India Travels 2010

Honk! Honk! Beep! Beep! MOOOO!

2010-02-06T15:22:00.000-08:00

Pimped out trucks in India are my favorite...never too much color or too many flashing lights, or too many plastic flowers...the more the merrier!

This was my farewell to Lily's and my luggage into the rickshaw....wondering if it would ever be seen again...good news...IT WAS!

I bet you always wondered what that ladder was for on the back of the bus...well here it is..just when you thought the bus was full!

Pimp my ride!

Here is our SUV stuck in the mudd.

I thought I was doing good by purchasing a car that holds 6 people...this van can carry a family of 20 or more! AMAZING!

Beach Visit

2010-01-28T06:21:00.001-08:00

Today we spent a few hours on the beach with our host families. As you can see we spotted some crabs, and saw some fishermen picking up nets full of dried fish they had lying in the sun all day. It was a beautiful day to just relax and enjoy the sun, the wind, and the company. I was challenged to catch a crab for $10 but after seeing how fast those little buggers are I didn't even attempt, so shortly there after a fisherman came by and I was told that if caught a crab I owed him a $1.....of course he caught a crab, many crabs actually with his bare hands after digging deep down in the crab holes....I gladly paid him!

Dances of India

2010-01-25T08:36:00.000-08:00

While on our travels we have been welcomed by many talented children, almost every city we have visited has shown us some amazing hospitality by inviting local children to share cultural dances with us. The videos take a bit to download so I will load them as I can. Every dance has a meaning and a story, much of the story is told through facial expressions and hand gestures (I know the facial gestures are diffucult to see with my amazing video skills, but believe me these young ladies are talented!).

Tow Oxen

2010-01-24T09:57:00.000-08:00

On our voyage to an EMU farm we ran into a bit of trouble caused by the unseasonal down pour we received the day we arried in Bellary. No Greg's Towing avaliable in the middle of India so the next best thing was to call on the field worker and his oxen. We were so excited, this may have been the highlight of the trip. There are photos of us and some of the field workers also included. ENJOY! Call 1-800-tow-OXEN when you are stuck!

January 10th

2010-01-16T22:33:00.001-08:00

On this day I started the day with my hostess kicking off National Polio Immunization day in Gulbarga, followed by a long day of conferences. Later that evening we all went to a orphanage in Gulbaraga that is home to 18 children. All of the children were brought here as babies and typically spend their lives here until they are done with school. The children all live together as brother and sister and there is one woman who stays there full time as the "mother". The children are welll cared for and attend very good private schools, the whole thing is funded by donations. AMAZING! The kids loved having us there....and sang for us, when we tried to do the same for them, they were not as impressed! hahaha...

January 9th

2010-01-16T22:08:00.001-08:00

Here are some pictures of the GSE team in Gulbarga where the district conference was held. WE really enjoyed our time in Gulbarga, the city of flowers. Our hosts were amazing and took very good care of us. As you can see they also offered many cultural experiences for us. We we brought up on stage to dance with one of the performers during our evening entertainment! Good times! Many of our host families have dressed us up in Sari's celebrate the evening events!

Thursday January 8th

2010-01-10T04:03:00.001-08:00

WE spent the morning in Richur walking through the slums with children from a "working school" ( which means children that have been taken out of the work force and sent to school), getting the word out for polio immunization day in India, which is January 10th. The children wore hats, masks, and had whistles letting everyone know abou the immunization day. It was a very touching day...we were able to meet many children and see how the poor class live. It is sad, the conditions that they are in. I can't imagine. The children were beyond excited to have their picture taken as well, it was just an honor for them to touch my hand,....they would run away with a huge smile on their face. I leave with a heavy heart, wishing I could do more..but where to begin? THis is one slum, in one city, in one country, in the WORLD! WOW!

Thursday January 7th

2010-01-10T03:26:00.001-08:00

The final product of the hemp design that Upasana did for me!

All of us and our hosts were treated to an hour of yoga at a local studio! IT was great fun...

Lily's transportation to and from our early morning yoga session.

This is a great dish prepared by my host family it is call Poha and gold coins...they were totally vegan..and she was an AMAZING cook! I could eat her food all the time of this trip...however they were all very pushy when it comes to eating always wanting you to eat more and refilling your plate when you don't want anymore.

Here are photos from an old palace of sorts....there is a gentleman that still lives here but does not open it to the public at the moment, renovation is in the near future. As we went through the palace every time we turned around there were more and more men following us, i don't think they cared much about the palace, but more about the white women walking through it! AT one point I think we counted 42 men following us, that is counting our orginial 5 hosts! We are sooo popular here it is almost scary!

Here is a picture with my host family. Nimish is the father, Santosh is the mother and Upasana is the daughter...she is 13 and in the 8th grade.

Wednesday January 6th

2010-01-10T03:10:00.000-08:00

Arrival in Raichur

Cows on the train tracks

Early Wed. morning we boarded a train for a 10 hour ride from Chennai to Raichur. It was a long day but we were able to see much of the country side and the beauty as well as sadness of India. When we arrived in Richur we were greated by the area Rotary and what a welcome it was! There were flowers, and a loud announcement over the intercome saying " WELCOME TO THE GSE TEAM FROM AMERICA! WE HOPE THEY ENJOY THEIR STAY IN RICHUR!" Everyone watched us as we walked through the station! WE were laughing and feeling like we should wave like movie stars... :) WE were able to visit a temple where there were men chanting and praying, however we were not able to take photos there.

WE we got back to my host house we had a late dinner...really late! 10pm late! Then the daughter Upasana wanted to put hemp on my hands to decorate me, which looks very cool! So at the end of that I finally got into bed at 1am....but couldn't sleep because my hands had wet hemp on them so I tried to sleep with my hands in the air, that didn't work too well, and the fact that the bed feels like it is made out of cement didn't help! After falling asleep for a few minutes I had to wake up and go to the bathroom with wet hemp on my hands, which then was wet hemp on my shorts! HAhaha... Then around 3am the neighborhood cats started to fight then by 5am begins morning prayer, which is pretty to hear at times, but not so much at 5am when you haven't slept all night! hahaha... such is INDIA!

Finally an update! Tuesday January 5th

2010-01-10T02:47:00.000-08:00

Back online for a bit today...actually have a little more time to update my blog!

WE are now in Gulbarga...where they were hosting the district conference for their rotary. So much has happened and so much to see and do, it is amazing.

Tuesday January 5th:

Where to begin??? I guess I should back track a bit..Last Tuesday we had a day of shopping and fun at the local mall, and then that evening we were taken to Marina Beach, which is one of the largest beaches in India. It seemed to go on forever!

While at the beach we saw many fishing boats, a ton of people just walking along, an a lot of garbage. There is a very different feeling towards garbage here, than in the US. Before we left the beach I was also given a Parrot Tarrto reading! The Parrot picked the card that signified education, strength, and wealth, he also said that in 45 days I would have great luck...CAn't Wait! hahaha..

Dakshina Chitra- Cultural Center

2010-01-04T18:17:00.000-08:00

WE had the chance to visit Dakshina Chitra- Indian Cultural Center in Chennai yesterday. It is a foundatinoo that promotes and perserves the cultures of the diverse people of India with emphasis on Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. http://www.dakshinachitra.net/

We also had a woman show us how to make the beautiful chalk art that they make, this was seen all over the ground at Dakshina Chitra, we even had a chance to try it ourselves, it isn't as easy as she makes it look! :)

4 Airports later....we have arrived!

2010-01-03T22:19:00.000-08:00

Here is a photo of our GSE team at 2am India time, right after we arrived in the country. The five of us were unusually lucky with a business class upgrade on our flight from Chicago to Germany, and a nearly empty plane on the flight from Germany to Chennai. Being able to stretch out on both flights made the time fly by and much more relaxing. WE pray that we are just as lucky on the flights home. Our arrival at the airport left us with only two missing bags out of 5, which isn't terrible...I guess it could have been much worse! Poor Cindy and Sue are hoping to get some good news on their bags today! I offered Sue my flight attendant uniform to use in the mean time, but for some reason she turned it down! hahaha... Some Hahaha...

Here is a photo of us before we leaft Green Bay....

On our way out...

2010-01-02T08:32:00.000-08:00

The time has come...Here we sit in the Green Bay Airport waiting for our flight to Chicago. Then off to Frankfurt Germany... By Sunday at 12:30pm we should be in Chennai India, and get a bit of time to relax and rest in the 80+ degree weather...then we hit the road running on our adventure and keeping up with our busy schedule for the next month.

The Superior Chronicle has an article online re: our trip. check it out! http://superiorchronicle.com/archives/09_december/india.html

What is the Group Study Exchange Program???

2009-12-30T13:45:00.000-08:00

Group Study Exchange is a Rotary Foundation program. Every year each Rotary district is given the opportunity to develop an exchange with another Rotary district somewhere in the world. Each district selects a Rotarian team leader and a small number of non-Rotarian team members for a four-to-six week study tour of the exchange district. Team members are hosted by Rotary clubs and their families during the tour, and the Rotary Foundation supports all travel expenses between the districts. Team members receive a thorough orientation on the language and culture of their host district, and the team prepares presentations for host Rotary clubs and other groups in the host country. After returning from the host district, team members share their experiences with sponsoring Rotary clubs and within their communities and workplaces. The objectives of the GSE program are to provide a unique educational set of objectives for young business and professional persons, designed to advance international understanding and goodwill through an extensive and rigorous program of international travel and participatory activities. This is accomplished through four main program aspects. Vocational site visits provide organized opportunities for team members to observe their vocation as practiced in other countries. The study, discussion and reciprocal exchange of ideas that results provides perspective that often impacts team members’ long term career and ultimately benefits all communities involved. Cultural experiences allow participants to study another country, its people, and its institutions through an organized and meaningful host program that promote an appreciation of cultural diversity worldwide. Fellowship opportunities encourage team members and hosts to meet, communicate, and live with one other in a spirit of fellowship and goodwill, to consider each other’s problems, aspirations, and community concerns, and to develop lasting friendships and understanding. The Rotarian team leader offers a Rotarian specific, practical, and meaningful opportunities for International Service.

Map of India

2009-12-30T13:18:00.000-08:00

As said before we will be traveling through South Central India. Here is a map of India, although I could not quite figure out how to exactly pinpoint for all of you where we will be visiting, I think that this map may help you out a bit. We will be flying into Chennai in the state of Tamil Nadu. The rest of our trip will be spent in the states of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh with stops in the following cities; Raucher, Davangere, Anantpur, Gulbarga, Bellary, Chitradurga, Nollore, and Gudur. It is a lot of ground to cover in a month...

Meet the ladies....

2009-12-26T08:18:00.000-08:00

Here is our GSE team for 2010 at one of our three training sessions. I am lucky enough to be going on this trip, and even luckier to be traveling with such amazing companions! It has been a pleasure getting to know each and every one of these women better and I am sure our friendships will continue to grow as we continue on this month long adventure! Below I have added a bit of information about each of us, as you can see for yourself...amazing women through and through.

Here is a bit about each of the women I am traveling with....

First of all our fearless leader:

Lucinda Enderby
GSE INDIA TEAM LEADER

Lucinda is a certified Public Accountant specializing in the taxation of trusts and estates. She received her bachelors degree in Sociology in 1971 from Oregon State University and later stdued accounting. In 1988 she became a partner in an accounting firm in Santa Barbara, California. She sold that business in 2003 and moved to Michigan where she is the Trust & Estate Tax Manager for a firm in Houghton, Michigan.

She has two daughters who live near Santa Barbara, California. Rebecca, the oldest daughter, is married to Hector Tellez. She works in a dentist office and he manages the finance department for a car dealership. The youngest daughter, Katherine, works for an outpatient surgery center and is studying to be a nurse.

Lucinda joined Rotary in 1988. She served as president of the Montecito Rotary Club in Santa Barbara, California 2004-2005. In 2003 she received the Four Avenues of Service Citation from Rotary International. Her interest in international projects has taken her to Mexico for a clean drinking water project, Ghana to participate in a Polio National Immunization Day, Thiland as a part of a group to see how past projects were being managed and to the Philippines to work on a housing project and develop a project for the rehabilitation fo the handicapped and disabled.

At home in Michigan she enjoys gardening, hiking, kayaking, bicycling, golf, snow shoeing, sewing, and knitting.

Lily Palmer

GSE INDIA TEAM MEMBER

Lily lives in the Upper Peninsula of the State of Michigan, where she is employed by a private consulting firm, Coleman Engineering Company. Lily has a Bachelor of Science degree in Soil Science and a Certificate of Environmental Studies. In her capacity at Coleman Engineering Company, Lily provides wetland and natural resource consulting services as well as environmental investigation services to ensure that her clients are aware of possible hazardous substance and petroleum contamination on properties that they would like to purchase.

She is the President and co-founder of GO-IN' FORWARD, a young professional organization in her area. Lily also served ont eh board of her local natural food co-op for two years, volunteered in a National Park for a summer and is Volunteer Coordinator for a park initative in her community.

Lily enjoys cross country skiing, swimming, music, running, attending yoga classes and gardening. She studied abroad during her final semester of college in Trinidad and Tobago. Most recently, Lily and her husband Tom have been enjoying constructing a small cabin on a rural, eight hectare property they purchased in 2008.

Sue Vater Olsen
GSE INDIA TEAM MEMBER

Sue is Library Director at the Scandinavia Public Library in Waupaca County, Wisconsin. She enjoys the challenge of providing information to inquiring patrons in this community of 349 people. The library employs four librarians and is often staffed by only one person at a time.

Sue lives and works on a 176 acre farm in rural Waupaca County with her husband George. They raise sheep, beef cattle, pigs, chickens, and garden crops together. For enjoyment a prairie and woodland is maintained on the land. George teaches chemistry at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh.

Sue has also worked as a manufacturing engineer, mechanical engineering lecturer, museum progam planner, laundry worker (Wyoming), and camp councilor (Iowa). Volunteering has provided Sue with experience in house building (Mississippi), logging road planning (Alaska), museum display development, and food service.

Sue's four grandparents were self-employed as dairy farmers. Her parents have worked as an industrial arts teacher, math teacher, phootgrapher, watercolor painter, adn pheasant farmers. She is very thankful for all of the expeirences they have provided to her. Sue and George have no children, but enjoy the company of their 14 nephews and nieces. Holidays are often spent with extended family.

Lisa Nicole Casey
GSE INDIA TEAM MEMBER

Lisa most recently became the majority owner of Kinetico Water Systems, a non-electric water treatment company in Northeaster Wisconsin. Lisa was attracted to the water treatment business after learning about the world's water challenges while developing a business plan for her friend. Currently, Lisa is the youngest female majority owner of a water treatment dealership in the country. Prior to starting her own business, Lisa focused her career in the non-profit sector. Lisa served as Exectuive Director of Big Brothers Big Sisters, a local non-profit organization, from 2005-2009.

She has been recognized nationally through her active participation in nationwide initiatives, programmatic innovations and the development of best practices to increase standards of service for non-profits. Lisa also received the 2008 Young Professional of the Year Award from the area's local chamber of commerce, was named a finalist for the Ethics in Business Award two years in a row adn was spotlighted as one of the "25 Women You Should Know" in the local YOU magazine. Lisa was also named the youngest Executive Director that a Big Brothers Big Sisters agency has had nationwide.

Lisa is a take-charge, relationship focused, community-minded woman. She encourages all those around her to get involved in teh community and accept the challenges beyond their current comfort level for professional growth. She brings a special set of skills and enthusiam for organizational development and seeking efficiencies for greater output in the for-profit and non-profit sectors.

In her spare time, Lisa enjoys training for triathlons (swimming, biking, & running competitions) partaking in outdoor recreational activities, practicing yoga and spending time with her family and friends. On a Saturday you can find her at a local bookstore reading and sipping tea with her friends.

Marcy Kusz
GSE INDIA TEAM MEMBER

Marcy is currently working on her second year as a middle and high school guidance counselor in Ironwood, Michigan. She has been working in the field of education for the last ten years, formerly as a middle and elementary school teacher. She received her Bachelors of Arts from Northland College in Ashland Wisconsin in the spring of 1999 and received her Masters in Guidance Counseling from Northern Michigan University in Marquette, Michigan in the spring of 2009.

Marcy lives with her dog, Lexi in Ironwood, Michigan where she remins very close to her family and friends. Marcy is very active in her community. She has played a large role in teh GO-IN' FORWARD group, which is a young professional group that has been established over the last year in her community. Marcy also sits on the city of Ironwood Parks and Recreation committee, where she is currently filling the role of secretary. Along with her important role as guidance counselor in the middle and high school, Marcy has also taken on the role of advising the outdoor adventure club, the pep club, middle school student council, freshman class advisor as well as coaching both JV and Varsity Cheerleading.

Marcy is somewhat new to her Rotary connections; in teh last year she has worked with two Rotary exchange students in her school (one outbound and one inbound student). Marcy is excited that Rotary is making her trip to India possible, and looks forward to being able to share the experience with her students upon her return.

Dec. 12, 2009.....21 days until I leave for India

2009-12-12T21:19:00.000-08:00

21 days until I board the plane for India...and there is sooo much to do!

It is coming up so fast and I am quickly realizing that there are things I forgot to order, things I have to pack, work I have to complete, letters I need to write (at work), gifts I need to purchase (for my host families)...the list goes on and on.

On the bright side I have a nice two week vacation coming up that I get to somewhat realx and spend time with my firends and family before I leave for a whole month.

How do you pack for a month? How do you pack for a warm climate, with restrictions on women's clothing? Shoes? What shoes? How many shoes? Do I pack what I can here and purchase when I get there? How do I pack to fly out of Green Bay and fly into 90 degree weather for a month (any amount of suitcase space is important!)?

The craziness of it all...

On a positive note I am traveling with an amazing team of women that I am looking forward to getting to know better. As many of you may already know Lily Palmer and I are both from Ironwood and were both blessed with this trip (which is rare since this is the first time someone from the Ironwood/Hurley area has applied to go), there are also two women from the Appleton area, Susan Vater Olsen and Lisa Casey, and our team leader from Houghton, Lucinda Enderby. Five strong and intelligent women taking on India!