This trip has truly been life-changing. I have met so many beautiful people who smile at you with their whole being and welcome you with open arms. I have seen phenomenal architecture with intricate artwork that you would never believe was made hundreds of years ago. I have interacted with a range of intentional communities…Continue Reading Final update
We are now officially 3 weeks into our trip! A concept that has been on mind my a lot during the last couple of weeks is Anekantavada. Anekantavada is a term coined by the Jains in ancient India that means ‘many-sidedness’ in Sanskrit. It states that there is not one ultimate truth, and that many…Continue Reading Mid trip update
What an insane first week it has been! After nearly 46 hours of travelling due to delayed flights, we made it to our first resting place, Pondicherry. Pondicherry was a French colony until 1954 when it became an Indian union territory. Much of the town still has French influence in its architecture, restaurants, and language….Continue Reading First week highlights and heartfelt interactions
While we stayed in Delhi, we visited a number of different places of worship and religious significance to a number of the different religions communities of India. Given that in New Zealand, religion is not something that is often talked about, nor an aspect of day to day life that one would often see publicly,…Continue Reading Places of Worship in Delhi
My experience working at Kiwibank showed me many different points of tension for the general public, when it comes to digital public infrastructure. People get upset because of the difficulties with privatisation of the financial industry, and the different banks who often try to make it a living nightmare to try and work in harmony…Continue Reading A Digital, Public India
11/1/23 – 13/1/23 Auroville was? Good? Bad? Open? Closed? Loud? Quiet? Well, one word can sum it up, and that word is “preternatural,” funny enough. Auroville is supposed to be a globally united community centered around diversity and unity. But around the entire community was, and rather than expecting country-inspired people, everyone dressed and acted…Continue Reading Auroville’s Hierarchy?
When we visited Jaipur, we had the opportunity to go to Amer Fort, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Exploding with rich history and architecture, I struggled to take in the beauty of it all, as my experience was tainted by this place still offering tourists the chance to ride an elephant to the top. Being…Continue Reading Why I don’t ride
9/1/23 – 13/1/23The blog would be way too long if I were to label off every one of our activities and what feelings they brought out of me. So instead of each blog, I will write about our locations and the most impactful events we encountered. Someone else in the group perfectly encapsulated our thoughts…Continue Reading Pondi As The Locals Call It
It’s the final episode!! It feels a bit surreal to be posting this from home, but here we are. I had a salad for dinner, and lettuce has never tasted better. Thank you to everyone who guest-starred on the podcast; I really appreciate it! I look forward to seeing how my friendships and learnings progress!…Continue Reading Final goodbyes – Ep 10. Tea with Tia
Throughout my six weeks in India, I had the privilege to visit some wonderful NGOs making a meaningful impact in their local and wider communities. Each NGO we visited was a unique and inspiring experience, and these are the top 3 that stood out for me. Sheroes is an NGO that supports survivors of acid…Continue Reading Some Beautiful Indian NGO’s