Latest posts from the group
- All Aboardby Caitlin LoriganTravelling to work was something I worried about. I had always seen photos and read about the sardine train experience in India; hundreds of people crammed into each carriage or hanging out the side of the train. It was our second day in India when we had to figure out the train system and what train to catch to work each day. Thankfully, my work placement was reasonably close…Continue Reading All Aboard
- FOMO: The Fear of Missing Outby Joelle IrelandNamaste! Welcome to Mumbai, India! It has been nearly a week since we landed in the sunny state of Maharashtra, and began our journey of six weeks abroad. To say it has been a culture shock would be an understatement. In my first steps out of the airport, a wave of heat and smell hit me. The smog in the air was immediately obvious, and rubbish seemed to be everywhere….Continue Reading FOMO: The Fear of Missing Out
- A rollercoaster ride to Mumbai, Indiaby Jasmine Ali-RanchhodWow! It has been a journey to reach Mumbai: cancelled flights, running on 4 hours of sleep, navigating airports, and most importantly, sticking together as a group of 14 students! So let’s start from the beginning… it’s 10PM at Auckland airport. Waiting in the check-in line for our first leg of the journey to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It’s been 40 minutes, and the line has not moved… and my excitement…Continue Reading A rollercoaster ride to Mumbai, India
- Hello Mumbai!by eure336Traffic and tribulations Arriving here in Mumbai has been such a whirlwind. My first impressions were heat and chaos and tropical scent…and I was completely overwhelmed by all the horn tooting in the confined airport multi-storey carpark! Turns out that drivers here are great friends with their horns. However, there is a kind of sense to it, because they don’t pay any attention to lane markings or traffic lights (“Christmas…Continue Reading Hello Mumbai!
- All Aboard!by arat929It was finally the day that I had been anxiously dreading for four months, getting on a train in Mumbai! The travel from New Zealand to Mumbai had been interesting thus far, but the delayed planes and our ‘fun’ turbulence were nothing compared to how I felt about getting on a train. Movies showed packed platforms where passengers moved in waves, almost stampede-like until a little child inevitably got lost…Continue Reading All Aboard!
- One Week Away!by dcla189I have now spent just over one week away from home. I expected unexpectedness from this trip, but every single day I have encountered something that I never would have expected just one week ago! I’m going to share a few of my daily unexpected experiences with you below. Day 1: Upgrades Before we had even left Auckland we had an unexpected spanner thrown in the works. Our flight to…Continue Reading One Week Away!
- Made it to Mumbai – A look into Week One.by talj548‘Have a free mind’ were the first words said to me by the lovely taxi driver that drove us to our accomodation upon landing in Mumbai, India. After a delayed flight, a twelve turned twenty four hour layover in Kuala Lumpur- Malaysia, and a scrummage to get through airport security- having a free mind was definitely something I could do with. After settling in and getting some well needed sleep,…Continue Reading Made it to Mumbai – A look into Week One.
- Foreign Taxby ctan991Week One. Mumbai, India Before stepping foot into Mumbai, coined the City of Dreams by the locals, I was aware of the city’s vibrant street markets and lively people culture. I had seen YouTube videos of foreigners shopping on the street markets, getting things we could only dream about in New Zealand for bargain prices. (Left: Gateway of India at sunset) (Right: Me on Marine Parade at sunset, with Mumbai’s…Continue Reading Foreign Tax
- Week 1 in Mumbai: Finding Comfort Abroadby Angelica SivananthanFollowing a few bumps in the road, we are finally in Mumbai. To say this city is an assault on the senses would be an understatement. I don’t think I’ve ever experienced such sights, sounds, and smells all at once. Though adjusting to being away from loved ones in New Zealand has been difficult at times, there are a few aspects of the past week that have made adapting to…Continue Reading Week 1 in Mumbai: Finding Comfort Abroad
- The way of Mumbaiby Deklin TaumataNo photo, video, or story could have prepared me for what was about to become my life for six weeks. India has an extraordinary way of living – while a customary practice for locals, it would become some of the most peculiar, captivating and charming things I’ve ever seen, tasted and experienced. So here is a breakdown of some of my highlights from my first week here in Mumbai –…Continue Reading The way of Mumbai
- First Week: Rush Of Emotionsby Niharika
- Eyesby Caitlin LoriganI’ve spent this summer travelling overseas, and India was my last and most exciting stop. Something I found interesting is the adjustment one makes when in a new country. I’ve spent less than one week in India, and have already adjusted to the amazing culture, the cost of living, the language and, in particular, the clothing. Before arriving, I read blogs about what to wear as a woman in India….Continue Reading Eyes
- Living my best vegetarian lifeby Caitlin LoriganI have never eaten as much food in one day as I had on my first day in India. It was not due to wanting to eat a lot of food, but due to Indian culture around food. I learned that Indian meals rather contain of lots of small dishes, instead of one big dish which is typical in New Zealand. It’s a mixture of flavour, textures and spices. Our…Continue Reading Living my best vegetarian life
- Moments in time in Mumbaiby Jana HuntKia ata haere mā te wā…Continue Reading Moments in time in Mumbai
- Magic in Mumbaiby tahe003Sights of rich history and color, sounds of never-ending horns at any hour, seas upon seas of people, with each new surrounding whirling in unique scents, together with tastes that are out of this world is an unjust summary of the magic of Mumbai. The story begins late one Saturday night in a time which now feels so long ago (yet was just a week). Fourteen excited travellers gathered at…Continue Reading Magic in Mumbai
- Sonderby Joelle IrelandSonder – noun. “The realization that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own—populated with their own ambitions, friends, routines, worries and inherited craziness—an epic story that continues invisibly around you like an anthill sprawling deep underground, with elaborate passageways to thousands of other lives that you’ll never know existed, in which you might appear only once, as an extra sipping coffee in the…Continue Reading Sonder
- Another day, another oppurtunityby Jana HuntReflection: “There’s a saying: ‘Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. ‘ That is why it’s called the present.”–Master Oogway, Kung Fu Panda (a quote from a kids’ movie my brother and I loved). The old mate Master Oogway knew was onto something. That pretty much sums up this past week. A mirage of experiences, moments of overwhelm, sickness, disheartedness and self-doubt, paired with moments…Continue Reading Another day, another oppurtunity
- A Kiwi Indian in Indiaby Jasmine Ali-RanchhodAs an Indian born and raised in New Zealand, attempting to live and work in India as a young adult has been extremely eventful yet rewarding! Interning in Mumbai, a city so involved in my childhood summer visits to India, is a dream come true… yet it has its struggles at times! Here are three things I’ve experienced and learned as a Kiwi Indian coming to work and live in…Continue Reading A Kiwi Indian in India
- New Opportunity Consultancy – an insight into my work in microfinance!by ctan991I am in my third week since leaving Auckland for my microfinance internship here in Mumbai, India! Similar to Auckland, Mumbai is the country’s financial hub and also a city of migrants. As the country’s commercial capital, Mumbai appeals much to anyone searching for work and better career prospects. Indians from every part of the country move to the city every day in search of a better life. Hence, Mumbai…Continue Reading New Opportunity Consultancy – an insight into my work in microfinance!
- 26th January, The Republic dayby NiharikaThe most awaited public holiday we all needed was the 26th of January, also known as the Republic day of India. Republic day in India is celebrated to mark when the Constitution was written. We all needed this day just to take a break and reflect on things; it was more like a pause button that reminded us about the rest we needed due to our busy schedules. The day…Continue Reading 26th January, The Republic day
- S C A L Eby dcla189Last weekend, we took a trip to Delhi and Agra. This trip was incredibly special, and we managed to see a number of amazing locations in both Delhi and Agra. The biggest takeaway from the weekend for me was how the scale of everything in India is just so much bigger and older than the scale of anything in New Zealand. For example, I was under the impression that Agra…Continue Reading S C A L E
- Settling inby eure336Cat, rat, dog…cow, monkey, crow? I’ve been getting a lot of interesting everyday wildlife here, including squirrels that dart like lizards and even wandering centipedes! In Mumbai, there are heaps of stray cats and dogs on the street (even tiny little grubby kittens!), and it was initially quite a change in mentality for me when we were instructed to avoid them because I would naturally go and say hi to…Continue Reading Settling in
- Journey to Mumbaiby Srishti BNamaste! Hello, hello! It’s been a while since we left home and landed in Mumbai, and what time it has been. So let’s get started!!! Day 1 (14/01/23) Auckland, New Zealand What was supposed to be the original day of departure. We all got to the airport only to find out we weren’t leaving that night as our flight had been cancelled and rescheduled for the following afternoon. There was…Continue Reading Journey to Mumbai
- Checking My Privilegeby Joelle IrelandIt’s at this point in the trip that everything starts to hit home a little differently. We’re at the halfway point – we’ve been here for three weeks, and there’s no way we can go back to the people we were at the start, but we still have three weeks to go. Everything starts to lose the shiny new glimmer it has when you first arrive in a new place….Continue Reading Checking My Privilege
- Memorable, Fantastic, Exhilarating (but not perfect)by sbri967Unfortunately, week two in Mumbai started with a very unpleasant case of gastroenteritis which lasted from Sunday until Wednesday. I’ll spare the details, but this made both social activities and work a write-off for this period. It wasn’t just me, either! There was a whole handful of others who were sick at the same time. This was quite gutting (pardon the pun) as we are only in India for a…Continue Reading Memorable, Fantastic, Exhilarating (but not perfect)
- Differencesby Caitlin LoriganIt’s been four weeks since I came to Mumbai and was faced with culture shock. Throughout this blog, I will talk about the challenges and differences I’ve experienced. Adjusting to the food– I absolutely love how cheap and accessible the food is, with street food and restaurants on every corner. Being a vegetarian, I am thriving in India. However, I am a heavy fruit and vegetable eater, from raw capsicum…Continue Reading Differences
- Why Mumbai?by Jasmine Ali-RanchhodWhen I told people I was going to Mumbai to do an internship, I was bombarded with many questions… commonly “Why India? Why Mumbai?”. At the time, I was excited to work in Mumbai for the sole reasons of giving back to my community and being immersed in my culture. However, having completed close to five weeks in Mumbai now, many more reasons have become evident why Mumbai is just…Continue Reading Why Mumbai?
- All paths lead to Pathaanby tahe003“Science is easy…Love is hard” Internship My work week at Doctors For You started strong starting with a rotation in General practice medicine at the Lallubhai compound. The flow of patients was non-stop and, at points, overwhelming. Observing so many preventable illnesses within a community that is already so deprived was confronting. Deficiencies in nutrition fundamentals, including calcium, protein, and iron, were common in almost all patients regardless of illness….Continue Reading All paths lead to Pathaan
- A trip awayby Caitlin LoriganWhile living in Mumbai for the majority of the trip, we were lucky to explore other states, such as Rajasthan and Delhi. Through the connections of our host organisation GCC, Naveen, we were able to have the best getaways. Our recent trip to Rajasthan was unlike any other. I was stunned by how amazing and unique each state of India can be. Rajasthan, in particular Jaisalmer city, was home to…Continue Reading A trip away
- Moments in Mumbai: Yes, I’m obsessed. by Deklin TaumataHere is the truth, I’m officially obsessed with India. This obsession stems from a culmination of features: The colourful charm it processes that draws you in, the magical sunsets that serenade you into darkness or the everyday sights that make you more curious than ever. And now, I can’t get enough of this hot, captivating and extraordinary country with less than two weeks to go. With time here in India…Continue Reading Moments in Mumbai: Yes, I’m obsessed.
- Highlights from Jaisalmerby dcla189Over the course of this trip (which is now into its last week), we have found ourselves in many situations I would never have expected going into this trip. Last weekend we flew to Jaisalmer to spend the weekend in the Rajasthani desert. Only six short weeks ago, I had never even heard of Jaisalmer, but now it was my most anticipated part of the whole trip, and it lived…Continue Reading Highlights from Jaisalmer
- Trip to the Desertby ctan991Trip to the Desert Jaisalmer, Rajasthan Last weekend was such an incredible one! Where do I even start with this one? I honestly don’t even know; I think I’m just going to start typing until my brain starts recollecting memories and gets into the train of thought. No, it’s not one of those moments where I’m struggling to recollect my thoughts due to an excessive indulgence in alcohol. I think…Continue Reading Trip to the Desert
- So Different, So Beautiful, So Breathtakingby sbri967The week began with a morning of work, followed by seeing my parents for the last time before they flew back to New Zealand. We took a train and a rickshaw to Bandra. I kid you not; the second we got to the beach at Bandra, I fell very ill. AGAIN! This photo was taken just moments before the incident. This meant another two days of recovering in bed. As…Continue Reading So Different, So Beautiful, So Breathtaking
- Urja: Living with dignityby Caitlin Lorigan360 blog 5 Urja: Living with dignity I have been very privileged to intern at Urja Trust, based in Dadar, Mumbai, India. A 20 minute train ride away from my hostel in Colaba. Prior to the programme, I was not aware of Urja’s existence. It was not until after discussing with Naveen, the Global Career Centre Coordinator in India, what type of work I wanted to do, that she proposed…Continue Reading Urja: Living with dignity
- A Slice of Home Away From Home: A Recollection of Working at the New Zealand Consulate & How I Learnt to Commute There Without The Hidden ‘Foreigner Fee’.by talj548Namaste everyone! Welcome back to the blog rundown of my journey of being a Mumbaikar (a Mumbai Local). This entry delves into my internship at the New Zealand Consulate in Mumbai, where I was extremely fortunate to work with the lovely consulate team situated in the Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC), and get a bit of a taste of all the New Zealand Industries that work so hard to put Aotearoa on…Continue Reading A Slice of Home Away From Home: A Recollection of Working at the New Zealand Consulate & How I Learnt to Commute There Without The Hidden ‘Foreigner Fee’.
- Mahi in Mumbai – having a ‘free mind’ & working at Urja Trust: an organisation by women for women.by talj548Haere Mai and Welcome back to the Mumbai Diaries everyone! Whilst I’d love you to give a full run down of the past three weeks here, I will do my best to give you the standout memories over the halfway mark! I’ll start right at the beginning of our trip to set the scene for you a little. The honking cues here are a little different to those back home….Continue Reading Mahi in Mumbai – having a ‘free mind’ & working at Urja Trust: an organisation by women for women.
- The LOVE language of FOODby tahe0033 weeks in, and my experience (and stomach) are telling me that the universal love language of India must be food. Top food moments of the week This week I was very fortunate to have a colleague I work with buy me lunch. The meal was delicious dosa (with cheese on this occasion); a dosa is like a crepe made from rice and lentil batter, and this day’s treat was…Continue Reading The LOVE language of FOOD
- Mumbai’s Lifelineby NiharikaMumbai’s Lifeline, I already miss travelling in the local trains 😞 From the very first day of being nervous travelling in the train to falling in love with travelling alone . From constantly checking the M-indicator (those that don’t know what it is, it’s the railways app the tracks your journey and all the stops of the train) to mastering the entire route. From being nervous about my surroundings to…Continue Reading Mumbai’s Lifeline
- Disaster, Desserts, and the Desertby tahe003Disaster strikes Man down this week (well, for 3 days)… During my first 4 weeks, I was very fortunate to maintain good health, even when my peers were becoming unwell. However, the start of week 5 was when disaster struck. Tuesday morning started off like any other morning, there was a touch of tummy cramps, but I didn’t think too much of it, so I went off to work. A…Continue Reading Disaster, Desserts, and the Desert
- What if you didn’t give up?by Jana HuntThis title was inspired by my supervisior Seema. Her and the team at Aastha Parivaar have faced so many obstacles to keep the organisation going. Yet, despite all of this they persisted and continue to do such essential work for the sex workers and their children in the community. This idea is encapsulated in the following whakatauki: “Whāia te iti kahurangi ki te tūohu koe me he maunga teitei” “This…Continue Reading What if you didn’t give up?
- You don’t truly appreciate it until it’s gone!by Jana Hunt“Ko te pae tawhiti whāia kia tata, ko te pae tata whakamaua ka tina.” “Seek out distant horizons and cherish those you attain.” The Mon-Fri rundown is going to be short and sweet. It was quite rough. Delhi belly got me good. Yet, I have some very important new appreciations. The week was quite challenging physically and mentally. Mentally I was worried a lot that I was letting my supervisor…Continue Reading You don’t truly appreciate it until it’s gone!
- Same age. Different life.by Jana HuntThis title was inspired by this week’s experiences of meeting women similar in age to me but with completely different life experiences. Again opening my eyes to all the privileges I have had throughout every year and stage of my life. Whether it be the privilege of the things I had, people around me, opportunities, expectations of me as a woman and my health. This relates to the quote by…Continue Reading Same age. Different life.
- Dhanyavād! (Thank you!)by Jana Hunt“He aha te mea nui o te aoWhat is the most important thing in the world?He tangata, he tangata, he tangataIt is the people, it is the people, it is the people” Coming back home has undoubtedly been a reverse cultural shock and a new beginning in the sense that we have all changed so much from last being home – so how will we fit in back home and…Continue Reading Dhanyavād! (Thank you!)
- Times flies make the most of it!by Jana Hunt“Kia whakatōmuri te haere whakamua” “I walk backwards into the future with my eyes fixed on my past. This whakataukī or ‘proverb’ speaks to Māori perspectives of time, where the past, the present and the future are viewed as intertwined, and life as a continuous cosmic process.” The final week is here! The time went so fast, yet so much has happened! Where do we go from here? This whakatauki…Continue Reading Times flies make the most of it!
- Where did all the time go?by tahe003It’s the final week, and I feel like I have barely touched the surface of India whilst also having had so many adventures and opportunities that I cannot wait to share with friends, family, and anyone who will listen upon my return to New Zealand. I don’t have any words good enough to express my gratitude for this opportunity. Thus, this blog/ photo dump will highlight some key things I…Continue Reading Where did all the time go?
- Blog 4: People and Language!by dcla189Mera Hindi Kahani As soon as I learned I was accepted into this amazing trip, I immediately jumped onto Duolingo to try and learn as much Hindi as I could. At the start of the trip I had a 110 day streak, but disappointingly, this didn’t magically mean I could speak fluent Hindi with the locals. In fact, I could barely speak (or listen) at all. This was very disheartening,…Continue Reading Blog 4: People and Language!
- My Beautiful Journey – Time To Say Both Goodbye And Helloby NiharikaThe six weeks of the PMSA-Mumbai scholarship have taught me so much. Firstly, I couldn’t be more grateful for all the lessons it taught and the life-long relationships I’ve banked during this process. Meeting people is one thing, but making lifelong friendships and creating memories and bonds is a whole new different thing. It started as 15 former strangers who are all now like a family. They hold on to…Continue Reading My Beautiful Journey – Time To Say Both Goodbye And Hello
- Art needs no language…by tahe003In my internship this week, I felt great privilege for the opportunity, confronted by the harsh living conditions of the communities I work, and grateful to the people of Mandala who have opened their lives and hearts to the organisation and me. Working with the Zahra Hasanaat clinic, I was able to help with the hand-washing camps to teach children and mothers good handwashing techniques. Then thanks to a Doctors…Continue Reading Art needs no language…
- “Intern”-ational Travellersby Joelle IrelandI’d apologise for the pun in the title but I’d be lying. It has now been four weeks abroad, and safe to say that as much as I love Mumbai, I miss home. But thank goodness for the others I’m on this trip with, because we have managed to create a sense of home here, even amongst the chaos and unfamiliarity. Every day, we check in – how are you,…Continue Reading “Intern”-ational Travellers
- Bucket Listby Joelle IrelandBucket lists. What are they, why do we make them? According to Stanford, a bucket list is an itemised list of goals, experiences or achievements that people want to accomplish before they “kick the bucket” — or die. I made my first and only bucket list when I was 12. For me, the things I put on that list were pipe dreams, things that I never imagined I would do,…Continue Reading Bucket List
- Alvidaby Joelle IrelandJust like that, it’s over. Six weeks have come and gone like the blink of an eye. I swear yesterday I was meeting the others in the airport to fly out. It seems a little bittersweet – we all leave the airport, go our separate ways, back to our real lives. Will we keep in touch? There’s no way to go back to who we were, no way to un-know…Continue Reading Alvida
- Deserts & Dreamsby eure336Before I begin, I thought I would impart some of the wisdom I have learnt here. How to cross the road in Mumbai: How to avoid being scammed in Mumbai: Trip to Rajasthan One of the most incredible places I have visited on this trip is the desert near Jaisalmer, a town in the state of Rajasthan. Time starts to feel different there, so it feels most appropriate to capture…Continue Reading Deserts & Dreams
- Just Behind the Looking Glassby arat929You’ve just been to the gorgeous Taj Mahal and feel full of life and satisfied. Why would you not? First, you went to the Agra Fort in the sweltering heat and were able to bask in all of its red-sandstone beauty. You didn’t really know much about it before the start of the trip, but walking beneath its great arches and delving into its history with your fourteen new friends…Continue Reading Just Behind the Looking Glass
- It’s All About Perspectiveby arat929I can truly say that my horizons have been tested and broadened through this trip. The opportunity to not only carry out an internship overseas but also having to navigate living in a foreign country was an incredible experience. I learnt a lot about life, myself, India and about health systems (through my internship). But without a doubt, I would not have understood half of what I did if it…Continue Reading It’s All About Perspective
- The Adventure Continuesby sbri967Week 4 in Mumbai:We are now over half way through our internship and trip which is rather scary. So far, time has absolutely flown by. Up until this point everything has seemed so new and exciting. Don’t get me wrong everything is still amazing, but we are definitely starting to settle down and find some form of routine. This week has probably been my most productive week so far in…Continue Reading The Adventure Continues
- Dharavi to Delhiby eure336Taj time! We had our first opportunity to venture into the north of India with our weekend trip to Delhi and Agra. I was a bit nervous about this trip, because Delhi doesn’t quite have Mumbai’s safety reputation, but luckily we were able to make a solid safety net of sticking together and hiring a trusted driver and guide. People in Delhi are apparently more willing to do anything to…Continue Reading Dharavi to Delhi
- Settling into a New ‘Normal’ – Lessons, Reflections, Adventuresby Angelica SivananthanThe past few weeks in Mumbai have been amazing to say the least. It’s been great finding my bearings and slipping into the rhythm of this city. I’ve really welcomed this change in pace. Although I love the laid-back lifestyle in New Zealand, the constant hustle and bustle of this city has been exhilarating – from the arts festivals to the daily street vendors to the chaotic rickshaw rides I…Continue Reading Settling into a New ‘Normal’ – Lessons, Reflections, Adventures
- Observationsby Srishti BWelcome to week 2. This week I will share my observations about life here in Mumbai and my experiences with some aspects of life in Mumbai. Weather Starting with the obvious, the weather. In India, currently, it is winter. Despite this, it is 30 degrees celsius, give or take daily. Although it is humid, there is practically no wind, and the sun isn’t as intense. Unlike Auckland, where it is…Continue Reading Observations