The life lessons I learned during my 3 months working for a NGO hospital in rural India were small and simple–but these daily encounters were absolutely necessary for my personal and professional growth. I did not understand what “entitlement” meant before I left to work in India. In the beginning, I met the wealth of […]
One evening while getting water in the kitchen, I bumped into my host father who was busy making a salad of sliced cucumbers and beets with black salt—my favorite appetizer to dinner. “Carol.”, he said—which is how everyone in Kumaon pronounced Caro or Caroline– “You will live a very long life”. Expecting him to ask […]
On Walking Alone. “Do not walk alone.” In the weeks leading up to my departure to India, this phrase was seared into my brain. It was certainly not the first time I’ve heard it before. As a woman, and an inhabitant of West Philadelphia past 40th street, I hear this warning often–yet I rarely believe […]
Before leaving for India, we were instructed not to pack any Western clothes. I knew I would have to dress in a certain way to respect the local customs, religious views, and gender norms. But in all honesty, it was hard to let go of my cutoff shorts and sun dresses. I could not imagine […]
Everybody knows Devrani–or the village “Cleopatra”. She finds a home in the company of any foreign intern who is gullible enough to give her attention. My attention came in the form of secret peanut butter biscuits each night after dinner and in return I received the little black dog’s faithful presence at my side twenty […]
It took me a while to realize where the music was coming from. From April to July, the hills are alive with the sound of communion; it rings out and echoes among the valleys, bouncing from peak to peak to reach the ear drums of all the surrounding villages. Weddings here typically last about three […]
I saw a Ted Talk on cold shower therapy last fall, in the depths of my junior year rut when I was searching for some little bit of enlightenment anywhere, even my bathroom. It is supposed to be good for discipline, self-control and strengthening the mind over body, etc. I tried it for a week […]
Hey everyone! My name is Caroline and I cannot wait to start my journey working with Central Himalayan Rural Action Group (CHIRAG) this summer in Uttarakhand, India! I am a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences at Penn, studying Global Health/Disease and Creative Writing. I was drawn to Chirag for many reasons besides […]
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