Hey you. It’s been awhile. I know you’re feeling like you might have made a huge mistake. It’s okay – studying abroad on the other side of the world for a semester is a big deal. It’s okay though. I know so many anxieties are running through your mind – what if you don’t bond […]
Pondicherry, or How I Briefly Became a Beach Person
Pondicherry: the only time I had heard of the coastal town before coming to India was in a literary context. Yann Martel’s masterpiece Life of Pi briefly takes place in Pondicherry, as the titular protagonist of the story is born there. To be honest, even up until a couple of weeks ago, I doubt that […]
The Goats, the Djinns, and the Taj
As cliché as it may sound, in a span of a whirlwind month, Delhi has become one of my favorite cities in the world. Any time I try to decide what to post about, I panic – there have been so many experiences, ranging all the way from heartbreakingly difficult to near-euphoria. Looking back at […]
Project Proposal: Land, Space, and Power
While in India, I want to research the relationship between land and systematic oppression. While reading John McLeod’s History of India, I found a recurring trend that land was frequently used as a means of subjugation, from the resettling of Tribals in Mughal-era India to tea plantations under British rule. This trend of power structures […]
Reading Assignment – John McLeod’s History of India
In The History of India, John McLeod spends a large section of the book talking about the various aspects of ancient Indian history that served as predecessors to several modern religions and cultural practices. McLeod describes tribal life on the Indian subcontinent as being influenced by many different cultures, leading to multiple languages and religious […]