tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-68296129534733265122024-02-18T23:03:52.590-08:00India Summer Study 2008Barbarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10419704676314021491noreply@blogger.comBlogger42125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6829612953473326512.post-40483226763507640612008-08-10T10:28:00.000-07:002008-08-10T16:51:52.047-07:00"Incredible India"<div align="center"><strong>It has been an unforgettable journey!</strong> </div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><strong><em></em></strong><strong><em></em></strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOkAWAWTzeGvpgn3AFkSpJvOq_qGSew3Sgsq8DjsVRJl5C4IJPRcjM9bYXDtsQ_byb_RsFS-UGUgAoiWzGqu8L0dI_XRWTMHKvhiMgxA6BOnenkE9uAWi2omjLQhzMyxsq3L65Zyn35IkJ/s1600-h/6.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5232943819715332930" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOkAWAWTzeGvpgn3AFkSpJvOq_qGSew3Sgsq8DjsVRJl5C4IJPRcjM9bYXDtsQ_byb_RsFS-UGUgAoiWzGqu8L0dI_XRWTMHKvhiMgxA6BOnenkE9uAWi2omjLQhzMyxsq3L65Zyn35IkJ/s320/6.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE41zEoWRASHogr4npryQPYyX3yY8yNEVIv5R9Ke9hqFzu_oZJIdO6joGiBpPKTpd5U5S9RkBIDOq70uW4rYjMdjq_G0fOGmeF9INvrWazWbrylMjNUGIv-2qQxBr1iBS8Do_5HwN-7-zS/s1600-h/IMG_4588.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5232943734290160770" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE41zEoWRASHogr4npryQPYyX3yY8yNEVIv5R9Ke9hqFzu_oZJIdO6joGiBpPKTpd5U5S9RkBIDOq70uW4rYjMdjq_G0fOGmeF9INvrWazWbrylMjNUGIv-2qQxBr1iBS8Do_5HwN-7-zS/s320/IMG_4588.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicl2kUFQdd3lnQB_Dl24EVw4xos-W2TMqrk4ogZ6hf5SdPnLhnIwP4IY55MPdQR10zJtqQxgrV0EsRDriUPDXVel0CU4R1m_WGnLMi3mkQx_3mEisDHo-kCZpwsLiwG6AjtN2-wgKgppgx/s1600-h/4.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5232943650600996354" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicl2kUFQdd3lnQB_Dl24EVw4xos-W2TMqrk4ogZ6hf5SdPnLhnIwP4IY55MPdQR10zJtqQxgrV0EsRDriUPDXVel0CU4R1m_WGnLMi3mkQx_3mEisDHo-kCZpwsLiwG6AjtN2-wgKgppgx/s320/4.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoSDCqkXHaQM_2IPoWI2oZqxiI-mZCfLFZu2nKo4hAAHKWexFC2_oHaCIRr9NRYLgUbLNjXIEHAD0HpNzzhLQmUepiMfbmUcoAG25tOJYlAJbzE9IaqcGLWKJROsMmBM-DasH63sGNNgjP/s1600-h/2.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5232943529257404834" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoSDCqkXHaQM_2IPoWI2oZqxiI-mZCfLFZu2nKo4hAAHKWexFC2_oHaCIRr9NRYLgUbLNjXIEHAD0HpNzzhLQmUepiMfbmUcoAG25tOJYlAJbzE9IaqcGLWKJROsMmBM-DasH63sGNNgjP/s320/2.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrbbIDTJhCEij7hCEZiyAAovRJwlijwwgjIS-myvwo5arabkgbQk3SZSMWNPMzpyiAN565JMqVjzmTUygiaGrQBiwE7tbt1PLdafUDoxFQfQmv0j1f3Cy-zi2r-Sn2FiqLce-qZYoDLS4y/s1600-h/3.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5232943534525651682" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrbbIDTJhCEij7hCEZiyAAovRJwlijwwgjIS-myvwo5arabkgbQk3SZSMWNPMzpyiAN565JMqVjzmTUygiaGrQBiwE7tbt1PLdafUDoxFQfQmv0j1f3Cy-zi2r-Sn2FiqLce-qZYoDLS4y/s320/3.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIZ0CI9IWfHwyvuln7l6iUpD4UFaTRKmQbkKtusaOEPMWgomJ3cdSEr8iDbmRH3LAV7hwXG5tpCuVooM-aLkOMAaQ23pwBeSA-FTwgcp4jPQyt8vaN54hXAODhyphenhyphenidkknqy1petq31dZXow/s1600-h/1.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5232943421316949570" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIZ0CI9IWfHwyvuln7l6iUpD4UFaTRKmQbkKtusaOEPMWgomJ3cdSEr8iDbmRH3LAV7hwXG5tpCuVooM-aLkOMAaQ23pwBeSA-FTwgcp4jPQyt8vaN54hXAODhyphenhyphenidkknqy1petq31dZXow/s320/1.JPG" border="0" /></a> “And to think these days men get away with </div><div align="center">giving flowers and chocolates to their wives.”<br /><br /></div><div align="center"></div><p align="center"><strong>Final Thoughts</strong></p><div align="justify">Visiting India has been a tremendous and life-changing experience; everyone that we met here was friendly and welcoming. India is one of the most densely populated nations in the world. While many have reached high levels of success, due in part to the growth of information and technology fields, there are so many more who struggle to eek out a meager living. At the heart of my experience is an appreciation for the people who have to surmount incredible obstacles on a daily basis and yet seem to meet life with a smile. When I cried for the beggars on the street a wise Indian friend said, “it’s O.K., they are happy, Indians take care of each other.” I wrestle with that but have come to accept the fact that even the wild dogs in the streets are fed.<br /><br />Historically I feel that the nation of India has been struggling to come into her own. With independence from the British in 1947 came new challenges. This is a nation seeking an identity that is not linked to the boundaries of the past but is unique and proud of the diversities in the culture that makes up India today. It is a nation that is on the rise and seeking a spot in the world economy. We have come here to study the education system that will play an integral part in the future of this country.<br /><br />With the majority of the population under 25 years of age, many of the hopes and dreams for India lie in the hands of the children. 46 percent of the world’s illiterate live in this country. We have observed examples of exceptional schools that are providing high quality education at an affordable cost. While education is offered to all, there are many children that never set foot inside a classroom. Certainly the system has flaws, but there is dedication and perseverance in people on so many levels. I believe there is a great hope for a bright future in the educational system, and for India as an emerging nation. India is working hard to educate its youth and make life better for the next generation.<br /><br /><strong>I am going to miss many things about India…</strong><br /><br />The food has been great. Many of India’s population are Hindus so it is veggie heaven! I will miss the friends I have made, the smiles of strangers, the colorful clothing, hopping into motor rickshaws to go shopping, the hustle and bustle of the cities, the beautiful temples and historic sites, I will miss staying in wonderful hotels where we are treated like royalty, and I am the only one of the group who will miss the hot, humid weather.<br /><br /><strong>I won’t miss …</strong><br /><br />the pollution, the traffic jams, crazy driving, bad roads, the mud, the garbage on the streets, “non-western” toilets, taking off my shoes at religious shrines,no garbage cans <em>anywhere</em>, rickshaw drivers who want to drive you to your destination via the gift shop (where they get a commission), the street vendors relentless pressure to buy their trinkets and the hectic pace that has not subsided since we got here.<br /><br /><strong>Thank you</strong></div><div align="left"><strong></strong></div><div align="justify">I am grateful to the United States Education Foundation in India. Dr. Girish Kaul and the wonderful people at the “USEFI” offices in India were responsible for planning our very intricate program schedule. They have gone out of their way for us. They planned a well-rounded seminar that included lectures, visits to schools, museums, cultural sites and interesting field trips. They arranged for travel to eight different cities throughout India and made sure we got to each day’s venue. It is a monumental task that was executed efficiently down to the minutest of details. Thank you to the U.S. Department of Education that funds the Fulbright –Hays Seminars Abroad Program and made this trip possible.<br /><br /><strong>It is time to say good-bye…<br /></strong><br />Along the way we have made many dear friends. I would particularly like to mention a few of the many people that I got to know in India. My friend Varrtika has welcomed me into her heart and I greatly enjoyed her company on our many excursions. Azhar, our travel coordinator has patiently, and efficiently gotten 16 teachers and all of our luggage to each destination and made our travel so easy. He has endured our American sense of humor and we have all enjoyed many laughs together. My cooperating teacher, Lawania is a true professional and dedicated teacher. He has helped me in developing a final project for my classroom and made my visit to his school very special.<br /><br />Finally, thanks to my family and friends who support me in my many endeavors. I missed everyone and it is good to be home! </div><div align="justify"><br /></div><div align="left"><strong></strong></div><div align="left"><strong></strong></div><div align="left"><strong>Incredible India<br />It has been an unforgettable journey</strong></div><div align="left"><strong>Namaste</strong></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><strong></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><em></em></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><em></em></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><em>Barbara Delaney </em></strong><br /><br /></div></div>Barbarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10419704676314021491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6829612953473326512.post-47411461037933216822008-08-10T10:23:00.000-07:002008-08-18T20:05:34.602-07:00Group Reflections of Our Trip<div align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigtg9HFsbbWYWFW902xPoch-Yd3tHYHhq52VOXZ0XQKBhkhQS5In1CVbmlq-74KAWVF9QJy4Z48EkWoSshnY-rfUNtcg59BwoxMdGEooV6IbcWOfoyC5LtHUm-WXQhLxt8WAKTVj6bcc9R/s1600-h/Goup+Reflections.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5232941882942940994" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigtg9HFsbbWYWFW902xPoch-Yd3tHYHhq52VOXZ0XQKBhkhQS5In1CVbmlq-74KAWVF9QJy4Z48EkWoSshnY-rfUNtcg59BwoxMdGEooV6IbcWOfoyC5LtHUm-WXQhLxt8WAKTVj6bcc9R/s320/Goup+Reflections.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><p align="justify">We have been traveling with 16 math and science teachers from all over the United States. Every person in our group is a dedicated teacher and has great enthusiasm and passion for their profession. I have learned a lot from them and appreciated getting to know each and every one. It has been especially enjoyable sharing a room along the way with each of the seven women in our group. In the quiet of our room at the end of the day we reflected on our trip, shared a little about our lives and made a friend for life. It will be sad to have to go our separate ways but everyone promises to share pictures and keep in touch.<br /><br />The following report was compiled at the end of our seminar and reflects the thoughts of our group of 16 teachers:<br /><br />The objectives of the Math and Science Teaching and Student Achievement Seminar in India 2008 were twofold; first: a chance for U.S. middle and secondary mathematics and science teachers as well as administrators to observe teaching, curriculum development, and the training of teachers in various cities across India; and two, emerge these understandings into the broader themes of India’s history, culture, and society. With these new understandings each participant is working in collaboration with a partner teacher in Delhi on a curriculum project or their choice.<br /><br />Some themes were evident in each city. One of the most resounding themes is the complexity and contrasts of modern India. One of the most overwhelming aspects of the trip for most of us was the extreme juxtaposition of poverty and wealth: children and sick beggars outside of a McDonald’s; rickshaws next to BMW’s; beautiful art and architecture next to slums; billboards for diamonds and movie stars above hungry people. Another layer of contrasts is the coexistence of traditional life styles amongst modern technology: women in burkhas talking on cell phones; the holy cow in the middle of a traffic jam; satellite dishes on top of straw houses; some rural families with the desire for children to become engineers and computer scientist. The contrasts can even be seen within politics. For example, progressive laws are on the books to address gender inequity, compulsory education, and caste issues; but real change in people’s personal beliefs and comprehensive implementation is taking generations.<br /><br />Similarly, a complex spectrum exists in India’s education system. There are still children who because of accessibility and economic status do not attend school while at the same time India’s elite private schools are producing some of the most talented math and science professionals in the world. We were exposed to numerous prestigious private schools with impressive resources and programs for their students. On the other hand, in spite of our limited chances to visit government schools or schools that served underprivileged populations we were impressed by the learning that was taken place and the dedication of the teachers with use of very few resources. We had no experiences with rural schools.<br /><br />We were impressed and inspired by our visits with some of the leading educational institutions and government officials. There seems to be general recognition of a need to shift from the sole use of rote learning to including inquiry based and investigative learning practice. Likewise, many professionals recognize that to actually impact the classroom teachers’ attitudes and practices will need to change over a period of time.<br /><br />We realize that our small fraction of time spent in India has been nowhere near enough to completely understand its society, culture, or schools; but it has given us small glimpses into the broad themes of India. It has also allowed us a different lens into our own culture and classroom practices at home. What follows is a compilation of the educational and cultural highlights from each city.<br /><br />Conclusion<br /><br />If we had only spent time in Delhi, the objectives of the seminar would not have been met. A powerful part of the seminar was the fact that we were able to see so many different and unique cities in India. We were able to form a much more complete, concise, and clear picture of the Indian education system, curriculum development, and instruction. It was because we were able to visit so many parts of India that allowed us to really meet the objectives of the trip. Throughout the trip each of our curriculum projects gradually took shape. It was a gift really to have each city contribute to each of our individual academic and personal interest and add those insights into our project. Our collaborative teachers in Delhi were helpful throughout this entire process. </p><br /><p>Each person in this group had a number of takeaways from this experience –both personal and academic. It is safe to say that we each will be a better teacher or administrator upon our return to the United States because of the perspectives we have gained on this trip. We are eager to share our projects and our experiences with our students, schools, communities, and families. </p></div>Barbarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10419704676314021491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6829612953473326512.post-54586138965051689192008-08-07T18:24:00.000-07:002008-08-18T20:10:35.629-07:00Sabbath in India<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC1eRWG-WZKIJKwe23vqbfDQP24Ny7D8bPheWf_pBH20lj9Adwj6Nv-yXDJB2wkpAC-JC4lWBena1Kr1XdYjGo12XEed9cc9YYDqRE-yKuWSgf9JYYrAgQaCSzDVqJ3DzXJoxejJ0e7Ehb/s1600-h/IMG_4862.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231581556156113074" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC1eRWG-WZKIJKwe23vqbfDQP24Ny7D8bPheWf_pBH20lj9Adwj6Nv-yXDJB2wkpAC-JC4lWBena1Kr1XdYjGo12XEed9cc9YYDqRE-yKuWSgf9JYYrAgQaCSzDVqJ3DzXJoxejJ0e7Ehb/s320/IMG_4862.JPG" border="0" /></a> Kolkata Seventh-Day Adventist Church<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI6gEo-xEZdsIZAKBYdbmsiAchkOY4_7sUKiXpxwfO0-YjVwkgA8kEFROD4_Yb2i8QkC2NFDyh6oH_6X2uKNW_9WMKhAO55exxvG4DEO631YNWIJakIssQf6Dx29mltYpDeM8rtKtD5RMZ/s1600-h/IMG_4874.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231581422942791810" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI6gEo-xEZdsIZAKBYdbmsiAchkOY4_7sUKiXpxwfO0-YjVwkgA8kEFROD4_Yb2i8QkC2NFDyh6oH_6X2uKNW_9WMKhAO55exxvG4DEO631YNWIJakIssQf6Dx29mltYpDeM8rtKtD5RMZ/s320/IMG_4874.JPG" border="0" /></a> Gateway to the Streets of Kokata<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbW3sXBxnoZSOKw7xDsr8IAbzODTDU1uDxBvG3IyaiHG-gDnmIMUab4w47yf6UfTq5c7ZuQN8vcLfPb8tXGEAaSgdXquH9a13QJmjDiKO_CsTcaiY7c51KR0cQ8gP4I-8jfVwu4fWj7hGZ/s1600-h/IMG_4880.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231581310728711906" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbW3sXBxnoZSOKw7xDsr8IAbzODTDU1uDxBvG3IyaiHG-gDnmIMUab4w47yf6UfTq5c7ZuQN8vcLfPb8tXGEAaSgdXquH9a13QJmjDiKO_CsTcaiY7c51KR0cQ8gP4I-8jfVwu4fWj7hGZ/s320/IMG_4880.JPG" border="0" /></a> Pot Luck<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAgb1_555js0r5Rbg73FcYUXKc2yocna4zz2hsY-6mtz-dQ0OA9tyPX-XeOi-hW5eV_niPOvdrSH8-fn9I2i8aiNEoRW10Oa2yAfkFhihuAtfkCEslt0D7GmNqg2ojp0wrO86o1eJfppxP/s1600-h/IMG_4884.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231581048980054642" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAgb1_555js0r5Rbg73FcYUXKc2yocna4zz2hsY-6mtz-dQ0OA9tyPX-XeOi-hW5eV_niPOvdrSH8-fn9I2i8aiNEoRW10Oa2yAfkFhihuAtfkCEslt0D7GmNqg2ojp0wrO86o1eJfppxP/s320/IMG_4884.JPG" border="0" /></a> Cleaning up in the outside sink<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0zG-r6aJxQwIXiUQvzOalUPddYSRWlrdvGygT_Ggct9ZbTHGSy9t20FDJ0T6coDRmyEG13uJHPpor9SeGiligwO5SlOkNSrvr91rutAkz2VsHG7lp6011cXWYmopW67xFYGqZZP99ndTk/s1600-h/IMG_6039.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231580963403835250" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0zG-r6aJxQwIXiUQvzOalUPddYSRWlrdvGygT_Ggct9ZbTHGSy9t20FDJ0T6coDRmyEG13uJHPpor9SeGiligwO5SlOkNSrvr91rutAkz2VsHG7lp6011cXWYmopW67xFYGqZZP99ndTk/s320/IMG_6039.JPG" border="0" /></a> Spicer College, Pune<br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2jWVuS74WTgK6cdkvqAacxBAkvfI5Xh-NUKkMLfRnWzWUK44i0KxkyAXkh6BTI2saFH7l0-J95b43SNii0pY7v8JZbs_jptOpaWDWrcftAoJVL2RviXawgCs-E6Of93aX2K_woLlfrtgI/s1600-h/IMG_6048.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231580893238671170" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2jWVuS74WTgK6cdkvqAacxBAkvfI5Xh-NUKkMLfRnWzWUK44i0KxkyAXkh6BTI2saFH7l0-J95b43SNii0pY7v8JZbs_jptOpaWDWrcftAoJVL2RviXawgCs-E6Of93aX2K_woLlfrtgI/s320/IMG_6048.JPG" border="0" /></a> Guest Speakers from Africa<br /><div></div></div><div align="justify"><br />I was fortunate enough to get to visit several Adventist churches while I was here in India. New Delhi is a huge city with millions of people. We have our meetings at the “USEFI” office (United States Education Foundation in India). Amazingly enough the Adventist Headquarters was located right across the street! At the beginning of my trip I stopped in the office and they gave me a listing of churches located in the cities where we would be traveling. I enjoyed attending church in Kolkata and Pune. I have plans to spend my last day in India with the folks at the New Delhi Church.</div><br /></div>Barbarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10419704676314021491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6829612953473326512.post-52203816275928770362008-08-07T08:23:00.000-07:002008-08-07T08:23:10.142-07:00Getting Around India<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ZpzxMxC-EWE/SJpN-6ayOWI/AAAAAAAAGy0/wUAzd1zZlV0/s1600-h/IMG_4520.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231579660373080418" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ZpzxMxC-EWE/SJpN-6ayOWI/AAAAAAAAGy0/wUAzd1zZlV0/s320/IMG_4520.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><div><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ZpzxMxC-%3Ca%20href="><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231426686603136530" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSsN6IrtukRqMHhS50qtGr3SJZWzXhQ9OMW5Hwu9ly9ZAkG6p4hiYjDbqKagjyW7Sy_lS_lBtA1hnsEIMr-4GGAfjfUHmhSQHmcNJgllaXMu-e8gMY4im83nSMnfHa-XT7mWGABT7P5Ml8/s320/IMG_7106.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM-yeb6_l9UR9hk9fKAbJW7Ucvc6UFIeey36FIt0vvU8PhPFZZPzS1q7KXCE0DXPG_bBQJm6c7QSzlrS7sFR_LQ5Gy2ksTM6FNmAX3-y9b1YpWtmDEs2YucAB-QGiVkqGuTPkBBed8fCbI/s1600-h/IMG_4739.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231426562974092642" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM-yeb6_l9UR9hk9fKAbJW7Ucvc6UFIeey36FIt0vvU8PhPFZZPzS1q7KXCE0DXPG_bBQJm6c7QSzlrS7sFR_LQ5Gy2ksTM6FNmAX3-y9b1YpWtmDEs2YucAB-QGiVkqGuTPkBBed8fCbI/s320/IMG_4739.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5wqN2L8ANYhgGfJ75ix1ucNABLRN2Xr9UPYittWKBZElz2_w0Df1Wn1X7FHV-0RLjUFICqK1Xs6OB847oYLXp5OgH5e4tRijh12G8LaatA0pu12O0gB9qZZDl3sG73LSPQsGhb321xxrU/s1600-h/IMG_4604.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231426479147348146" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5wqN2L8ANYhgGfJ75ix1ucNABLRN2Xr9UPYittWKBZElz2_w0Df1Wn1X7FHV-0RLjUFICqK1Xs6OB847oYLXp5OgH5e4tRijh12G8LaatA0pu12O0gB9qZZDl3sG73LSPQsGhb321xxrU/s320/IMG_4604.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_EWE/SJnCfIsxyNI/AAAAAAAAGx8/Sp56n0psh_s/s1600-h/IMG_2024.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231426282334570706" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ZpzxMxC-EWE/SJnCfIsxyNI/AAAAAAAAGx8/Sp56n0psh_s/s320/IMG_2024.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><div> </div><div>Planes, Trains and Buses<br /><br />So far we have been on 11 plane fights, logged countless hours on bus trips, and ridden to the shopping markets in taxis, motor rickshaws, bicycle rickshaws and even handpulled rickshaws. A few of us floated down the Hoogly River in Kalkota on a river barge. Some have ridden on camels and in Jaipur we climbed up the side of the Amber Fort on an elephant. It is interesting to have to move the masses of people who live in India. We are fortunate to be able to experience travel in so many unique ways.<br /><br />India by Air<br />Every time we travel to a new city it has been by plane. Jet Blue, Kingfisher and Indi-go Airlines are extremely modern and efficient. We pull up to the airport in our bus, it is unloaded for us and we make our way through the maze of security checks. Security is tight but we go through quickly. Every flight has been on time and we always get a meal. We arrive at our destination, walk off the plane, and a few minutes later our luggage arrives. The U.S. could take a lesson from Indian airlines.<br /><br />Bouncing Through the Clouds<br />Our flight between Bangalore and Pune was pretty exciting. It was a mere twenty-minute flight. Monsoon season has started and it was raining. Because we never got above the cloud line we were in the thick of the storm. We bounced around quite a bit. Many of us were white-knuckled as the plane did a lot of roller coaster moves. We finally touched down to a huge round of applause. We weren’t too excited about having to get on a plane an hour later.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Barbarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10419704676314021491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6829612953473326512.post-64796704283276775632008-08-06T10:17:00.000-07:002008-08-11T05:57:06.709-07:00So “Saree”…Lucy had some “splaining” to do.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3awPXt_aQHSLT2fwRY__FDidPVtYnfbExBh2uGtxcyiKBhFH8AmzzZIxGnsa6985Wdr8xYnUOs4UTUizX0gfQuifCO6CK0f0maXeZdDhjckimVDRa1A7R5yl813tB_UeFjTPKitY577O6/s1600-h/IMG_4666.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5232940170101620386" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3awPXt_aQHSLT2fwRY__FDidPVtYnfbExBh2uGtxcyiKBhFH8AmzzZIxGnsa6985Wdr8xYnUOs4UTUizX0gfQuifCO6CK0f0maXeZdDhjckimVDRa1A7R5yl813tB_UeFjTPKitY577O6/s320/IMG_4666.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div>I titled one of my blogs “A BAD” Day at School” (July 8). My cooperating teacher and his principal read my blog but they wanted to know why my visit was bad. At our farewell dinner I explained my play on words (B.A.D. are my initials) and I hope they understand my sense of humor. My school visits with Lawvania was truly one of the BEST days of my experience! As I say to my students when I sign their homework papers “BAD” is good!</div>Barbarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10419704676314021491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6829612953473326512.post-52346227355496535782008-08-06T08:09:00.000-07:002008-09-02T17:51:54.600-07:00Azhar<div align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieJQkwDnhXygOLZBMOBRSUhpeAc5CWMQtdvWJg79uO_dG9tdAYC9o3GaBZ3i4CJBG-8i4NmFvZ4RS4liDZrxxav0na8pDAoYcudU8ZDBmamouAuNHG1W9bCmKO11IkzeJ4p1pAmpGLt5U9/s1600-h/IMG_4732.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231423838908805138" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieJQkwDnhXygOLZBMOBRSUhpeAc5CWMQtdvWJg79uO_dG9tdAYC9o3GaBZ3i4CJBG-8i4NmFvZ4RS4liDZrxxav0na8pDAoYcudU8ZDBmamouAuNHG1W9bCmKO11IkzeJ4p1pAmpGLt5U9/s320/IMG_4732.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Traveling with us is Azhar, our travel agent from Kashmir. He makes all our travel run smoothly. At every city he oversees our day trips, arranges rides, and books our hotel rooms. His other jobs are to be our translator, souvenir consultant, water boy, and generally to keep us out of trouble. He is very patient as he tries to meet the needs of sixteen helpless Americans traveling in India. He does his job with quiet dignity and grace. He is learning how to have an American sense of humor. </div><div align="justify">One day he announced that we would need our passports at the next stop. I couldn't find mine but he know full well that I had left it behind at the hotel and now we were on to the next city. He graciously made all the arrangements to have it forwarded to our next destination. (Without my passport I would have been grounded!).</div><div align="justify">Azhar made life very easy and I appreciate all that he did for us. We do a lot of teasing but he is a true gentleman who has made our travel interesting and stress free. We are very thankful to have him with us. We wish him well for his upcoming marriage in the fall.</div>Barbarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10419704676314021491noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6829612953473326512.post-23997294211733669352008-08-05T19:53:00.000-07:002008-08-10T10:16:57.068-07:00Trivia AnswerAnd the answer to last week's trivia question (see Aug. 3) is... "The Jewel and the Crown". In the series there is a scene where the main characters are boating on this lake in Jaipur. This was an excellent mini-series about the British Rule in India before India gained independence in 1947. It is well worth watching!<br /><br />The two-time trivia winner is Diane Somerdyk! <br /><br /><br /><br /><p></p><p></p><p></p>Barbarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10419704676314021491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6829612953473326512.post-41708630352155041292008-08-04T19:08:00.000-07:002008-12-10T23:32:49.776-08:00On My Own in Jaipur<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5lMDFr8yAfqqR-EtlCuKoFJIqRLDJvP-lanMMPtUMbBxKJ0a47rMIXtz-jvx-oPpE51xqrg9yMFojA-L0xw7bQpIaSXpTAIhsEwH5juqh3NSdgzkdEJscEE-ODnr82AYqmf89Vetm-NXy/s1600-h/IMG_4035.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5230483642309275170" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5lMDFr8yAfqqR-EtlCuKoFJIqRLDJvP-lanMMPtUMbBxKJ0a47rMIXtz-jvx-oPpE51xqrg9yMFojA-L0xw7bQpIaSXpTAIhsEwH5juqh3NSdgzkdEJscEE-ODnr82AYqmf89Vetm-NXy/s320/IMG_4035.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaSDb6lOhvZSS14H7cv0VV1D9-F2mEK3VEIv-_f1ke4R8TY0VpPsgCbfJMd3PSX7h-s1amfCdPgBL31rMMjfNxsVRPI5EvTdNN6Rnooe2H_rXtouh5XICVfLgLVdRRVZewy0AU8Ll8Rpbl/s1600-h/IMG_3873.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5230483506762409074" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaSDb6lOhvZSS14H7cv0VV1D9-F2mEK3VEIv-_f1ke4R8TY0VpPsgCbfJMd3PSX7h-s1amfCdPgBL31rMMjfNxsVRPI5EvTdNN6Rnooe2H_rXtouh5XICVfLgLVdRRVZewy0AU8Ll8Rpbl/s320/IMG_3873.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ_YuTl_Z5juY9Dt4-jJaTWO6OASiHU268jWPa9YKeZsbH43_7SJKCWOkbdDOFbj1f1jcCDAg-F0QW5pr-t62B1ywUhbztRy3JGtgQDsTQHj86oBmAxxV7A64rBqZszH0Mq1iNlbPeE8dp/s1600-h/IMG_3864.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5230483346365593970" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ_YuTl_Z5juY9Dt4-jJaTWO6OASiHU268jWPa9YKeZsbH43_7SJKCWOkbdDOFbj1f1jcCDAg-F0QW5pr-t62B1ywUhbztRy3JGtgQDsTQHj86oBmAxxV7A64rBqZszH0Mq1iNlbPeE8dp/s320/IMG_3864.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYVYAm6BJudEPXLEYHchxDB6TZunzqWHj2Q3PpGnAdK6SggCfG4a0pvGGwwy7DYj797-NeD0Hq_XsK374yZN51JGbDbc2aF76yeq1WKyZv8z_ZwJrE1KaFk-RsDiBIWmlPt5VuC0N3ZsBl/s1600-h/IMG_3863.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5230483158873361426" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYVYAm6BJudEPXLEYHchxDB6TZunzqWHj2Q3PpGnAdK6SggCfG4a0pvGGwwy7DYj797-NeD0Hq_XsK374yZN51JGbDbc2aF76yeq1WKyZv8z_ZwJrE1KaFk-RsDiBIWmlPt5VuC0N3ZsBl/s320/IMG_3863.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div>India is so busy, there is always something going on around you and it is hard to have time to even think. Today, our group was site seeing and shopping in the hectic city market. When you are with a large number of people there is always pressure to hurry up and be somewhere. Since we were heading back to our hotel I asked to stay back by myself so I could walk around the city on my own.<br /><br />I headed down the street. In India everyone wants you. They call for your attention, they approach you to come into their shop, "just look, no charge to look". This may be true but the Indians are masters of high pressure sales! I have learned that once you enter a shop it is extremely difficult to leave without buying something. The salesmen are relentless in their persuit of your money. They follow you down the street just to get your attention.<br /><br />For some reason in India no one ever wants to give you change. They rarely have small denominations or just don’t want to part with the bills and coins. When you take a rick shaw or a taxi they don’t ever seem to have change, so if you don’t have the exact amount you end up giving them more money. I try to keep small bills and coins in my pocket as there are many occasions to dole out money.<br /><br />As I walked into a section of town that was not in the main tourist area, I was accosted by a barrage of beggars and salesmen. A white foreign woman is an easy target. People looking for handouts are common and you have to decide ahead of time how you are going to handle the situation. Some people are more desperate than others, some are physically disabled and many are young mothers or children dressed in rags. All want your money. Some of it is a scam but the bottom line is there are many who depend on the handouts given by others. Since you cannot possibly give to everyone you have to choose wisely who you will give to. Usually once you start handing out money you become easy prey.<br /><br />A woman surround by lots of children and a baby approached me with a U.S. dollar bill she wanted to trade me for rupees. What she really wanted was a handout. I made the mistake of opening my wallet. I only had large bills. Knowing she had a sucker, she led me to a little shop so I could get change. Understand two things, one, I’m the biggest sucker going and two it’s really, really hard for me to say no!<br /><br />Most shops that line the streets are in rows of cement cubicles the size of single car garages, when the door is raised they are open for business. Little markets sell soda, candy, a little food and sundries. I was completely frazzled as I entered a small grocery store. I looked around and a man dressed in white garb, which is typical Muslim dress, asked me how he could help. I told him I just needed to get out of the crowd for a minute. He understood and told me to follow him (everyone wants you to follow them!) Not knowing what I was getting into, he led me out to the back of the shop where there was a small courtyard garden. “Sit” he said and let me to a marble bench. Not being able to say no I obliged and took him up on his offer.<br /><br />After gaining my composure, I went back into the shop. The woman was waiting in the street for me so I hesitated going out again. “Sit, Sit”, I was led to a chair and sat down. Before I knew it I was chatting with the locals. “Who will be the next U.S. president they asked?” No one was a George Bush fan. This crowd favored Barack Obama. We had a pleasant time talking about this and that. A woman came in who was a retired teacher, the shop owners wife was also a teacher and was getting her P.H.D. (many Indians are highly educated but are working in jobs for which they are highly overqualified). The group felt that teachers should be greatly honored. This is true in India but not in the U.S.<br /><br />I was ready to face the streets but one of the gentlemen insisted I stay for tea. Like I said, it’s hard to argue. He left the shop and returned about ten minutes later with a baggie filled with tea. Marsala tea is delicious and is made with milk and sugar. He poured tea for everyone in the shop and we drank together.<br /><br />There is no getting away easy but finally I said my good-byes and faced my friends in the street. That was only the beginning of many adventures that afternoon. When I returned to the hotel four hours later my friends were all worried. They know I am the biggest sucker and they usually try to keep me focused. They were afraid to turn me loose on my own so they were glad I was back.<br /><br />I really love to meet people and talk about the ordinary things. These are the times when I feel most apart of India. Today was a special day. I’m exhausted, I did spend lots of money, but for me, I have come to look at it like this, I may not always get the best deal but it is an experience that I am buying. The experiences of the day are priceless.</div></div></div>Barbarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10419704676314021491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6829612953473326512.post-175591878331470412008-08-03T19:48:00.001-07:002008-12-10T23:32:50.052-08:00Trivia Question<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9rchfA26A-IuFaLrGRIewrTF8my7whElS31cbLWjRxXV_yhUilVB1Pf61K2hyphenhyphen02Wcc95vRZhRhYVLobRBBkAni6R_6-hZYhfjKmZwakbtqh4P8gA5Fhwv7RU9NpBbvClgIuYtmPfSxpoZ/s1600-h/6.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5230489081087052770" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9rchfA26A-IuFaLrGRIewrTF8my7whElS31cbLWjRxXV_yhUilVB1Pf61K2hyphenhyphen02Wcc95vRZhRhYVLobRBBkAni6R_6-hZYhfjKmZwakbtqh4P8gA5Fhwv7RU9NpBbvClgIuYtmPfSxpoZ/s320/6.JPG" border="0" /></a>Can you correctly identify the Masterpiece Theather Series </div><div align="center">about India that had a scene filmed in this location?</div><div align="center"> </div><div align="center">Submit your Answers in the comment section.</div><div align="center">Answer published on Wednesday</div><div align="center">Prize: 5 Rupees!<br /></div>Barbarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10419704676314021491noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6829612953473326512.post-37801082014402664512008-08-03T07:16:00.000-07:002008-12-10T23:32:51.825-08:00Snake Charmers and Elephants in Jaipur<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAZCS4w8oqKcqK_FBj-0WbL8TgO0q0_tDchwsy8D5juI_6CWDw9nJrsCoE_P2DVZPHanycw4njQ_HkxBa2BXy65ArasOiucVtc1w7M0P99N7rI-BWIJmkbsAEoTDyXp5RoGBoRSM2GNew5/s1600-h/7.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5230335069614509122" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAZCS4w8oqKcqK_FBj-0WbL8TgO0q0_tDchwsy8D5juI_6CWDw9nJrsCoE_P2DVZPHanycw4njQ_HkxBa2BXy65ArasOiucVtc1w7M0P99N7rI-BWIJmkbsAEoTDyXp5RoGBoRSM2GNew5/s320/7.JPG" border="0" /></a> Hawa Mahal - Palace of the Wind </div><div align="center"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl4rOBT1rv-kwfq8GK02NrCrJCWRX9Snzgq-e_t7nucKKwES_LRGkvX3clL8Nym1lFzVx5jIxyfL0Kt9uxsjIEOpDaHxI8WoKaFx0w69VkgRV5sfHfR1GOrap9WP5JE2nBEGded5pbf2Qq/s1600-h/6.JPG"><p align="center"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7U7yIjjZOMxdDuR8wwblyoAsGmDxJo7hYmxOUWeRWr7HmLasFWu-YrcBBvwoqEDi92_OhkPTUpmvJBZv3JWi_-eQIBQdTYyfAbkzhBWE8DHM8AKyLofIgWHM-jx-wiCOIh5ATwB_E0AyV/s1600-h/5.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5230334870252267378" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7U7yIjjZOMxdDuR8wwblyoAsGmDxJo7hYmxOUWeRWr7HmLasFWu-YrcBBvwoqEDi92_OhkPTUpmvJBZv3JWi_-eQIBQdTYyfAbkzhBWE8DHM8AKyLofIgWHM-jx-wiCOIh5ATwB_E0AyV/s320/5.JPG" border="0" /></a> Amber Fort</p><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidrwH-AzRPLx0ogoDCLXf9dPgfCobv1TVXasye_8kQHXKQvNXCN1Xi0eQVHtLqWMReGYWhWKeDSvHcZDIpr7eOGtHqcfWG2avySP7UlX7k5UE7OdEuylR-rz_q8xKV3z2FKxKgiHgyKvS2/s1600-h/4.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5230296189307714658" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidrwH-AzRPLx0ogoDCLXf9dPgfCobv1TVXasye_8kQHXKQvNXCN1Xi0eQVHtLqWMReGYWhWKeDSvHcZDIpr7eOGtHqcfWG2avySP7UlX7k5UE7OdEuylR-rz_q8xKV3z2FKxKgiHgyKvS2/s320/4.JPG" border="0" /></a> Don't get this guy mad! That's a real cobra.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji3ZNKsYDQhyphenhyphen1N73ZG09r7RGA0aJEWF0nuQa3gZh4u8LdQz8ZOSxr70aV9z6GsfaA1W1s0xteVGGkIrmPG-2FyGLU_ngTpUf6s9Ei_3capAE0Udt99XJCIgaCHHuLuAwkiJs2ZfrYFqcVl/s1600-h/1.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5230295967991120866" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji3ZNKsYDQhyphenhyphen1N73ZG09r7RGA0aJEWF0nuQa3gZh4u8LdQz8ZOSxr70aV9z6GsfaA1W1s0xteVGGkIrmPG-2FyGLU_ngTpUf6s9Ei_3capAE0Udt99XJCIgaCHHuLuAwkiJs2ZfrYFqcVl/s320/1.JPG" border="0" /></a> Our first elephants...we are in love.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcYbxUs5jLp_YSgiEmjrzw9ZbHe_D03ebCpDwQPU61XK_GuboMiHZDJbZTbSbZhJoQ3fwsGHauioGk7eW4MznxputVVF__lM6ChX9l0X986rfTzzZdfew-iYcENIqBAlzZPIvgquEX-hNd/s1600-h/2.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5230295967738289954" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcYbxUs5jLp_YSgiEmjrzw9ZbHe_D03ebCpDwQPU61XK_GuboMiHZDJbZTbSbZhJoQ3fwsGHauioGk7eW4MznxputVVF__lM6ChX9l0X986rfTzzZdfew-iYcENIqBAlzZPIvgquEX-hNd/s320/2.JPG" border="0" /></a>Going up...<br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuQrEJSfjDI-G60EQSgiSEL1fCNZfEcpk_wyak0fQ3RZjj7rEB94n7GfeDgQI-VzdlR5XIS4MYBTEa3yj2rcCzwel1_Dtp7Hbxl49PyY2buwkZJSsXmzGJc12dt819ArNyv_asxoEL6kY0/s1600-h/3.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5230296096705895122" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuQrEJSfjDI-G60EQSgiSEL1fCNZfEcpk_wyak0fQ3RZjj7rEB94n7GfeDgQI-VzdlR5XIS4MYBTEa3yj2rcCzwel1_Dtp7Hbxl49PyY2buwkZJSsXmzGJc12dt819ArNyv_asxoEL6kY0/s320/3.JPG" border="0" /></a> Bouncing Beauties<br /></div><div align="justify"><br />It doesn't take much to make 16 teachers happy. First it was the cows laying on the highways, then it was the goat herds walking down the middle of the road, next we were were thrilled to see a camel working the streets. The pigs eating out of the trash made us laugh and snakes are creepy, but elephants are the <em>best!!!</em> We caught our first glimpse of them today in Jaipur. The best part was that we got to ride them up the steep road to the Amber Fort. It was a thrill.</div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div align="center"></div></div>Barbarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10419704676314021491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6829612953473326512.post-3432496032920099932008-08-02T10:29:00.000-07:002008-12-10T23:32:53.109-08:00Midnight Train to Jaipur<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghRTBXMQs2SqbzD0CdhzK4dG1fmOAxbPIwhV6aHBMCrAdGCA4VKeg3XbvTLybDtsdTYtMBZJywLbYZylEbCKUMH_-bYvjDArcjxSp3eTMt0wFHFqSRsN2IWhPhxpt9C_RjCBHGAII7iblg/s1600-h/IMG_6861.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5229974533159736754" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghRTBXMQs2SqbzD0CdhzK4dG1fmOAxbPIwhV6aHBMCrAdGCA4VKeg3XbvTLybDtsdTYtMBZJywLbYZylEbCKUMH_-bYvjDArcjxSp3eTMt0wFHFqSRsN2IWhPhxpt9C_RjCBHGAII7iblg/s320/IMG_6861.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghRsORmHAzbsz6FQSM3nGIy9Gd29x9bg3r-5FSI4d8xEM-K8WNfp62ptSe3gXx4SLPIA3-uT-YEXgkKMoHuSI6vcIOZJm9vnavFgbRQGfxOxeVVTuPBD7SuY2SNRZHjRPOtXZlRfFX7b5_/s1600-h/IMG_6872.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5229974441076677714" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghRsORmHAzbsz6FQSM3nGIy9Gd29x9bg3r-5FSI4d8xEM-K8WNfp62ptSe3gXx4SLPIA3-uT-YEXgkKMoHuSI6vcIOZJm9vnavFgbRQGfxOxeVVTuPBD7SuY2SNRZHjRPOtXZlRfFX7b5_/s320/IMG_6872.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVRpEJ6SiW482RcwCRqCPbMR-nvLu5z6VfK04IFUugKSdhV6reETT4c-1sm_sHDSco33FMgDuWCHRsBqE1xRnda9RBie0Xn_QruPF2liJx63CveqGPheeKb_OE4zS4a7Tv69iguDqgmMD0/s1600-h/IMG_6898.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5229974364018653042" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVRpEJ6SiW482RcwCRqCPbMR-nvLu5z6VfK04IFUugKSdhV6reETT4c-1sm_sHDSco33FMgDuWCHRsBqE1xRnda9RBie0Xn_QruPF2liJx63CveqGPheeKb_OE4zS4a7Tv69iguDqgmMD0/s320/IMG_6898.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZSuMZEGkgBHBoQ556g-Jjsz-ZL5TOMQucEi7Tpig-CnFxCLChb4vX258FDB306IT_N9wkPD9u5Z6B3cfsda3i44wyZ5iKIqqqWQDwQsmJhQqsHJ-PvXpv5kNtxyiYe8Jrcb40v1jlXxiu/s1600-h/IMG_6904.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5229974256730514082" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZSuMZEGkgBHBoQ556g-Jjsz-ZL5TOMQucEi7Tpig-CnFxCLChb4vX258FDB306IT_N9wkPD9u5Z6B3cfsda3i44wyZ5iKIqqqWQDwQsmJhQqsHJ-PvXpv5kNtxyiYe8Jrcb40v1jlXxiu/s320/IMG_6904.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitbWVIC9fWdavndm8s-y-ItJpjqzEf5HqWOCMc9yabIMXsSf26Ecxw1E4FFVzKFXCvx-QTpjL4FQmMX4vSemC8C-8keSdSw8jO53DtyeT3CJ8fK-BevDaz9ajmJiRBSR27NzX-W0swoSpw/s1600-h/IMG_6923.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5229974172059668562" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitbWVIC9fWdavndm8s-y-ItJpjqzEf5HqWOCMc9yabIMXsSf26Ecxw1E4FFVzKFXCvx-QTpjL4FQmMX4vSemC8C-8keSdSw8jO53DtyeT3CJ8fK-BevDaz9ajmJiRBSR27NzX-W0swoSpw/s320/IMG_6923.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp0vWQpGv01sXpcwdQsV1A7gEAuDtu02q3HXed9uTck83xloPSE72T16sxPAnvQdB7R6AIKf_e0hAtd1QG8e5nr1dR35WRAGJsXTDKdiisjq_q065taOA7ZdW5sZqsQZRbQEJLDnOFTH2G/s1600-h/IMG_6928.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5229974085233835298" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp0vWQpGv01sXpcwdQsV1A7gEAuDtu02q3HXed9uTck83xloPSE72T16sxPAnvQdB7R6AIKf_e0hAtd1QG8e5nr1dR35WRAGJsXTDKdiisjq_q065taOA7ZdW5sZqsQZRbQEJLDnOFTH2G/s320/IMG_6928.JPG" border="0" /></a> I write this from our train heading to Jaipur. We arrived at the station with a busload of luggage. Porters with bright red turbans and official armbands carried our suitcases to the train. Some carried two full suitcases at a time…on top of their heads! We huddled together at the platform to make sure our luggage was secure.<br /><br />The train arrived and a mass of people throng to get on board. The train has first class seating for those who are fortunate enough to get one. Some sit in cars with seats only. We are in the sleeper cars. Each area has seating for six on one side and two on the other. Our luggage stays with us so I am sitting on a seat with my suitcase under my feet, my second bag and my computer bag are close by. The seats we are sitting on will fold into bunk beds. We have been given sheets, blankets, pillows and a towel.<br /><br />There is a constant bustle as children run up and down the isles, the conductor checks on seating and armed police walk through the cars. People talk is soft conversations; a radio quietly plays music from a local station. Every few minutes someone walks through with food. For forty rupees ($.80) I got a warm veggie sandwich and a bag of chips. You can buy chai, coffee, bottled water, tomato soup and even order a meal that will be delivered to your seat at 8:30.<br /><br />Once a seat has been assigned no one wants to move, even if you are traveling with friends. It can be awkward when you are squished between grandma and the man who keeps falling over when he sleeps. Our compartment is now full with six on one side and two of us on the other.<br /><br />The train has a slow and steady rhythm. It is a very peaceful and a pleasant way to pass the time. We are intermixed with the locals. It has gotten dark and people have already begun to settle down for the night. The little girl sitting next to me, Rutva, who is about eighteen months, was happy to share a cookie. We compare ankle bracelets and pretend to have a conversation on our cell pretend phones. I take her picture and show her. I am downloading them onto my laptop. We watch a slideshow of my cats and my pictures of the train. She is amused but like me she is getting sleepy. Soon my seat will turn into a bunk and I will try to sleep.<br /><br />At four A.M. we will arrive in Jaipur. We have to be ready to hop off the train with all of our luggage. I sure hope those guys in the red turbans are there to carry my bags. Once again we will board a bus and head off to a new city.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhntPjsGTF0cNrgkq7ZEi_Jkj9RIpdqjvVdLHH5HRsVzarnlWSK431ODxnjPcvHvmjxgANO6g_ifVeGYswwqQL2oHzGOxbpzRfyvdhkVbb6xN8njIZO7uj-6IeOfpc-pynNpOo_j5xg81eC/s1600-h/IMG_6975.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241592651913978946" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhntPjsGTF0cNrgkq7ZEi_Jkj9RIpdqjvVdLHH5HRsVzarnlWSK431ODxnjPcvHvmjxgANO6g_ifVeGYswwqQL2oHzGOxbpzRfyvdhkVbb6xN8njIZO7uj-6IeOfpc-pynNpOo_j5xg81eC/s320/IMG_6975.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Barbarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10419704676314021491noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6829612953473326512.post-18717797251437387642008-08-02T07:36:00.000-07:002008-12-10T23:32:55.341-08:00A Little Bit of Heaven Above the Clouds<div align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5McXgq7-ISeYZCBGG1H5OdcppmxJLsdROSqsTTuyvxYEll-RznCiggN-ogzOTzMC6znUEL1fii1cgi_wQGJm3p_TesVJb2KRFmvHVCYQKWkiTU2noqcPG492Nfw-9HUECHoKy-f81Cx6G/s1600-h/funtrips.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5228460975582993298" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5McXgq7-ISeYZCBGG1H5OdcppmxJLsdROSqsTTuyvxYEll-RznCiggN-ogzOTzMC6znUEL1fii1cgi_wQGJm3p_TesVJb2KRFmvHVCYQKWkiTU2noqcPG492Nfw-9HUECHoKy-f81Cx6G/s320/funtrips.JPG" border="0" /></a> Our trip to India has been mainly in cities. They are big, congested and always in motion. People live in crowded conditions, many are unemployed or choose to live on the streets at the mercy of strangers. You continually breathe in car exhaust, the smells of cooking food, animals and human life. There is a need to come away from the cities and find another side of India. I am ready for an adventure with my teacher friends Lisa (California) and Jessica (Colorado)…<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbOAoG2Yf0vOUzQGFs9gfxexKWubz4EaR7otrkRDL2a7X_ZddxBO3VKUDTYsepauCX6qBVHELDdU3uFqSZRI2ZrLRZPpf-gxWSOcqM23dPj-UYQwcavjw4OXdM9UMuPq2d9HJN3ZlxFjPV/s1600-h/2.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5228460846279002914" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbOAoG2Yf0vOUzQGFs9gfxexKWubz4EaR7otrkRDL2a7X_ZddxBO3VKUDTYsepauCX6qBVHELDdU3uFqSZRI2ZrLRZPpf-gxWSOcqM23dPj-UYQwcavjw4OXdM9UMuPq2d9HJN3ZlxFjPV/s320/2.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><div align="center">Southern Indian Style Breakfast</div><div align="left"></div><div align="left">We set out to explore a side of India rarely seen by the passing tourist. Jessica saw a notice posted on a bulletin board in a German Bakery just around the corner from our hotel. It was an advertisement for a hiking trip on Sunday. Not knowing anything about what we were getting into we called to make a reservation.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC2eYhfhFiB3R4Sz5GWeHOq30dW2gei-W19qCpglfL3ZwKAwXeQZAwg98da5XvYtErBuecnBe_tVSCG7iKOOKE_jEP4vQS2YCInKQS-to2LfEjhIvP_pBo8VJA6B_1v1hUp5pCJseWyKYc/s1600-h/3.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5228460539441863858" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC2eYhfhFiB3R4Sz5GWeHOq30dW2gei-W19qCpglfL3ZwKAwXeQZAwg98da5XvYtErBuecnBe_tVSCG7iKOOKE_jEP4vQS2YCInKQS-to2LfEjhIvP_pBo8VJA6B_1v1hUp5pCJseWyKYc/s320/3.JPG" border="0" /></a> As directed, we waited outside of our hotel at 6 a.m.; it was still dark. Two cars arrived. One was a SUV and the other was a tiny red car that seated four (maybe). We squeezed twelve adults into the two cars and drove out of Pune heading north. Busy roadways gave way to tiny villages and farms. Soon we were on winding roads traversing up into the hills.<br /><br />Mist hung low and the gentle rains have turned the dusty land into a lush green tropical garden. As we ascended up into the hill country tiered farms dotted the landscape. In this region they grow tomatoes, onions, garlic, sugar cane, bananas, grapes and rice. As always, the driving is crazy with people constantly passing on narrow roads while trying to avoid carts, animals and people.<br /></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><a href="http://www.blogger.com/Two%20hours%20later%20we%20arrived%20at%20a%20roadside%20restaurant%20for%20a%20traditional%20breakfast%20and%20tea.%20It%20was%20beginning%20to%20rain%20lightly.%20After%20a%20great%20meal%20we%20began%20our%20ascent%20into%20the%20rural%20region.%20This%20was%20some%20of%20the%20most%20beautiful%20landscape%20I%20have%20ever%20seen.%20Small%20farms%20were%20everywhere.%20Waterfalls%20cascaded%20from%20the%20rocks%20into%20narrow%20pools%20and%20rivers.%20Children%20attended%20to%20chores%20outside,%20farmers%20were%20planting%20rice%20and%20women%20pumped%20water%20at%20the%20local%20wells.%20This%20was%20the%20India%20I%20had%20imagined.%20%20%3Ca%20href="><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5228460163291744002" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpFs33hyvD1PnPbeafe0y2aqXZkPMYfssgceIPUFvFd8UbueheVmm47oH0jQMmp50jmKwz_iglBXgt2tM-LlC2RC0TJnShyNodJ1zJCxbYUiBfjv1jLgM5VqX41JnB9DEbmpAf5GEVvpcG/s320/trio.JPG" border="0" /></a> To Ends of the Earth (and <em>we hope we come</em> back!)<br /><div align="left"><br />After driving for four hours we arrived at the end of a bumpy road. We headed out on the Naneghat Monsoon Trail. We hiked on a fairly flat road with cows and water buffalos grazing on the side of the road. A dog accompanied us on our hike. Birds were everywhere and it looked like we were in the setting for Lord of the Rings. </div><div align="left"></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip1UZq9fnSN44rH29Qqhy3pLsoatJBPqKFFdvMMZOa4Xst7tB3E7ubkk4VXAxFLBNGJfNocJm9YYHnPl_QiUClRjT0t_oonZJiBN1i7bG83WxOeGTij1RcIXFEKcmY2FeR3v4Mqa_P3MaU/s1600-h/landscape.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5228459997231356754" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip1UZq9fnSN44rH29Qqhy3pLsoatJBPqKFFdvMMZOa4Xst7tB3E7ubkk4VXAxFLBNGJfNocJm9YYHnPl_QiUClRjT0t_oonZJiBN1i7bG83WxOeGTij1RcIXFEKcmY2FeR3v4Mqa_P3MaU/s320/landscape.JPG" border="0" /></a> Monsoon Season Arrives </div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="left">I think I can tell you the exact time the monsoon season began, 3:30. This is the time my watch stopped. The gentle rain turned into torrents! The three of us did not have raincoats and we were soaked through in minutes. </div><div align="left"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="left">We climbed a knoll as the wind whipped frantically at us. It was hard to even stand up. It was all in good fun. The only sensible ones were two goat shepherds who peered out at us from the cover of a small cave. I can only imagine what they were thinking about us. </div><div align="left"></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6fUpnN-ATCIubcSvzuH77NqPqe1AKeir63qn79l_kZRRjIUJzO7DWZnyuh7sR-NZMJzNAyaLQGd1tuU0r6deL81rIonw0tMK3kcyir1vzFi2mDerMXMqeEpkf-j8Kbhz_fcHYyIFORlwn/s1600-h/cave+dweller.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5228459510139158354" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6fUpnN-ATCIubcSvzuH77NqPqe1AKeir63qn79l_kZRRjIUJzO7DWZnyuh7sR-NZMJzNAyaLQGd1tuU0r6deL81rIonw0tMK3kcyir1vzFi2mDerMXMqeEpkf-j8Kbhz_fcHYyIFORlwn/s320/cave+dweller.JPG" border="0" /></a>The only smart ones!</div><div align="left"><br /><br /></div><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYXpjErONWb3x5Hl_Tlp2CH1q4_Z2ZgFZotWZborpEJp6l8Q8vjgX7J3BBzIxoCm9C4Gj0myPW90E3bEHTuNYtEvojrDfLOO2HJKRnte_cBUtGdM65bIwQYgRRfV6PNR-XSrBE9S_GL7pg/s1600-h/into+the+abyss.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5228459618514360754" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYXpjErONWb3x5Hl_Tlp2CH1q4_Z2ZgFZotWZborpEJp6l8Q8vjgX7J3BBzIxoCm9C4Gj0myPW90E3bEHTuNYtEvojrDfLOO2HJKRnte_cBUtGdM65bIwQYgRRfV6PNR-XSrBE9S_GL7pg/s320/into+the+abyss.JPG" border="0" /></a>Hike into the Abyss</p><p>We hiked over the edge and down the other side. It was pouring and we were walking down a waterfall! We never made it to the bottom and we can only imaging what was actually down there. I'm just glad I didn't slip and break my neck!</p><div align="left">The walk back seemed much farther then I remember. The rain whipped at us and I even had an umbrella, which was really silly as the rain came at us in every direction. I have never been so completely wet, ever! </div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left">We had to pile in the cars in our soaking wet clothes for the ride back (we really did not get the memo). It was a rather interesting experience but we still had to endure another meal (in wet clothes), another few hours in the car, and another stop for tea (still in wet clothes). If we hadn’t had such a great day it definitely would have put a damper on things.</div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="right"></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRY1VoTzjgSIfMU0nIM-2ew0E5xYefYAHUB0Mw9PqF_jyNvcz-dks8_WM53-g2BtefZcbftPfE1SaRj1uE7thEiI6yaOKzcF9hnQeecsAqC59oov2YNvTPYBi-xrQyO2evma0j3RogdyHL/s1600-h/lunch.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5228458880477175410" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRY1VoTzjgSIfMU0nIM-2ew0E5xYefYAHUB0Mw9PqF_jyNvcz-dks8_WM53-g2BtefZcbftPfE1SaRj1uE7thEiI6yaOKzcF9hnQeecsAqC59oov2YNvTPYBi-xrQyO2evma0j3RogdyHL/s320/lunch.JPG" border="0" /> <p align="center"></a>"Tippin" Lunch - Each course is served in a little dish<br /></p><p align="left"><br />We arrived back at our hotel at 8:30. We were (still) wet and very tired but the day was probably one of the best we had yet. And the fun continued. The next night we met up with Vivick, a great guy who we met on the hike, and some of his friends for an evening at a local restaurant. It was like being the mom coming along with the kids, but we had great Italian food and a lively discussion about Gone With the Wind. If you ever find yourself in Pune be sure to look up Fun Trips inc., they’ll take you to the ends of the earth and back! </p><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEdlQuQqFD-k0ZLCrU8jjM7Uu90DsglNV_SnTZSYAziF_v1rUYORRGVprWJYLrbVJEBC8On_dAwYcGYhsSM2n3JH6dJCijMXK4cAMVwn8gqt-Fb2YcaBuglITYxNSvRv9ZRirguv5KC1lU/s1600-h/umbrella.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5228458727629360210" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEdlQuQqFD-k0ZLCrU8jjM7Uu90DsglNV_SnTZSYAziF_v1rUYORRGVprWJYLrbVJEBC8On_dAwYcGYhsSM2n3JH6dJCijMXK4cAMVwn8gqt-Fb2YcaBuglITYxNSvRv9ZRirguv5KC1lU/s320/umbrella.JPG" border="0" /></a> Lisa, Jessica, Vivick and Barb <div align="center">(The umbrellas were just for show)</div></div>Barbarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10419704676314021491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6829612953473326512.post-59102731466391956802008-07-31T11:22:00.000-07:002008-12-10T23:32:56.819-08:00A Very Special Place<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTKjQcKiWFNcJpB0yjdqPR6mPMGX7TBlMI75cN_AVJ4Ou9UutbBbhTOUoadk37vE755kt3RoH0tv5qb00DhwUMMAzFKsygConqqN55XMPBRe_-g2eY9hfNbbrw40NZhz59sUCuSsaPJ01a/s1600-h/IMG_6446.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5229245955594781698" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTKjQcKiWFNcJpB0yjdqPR6mPMGX7TBlMI75cN_AVJ4Ou9UutbBbhTOUoadk37vE755kt3RoH0tv5qb00DhwUMMAzFKsygConqqN55XMPBRe_-g2eY9hfNbbrw40NZhz59sUCuSsaPJ01a/s320/IMG_6446.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9hIK7Djp2JivnZFhGGRTM733VG31hTh0tdRu6Rr8WGzxKhyHT47Sp8BNa_7nkxtJ2rnPuBSw482383-s86ViGAxZptQOnPBR2DuZcaHP1u7QLnEoz4elnrfikJl-WjU4aNRt2AjOHw4Rb/s1600-h/4.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5229245885557754562" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9hIK7Djp2JivnZFhGGRTM733VG31hTh0tdRu6Rr8WGzxKhyHT47Sp8BNa_7nkxtJ2rnPuBSw482383-s86ViGAxZptQOnPBR2DuZcaHP1u7QLnEoz4elnrfikJl-WjU4aNRt2AjOHw4Rb/s320/4.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRLleKk_Kokt6f4-41T111PPN2TXgF1yMHdVa2FlL7nyZOG3WJxIedU219s9IDKWXSBTuhGA_uoE5mKtRISRngMBti4TQJGOqw9vphavagZxlcHpu6oykUxcJ6lBkGKm52HAB_ND2lRCsc/s1600-h/3.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5229245797578919778" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRLleKk_Kokt6f4-41T111PPN2TXgF1yMHdVa2FlL7nyZOG3WJxIedU219s9IDKWXSBTuhGA_uoE5mKtRISRngMBti4TQJGOqw9vphavagZxlcHpu6oykUxcJ6lBkGKm52HAB_ND2lRCsc/s320/3.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8COTJFrH1yNdRBKSVisOliCT7VkfKwBYulNjW2mPguT_qG4d1o3WioaeVmHMMveIismBl9mFy9yy9HvGS4FrS4vZdVwWFA9CZQEUxBULJHdsWnTdxEplHpE7dRunijSYqkvFZaE8ZVfJw/s1600-h/2.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5229245720161572098" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8COTJFrH1yNdRBKSVisOliCT7VkfKwBYulNjW2mPguT_qG4d1o3WioaeVmHMMveIismBl9mFy9yy9HvGS4FrS4vZdVwWFA9CZQEUxBULJHdsWnTdxEplHpE7dRunijSYqkvFZaE8ZVfJw/s320/2.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2fdE5eh3q3CcuW3Tcl_NQLwgFxMQbBqP5lzSeUAcnkOz6Ek1ekdhTZm-gtekYzkBJPJ9rC2Yn5gnUQAcf_DtMyEEuNNNWXOOjb187JtjFR9ku4ONapi1arLD1jCDcO54nWOzm_5hpjsKi/s1600-h/1.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5229245648567185266" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2fdE5eh3q3CcuW3Tcl_NQLwgFxMQbBqP5lzSeUAcnkOz6Ek1ekdhTZm-gtekYzkBJPJ9rC2Yn5gnUQAcf_DtMyEEuNNNWXOOjb187JtjFR9ku4ONapi1arLD1jCDcO54nWOzm_5hpjsKi/s320/1.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div>In the tiny town of Patan, located north of Ahmedabad we were transformed into another world. Our local tour guide arranged for us to visti a Jain Temple in this sleepy little village. It was a question of who was more in awe, the 16 teachers from the U.S., or the people of the village who rarely, if ever, see a bus of tourists pull down their streets. They were the most gracious and kind people. They took great pleasure in posing for pictures and wanted us to pose with them. A few, who had cell phones took our pictures. They didn’t mind that we were intruding in their lives. They proudly showed us their homes, their children and their work. They won our hearts!</div></div></div></div>Barbarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10419704676314021491noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6829612953473326512.post-25370511584481157002008-07-31T11:18:00.000-07:002008-12-10T23:32:58.237-08:00Sun Temple<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG79PNm7SGJgWQf8oWcIPALzMAFf_CjcsBSJwWTMdC-OmrRDl347agw71sKz8ahHIyScM037SRxMwAuEt11Hd6lYymwwl0hJCZlU2-uij9jV5GwnDzrCLzJ7ugcwrzVAGCcbO8srz9rNSO/s1600-h/6.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5229244979713035538" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG79PNm7SGJgWQf8oWcIPALzMAFf_CjcsBSJwWTMdC-OmrRDl347agw71sKz8ahHIyScM037SRxMwAuEt11Hd6lYymwwl0hJCZlU2-uij9jV5GwnDzrCLzJ7ugcwrzVAGCcbO8srz9rNSO/s320/6.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrTouKzJGU-GeIGXQpgGxjw_PHpGQxMbJxUPkhHZXKBzui_AZygthlyJ3R04kQpAItOWPHuWBEovpMc2BE5jIn9D7jXy6dTyE8oS5EYAS6lp1Ejr4NKJX0naD52hdCYLccfSUu56-4__MC/s1600-h/5.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5229244906261382386" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrTouKzJGU-GeIGXQpgGxjw_PHpGQxMbJxUPkhHZXKBzui_AZygthlyJ3R04kQpAItOWPHuWBEovpMc2BE5jIn9D7jXy6dTyE8oS5EYAS6lp1Ejr4NKJX0naD52hdCYLccfSUu56-4__MC/s320/5.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO7UURbs8IQ0m-wC6L4mtE4gkw07xzkD5yvD2rhyFs17ZIj0CWAOg2PxaSUIfFXFjoJphTvYr0rTgS5jrIFyZ7eClgv8QcIhVPoMhCfg7Nyo8YPqqQd8XNUEzVUISklOxC8USNWvfuc0ub/s1600-h/3.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5229244718072172082" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO7UURbs8IQ0m-wC6L4mtE4gkw07xzkD5yvD2rhyFs17ZIj0CWAOg2PxaSUIfFXFjoJphTvYr0rTgS5jrIFyZ7eClgv8QcIhVPoMhCfg7Nyo8YPqqQd8XNUEzVUISklOxC8USNWvfuc0ub/s320/3.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB0XtZDGp4BEP__GQ1W6Rm6P-fKJ3M3zfYiuad5wpJGdZplg7RDRWzCOwII2FLzFYnG4H4PEnLJ9XUcXYZrzMvme_xz1aWaLUu-0j1CGyGvP0vGT6sCVros_VyihplJ4vF3xm2vge8GJ0f/s1600-h/2.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5229244640251542994" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB0XtZDGp4BEP__GQ1W6Rm6P-fKJ3M3zfYiuad5wpJGdZplg7RDRWzCOwII2FLzFYnG4H4PEnLJ9XUcXYZrzMvme_xz1aWaLUu-0j1CGyGvP0vGT6sCVros_VyihplJ4vF3xm2vge8GJ0f/s320/2.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvracyMPu4ZsarRXBVXT0rep7SHU26DJnSHVnt8AqpCk3F6VLbfhA2qyPjUvuoY0qM5VlQNitVelADbdLOJ_3L2HFiJvZ3n31-ARy5ON19MgpQ6qtaDXPdLjJCAj3BYNhd5xoehBlKmFme/s1600-h/1.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5229244566870031922" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvracyMPu4ZsarRXBVXT0rep7SHU26DJnSHVnt8AqpCk3F6VLbfhA2qyPjUvuoY0qM5VlQNitVelADbdLOJ_3L2HFiJvZ3n31-ARy5ON19MgpQ6qtaDXPdLjJCAj3BYNhd5xoehBlKmFme/s320/1.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div>Built in 1026 AD, this temple is located exactly on the Tropic of Cancer so that the rays of the sun would fall on the image of Surya at the time of the equinoxes. This is one of the finest examples of Indian temple architecture of its period.</div></div></div></div>Barbarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10419704676314021491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6829612953473326512.post-80118802738459470182008-07-31T11:15:00.000-07:002008-12-10T23:32:59.117-08:00Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY3gTToxVQtI60dQ_iyGXNDbmCLAI-y6fWHN-sMR2AsANL9B2f6DTvwMXD6I_-DLDgtv_X1I7-NCb6Ssj0xvQDIEnAQ7MVJAyttRXW38-ul0IoTxaVwlTy8Lkyxml9SblMnUbHARJkpZQC/s1600-h/4.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5229244099800865522" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY3gTToxVQtI60dQ_iyGXNDbmCLAI-y6fWHN-sMR2AsANL9B2f6DTvwMXD6I_-DLDgtv_X1I7-NCb6Ssj0xvQDIEnAQ7MVJAyttRXW38-ul0IoTxaVwlTy8Lkyxml9SblMnUbHARJkpZQC/s320/4.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiO3xfo8kt7ZQxpdVeCrxQcw9g1dpSgaLIhM6gKj4GAWh5no-hzc5e697ubqn8vh42i3b83FaqfJLz9aP0n8DB3-o_AyIV_91rIXuL8V06cbBU-5Bi73HADXWlZi_Czbo-TAuREHzJ8awQ/s1600-h/3.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5229244025870442050" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiO3xfo8kt7ZQxpdVeCrxQcw9g1dpSgaLIhM6gKj4GAWh5no-hzc5e697ubqn8vh42i3b83FaqfJLz9aP0n8DB3-o_AyIV_91rIXuL8V06cbBU-5Bi73HADXWlZi_Czbo-TAuREHzJ8awQ/s320/3.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiotlVfHuMhKBifmrGIWpiBVbIWGC3KCExBvJxfsmtmDJJmCCdMLzMWG8SxkRLAASl4Cqrn55uIWCxUPopO0EehhmTJC57sGMOxwNY9FR4vDbCig_Y0vaLxGViGjLyLyOiOgTf6tmCtkvcE/s1600-h/2.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5229243944735149730" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiotlVfHuMhKBifmrGIWpiBVbIWGC3KCExBvJxfsmtmDJJmCCdMLzMWG8SxkRLAASl4Cqrn55uIWCxUPopO0EehhmTJC57sGMOxwNY9FR4vDbCig_Y0vaLxGViGjLyLyOiOgTf6tmCtkvcE/s320/2.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyAfoeB5aYTrMghpK4qeJgYsvV96whzujfurvZ3NrYH7K4OPYuKbKTZ0FcsKX1HsXWMSS4cNFpFZdPzz3jfyuhZ8RO_Neo6nOPwAzBHQT7GYht7Y1UmPQfzj4zACY0B0DU32ZNjqS2Oa0t/s1600-h/IMG_3810.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5229243863114617698" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyAfoeB5aYTrMghpK4qeJgYsvV96whzujfurvZ3NrYH7K4OPYuKbKTZ0FcsKX1HsXWMSS4cNFpFZdPzz3jfyuhZ8RO_Neo6nOPwAzBHQT7GYht7Y1UmPQfzj4zACY0B0DU32ZNjqS2Oa0t/s320/IMG_3810.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="center"><br /><em>“You must become the change you want to see.” – Mahatma Ghandi 1869-1948<br /></em><br />We are in Ahmedabad, India. We have arrived here only four days after 18 bombs killed more than 50 people at the busy markets of the old city. It is a sobering fact that our world is full of sin and hatred, which is played out everyday at the expense of the innocent. We tread carefully here and understand that life is fragile and not to be taken for granted. Today we visited Sabarmati Ashram where Ghandi lived for part of his life.<br /><br />“In a century in which virtues of western culture and civilization have more or less been taken for granted, the ideas of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi offer a radical alternative. He considered a society based on industrialism to be violent and therefore satanic. He located the strength of India in the villages and in the long tradition of ahimsa. In an age torn by violence and destruction, Gandhi’s creed of non-violence is a message for survival. His message was utopian; however, without dreams there can be no responsibilities.” -The Little Book of Gandhi</div></div></div></div>Barbarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10419704676314021491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6829612953473326512.post-47482908642408697012008-07-27T07:37:00.000-07:002008-07-29T07:46:16.073-07:00Answer to Friday's QuizIt's a lunch container called a "tippin" . Each compartment holds a different course of your meal. You can bring it from home or stop at one of the carts on the street where they will fill it for you. Hot lunch never tasted so good. Did you guess right?Barbarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10419704676314021491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6829612953473326512.post-85944983630633009362008-07-25T23:45:00.000-07:002008-12-10T23:33:00.328-08:00Why can’t the chick cross the street?<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKAIRTWkgLKXm3le5FIsgZTqTePOxNVW6JlybrM1d1DMycy90zbCnPcor_rjf1S9pTdGmSNBf9kMjL4PYH6VznTN58GsUCZDIImWWfDILRmd7UlbFxChLMhUKpJkRjELf-xOET_VO4GeJ_/s1600-h/IMG_6022.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5227318132525155026" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKAIRTWkgLKXm3le5FIsgZTqTePOxNVW6JlybrM1d1DMycy90zbCnPcor_rjf1S9pTdGmSNBf9kMjL4PYH6VznTN58GsUCZDIImWWfDILRmd7UlbFxChLMhUKpJkRjELf-xOET_VO4GeJ_/s320/IMG_6022.JPG" border="0" /></a> Subway in Pune </div><div align="center"><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8YyYonq7NcTF3ssIH53N3T45GiXblGIqRmeYskarr-NkHV2FjyvpAg874mE9S6LWRHO0aXujnGP1G6Uy8rh93slX81tGhQ1iW2-8tisM1EPsbbd6vNBRYChfzYFFweWIO76FZFK2yHJEs/s1600-h/IMG_6026.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5227318138421523426" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8YyYonq7NcTF3ssIH53N3T45GiXblGIqRmeYskarr-NkHV2FjyvpAg874mE9S6LWRHO0aXujnGP1G6Uy8rh93slX81tGhQ1iW2-8tisM1EPsbbd6vNBRYChfzYFFweWIO76FZFK2yHJEs/s320/IMG_6026.JPG" border="0" /></a>Yellow light means hurry up to make the light! </div><div align="center"><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFg85V3NAtvdXA2IRruF2iPgZirQQvpcps_xtKU-A7EbTfFmJsrYoJ38lpeqTsEHlobEd68m01GcXnYY3qUyOQ6MBMQO6SjMEqVsuS35gfkJhQyfQtHsV5t-gVTBeDccXwODqe0XUPt5YO/s1600-h/IMG_3324.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5227317985685724162" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFg85V3NAtvdXA2IRruF2iPgZirQQvpcps_xtKU-A7EbTfFmJsrYoJ38lpeqTsEHlobEd68m01GcXnYY3qUyOQ6MBMQO6SjMEqVsuS35gfkJhQyfQtHsV5t-gVTBeDccXwODqe0XUPt5YO/s320/IMG_3324.JPG" border="0" /></a>Six kids in a rickshaw </div><div align="center"><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAxUgB9rzR31TiYUIvmWgogENEVUps5bgZ8zKQq5v1Ir3ME1gmGSDeVXQWXuQbSin1Z1K6Wkh1jzQ32efqJ-9Nfd8ePGakYu6uzTR1qMYizCdk6JCX26XA9e-WLBJ0Tl6p2L_nz1AZHeEv/s1600-h/IMG_5972.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5227317992188565730" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAxUgB9rzR31TiYUIvmWgogENEVUps5bgZ8zKQq5v1Ir3ME1gmGSDeVXQWXuQbSin1Z1K6Wkh1jzQ32efqJ-9Nfd8ePGakYu6uzTR1qMYizCdk6JCX26XA9e-WLBJ0Tl6p2L_nz1AZHeEv/s320/IMG_5972.JPG" border="0" /></a> Just try to cross the street </div><div align="center"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBWO0ayT5YbU9KPgh8zUeiR3JRnjLWeOoro9SmlsJm2DI2i9FtlfewoV_FfiJRvEpAPH_NT2g9esXP9ejRJ14J7cqEMEA62QF7OtJQKSv2w0TxkLgMD26kbcfLdAKsGtmboZQHFrUwQnXV/s1600-h/IMG_3319.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5227317864995123890" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBWO0ayT5YbU9KPgh8zUeiR3JRnjLWeOoro9SmlsJm2DI2i9FtlfewoV_FfiJRvEpAPH_NT2g9esXP9ejRJ14J7cqEMEA62QF7OtJQKSv2w0TxkLgMD26kbcfLdAKsGtmboZQHFrUwQnXV/s320/IMG_3319.JPG" border="0" /> <p align="center"></a>Mom picking up her son from school<br /></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6gywa7RPWKnSZzw0PoGVwzsxAvR1UgN-BQZfhebQRCfnnVbzoDEwdCiArBTFuW2PGyAxPh3D52h618QTWBmVxVW7Tuyq9lTQIXiv03wBJxiEiHuGV5qHxySMs-Lhh-yNHLyZ-1RorrbMZ/s1600-h/IMG_3273.JPG"></a><br /><div align="left">The traffic is a nightmare here in Pune, as it is in every city we have been to. Most of the people ride motor skooters or have tiny cars. It is not uncommon to see entire families riding on one bike. The motorized three-wheeled rickshaws beep their horns as they carry passengers to their destinations. It is crazy driving! First of all they ride on the right side of the road. You might not even know this because everyone ignores all rules of the road including which lane to drive in. You ride just inches from the vehicle next to you. And forget walking! Crossing the street is an Olympic event here. No one slows down including the walkers. If you want to cross the street you just walk right into the traffic and weave through to the other side. Traffic comes at you from ten different directions. Throw a cow in the middle of the road, dogs walking down the street and carts carring fruit and you might understand why driving in India is not for the timid and faint of heart.<br /><br />Tonight, I ventured out by myself for a walk to get something to eat. I managed to get onto a road that led me to a Subway restaurant. I ordered my veggie sub (the works, hold the chili peppers), took the picture, and left. The problem was I had to cross the street to get home. I kept walking down the street but the traffic never stopped. There weren’t any crosswalks or traffic lights. I was in traffic jail! I gave serious thought to hiring a rickshaw to take me across. It was scary but eventually I had to make a break for it. I just closed my eyes and hoped for the best. I decided just to go back to my room and eat, it was too stressful going for a walk.</div>Barbarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10419704676314021491noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6829612953473326512.post-2648852426173868362008-07-25T23:30:00.000-07:002008-12-10T23:33:01.116-08:00From Hot and Dry to Cool and Green<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNTWXODprHIlVwTT5S7RbbrkqgTEWdQqa3l2iHnU0NzTMGxiF32tHijzvhzMLlYv4kcnyGB_cIeAdqEm7xKIOiZx6J5ta5IjYQhH85pKE0L0oi4OBGG4SM6tAV2ZUPcn8Z8JT1Rw4TK_T-/s1600-h/IMG_5896.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5227313923900920274" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNTWXODprHIlVwTT5S7RbbrkqgTEWdQqa3l2iHnU0NzTMGxiF32tHijzvhzMLlYv4kcnyGB_cIeAdqEm7xKIOiZx6J5ta5IjYQhH85pKE0L0oi4OBGG4SM6tAV2ZUPcn8Z8JT1Rw4TK_T-/s320/IMG_5896.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQz76XNlII7vIsGSBuF0YWrCK2OT2Re4AO0HkhQxm_BUe-NBgXQY5MpbWbFwgJ83z4ZNqopbjWoiEvV5SKLe9JTTjhil6MwAm2W-vZnjIMjtgon3qSAQJGrutN5kYy7jUduVIRr3uRguDh/s1600-h/IMG_5891.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5227313833761700994" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQz76XNlII7vIsGSBuF0YWrCK2OT2Re4AO0HkhQxm_BUe-NBgXQY5MpbWbFwgJ83z4ZNqopbjWoiEvV5SKLe9JTTjhil6MwAm2W-vZnjIMjtgon3qSAQJGrutN5kYy7jUduVIRr3uRguDh/s320/IMG_5891.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div><div>We have left the city of Chennai (Chin I) on the East Coast of South India where it was extremely hot and dry. We flew north to the town of Pune (Poona), in the state of Maharashtra. Pune is the second busiest IT center (Information Technology). When you call India for technical support you may be calling here. If you have been following the news you saw that Bangalore India (the busiest IT center) was hit with 8 bomb blasts yesterday. IT centers are being targeted because of their affiliation with the U.S. . Kinda scarey. Our sister group of teachers is presently staying in that city, they were uneffected by the event but a little shook up.</div><div> </div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div>In Pune, the weather is much cooler, it has been raining and it is green! Notice the contrast in the landscape. Even though it is cloudy and sprinkling the monsoons haven’t hit yet. Everyone is getting anxious because they are late, many livelihoods depend on the rain. On Sunday we are heading to the mountains to escape the bustle of the city and do some hiking.<span style="font-size:0;"></span></div>Barbarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10419704676314021491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6829612953473326512.post-56466352449963478882008-07-25T07:32:00.000-07:002008-12-10T23:33:02.125-08:00What is It?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSJnOmxQ6akbH_HJGNJ0S_wnvzMW7takYKVwIC-mS8FX9XGHXF9W9vFZvsPjYUurysn6WkZR5NlFk1qaCCcmGyjztgtIqEy-CSiA635uxom0DMALHIn4sx10nk0Kdz2t612_nUNg0pYBhd/s1600-h/IMG_3262.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5226960756436018194" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSJnOmxQ6akbH_HJGNJ0S_wnvzMW7takYKVwIC-mS8FX9XGHXF9W9vFZvsPjYUurysn6WkZR5NlFk1qaCCcmGyjztgtIqEy-CSiA635uxom0DMALHIn4sx10nk0Kdz2t612_nUNg0pYBhd/s320/IMG_3262.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Do you know what this is? Answer will be posted on Sunday. Leave your guesses in the comment section. Luv U BAD </div>Barbarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10419704676314021491noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6829612953473326512.post-51013109731128286132008-07-24T18:01:00.001-07:002008-12-10T23:33:02.276-08:00So you think you hate to do the wash…<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiReaCyPd_yDLdA6s5qHtt25NqIxnCurovC2XRYqfPd3DKpFyzLxmHRe176SWQDS4b6jLCaOZT9mfx4Cjw0WFmpElZfEgWTqNsdopJNVttxf3yqPwQqFdVTP8jxC3A0eInJlpYF98IHyLc4/s1600-h/IMG_2969.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5226750721159923202" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiReaCyPd_yDLdA6s5qHtt25NqIxnCurovC2XRYqfPd3DKpFyzLxmHRe176SWQDS4b6jLCaOZT9mfx4Cjw0WFmpElZfEgWTqNsdopJNVttxf3yqPwQqFdVTP8jxC3A0eInJlpYF98IHyLc4/s320/IMG_2969.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div>Barbarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10419704676314021491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6829612953473326512.post-27735619520257941362008-07-24T17:55:00.000-07:002008-12-10T23:33:02.877-08:00Where does all the garbage go?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig0iH0aqx5n10J3-59bPbeM2Cn7hdQzkpDAlUF3lxBSvZvcK_0emobYcEbW0z-_gpIiyq8sIfIENho10HhrJlytTWww70wkaSeEahKSy2AFKhV0Ix-KMi2L9cX2HQgT3gllqwhOycsfv82/s1600-h/IMG_2108.JPG"></a> <div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwXjrJ2mIyaSi8zpXEl7ROhArUo0E77Ih4BD7hFvSQpT4lrltsYn5zzyBuFEACDh-Wmu4pepzFevydmxXCYgQjodqiSetpr9KWVJiiYE3eyak3SBPfa2vZn9a2m70LTxFvC0xYieI0F0gi/s1600-h/IMG_2107.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5226749587206527170" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwXjrJ2mIyaSi8zpXEl7ROhArUo0E77Ih4BD7hFvSQpT4lrltsYn5zzyBuFEACDh-Wmu4pepzFevydmxXCYgQjodqiSetpr9KWVJiiYE3eyak3SBPfa2vZn9a2m70LTxFvC0xYieI0F0gi/s320/IMG_2107.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPCxD1-DwKG3m5LbDLWSgjByH686Ub_KtieWsY4uEium3p9U0_Tqx5AEUE8CyUERQeP6oXzDqcmF1ytYkbPq2FItIF_WtT45OvlQAQWayYQ219J9USyvJlXLDheAjbCcV501wHt6XyPW5Z/s1600-h/G2.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5226749484859254338" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPCxD1-DwKG3m5LbDLWSgjByH686Ub_KtieWsY4uEium3p9U0_Tqx5AEUE8CyUERQeP6oXzDqcmF1ytYkbPq2FItIF_WtT45OvlQAQWayYQ219J9USyvJlXLDheAjbCcV501wHt6XyPW5Z/s320/G2.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmWEfH1VjxiblnG0JV_ZW6rsuphMf3VvFhvMaXcsky-FBXkmPdyqQBEFsE3bWnZcrK90DT2zeOvyyQKgiUvUV6Hvyg1f8nvXA3yR8ralQqiAwz1Q4TkPEJHX5nSZCFxvU5nWTQa7r6-UKN/s1600-h/G1.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5226749366140918738" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmWEfH1VjxiblnG0JV_ZW6rsuphMf3VvFhvMaXcsky-FBXkmPdyqQBEFsE3bWnZcrK90DT2zeOvyyQKgiUvUV6Hvyg1f8nvXA3yR8ralQqiAwz1Q4TkPEJHX5nSZCFxvU5nWTQa7r6-UKN/s320/G1.JPG" border="0" /></a> The cities in India are congested and full of people and all the things that they need to sustain human life. Everywhere we have traveled we see litter lining the streets. So what happens at the end of the day with all the garbage? We took a ride to the outside of Kolkata to the Dhapa Dumping Ground to find out how this city is handling their trash in a unique way.<br /><br />Long before the trucks arrive at the dump, garbage is collected in various ways. Private homes may arrange for pick-up at their house. Small rickshaws take the trash down narrow streets to a common dumping ground. Since many people live in slums there is no regular pick-up of trash for them. City garbage goes to a common collection area. Here, people meticulously go through the refuge looking for reusable items, recyclables and for some, they search for their next meal. This is how the poorest of the poor exist.<br /><br />Once the garbage has been picked through and sorted it is loaded onto open trucks. A continuous stream of trucks brings the refuge from this enormous city to a privately owned expanse of earth at the edge of town. A mountain of refuge is picked over by workers who further sort the garbage. Eventually what is left will be made into compost.<br /><br />The compost fields have become farmland for the poor. They live on the land and grow crops here. It has become a way to recycle the old, and feed the ever-increasing population of Kolkata. It is a win-win situation for the people of this city but how much longer this will last is a question often asked. As the city expands the real estate values have increased. The land, which once was filled with garbage, will most likely become a modern neighbor for expanding enterprises and housing for the rich.<br /><br />Kolkata is unique in this recycling project. In most cities the garbage is simple dumped in a landfill and is turned over to begin the long process of returning to the earth. Most Indians have little concern for recycling. When you struggle to get a full meal and clean water every day, recycling is not a high priority.</div><div> </div><div>The pictures show how the mountain of trash (bottom picture) turns into organic compost that is farmed on by people in the area. </div></div></div>Barbarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10419704676314021491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6829612953473326512.post-90820401132393829872008-07-23T18:12:00.000-07:002008-12-10T23:33:03.782-08:00Heritage Tour Chennai - South India<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHmAmixttWfUI9s_R5IflffilBnRgkSBp45__PgiJ4L5LuuQ20DxvfA0x7aG6mtlSHAktcSiGxzwgOUOjJiGTUTklTj1Wbjauycpx_OJTtdAtNZa1sd9G2n4R37R8w6GwAR_XadM77Y50i/s1600-h/IMG_3174.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5226756634650517266" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHmAmixttWfUI9s_R5IflffilBnRgkSBp45__PgiJ4L5LuuQ20DxvfA0x7aG6mtlSHAktcSiGxzwgOUOjJiGTUTklTj1Wbjauycpx_OJTtdAtNZa1sd9G2n4R37R8w6GwAR_XadM77Y50i/s320/IMG_3174.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhze02FnbWaEn7vvCBUkWkaCYEbI8EZuXxklB3bbATpt_xCgdKFWzB86PHEWYWSOsP9T4x0hHtkuvl9mKz1lHiEC9XhyR59fkzDRP6TCllT7yeeGndP-V5OhMEQdFWtMtCNbb3nULU-QqaJ/s1600-h/IMG_3141.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5226754307944604242" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhze02FnbWaEn7vvCBUkWkaCYEbI8EZuXxklB3bbATpt_xCgdKFWzB86PHEWYWSOsP9T4x0hHtkuvl9mKz1lHiEC9XhyR59fkzDRP6TCllT7yeeGndP-V5OhMEQdFWtMtCNbb3nULU-QqaJ/s320/IMG_3141.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCz5iKSOry13kq0MU7eKqEPFAI-JgeTMNpjTmzFA6vGCkrBLiJxw5We6kiqqOZmasXTfI8dyQRlSvBSpQN5_U1iaWWnVxcdumwb-EjONeZZrCoQ9BYdX2dckIsJK9YH2D-s1funrEY2I8G/s1600-h/IMG_3096.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5226754148142121394" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCz5iKSOry13kq0MU7eKqEPFAI-JgeTMNpjTmzFA6vGCkrBLiJxw5We6kiqqOZmasXTfI8dyQRlSvBSpQN5_U1iaWWnVxcdumwb-EjONeZZrCoQ9BYdX2dckIsJK9YH2D-s1funrEY2I8G/s320/IMG_3096.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMt6XGwNZsWosrPKAGXDyMUIZmWWZetRm_MQx2Pudp5F0MFKfV0rpga8NnxU8fyDXt96yQWdmZ9CnZM-md5Ezp5tLgPoQppM0RLEIL3iHsVfHMovCrGzqaES0oU2YT9Q9xIgA5Q57KIFXB/s1600-h/IMG_3054.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5226754492214349522" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMt6XGwNZsWosrPKAGXDyMUIZmWWZetRm_MQx2Pudp5F0MFKfV0rpga8NnxU8fyDXt96yQWdmZ9CnZM-md5Ezp5tLgPoQppM0RLEIL3iHsVfHMovCrGzqaES0oU2YT9Q9xIgA5Q57KIFXB/s320/IMG_3054.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center">Today we visited 7th century shrines carved during the reign of King Mamalla, (B.C. 630-670). Each temple is a monolith carved whole from an outcropping of rock. A walk out to the Bay of Bengal took us to the Shore Temple, maintained as a world heritage site. On December 26, 2004 it was violently hit by the waves of the deadly tsunami. The doorway above was from a restored home typical of southern India one hundred years ago.</div></div>Barbarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10419704676314021491noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6829612953473326512.post-37133177378058934542008-07-22T18:02:00.000-07:002008-12-10T23:33:04.621-08:00M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjr7GGbUIoA9Kv4gZAwFR8ZxdxBMgDpBHARxFv1WBhFkfEqvqg0P1k6sRNFk653KgBjZKsD_5qkDZmBm2TGzoQJQ5Yox871k9gBo9_1Zrpqzc2uEY0UbxUKgBaWlYlshe1-R6S-NQzw8rt/s1600-h/4.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5226753145699883410" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjr7GGbUIoA9Kv4gZAwFR8ZxdxBMgDpBHARxFv1WBhFkfEqvqg0P1k6sRNFk653KgBjZKsD_5qkDZmBm2TGzoQJQ5Yox871k9gBo9_1Zrpqzc2uEY0UbxUKgBaWlYlshe1-R6S-NQzw8rt/s320/4.JPG" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAtKdqk15kWyL8ZEtCaKPIeDwi-1NXWQ3OJT2DNYmPNmjmyTXEkr-KR2sxvF9FBXYrlsU3UUkaqySyXXFp1axJKX0WVDYXTmMdMQRDSZUb20r0j0mztxLqqqZw4pauuEkH1l4OJyDN6xPi/s1600-h/3.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5226753076535899954" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAtKdqk15kWyL8ZEtCaKPIeDwi-1NXWQ3OJT2DNYmPNmjmyTXEkr-KR2sxvF9FBXYrlsU3UUkaqySyXXFp1axJKX0WVDYXTmMdMQRDSZUb20r0j0mztxLqqqZw4pauuEkH1l4OJyDN6xPi/s320/3.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic2VMBlZLtdHVkBFwuRnUN0RO-12pbs_3OHfXsA1rjwI3GChVDA93PDrXiaCit4JFwgcbtKMiBknCOrg1cfTfM0jrlKeTfMUcvYlZXIKE0ahg2BSxI9IBE4g5PFXAvE6zqYQBuoNie4LHP/s1600-h/IMG_5743.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5226752996498041122" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic2VMBlZLtdHVkBFwuRnUN0RO-12pbs_3OHfXsA1rjwI3GChVDA93PDrXiaCit4JFwgcbtKMiBknCOrg1cfTfM0jrlKeTfMUcvYlZXIKE0ahg2BSxI9IBE4g5PFXAvE6zqYQBuoNie4LHP/s320/IMG_5743.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyVG0dOzo-HL1UGQfSneURKl__D8fK4Tsh_cb5tCHq5-azKdwm_A-TXepUJybus4s90a2HgZknC4WiNAPQS33I470EgSVQk28XmVShMCU6LCEiL8blZFZegORoXriuxx2iLUvmeudtITCV/s1600-h/1.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5226752904104820178" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyVG0dOzo-HL1UGQfSneURKl__D8fK4Tsh_cb5tCHq5-azKdwm_A-TXepUJybus4s90a2HgZknC4WiNAPQS33I470EgSVQk28XmVShMCU6LCEiL8blZFZegORoXriuxx2iLUvmeudtITCV/s320/1.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div><em>“We have the science, the agri-technology to give the world. It’s only by sharing each other’s sorrow, by caring for each other, by sharing our surplus wealth, can we become a great country, a great nation.”</em> -<em>Dr. Swaminathan</em><br /><br />Since we are all math and science teachers we are invited to visit places of interest in each city that we visit. Chennai is a city in the south of India on the coast of the Bay of Bengal. It is one of the leading cities in India today from the point of view of trade and commerce, with the fourth largest port in the country.<br /><br />The Swaminathan Research Foundation is a “non-profit trust with the basic mandate to impart a pro-nature, pro-poor and pro-woman orientation to a job-led economic growth strategy in rural areas through harnessing science and technology for environmental sustainable and socially equitable development. It is doing research in coastal systems research, biodiversity and biotechnology, eco-technology and sustainable agriculture, reaching the un-reached through education, communication and training.”<br /><br />Some highlights for me were the children’s camp they run throughout the year to teach children about the environment and their responsibility to preserve our planet for future generations. I talked to the teacher who runs the program and we are going to be sharing some ideas. On the grounds is a touch and smell garden for the visually impaired. I am particularly interested in this because part of the project for my students at school will be to create a garden based on ideas from my trip to India.</div></div></div>Barbarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10419704676314021491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6829612953473326512.post-54825819912829321842008-07-21T08:59:00.000-07:002008-12-10T23:33:05.227-08:00A Day at the Beach<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPs72b7o_efU8FM3eBWC8GGF_u9lLf5hmzzlfBX6Ng6Q4WPmc10PBN56YndfI4lG4QdKE2pk0Fx0xZreh598jacFTI5_PYLnjJIcYkBrHC36KvEbuzOD9xzIFBAgYII1DVlWrrmmxeTweT/s1600-h/IMG_2794.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5225498256964098194" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPs72b7o_efU8FM3eBWC8GGF_u9lLf5hmzzlfBX6Ng6Q4WPmc10PBN56YndfI4lG4QdKE2pk0Fx0xZreh598jacFTI5_PYLnjJIcYkBrHC36KvEbuzOD9xzIFBAgYII1DVlWrrmmxeTweT/s320/IMG_2794.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJFWKsLiTBCE0m3yhVkI4KqqnFNIUBAVDRxDyQrtS-HhLsL2LziqeJCMt8MTVecUUUlah0l1UwdrXLzVW_aaa-TQmVuAHZz7bFT5kr_axq494J0Oba6QzXgNJRVntLd1xgXElpcbSloVrB/s1600-h/IMG_2802.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5225498184718538706" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJFWKsLiTBCE0m3yhVkI4KqqnFNIUBAVDRxDyQrtS-HhLsL2LziqeJCMt8MTVecUUUlah0l1UwdrXLzVW_aaa-TQmVuAHZz7bFT5kr_axq494J0Oba6QzXgNJRVntLd1xgXElpcbSloVrB/s320/IMG_2802.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6T7ru74QLOH-20RtW1cpnm5xCJ8zqvw8QJppkdIJ1ODKnIbEHVZCRqiN2ghXR6CgeuTU9LgWw-wA3UrSvzZ-Y8ugD7D6-Hv2n-M4uUSBa3b_De3rGTGAjgebHrOLjODOEYTpuVpV_cv2j/s1600-h/IMG_2807.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5225498107060705682" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6T7ru74QLOH-20RtW1cpnm5xCJ8zqvw8QJppkdIJ1ODKnIbEHVZCRqiN2ghXR6CgeuTU9LgWw-wA3UrSvzZ-Y8ugD7D6-Hv2n-M4uUSBa3b_De3rGTGAjgebHrOLjODOEYTpuVpV_cv2j/s320/IMG_2807.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb0Qf88BA-ZVvz1UWjzpvMPJAFW_mY4v4WpQWgC816xNpD8JPU1dHfU-B5i26HgTP1jp-krW1mrsXwFBb2nveOKPWoBoGkQ5ikKI8J1-u0Dv4x7AOlE948uDj6xSF5LvflTheSvPRsfzTh/s1600-h/IMG_2819.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5225497996105749442" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb0Qf88BA-ZVvz1UWjzpvMPJAFW_mY4v4WpQWgC816xNpD8JPU1dHfU-B5i26HgTP1jp-krW1mrsXwFBb2nveOKPWoBoGkQ5ikKI8J1-u0Dv4x7AOlE948uDj6xSF5LvflTheSvPRsfzTh/s320/IMG_2819.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div>On our free day my new “roomie” Jessica and I set out to see the beaches of Chennai. Like all of the other cities we have visited in India there are hundreds of people. We hired a rickshaw driver to take us to the beach. We thought we were getting a good bargain, only 100 rupees (about $2.50). </div><div> </div><div> </div><div></div><div></div><div>Our driver took us through the winding streets filled with people doing whatever people do on a Sunday. We passed shantytowns off the side of the road. People were bathing and washing at public spickets. Most cities try to supply toilets within a close proximity to housing. Many families share one toilet. At least it is better than no facilities at all. The streets are very dirty and lined with trash. It is hard to see the way some children of this world have to live. </div><div><br />We finally arrived at the beach. The pictures speak for themselves. There were hundreds of people out for a Sunday afternoon. No one was swimming despite the temperatures that were well into the 90’s, apparently there is a strong undertow. So we stuck our feet in the Bay of Bengal, took the picture and decided NOT to hang out. By the way this is the same beach where 200 people were killed during the Tsunami a few years ago. It’s not exactly the Jersey shore. </div><div><br />We wanted to go back to our hotel to swim. Well, you get what you bargain for…our special price included two <em>must see</em> stops to the gift shop. “Best prices, you just look, you don’t have to buy”. Yea right! So somehow I don’t think our trip was worth the special price as we could hardly carry back our purchases. But then again it was just another day at the beach.</div></div></div>Barbarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10419704676314021491noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6829612953473326512.post-69089789159646099032008-07-20T04:48:00.000-07:002008-12-10T23:33:06.635-08:00Tamil Nadu Dancers<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ZpzxMxC-EWE/SIMmlSOgQrI/AAAAAAAAGnw/6hW32PchGEg/s1600-h/IMG_2768.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5225062414669595314" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ZpzxMxC-EWE/SIMmlSOgQrI/AAAAAAAAGnw/6hW32PchGEg/s320/IMG_2768.JPG" border="0" /></a> <div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ZpzxMxC-EWE/SIMmhIQjv7I/AAAAAAAAGno/H9uhPltc8zg/s1600-h/3.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5225062343274381234" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ZpzxMxC-EWE/SIMmhIQjv7I/AAAAAAAAGno/H9uhPltc8zg/s320/3.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipO3ZgEg45RFdogcvu6-KAP5mcbz_kRR1bMSLZNacLlHZ3mq8igzhHf0XkwsKfb5KBPjb4Wyyt5Ze4n8PQgfxfJtdRDrnRg6gElJemnESI0Aiw8ypwtW6LfgONb7O_QNE3UV7ahd62kOPy/s1600-h/2.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5225062267270070146" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipO3ZgEg45RFdogcvu6-KAP5mcbz_kRR1bMSLZNacLlHZ3mq8igzhHf0XkwsKfb5KBPjb4Wyyt5Ze4n8PQgfxfJtdRDrnRg6gElJemnESI0Aiw8ypwtW6LfgONb7O_QNE3UV7ahd62kOPy/s320/2.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ZpzxMxC-EWE/SIMmWx744II/AAAAAAAAGnY/CJ8IWB_EZOI/s1600-h/1.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5225062165483413634" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ZpzxMxC-EWE/SIMmWx744II/AAAAAAAAGnY/CJ8IWB_EZOI/s320/1.JPG" border="0" /></a> <div></div>One of the most beautiful art forms is dance. We have been treated to several demonstrations of traditional Indian dances. Each dance is exquisite. The girls train for years to achieve the fluid and graceful motions. To learn to dance in India is like learning a new language. Every gesture, posture, hand movement all have a special meaning. I am always drawn to the eyes, which express the emotions of the dance. It is a breathtaking experience. </div></div></div>Barbarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10419704676314021491noreply@blogger.com0