Letter to my Hometown Kalimpong

Authors

  • Anisa Bhutia Aarhus University

Keywords:

Kalimpong, transformation, food, belonging, Momo La, home

Abstract

In this letter, I delve into my family history and sharing my grandmother's stories through the tales of this city that is so close to my heart. I take you through my memories of having shared food with neighbors during special occasions. Through my interaction with the place, I show Kalimpong's multiple layers of transformation. With the transformations to the city in mind, I ask us to rethink what future we are looking for and who we are including and excluding in the process. Ultimately, this letter is an ongoing conversation that I am having with my hometown for a better, brighter and more desirable future for everyone.

A collage of photos and materials provided by issue authors. These include: a photo of a landscape with stars shining above a curved snowy road disappearing into a wooded horizon along the coast of Gichigami/Lake Superior; a cutout of cursive text written by Caitilin McMillan’s mother that reads “to the world's best heart”; a photo of Neelofer Qadir’s hand holding colorful postcards in front of the blue water of Gris Gris, Mauritius; a handwritten letter in Spanish dated August 1983 from Alana de Hinojosa’s grandmother to her mother, Evelina “Bebe”, asking for her to come back home to Calexico, California; a black-and-white troll block print and a Valentine's Day card with porcupine quills piercing a red-and-black heart and the handwritten message “Happy Valentines Day! Contains two genuine porcupine quills, picked clean by ravens. Love, Elspeth”; a black-and-white photograph of Dr. Donald Deskins Jr. in a three-point stance wearing a football uniform; a colourful poster with doves and peace flowers and text that reads “Viva! Viva! Palestina!”; an orange envelope reading “don't you dare write back!” with a hand-drawn scowling figure; a screenshot of a Zoom grid of smiling attendees at the American Association of Geographers 2021 Desirable Futures sessions; and background text and images from valentines written by Elspeth Iralu.

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Published

2024-04-15

How to Cite

Bhutia, A. (2024). Letter to my Hometown Kalimpong . ACME: An International Journal for Critical Geographies, 23(2), 116–119. Retrieved from https://acme-journal.org/index.php/acme/article/view/2391

Issue

Vol. 23 No. 2 (2024): Desirable Futures

Section

Special Issue: Desirable Futures

License

Copyright (c) 2024 Anisa Bhutia

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