January 12, 2024
A Long Journey
I jolted awake at the sound of my alarm at 6 am, marking yet another early morning for the GCIL crew. As I reflected on the day and this program as a whole so far, I was first greeted by thoughts of how intense the heat had been and how long the hours of each…
Experts in the Field
When I was in high school, I took a class where I had to write a large research paper. I still remember it was drilled into us that we needed a thorough literature review with input from ‘experts in the field’. This is how I have always viewed expertise; a word to describe a mysterious…
January 11, 2024
Contrast
Good morning. I wake up just in time for breakfast; we have chow-chow bath, a dish that is a combination of sweet Kesari bath and savory Khara bath. We’ve had this dish a couple times now and most of us have been curious as to what exactly we are eating, a feeling I encounter at…
Silent Moments
Today marks a week since I’ve landed in Bangalore and nine days since I said a tearful [sobbing] goodbye to my family. Fortunately the days are filled to the brim with activities that I never have the chance to feel homesick. Any free time I do have is spent either getting to know my classmates,…
January 10, 2024
A Fistful of Rice
Since arriving in Bangalore, it was still unclear how much was expected from us, and who was expecting from us. Today, I got a better understanding of the community we work for and what is an acceptable amount of impact. Starting the day at Parikrma, a school aiming to educate underserved children from Bangalore slums,…
Mixed Feelings
My day started poorly; I woke up early with a now usual ill trip to the bathroom, only today I was unlucky enough to watch UW lose the championship. Thankfully, this poor start was followed by a visit to a Parikrma school. After learning about the 2,000 students and countless family members being helped by…
January 9, 2024
The Unorthodox Classroom
One week ago yesterday I left Seattle for Bangalore. Barring a few hiccoughs, including joining the unfortunate club of westerners travelling in South East Asia who spend the day moving between the toilet and clutching their stomach in bed, this week has been overwhelmingly filled with positives. With non-stop days surrounded by friends, many of…
Familiarity on a New Campus
After a more stomach-twisting weekend than planned, I found myself missing home and familiarity. Today was our first day at BMS College of Engineering and being on campus and around new peers brought a feeling of home. The day began with a lecture from Bhargavi about a few of the many projects the Environmental Support…
January 8, 2024
Hiking in History
Still feeling like I’m dreaming after an eventful night out at the Bohemian restaurant, we hopped on another early morning bus to start the day. For this trip, we escaped the city and headed for Nandi Hills in the northern region of Bangalore. On our way, we made a pit stop at Nandi Upachar for…
Young Foreign Girls
The phrase “I was throwing up the entire night” is usually the result of a long night of poor decisions and too much fun. But here at the end of our first week in Bangalore, it’s another reminder that we’re not in Kansas anymore. The gurgling in our stomachs, symphony of beeping horns, and loud…