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“Here's to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They're not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can't do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.” - Rob Siltanen
Who are we?
Vacilando (va-si-lan-do) signifies the act of wandering with the journey surpassing the destination.
In the face of bigotry, violence and intolerance, where stereotypical representations and generalizations overpower the individual, it is the re-discovery of human connections that proves to be most profound. In the last few years, we have vacilando'd to different places, with a goal of un-learning and re-learning more about others. Others who not only look, think and act differently, but also wear different costumes, speak different languages, eat different food and follow different faith and cultural practices. Diversity. A word so often said, holds such deep significance in how we choose to accept, co-exist and celebrate people who are different from us.
Furthermore, through these ongoing explorations, we have found that each crevice of our planet reveals such unique treasures. The natural beauties of our environment are unfathomable and it is up to us, to do our bit in protecting and preserving what we call home. Through these journeys, we have kept a travel journal of memorabilia. The travel journal earmarks personal experiences, with the overarching impact of these voyages becoming ubiquitous in our minds, soul and heart.
As Vacilandos, our worldview is ever evolving and we continue to expand our family of travelers, food lovers, bloggers and explorers. If you would like to join our community, please feel free to reach out to us. For us, vacilando-ing is about collaboration, connection, sharing and hippie happie love.
The Vacilandos
Kamiya Kumar: Dreams.Goals.Inspiration.New Perspectives. Digging beyond the Surface, are some of the things that I aspire to live for. And I believe that there's no better way of unraveling the mysteries of life than by traveling and meeting new people. Exploring diverse cultures, which fosters appreciation of difference has been a key tool of learning, discovery and personal growth. I have been able to undertake many of these journeys with Kayhan, and it's incredible to share these experiences, reflect and evolve together. Vacilando-ing through life, with no specific destination is how I enjoy living and in each and every moment that I find myself, I aim to make the most of it and more - because today, n.o.w. is the only thing that truly matters.
Kayhan Sanyal: I speak from personal experience when I say it is unbelievable to be married to your Best Friend! I did and there has been no looking back ever since! Kamiya and I met in June 2005 as the crew in a play. We are two completely different people and by different I mean two extremes. That said there are some very important elements of life that bind us - First being the burning desire to experience the world's culture, its nuanced quirks, dreams and aspirations along with different foods, languages and practices and second, is the belief that we can change the world.
Smritima Lama: Presently working on my doctoral thesis titled "Tea Plantation Workers of Darjeeling: An Analysis of Health, Economy & State Policies". I, like my mum, have been born and brought up in New Delhi and absolutely love my city. My native tongue is Nepali as both my sets of grandparents and my father hail from Darjeeling. Having spent almost every summer vacation since childhood in Darjeeling and its tea plantations I always wanted to delve deeper into the issues faced by the workers in plantations. However, lately my passion for food and healthy eating is overpowering my academic pursuits and so I started actively photographing my meals and posting them on Instagram as 'november_child' to inspire people to eat real, eat healthy and eat homemade.