It’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…Continue Reading Differences
Memorable, Fantastic, Exhilarating (but not perfect)
Unfortunately, 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….Continue Reading Memorable, Fantastic, Exhilarating (but not perfect)
Checking My Privilege
It’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…Continue Reading Checking My Privilege
Journey to Mumbai
Namaste! 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…Continue Reading Journey to Mumbai
Settling in
Cat, 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…Continue Reading Settling in
S C A L E
Last 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…Continue Reading S C A L E
New Opportunity Consultancy – an insight into my work in microfinance!
I 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…Continue Reading New Opportunity Consultancy – an insight into my work in microfinance!
A Kiwi Indian in India
As 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…Continue Reading A Kiwi Indian in India
Disunity and Unity
Dharavi – Mumbai The division line could not be any clearer; the smell of incense hit us as if we were crossing a threshold. More obvious signs of Hindu identity became quickly clearer; swastikas and a mandir (temple) all came into view as we turned the corner out of the dark and narrow streets from…Continue Reading Disunity and Unity
Sonder
Sonder – 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…Continue Reading Sonder