Articles by Kennedy Wirth

A day doesn’t go by that I am not asked at least a few times which country I’m from, for obvious reasons of course. My unnaturally bright blonde hair, translucent skin tone, nasal accent and western attire just scream American to everyone I encounter. But thank you to everyone in Bengaluru for asking where I am from anyway. If that isn’t already enough to make me feel special for a few minutes, thank you - ask me from what city and tell me how much you love Microsoft when I say Seattle. I guess it’s not so big of a…

There was once a time when two national highways ran through the heart of Bengaluru city. This is no longer the case since national highways have been renamed and restructured in recent years. Yet, recently, the nightlife hubs MG Road and Brigade Road were ordered to stop serving alcohol based on the Supreme Court order  banning alcohol service in establishments just off national highways across India. The Supreme Court mandated the ban of alcohol service from establishments within 500 meters of state and national highways. The ban was put into action on July 1st , halting alcohol service from over…

Before boarding a plane in Seattle that would eventually bring me to Bengaluru I was told about everything I would see while here. I was told over and over how different India is from my home country and how culture shocked I would be. Some of the most said statements included “if you hit a cow you’ll go to jail,” “dogs everywhere,” “don’t eat street food no matter how appetizing it looks,” “everything is so colorful,” “you will not be able to handle how spicy the food is,” “people will stare at you,” and “it’ll be hot.” While there is…

Encouraging higher voter turnout, increasing civic engagement and fostering young leaders are challenges many democratic governments face around the world. These topics were discussed among a panel of Bangalore and Australian elected officials to compare and contrast the two decentralized governments and the problems each face. On Thursday June 29th Bangalore’s Political Action Committee (B.PAC) hosted ‘Roles, Responsibilities and Decision Making Processes in a Decentralized Set Up’ a panel that focused on citizen participation in the electoral process, developing young leaders, decentralization of power, local self-governance and the general election process in both India and Australia. The panel explored the…

Waste management is a hot topic in Bengaluru these days. With so many ways to compost, reuse and recycle, the possibilities are endless. But where do you start? You have a bucket of kitchen waste and an area perfect for a small garden just waiting to be utilised. How do you get from discarded eggshells and browning banana peels to nutrient-packed soil and eventually a thriving vegetable garden? Basavanagudi in Bengaluru hosted a Composting Santhe (fair) on June 25, Sunday, to answer questions on composting and promote home gardening. The five-hour event saw a crowd of all ages interested in…