Rakhee Ghelani

Category: Uncategorized

  • 5 Things India Does Well

    —

    by

    Whilst I have moved to India permanently, it has only been two months and I am still a foreigner in this country. For a foreigner India is a land of contradictions, frustrations and challenges.  She is also a country that has so much to offer and teach the Western world. Here are my top 5…

  • My own personal yoga ashram

    —

    by

    I have been in Rishikesh for 11 days now. For someone who is used to the buzz of backpacking and exploring a new place every few days, 11 days is a long time to stay somewhere, and I still have another 5 days before I plan on leaving. Rishikesh is on the banks of the…

  • Chandigarh: Is it a prototype for India?

    —

    by

    Chandigarh is a rarity in India, being a planned city.  At its inception, it was considered to be a futuristic city with world-class architecture by Le Corbusier, a French architect. The city is structured into sections, with some primarily dedicated to specific things, such as restaurants. It is also peppered with many gardens, which is…

  • Riding the Buses in India

    —

    by

    The mere thought of taking a long bus journey in India now brings a shiver up my spine. It has taken only three bus journeys to bring me to this point. As I now sit here and plan out the next few weeks of my travels, I am deliberately choosing routes that allow for train…

  • Guest Blogger: Sarah Lenssen from #Ask5for5

    —

    by

    Guest Blogger: Sarah Lenssen from #Ask5for5 Family photos by Mike Fiechtner Photography Thank you aussie girl in india and nearly 150 other bloggers from around the world for allowing me to share a story with you today, during Social Media Week. A hungry child in East Africa can’t wait. Her hunger consumes her while we…

  • Pictorial Post: The Golden Temple of Amritsar

    —

    by

    I have seen many temples and monuments in my life from various religious denominations, but none come anywhere near the ethereal beauty of Amritsar’s Golden Temple. This temple hosts upwards of 60,000 people a day, yet still remains a place of calm and peace. With the religious chanting and songs piped through the entire complex,…

  • India and Pakistan: Not ordinary enemies

    —

    by

    Before I start this post, I must clarify that I am NOT writing this based on a deep and studied understanding of the politics of the relationship between India and Pakistan. This post is based entirely on my observations of the Wagha Border Closing Ceremony that I attended yesterday. The Wagha border refers to the…

  • Pictorial Post: Dharamsala

    —

    by

    Dharamsala is the home place of His Holiness the Dalai Lama of Tibet in Exile. It’s a town of contradiction. On one hand it is peaceful and calm.  It must be the only place in India where people apologise if they accidentally bump into you, and don’t try to swindle you out of too much…

  • Foodie Post: Bhel

    —

    by

    Bhel is one of those dishes that my mother makes very rarely, usually when we have some family around for a casual Sunday lunch. My cousin here in Delhi refers to it as “junk food”. I will just refer to it as Bhel. It’s from the family of Chaat, which is basically snack food. I…

  • Pictorial Post: Shimla

    —

    by

    One of my regular readers has suggested that I put more pictures in my posts to give readers a feel for the places and things I am writing about.  As I now have a brand new camera that works, I can finally do this.  So here is the first of my Pictorial Posts, on Shimla,…

  • Opportunity Cost: Travel for travel’s sake or is it all about getting a good photo?

    —

    by

    *This post is participating in its first blog-hop hosted by Tortoise Mum on the theme of Opportunity Cost.  Hop on over and take a look at other posts on opportunity cost. I finally set out on my journey to travel across India, leaving the safe haven that had been my family’s home in Vadodara. First…

  • Foodie Post: The Art of Paan

    —

    by

    I must confess I am a foodie. I love food, I enjoy trying all sorts of delicacies and am that annoying person who takes photos of the food they are about to eat. So it will come as no surprise to those who know my true identity that I will be doing a series of…

  • Are women really impure in the eyes of god?

    —

    by

    In my last post (here) I talked about how the temple is the centre of the community in India.  However I have now found myself banned from entering.  Yes, banned from the temple….. what terrible faux pas did I make to be prohibited from entering the temple? I bled. The most natural thing in the…

  • The rules of driving in India

    —

    by

    Any westerner who has driven in a car, rickshaw, van or motorcycle in India will tell you its an experience that has to be lived to be believed. I have been in India for 4 days now.  Its only been a short while but I have been a passenger on many car trips, varying in…

  • A life of worship

    —

    by

    For most hindu’s, daily life revolves around the local temple.  My auntie goes every morning, not specifically to worship, but just to say hello to everyone as they do their daily rituals. Because I am an early riser (well at least in Indian time), I have been going with her each morning for the 15…

  • Orchids in Singapore

    —

    by

    So now I am finally on my way, and have just spent two relaxing days in Singapore. Singapore is one of those places that I love to visit, but I am not too sure if I could live here. Its almost too organised and easy for me to live here.  Don’t get me wrong, I…

  • To kiss or not to kiss

    —

    by

    My goodbyes, au revoirs and bon voyages have started.  I finished work this week, and as I was bidding farewell to my colleagues, some who are now friends, it raised some awkward questions. Are we close enough to kiss?  Do we feel comfortable enough to embrace? Is a handshake too formal? I have tended to…

  • The panic sets in

    —

    by

    I haven’t written for a couple of weeks now, partly due to illness (its winter where I live and so very cold), and partly due to panic.  Panic over the amount of things that I have to do in the next 4 weeks and 4 days, and how little I seem to be achieving. Procrastination…

  • Odontophobia

    —

    by

    Like many, one of my biggest fears is the dentist. A bigger fear would be to end up in this situation: As much as I fear the dentist here in Australia, I am terrified of needing one in India. So as I wrote my lists of things to do, dentistry was quite high up there.…

  • Keeping it flexible

    —

    by

    I have booked my flights, only 8 weeks and 2 days until I am on my way. Thanks to my generous parents, I will be flying Business Class, enabling me to carry extra luggage.  Given that I am moving indefinitely, the extra baggage allowance will certainly assist me in over-packing.  I have a tendency to…