

perfect biryani rice recipe
#Food Experiments #Pakistani Things

Recipe: Perfectly cooked rice for Biryani

4th December 20204th December 2020 0

As someone who was born and raised in world’s capital of Biryani, aka Karachi, let me in you on a little secret. Roasted potatoes, perfectly cooked rice and layering maketh a good biryani. These elements often never make it to […]

Balea elektrischer gesichtshaarentferner
#Beauty

Review: Balea’s Electric Facial Hair Remover (elektrischer gesichtshaarentferner)

2nd December 20202nd December 2020 0

Where my hairy girls at?!?! We are back in semi-lockdown here in Berlin. While you can get a haircut, you can’t get your face waxed. It was difficult in the beginning, especially as I am blessed with rather strong facial […]

#Bloggers #Lifestyle

Sarmad Hashmi suggests 12 must-have apps for content creators & digital entrepreneurs

30th November 202030th November 2020 0

A few days ago, I asked for recommendations from you guys on Instagram for mobile applications that have made your life easier. While I got some really interesting suggestions, the ones that Sarmad Hashmi (the quirky mind and soul behind […]

wellensteyn schneezauber jacke damen
#Style

I finally took the plunge and bought a proper winter jacket. And it’s AMAZING!

28th November 202027th November 2020 0

Do you know how long I waited before buying a proper winter jacket? TOO LONG. At first, I kept putting it off because I wanted to lose 20 kilos. I mean, if I were to invest 300€, it better serve […]

Giveaway KU2 Cosmetics
#Beauty

Giveaway Alert – Beauty Box worth 290€ can be yours!

27th November 20206th December 2020 0

It’s the season to be thankful, so here I am, saying thank YOU for your support, with a truckload of gratitude as well as a curated BEAUTY BOX worth 290€! So what’s in the box? Everything you need to treat […]

#Relationships

Gift Ideas: For HIM (your personal mister)

13th November 202013th November 2020 0

After 10 years of being together, I am just about out of ideas for what to buy for Mister on his birthday. I have done pretty much all the standard, cliched, creative, Google recommendations, Soul Sisters suggestions…everything. So now, I […]

#Eating Out #Pakistani Things

RajanKaKarachi ep.10: Food Diaries 2020

23rd October 202023rd October 2020 1

Summing up all the places that I ate at, with super quick reviews. The ones that I enjoyed and would 100% go back to again have their names in green. The criteria is not just the taste but also what […]

Flying from Pakistan to Germany in times of Corona
#Pakistani Things #Travel

Travel Update – Flying back to Germany from Pakistan with Qatar Airways

21st October 202021st October 2020 0

The return journey wasn’t very different from the one to Karachi from Berlin, other than one crucial detail – mandatory negative corona test report. For details of my flight from Berlin to Karachi, please check out this video. Coming back […]

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About Me:

Hi.

I am Shaheen.

I have loads to say, and some say that I can be a great listener. So let’s chat in comments?

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It’s Saturday, which means that it is #bloggersd It’s Saturday, which means that it is #bloggersdayoff for me but I couldn’t stay away (also, it’s after midnight, which means it is Sunday, and I can be here on a technicality 😁).  Bunte Markhor goes live in less than 12 hours, and my stomach is in knots. I haven’t done something this huge in a long long long time. It is like holding your breath but also staying alive. So much rides on this, and the nervousness is finally kicking in.
I had wanted to be an entrepreneur all my life. I used to play office office with my sister when young, where we’d work on our game laptops, pretend our notebooks were files with REALLY important documents, and look very busy. Just punching in keys while the laptop would whisper ‘3 plus 8 is...11. That’s right!’.  And after all these years, it is finally happening. All that hard work, stress, late nights, winging it with Google’s help, Mother India’s duas, dad’s priceless business and financial advices, brainstorming with Sabeel, photographing with Hira, hooking up with fantastic artisans on Amy's recommendation, being cheered on by Gaby, and unwavering technical and emotional support by N, is finally meeting fruition today. How do I stop this relentless fluttering in my heart folk(ses)?  Repost @buntemarkhor
・・・
[DE]  Bevor wir offiziell die Türen öffnen, möchte ich diesen Moment nutzen, um mich persönlich bei jeder einzelnen Person zu bedanken, die uns begleitet hat, uns unterstützt, mit uns gearbeitet und uns angefeuert hat. Freunde, Familie, Freunde wie Familie, professionelle Mitarbeiter... jeder einzelne von Ihnen. Dies ist ein Sieg für uns. Für uns alle.  Auf einen neuen Anfang, auf die Bewahrung des Handwerks, auf die Förderung von Kunsthandwerkern, auf das Teilen von farbenfrohen Erbstücken, auf ethische Geschäftspraktiken, auf Bewusstheit und Achtsamkeit, auf Bunte Markhor 🥂  Viel Liebe,
Shaheen Rajan
Gründerin, Bunte Markhor
Emotional Mirroring is a legit thing folk(ses). L Emotional Mirroring is a legit thing folk(ses).  Last night, at 3am, while trying to get some writing done for @BunteMarkhor, I took an Instagram break and watched some stories. Marium was doing her reflections for 2020, and when it came to the part where she couldn't see her family and the stress/frustration/anxiety/sadness that comes with it, I teared up too. It was so close to home. Most of us have been there this year, lived through or maybe still living through it, aching to see faces that had been away for way too long. I saw those stories, and a few tears escaped. It's called Mirroring.  Mirroring is actually how children learn to emote. Have you ever noticed how you make funny noises and smile from ear to ear to illicit a smile out of a baby? You could be singing a tamil song to your Pakistani infant but they catch on to that enthusiasm and smile. They mirror it.  In adult world, this condition is called mirror-touch synesthesia. About 2% of the people in the world have it (according to @huffpost). This may sound like empathy but it goes beyond that; people with this condition, simplistically speaking, have cross wiring in their brain and mix up visual and touch senses.
You know how you flinch when you see someone landing a punch on screen, that's it. You don't wince, you flinch, as if it were your face. You mirror the emotions. It's a great asset when you are in a positive environment and work place. It can also be highly detrimental if you are surrounded by mediocrity and abuse.  For the longest of time, I thought I am this way because I am highly adaptable. Turns out, it's more than that. I am a sheesha 😁  Who else here is a self diagnosed mirror-touch synesthete?  Oh and Happy Friday folk(ses)!  #berlinblogger #talkingemotions #mirrortouchsynesthesia #empathy #2020reflections #pakistanigirlingermany
I wanted to do a glamorous new years post, where I I wanted to do a glamorous new years post, where I’d blow dry my hair and wear foundation. While I did get all dressed to hang with my living room with Mister on NYE, there are no pictures for the gram. Bummer. So instead, let’s ring it in with my other love - Berlin. Isn’t she a beauty?  Before I go on to fully embrace 2021, I want to take a minute to share all the things that I did for the very first time in 2020. Despite it’s challenges and curveballs, it was a year with some sort of growth for most of us, and I want to bid the year that was farewell by recounting my firsts in 2020. Something I can look back to, and smile. Or roll my eyes. Emote, in some way. I have on purpose skipped the obvious, like wearing a mask, social distancing, being locked down and fearing for the health and safety of loved ones.  Ready? No? Okay, but phir bhi chalo. Please. Swipe away for 1-9.  10. It was this year, amidst bankruptcy and financial anxiety, that I founded my first business, and realised my dream of bringing Pakistani craftsmanship and colours to Germany. Say hello to @buntemarkhor.  It was one heck of a year. And I looking forward to 2021 with a gusto of hungry monkey.  #berlinblogger #pakistanigirlingermany #happynewyear #2021 #throwback #bestof2020
* D E T A C H * This will forever be my number on * D E T A C H *  This will forever be my number one rule for letting go and moving on. If you have been part of my insta tribe for a while, you must have seen me talk often about letting go. It is one of the things that I struggle with, and have consciously worked on for last 2 years. I am not a masochist yet I would go over and over situations and events, find my own faults, reprimand myself for not being able to control the situation and overthink something that neither serves me nor can be salvaged. Letting go is hard for me, and this 'mantra' has served me so well. When reminders and triggers are out of sight, you might let go sooner, heal faster, move on to the next chapter.  So before 2021 begins, consider cleaning your phone and deleting all the conversations, photos and videos that no longer serve your elevation. You owe that to yourself. You survived 2020, so let that be your reward. A start without emotional shackles.  Side note: I love writing about emotions, relationships and feelings. It is my number one reason for keeping cherrycross.com alive. But my words may sit differently with you. Someone pointed out to me recently that my posts featuring emotions are often sad and depressing. And I was surprised to hear that for I see it as the exact opposite. I find them like the light AFTER you have crossed the tunnel. Like a hand to pull you forward. So if this triggers you in any way, I am truly sorry, and know that this is merely a helping hand if you need one.  #berlinblogger #detach #choseyou #endoftheyearchallenge
Best of 4? I am voting for picture 3 - green lips Best of 4? I am voting for picture 3 - green lips state of mind.  Es gibt eine Wissenschaft, die Farben zum Funktionieren zu bringen. Traditionell passt Gold wunderbar zu Karminrot. In der modernen Welt wird es oft mit Schwarz und Weiß gepaart. Aber lassen Sie mich Ihnen ein Styling-Geheimnis verraten. Gold kann mit so gut wie jeder Farbe kombiniert werden, wenn man eine weitere Farbe hinzufügt, um die Palette auszugleichen.
Hier zum Beispiel wollte ich zu Weihnachten und Quaids Geburtstag Grün tragen, zusammen mit den festlichen mattgoldenen Ohrringen von @thedesicornershop. Gold und Viridiangrün gehören zur gleichen Hälfte des Farbspektrums, also fügte ich ein wenig Kontrast mit tiefmagentafarbener Lippenfarbe hinzu (wie @zayfied liquid lipstick Nida). Das verleiht dem Look ein wenig Pop und bindet ihn zusammen.  Wenn ich zu einem formellen Anlass gehen müsste, hätte ich etwas Scharlachrotes gewählt. Und wenn es ein Konzert wäre, wären grüne Lippen der Renner. Sehen Sie sich mehr scharlachrote und grüne Optionen an mir in den Stories an. Ich liebe übrigens das Grün!  Mode soll Spaß machen. Also haben Sie Spaß damit. Es gibt keine zu heiligen Regeln.  Wenn Sie bei einer Farbe nicht weiterkommen, lassen Sie es mich in den Kommentaren wissen und ich werde versuchen, eine komplementäre Lippenfarbe für Sie vorzuschlagen 😊.
Got a little Christmas party of my own with a gold Got a little Christmas party of my own with a golden ear candy 🎄Frohe Weihnachten folk(ses)! Wishing you happiness and health for this season and all the coming seasons ahead 🌸  Earrings by @thedesicornershop  #berlinblogger #weihnachtsbaum #christmas2020 #pakistanigirlingermany #gifted
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Fancy some goodies?

Balea elektrischer gesichtshaarentferner

Review: Balea’s Electric Facial Hair Remover (elektrischer gesichtshaarentferner)

2nd December 2020 / Shaheen Rajan
Giveaway KU2 Cosmetics

Giveaway Alert – Beauty Box worth 290€ can be yours!

27th November 2020 / Shaheen Rajan
alverde NATURKOSMETIK Deo Creme Deodorant Bio-Bergamotte & Bio-Minze,

Review: Alverde Naturkosmetik Cream Deodorant (Bergamot and Mint)

31st August 2020 / Shaheen Rajan
Svenja Wallberg’s Microneedle Body Roller

I tried microneedling with Svenja Wallberg Microneedle Body Roller and here’s the verdict

27th August 2020 / Shaheen Rajan

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