Saturday, January 31, 2009
Indicorps 2009
"Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek."
- US President Barack Obama
Indicorps announces over 30 competitive new projects for the August 2009 Indicorps Diaspora Fellowship. Indicorps seeks a few dozen dedicated young Indian leaders who are willing to challenge themselves and "be the change." Tackle real issues in education, microfinance, social entrepreneurship, environmental conservation, public health, urban infrastructure, and much more. Live simply and dig deep to learn about real India (and yourself); projects span from Kanpur to Pondicherry, Gujarat to Madhya Pradesh. To learn more, visit http://apply.indicorps.org.
In the spirit of Obama’s campaign to create "Change you can believe in," Indicorps is a real opportunity for CHANGE YOU MAKE HAPPEN. The August 2009 fellowship model will mobilize passionate, sincere fellows to become strong team players and leaders who will build sustainable new initiatives.
Applications are due 15 March 2009. Please email us at apply@indicorps.org if you have any questions or technical difficulties. JOIN US so that you can make change happen!
Visit the Indicorps website at http://www.indicorps.org to learn more about the fellowship and the Indicorps philosophy.
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You are also more than welcome to email me with any questions you have regarding the fellowship. Please feel free to spread the message to anyone who might be interested!
- US President Barack Obama
Indicorps announces over 30 competitive new projects for the August 2009 Indicorps Diaspora Fellowship. Indicorps seeks a few dozen dedicated young Indian leaders who are willing to challenge themselves and "be the change." Tackle real issues in education, microfinance, social entrepreneurship, environmental conservation, public health, urban infrastructure, and much more. Live simply and dig deep to learn about real India (and yourself); projects span from Kanpur to Pondicherry, Gujarat to Madhya Pradesh. To learn more, visit http://apply.indicorps.org.
In the spirit of Obama’s campaign to create "Change you can believe in," Indicorps is a real opportunity for CHANGE YOU MAKE HAPPEN. The August 2009 fellowship model will mobilize passionate, sincere fellows to become strong team players and leaders who will build sustainable new initiatives.
Applications are due 15 March 2009. Please email us at apply@indicorps.org if you have any questions or technical difficulties. JOIN US so that you can make change happen!
Visit the Indicorps website at http://www.indicorps.org to learn more about the fellowship and the Indicorps philosophy.
------------------------------------------------------------
You are also more than welcome to email me with any questions you have regarding the fellowship. Please feel free to spread the message to anyone who might be interested!
Saturday, January 24, 2009
My Re-Emergence
This past week, I felt as if I had re-emerged as part of Vigyan Ashram. I have been pretty social with all the students and staff, which has not usually been the case due to language and cultural barriers. But recently, things, for the most part, have been pretty enjoyable.
As part of my re-emergence, I was asked to give a talk about America (again). I gave a 40-slide presentation on America back in November, one that seemed to fill up all the seats (not that I’m bragging or anything). Even though I gave the presentation in English, and most do not understand English, I included many, many pictures to make it more understandable. And not to mention, I had a translator.
Nonetheless, I’ve come to realize most everyone did not give a hoot about it. So once again, I talked about America in a question-and-answer format to which my responses were received with shock and horror. Some examples of outrageous (and seemingly offensive) statements include:
The funny thing is that most of those facts, sans the educational related ones, are occurring in India's cities as well. It’s amazing to me that such a disconnect over cultures/traditions can occur within one country. But forget thinking on a country-wide scale - Pune (the nearest big city) is less than 50 miles away from here!
As part of my re-emergence, I was asked to give a talk about America (again). I gave a 40-slide presentation on America back in November, one that seemed to fill up all the seats (not that I’m bragging or anything). Even though I gave the presentation in English, and most do not understand English, I included many, many pictures to make it more understandable. And not to mention, I had a translator.
Nonetheless, I’ve come to realize most everyone did not give a hoot about it. So once again, I talked about America in a question-and-answer format to which my responses were received with shock and horror. Some examples of outrageous (and seemingly offensive) statements include:
- The fact that most children move away from home to go to college and some do not move back home after graduation; if they do, it’s for less than 5 - 6 years
- Picking a spouse is not done by parents but by the children themselves (i.e. we pick our own spouse)
- Farming is not done by individuals and is mostly owned by corporations
- Exams are not held after every grade (standard) and progress is based on grades earned (GPA)
- Entrance into colleges is based on more than GPA and SAT scores, such as extracurricular activities and admissions essays
- When parents get older, they are either placed in retirement homes, or move to areas that are inhabited by like-minded individuals, or are fully self-sufficient. Some do move in with their children but it's not common practice.
The funny thing is that most of those facts, sans the educational related ones, are occurring in India's cities as well. It’s amazing to me that such a disconnect over cultures/traditions can occur within one country. But forget thinking on a country-wide scale - Pune (the nearest big city) is less than 50 miles away from here!
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Lost In Ingraji
I didn’t realize it until recently but I’m able to understand gritty English a lot better than I originally expected. For the past few months, I’ve become totally accustomed to the English that has been used around here. Obviously, grammar is not of concern (nor is it for me when I speak in Marathi). And sometimes words are said incorrectly or the right word cannot be found, but in all of it I’ve been able to completely understand anyone who speaks to me.
As of this week, the Vigyan Ashram became a temporary home to a woman from England. She is a staff member at the University of Sussex and seems to be deeply involved with the organization ‘Engineers Without Borders.’ It has been her lifelong dream to visit India and she thought that combining her dream with her passions would be an ideal supplement to her overall experience. And thus she has come to stay here at the Ashram for three weeks, working on a project of her choice. With a mechanical engineering background, she has a lot she can contribute to the Ashram. Anyway, I’m veering off-topic.
I was giving her a tour of the Ashram and she seemed to immediately fall in love with the place. But while I was talking, I noticed how I had grown accustomed to not only speaking slower but "dumbing down" my English, sometimes taking a few more seconds to think of an easier word. After a while, I realized I was doing it and stopped. Being one of the few people she could converse with, she ended up talking to me a lot for the next couple hours.
I went back to my room afterwards and talked to some of the students and staff who know English. My brain had to adjust considerably to understand what was being communicated. I’m still surprised with how my comprehension level has shifted so much within a few hours. It felt as if they were speaking a completely different language. Can I claim that I’ve learnt another language? Hmmm...
Maybe I can’t considering that I’ve heard some of my fellow fellows speaking in English to their NGO colleagues and, let me tell you, they pour on that heavy Indian accent along with the broken English in an attempt to imitate the what they hear which (seemingly) eases the line of communication. I’d probably try the same if I could hold in the laughter that would commence afterwards.
As of this week, the Vigyan Ashram became a temporary home to a woman from England. She is a staff member at the University of Sussex and seems to be deeply involved with the organization ‘Engineers Without Borders.’ It has been her lifelong dream to visit India and she thought that combining her dream with her passions would be an ideal supplement to her overall experience. And thus she has come to stay here at the Ashram for three weeks, working on a project of her choice. With a mechanical engineering background, she has a lot she can contribute to the Ashram. Anyway, I’m veering off-topic.
I was giving her a tour of the Ashram and she seemed to immediately fall in love with the place. But while I was talking, I noticed how I had grown accustomed to not only speaking slower but "dumbing down" my English, sometimes taking a few more seconds to think of an easier word. After a while, I realized I was doing it and stopped. Being one of the few people she could converse with, she ended up talking to me a lot for the next couple hours.
I went back to my room afterwards and talked to some of the students and staff who know English. My brain had to adjust considerably to understand what was being communicated. I’m still surprised with how my comprehension level has shifted so much within a few hours. It felt as if they were speaking a completely different language. Can I claim that I’ve learnt another language? Hmmm...
Maybe I can’t considering that I’ve heard some of my fellow fellows speaking in English to their NGO colleagues and, let me tell you, they pour on that heavy Indian accent along with the broken English in an attempt to imitate the what they hear which (seemingly) eases the line of communication. I’d probably try the same if I could hold in the laughter that would commence afterwards.
Friday, January 02, 2009
Labels Galore
Below are some of the labels I have created for some of the Gift Shop products. These are for the hair and massage oil bottles. Give me your thoughts/comments/suggestions/opinions/critiques/compliments/etc.
