Poranki, my small hometown a few kilometers from the center of Vijayawada, is a place where your morning walk will take you through banyan groves, tall college buildings, and cow-dung-filled roads. I travel there as much as I can, but when I cannot, I just have to close my eyes to dream about the good times I had there. The narrow streets have homes lined up with competing rangolis and children chasing cricket balls, vendors calling out their fresh produce through automated audio messages via loudspeakers.
You meet triplets, run into a newborn puppy and worry about its fate. But then you remember your neighbors feed fresh yogurt rice and yummy tea time biscuits to street dogs and you feel happy once again. You will buy cakes, shoes, and clothes, and go to the tailor’s to get them stitched. You stop kids on the streets to become their paparazzi. You visit temples early in the day before sunrise and even after sunset.
It’s a place where, in the afternoon, you will go to buy organic multani mitti at Mana Graamam, but when the shopkeeper frets about problems with his supply chain, you nod in fake empathy and leave the place quickly because, for all you preach, you don’t have any solutions to real-world problems.
In the evenings, you come across uncles who are drowning their sorrows in the Rasna Bar or the Bratt Bar, where cocktails cost five times what they do in the Rasna Bar. And your night cap will come in the form of the ultimate jugaad*, the birthright of every Indian, when you see an electric car charging port that can give any true-blooded American a heart attack.
* Jugaad: there’s no problem that doesn’t have a solution mindset LOL
– 0 –
The Flower Girl
Love This Wall Decor LOL
Travel Around The World
Travel isn’t always pretty. It isn’t always comfortable. Sometimes it hurts. It even breaks your heart. But that’s okay. The journey changes you. It should change you. ~ Anthony Bourdain
I Crashed a Wedding in Seville. Sorry, Curiosity Got the Better of Me.
- I have so much to write about Spain and its aura, but where can I really begin? I’ve already written about an Indian wedding in the heart of Sitges, and a child who was a cutter at the Mirador de San Nicolás in Granada. I also wrote about how Spaniards camp...
When East Met West Under the Georgia Sky: A Fusion Wedding at Serenbe
Two Worlds, One “I Do” What can two families born 8000 miles apart yet raising their kids in the deep south of the US have in common? Their children, who inspite of cultural differences, might go on to make promises to love each other forever. And that's what I...
From The Grittiest To The Most Glamorous: The Ever-Evolving Story Of Chennai
- Some experiences in life make you question your blessings. Such was a trip for me to Chennai in September of 2025. I was greeted with a hand-written invite, I ate Tamil food like it was my last time, and I crisscrossed the city with milions who looked like me...
When Home Is Still Here And We Aren’t – A Poem By Rachana
https://youtu.be/PDINhtHzvNI - Want To Listen To The Article Instead? - Unlike refugees, who don’t have a home behind or infront of them, we have a home. But, Will it remember all those mornings that the woodpecker made mating calls from...
What I Ate in a Year as an Indian American Woman in the USA
Hi, I’m Rachana. Its been my dream for years to do something to consciously create a better future where every one of us is excited about our own potential. My challenge to everyone is that they aspire for their personal best and leave a legacy of their work through...
Top 40 Breathtaking Parks, Trails, and Hidden Gems to Explore in and Around Atlanta
- GA Parks And Trails Roswell Mill Park Webb Ridge Park Sawnee Mountain Blood Mountain Vogak State Park (Expert level) Little Mulberry Park Island Ford Silver Comet Trail Fort Yargo State Park Cloudland Canyon State Park Stone Mountain Kennesaw Mountain Gibbs...
Conquer Mount Kailash & Manasarovar: Packing & Wellness Guide for Indian-American Travelers
- Clothing Do not wear cotton garments. Use synthetic / wool-blend material. Synthetic undergarments for women and men are available at REI and at A 16. Over undergarments wear the following garments in 4 layers: i) 1st layer (innermost layer): Polypropylene or...
Atlanta Haunts You Won’t Want to Miss: Your Guide to Halloween 2023
- Things To Do In Atlanta
Atlanta Art Uprising: Threads of Justice Showcase at Distillery of Modern Art (DoMA)
- Threads of Justice is a group art exhibit centered on social justice. Twelve local Asian American artists imagine an equitable future for our communities using denim jackets as canvases. Their works speak on cultural identity, personal experiences, while...
Vibha Atlanta Dream Mile 2023: Join the Charity Fundraiser & Make a Difference – Give and Let Live!
It's the middle of September in Atlanta, and you're watching more than 3000 people running shoulder to shoulder on a long winding road. Everyone is wearing a running bib indicating their number and their commitment to the cause. You're on the sidelines as a...
Atlanta’s Hidden Gems: Best Bookstores, Libraries, and Book Clubs You Must Visit for Every Book Lover
Looking For Options To Do In ATL? What better way than spend the evening enjoying the beauty of art and story telling! * Johns Creek Books and Gifts:6000 Medlock Bridge Pkwy Suite B500,Johns Creek, GA 30022https://www.johnscreekbooks.com/ Read It...
Writer-At-Large – Meet Lincoln, 7 And Kingston, 5
- This is about Kingston and Lincoln, the two lovely boys I met at a beach in Panama City. At the end, I also wrote about sea oats, that tall grass we see lining up beach shores. It's upto you to find the connection I'm making between them. - It's...
Hiding In Plain Sight: Youth Mental Illness Documentary – A Review
Sierra Nevada As A Witness On the lookout point called Mirador de San Nicolás, I stood on the side waiting for someone to click a picture of our family. Our backdrop would be the Alhambra (one of the most famous monuments of Islamic architecture located in the...
How to Find the Perfect Travel Companion for Your Indian Parents Visiting the USA
Finding a safe and reliable travel companion for Indian parents flying to the United States can make the journey smoother and far less stressful. Many seniors traveling from India to the USA worry about long layovers, immigration procedures, language barriers, and...
Discover Life Around New York and the Statue of Liberty: A 2019 Journey Through NYC’s Iconic Landmarks
- - I found this note on the street, something a certain Tom wrote to a certain Jim about what to see in NYC and how to go about it. Love it! - The Indian American Life
An Unforgettable Indian Summer Wedding in Sitges, Spain: A 2023 Celebration of Love and Culture
- The Indian Wedding, or Shaadi as its called in Hindi, is a feast-to-all-the-senses kind of an experience, delightful and fun filled, unless of course, you are the one getting married. Well, we are not going to talk about the aftermath just yet. For now, here...
How Rice Shortage Memes Are Helping Indians Laugh Through the Rice Export Ban Crisis
- A global crisis was about to develop as India put a partial ban on rice exports. With that move, the Indian government hopes to lower domestic prices and improve availability. Indians from the diaspora were quick to react. Here's how they used memes...
Frigiliana, Spain: An Andalusian Paradise Unveiled in a Captivating Collage Story
- When we were researching about Andalusia in Spain, we came across some breathtaking pictures on the internet. And on Instagram, these towns looked even more stunning. One such "pueblo blanco" of Andalusia is a small mountain side town called Frigiliana. The...
Trackbacks/Pingbacks