2008 Woodie Awards
Yesterday we attended a panel discussion and party provided by our instructor, Sonora Jha, as well as her mother and brother. Our arduous adventure began by riding the city train--for about 45 minutes--to the suburbs of Bombay and thereafter taking an auto rickshaw to the hotel where the event was to take place. (18) comments
All morning, I had been preparing for what I expected to be the most emotionally troubling day since we'd arrived in India, and I braced myself for the destitution and degradation I would be walking amidst as our group assembled to visit what is known as the largest slum in all of Asia. (16) comments
Crayola needs to visit India and develop Mumbai Scratch 'n' Sniff Crayons. A single plate of food here in India has colors and smells that defy belief. (16) comments
Before today, I had quite a vivid picture of what I was going to blog about. My blog was going to be interesting but decidedly negative. It focused around the idea that despite the multiple realities Indians experience all over the country, there was one attitude that has been expressed by all of the Indians with whom I've come in contact. (16) comments
Only two weeks have passed, and I am already satisfied with what Mumbai has offered. From the scrumptious native food to the inexpensive cost of living, Mumbai is definitely a place where anyone can live comfortably. No matter what you're in to doing, there will always be an activity to do, event to attend or place to go that you will enjoy. (20) comments
Azaadi har ek ki! As we approached the heavy iron gates of the Cathedral School yesterday morning, we were greeted by warm smiles and soft voices. Our bleary eyes met with the students' bright ones, hardly outshone by their equally bright kurtas. (14) comments
There is no one word that could even begin to describe the majestic image of the Taj Mahal. No picture, no postcard and no story could begin to compare to seeing the marble wonder in person. Being that it was built in the 16th century and completed over a course of 22 years is impressive enough. (14) comments
Traveling to exotic locations and experiencing foreign cultures is something all of us have dreams about. I, along with 20 other individuals, have gotten the chance to make that dream a reality. Upon telling friends and family I would be venturing to Mumbai, India, there was a lot of skepticism. (12) comments
August Kranti Maidan, kya hua hai? We have learned that in order to find what you want in Mumbai, you either take a cab or ask around until you stumble across it. I was in search of history, a small piece of it at least, at Mumbai's first Gay Pride Parade. (16) comments
On our first day in India, journalist Jerry Pinto spoke of the many ironies that coexist in all aspects of Indian life. While the striking connections between opposing traditions, ideas and personas were apparent from the beginning, the paradoxical journey of twists and turns that has taken place within myself has been far more surprising in the end. (11) comments
Alarms went off at 4:45 a.m. August 20. I took a long stretch under my covers before popping out of bed. We all sat in the lobby of the Hilton awaiting our ride to the train station with sleep in our eyes and boxed breakfasts on our laps. (9) comments
Saturday was our last day being hosted by the students and staff of Sophia College here in Mumbai. As a send off we were treated with a song, lunch, delicious chocolate cake and an amazing dance performance by Professor Jeroo, who has shown us the most gracious hospitality while studying in her class. (14) comments
Particularly interesting to me is the globalization aspect of our course, and India is such an amazing place to study it. The differing realities we've all been hearing and talking about are so apparent. India is caught in an interesting place in the postcolonial world--torn between a desire to shed itself of the British oppression of the past but also so greatly longing to for a Western. (17) comments
Here in India, there are two Bombays. There's the Bombay of the disenfranchised, of the countless street urchins, starving children and severely, intentionally handicapped people who live on less than a dollar a day. Then, there is another Bombay--the Bombay of the decadently beautiful and exotic in everything from cocktail bars to movie stars. (17) comments
"Nameste-ji." "I recognize the divine within you." This beautiful greeting originated from Hindi but is heard around all of India. India is a spiritual mosaic of Hindi, Islam, Jainism, Sufis, Sikhs, Parsis, Buddhists, Christians and everything in between. (17) comments
Before I came to India my friends and family constantly told me how shocking I would find the poverty and how drastic the difference between the very rich and the very poor would seem. (20) comments
When my dad found out I was planning on going to India, I felt like he was more excited than I was. I returned home for the summer to find movies, documentaries and travel guides waiting for me. One of the movies we watched was the biographical film entitled Gandhi, which depicted the life of Mohandas "Mahatma" (meaning "great soul") Gandhi. (18) comments
At both Sophia Polytechnic (Social Communication Media courses) and Xavier Institute of Communication, not one discussion, one lecture failed to mention the infamous Times of India. (17) comments
Of all the things I want to write about, Dheli is most definitely not the one. But I had to write an official blog on it as part of this class, and I was struggling with what to write about. After spending two weeks amidst the fervor of the city, a trip to the suburbs might be seen as refreshing for some. (7) comments
Interpersonal communication continues to fascinate me both as an observer as well as an aspiring academic. I am an avid people watcher, and I pride myself in my ability to read between the lines. However, upon arriving in Bombay, I was befuddled by the constant honking by taxis and "two wheeler" motorcycles in traffic. (18) comments
