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By claudiainpune

 Hanuman Temple600 steps to the top of a temple, believed to be the birthplace of Hanuman, the monkey god, seemed like an unreachable feat. My 3 friends and I had just biked about 5 miles, trekking historic and religious landmarks around Hampi, the ruins capital of India. Once we reached this temple, I was ready to just sit at the bottom as the rest of my friends went up. But, something told me that I wouldn't want to miss this. As we climbed the hilltop completely barefoot, monkeys surrounded the ancient staircases and women in their saris with their small children swiftly passed us, making their way to the top. Older men and women also dared to take on the climb and, suddenly, I felt a new sense of motivation and determination. With each step, the view became more and more breathtaking. The entire hill was composed of rugged, gigantic rocks. And, looking out into the distance, patches of paddy field looked like a solved jigsaw puzzle. Once we reached the top, we entered the temple that is dedicated to Hanuman and were offered holy water and the vermilion colored powder Hindus wear on their foreheads. ...continue reading "Looking Back"

By claudiainpune

In a country where your family, religion, and economic level define everything you are, I think everyone on my program has faced challenges with their own identities during our time here. As Americans, I think we focus a lot on how we make a name for ourselves as individuals, regardless of where are parents come from, where we were born, etc. But, I think where you come from has a lot to say about who you are and what what path through life will look like. Your pivotal formative years and how you interpret the world all originate from the place, the people, and the things you grew up with. Every experience in your life has a purpose and will, in some form, serve you down the line whether you notice it or not. ...continue reading "Before and After"

By claudiainpune

Staying true to yourself and withholding your identity while in India is something that I think everyone on my program has struggled to deal with. It's tricky to find that right balance between not being culturally inappropriate and also being yourself. I think most of this experience has been comprised more of me trying to assimilate into their cultural and their lifestyle versus the other way around. I am more focused on understanding my surroundings and integrating myself into my host community than letting my identity shine. However, I don't necessarily think this is making me mute. Nor am I in any way saying that my host community is shutting me down and not accommodating my personal needs. ...continue reading "Shaking hands on the third date"

By claudiainpune

Here is my community abroad in 5 pictures:

Host Family

 

 

 

I think it would be wrong to talk about my host community and not include my host family. So, above are my host mom, Priya, and my host dad, Raj, who we affectionately call “Uncle.” Priya is an absolute gem. She is extremely attentive, hospitable, and very caring. Raj is a quiet one, who doesn’t interact much with us, but he looks like a care bear, so it’s fine. Not pictured is my host sister, Aboli, who is sassy, full of life, and always ready to show my roommates and I around the city. ...continue reading "समुदाय (Community)"

By claudiainpune

The task of describing myself to someone new always gives me a little bit of anxiety. Whether it’s an interview, essay, or just plain small talk, having to discuss my entire being in a few sentences leaves me blindsided. I guess a good place to start would be that I was born and raised in Miami, Fl, a city with a 70% Hispanic population demographic. Because of my upbringing, I feel that my identity can be split into three parts: my Cuban maternal side, my Peruvian paternal side, and my American conjunction of the two. ...continue reading "Introduction to me"