The air of what once was is tingling. It shimmers through the fistfuls of iron clasped in the bus, the calls of the youth in their soccer teams, in the eyes of a distant lion. I appear, now, as a traveller. On my first night, the street was like open arms. She displayed to me … Continue reading to return
Author: Nasim Mansuri
Mzungu Town: A glimpse into the post-colonial recovery timeline
My friend grasps my arm as we cross the street. I’m still struggling to understand cars driving on the opposite lanes from what I’m used to. A man shouts, laughing as he calls out to her. “Don’t touch Mzungu’s arm, the white will rub off on you!” Mzungu means ‘white’. It’s a new name I … Continue reading Mzungu Town: A glimpse into the post-colonial recovery timeline
Between Two Years
Well, 2015 is over, and so much has happened! I haven't had time to post anything before now, but I'm currently in Tanzania, so I'm starting 2016 in a completely new continent. Highlights of this year have been: My service in Haifa and Akko. Though it began in June 2014, this year has certainly been the … Continue reading Between Two Years
Things I Learned From My Dentist(s)
Warning: The following post contains absolutely no technical terms. I know nothing of the mysterious yet extremely useful world of dentistry, so I'm sorry. In the past year, I've had about 20 dentist appointments. This extended exposure to excavators and bibs was caused by many different factors: firstly, some weakness in my genes that makes my teeth more … Continue reading Things I Learned From My Dentist(s)
Why We Feel Threatened By Victims
Margaret Biser recently wrote an essay describing her experiences working as a tour guide for what used to be a plantation in the South of the United States and had had more than 100 slaves working in it. It’s a very interesting article, particularly because of the tone she employs when writing about people who … Continue reading Why We Feel Threatened By Victims
From Fiction… to College Essays
College applications are nothing like fiction writing. I don’t know if it’s because I’ve never really written much non-fiction, or because I’m just not used to explicitly talking about my own life in text, but I find it really really hard to write essays for college. I’ve learned that articles titled ‘TEN MISTAKES TO NEVER MAKE … Continue reading From Fiction… to College Essays
Days of Dust
It’s a Saturday, and it’s dawn, and it’s dark. There is a to-do list thumb-tacked tightly to the cork-wood and you wrote the words in all-caps just to try and make yourself remember—there are things to do when you feel like you want to hurt. There are other things to do. You tell yourself that … Continue reading Days of Dust
Transcendence
I've spent the last month struggling somewhat with fully grasping what exactly it is that we feel when coming in contact with something beautiful. It's not a feeling that I get too often, thankfully, because if I did I might not get through the day -- being overwhelmed by the complexity of the world around … Continue reading Transcendence
(the transitory twin)
He's a modern man, and he takes a seat outside while his family goes in without him. I've already been inside lots of times, he tells me. I nod and smile. And when he asks me what my plans are -- what's a girl my age doing so far away from home? -- I tell him … Continue reading (the transitory twin)
Carta a la Lengua Española
Yo sé que no te escribo a menudo; por favor, no pienses que es porque no te quiero. Sé que muchas personas dicen eso. Dicen que no te quiero, que intento olvidar mi pasado, mi niñez, mi historia. Que mi país y mi sangre no han dejado ningún rastro tuyo en mi. No es cierto. … Continue reading Carta a la Lengua Española