The best way to start the NEW YEAR!!

I cannot possibly begin to describe the experience we are having here. It is more than i ever expected. The people are amazingly friendly and the children are so curious and ask their questions with such innocence and charm.. I do miss home alot, but mostly because i want to share this with them. My family didnt understand why i wanted to come here and asked me many times what i was getting out of this experience. I hope with the video and pictures and stories i return with they will be able to better understand why this journey has been so important to me. So far in our short 4 days here we have visited a boys orphanage, a carpet factory, and a needy shelter to hand out saris and sweaters to the elderly and children. We have also met with three clubs and seen first hand many of the wonderful projects that Rotary is involved in here. We have been spoiled in many ways with wonderful hosts, wonderful food and parties... But the thing i am cherishing most right now is the love of the people here... it is felt were ever you go... wish you could be here... Love Kristin

Building Bridges

I feel at the moment that feelings of being homesick and culture shock are being overridden by the power of hospitality that has been offered since arriving. In addition to this, there is the overwhelming realization that strong connections and friendships are being made due to this exchange. The fact that I am part of this, brings chills of emotion. I have believed for some time that experiences such as this are key to promoting communication, understanding and peace within our diverse world. I like to imagine everyone taking an opportunity to place themselves in a world that is not their own and watch the empathy, and us as individuals and professionals growing positively because of this. As an educator, I am excited to share what I have already learned about this great country India and its' people who are showing and teaching us so much. Love to all,
Erin

Beauty

India....exotic and beautiful, kind and gentle.

I must say that being in India is like being in a dream. I have wanted to come here since I was a little girl and to be here finally is something I cannot even describe. The roads, crowded as they may be, are filled with vibrant colors, people meeting, children playing and wild life roaming. It is a unique place with many wonders to see.

The one thing that I know for sure about India is that the people here are so kind. I feel like when we enter a new host family's home, we are part of their family. It is amazing. We are like brothers and sisters here, and it is beautiful. My heart overflows with thankfulness for this opportunity to be here.

Last night we participated in a New Year's celebration! And what a celebration it was! We are so thankful to Rotary Club Kanpur Industrial for their wonderful party! We ate, drank, danced and played games and were able to ring in the new year with the District Governor and his family and friends.

We have been treated royally and it is such a pleasure to be in the homes of such gracious hosts. Today we have a rest day and will be going to see some of the sights of Kanpur. This town is famous for its Leather goods and also for Small Arms (firearms). Today we will be able to shop a bit and tomorrow we will be visiting the leather goods factory and also a temple. A special thanks to our hosts Rtn. K.K. Gupta for having us at his home....we are so honoured.

We wish that you our friends and family were here to experience what we are experiencing.....and to meet all these wonderful host families.

Until next time...
Lori

Hi From India

It is finally a reality I am here in India. The people are so friendly and we are being treated well. The first morning here I saw a baby monkey on the balcony of the apartment we were staying in they are adorable. Last night at our welcoming party we got on stage and learned Indian dancing traditional and modern. It was uncomfortable at first them towards the end of the night we were all smiling letting go and having fun. The rotary host spolied us with snacks on arrival snacks during presentations and dinner before going home. I love the food spicy, there is cummin seed in rice yum. Today we will travel to a carpet making store and whole schedule of events.
Hi to all my friends and family Love
Betty Jo

Day two

We started our day off with a beautiful breakfast made by Rahul's sister who is in from Melbourne to host us. We all fall in love with the sandwiches which is the filling of a smosa in bread and put in a sandwich maker. We get to see our first monkeys, which are shoed away off the balcony by the maid…I thought they were kidding when they said not to walk outside with food as the monkeys will attack us… but it’s true.. We take a walk around our compound and see some of the locals playing with their kids, washing cars etc. The community has a large fence around it with armed guards. Allen and Lori get the bright idea to race each other up 8 flights of stairs on our way back from our walk so all of us follow suit and learn very soon just how tired we really still are… it is 4 hrs till we have to leave to meet the district governor so we all crash for a mid morning power nap….

During our nap, Allen and Linda stay up to chat with Rahul's sister and learn about her arranged marriage and her life in Australia.

Rahul arrives to see us off, and to explain our entire trip itinerary, he warns us of the fruits and water and lets us know to make sure to say NO when we really don’t want any more food!! So far Allen has proven to be a perfect gentleman for any food I can’t seem to finish, but I think that might wear out soon!!
We leave for our next stop and begin our journey towards Hathru were we will meet with the district governor and then attend our welcome dinner…

Driving in India is an exciting experience! There are hundreds of people on the roads, bikes, motorbikes, camels, cows, cars, trucks, tractors, and people walking… everyone is encouraged to us their horns here to let you know they need to get by you or pass. The horns are loud and constant, it is not considered rude here it is like using a blinker to pass….

We come into a town and are slowed by traffic; hundreds of people on the street stare as we drive by. At one point an eager young man runs up to Betty Jo’s window to get his picture taken. The scenes from slumdog millionaire couldn’t possibly prepare you from seeing the towns and the people in this place.

We finally arrive at the district governor’s hotel and proceed to drive to his home in Hathras. Upon arrival we are greeted by local Rotarians including the secretary and local club president. As we walk through the doorways we are greeted by the ladies of the house with beautiful flower necklaces and shown up to their sitting room… We all sit and wait as the women make a snack and tea for us in the back room. The children of the house run and hide in corners to get a peek of us and giggle when we catch their eye. We are feeling the effects of a long day, but it is 10:30pm and an amazing welcome dinner awaits. So quickly we change and off we go to our welcome dinner…

Indians sure know how to put on a show. As we arrive there is a large crowd of Rotarians waiting for us, their children are all there running around playing games and whispering about the new guests. We are offered snacks and then seated on stage facing the entire audience like a bridal table at a wedding. One by one we are welcomed with more flower necklaces and gifts from different members of rotary. We are then asked to each speak about or journey so far and what we thought was just a silly joke we made in the car ride over with the governor turned real when he asked us to all sing our own national anthems. It’s a good thing we have 2 great singers on the team, one from each side of the border that helped make us sound less than ridiculous.

After the anthems came the best part of the night… the dancing and performances from 2 beautiful Hindi children. The ladies of our team are pulled on stage during a song about the festival of colors and flowers and we all take part in tossing pedals like snowflakes into the air and at each other… After a few songs on stage it is Allen’s turn to dance… and DANCE he did!!! He was pulled up on stage to dance behind the children with the men and he decided or thought he was to copy every move of the performer on stage… what a site, he had the entire place laughing so hard I started to cry and couldn’t stop… he definitely broke the ice if it wasn’t already because after that song we were all pulled up on stage and many of the children and wives and men all came up to dance.

After we finally convince them that we are danced out ( I think they would have gone all night had we let them!) we are taken to the buffet to start dinner… it is 12:30am, I begin to serve myself food and ask one of the ladies to explain the food to me.. I soon realize it is best to take a small bit of everything and decide what I like and come back for more. I get to the end of the buffet to get my bread and behind the table on the floor are 2 elderly women working tirelessly rolling the dough and handing the food up to the men to put on the burners. They look so tired and fragile but smile sweetly as we walk by. We all sit to eat and soon the children come to visit with us, 2 of them speak very good English and are so intrigued by our homes and our stories. Betty Jo pulls out her picture book from home and a crowd of children and serving staff surround to look at all the pictures. At this point I cannot hold it anymore and I ask for a bathroom…. We have been spoiled till now with bathrooms with toilet paper and sinks… this time I am taken into a dark room with a broken door and dim light. There is a hole in the ground and marks for where you put your feet, there is nothing to hold on to or wash, I forget to bring my purse with my tissue so I chicken out and decide I can hold it for longer…

We finally leave the party around 3am to come home, I asked one of the children if this is normal for parties to run this late and she smiles and say “oh yes.” When we arrive back home we learn that our host, the district governor, has patients in his home on the first floor and he needs to tend to them before coming upstairs. We go ahead of him and get into bed, exhausted from a long day of travel, food and entertainment! If this is only day two I can only imagine day 30… WOW!

We are almost there!!!

It feels like just yesterday that I got the call from the GSE Committee telling me that i had made the cut for the final 6 team members going to India.... It seemed so serial at the time, and really until the last few days it hadnt really all set in...

But today as i ran around town looking for last minute supplies for my trip and printing off about 75 photos of friends, family and my life, to bring with me to share with my host families, it hit me... I AM GOING TO INDIA!!!! In 4 days!!

The thought of leaving my son behind is scary, but i know he is in really good hands with my parents... if anything i am worried about the stress he might cause them...lol...

We just recently got our itinerary for our trip and as i look through our daily activities i realize that we really are about to embark on a journey of a lifetime... I cant wait to share it all with our blog readers and family and friends back home.... Wish us luck as we take off on an adventure that will surely change all of our lives forever!!!
Love Kristin

Countdown!

It's December 22nd, and I am sitting here contemplating the fact that we are leaving in five days! The time has flown by and as I think about all our team has been through, I feel very proud to say that I am a part of this amazing group of people. From group meetings, to retreats, to running around getting various projects done...we have really come together and are finally ready to head out on this amazing adventure. I think I can speak for all of us in saying that we are very excited at this opportunity to visit India.

I cant wait! I feel like a child waiting for Christmas...(wait, I am doing that too!) and I am counting down the days till we take that loooong flight to India.

December 27th cannot come soon enough!

Team Meeting Nine--Decemeber 20, 2009 (Allen)

Well, today was the team reception. Hosted in Bellingham, we met to make a presentation to our families and to Rotarians. The was a trial run of the presentation we will be making to Rotary clubs in Uttar Pradesh. It was also a great chance to meet the families of fellow team members. A real highlight was when we received our GSE alumni pins from the Rotary Foundation.

The presentation went well, though there will be some changes made before we present for the first time in India. We have a week to go, and I hope to be posting pictures of India soon.

Team Meeting Eight--Decemeber 6, 2009 (Allen)

With the trip quick approaching, we held one more team meeting, this time in Everett, Washington. Linda hosted us in her beautiful home, already decorated for Christmas.

Mark, the team leader for an exchange to the Philippines was present, and offered us the following tips:
-you will get out of this trip, what you put into this trip,
-be flexible and have fun,
-follow your team leader, and report any safety issue to her immediately,
-do your best to be a good representative of Rotary and your district,
-the presentation should give people and idea of who you are, and
-pack light

The countdown is on! We will meet once more for the farewell reception, then we will be off to India!

Team Meeting Seven--November 22, 2009 (Allen)

Once more, we were fortunate enough to have Betty Jo host us in her office. Today we met for individual and team photos...

....lots and lots of photos....

...then more photos...

Team Meeting Six--November 14, 2009 (Allen)

This team meeting brought us together on the Canadian side of the border.

We were lucky enough to have a presentation from Heidi, who had been a part of the GSE to the Philippines. Heidi gave us a PowerPoint presentation on her team`s trip and on her subsequent work providing aid to schools in the areas to which she travelled.

Team brochures and uniforms were also discussed.

Following the team meeting, we went down to White Rock where the Dictrict's Rotary Foundation Dinner was being held. The Dinner included a silent auction and a presentation on the PolioPlus campaign. It was a great chance to learn more about the foundation and its ongoing efforts.

The food was AMAZING! The biggest seafood platter, I've ever seen! All the empty spots on the platter were filled with shrimp. If I had had my camera along, I would have posted a picture.

Team Meeting Five--October 24, 2009 (Allen)

Our fifth team meeting saw us returning to Mt. Vernon to Betty Jo's office. Two especially informative guest speakers attended our meeting.

Bev Harrington was our first guest speaker and was the team leader for a GSE to Ecuador. Bev delivered a very focused and informative discussion on the whole experience of participating in a group study exchange. Key point from Bev included: pack light, plan on staying with about 12 Rotary families, bring a sleeping bag liner, and bring your patience and enthusiasm.

Barbara Knowles was our second guest speaker. Barbara has travelled to India over 60 times, and continues to do charity work over there. "Expect the unexpected" sums up the overall tone of her discussion. She touched on different details of cultural differences we would have to be ready for.

Each guest speaker was extremely informative, and provided enough material to justify a meeting for each one. However, a third surprise guest provided the highlight of the day.

Rob Martin, the District GSE Chair showed up to the meeting. Rob brought with him a special announcement. The district had allocated enough funding to the GSE to allow a fifth member to participate. Betty Jo, the team alternate, was now a team member and would be going to India!

Team Meeting Four--September 12, 2009 (Allen)

The fourth team meeting took place at Kristin's home in Mission. At this point, it was announced that Kayla would be resigning her spot as an alternate. Our ice breaker consisted of each of us taking turns answering from as list. This list included interesting questions such as "If you could change anything about yourself, what would it be?" and "If time and money were no object, what would you be doing right now?"

This meeting saw the discussion of team uniforms, business cards and brochures, the PowerPoint presentation, and a blog.

Lori and Kristin's work on the PowerPoint presenation and associated material was amazing. The quality of the slides and the general flow of the pictures was impressive to say the least.

Debe and Erin's work selecting colours and styles for the uniforms was well underway, and very reflective of the Pacific NorthWest.

The blog had been set up, and made open for all participants to begin contributing.

Linda had handed out "Culture Shock: India" books to everyone at the last meeting, and we had some discussion on what we had read, and the bearing it would have on our plans.

Team Meeting Three--August 8, 2009 (Allen)

Our third team meeting took us to Seattle to Erin's home. By this point, a decision had been made. Linda would lead a team consisting of Allen, Erin, Kristin and Lori. Betty Jo, and Kayla would be alternates. Kayla was unable to attend the team meeting.

This team meeting started off with an ice breaker in which we each brought a shoe. We placed our shoes into a common bag, and then the contents of the bag were poured on to the floor, and we had to guess which shoe belonged to whom. Now, being the only male representative, I didn't think I was going to fool anyone. So, I figured if you know you won't fit in, celebrate your difference! It went without saying that among the high heels, and glittery slippers, the steel-toed work boot was mine. However, with the shock value of Kristin's 6" spiked monsters, I didn't think anyone even saw the boot.

Once more, we gave reports to the rest of the group. This time, topics included:

Celebrations,
Customs,
Food,
History, and
People.

We walked to a local Indian restaurant for lunch. The food was amazing.

Team Meeting Two/Team Retreat--July 10-12, 2009 (Allen)

The Team Retreat took place in a log cabin just north of Hope, British Columbia. A reprieve from the rain, gave us a couple of days sunshine. Kayla was unable to attend.

The group began to arrive on Friday evening. It was a long way to come for some of the members from the States. We had a pizza dinner, and spent some time getting to know each other. We also went though an excercise called "Lost at Sea". It was a hypothetical scenario where we were adrift in the ocean, and had fifteen items with us. Our task was to list the items in terms of their importance.


Saturday was a full day, and started with a large breakfast. The theme of an abundance of food would continue right through the weekend.


Saturday's activities included an exercise in which each member drew a picture of a pig. We were told that the location of the pig on the page, the direction it faced, and the level of detail each told us something about ourselves. The next activity--the"True Colors" excercise, grouped personality traits and labelled them with different colours. This revealed the different personalities in the group and helped us see how well we were beginning to know one another.


On Saturday afternoon, each of us had a chance to teach an activity to the other. Activities included a lesson on Indian clothing and general team building, tie-dying T-shirts, yoga, and a game called Taboo.

We also had a photo scavenger hunt, in which we took photos of a stuffed animal in different requried location around the town of Hope. Bonus points were awarded for additional interesting photos. A friendly groupd of bikers helped us gain some extra points.

Sunday started with waffles--great big waffles. Great big waffles, with fluffy whipped cream, stawberries, and chocolate sauce. The chocolate was drizzled in fine lines circling the fluffy whipped cream--the same fluffy whipped cream that circled that waffled and formed a bowl for the centre of strawberries.

Sunday's discussion covered our goals and fears for the trip.

Team Meeting One--June 6, 2009 (Allen)

Within a couple of days of the team social, phone calls went out to applicants who made the final six--four of whom would eventually be selected as team members, and two of whom would be selected as alternates. The final six included:

Allen, a Canadian paramedic,
Betty Jo, an American realator,
Erin, an American Spanish and English as a learned language teacher,
Kayla, an American youth program director,
Kristin, a Canadian event coordinator, and
Lori, a Canadian executive assistant.

The team leader would be Linda, an American who owns and runs a security company. The team leader alternate would be Debe, an American who is the executive director of an education foundation.

The first group meeting took place in Mt Vernon, Washington at the office where Betty Jo worked. Unfortunately, Kayla was unable to attend.

Not being familiar with the amount of time it would take to get to Mt. Vernon, or the wait time at the border, I decided to error on the side of caution and leave my home early. I arrived for the meeting 3 hours ahead of schedule. At the local gas station, I asked the owners what there was to see and do in Mt. Vernon, and was informed that I could "eat and have a nap." Unable to nap at nine in the morning, I took a drive around the area, and found a beautiful ball park, a classic car show, and some small lakes just outside of town.

As part of this meeting, each of us was required to make a short presentation on a given topic associated with Rotary International. Topics included:

The Objects of Rotary,
The Four Way Test,
Four Avenues of Service,
Service Above Self, and
A Short History of Rotary

Highlights of the meeting included an ice breaker where we all took a handful of M&M's from a bowl. The number of M&M's each person took, was the number of interesting facts that person had to tell about themselves. It turned out however, that Betty Jo didn't like M&M's and that a second member was diabetic, adding an interesting twist on the event.

The next meeting was to be a team retreat on the Canadian side of the border.

The Team Social--April 26, 2009 (Allen)

The day of the interview, I received a call that I had been short-listed and was invited to the Team Social on the coming Sunday. This event would gather approximately fifteen short-listed applicants for four hours together. We would go through a series of tasks and projects, giving the selection committee a chance to see how we would interact with other potential team members.

It seemed like calling Bill Gates an ice cream man had not disqualified me, and I accepted the invitation.

Apart from the selection process itself, the team social was a great chance to meet a variety of fascinating people, with diverse backgrounds.

The Interview--April 19, 2009 (Allen)

Within a few days of submitting my application, I was contacted by Bert van Dalfsen. He stated that interviews were to be held on the coming Sunday, and asked if I would be able to attend at noon.

Sunday, April 19 came along, and I showed up at the stated location. Unsure of what to expect, I walked into the bulding and into the largest pannel interview of my life. In the interview roon was a string of tables along three sides of the room, with Roatrians seated all the way along. At least a dozen of them sat behind the tables, facing the centre of the room where one lone table with an empty chair stood.

Just as I was soaking this in, I was greeted with, "Up against the wall!"

This did little to set me at ease.

"Pardon," I answered. It turned out that they just wanted to take a photo of me to put with my file--something they would do with all the applicants. From there I took my seat.

The Rotarians introduced themselves, and it was at this point that I met Bert van Dalfsen, who played a key role in the selection process. I met Linda Murray who was the trip's team leader. I met previous team leaders and members, and met future leaders. Although I did not fully understand why at the time, there was a pleasant woman to whom the other other Rotarians seemed to direct several comments pertaining to ice cream.

The interview seemed to be going well enough until the question "How do Canadians differ from Amercians" came along.

I thought for a second, and began to answer with the works, "I have to be careful not to be offensive towards Americans here..."

"You'd better!" the pleasant woman interjected. Up until that moment, I was unaware that District 5050 straddled the Canada/UB border, and that half the people there were Americans. After that question, the woman made a point of educating me about great Americans. When discussing the state of washington, she stated that Bill Gates hailed from Seattle.

"You do know who Bill Gates is, don't you?" she asked.

"Ya," I answered, "I think he makes ice cream, doesn't he?

It seemed like the right thing to say at the time.

The Application--April 10, 2009 (Allen)

Bert van Dalfsen's ad in the Abbotsford newspaper read, "If you are a professional between the ages of 25 and 40 and would love the opportunity to experience India in a cultural and vocational exchange, Rotary would love to hear from you." It was a far cry from Shackleton's "Men wanted for hazardous journey. Small wages, bitter cold, long months of complete darkness, constant danger, safe return doubtful." That being said, the van Dalfsen expedition sounded more feasible and worth further investigation.

Rotary International's District 5050 was organizing a Group Study Exchange. The program provides travel grants for teams of participants to travel to another country, and while there, gain a deeper understanding of the ways of life in the host district. As well, vocational days are organized allowing team members to see how their vocations are practiced in the host country. The exchange seeks to build leadership, communication and problem solving skills in addition to developing networks, relationships and friendships.

We're Bloggin' Now!

Welcome to the official blog for Rotary District 5050's Group Study Exchange to India. The team leader, alternate team leader, team members and alternate team members have all been invited to post. Follow us all as we prepare for and embark on an extraordinary journey into India!