We leave on the 29th, which is real soon, fly from cinci to Chicago, then from Chicago to Hyderabad city, where the university is. Just the plane ride will be an adventure for me, sad yes I know. We'll have a week before classes start, which will be a nice time to relax and take in the culture. My courses of study will be:
Hindi 101
Religion/philosophy of Vedanta
Gandhian philosophy
Indian art and architecture
The three classes besides Hindi make up a self designed thematic sequence (a thematic sequence is Miami talk for a required sequence of three related classes, only mine is an approved self-designed one). This is nice, because I get to have philosophy in my thematic sequence, even though i am a philosophy major, which is not normally allowed but Dr. Pappu re-worded the course titles of two of them in the proposal to make it seem not so philosophical. So instead of getting my sequence done over three semesters, I will get it done in one. And of course, Hindi is for the foreign language requirement.
Now, for those of you who still wonder "Why India?".....here is a further list of reasons.
1. WHY NOT?
2. I have always wanted to spend time abroad, in a not so western culture, Europe is cool I guess, but it's still the "west", so I wanted an immersed experience that is more radical from my own cultural experience (or lack there of).
3. Ever since I began looking into the underlying monotheistic trend in Hindu philosophy (via a friend I made my first semester at miami ;), I have been interested the metaphysics of eastern philosophy/religion. Particularly that of Advaita Vedanta, sooooooo why not take the opportunity to study it IN INDIA?
-of course I could study those things in Oxford, OH, but dude, it's India
4. India is a very historically rich country, with its region being the home of some of the oldest civilizations. So it is a cradle of human life.
5. India is becoming a major player in the world's economic-political system, and is at a unique place as a developing country. I would like to experience this first hand, especially if I decide to study international affairs/global governance in a master's program.
6. It is the most affordable study abroad program Miami has to offer, costing the same amount to go to India, as it does to live on campus at Miami for one semester.
7. WHY NOT?!
So that being said, I am looking forward to this adventure, it is guaranteed to be one. Of course I will make frequent updates on this blog through out my time there, with pictures, and then I will be back on May the 6th.
-Peace
