Reflecting...

           It's been a week since I've been back in the States and I reflect on my time there...

           My time spent in India was nothing of what I really expected.  I was expecting to show up and visit a school, teach, work on some lesson planning, really do anything that had to do with education.  But instead I spent the first week and a half learning myself...learning about education, business, food, art, culture, and spirituality.  At first this was frustrating - I just wanted to serve!  I then began to understand a concept I had already kind of known...you cannot fully serve someone, a group, or a community until you understand them and their ways.
           So, needless to say, I think I ended up taking away more than I actually gave (which seems to be a reoccurring trend with my travels).  I think about some of my past service trips, like those in Thailand and Brazil, where I went to build a home; yes, I helped someone in some way, but those deeds are not ones that will be continuing - a house is built and that is that. Yes, I also learned a lot and grew a great deal as an individual.  But there was something about this trip that was different...I continued to learn about myself, but I learned a lot about life, and different ways of living it, I also learned a great deal about education.
           The things I learned on this trip will allow me to better serve others, my community, and my world in a continuing and lasting way.  It has given me a gift that will keep on giving.  I can only hope that this experience will, in the end, make me a better teacher, and will allow me to to serve my future students, both here and abroad, in ways that I wouldn't have otherwise been able to.  

Final Project

I haven't yet found a way to upload my final project onto here...so if anyone would like to see it/read it, just message or comment your email address and I'll gladly send it to you! :) 

Last Few Days

12/19/2011

           It seems so weird that we leave in just a few days!  I've just begun to feel settled in; to find my routine, get used to the people, and my surroundings.  I've loved India, and I wish I had more time to explore different parts...but at the same time, I am so excited to go home!

           Going home might be more of a culture shock than coming here, especially at this time of year...it's going to be like hitting a wall of Christmas spirit!  Now, usually I'm not the biggest fan of Christmas - I hate the craziness of it, how it's almost become a commercialized holiday, and the fact that I think it takes away from Thanksgiving.  But this year I've been able to skip all the madness and will get home just in time to spend quality time with my family and enjoy the actual holiday itself!  I'm soooooo excited for family, friends, and food!

           Interviews are done! Project is all typed up!  And it's just in it's final stage of editing!  Yesterday afternoon was super fun, we went down to be the beach for some swimming and some r&r time!  It's been back to work today, and we have our project presentations tonight!

My new friend, Kerthiga, who wants to be a teacher too!

Merry Christmas everyone! From the Bay of Bengal! :) 

1st Round of Interviews

12/16/2011

           Today I started my first round of interviews!  I interviewed 5 women here at the office, and have worked out times with them over the next few days to go visit their homes and meet their families and interview their daughters as well.
           Each woman had a very similar and yet different story.  It's been interesting to compare their stories with statistics.  Writing is coming along well - I'm excited to see my finished project and share it all with you!  It will be up within the next few days! :)

Sick = Homesick

12/16/2011

           Two nights ago I managed to get some stomach bug...I spent the whole night and all of yesterday super sick :(  Now being sick in general is no fun, but being sick abroad without the comforts of your own bed (mine here is a rock), not having your family, or even being able to pick up the phone to hear a familiar voice really sucks!  It really made me miss home and everyone back there...
           So here's my shout out to all my loved ones - my mom and dad, Jonathan, Vanessa, and Katie, Liz, Austin, Kayla, Krista, Celine, Claire, Riley, Bre, Ben, Lindy, Shelby, and Shasta - I love and miss you all sooooo much and can't wait to see/talk to you all again!  I think about you all daily and appreciate your support so so much!
           6 more days! :)
XOXO

Project

12/13/2011

            So my project isn’t exactly what I had thought it would be coming here; needless to say, I’m very excited for it!  I’ll still get to work with education and poverty, as well as include my love for writing and passion for photography.  I’ll be doing a photojournalism article about the affects of poverty on education, focusing on women. 

            This will require/allow me to interview women in the slums about their educational experience: how far they went through school, how that has affected their lives now, and their view on education now.  Then I will get the chance to interview some of their daughters (hopefully ages 12-16), and learn where they’re at in school, how important it is to them, and what they want to be when they grow up. 

            This project will not only show some facts about public education in India, but how living in poverty is affecting a child’s chance at an education, and it will also show how things have changed over the years.  My hope is that this article will be published not just in the newspaper here in Pondicherry, but also at the University of Oregon, and hopefully some other newspapers back in Oregon.  

Integral Education

12/13/2011

           

            Integral education aims to foster the many aspects of a child’s nature, rather than just academic or mental faculties.  There are 4 bodies that must be nurtured – physical, mental, emotional, and psychic.  All 4 must be developed independently and integrated with each other to create a complete being. 

            I really like this idea and definitely think that our school system doesn’t focus nearly enough on these other parts of education.  Wanting to become a teacher myself, it was really refreshing and interesting to hear not only that some places do more than just teach from a text book, but how the incorporate it as well.

            This is not how all education is in India obviously, but just the education here at the society.  The society has enough teachers that there are only 1 or 2 students per teacher!  Because of this, they allow the students to set their schedule, deciding what time of day they learn best.  Students here also choose what subjects they want to study from a very early age; so in elementary one might decide that they only want to study math and sciences.

            Obviously some of this unrealistic for the US – having 1 teacher for every 1 or 2 students isn’t going to happen, but bringing class sizes down to around 20 can, and hopefully someday will happen again.  Because of this it isn’t possible for students to choose their own schedule, which necessarily a bad thing, and I think it’s good for students to have to learn a variety of subjects before they choose specific ones.

            What I took away from this though, already knowing some of this, that as a teacher, it will be my job and want to teach more than just what is in a text book; that it is about the student growing as an individual and a member of society.  Students are still learning character, morals, and how to act in society.  In order to be a well rounded person, all 4 physical, mental, emotional, and psychic areas of a child need to be developed. 

            It is my hope that the US will eventually find a way to incorporate all of these in their schools, and I am looking forward to being a part of that change.  

Auroville

12/13/2011

“Auroville wants to be a universal town where men and women of all countries are able to live in peace and progressive harmony, above all creeds, all politics and all nationalities.  The purpose of Auroville is to realize human unity” – The Mother

            Sounds great doesn’t it?!  We went to visit Auroville today, and after visiting, I have some mixed feelings about the place.  I love the concept – a place where everyone, no matter their background, can live together in peace and harmony.  It looks and sounds like quite the utopia; looking out over Auroville it almost felt as though I was dreaming or in some heavenly place.  They’ve tried to create the perfect world/society here…but is that really possible?

            One of the rules of living in Auroville is that you give up all of your possessions, but at the entry of the town is a little shopping area…they claim it’s for guests, but then they also claim that Auroville is NOT a tourist site. Weird.

            Another thing I found odd was that there is supposed to be no religion at this place, just accepting of all religions, but it’s almost as if the people there worship The Mother and Sri Aurobindo.  Are they creating a new religion even if they claim not to be? 

            The only requirements to live in Auroville are to be of ‘good will’ and to be able to physically contribute to the society.  But who is to decide if one is of ‘good will’??  And when we asked if there was a crippled man who was of ‘good will’, would he still be able to live there…the answer was that at this time no.

            Back to giving up all of your possessions – you don’t own anything when living at Auroville, not your home or even your clothes; these items belong to everyone.  So if you don’t own anything, one would think that you don’t have to pay for it, right?  Wrong, these people still have to buy clothes and pay for their housing, but technically none of that is theirs!

            I mean I don’t have the answer for creating a perfect society, I’m not really sure it’s possible.  As I said, I really love the concept and idea behind Auroville, I’m just not to sure it’s working out there.  I’ll end on more of a positive note…

            Auroville does strive to be a center of perpetual education and progress towards a more united future, where no one has jobs, but instead everyone gave their skills and service for the benefit of all residents.  Auroville is to foster the growth of citizens to reach their fullest potential. 

            There are special “cultural pavilions” that feature the architecture and cultural elements of some countries.  The main feature of Auroville is the gold-domed meditation hall called Matrimandir, “Mother’s Temple”.   

A map of Auroville 

My tourist picture with Matrimandir 

God or Gods?

12/12/2011

            Do you believe there is only one God or many Gods?  This was a question asked to us today.  Most of us sat there is silence, pondering what we had just been asked.  The man then gave us an example I had yet to think of…he asked us to write our names down at the top of a paper, and to then write down what our parents call us, what our siblings call us, and what our different friends call us.  We ended up with multiple names on our paper, but they were all for the same person.

            This idea represents that there is the possibility of there really being only one God, but that he is viewed differently and has different names from different groups of people.  I kind of liked this idea.  Food for thought anyway…

Chidambaram

12/12/2011

            What a day! Today we went on a field trip to Chidambaram!  It was about a 3 hour bus ride :/ but very much worth it!

            We had a little surprise when we got there and got to take some boats out through a swamp/jungle area!  It was so refreshing and beautiful to see this side of India!  We were able to see many birds, including some sort of eagle! 

            We then visited the Chidambaram Temple!  It is an enormous temple that was built for Lord Nataraj, Lord Shiva’s aspect as the cosmic dancer.  Chidambaram comes from the words “consciousness” and “stage”, as the temple is meant to serve as a stage where Lord Shiva dances.  Shiva is the God of destruction and death, and is also the God of time.  The temple covers 40 acres, and has 4 tall ornate towers that face the four cardinal directions.

            While at the temple, we were blessed and got to participate in a small ritual of some sort.  I was so amazed with the detail that went into every inch of this temple!  From the floor, to the towers, to the ceiling!  It was all detailed! 

            There was also a man and his bird there telling fortunes, so of course, some of us just had to!  He told me that I was supposed to be born a buy (haha) which is what makes me stubborn and makes me have to learn things my own way.  He said that I’m also very independent and ambitious, if I want something I make it happen.  The funniest part was that he said starting in January, I’ll have 6 months to get married otherwise I won’t get married at all, and that I’ll be really “into” my husband (I hope my friends are laughing! Haha).  And he said that the next 7 years of my life are going to be very successful ad wealthy!

            Tomorrow it’s back to work – we’ll finally be getting started on our projects! 

One of the eagles we saw

Our boat ride!

Chidambaram Temple

 Getting my fortune told by the old man and his bird!

Awe Struck

12/10/2011
           I stood on a rooftop in India with the sea breeze blowing through my hair and watched a lunar eclipse!  It took me a while to let that set in.  It was so surreal; something that made me feel so small and yet so big at the same time.  This was a once in a lifetime kind of thing, something I’ll tell my own kids about someday, and I was so excited, amazed, and humbled to get to be here, in India, to witness it.  

Art

12/10/2011

            We got an art lesson from some of the women today!  We were able to use chalk like dust to create pretty patterns and designs on the streets!  Using one of their techniques, I’ve decided I might even be able to do this myself!  I think I’m going to buy some to take home…maybe decorate some of the streets in Eugene, maybe my driveway at home too! (Of course when the weather is better that is) It sure is beautiful!  

Learning the "dot style" for making a design!

Our beautiful finished product and we colored it in! :) 

Troubles

12/10/2011

            There’s been a few things while learning about spirituality that I’ve had a hard time with.  For the most part I’ve really been enjoying learning and getting in touch with my spiritual side and have agreed and understood a lot of it.  Maybe it’s the science side of me, being a science teachers daughter, that is having trouble with these few things…

            The other day we were talking about creativity and where it comes from.  I don’t think of myself as a very creative person, I have my moments, but for the most part no; I came to the conclusion that it’s because creativity comes from the heart/soul, and I often times over-think things.  This meaning that my brain blocks my creativity.  At the end of this lesson, our instructors told us that it’s not that “we’re” creative, or that they’re “our” thoughts, but that the spirits are just using our bodies to carry out messages.  I didn’t like this; maybe because I don’t have a greater understanding or belief of Gods and what we as humans exactly even are, or maybe because I like thinking that I have control of my thoughts and actions because they’re “mine”.

            The second thing was something we did today, and it bothered me even more – we were practicing focus and concentration (which I thought was very important, understood the purpose, and enjoyed), but the lesson was that when we focus, we can control things.  We were each given a lit candle and told to become it’s friend…spending an entire hour in silence, just focused on the flame.  Supposedly once we had achieved this level of consciousness we would be able to tell the flame to get bigger, or smaller, to lean to the left and then to the right, that we would be able to calm the flames flicker with the calming of our thoughts.  Either I didn’t connect with my flame on a high enough level of focus, or my thought that this is literally impossible because of air flow, and differences is the wicks is true…I’d like to see someone move the candle across the room only using their thoughts.  I’m thinking it’s the second one, unless of course, I’m just spiritually naïve.  

Vent Sesh

12/10/2011

            I love India, but I’m going to complain about a few things real quick and then get over it….lines!  I hate lines here – because there’s no such thing!  You stand in “line” and wait and other people just push and cut right in front of you!  I don’t like having to be a pushy person, but apparently that’s going to have to start happening.

            Also, I miss fresh fruits and vegetables!  And anything with a crunch!  The first thing I’m having when I get back is a big, fresh, green salad, with lots of veggies and chicken breast!

            Ok enough of that now.  Moving on.

Sharanam

12/8/2011

            Today we went out to a sustainable architecture site called Sharanam.  This was a site that initially, I wasn’t terribly excited for, because I don’t know much about architecture, but learning about the ideas and design behind the building was again, very amazing! 

            Sharanam will serve as an “inspiration training center/community center; complete with a community radio station, general store, and other community office space.  The most impressive building on the site is the great hall with a vaulted arch ceiling that will be used for performances and community celebrations. 

            Sharanam was also nominated by the United Nations as one of the most sustainable buildings in India.   Each and every detail was consciously made to support and enhance the natural surrounding environment.  Even the bricks that make the building were produced on-site with the dirt and soil that was already there.  Surprisingly, to me anyway, India easily faces drought because there are no reservoirs to properly store water.  This site is also designed to catch and store rain water to then be used within the site for all aspects.  Another fun fact – all bathroom waste will be stored in an underground compartment that when full, will be closed (another compartment will then open, and go on alternating), and be left for a year to then be used as fertilizer! 

            What was most impressive about this construction site, was that the project itself has served as a catalyst for change in the villagers.  Many of the workers were extremely poor, and even alcoholics, and were given not only the opportunity to have a job, but to set their own wages (skilled men requested to be paid around 400 rupes a day, that’s about $8 US).  The majority of these workers came into this knowing nothing, and since it’s started, have been taught the skills they need and are being able to be a part of creating something that the whole community can share and enjoy - thus being empowered.  

Slums

12/8/2011

            The slums we got to visit today were much more of how I pictured India.  There was definitely a difference from the ashram society which we have been exposed to.  Even though there was a lot of poverty that we witnessed this morning, there was also a lot of beauty.   The people were very friendly and encouraged us to take pictures of their children.  I found that in more rural areas there seems to be a stronger sense and presence of culture.  The houses may have been barely standing, but they were decorated vibrantly and passionately.  I thought it really went to show that even when you don’t have much, it’s important to take pride in what you do have.  

SARVAM

12/7/2011

            SARVAM is truly an amazing and inspiring organization!  SARVAM stands for Sri Aurobindo Rural & Village Action & Movement; it’s goal is to bridge the gab between the 21^st century innovations through progressive development, this is because over 2/3rds of India’s population lives in rural communities.

            This organization/project started in 2005 and has since been working to enact reforms in public health, education and after school care, organic farming, vocational training, housing, community leadership structure, women, culture, and so much more! 

            Learning about SARVAM was so incredible and almost astonishing; to see that even in a 3^rd world country there are people who have these sustainable goals to change their villages and eventually their country, and then are doing what it takes to turn these dreams into a reality.

            SARVAM currently has expanded it’s work into 7 villages, and what makes it specially unique, is that all of the initiatives are run by the villagers themselves.  All of the activities strive to promote the physical, emotional, and mental needs of a person or specific need within the village.

            During our visit to the site we were able to meet with school children who were there for after school activities.  Most of them were able to do things on a computer, such as animation, that even I am unable to do.  Their excitement and eagerness to learn was very touching and is something I think we lack in the US.

            SARVAM serves as an inspirational example of how it is possible to bring sustainable and empowering change to rural India – “the village community itself will have to be encouraged to perceive the need for change and to take responsibility for any activity that leads to such change”.

With some of the school girls at SARVAM 

Teaching the kids to make the Oregon O :)

Cooking

12/6/2011

            We got to do some Indian cooking!  This evening we were able to learn a bit about Indian cooking from some of the women in the society.  They taught us that you ALWAYS need cumin powder, turmeric powder, and chili powder in any and every Indian dish!  Other common spices they listed included haldi powder, mustard seeds, cloves, cardamon, garam masala, dhania powder, and cinnamon.

            We made tamarind chutney, and two appetizer dishes – fried onions and fried potatoes.  For the chutney, we needed hot water, tamarind, jaggery, a little bit of asafortita, cumin powder, coriander powder, and chili powder.  After we had chopped up onions and sliced potatoes, we mixed gram flower, salt, garlic paste, turmeric powder, agwain, chili powder, coriander powder, and cumin powder and first put the onions in and mixed it all together.  We then made balls and carefully dropped them into hot sunflower seed oil until golden brown!  The potatoes were pretty much the same mix except we didn’t use agwain and we added more water.

            It was a really fun experience…maybe I’ll try cooking more at home!

Learning about different spices!

Putting the onion mix into the oil! 

A Few Photos of the Trip so Far...

Sorry I haven't uploaded any photos yet...here are a few!  I'll try to upload them with the blog entries from now on! :)

Sunrise on our first morning here - Welcome to India!

                              

At the market - spices on the left and crazy traffic on the right!

                        

 

Getting blessed at one of the many temples

Yoga on the roof during sunrise!

                            

At the Organic Garden of Matrikunj - 

Banana tree on the left and me drinking a coconut milk on the right! :)

Independence vs. Interdependence

            In one of our discussions we talked about independence vs. interdependence, and we were all asked if we were unique.  I think pretty much everyone raised their hands, but then we were challenged with a follow up question…what makes us unique?  This left us all speechless for a while; we then began throwing out topics that separate people: family, interests, values, experiences, religion, culture etc.

            Listing off my own specifics for those topics I was able to kind of see the differences in my life that had made me who I am.  I decided my top three contributing factors were my family, values, and experiences.  In terms of family, I was fortunate enough to have two parents who are still married – this gave me love and support without stressors, and also set a good example.  Being the oldest of three created maturity and responsibility in my life, I was and am a role model to my younger siblings.  For my values I listed things such as service, compassion, integrity, courage, education, social-justice, diversity, passion etc.  And for my experiences I wrote down a lot of my travels, including the ’94 Rwandan Genocide. 

            I decided that the most important contributing factor to my individuality was my family; because they have helped shape my values and have helped give me the experiences I’ve had.

            At the end of this discussion, they left us with one last question…because we are interdependent and connected, does it imply that we are not individuals?

           

This is something I’m still thinking about…what do you think?

Matrikunj

           Yesterday we visited the Organic Garden of Matrikunj – meaning the “Mother’s Garden” in Sanskrit.  Matrikunj is a self-sufficient natural farm that uses agricultural practices for a conscious and more harmonious future.  The farm has 42 acres that grows many organic fruits, herbs, medicines, flowers, and vegetables.  This is one of the farms that provides food for the different kitchens of the ashram. 

            The caretakers of the farm really seem to connect with the land and almost have a relationship with the plants.  The garden is truly a beautiful place and it was so neat to see many different bugs and even try different plants and herbs.

            “Trainings for farmers will be futile and unsustainable unless the attitudes of farmers are changed, and their priority shifts towards a desire to protect the earth instead of just using it to make money”.

Does Anyone Have a Bag?

Well the one thing I was worried about happening, and to be honest I’m surprised it took this long – I threw up!  I probably have one of the most sensitive stomachs ever; heat, smells, and motion can each get to me.  So you can imagine being stuck at the back of a bus with no a/c, crazy traffic, lots of noise and honking, and passing through all sorts of smells was a disaster waiting to happen.  I guess luckily I’ve gotten used to this and good at it, and thankfully someone had a bag on them...others on the bus were impressed with my “throwing up ability”.  Maybe I’ll add it to my list of talents… 

Expect the Unexpected

           We’ve spent the past couple of days exploring Pondicherry and adjusting to the culture.  Although I haven’t spent time in other parts of India, Pondicherry (or the area around the ashram) seems to be quite different from what I had imagined it would be.  Many of the buildings here have French/European architecture to them, and although it is very apparent that it’s poor, the poverty isn’t as bad as I had expected; at least from the areas I’ve seen so far.           

            We’re staying in the International Guest House at the Sri Aurobindo Ashram, it’s a pretty neat/nice place! My room has two beds and a bathroom (just to give you an idea, a two bed room here is about 5 US dollars a day).  The bathroom does have a shower, but no hot water, and people here don’t use toilet paper so you have to carry your own around with you and you can’t flush it, so you have to find a garbage to dispose of it.  Eating at the ashram is much like eating at a soup kitchen, and is a bit different than what I was expecting too – the food is fairly plain and very mild (which I’m kinda bummed about), the idea behind that is that they don’t want people to “live to eat” but rather “eat to live”, so they take focus away from the food so people can concentrate on spirituality (it costs us 1 US dollar for all three meals we eat per day).  It’s an interesting concept, but I’m really looking forward to adventuring off and eating some local, spicy, flavor-rich, Indian food!

            I’ve found a few new “loves” in the past few days…bike riding, Masala, limes, and yoga.  Every free time we have, I hop on my bike and ride around with a few of the others in our group.  We quickly learned the food-chain of the roads…if it’s bigger than you, you better get out of the way because it’s not stopping.  It’s been so much fun seeing different parts of the city and also a great way to relax and cool off a bit!  Masala – I’ve found out you can nearly put it on everything!  Other than having some different Masala curries, I’ve had Masala corn from a street vendor, Chat Masala juice, and Masala chips – it’s great!  Limes seem to be a big thing here; I’ve found lie juice to be incredibly refreshing, and I also squeeze a little lime into my yogurt to give it a bit more flavor.  I’m a fairly unflexible person, so when we were given the opportunity to start each morning with yoga on the roof, watching the sun rise over the ocean, I couldn’t resist!  It’s been a great way to stretch, relax, and get ready for the day.

            We got to go check out the street market – madness!  There were people everywhere, packed into every little space they could find.  It was hot, and there were more smells going on than my nose could identify.  It was definitely quite the experience that’s for sure!

           So far I've learned to expect the unexpected. 

We Made It!

Walking out of the airport in Chennai we were greeted with the smells of exhaust, food, dirt, body odor, and feces, all mixed together and hung on us with humidity.  It was midnight and yet there were hundreds of Indians in sight, along with traffic and the sound of car horns honking… I thought to myself, “welcome to India”. 

            We all stood there, exhausted, soaking everything in when we were greeted by two familiar faces who gave us each locus flowers – the locus is the flower of India, symbolizing that through all the dirt and mud, a beautiful flower can bloom and live.  They led us to our bus, which drove us another 3 ½ hours or so to the Sri Arobindo Ashram in Pondicherry.

            After about 35 hours of traveling, we had finally made it!  It was shortly after 4 am so we weren’t really able to see much, but we eagerly unpacked, showered, and then instead of going to bed for a few hours, we decided to explore.  We walked down to the beach just in time to watch the bright, orange sun rise over the ocean; and not only were we able to watch the sunrise, but we were also able to watch the town of Pondicherry come to life.

            During our welcome/opening, a local man referred to India as the land of spirituality and discovery – and what I have seen so far, it’ll be just that.  It is a land of poverty and beauty, it is a land of simplicity and rich/strong culture, and it is a land of death and of life; but most importantly, it is a land of love. 

Past --> Present

Sitting on the plane I think back to my first time as a young adult traveling abroad; it was back in 2007 and I was headed to Thailand with Klamath Basin Youth Without Borders to build a home through Habitat for Humanity.   I was 16 years old, naïve, and had no idea what I was in for.  This was my first experience where I was truly being able to see how fortunate of a life I had, where it was more than my parents just telling me how much better off I had it than so many others in the world.  It was the first time I really gave more of myself, and in return, began to spread my wings and broaden my cultural horizons.

            A little over a year after Thailand I had what I would call my real first 3^rd world/developing country experience.  I set off to Rwanda as a 17 year old all by myself.  This would be the first time I tested my true independence, courage, and adaptability.  I didn’t have my dad or any of my best friends there to talk to or help me when things got tough.  That summer taught me more than I could ever have imagined, it broadened my perspectives, humbled me, and it ultimately changed my life in every way possible.

            I had another experience building a home through Habitat for Humanity with Klamath Basin Youth Without Borders my senior year of high school in 2009, this time in Brazil.  Each and every time I travel, each time I devote myself to serving others, I am constantly learning new things about myself and my surroundings, improving the person I am, and ultimately hopefully improving the world around me.

            This too will be a new experience where I will push myself to new limits, where I will gain newer and better understandings.  This time will again, be different; I will be traveling with a group, but a group where I am still just getting to know these individuals.  This time I will be in a culture that is different, rich in color and food, and particularly because of it’s strong spirituality.

            The only thing that will remain the same, is that I go into it with the same open heart as well as open mind.  Allowing this experience to help me grow and learn, and better me not only as a person, but as a contributor to this society and world in which I am a part of.