Meet up to let your hair down

Technology has usually been taking the flak for urban isolation. But a Bengaluru-based trio has used the very medium to build a community that gets people outdoors, meeting, Gone are the days when holidays meant gathering up your friends for running around aimlessly or for your choice of games. If people aren’t wrapping up overtime at work, they are usually trying to sleep off the sluggishness of overwork as the day starts. The “early risers” might even decide to interact with their buddies-online, in virtual bubbles!

Urban isolation is not a myth. And this reality egged siblings Harihara and Shubha Pradha Somashekaron to creating a community with their mentor Abhay Toshniwal, where like-minded people could meet and greet and partake in hobbies and common interests.  Known as ‘That Extra Step’ (TES), the community hosts events, workshop, and activities-experiences like a game of Frisbee, block-printingworkshops, games, partner yoga and movie nights.

Connecting people
The siblings’ idea was to build a community to combat isolation by creating a sense of belongingness through clean fun. And thus TES, a non-judgemental space where people can connect with others and enrich their livesthrough experiences in it.

Harihara, Founder, TES, explains, “TES enables people to meet one another, learn new things and, most importantly, play-something most of us have forgotten to do as adults. That Extra Step continues enabling real-world connections and indulges in the joy of doing things together.” Harihara’s sister and co-founder of TES, Shubha Pradha Somashekar enjoys watching new bonds being formed at all of their gatherings, across all ages. “While there is a convenience in technology, it also keeps you from human interaction. It really helps that I love being behind the scenes, and nothing makes me happier than to watch new bonds being formed at all of our gatherings, across all ages! It’s pure joy, knowing you’re enabling new friendships” she says.

Abhay, the co-founder and mentor at the 200 member community which is eventually increasing, tries to reproduce in TES the joy of experiences from his childhood days. “I was extremely happy to share  my extensive experiences growing up in Bengaluru (pre-Internet in the 80s/90s) when we didn’t have a smart phone and all our socialising and making new friends happened face to face. It’s been extremely rewarding mentoring them and seeing people responding to That Extra Step so positively. I think the best reward has been to see new friendships forming and seeing put away their phones for a few hours and enjoying each other’s company.”

The happiness bubble
The community is voluntarily managed on its WhatsApp groupby members, where updates for upcoming events and workshops are sent out. But TES is not only about events and fun. The community has singers, photographers, beat boxers, guitarists and more.

Krithika Somashekar, a volunteer and singer, finds their gatherings spent together hugely fun even for those few hours. “People here are always in a happy bubble. When I sing here, a chorus of members join me singing, clapping, dancing and laughing,” she  says.