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Fulbright-ening the Way!

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I've learned that after speaking with Indians about India, my next favorite conversation is speaking to Americans about their time in India.  There's an instant sense of camaraderie and understanding that comes from living and learning in such a dynamic and diverse place. The Fulbright Conference 2022 was the perfect place for those conversations.    Initially I had no intention of presenting at the conference.  However with a little encouragement and a slight sense of obligation, I sent a proposal and was selected to be on the education panel.  The format was a fifteen minute presentation followed by a Q&A session.  There were also concurrent panels on theology and public health.  The other education research focused in higher education spaces. The presenter before me is a doctoral anthropology student at NYU and has been working on her project for over four years! She is courageously researching youth political movements at the university level. At the time of the conf
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Research & Realities

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image  source Since my last post, I've been focusing my mental energy on the research side of my time here.  Thankfully I've been able to make connections with Fulbright alumni and other teachers and made headway on the project.  Shifting from practitioner to researcher has really pushed me out of my comfort zone.  I feel a little insecure with my research skills and knowing the next steps to take along the way, but have support from my faculty advisors.  I can say I've grown more in these short three months personally and professionally than I have in a very long time.  I'm so grateful for the space and time to dig into the literature, learn from other educators and interact with fellow researchers.     image source It makes me wonder why we don't provide the space and time for teachers to dive into research to enhance their own practices.  Immediately the dreaded terms inservice & professional development (PD)  come to mind.  In my experience, the time and spa
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From Prayer Flags to Barbed Wire: a Week in Dharamsala

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       While still in the US, Kevin clued me into the Dalai Lama's public event schedule.   I am not a practicing Buddhist nor do I fully understand the dharma of the Buddha, but I have a great reverence for the 14th Dalai Lama, his resilience and wisdom.  So when he announced a public teaching in October, I decided to go.  It would be my first trip outside of Delhi and a welcome change of pace.     In 2014, I first became exposed to Buddhism and the plight of the Tibetan people while trekking in Nepal.  Growing up I had seen the "Free Tibet" bumper stickers and flags, not knowing the relevance it had in our global politics or culture.  Until this week I had no knowledge of the continued struggles of Tibetan refugees and the current levels of oppression in Lhasa.  It's easy for me, as a westerner, to isolate foreign conflict into a box that doesn't "involve" me, however as His Holiness reminded us today, there is no individual or intrinsic  existence.  M
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Convenience Currency

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 "Convenience currency" is my non-scholarly term for being able to buy almost any service - food delivery, grocery delivery, home cook, cleaner, laundry service (not just dry cleaning), driver, etc.  While the American in me says this is lazy and pretentious, it is commonplace for middle class Delhiites to have at minimum a house cleaner and cook.  There's an element of mutualism to the arrangement - that you are providing employment to someone who needs it and your time is freed up for health, family or career.  The guesthouse where I'm staying employs two young men - a cook and cleaner, so I guess in some capacity I do as well.   Rolls & fries from Kolkata Kathi Roll  However, for three weeks I avoided using the delivery services for  fear of my credit card not working, lack of Hindi not explaining  something correctly and being seen as lazy (not really sure by  whom). On more than one occasion I had people tell me to solely rely on food and grocery deliveries i
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My Weird Western Ways

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Today marks two weeks in India, which simultaneously feels fleeting and like a lifetime.  This is primarily because I've spent the last six years in a culture that is antithetical to life here in Delhi.  This was glaringly evident in my expedition for a kitchen knife and groceries.  The guesthouse where I'm staying has a small kitchen, but is only equipped with plates, mugs and a bowls.  So after eating oatmeal and noodle cups for a few days I decided to invest in a knife and cutting board so I could take advantage of the fruit stands on each corner.  I'm sure there are far easier ways to go about this, but my intense need for independence and lack of language skills got the better of me. I decided to rely on the familiarity of a grocery store instead of figuring out the stands a the local market.  After some Googling I learned about Modern Bazaar - a seemingly organized grocery store chain with where I could peruse the shelves at my leisure.  On my first attempt I realized
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Sweating Over Samosas

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Well it took three days, but I finally got sick.  Not "Delhi belly" sick, but like strep throat type of sick.  I can only imagine what the bacteria was that found me. Fortunately I was able to walk to the market next door and find a pharmacy.  Antibiotics are over the counter here and don't require any type of prescription or examination.  I simply asked the pharmacist for Amoxicillin and pointed to my throat. She gave me 15 pills for 400 INR (about $5).  I spent the next two days ordering room service and watching the one English-speaking channel on TV, which played three shows: Young Sheldon, Future Man, and Schitt's Creek .  I finally understand the obsession with Schitt's Creek and secretly wouldn't mind another binge session. A few days later I went to a farmer's market in Sunder Nursery (a park).  The park required an admission fee, which probably cut down on the crowd.  There were several Muslim families enjoying the park and visiting the buildings
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Just walk into it.

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DU Window     I've been in Delhi now for three days.  The first day I met the USIEF coordinators and attended an orientation session that was planned for the fifteen Fulbright-Nehru Master's Fellows, but was extremely valuable for me as well.  The Nehru fellows are primarily between bachelor's and master's degrees and spending nine months researching an area of interest.  The young man I chatted with most is going to Mumbai to learn about the use of the mangrove forests to combat carbon and climate change.  When I think back to my 23-year old self, I was in no way mature enough to take on such a global issue in a foreign country.  These are the minds that will be the change-makers of tomorrow.   Dean's Office Waiting     Day two was spent at Delhi University.  I finally met my faculty advisor, Dr. Latika Gupta.  She showed me around campus and introduced me to other faculty and a few graduate students.  She's an incredible educator with a critical eye for system
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