Hi there. I'm Basia Kruszewska, Ph.D.
Basia is a nickname in Polish for Barbara. It's pronounced like Basha. I'm an instructional designer, writer, trainer, former neurobiologist, avid traveler, and amateur photographer.
I was born in Poland and moved to the U.S. when I was young. Since then, I have lived in Connecticut, California, Texas, New York, New Zealand, and India. India Ink began as a way for me to keep in touch with family and friends while living in India. It had its roots in a paper newsletter, called Newz NewZealand, that I started in 1992 when I moved to New Zealand. The newsletter was published quarterly or so, and mailed by snail mail to about 30 friends and family. When I subsequently moved to Rochester, it became the Rochester Rambler (with a temporary stint as The New Yak Times). When I embarked on my India journey, the hard-copy newsletter was reincarnated as the blog India Ink.
I no longer live in India, but my blog lives on. I am currently based in New York.
From 2003 to 2008, India Ink was hosted at Blog City. Starting in January 2009, it was migrated to its current location on Typepad.
Photo Info
Unless stated otherwise, all pictures here are my own. Please be nice, and don't use them without permission. Photographs were taken with a Nikon D80 digital camera body, and a Tamron 18-200mm lens. Some closeups were taken with a Nikon AF Micro-Nikkor 60mm lens. Photographs taken prior to 2007 were taken with a 5 megapixel Nikon CoolPix 5700 digital camera with an 8x optical zoom Nikkor lens (4x digital zoom), with a focal length range of 35-280mm.
With my sisters at Pfeiffer Beach, Big Sur, California (that's me on the right) (2008)
At a wedding in Mumbai, India (2005)
New York (2005)
At Malaysia Botanical Garden (2004)
Photo by Vasanthi
At a temple in Chennai, India (2003)
wow, have you really been in chennai since 1998?! i've been in mumbai since 2004 with my boyfriend who has been here since 2001 - we are pretty much the "long" termers here. glad i found your blog! i have one on slaint.com but i don't update it with too many funny stories anymore as i've gotten too used to things! and i have mumbdaidailyphoto.blogspot.com!
Posted by: Karilyn | Friday, July 07, 2006 at 07:59 AM
Hi Karilyn,
No, no, I haven't been in India since 1998! Just since 2003. I couldn't figure out where you got the 1998 from - then I realized that I had used that as my "placeholder" date for the About page and the Travel Inventory pages, because these were not regular blog posting. I'll have to fix that so someone else doesn't get misled about it.
I'll have to check out your blogs also-
Posted by: Basia | Friday, July 07, 2006 at 09:31 AM
Pozdrawiam! :)
Posted by: Jacek | Tuesday, November 21, 2006 at 05:44 PM
Jacek: Czesc. Nawzajem!
Posted by: Basia | Wednesday, November 22, 2006 at 10:23 AM
Dear Basia,
We'd love you to list your expat blog on our new website, to help us build a great resource for all women living overseas. Please take a look at our site at: www.ExpatWomen.com.
Thanks,
April.
Posted by: April | Tuesday, May 01, 2007 at 09:08 PM
Like the way you pen your thoughts together.. Have question - how much do you spend on the travel? How do you plan?
I am planning to do a round about trip from Mumbai to Dehradun via Nashik, Indore, Gwalior, Agra, Delhi, Dehradun and while coming back coming via Rajasthan and Gujarat. Road trip by local state run buses.
It would be great if you could guide me here... time is not much of a constraint, money is. Objectve of my trip is to see maximum places.
Posted by: utopian29 | Sunday, May 20, 2007 at 10:58 PM
Blessings Basia!
Kia Ora from New Zealand. Radha forwarded your link to me and am so thrilled to read your journies in beloved India. I love your photo's and style of writing and wish to encourage you to continue to share this beauty with the rest of our world. Blessings HawkT
Posted by: hawkt | Monday, May 28, 2007 at 06:35 PM
Kia ora hawkt, welcome to the blog, and thanks for the encouraging words. Glad to know you are enjoying it, and thanks to Radha for spreading the word...
Posted by: Basia | Tuesday, May 29, 2007 at 11:58 AM
Thank you for great pictures... Tęsknię do Indii strasznie. Pozdrawiam serdecznie. Namaste! ;-)
Posted by: Andrzej | Saturday, July 14, 2007 at 06:32 AM
Czesc Andrzej! Jezeli tesknisz to Indji, to zapraszam! (Do I know you?)
Posted by: Basia | Saturday, July 14, 2007 at 08:32 AM
Fantastic blog! I'll have it in my favorites. Hope you find something worhty in mine, please leave your expert comments
Posted by: Ganesh | Wednesday, August 15, 2007 at 01:50 PM
Hi Basia, I wonder if you can help me? Our Indian friend is staying with us here in the UK for another 2 weeks before returning to his charity rural development project near Utherimerur, Kanchipuram. He has taken a liking to porridge and I wonder if you know whether you can buy rolled porridge oats in Chennai? Otherwise we will have to try to send him back with a supply in his suitcase! Regards and thanks for a great blog- really enjoyed the bird photos. Francis
Posted by: Francis | Monday, October 22, 2007 at 09:12 AM
Ganesh: Thanks for stopping by. I'll check out your blog.
Francis: Glad to hear you enjoyed the birds. Regarding the rolled porridge oats...hmmmm...I don't think I've ever had them myself, so I'm not sure which place in Chennai would have them. But I can tell you about a couple places that would be good bets. The most likely is Amma Naana, a store that is across the street from the Park Sheraton hotel. They have a pretty big selection of imported foods and I seem to recall seeing porridge and oats there. They are in the Boat Club section of town, where a lot of ex-pats live, so if anyone would have them, they would. The other place is Nuts 'n Spices, which is a chain with branches all around Chennai, including one at Spencer Plaza. (But it probably wouldn't hurt to send your friend home with a supply of a few in his suitcase, just in case...)
Posted by: Basia | Monday, October 22, 2007 at 10:22 AM
Ciao Basia - I'm so glad I found your site - I'm American living in Italy, but I'm going to India this Christmas with some (Indian-American) friends for a wedding, so I'm trying to get a bit more informed.
I look forward to looking through your archives! :)
Posted by: Sara, Ms. Adventures in Italy | Sunday, November 11, 2007 at 02:54 PM
Basia, even though I never got to meet you, I've been reading your blog for a while. Sorry to hear you're leaving India! I'll miss reading up on your adventures around here. Take Care.
-Michele (w/ Am Consulate, Chennai)
Posted by: Michele | Saturday, January 26, 2008 at 09:35 PM
I too shall miss your beautiful stories, photos and experiences, and pray that your journey homeward goes well and filled with oodles of blessings!
Blessings Donna
Posted by: Donna Gardner | Sunday, January 27, 2008 at 12:52 AM
Hi Basia,
Like you, we also just returned to the USA from S. India after spending 3 years in Pondicherry. Quite a change it is! I hope you will take the opportunity to write about your impressions of the US while you can see it in a fresh light. It may be cold, but you have to admit that it's nice to escape the humidity and mold! Enjoy the snow.
Posted by: Mathilde & Daggett | Sunday, February 10, 2008 at 10:11 PM
Hello from another expat (got the link to your blog from Danielle Barkhouse's book).
Posted by: suzer | Tuesday, June 24, 2008 at 10:38 PM
Hi suzer, and welcome to the blog. I will go check out yours now...
Posted by: Basia | Wednesday, June 25, 2008 at 09:40 PM
Hello Basia,
I am trying to locate your sister, Meg. I directed her in a film called "Quizas" in Los Angeles in 1989 and would love to get back in touch with her. My name is Teressa Longo. Email enclosed.
Posted by: Teressa Longo | Tuesday, April 14, 2009 at 10:51 AM