So much of what I’ve experienced in India is so mind-blowing to me, not least the fact that it’s already been one month. Given all the challenges associated with being so far from home, I expected May to plod by, but in reality I can’t believe that I lived in India for an entire month. Especially now that I’m back home, it’s hard to properly reflect on the reality of my time in India. It’s incredible to me how quickly…
I’m late in posting this, but here are my thoughts from my last week (!) in India. As I prepare to head back to the United States, I’m spending a few days in Mumbai playing tourist and catching up with some extended family. I’m having such a great time sightseeing, shopping, eating, and conversing with cousins whom I’ve never before been old enough to have a real conversation with, on previous occasions when we’ve met. More than anything, though, Mumbai…
Lately I’ve been a bit frustrated with work at Samadhan. Along with the other interns, I’ve been working on a “documentary” on misogyny that is to be used for advocacy purposes by the NGO. We visited the nearby Gandhi Park and recorded interviews with locals, asking them their views on women, marriage, etc. Because I don’t speak Hindi, I stayed behind the camera. In fact, my main job was to edit the footage. Even, this, however, wasn’t easily accomplished given…
Good morning! I’ve just returned from a morning drive and trek through the hills of Dehradun. My host dad loves bird watching, and every morning he wakes up early to capture photographs of the huge variety of birds here. Yesterday I woke up at 5:30 to join him and his kids for a winding drive up the hills to Garhwal, the western region of Dehradun’s Uttarakhand state. It was incredible to see how just a short drive could bring me…
Well, it’s been a crazy week! Between the day-long flights here, starting a new internship, and being on the other side of the globe away from home, it’s safe to say that I’ve been feeling more than a little bit overwhelmed. What’s gotten me through the week, however, has been the incredible hospitality I’ve encountered at every juncture of my journey, from family members who hosted me during a brief stopover in Mumbai, to the family who has opened up…
The irony of studying human rights from the classroom is learning again and again the importance of local context and input without ever having the chance to make use of that lesson. All of my experiences working with women’s and human rights have operated across distance, whether that be physical, cultural, or both. These experiences have privileged a viewpoint rooted in my own culture and upbringing. I’ve never had the chance to see how human rights worked in any other…
