Follow on Project Report as a Gilman Scholar

Studying abroad is exactly as is described by the plethora of people that have had the opportunity to engage in such an opportunity as a once in a lifetime experience. Going to India through the International Studies Abroad program proved an excellent choice because of the numerous cultural excursions we were able to take and the guidance of our very knowledgeable resident director who helped to make the most out of our experience. Within India we embarked on the Golden Triangle excursion which took us to the Pink City of Jaipur, the Taj Mahal in Agra, and the industrial capitol in New Delhi. We also traveled through smaller villages and towns before arriving at our University and place of study in Hyderabad, southern India. A few of the study abroad students including myself traveled to Goa which is on the west coast of India near Bombay. In addition to traveling around in India, I and three other study abroad students participated in volunteer work with a local NGO managed by one of the faculty members of the University. We acted as English teachers for migrant workers’ children going twice a week to teach material inclusive of the alphabet, numbers, colors, and simple sentences. These children cherished our time with them because not only are they not guaranteed the opportunity for a stable education, English is something they view as the language of opportunity. By investing time in them, buying them supplies, and teaching them English, we were able to give them hope amidst their dire circumstances. We continued to raise money for the make shift school and to help pay for the local teachers that taught these children ages 18 months to 10 years old.

Upon my return to the University of Miami, it was my mission to reach other underrepresented students in study abroad and enlighten them about such opportunities, especially to those students that previously thought such opportunities and in locations such as India, were not possible. I was able to go about promoting the ideals of the Gilman scholarship program through several means that lasted the entire duration of my senior year. First I worked closely with the study abroad office on my campus as a resource to answer various students’ questions about studying abroad during the office hours they held throughout the semester. I acted as a student liaison during campus wide events and study abroad fairs, I participated in many activities and workshops hosted by the study abroad office as one of the selective student ambassadors to studying abroad for my fellow peers. I gave presentations to scholarship recipients and financial aid students in various concentrations with a majority studying pre-med or pre-health. Because I kept a blog diary of my time in India, inclusive of pictures, I was able to showcase my experience in a visual manner in addition to talking about it. I made myself available for questions and advice by giving out my email address and link to my blog for these fellow students to gain a preliminary grasp of what I experienced in India. Whenever the study abroad office had a student interested in India they immediately referred them to me as a guiding resource. Through my volunteer work in India on children’s education and literacy, I was able to reach out to sister members within my sorority about the needs and opportunities available as well as use the hours in India towards the philanthropy requirement for members. Finally, with the advice of the study abroad office, I was propelled to take my follow on project to another level as there was a need to promote my experience.  Part two of my project targeted administration to implement a program in India through my home University which had previously witnessed no such program and offered little aid.  Upon speaking with the Senior Vice Provost about my interest in India, my journey to study abroad there with help from the Gilman, as well as what I learned and experienced there, the Senior Vice Provost communicated that he would be working on a program in India and was due to visit some schools and host universities the following break. He also appreciated my experience and opportunity to promote the Gilman as it had allowed me to go on an excursion I would not otherwise have been able to go on. The Senior Vice Provost alongside study abroad office personnel are now working on  formulating a sustainable study abroad program in India through the University of Miami due in part to my diligence on following up and speaking on behalf of other students who wish to go to India but are unable to.

The opportunities and experiences that I had in India were only made possible via the Gilman scholarship. It has instilled within me a desire to travel to other countries especially in a service related aspect because I believe by truly serving the community I am able to gain a greater understanding of the culture and build stronger relationships with the local people. This experience only added to my leadership and service skills amidst learning about a completely new culture and environment. I believe my time in India will be valuable in my future endeavors to work in healthcare because I wish to expand my career globally and my work as a volunteer English teacher in India also lent valuable insight into how I can be of service.

Saree Part Two

The first Saree I ever bought, Completed!
The Girls all Fancy

Scott's Idea to make a Triangle Formation _ The Guys
*Scott is a cheerleader for VA Tech

Summer SIP 2011 Group = Family

Finally got the saree pieces back in one piece and I was anxious to try on this decorative tablecloth. So my next door neighbor, Meg, and I decided we would give it a shot. Upon first try I could barely move. I stumbled upstairs to my resident area director and she stifled a giggle while ushering me to the corner to help me put it on properly.

The time came where I had to seriously wear the Saree and this was during our cultural night/goodbye dinner to the Nordic students. All of us crowded in one of the international girls' rooms while my resident director with pins in mouth and hand, waded through the vast amounts of cloth on each girls' dress.

In the end I think it turned out pretty nicely, and we enjoyed a nice night of jokes, storytelling, great food, dressing up, and going out afterwards in the city.

And the Mummy Returns

Warangal Ruins

TAJ Mahal Tomb

King Akbar's Tomb in Delhi

Each picture denotes a 1000 words I will never know the full story behind. Tombs. I don't even know how to linguistically describe the astounding beauty of all the tombs I have seen on this trip. They are so elaborate. Every time I see a shocking piece of architecture and lean out the window to take a picture, I find out it is someone's gravestone.

It is a way for the memory and grandeur of these noble beings, kings, great leaders, hypothesized gods/goddesses to live on. It is a way for their actions and legacy to live on. It is a way for them to continually return to be a part of Indian and Hindu culture/society. So while the mummies' remains may be long decomposed, it is believed the spirits of these people stand guard and can hear your prayers or wishes when you enter into their tomb rooms; a place considered sacred.

While I am no king or noblewoman, I aspire to have such love after my death.

Fairy Tales

Do you believe in Fairy Tales? Well I like pina coladas, and going out in the rain.
India has its own version of Mythology, Aesop's fables, Cinderella's, etc.

There was a storytelling book for younger children that had tales of all kinds, meant to teach moral lessons. There was the tale of the Magic Tabla or drum, the tale of the Unlucky coconut, the smart princess, the two theives, the lady who had the lucky bag, silence is golden, and many more. I read all these stories in my free time on the roof of our international hostel and realized that while they were adapted to fit the cultural norms of India, many of the stories were very similar to American and British tales.

The below three books are Sacred Texts which build the foundation for Hinduism faith and spirituality.

Mahabharata.

It is a historical account of how Hinduism faith came to exist. It denotes tales of Gods and Demons fighting, birth of other great kings or celestial beings and the battle of the cosmic forces. I actually got a copy of this in a condensed form to take home.
My favorite story was about the woman goddess who was from the river. She would appear every now and then to either born a celestial being that would grow up to be great, or to inflict her wrath upon the evil ways of men.
The other two books also tell of heroic tales and the principles to living. I did not get a chance to read these, but was introduced to their ideas briefly in my Contemporary India course.

Ramayana.

This text tells about India during the time period 1000 BCE and offers models in Dharma. There is a main hero to the story, Rama, who lived his whole life by the rules of Dharma and is also the reason why he is revered so much. His exemplary life as the perfect son and ideal husband has impacted the way many Indian men reflect upon their own characters.

Bhagavatam.

This is one of the most important classics in Indian history as it recounts the story of Lord Krishna. As an important source of ancient Vedic Wisdom it is easily referred to as the Hindu-Bible.

Tall Tales
The tour guides would also tell us stories of how certain temples or architectural masterpieces came to exist or what Gods they were dedicated to.

Out with the Old in with the New

Oh Delhi Belly....

The fall students are here and taking things by storm. They have already fallen ill, pined at going out and about, and started their own semester flings. Regardless, they have 5 months here so they better get used to it. Although we are fighting each day to see who gets the last seat in the cafe or the last chair in our one common lounge upstairs, we are all making an effort to get to know each other, even if it is only for a few more days. Last night was a great example of bonding with students we probably won't hear from for half a year or more. The summer ISA and Fall ISA group got together to have a light snack before the movie Delhi Belly.

We went to a nice eatery on a balcony in Jubilee Hills Andra Pradesh, India. It had bungalows and sweeping curtains with low couches.


The movie itself was hilarious. It was all in Hindi, with a few words in English. It was like India's version of the Hangover but with a different plotline. There were three friends and they got themselves involved in the craziest drug war scandal with a side of the insanely tall strong ex-husband/bathroom problems/affairs and blackmail/ and an unwanted marriage.

We all were rolling on the floor with tears even with the language barrier. From taking hindi I could understand some of the commands and basic introductions, but beyond that I had to employ the help of our program director or his girlfriend for the rest of the jokes. Most of the movie was action and funny occurences so that we could understand it easily enough.

Even now I wonder how my fall counterparts in the ISA program are doing. Have they gotten to watch any more Bollywood (India's name for their cinema entertainment) films? Have they traveled? Are their classes as easy as ours were? Are they playing with my angel and keeping her company everyday? Are they making weekend trips to the boulders on campus overlooking the lake and having bonfires with a Kingfisher in hand and some smores? Are they doing all the things we did as Summer SIP students or more? One thing I do know for sure- they are having a blast! Studying abroad is easily one of the best decisions one can make.

The Golden Triangle - A Treasure indeed

Golden Triangle Excursion- Delhi, Agra, Jaipur - June 8-13

Standing tall at Jaipur Palace on the Mountains

The TAJ MAHAL _one of the 8 wonders of the world Agra, India

Balcony in Delhi eating Kababs

Lodhi Gardens with our new friend - Delhi, India

Great Archway or Wall of India - no not the one I mention seeing in Jaipur- this one is a national Landmark in Delhi

So now that I am officially back in Miami, I mustered up the willpower and creativity to write about my experience during my Golden Triangle Excursion. It is still a wonder that I can remember the exact emotions and awe I felt as we were traveling through these first few days. When I think about it, it is almost as if this happened last week, not three months ago.

I remember thinking how lucky I was. I remember all four of us in the ISA group just marveling over the fact that we were in India and experiencing it all. Our driver was great and very patient. He took us over miles of plains, but these plains included elephants, monkeys, dogs, lots of cows, the occasional farmer or family on motorcycle, and of course huts strewn about the landscape like trees. There were very few trees in fact, and when we passed by Rajasthan, we saw many mountains, which was a sight to see because at least where I am from its flat ground or BELOW sea level.

Of course, first was Delhi, where we arrived. My first impression of Delhi was that it was very city like, very bustling, but that there was also a significant amount of men out, not women.

Delhi was also the first place I saw immense poverty in India; this included people living in garbage bins, lying in the ditches by the roadside next to the sewage waste and dead animals, and so many undernourished people, children, babies. I knew right then it was completely different from anything I had imagined, saw on tv, or witnessed in the US. There is nothing more blatantly overwhelming than witnessing an injustice firsthand, and poverty among millions was that injustice.

A paradox to the heartfelt, civic minded individual is that you can't just give money to any one person on the street as much as you may want to, because then you become the target for the rest of the homeless to overtake you and this can be dangerous. As much as it pains you, we were advised to just keep walking or only give out food items. Many times, children who beg for money never get to keep their earnings and have to give it to some kind of overpowering master or "pimp".

Besides the poverty, there were also positive aspects to Delhi, such as the beautiful Lodhi Gardens where one could get lost in the maze of adventure. We all climbed upon ruined ancient buildings watching the sunset prey over the old tales of grandeur. It was a sight to see. We got to mingle with locals, three young friends who regularly came to the roof of one such artful construction to work out and jump rope, while listening to Backstreet Boys!

Afterwards we made the trek to some really good Kababs eatery where we enjoyed the spicy taste of this new food with mango juice on a balcony overlooking the starlit city.

The next day we were off to Agra (a five hour drive). Our plan was to hit the hotel at night and then wake up early the next day to see the Taj Mahal _ the main attraction of India and what I thought would be the highlight of my trip then, but now I know there are too many attractions in India to even count or rate which one would be the best. All of the places I visited were unique and astounding in their own ways.

The Taj was surreal. The sun was rising over a quiet sky with blue birds chirping and water gurgling in the fountain extending from the Taj's entrance to the outer wall. The children were playing and running. The tourists (us) were looking around wild-eyed and snapping a dozen pictures. It was amazing. Our tour guide told us so much about the tomb and its motivation behind the construction. Basically this Moorish King had been married to three wives, but out of all of them only his third gave him such a promising heirloom of a total 17 children. She died giving childbirth, so it is out of remorse, guilt, and maybe a little obsessive awe that this King felt obligated to give her the best memorial in all of India. He spent away numerous funds of the kingdom so that his own son had to imprison him in the Agra Fort so as to control his unresponsible actions. The King had all the workers' hands cut off, or killed after the Taj Mahal was completed so that the design would not be replicated; however a few months later he wanted to construct a Black Taj in honor of his own death and he realized he needed new workers. AT this point his son said "enough is enough" and threw him in one of the rooms_not an unpleasant space, but nonetheless he was in prison.

After Agra it was another 5 or 6 hours to what will be known as one of my favorite cities, Jaipur_The Pink City. It is such a beautifully antiquated little place. There is an old part of the city and a newer part and both have their charms. I remember the window palace with hundreds of glass windows where women used to look out at the proceedings of the day. The entire building was impressive. I remember the fort palace on the mountaintop where one of the most beautiful women used to live. There was the water palace, still being guarded by soldiers, just lying half in and half out of the water; and yes there are rooms underneath the water. It was really a unique city. We were greeted by mountains and elephants as we went further and then I saw it; The GREAT WALL of INDIA. It looks exactly how I named it. We got elephant rides up to the top of the palace and got to explore this thousand year old regime on the mountains, it was amazing.

It is pretty obvious why they call this the Golden Triangle. It is like you hit some of the most magnificent treasures in India all in this little triangular region in the north. After playing tourist, we were ready to go to Hyderabad and become civilians, students, integrate ourselves into Indian life and culture.

A Time to Reflect..in the City that Never Sleeps

Welcome to NEW YORK! (Where everything is larger than life-literally)

I and Elmo in Times Square--good ol' buddies

The Busy streets of NY on a bustling morning

Im typing this from behind an orderly desk in an orderly fourth floor in an eloquent building in the middle of Manhattan in New York City. Yes I am in the New York Public Library but my mind is still in India. I just arrived this morning and while I had a 11 hour layover in Newark I decided to hop the airtrain to New York City just to use their library so I could write this blog...not really. I wanted to see New York while I was here well because its new york. It is the city that gives you inspiration, great ideas, and its a great place for me to grab a coffee from one of the numerous starbucks that have hour long lines and just look up at the empire state building while I reflect about my time in India. I am touring all of this grandeur city's sites in a salvar kamis (which is an indian traditional dress suit girls wear) with henna on my hands. I look fresh off the boat from India. I guess you could say, I don't really look that American anymore.

I still miss her (India) very much. It hit me a little while we were taking off in Delhi and I was listening to some bluesy jazz song that seemed to fit the mood. I just kept thinking about all those people and especially the lil angel/rascal (my resident director's three year old) and if I will ever see them again, and if so, when?

At this point many people had already made it back to the states so I had a whole flight alone to reflect but I didn't wish to sit 13 or 14 hours sulking at how much I would miss the amazing life I had in India so I read books and watched movies instead. I actually slept a good 8 or so hours on the plane, very surpised at this feat. When I got to Newark, with coffee in hand and chocolate danish crammed in my purse, I just knew I had to go for it and see New York. So you can imagine me bustling about to get a train ticket and riding in a fit of excitement to the center of broadway, singing out loud "I'm in New Yoooorrrk" as if I am a glee cast member.

Then I trek through the many street having no idea where I am going or what I will find, just spontaneously moving forward and looking at street signs and occasionally asking someone where such and such is (i.e the library so I can write my blog, Times Square of course, where they film the Good Morning America Show, which I passed by and got to be on tv for a good second, and Central Park). Yes I visited all these places and some. I was about to go shopping until I remembered I am in America again and it isn't as cheap as India was, where I was almost living like the well off doctor I aspire to one day be. The cheap cost of everything in India is going to dissuade me from shopping here for awhile or worse I will try to bargain a price on everything.

Thus I headed back to Newark Intl Airport to check into security with a smile on my face and a tiredness seeping in since after all it is now night time in India. But I have much to do when I get home, besides finish all my other blog posts that I started but never quite had the time to finish while in India. I must also distribute gifts like Santa on Christmas, probably eat tons of American food- which I don't mind because I missed it sooo much, talk about everything to everybody countless times, and I know my brother wants to watch Harry Potter so I best make good use of that three hour plane trip home because the next few days will be full of family/friends that I have neglected in the US while making newer friends overseas.

I must also get to writing the people I became close with in India, keeping in touch with them in case I do one day return, along with planning my trip to CALI- yes the other side of the continent! I have never been on the west coast, the farthest being Tennessee. But now I have a reason; five of my study abroad friends live in Cali, and one of them lives in Puerto Rico. She will be traveling with me hopefully when we visit.

So was studying abroad worth it? I don't even have to reflect on that. It is more than an experience. Sometimes we get caught up in our daily "busybody" lives back home, but when we get the opportunity to go somewhere completely different and experience and learn new things, you realize how much bigger LIFE is.