I have always dreamed of visiting Dubai, the city of skyscrapers, luxury, and opportunity. I heard stories of how people from different countries and backgrounds found success and happiness in this cosmopolitan hub, and I found myself wanting to be one of them. That's why, in November of 2016, I decided to take a bold step and travel to Dubai from Kenya, where I was living, in search of a job.
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The Color Of Far, Far Away That I Found In Peru
I had never traveled internationally or spoken any language other than English. Yet somehow, something so seemingly impossible became real. I was about to step out of my comfort zone and personally experience a giant leap of a trip outside of just pictures or videos on the internet.
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We Built La Familia
Maybe it was the traveling we always used to do. A family of six that would pile into a fire-engine red 1985 Chevy van, a vehicle that could easily hold a family of six. However, we would always load the van with all kinds of toys and goodies, so I imagined it looked like Santa's sleigh, filled with as much joy and happiness as he delivered on Christmas Eve.
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In Experience: Reflections of a Settler
It's all in the reflections. This account is one of my fondly revisited ones, a space for self-discovery and conscience. Aah, I’m exhausted! It was half past two on a Delhi late August summer afternoon in 2021 when I was attending one of my tutorial classes at my college. These sessions were calming ones where we would think about life and sort of relax through such reflections. In the hustle and bustle of assignments and deadlines, I sometimes lost the excitement of these sessions as a result.
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Donkey Voting Down Under
Voting is a fundamental democratic right, allowing citizens to have a say in how their country is governed. But what if it’s mandatory? In Australia, as I discovered when I moved there, the voting process is compulsory, aiming to ensure that every eligible voter has the opportunity to cast their ballot and the opportunity to enjoy hot dogs at the polling booth. Normally called a sausage sizzle in Aussie slang, it becomes democracy sausage come election time.
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What a Difference! I Voted In India and the USA
I am a proud voter. I voted in India, and now I vote in the United States. A transition from the East to the West – from the largest democracy to a long-standing democracy. My experience voting in these two countries seems so similar. Electronic voting machines and ballot boxes — covered enough to make it a perfect secret ballot, all set up on school premises. There are similarities in election propaganda, the campaigns, the rallies, and the voters have to be 18 years or older. Yet they are so different. India elects every five years, and the US every four.
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A Premature Death on New Year’s Eve
I was at Primrose Hill, in Camden, London at the time of 16-year-old Harry Pittman’s murder on New Year’s Eve last week.
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The Voice Of Our Ancestors
He hears them. They speak to him constantly. No, not in his head. The voices speak to him in the breeze, the creeks, the leaves, the rocks, the soil, and everything all around him. Sometimes, they speak to him through the eyes of the elders of the community. These are voices that never stop for him.
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Damned If You Do
As a teacher, a member of a large family, and a feminist, I have always had crystal-clear notions about nurturing kids. For most of my teaching career, I’ve taught children ages 10 and under. I also have nephews and nieces that I’m very fond of. So far, children are the only humans who speak not only honestly but also kindly.
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Her Mother’s Advice
Her mother told her when she was young – Be the kind of woman who can keep a family united. A woman who guards and protects fragile relationships, who cushions each family bond, so they don’t break.
