The grass does not shine as bright green on our surrounding hills anymore. While some cold towns in the U.S. are buried by mountains of heavy white snow, here, in Prashanthagiri, a powerful hot sun hovers over the fields. Those dark green and brown crops stand in soil that eagerly awaits the first refreshing drops of the upcoming rainy season. Our land at Profugo’s Center of Development is not an exception. Looking at our experimental
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I can hear voices in a strange tongue that is familiar to me. After a few moments I realize that all the voices are of women and I am in the midst of a women’s sanctuary: the kitchen. The fire from the ancient stove gleefully spits out flames as the aroma of the hot spices play with the scents of cardamom and cinnamon, painting my blood red with their intensity. The women’s voices are like
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Pink, blue, green, gold, and many other colors flashed in front of my eyes as I sat and watched Bryn Mawr College’s South Asian Women culture show this past weekend. There was so much diversity, from the fashion show to the performances, everyone had their own take on what it meant to Pilipino, Pakistani, Nepali, or Indian. It was fascinating to watch my fellow students and friends tap into another part of their identity and
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The first Malayalam word I learned when I arrived here in Kerala was namaskaram. It is a word used to greet others but has much more depth and meaning compared to an ordinary hello as would be said in the English language. The word has its roots in Sanskrit and means the divine soul in me respects the divine soul in you. What a beautiful way to encounter one another. What an even more beautiful
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I’m sitting in a jeep, bumping and twisting along the roads on the way out of Valad. I sit and listen to 4 of the women from the tailoring center chatter excitedly in Malayalam as the village disappears behind us. Where are we headed? We are off to Calicut to meet some vendors and stock up on materials. We are all excited as this marks a big day for the tailoring center as they become more
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