Peacocks, Palaces and Pavements

Two months ago, my life changed as I began my first ever overseas work experience. On 1 July 2017, I stepped off a plane at Bengaluru Kempegowda International Airport. I’d never been to Asia, let alone India before. I had no idea what I was getting myself into. However, over the past 2 months, I've learned and  experienced so much, that I'd like to share a few of my thoughts and reflections on 2 months in India.   The African perception of India is so far off. For example, it's not all massive cities with skyscrapers or rice paddies with…

Two months ago, my life changed as I began my first ever overseas work experience. On 1 July 2017, I stepped off a plane at Bengaluru Kempegowda International Airport. I’d never been to Asia, let alone India before. I had no idea what I was getting myself into. However, over the past 2 months, I've learned and  experienced so much, that I'd like to share a few of my thoughts and reflections on 2 months in India.   The African perception of India is so far off. For example, it's not all massive cities with skyscrapers or rice paddies with…

Today marks my last day as an intern for Citizen Matters. It’s been quite the journey, one I started back in January of this year that led me to ten weeks of reporting in India. I graduated from the University of Washington on June 10th and arrived in Bengaluru on June 17th ready to start my international reporting experience and post-graduate life. I was given the chance to intern in Bengaluru for Citizen Matters through a scholarship awarded by an alumna of the University of Washington’s Journalism Department from which I recently graduated from as well. Each year this alumna…

Today marks my last day as an intern for Citizen Matters. It’s been quite the journey, one I started back in January of this year that led me to ten weeks of reporting in India. I graduated from the University of Washington on June 10th and arrived in Bengaluru on June 17th ready to start my international reporting experience and post-graduate life. I was given the chance to intern in Bengaluru for Citizen Matters through a scholarship awarded by an alumna of the University of Washington’s Journalism Department from which I recently graduated from as well. Each year this alumna…

I’ve gotten quite a bit of exposure to living with the time zone difference and dealing with Indian traffic. My hometown Harare, Zimbabwe is in Central Africa (CAT) time zone. Bengaluru, India is on India Standard Time (IST), currently 3½ hours ahead of CAT.When in Harare my complaint is that during the winter I have to get  out of the bed at 5:00 am for our work typically starts at 7:00 am. Here I have no problem as work starts at 9:00 am. Now I have ample time to get to the office. Indian Traffic Traffic in India is very…

I’ve gotten quite a bit of exposure to living with the time zone difference and dealing with Indian traffic. My hometown Harare, Zimbabwe is in Central Africa (CAT) time zone. Bengaluru, India is on India Standard Time (IST), currently 3½ hours ahead of CAT.When in Harare my complaint is that during the winter I have to get  out of the bed at 5:00 am for our work typically starts at 7:00 am. Here I have no problem as work starts at 9:00 am. Now I have ample time to get to the office. Indian Traffic Traffic in India is very…

I’m currently on a six month Idex Fellowship in Bengaluru, India . I will be writing this blog as I go along and then periodically post my progress. This is my first trip to India, and my only other experience abroad was when I visited Mozambique back in 2013 for a day. Idex is partnered with several Indian social enterprises to provide placements for fellows. For the next six months, I’m working with Oorvani Foundation,a not for profit community media organization based in Bengaluru. It has different initiatives such as Citizen Matters (an online community news platform), Open City and…

I’m currently on a six month Idex Fellowship in Bengaluru, India . I will be writing this blog as I go along and then periodically post my progress. This is my first trip to India, and my only other experience abroad was when I visited Mozambique back in 2013 for a day. Idex is partnered with several Indian social enterprises to provide placements for fellows. For the next six months, I’m working with Oorvani Foundation,a not for profit community media organization based in Bengaluru. It has different initiatives such as Citizen Matters (an online community news platform), Open City and…

I am no stranger to metro systems. I’ve up hiked the spiral staircases of Paris’ metro, impatiently waited in a dark tunnel when my line broke down while on the London Tube, poured buckets of sweat in the graffiti adorned underground train to Rome’s neighboring beach town, fervently watched street performers in the bowels of Washington D.C.’s network of underground metro tunnels and have spent much of my time riding my own city’s eccentrically named Seattle Link Light rail through canopies of tree cover and rain specked windows. I have traveled some of the biggest cities of the world on…

I am no stranger to metro systems. I’ve up hiked the spiral staircases of Paris’ metro, impatiently waited in a dark tunnel when my line broke down while on the London Tube, poured buckets of sweat in the graffiti adorned underground train to Rome’s neighboring beach town, fervently watched street performers in the bowels of Washington D.C.’s network of underground metro tunnels and have spent much of my time riding my own city’s eccentrically named Seattle Link Light rail through canopies of tree cover and rain specked windows. I have traveled some of the biggest cities of the world on…