
Happy Diwali
Up until 2016 I didn’t know much about Diwali, and I’ve still a lot to learn. The first time I was really aware of it being Diwali was on my first trip to India back in 2016. The story starts … Continue reading Happy Diwali
Up until 2016 I didn’t know much about Diwali, and I’ve still a lot to learn. The first time I was really aware of it being Diwali was on my first trip to India back in 2016. The story starts … Continue reading Happy Diwali
In October 2016 I went on my first trip to India – a solo trip to a whole bunch of cities, but my favourite of all of them was Varanasi. My colleagues in Bangalore all thought I was crazy for spending almost a week there. “You can see everything in two days!” they told me. And yes, that’s true. But I feel like I could have spent months there in my little neighbourhood Continue reading Tuesday Photo Challenge – Row
This week’s theme over at Nancy Merrill Photography is “From Above“. There is something special about the perspective that being above it all gives us – no matter where we are. We start close to home – from outside our … Continue reading Photo a Week Challenge: From Above
It’s October 2016 and I am in Varanasi. I am doing what I spent most of my time doing in this city: wandering. Varanasi is a city made for wandering. The city is thousands of years old and filled with interesting stores, food shops, temples, and wonderful people watching. I have been here for five days now and I feel as if I could spend my life wandering these streets, talking to people, drinking chai and snacking. In the old city where I have spent all of my time, the streets are extremely narrow. On the busier ones, two people … Continue reading Moments: Being Schooled by a Little Boy
First off, did you miss Part One? No problem. It’s right here. My arrival in Varanasi really set the tone for my entire time there. I would rarely be alone whenever I was outside. There was always someone to talk … Continue reading Visiting Varanasi Part Two: Nighttime on the Ghats
One of the suggested posts in my reader this morning sent me over to Outlaw_nee’s page where I found an eight part series of photos and stories about a recent visit to Banaras (Varanasi) and I realize that while I’ve … Continue reading Visiting Varanasi Part One: Getting There
This week’s photo challenge was “Glow” so of course what could be more appropriate for “Glow” this week than a diya. This one was taken on a walk in Varanasi the night before Diwali last year. A few folks were … Continue reading शुभ दिवाली (Shubh Diwali)
After I wrote my last entry one reader, Sunil, left a comment. Aap Hindi kiyon sikh rahe hai? “Why are you learning Hindi.” The answer is not so simple as many other westerners I’ve heard. I can’t say “I saw … Continue reading My Journey with Hindi