Santha Rama Rau (1923–2009)

Vivid account of Asian travel in 1947-July 4, 2006
If you are interested in travel in Asia, you will be fascinated by Santha Rama Rau's account of her travels in Asia. As a young woman, Santha accompanied her father to Japan where he had been posted as an Indian diplomat. Santha followed her father's advice to visit the theater in order to get to know the people of a country. She also volunteered to teach English in a girl's school. Her insights and conversations with people she encountered through her travels in China, Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia, and Bali are still valuable today to understand the impact of colonialism on the people of Asia.

Many of the place names have changed or the spelling is an older variant, but that doesn't mean this book is too dated to enjoy or profit from reading. Santha Rama Rau enlightens us and teaches us how to benefit from our travels with her clearheaded observations and openness to other countries and cultures.

Her traveling companions are of interest, too. Fabion Bowers, an American linguist who contributed greatly to preserving Japanese theater during the Occupation after WWII in Japan, added depth to their travels in the countries they visited by making sure they saw dancers perform and rehearse and by getting to know them. Another travel companion, Clare Harris, an American journalist, could be relied upon to bring up difficult political questions. The perspective that Rama Rau contributes as a young woman from India is invaluable.

The book is written consistently well and is enjoyable reading. It almost feels like traveling yourself, as you pause at times to reflect on what you are learning and the different point of view you are gaining.… (más)