Introductionary Notes

What I was doing last August...

Greetings!

Hello Cyberworld! After a year's hiatus since my last blog entry from teaching English in Thailand, I am back--this time to document my semester abroad in India. Leaving from Newark on Saturday, August 14th, I'll land in Mumbai on the 15th, Indian Independence Day! After a night in the airport hotel, I will join the 29 other students participating in the Alliance for Global Education's Contemporary India: Development, Environment, Public Health program.  The 16-17 week semester begins with a 3-day orientation at Durshet, a rural retreat location between Mumbai and Pune. Through introductory lectures on Indian culture, training on health and safety, and Marathi language classes, I'll "orient" myself. In Pune, my classes will focus on development econ, environmental issues, and public health along with Hindi language over 11 weeks of coursework.  The most unique aspect of the Pune program is the opportunity to have a directed internship experience. During the final month of the program, I will work for a development organization or business in Pune matched to my interests in either rural micro-financing or something related to educational access. Once I finish school and interning mid December, I plan to travel for 10 days to see the Taj Mahal, visit a favorite Georgetown professor’s (Shareen Joshi)'s family in Rajasthan, and hopefully make it to see the sights of Kerala or Goa in Southern India. I'll also take my first trip to the U.K. on the way back home to visit my college roommate, Clio, who is studying at Oxford for the academic year. 

Why India?

My interest in India stems from the intersection of academic, spiritual, and cultural categories. 

Faves: Faith and Fifty-Fifty (gender equity!!)

My work as a research assistant on religion and global development at the Berkley Center sparked my curiosity of India’s explosive growth and simultaneous inequity, while my interactions in Georgetown's the Hindu Students Association and South Asian Society enhanced my interest in Hinduism and Islam.  I learned about gender inequity in secondary education through an extensive(35 pages, baby!) policy proposal paper for a class on women’s international human rights, giving me the chance to interview government officials in the Indian Ministry of Education. I am intrigued at Indian  family structure, especially after taking my Gender and Poverty in South Asia class that explored caste, land, health care, and other facets of Indian society. This summer, I worked with Professor Shareen Joshi on revamping the syllabus for the class and got exposed to some great information on participation and democracy in South Asia. I also got to read Edward Luce's In Spite of the Gods, which gave helpful background.

My Nerd Factor: Seeing where Sen came up with the capability approach and for people to "lead the kind of lives they value, and have reason to value"

As a government major, I am intrigued by India’s growing democracy and the division of power among local panchayats, especially when it comes to distribution of public goods. India fascinates me as an international development news enthusiast.  enjoy learning about Amartya Sen’s freedom approach to development and watching Yunus's success with Grameen Bank as much as I enjoy the Jeffery Sachs v. Bill Easterly foreign aid battles. Taking Intro to Economic and Political Development with Shareen and M.L. Wagner last semester got me interested in the world of international development. After interning at the Office of Technical Assistance at the U.S. Department of the Treasury, I have witnessed the top-down side of official government aid and the inter-agency funding maze of foreign aid. I look forward to seeing the other side:grassroots development and especially the micro-financing phenomenon occurring all over India. Additionally, I am thrilled to take Hindi, a world language not offered at Georgetown (but might be soon!!) that I intend to pursue after my study-abroad experience, perhaps with a State Department CLS scholarship.

Feet and Eats

I love garum masala and cardamom!

Besides an academic and spiritual interest in India, I also am fascinated by Indian culture. I participate in an annual South Asian dance show, Rangila (2009 Salsa Masala Performance) and have hence fallen in love with dancing bhangra and Bollywood music. South Asians can do ridiculous things with their feet. And fingers for that matter! I want to make my wrists turn that way. I am an active yogi and the chance to practice yoga in its birthplace also draws me towards the Pune program. This summer I practiced hot vinassa flow at DownDog Yoga in Georgetown about 5x a week and gained muscle, an appreciation for a satisfying cleanse, and a klutsy and prone-to-tipping-over headstand. The chance to perfect my own channa masala recipe from my Indian roommates intrigues me even further. I learned how to make naan this summer with a friend..and those who know me know I could live on eggplant and mango. I eat a high vegetarian diet except for the occasional fish, so I'm very excited to live in a mostly veggie zone. [But I'm still bringing peanut butter reserves with me. Can't live without my comfort food and protein power. ]

Nora and I decked out in our Salsa Masala outfits from last year's Rangila

Curiosity 

The program in Pune is more than an opportunity to study abroad, but an opportunity to work, learn, and grow into a community oriented, well-researched, and effective development practitioner. I look forward to our intimate classes, on-the-ground experience and field visits, and the chance to engage with a changing society. 

What do I wish to gain from this five month immersion? 

Besides sharing amazing recipes, music, and trinkets with my friends, family, and colleagues, I hope to bring back a depth of India that will finally crush the orientalism I feel ingrained into me. I want to know India as Indians do—to see what development looks like on the ground. Even if I feel a drive towards human development work, I need to have conversations and relationships with the society I have studied intimately. I hope to gain a glimpse into development that comes with authentic interaction in India’s dynamic world. This blog will document cultural discoveries, religious services I attend, yoga practice, and of course, hundreds of pictures and descriptions of Indian cuisine. Besides that kind of sharing though, I intend to brainstorm a possible thesis examining a niche I might discover in India. I am interested in continuing to probe into international education issues, especially in a nation as large and diverse as India. 

 

Until Saturday, I am continuing to enjoy America, peach-picking, long runs, chocolate-covered dates, and procrastination--packing the night before is my usual style!