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INTERVIEW 4
ISLANDS
ENGAGEMENT

Akash - South India.MP3
00:00 / 05:14
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Soobie (S) found this interview with Akash, very evocative. Akash (A) lives in New Jersey, USA and is second generation South Indian.  

Akash’s Transcript

Akash Jilla spoke to Isolte and Soobie about his perception of the Southern Indian state of Telangana as an island. 

A – Akash

I- Isolte

S- Soobie

 

A. I'd like to start off by saying the southern state of India that I'm from, my parents reside from, is Hyderabad, er, this is the capital of the Southern Telangana state of India. I consider this an island, as in the sense of a way to, to get away, in a sense.  When people think about islands, they think about a vast land of oceans of water. They think of solid, solidarity. They think maybe this is an escape for them.

 

I.Yeah, so what interests me is your, is what you said about how you feel a particular culture in that space, that's different from anywhere else. Is that what you mean?

 

A. Yeah, it's a different sense of just being. Just being in this state, and just walking down the streets, honestly, and just seeing the little, like there’s always um, there are trolley boys, you know, walking around saying that they have like fruits for sale, or, or like foods for sale like street vendors, etc, It’s just being in that environment. And it's so close-knit like the villages in India as well, so like, you know, you're basically walking around. You could even basically have like a night out, just by walking around your block, you know what I mean, just by going to different street vendors and seeing what's new and

I- Yes, you’re saying it’s like, it's like self-contained, no? I see what you mean. It's like when you're in India. This self-containment. This ability for people to just be, you know, in a vacuum in a sense, and progressing in their own way.

A-Well I’d say hideaway, and I come back to this topic because, it’s kind of like you're not used to that environment, and it's a great getaway for you to experience for a while. Like maybe you were going through something before and need an island and to escape, I need to go back to my homeland, just to feel the culture again, feel where I'm from, and who I am. This is just to know that I'm grounded still.  You know that when I think of an island, it can be an escape to see like, okay, to find yourself, like okay I am this person, and I am proud, you know, people, people say that you learn a lot from travelling around the world. 

I-In Hyderabad, when you think of Hyderabad, what colour do you think of?

A-(sighs contentedly) In all honesty, I think of a rainbow of colours. Only because of one of the festivals that we do have, the Holi festival is a festival of colours that all of India celebrates not just Southern India.

S- If you had to describe your ideal Island meal, what would it be and who would be there, and where, maybe, where would it be?

A-It would honestly be on the beach just cooking maybe some lamb, or some chicken, just some, some good meat with some nice curry.  And it needs to be on the vibes!  It has to be, there has to be music playing. There has to be, you know, a celebration going on, like, there have to be the vibes when you're, when you're eating this one, eating this meal, enjoying the moment, enjoying the atmosphere of being on this island. You know, that's, I think that right there is just me eating that, you know, a culturally made curry, whether it's, whether it's vegetarian, whether it's meat, you know, it's still being in that sense of there's a celebration. I have people around me we're celebrating this, you know what I mean, and that right there - just being on the beach and then having the ocean, how I was describing earlier, that right there would be the best way to experience that

S. That sounds ideal! Yeah, what does that kind of provoke, that feeling of the sea within islanders, or visitors?

A. When you when you're surrounded by a like mass of water. Let's, let's take it in a sense of a little boy, you know he's at the beach with his family and he's looking out to sea, he's wondering and he's just a little boy he doesn't know what the world is, you know, he hasn't seen that yet. But he's wondering what's outside of that vast opening? Just his curiosity peak. He saw... like a sea monster, remember that he’s just a little kid.  So his imagination is just going to run and run. He can see a plane go by and think, yo, where's that plane going?  You know what I mean you?  Where's the destination for that? Well, we're all here, how is that playing going over there?  You know, it's the idea of endlessness and limitless, you know, that comes with this, just being at the peak and looking out to an ocean.

S. Mm (agrees)

Akash’s Transcript

Akash Jilla spoke to Isolte and Soobie about his perception of the Southern Indian state of Telangana as an island. 

A – Akash

I- Isolte

S- Soobie

 

A. I'd like to start off by saying the southern state of India that I'm from, my parents reside from, is Hyderabad, er, this is the capital of the Southern Telangana state of India. I consider this an island, as in the sense of a way to, to get away, in a sense.  When people think about islands, they think about a vast land of oceans of water. They think of solid, solidarity. They think maybe this is an escape for them.

 

I.Yeah, so what interests me is your, is what you said about how you feel a particular culture in that space, that's different from anywhere else. Is that what you mean?

 

A. Yeah, it's a different sense of just being. Just being in this state, and just walking down the streets, honestly, and just seeing the little, like there’s always um, there are trolley boys, you know, walking around saying that they have like fruits for sale, or, or like foods for sale like street vendors, etc, It’s just being in that environment. And it's so close-knit like the villages in India as well, so like, you know, you're basically walking around. You could even basically have like a night out, just by walking around your block, you know what I mean, just by going to different street vendors and seeing what's new and

I- Yes, you’re saying it’s like, it's like self-contained, no? I see what you mean. It's like when you're in India. This self-containment. This ability for people to just be, you know, in a vacuum in a sense, and progressing in their own way.

A-Well I’d say hideaway, and I come back to this topic because, it’s kind of like you're not used to that environment, and it's a great getaway for you to experience for a while. Like maybe you were going through something before and need an island and to escape, I need to go back to my homeland, just to feel the culture again, feel where I'm from, and who I am. This is just to know that I'm grounded still.  You know that when I think of an island, it can be an escape to see like, okay, to find yourself, like okay I am this person, and I am proud, you know, people, people say that you learn a lot from travelling around the world. 

I-In Hyderabad, when you think of Hyderabad, what colour do you think of?

A-(sighs contentedly) In all honesty, I think of a rainbow of colours. Only because of one of the festivals that we do have, the Holi festival is a festival of colours that all of India celebrates not just Southern India.

S- If you had to describe your ideal Island meal, what would it be and who would be there, and where, maybe, where would it be?

A-It would honestly be on the beach just cooking maybe some lamb, or some chicken, just some, some good meat with some nice curry.  And it needs to be on the vibes!  It has to be, there has to be music playing. There has to be, you know, a celebration going on, like, there have to be the vibes when you're, when you're eating this one, eating this meal, enjoying the moment, enjoying the atmosphere of being on this island. You know, that's, I think that right there is just me eating that, you know, a culturally made curry, whether it's, whether it's vegetarian, whether it's meat, you know, it's still being in that sense of there's a celebration. I have people around me we're celebrating this, you know what I mean, and that right there - just being on the beach and then having the ocean, how I was describing earlier, that right there would be the best way to experience that

S. That sounds ideal! Yeah, what does that kind of provoke, that feeling of the sea within islanders, or visitors?

A. When you when you're surrounded by a like mass of water. Let's, let's take it in a sense of a little boy, you know he's at the beach with his family and he's looking out to sea, he's wondering and he's just a little boy he doesn't know what the world is, you know, he hasn't seen that yet. But he's wondering what's outside of that vast opening? Just his curiosity peak. He saw... like a sea monster, remember that he’s just a little kid.  So his imagination is just going to run and run. He can see a plane go by and think, yo, where's that plane going?  You know what I mean you?  Where's the destination for that? Well, we're all here, how is that playing going over there?  You know, it's the idea of endlessness and limitless, you know, that comes with this, just being at the peak and looking out to an ocean.

S. Mm (agrees)

Akash’s Transcript

Akash Jilla spoke to Isolte and Soobie about his perception of the Southern Indian state of Telangana as an island. 

A – Akash

I- Isolte

S- Soobie

 

A. I'd like to start off by saying the southern state of India that I'm from, my parents reside from, is Hyderabad, er, this is the capital of the Southern Telangana state of India. I consider this an island, as in the sense of a way to, to get away, in a sense.  When people think about islands, they think about a vast land of oceans of water. They think of solid, solidarity. They think maybe this is an escape for them.

 

I.Yeah, so what interests me is your, is what you said about how you feel a particular culture in that space, that's different from anywhere else. Is that what you mean?

 

A. Yeah, it's a different sense of just being. Just being in this state, and just walking down the streets, honestly, and just seeing the little, like there’s always um, there are trolley boys, you know, walking around saying that they have like fruits for sale, or, or like foods for sale like street vendors, etc, It’s just being in that environment. And it's so close-knit like the villages in India as well, so like, you know, you're basically walking around. You could even basically have like a night out, just by walking around your block, you know what I mean, just by going to different street vendors and seeing what's new and

I- Yes, you’re saying it’s like, it's like self-contained, no? I see what you mean. It's like when you're in India. This self-containment. This ability for people to just be, you know, in a vacuum in a sense, and progressing in their own way.

A-Well I’d say hideaway, and I come back to this topic because, it’s kind of like you're not used to that environment, and it's a great getaway for you to experience for a while. Like maybe you were going through something before and need an island and to escape, I need to go back to my homeland, just to feel the culture again, feel where I'm from, and who I am. This is just to know that I'm grounded still.  You know that when I think of an island, it can be an escape to see like, okay, to find yourself, like okay I am this person, and I am proud, you know, people, people say that you learn a lot from travelling around the world. 

I-In Hyderabad, when you think of Hyderabad, what colour do you think of?

A-(sighs contentedly) In all honesty, I think of a rainbow of colours. Only because of one of the festivals that we do have, the Holi festival is a festival of colours that all of India celebrates not just Southern India.

S- If you had to describe your ideal Island meal, what would it be and who would be there, and where, maybe, where would it be?

A-It would honestly be on the beach just cooking maybe some lamb, or some chicken, just some, some good meat with some nice curry.  And it needs to be on the vibes!  It has to be, there has to be music playing. There has to be, you know, a celebration going on, like, there have to be the vibes when you're, when you're eating this one, eating this meal, enjoying the moment, enjoying the atmosphere of being on this island. You know, that's, I think that right there is just me eating that, you know, a culturally made curry, whether it's, whether it's vegetarian, whether it's meat, you know, it's still being in that sense of there's a celebration. I have people around me we're celebrating this, you know what I mean, and that right there - just being on the beach and then having the ocean, how I was describing earlier, that right there would be the best way to experience that

S. That sounds ideal! Yeah, what does that kind of provoke, that feeling of the sea within islanders, or visitors?

A. When you when you're surrounded by a like mass of water. Let's, let's take it in a sense of a little boy, you know he's at the beach with his family and he's looking out to sea, he's wondering and he's just a little boy he doesn't know what the world is, you know, he hasn't seen that yet. But he's wondering what's outside of that vast opening? Just his curiosity peak. He saw... like a sea monster, remember that he’s just a little kid.  So his imagination is just going to run and run. He can see a plane go by and think, yo, where's that plane going?  You know what I mean you?  Where's the destination for that? Well, we're all here, how is that playing going over there?  You know, it's the idea of endlessness and limitless, you know, that comes with this, just being at the peak and looking out to an ocean.

S. Mm (agrees)

Akash
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