For my second Diwali in India, I thought I would be alone. My only family here in India lives in Gujarat, and my parents weren’t arriving until just after Diwali. As good luck would have it, I received an email
Navratri in Mumbai
Navratri is a festival that is celebrated around October every year (its actual dates are lunar). In line with its meaning the festival goes for “nine nights”. I must confess, I don’t know much about the technicalities of why Navratri
Indian English: My Top 10
I love the English language. Since I have been learning Hindi, I do also appreciate how hard it is to learn any language that is not your first language. That is why I find it fascinating that most middle and
Trekking in the Sham Valley: Ladakh
I was only able to take a short trip to Ladakh, but I really wanted to fit in a trek of some description. Luckily I managed to find a 5 day trek that would let me explore some villages without
Decoding the Indian Man Part 2: Infidelity and Apologies
Is infidelity a part of Indian culture? Is it one that is accepted? Is it something that women just turn a blind eye to because of economic dependence, desperation and / or lack of self-esteem? Are Indian men capable of
Visiting Heaven: Leh
Driving from the airport to my homestay, I couldn’t hear a horn honking and the streets looked clean from plastic rubbish, I definitely wasn’t in Mumbai anymore. I had however gone from sea level to 3,500 metres in altitude in
The Doors of Ladakh
Soma Gompa Temisgang Monastery
Pictorial Post: Ajanta and Ellora Caves
I first visited Aurangabad, a city about 400km east of Mumbai, several years ago when I worked for Foster’s Group, who owned a brewery there. As I was there for work I didn’t have enough time to visit the nearby
India: My Favourites
I have been in India for almost a year now, and in that time I have seen and experienced so much that this amazing country has to offer. I am asked often about what are my most memorable experiences, so
Class or crass: India’s Middle Class
One of the biggest culture shocks I am now experiencing relates to what is considered to be “class” or behaviour that represents economic and social status. It isn’t something I saw much of when I was backpacking, but now that