DAY ONE JAN 7 2020
It’s seven in the morning. After missing eight days of the course and an entire night of flight, I arrived at the SP Grand Days hotel.
I knew I could not rest because it was brought to my attention that in two hours, three amazing personalities are going to give a talk on Media and Decentralization movement in the state of Kerala. Listening to such change makers, people who actually altered the lives of hundreds of thousands of people is such an honour. Furthermore, I got to see other members of my study abroad group who were desperately waiting for their last member to come to join them from Afghanistan. It was such a nice feeling to finally meet them all.
After the talk, and a south Indian style lunch with my awesome group members, we had a site visit to the College of Engineering Trivandrum School of Architecture. There, two groups of amazing 3rd-year architecture students presented their summer projects, which were quite a hand full. Determining social equity-related problems of two small villages, and then coming up with practical solutions to address those problems and understanding that change may take decades to come! These students were sharp as freshly forged Damascus steel knives. You would think one had come all the way from the US to India to see this group of young soon to be architects figuring out problems that even the United States hasn’t figured out yet!
“What I liked about India as compared to developed countries is that you get to start a project literally from scratch and see it to its end.” Susanna Rachel, one of the students, said“All because of the development that is happening in the country.”
Knowledge is not all that came out of this visit. There was some networking as well. I and Susanna became friends and promised to follow each other’s lives on Instagram to see what’s happening in two corners of the globe, and also promised to visit each other if we come one another’s countries. Honestly!? My first day and already so much has happened. Could the tomorrow and the rest of the days be like this? What other adventures await me? How many change-makers will I meet? How many more friends will I make? My head is filled with excitement as I go to an early dinner with Peterson Wambu, my wonderful roommate from Kenya.
Once Upon a Time in Kerala 