The first Miss America of Indian descent was crowned just a few short days ago in the US. The news of her victory has taken the American media and the internet by storm. And no one seems to be afraid to say exactly how they feel about Nina Duvuluri’s triumph. Twitter Backlash I’m sure you’ve … Continue reading
After reading “the article” as we’ve come to refer to it, I was a little nervous about the final day of the Ganpati Festival. The American girl who wrote the article talked about her experience with men at the Pune Ganpati festival: feeling uncomfortable, not being able to dance in the crowd without being stared … Continue reading
The driver looked back at me sitting in the back seat and said something I didn’t understand in Marathi. “What?” I asked him confused. He gestured to the brake handles as we continued gaining speed down the hill. Oh, crap. His brakes are broken. He pulled over to the side of the road, slowly rolling … Continue reading
One of the greatest things about traveling and living in a new place is its ability to take your breath away with an unfamiliar beauty. When I first arrive somewhere new, I have a tendency to see the world through rose-colored glasses. The sky seems bluer, the water clearer, the people more fascinating. And then … Continue reading
I’m pretty sure it’s a sin and I’m fairly embarrassed to admit it, but before I came to India I had never seen a Bollywood movie. The closest I’d come is the final dance number in Slumdog Millionaire and somehow I don’t really think that qualifies. So when our program planned an outing for us … Continue reading
One of the things I am always most nervous about when I travel is if I’ll be able to find gluten-free food and whether or not people will understand me when I ask for it. Going to India has been no different. During our first week at the hotel I had a pretty difficult time … Continue reading
Last Wednesday night most of the members of our group waited anxiously outside the entrance to Hotel Raviraj to meet their host parents. We will call them aai (mom) and baba (dad) for the rest of the program. Although I wouldn’t meet my host family until Friday, I joined the other students on the steps … Continue reading
Before our trip to the caves this past week, Kelsey (our student ambassador) took a few minutes to talk to us about visiting our first truly “touristy” site. “You will get stared at,” she told us bluntly. “And people may want to take pictures with you.” She explained that it was up to each of … Continue reading
The woman knelt down at the entrance to the temple. At exactly the point where the concrete pattern changed, she took to her knees in her beautiful green silk sari. She pressed her palms together in front of her chest and closed her eyes in a moment of intense inward focus and then she began … Continue reading
Tuesday was the holiday of Raksha Bandhan in India. It is a remembrance of an Indian queen who called on a Mongul king not to attack her people and instead to protect them. She sent the Mongul king a bracelet representing her love and prayers and by accepting it he was forever obligated to protect … Continue reading
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