Reflecting on my life-changing journey through the Prime Minister’s Scholarship for Asia, I am compelled to share three profound lessons that have not only expanded my horizons but have also fuelled my personal growth: The paramount lesson I’ve learned in relation to my future career goal is the significance of service, even when resources are…Continue Reading From South Auckland to India: Anything is Possible
Embarking on my journey to India through the Prime Minister’s Scholarship has proven to be a rollercoaster of challenges and triumphs. From language barriers to divergent viewpoints, every obstacle has become a stepping stone towards personal growth and a deeper understanding of India and me. In this post, I want to share my struggles with…Continue Reading From Struggles to Strength: Exploring Community Spirit
As I sit down to articulate my thoughts about my first week in India on a Prime Minister’s Scholarship, I find capturing the essence of this experience in a single blog post challenging. Our journey has taken us through bustling cities like Chennai, Mahabalipuram, retreats like Coimbatore, and historic gems like Pondicherry. Each destination brought…Continue Reading A Journey of Tears and Triumphs: Navigating India on a Prime Minister’s Scholarship
Buildings are an expression of what we love. Love is worn on facades, demonstrated through circulation, or exposed through materiality. The built environment subconsciously forms social connections, circulation decisions, or even attitudes toward nature. Therefore, architecture is a powerful expression of love and a formation of love. Applying a (value: architecture) output ratio to the…Continue Reading Exposing love in Rajasthani palaces and glass skyscrapers
Is this your first time abroad? This is not my first time overseas. I have been lucky enough to travel with my family to Fiji (2014), Australia (2015), Hawaii (2016), and Vietnam (2017). My parents love to travel by Cruise Boat, so I have experienced many of our holidays on cruise ships, stopping off at…Continue Reading Interview with Myself, Thoughts on Going Abroad
The West End Hotel is a 1948 Art Deco masterpiece in Mumbai. It’s an institution. Some workers have been there for over 30 years. I interviewed them, and even got a private tour around the whole hotel! Here they are: FrancisYears at West End: 16Favourite thing about West End: good hours and he gets to…Continue Reading 6 lessons from the West End Hotel
Kia Ora! My name is Mai, and I am on the PMSA IndoGenius Reimagining India study tour! I have decided to write an overall reflection on this past week and cover some of the major questions and highlights alongside new things I’ve learnt in this short period of time! Our journey started off with more…Continue Reading Flying high and flying low in India
We landed in Chennai after a couple days of flying, all tired but excited for the journey ahead (importantly, not a journey on a plane). We were greeted by a massive Indian flag in front of the airport, flapping lazily in the soupy warm South Indian air – it was our first proper look at…Continue Reading Unity in Contrasts
How long did it take you to get to India? We took: 1 shuttle taxi from Hamilton to Auckland airport, 1.5 hours 3 flights 1 bus ride from Chennai to Puducherry, 5 hours … which finally took us to Puducherry, India! It was over 45 hours of travelling since leaving Hamilton. A longer trip than expected, with…Continue Reading What my Family has Asked me Since I Arrived