On the first day of our internships, I faced a 3 hour commute, on local trains, with no knowledge of the language, all alone. It was petrifying. After the first few stops, a young girl, no older than 11 perched herself beside me. She was in tears, begging her mum to stay, despite clearly needing…Continue Reading “The Girl On The Train”
After leaving my heart in Aotearoa, my body and soul boarded a plane to begin a new adventure in Mumbai! With the feeling of nervousness, excitement, and perhaps dread for the unknown, nothing would have ever prepared me for what was in store. Noise, heat, and colour are only a few words to describe the…Continue Reading Big City, Bigger Dreams: Navigating the Mumbai Madness
It all began a week ago when all seventeen of us gathered at Auckland Airport for our 1 am departure time. After a 10-hour flight to Singapore and a blissful sleep in the middle seat between Sarah and Brooke, it was just a 5-hour hop over to Mumbai. Our first adrenaline rush in India, as…Continue Reading First week in India!
Before arriving in Mumbai, I had some preconceptions about what India is like. This was influenced by how the country is portrayed online through social media, the dense population, the pollution, and potentially being an unsafe country. Getting ready to gear up for 15+ hours of flying and being away for 6 weeks wasn’t easy….Continue Reading My Haerenga ki Mumbai (Navigating Culture Shock)
Landing in Mumbai for the first time was like stepping into a completely different world—loud, colourful (with a tint of yellow), and full of life. As a Chinese-Korean-Kiwi who grew up in New Zealand, I was amazed by how seamlessly the city blends so many cultures and traditions. Everywhere I looked, something interesting was happening—streets…Continue Reading Chaos, Culture, and Curry
And so, the date was nearing—the 11th of January. The air was a little tense late into the night before flying out. Everyone was laughing at my jokes more than usual, I got an extra serving on my plate during dinner, and I could feel the “I’m going to miss you so much” tears coming…Continue Reading From Manurewa to Mumbai: Maaori ki Te Ao
To say that Mumbai is an overload on the senses would be an understatement. From the spices and aromas, the hustle and bustle, the vivid colours, to the diversity of Indian culture – I am blown away! I’ll kick off with one of my favourite aspects…the food! It quickly became apparent that food sits at…Continue Reading Week 1: Food, Trains, Human Trafficking Prevention, and an Indian Wedding!
It has been one week since we arrived in Mumbai. It has flown by so fast, with so many unique and interesting experiences that I could not possibly list them out (in fact, so much has happened that I don’t even remember all of it). So, here are my 5 favourite things about this week:…Continue Reading First Week as Mumbaikers
100 days. That’s how many days I had from when I finished my last UOA exam for semester one to the day I flew to Japan to start semester two. 100 days to get excited, to get nervous, to reassure me, to overthink, to relax, and to freak out. 100 days to do nothing but…Continue Reading 100 Days
I visited several spaces offering and facilitating education for youth and adults in India. My main takeaway is that education is the key to empowerment and uplifting families. This highlights the importance of removing educational barriers, such as but not limited to location, income, and nutrition. I was born in Wales and educated in a…Continue Reading Education in India