3T: Kindly introduce yourself and tell us how it was like growing up.
Lhingneiching: My name is Lhingneiching Teresa Haokip. My close friends and near ones call me Te, Tete, Teresa. I was born and brought up in a small town of Leimakhong bazaar, Kangpokpi District, Manipur. I belong to the Kuki community and Thadou is my first language. I grew up in a close knit Christian family where love is the essence of life. I am the last born of the family and very close to my parents.
The only thing I vividly remember growing up was, I was quite an independent and ambitious kid, my homework and studies used to be my priorities. I was that kid who would perform well academically but also have some fun time playing and having enough social life. I was a sincere student who used to top the class in all the exams from the 3rd to 10th grade. Besides that, I grew up singing a lot too, in church functions, concerts, weddings, I would get an invitation to perform as a teenager. I would have juggled my time between studying and going places singing since I was in the 7th standard. For higher studies I went to Delhi and that was how my life as an adult started. Currently, I am pursuing a doctorate degree from NEHU, Shillong alongside teaching here in Tetso College.
3T: What is a typical day like in your life?
Lhingneiching: My typical day usually starts at 5 a.m., a bit of an early bird. I would try to be as productive as I can everyday by doing some chores like cleaning, washing, laundry etc. I read some books and do my research work if I’m not engaged in College work. I like to listen to music, watch some shows, chill and relax. In short, my typical days are quite typical and boring.
3T: What are your must-have smartphone apps?
Lhingneiching: The one smartphone app I cannot do without is of course WhatsApp. From important educational, professional WhatsApp groups to friends and family WhatsApp groups, it is the one app that almost everyone cannot do without. Not a big fan of social media like Instagram and Facebook, WhatsApp is the place where I can actually express myself unapologetically.
I also swear by the Oxford English dictionary app, which I have been using for the past 6 years or so. It comes very handy in many situations. Now that I am teaching, the app has become more helpful. The feature of the invoice facility for pronunciations add an extra edge to its usefulness.
Lastly but not the least, since I am on this new journey of trying to have a healthy lifestyle, I am using this app called “healthify me”. It is a health and fitness app that assigns expert nutritionists for each customer who will provide personalized smart meal plans and customized work out plans for you. As they say a healthy body gives a healthy mind, this is the app I swear by for now.
3T: Everybody has good and bad days. As a teacher, how do you motivate yourself on bad days to impart knowledge to your students without fail?
Lhingneiching: So far, my bad days in my personal or outside the class has never affected my mood inside the class or the way I teach. However, sometimes for the teachers, bad days are created by the students unintentionally/ intentionally, the point is not to take it personally. I have prepared myself to accept the fact that not everyone has the same personality and the zeal to learn something new everyday, some students may be sincere and some may be not. This realization and acceptance has helped me not to be distracted by any distraction inside the class.
3T: The Nagaland University UG Final Semester results were declared recently, what is your take on the results of our college and other colleges in Nagaland?
Lhingneiching: The 6th semester’s result was quite impressive with 3 overall toppers in the Nagaland University. The pass percentage across all departments of Tetso College was also plausible. I believe that Tetso College will only grow in this aspect.
3T: In which other teacher’s class would you like to enroll, even for a day and why?
Lhingneiching: Sometimes I like going out of my comfort zone and challenging myself. So, if given the chance, I would like to enroll in Sir Nangshiba’s class and see how different and challenging mathematics is as a subject.
3T: Is there a quote or saying that you live your life by?
Lhingneiching: ‘The purpose of our lives is to be happy’ – Dalai Lama.
I believe that everything that we do in life is just a means to an end of ‘happiness’. Different people may have different definitions of what happiness really is. For some happiness may come from material things, for some it may come from having a healthy and successful relationship, for some it may be just being content in what they have. But eventually, everyone strives for happiness no matter what they do. I personally aspire to be happy in life. I do not put anything over my mental and physical health. I would like to do things that make me happy and content.
3T: What book are you reading at the moment?
Lhingneiching: At the moment I am reading a book called ‘The Ikigai Journey: A Practical Guide to Finding Happiness and Purpose the Japanese Way’ by Hector Garcia and Francesc Miralles. The book is basically about how to live longer, healthier and happier by the Japanese way of ‘Ikigai’ which translates to ‘ reason to live’. The Ikigai way of life has helped the Japanese live longer and have more joyful lives. The book gives lessons on how having a purpose in life brings longevity and happiness in our lives. In a world that we live in which is driven by competitions and conflicts, we often question our abilities and importance and fight with our own self to become better than ever. The book has helped me in dealing with my stress and anxiety disorders which comes from my personal and professional life pressures. It helps me to keep going even when situations are not in my favor. The book is my go- to when I feel drained and empty. While I am still half way through reading the book, I hope it will help me discover my ‘Ikigai’. I sincerely recommend this book to everyone who is yet to realize their life purpose and wants to find true happiness in oneself.
3T: Can you tell us your hobbies? What is one of your hidden talents?
Lhingneiching: Well I don’t have many interesting hobbies to be honest. In my free time I like to listen to music and have a good time. I love watching reality TV shows too. I love comedy shows, Key and Peele on Comedy Central is my absolute muse. I would like to believe that I love gardening too but not so much of an expert in the field.
My hidden talent would have to be singing, for some people that do not know me well.
3T: Would you rather go back in the past to undo an action you regret or go to the future to see what the future holds?
Lhingneiching: I would not want to go to the future because I like the uncertainties and challenges that life has to bring forth. It gives me a purpose and the drive to work harder in life. If I had to know what the future holds for me, beforehand, there would be no point in trying to do different things, life would be monotonous, purposeless and dull.
I would rather go back in time and fix and mend a few mistakes that I made. I would want to spend a final time with my loved ones who have left for the heavenly abode, tell them how much I love them and miss them every single day. And if given a chance to time travel, I would love to go back to the 50’s. There is something about the 50’s that always fascinates me, its aesthetic and fashion, the popular culture, the music genres of rock and roll etc. I would want to experience what it would be like living in the era of icons like Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Presley.
3T: Who inspires you the most and why?
Lhingneiching: My parents are my literal source of inspiration. My father has taught me the importance of hard work, loyalty, integrity, and ethics. He is a man of God whose faith is unshaken and every time I look at him, I always want to be the better version of myself. Also, my mother is the epitome of what a strong and selfless woman looks like. From my mother, I learned how tenacious and steadfast a woman can be when necessary. She sets an example, for me and my siblings, the art of persistence and not giving up no matter what. No matter what may come in her life, I have never seen my mother giving up on her responsibilities and that’s the one quality that I would want to emulate every time I feel down and drained. She is my biggest support when it comes to my education and career too and everything that I am now today is only because of my parents support and prayers.
3T: What’s the one thing people do not know about you?
Lhingneiching: Most people do not know that I am an ambivert. After socializing for a certain point, I love to have my alone time because mostly I find comfort in my own company.
3T: Having been a student yourself, is there any mistake that you committed as a student that you don’t want your students to make?
Lhingneiching: The one mistake that I committed as a student would have to be procrastinating and piling up things/ work for the last minute. I don’t want my students to make the same mistakes that I committed. It is important to know that success cannot be achieved overnight rather it is consistency, the sum of little works that brings success in life.
3T: Among the people you’ve worked with, who do you admire and why?
Lhingneiching: Since I do not know everyone personally that well yet, I do not have anyone that I admire in particular but I think the HR department is very efficient in delivering its work and have done a tremendous job so far.
3T: Describe Tetso College in 3 words.
Lhingneiching: Professional. Robust. Avant-garde.