Something happened this week that made me so mad I felt compelled to write about it. Of all the things that annoy me about living in India, the thing that makes me most upset is when I see someone with
Expats Behaving Badly
Slum Tourism: Dharavi
Slum tourism drums up all sorts of bad connotations. For this reason I avoided doing the tour of Dharavi, the biggest slum in Mumbai for a long time. Finally, after a little convincing by a friend I decided to see
Superpower for Some: Infant Mortality and Maternal Health
India doesn’t seem to be a lucky country if you are a newborn child or woman who has survived into adulthood. I have written before about the treatment of women in India here and here and it is not an issue
The Magic of Rural Rajasthan: Homestay Experience
When I was invited to visit a homestay in rural Rajasthan I just could not say yes quick enough. It had been almost a year since I was last in Rajasthan and since my visit to Kutch, I had found
Keeping the Poor Down: India’s Growth Strategy
I really struggle with seeing the poverty in India, and I have posted before about my struggles with poverty, charity, apathy towards the poor and my observations of some of the middle class. I have come to the conclusion that
Will India ever be a "real" super-power?
When you live in India, it is almost impossible to go a single day without reading something about corruption. Bribes, kick-backs and ‘gratuities’ are a daily part of living here. My first official experience of this was when I was
How India Turned Me Into a Feminist
I have a confession to make, I am a feminist. Nine months travelling through India has turned me into a feminist and this is me coming out of the closet. I have always considered myself to be egalitarian, striving for
Adventures in the Desert Part 2: Pabu ki Dhani
This was my home for 24 hours when I visited this small, isolated village in the Thar desert. To call it a village is probably too big a word, it is a simple home which has 4 small huts for
Is the real India Invisible? – Andhra Pradesh
As I made my way down the east coast of the country, I decided to stop in a few places in Andhra Pradesh along the way, which gave me quite a “real” Indian experience. First stop was Visakhapatnam, otherwise known
Life in the Indian village
I was fortunate enough to spend my Christmas and New Year break with friends in a small village in the Punjab. Getting to experience the true village life is not something an outsider gets to do usually. In some places