Day 14: What’s my situation?

One of the most fundamental assumptions of the modern world is that something called the “self” exists — that there is something that is unique to every person that is constant across time and setting. That’s what allows me to say that I am Zubin, with some fundamental…

Day 23: Bihari buses — a love-hate relationship

Day 16: Living the change

A politician believes that everyone is a politician, so they must manipulate first to keep from getting behind. A thief believes that everyone is a thief, so they must steal to prevent from being stolen from. The cheater believes that everyone is a cheater, so they must cheat to…

Day 31: Compartmentalization

I’ve been running in Bihar now, on and off, for about four years. No matter how many times I go, people point fingers and laugh at me.

I useed to get angry and indignant — I’m out here working hard; they should be praising me. And they should get…

Day 20: The dire consequences of a terrible education system

Nazia’s from an economically poor family; her father passed away when she was an infant, and her mom worked as a day laborer growing up to make ends meet. As a result, she didn’t go to school during this time at all.

Day 33: Should there be degrees?

An overwhelming “no” from the crowd — they spark competition; remove the joy of learning; and kill creativity. They create a “life is a race” mentality.

Day 17: Waking up from our collective slumber

Sometimes when I think about my own behaviour (and maybe human behaviour in general), I feel like I’m/we’re a jukebox: a square filled with many different possibilities, but whose song is determined by the people around me, pressing me to play a…

PPDay 34: Floods in Bihar

“If a ship gets damaged, it is not enough to summon all hands to pump water…