I am an American woman traveling alone in India. I am not, however, a typical tourist. Before my current stay, I lived for 3 years in Mumbai. During that time, I visited 12 states, primarily in North India, although I made it as far south as Kerala. Since my husband and I left India 2 … Continue reading One American Girl in India
rape
How blue is my sapphire
I stand in front of Diana's bench. It's my bench now. I'm a Diana, too. Not the Diana, of course, but that's my name nonetheless. For me, this monument to love resembles nothing of the kind. It's just a pile of rocks, crumbling after centuries of abuse and neglect.
Review: Defiant Dreams
Editor's note Although I have never met them, I know several of the contributors to this volume, mostly through the online Facebook group For Writers, By Authors. I was a beta reader of Radhika Maira Tabrez's short story in this volume, Built From the Ashes. Anirban Nanda has beta read for me. When Rhiti Bose … Continue reading Review: Defiant Dreams
An American in Himachal: Common sense, culture, and travel
Let me make this clear: No woman--no matter what she wears or does--deserves to be raped. Ever. As I vacation in Himachal Pradesh (HP), I see the news report of an American woman raped in Kullu, a popular tourist destination in HP, near Great Himalayan National Park. (Not a location we are visiting, by the … Continue reading An American in Himachal: Common sense, culture, and travel
In New Delhi, the same old sexual assault
I am trying to write a blog that explains to my friends Stateside who is who among Bollywood actors and actresses; I am trying to brainstorm Christmas blog ideas; I am trying to overcome the sense of melancholy that has set in since the Newtown shooting. I am trying and failing. This morning, the front … Continue reading In New Delhi, the same old sexual assault