No photo, video, or story could have prepared me for what was about to become my life for six weeks. India has an extraordinary way of living – while a customary practice for locals, it would become some of the most peculiar, captivating and charming things I’ve ever seen, tasted and experienced. So here is…Continue Reading The way of Mumbai
Following a few bumps in the road, we are finally in Mumbai. To say this city is an assault on the senses would be an understatement. I don’t think I’ve ever experienced such sights, sounds, and smells all at once. Though adjusting to being away from loved ones in New Zealand has been difficult at…Continue Reading Week 1 in Mumbai: Finding Comfort Abroad
Week One. Mumbai, India Before stepping foot into Mumbai, coined the City of Dreams by the locals, I was aware of the city’s vibrant street markets and lively people culture. I had seen YouTube videos of foreigners shopping on the street markets, getting things we could only dream about in New Zealand for bargain prices….Continue Reading Foreign Tax
‘Have a free mind’ were the first words said to me by the lovely taxi driver that drove us to our accomodation upon landing in Mumbai, India. After a delayed flight, a twelve turned twenty four hour layover in Kuala Lumpur- Malaysia, and a scrummage to get through airport security- having a free mind was…Continue Reading Made it to Mumbai – A look into Week One.
Day one of the trip (or so we thought) commenced at around 9pm on Saturday the 14th of January. After days of packing and mentally preparing for a six week adventure in a foreign country, we all turned up to the airport to find that our flight was delayed until the next day. Although this…Continue Reading The Good With The Bad (But Mostly Good)
I have now spent just over one week away from home. I expected unexpectedness from this trip, but every single day I have encountered something that I never would have expected just one week ago! I’m going to share a few of my daily unexpected experiences with you below. Day 1: Upgrades Before we had…Continue Reading One Week Away!
It was finally the day that I had been anxiously dreading for four months, getting on a train in Mumbai! The travel from New Zealand to Mumbai had been interesting thus far, but the delayed planes and our ‘fun’ turbulence were nothing compared to how I felt about getting on a train. Movies showed packed…Continue Reading All Aboard!
Traffic and tribulations Arriving here in Mumbai has been such a whirlwind. My first impressions were heat and chaos and tropical scent…and I was completely overwhelmed by all the horn tooting in the confined airport multi-storey carpark! Turns out that drivers here are great friends with their horns. However, there is a kind of sense…Continue Reading Hello Mumbai!
Wow! It has been a journey to reach Mumbai: cancelled flights, running on 4 hours of sleep, navigating airports, and most importantly, sticking together as a group of 14 students! So let’s start from the beginning… it’s 10PM at Auckland airport. Waiting in the check-in line for our first leg of the journey to Kuala…Continue Reading A rollercoaster ride to Mumbai, India
Namaste! Welcome to Mumbai, India! It has been nearly a week since we landed in the sunny state of Maharashtra, and began our journey of six weeks abroad. To say it has been a culture shock would be an understatement. In my first steps out of the airport, a wave of heat and smell hit…Continue Reading FOMO: The Fear of Missing Out