Hi Pam,
Sometimes, I have the great urge to push off to the rural heartland of an African country and spend some months understanding people and development.
Although India itself offers a great variety of developmental challenges and learnings, I find Africa a more fascinating place to be in for understanding the interplay of development and anthropology in a cultural context different from mine.
By going there, I hope to get a closer feel of people belonging to ancient cultures and traditions, and a land rich in pristine biodiversity.
I would also like to see whether development is going to change the lives of these people-- for the better or worse.
Even spending two months on the ground there would be a better learning experience than doing a two-year course in a top league university.
For me, nothing compares to learning on my feet, taking in the real sights and sounds, hearing stories from the people about their changing needs and expectations, and then trying to find out with them what kind of development will work best for them, and then go about empowering their lives on their terms.