Brainland
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Authors
Ramaiya, Jhanvi Chetan
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Abstract
Welcome to Bongoland—the casual teasing name for Dar es Salaam, Tanzania that was born from colonial racism. It means brainland. When things occur in ways that do not benefit us, or in ways that can only be described as fuck ups, we blame the place. It’s just Bongoland we say. But that ineptitude focuses the blame on the country, the people, the systems that hold it all up. So here I am, re-categorizing the insult: In this brainland, home is not where the heart is, but rather where the mind is. This is where I have determined my home is, but to determine what home is, I have to figure out, categorize, and understand which parts of my memory are home: Which homes have I occupied? Where do I live in every moment? I have my home, my brainland, but what, indeed, is it? As I began writing parts of these essays, I kept asking and being asked: what defines home? And indeed, I would love an easy answer, because that would be faster to figure out. But this manuscript is an exercise in learning what home is, what it can be, who makes it, how it is made, and who my homes have made me.
Description
This thesis has been embargoed for 10 years. It will not be available until May 2030 at the earliest.
Keywords
Immigration, Food writing, Memoir, Travel writing, Creative writing, Coming of age