Brandon Jost-Turei
Prime Minister’s Scholarship for Asia, Reimagining India Study Tour
Introduction
Namaste, As-salamu Alaykum, Nihao, Kia Ora, Hello! My name is Brandon, and I am grateful to be undertaking the IndoGenius program that allows me to study, live, and breathe India during the summer. I come from Papakura and am a second-year BCom student majoring in IntBus and Mktg at UoA.
I applied for the IndoGenius program for a multitude of reasons, but the reason I usually tell people is that I am reaching my Moksha! The most exciting part of my trip is the honesty in it. As opposed to being sheltered and exhibiting specific aspects of India, our group has been reassured that everything will be shown for our own interpretations, the good and the bad. This way, I feel we will get to truly feel India the way the locals do. Knowing what India is like full-fledged can help me comprehend it the most and will let me build genuine connections to the places and people.
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Auroville’s Hierarchy?
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…
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Pondi As The Locals Call It
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…
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Before,During,…
Pre departure (5/1/23) It’s a few days before I traverse seven thousand KMs across the planet, and I surprisingly don’t feel anxious at all. I’m quietly confident in conforming to the Indian norms, and the fact that we go as a large group puts a lot of my stress to ease. There are obviously still…Continue…