June 30, 2010

Posing by the ICRISAT sign (obvious probably!)

This is the Ganesh statue again - rituals take place here and they decorate it with flowers and draw some symbols on it too. (And of course, my hat: went from stylish to park ranger in one day! Tear, tear!)

How are those pointed toes, Connie?!?!

Having fun at the pool :)

(You should see the close-up facial expression on this picture. . .oh wait, you shouldn't. It is quite humerous though!)

Today I caught up from all of the birthday festivities. I slept in this morning - my alarm must not have woken me up, so I missed breakfast. Still made it to work on time, so that was good. It was actually ok I missed breakfast because we have tea break at 9:30 anyway and the birthday meal was late last night. My roommate at work is so nice, and we talked more today. She was selected for this prestigious program where the top 20 students from India in agriculture got to go to the U.S. for fifteen days to a program with Cornell University. It was really neat to hear more about it and it is cool that she has been to my home country and now I am in hers!
I have been doing this plan called "Operation Banana" here lately. At the cafeteria, I always get a few extra bananas and I am stockpiling them. On Sunday I am going to give them to the little boys from the village if all goes according to plan. I keep them in the fridge on our floor so no worries about pests!
Today I was getting pretty sluggish at work so I had a quick lunch and came back to the room for a thirty minute pick-me-up. I am really lucky that everything is so close here - I am a hop, skip, and a jump away from all of the main places. That was the perfect remedy for me and I then was prepared to continue working on my proposal. (I know what you are thinking: "Wait, I though you finished that!" Yes, well me too! I am now working on revising it before sending it off so I will continue work on that tomorrow. (I got feedback from another member of the climate change team.) I will probably not end up sending it until Friday with my second weekly progress report. Professor Suda returned to work today, the real one this time, so I got to meet the man whose seat I used to sit in. (He was really nice.) Hopefully now Andre, the other intern downstairs, will not feel so lonely!
Today I got told I looked like a park ranger with my hat, which was hilarious and very true. I guess a green WFP polo tucked in, belt, tan capris, and leather sandals does not jive with the hat! They said I looked too classy to be a cowgirl though, so that was a positive thing! There was a bad smell on campus today midday during work. Someone told me they thought there was some bad-smelling type of tree burning or something, so I was happy that didn't hang around forever. After work we went swimming, again! It is a perfect destresser (and de-sweat-er!) at the end of a big day. Then we had a good supper and I had a little run-in with the cats which sometimes lurk around! It was very interested in my bananas I was depositing in the fridge. Maybe it is going to blow "Operation Banana". . . but hopefully not! I am off to bed early tonight in hopes to wake up early tomorrow morning and get some work done (before work!). Maybe call home too if my early alarm wakes me up. It is hard for me to get home early enough from work to talk to Mom before work. I am always staying after to finish "one last thing!" Well better head to bed and sleep fast. Too many fun things to do in one day!
Nighty-night.

June 29, aka Indian Birthday!!!

Some experiences from the birthday in India. . . (It is still my birthday in the U.S. as I type this, but so past my bedtime in India, so celebrate for me!)

Night prayer at the Ganesh statue - one of my friends left early from supper - I found out why.

Some of my lovely and kind b-day presents!

The beautiful b-day cake! Thank you Claire!

Here is the hat that is a staple of any outfit: I now found out it is stylish!

Testing how long it will take the camera to flash, attempting to catch the toe touch mid-air.

**All the Birthday Details**

It is official: I am eighteen. Now an adult, although I feel about the same, when I think back to before this trip began, I feel entirely different. Just the experiences I have had, the people I have met, and the independence I have had to demonstrate (that one came too natural!). It is truly an incredible experience to be celebrating my birthday in India. I had the best best best best best day ever today and everything just seems like a blur in my mind. One good thing followed another and I just kept being taken back by everyone's kindness and love. I better start at the beginning.

So, I woke up a little later than usual, maybe 6:50. The sun must not have been shining as brightly this morning, or the 'squitor net miraculously blocked it, allowing me to sleep for an extra 20 minutes on my b-day morn. I then proceeded to breakfast after putting on a nice outfit for work (and my birthday!). At breakfast, they had the papaya cut up for us, in bowls. (This is a really big deal because papaya is like cantaloupe if you are not familiar, in the way that you must cut it off the rind. However, it is more tender, so slightly more easy to detach from the rind, but nevertheless, a daunting task when attempting to be polite - wearing nice clothes.)

I then headed to work after talking to Anna quick on the computer and telling her it was actually already my b-day even though it was still Monday night at home. (At breakfast I decided that I would get a 34 hr. b-day celebration or so, considering I needed to consider both time zones: India and America.) Claire did point out to me that I techniquely probably should follow the U.S. time zone for the b-day to be legitimate since I was born there, but I quickly reminded her that we weren't going to be technical! I received b-day wishes from all my b-fast friends, and I noticed my two friends from India both shook my hand. I thought that was neat at the time and was excited to see if the pattern continued. I came back to my room to find a beautifully colored picture of a horse on my door with a kind b-day note from my Indian fam., Claire. She is a sweetheart.

I then headed to work at my new desk in the upstairs. It is nice to be moved upstairs because the man's seat that I was sitting in is scheduled to return home soon. There is air-conditioning upstairs as well as my mentors, which I think I may have mentioned earlier. Some of my work friends knew it was my b-day and came into my room (that I share with a women working on Gender Studies who is super nice!) to wish me a wonderful day. They came bearing gifts and they had purchased an adorable purse for me at the store last night when they were dropping Yang off at the airport, to return to South Korea to see his family. I really really really like the purse - I did not bring one here and it is just the perfect size for my room keys, camera, and any Rps. I need. It was so sweet of them and continued the flow of b-day wishes.

With that greeting, my work roommate found out it was my b-day, and throughout the rest of the morning, the rest of the workplace did also. I don't know who really spread the word - I have some suspicions! - but it was really nice. Everyone was so kind and welcoming and (yes, even shook my hand!). I love that practice, it makes a birthday wish just a little more sincere and special. I really am loving it at my work, I am settling in now and enjoying my work immensely. It is so neat that I am working on entirely 100% what I am interested in working on and what I chose! I have completed my research proposal now - had to stay a few minutes after work to accomplish the feat, but I am really excited about that. It was, I guess you could say, the birthday present I have given to myself! I also spent time today researching the government structure in India - particularly local governance. In order to investigate the effectiveness of the formal methods of adaptation to climate change, which definetely include all government programs, I better first understand the government. Simply put, one must know how something is intended to run before being able to identify where there may be some problems in the carry-out. Now I just need to edit, revise some, and send the proposal off to my mentors. I am excited to get their feedback, thoughts, and reactions. One is the Global Theme Leader - in charge of the entire department - but she is on home leave right now. Her fill-in is a Senior Scientist in the field of Agricultural Economics, and very knowledgeable. Of course everyone here is very knowledgeable in their field, it is a great place to be.

Also, my really nice workmate I spoke of came back from lunch with a bag of mangoes. She got one out and gave me this big and beautiful mango. She also gave me a piece of candy earlier in the day. How nice! I have to let it ripen for 2 days and then I can eat it, so maybe I can share it with Claire. It looks like a good one - it is a different variety and a nice-sized one.

I had so many kind encounters today and received many blessings for a wonderful day. Some: "May God bless you and keep you," others: "Wishing you many happy returns of the day", and of course other happy birthdays also. I enjoyed morning tea break with work friends, lunch break with other intern friends (and a new friend from Sudan who is interning here. She has been here for four months and has one left to go.), and supper, well, let me get to that. I also found out another wonderful fact today: people like my hat!!!! My somewhat obnoxious, totally necessary, sun-blocking, skin-saving, fashionable, tan hat. I always feel like I should a) be in the field with my wide-brimmed hat, or b) be in Texas or Mexico and maybe it would fit in a little better. However, I received so many compliments on my hat today, (even before people knew it was my b-day!) and was so surprised to learn people really like it! Most people are interested to know if it came from home, so I am thinking maybe hats will come into Indian fashion sometime soon - if those designers know what I know. . . Also, people told me I looked nice today too. Maybe everyone is just really really kind on your b-day! I was happy to hear that the clothes I wear are acceptable for work. I packed wonderfully I have decided and wear mostly button-up shirts to work or collared shirts with acceptable bottoms. However, the style of dress is much more formal here than the U.S. and the women wear the most beautiful clothes everyday. What I wear is a little bit more similar to men's dress: they are huge on button-down shirts.

Anyway, after work I went swimming - and Claire and I dove for my hair clip and then room keys (because they were easier to find!). Also, we experimented with trying to swim in a straight line, which is quite difficult if you close your eyes. It is a large pool and I started at one end and swam in an entire circle around the whole thing. The funniest part was that I finally stopped right near where I started, but I thought I was going in a straight line the whole time!!! I wanted some cool pics. of me off the diving board, but lets just say the million toe touches were not quite captured. (Don't worry, I'll give you another shot, Claire!)

Then we bustled back to the dorms to wash our hair quick before supper. We hurried to meet our friends there at 7:30 and had a great meal. Side note: there were 2 more outstanding things that happened in the cafeteria today: 1) I had, I think, my first chunks of apple in my fruit bowl since arriving and 2) Vegetables steamed just like I like them. Towards the end of supper, Claire got up from the table, and I thought, "Is she really leaving already?" She busied around somewhere and soon enough she came with a little box. A birthday cake! For me! With "Happy Birthday Leah" written on it. It was beautiful, chocolate (their chocolate is so rich it is like delecant fudge), and garnished with white decorations and words. They sang happy b-day to me and Claire had a laser light that I "blew out". I also had some table members say to me happy birthday in some different languages: so I got Hindi, French, and Spanish translations. Once again, Claire is a sweetheart! (She was the mastermind behind the cake planning.)

Then I spoke with some work friends who were there also about the prospects of my field visit, which I am really excited for, and I enjoyed laughing with them. Walking back to my dorm, I noticed one of our friends from supper who left a little early was at the Ganesh statue, praying. It was a beautiful sight, above is what I could best capture. I came back to my room after this wonderful day where I felt like God was just holding me in the palm of His hand, and then the great day continued.

One of our intern friends who is a really hard worker and has a large workload came down to Claire's room for a little break. This turned into a little girls night and we shared hair styles and experiences growing up in India and the U.S. It was so much fun and we have already pledged what the next girls night will be: massages! (I know Anna will be jealous for this one!) I am so blessed here with the most wonderful people and the kindest friends. I cannot imagine a better birthday with more happiness, kindness, or love. So, Mom and Dad, never fear, they are taking care of me here! Love to all and I accept all of your happy birthday wishes as well, although I have no time to call and solicit them. I better get some rest for the day tomorrow.

Just eighteen and ready to vote (Mr. Schramm!),

Leah

June 28, 2010

Today has been a great day! I woke up at 6:30 with a lot to do and the start of a new work week. I still felt great this morning with my appetite back so that was exciting! I took tea break also this morning with my work friends. Tea break is really growing on me - I think I could get used to this! I got so much done at work today, I am working feverishly on my research proposal. Today I worked on the background, problem, and objectives part of the paper. I have yet to complete the methodology section of the paper, but I have the thesis of one of my advisors that will be super helpful with that. I plan to use a similar methodology due to the similarities of our projects, but I am going to hopefully add in some aspects of the caste system as well.
Everything here is so fascinating, I love talking with my Indian friends about the culture, customs, and various aspects of life here. Ben told me I would need to check out some good Bollywood movies for him, so I am watching one now that our friend, Anupa, recommended for us. She is an intern who goes to the Indian Institute of Technology - one of the best colleges around.
I am excited tomorrow is my birthday, I just remembered! Today three people asked, "Wait Leah, is it your birthday today, or tomorrow?" So, I know I will get some birthday wishes - maybe I can bribe some friends to sing to me in Hindi or Telagu or something! Tonight we went to the pool and it felt nice to relax in the pool and chat. I also said goodbye to one of my friends today. He was an intern here last year and goes to the London School of Economics. I may have written about him earlier. He will be going to Brown Un. next year for his PhD work and is from South Korea. It is so cool to share all of these different experiences and knowledge. I got to hear all about what it is like to live in South Korea and then another intern has lived in Singapore for the last 15 yrs. and is from Indonesia originally. I will keep you posted on the birthday festivities tomorrow! (Also, I have to make a note here: I just read a past post and saw I wrote their instead of there! I apologize for any and all grammatical errors - I am more worried about proofreading my work!) More later ;)

June 27, continued

(The chefs at Bbq Nation, my work friends, and the beautiful little church!)

. . . I then proceeded to go to breakfast, because I knew I would miss that if I left on this great trek. After walking around a bit, changing into a light cotton button-up shirt and grabbing my sunhat, I was ready to roll. (I also had a bookbag with some water, trail mix, bible, etc.) I decided I would just walk rather than borrow a bike and I began on my pilgrimage. This was all within the campus of ICRISAT, which was nice because the security guards along the way helped direct me to the church. I asked them where I would find the church, and they told me 1.5 K more, and then take a right. I thought, "Whew! 1.5K more!" However, a mosque appeared in the distance not too long after that. I thought that maybe that was just the mosque there and the church would be in a different place, because I didn't think it had been 1.5K yet. So I kept plugging along on my path. After a little while the security guard came up on his handy-dandy motorcycle and told me that I missed my turn. He offered me a ride there, but I politely declined and headed back to "find that church!" There were people around - probably because of the holy day - and I went into the church. It was actually blessed by an SVD priest, which was cool because I went on a service trip with the Holy Spirit Missionary sisters last summer.

While I was in the church, I had the coolest experience. People started coming in, talking in hushed Hindi, and would kneel down and pray, maybe kiss the ground and then the feet of Jesus on the cross. The cool part was that I really don't think that they were Christians, but instead, just kind of being respectful to me. After all was done, I headed back to my dorm, seeing some sad sights on the way. A boy called out from a nearby village, "Hi!" to me and was really really excited when I responded, "Hi!" That village is so close to campus, yet stark differences can be seen. It was actually pretty repulsive to come nearer to the dorms and see all of these beautiful flowers here when that village most likely has great difficulty growing anything - much less luxury flowers.

I rested from my journey and then was invited out to a restaurant with my work friends after talking with them after lunch. My friend, Yang, from South Korea, who was an intern here last year and is just visiting, gave me some wall hangers for my mosquito net, so I am very thankful for that. They rented a cab and we went to a place called Barbeque Nation. It is a huge deal in India - a national chain restaurant. It was very pricey, it was hard for me to know how much things are here, but when you convert it to U.S. dollars, it wasn't too bad. They bring appetizers to your table and their is a charcoal grill going on in your table. They put the kabobs above the coals to keep hot and you can then have whatever you would like. They have different color plates for vegetarians/meat-eaters, so they can bring you food you will like. Then, after you are done with the appetizers, you go up to a buffet-type style. I really enjoyed the restaurant and have been just feeling a tad queasy at times so I was being cautious with the spices. However, after the restaurant, I was feeling great, so I think I just needed some variety in my diet. (Also, I had a type of bean dish, which I like to eat a lot of at home, but haven't had any here yet, so that was exciting.)

I am off now to begin another work week, so I hope to get a lot done today. I am happy with my new mindset, "Work hard during the week and experience India on the weekends." I initially was trying to hold myself up to the standards of a masters student, considering that is who usually interns here. However, I have realized a 100 pg. report, as was shown to me from one of the past interns is not feasible or really the reason that the WFP has this program. (Nor am I here long enough for that.) If I was going to just lock myself in my room and read and study until my eyes fall out, I could do that at home. My work colleagues kept trying to tell me that, so I think I finally understand. After last night though, I will be looking into some cheaper forms of entertainment, but I am happy that the meal I did experience out to eat was such a good one.

June 27, 2010

Today is my very first Sunday on campus (fittingly, considering yesterday was my very first Saturday on campus!). Some interesting emotions hit me today, being my first Sunday without a Mass in I don't know how long. One of my mentors here actually volunteered to take me to church in the city about an hour from here on Sundays, however, she is currently in Poland - hence no real church opportunities for me in India. Some differences between the U.S. and India became quite apparent today as this was the first Sunday I have been able to experience. Everything here is posted: Monday to Friday, or Monday to Saturday, and Sunday is kept reserved as a holy day. When asking if something is available or open, you will hear, "Oh no, not today, today is a holy day." There just seemed to be an air of respect I am not used to regarding the concept of a holy Sunday. This is all so interesting to me also, because prior to knowing I was going to come here, I knew relatively little about Indian culture, customs, and religions. I felt knowledgeable just to know some reasons they wear a bindi - only to find out what the websites told me was sometimes wrong - at least for our area.
This morning as I walked past the little Hindi shrine on my way to breakfast, I did not get the same warm, wonderful, appreciative feeling as usual. I, embarrassingly, but honestly, felt a twinge of jealousy. My faith is of utmost importance to me, as it is to them. I was miles and miles away from my worship services, though, whereas they had every opportunity to worship God according to their religions here. I decided that these emotions needed to be made into something constructive so I set out to still have a holy Sunday myself.
There is a Catholic church/chapel on campus, (the super massive ICRISAT campus), and I had no idea really how to find it. I did know that Claire toured the church, temple, and mosque though, and at the time I thought that she biked there. (I later found out that she was taken on the 2.5 hr. tour of campus there.) So, I woke up at 6:00 a.m. and went to housing - the go-to people for anything (remember the sweet "they are my family" speech!?). I asked if I could have a map of campus, or if there were any maps. He did not have any and said there may be some in the visitors' center, but. . . it was a holy day so that would not be open! I then asked him if he knew where the church/chapel was on campus. He made a phone call (in Hindi, of course) to ask someone something! The phone call did not locate any maps and he asked me if I would like to go to the church. I said yes. He then said that there wouldn't be a priest there so I would have to conduct my own services, and I said yes that I knew that. (He was very kind during all of this and respectful also.) I asked him if he could point me in the right direction of the church and he did but said it was not within walking distance. I asked if I could rent a bike from Recreation today, and he said yes. So, I thanked him and went on my way. . . to be continued :)

June 26

Today is my very first Saturday on campus. I am enjoying the time to be able to work on some of my pre-college registration and just enjoy the lull in pace. In addition, I am enjoying the opportunity to reflect on my experiences here in just the past 5 days. It is a very demanding workload and information I must learn to be able to best conduct my research. However, it is also an incredible opportunity to be with such knowledgeable and experienced scientists working in the top of their field and this is one I am not going to pass up. It is quite the experience, indeed, and very enjoyable to be learning about an entirely new governmental system - due to my research topic.
As I continuously say, everyone here is so nice! But even more than that. Claire and I jokingly have developed our own "Indian family", and she has been there for me countless times: to have a familiar face in the dining hall that first week to having our own little sleepover with mosquito nets one night as well. Her kindness is just one example of all of the kindness here. The housing department is the first interaction I had upon arriving at the ICRISAT campus. They treat me like gold, and have repeated time and time again,
"We are your family. ICRISAT is safe and we are here for you 24 hours a day. If you ever need anything, just call us - 2550 - and we will send someone to help you. No matter what your problem is, we can help. We are your family here and we want you to be happy here."
LSU, the place where I registered and who took care of all of the logistics of my arrival where more than happy to assist me also. When I had the luggage issue, the man working there had me come back to use his phone, and then he actually called the airport for me to discuss how I could get my bags picked up. From the drivers to the housekeepers to the food staff to the scientists, everyone has taken so much time out of their day to make me feel as comfortable as possible and as secure.
Perhaps all of the above reasons also contribute to the fact that I have not really experienced culture shock in the least. The only time I experienced a culture shock phenomenon was when I was in the Dubai airport and feeling a little odd with my Western wear, displaying Christian symbols. That was more of an instantaneous oddity than any prolonged discomfort. It did bring to mind some interesting concepts though. I contemplated the value system, beliefs, and religious teachings behind the Arabic dress I viewed in the airport. After seeing so many Muslim women with their shawls and scarves, I began to think, "I hope I do not appear offensive or bother them because I do not follow that practice."
It is interesting how different cultures, religions, and backgrounds contribute to the identities of each individual person. I was a Christian dressed modestly, wearing no makeup, and hair styled by the wind (or airplane seats!). I was in line with my personal morals, which also are developed by my religion, experiences, and background teachings. In the very same note, they were Muslim women, perhaps wearing the abaya with only their eyes covered, or a more simplified head covering, often adorned with beautiful eye makeup. They were living and presenting themselves entirely in line with their teaching and their morals. That is the beauty of these international experiences, I think. It makes you look at yourself from a different perspective. It makes you see differences among people in a whole new light.
The religious and spiritual aspect of India was something that I did not really dwell on before coming, but one thing I read about I really admired and respected (in the book from my godmother, Elizabeth!). Religion in India is not a taboo subject. Religion is the center of their lives - moreso than I ever realized. One having a religion, whatever religion it is, is respected and appreciated. I felt as if I had much respect from the housing women who cleaned my room. They were always so friendly and kind to me, after cleaning around the tables with my cross wall hanging, bible, rosaries, and other Christian and Catholic religious symbols and items. I in turn have developed the deepest respect for their practices and beliefs. No, I do not believe in the same god or gods as them, but isn't our general purpose the same? We are all striving to connect with the Divine - to reach beyond the otherwise simplified and often puzzling or frustrating world in which we live. I walk past their shrines, statues, and holy pictures, all the while making the sign of the cross and thanking God for their faith, for their devotion, and for their dedication to religiosity and spirituality. It is a wonderful and beautiful experience to have such a relationship of mutual respect and appreciation regarding a topic that often can divide and alienate people.
One of my colleagues on the Climate Change team was inviting me to go to the Hyderabad museum and experience India with her. I asked about the museum and she said, they just have everything there - the most extensive collection. The art, the statues, and more. She lit up as she told me of the beautiful depiction of the Virgin Mary in the museum. I am sure there are millions of items related to the Hindu, Muslim, and other prominent faiths here, but she chose to talk about the faith to which I belong.
I am having a truly rich experience in India, broadening my perspective and allowing me to be thrown into an entirely different environment I obviously have never been in. I am infinitely grateful to the World Food Prize and Norman Borlaug for beginning this unbelievable opportunity. I will continue to cherish every new experience here.

June 24 & 25

Well, I have been one busy girl here in India. I am really making the most of my time - getting so much accomplished in one day, especially at work. I missed writing on the 24th due to my about 125-150 pgs. of reading I had to do that night for homework. Not much time for sleep there! It is a busy time for my project: first deciding on the topic, then the village in which to conduct my field visit, and then writing the whole research proposal which needs to be approved, probably with many changes first made. At work I now am moving upstairs in the building which will be a good thing. I am currently sitting in Professor Suda's seat, who is gone. The joke is that my friends and family will be so impressed - I came to India and completed my bachelor's, masters, and PhD in just a few days. Oh yeah, and also changed my name to Suda!

I will now be on the same floor as my mentors, which will be helpful - less time running up and down the stairs, so I guess not so much exercise either! I am in the same room as a really nice lady - working on gender studies in the villages - an interesting area of study I am sure. Here is what one of my title proposals for my project is: Adapting to Climate Change: An Investigation on the Effectiveness of the Formal and Informal Methods of Adaptation in the Kinkheda Village. This is going to be further specified and narrowed down even more to be able to complete a deeper analysis and effective study. My top mentor is still not at work, but the boss for the time arrived this week. He is a senior scientist, in charge of ICRISAT's programs in like 7 countries and in the field of Agricultural Economics. (That is the night I received the massive reading assignment.) Which I completed, and found my topic on the very last case study in the stack. Nothing like a revelation at 3:00 in the morning!

Last night, I went to the market for the first time with two people from my office. They have taken me under their wing - one of them being in my department. She tells me she sees herself in me - the same enthusiasm and hard work. (She of course, wants me to not work so hard, but when has that stopped me?!? She studied similar combinations of subjects in college and was telling me how difficult and time-consuming that would be, so for now, live it up!) They are bound and determined to also make sure I really experience India - so I will be playing the juggling act between fun and work. Today I better get started on my 2 inch stack of scholarly articles and case studies to read. Hopefully they will help me with developing my research proposal!

More Later!

Last night, they also got me my very own coconut! Right from the street! The man just cuts off the top and you drink the water - with many nutrients! Then you give it back to him and he chops it in half and gives you the fresh coconut flesh also! It was awesome! The picture is of my friend Anupa and me - Anupa is like a beautiful model -and my friend Rupsha took the picture. They are both actual employees of ICRISAT - Anupa in crop improvement and Rupsha on the Climate Change team with me.

June 23, 2010

I can't believe today was only my second day of work! I feel like I get so much accomplished each day, so that is great, especially considering my limited time. (Most interns here with me now will be here completing their projects until September and they arrived a few weeks before me. They are pretty much all in some type of educational program, like masters.) It is so exciting to experience this whole new culture and even cooler that there are people from all over the world so we are just a great mixture of cultures.

I have great respect for the Indian culture and there are so many neat aspects to comment on. During work hours, there are 2 tea breaks where the workers congregate for tea, coffee, snacks, and fellowship. This philosophy is entirely against the Western way of working. I was speaking to my friend interning in China with an International Rice Research Institute, where the tea break is also practiced, and he spoke of how in Western society, you get up, begin working and do not stop until nighttime when you go to bed. Busy people may not even take a lunch break, much less other breaks besides. We were commenting on this here with the fellow interns, and the joy the Indian people possess goes to show that they may just be onto something some of the world is missing out on. Although I fully appreciate the tea break, I must admit I don't necessarily practice the tea break! I just have much to do, so remain working often. Although, I may need to start going again because one of the kind scientists in our department called me tonight to be sure I was ok with all of the information that she gave to me to read. She said I could come over to her place anytime if we weren't in working hours but I had questions or needed help. Once again, I say, everyone here is really kind and hospitable.

Tonight after work I was pleased with what I accomplished and decided to have a fun night. I asked one of my friends if she wanted to go swimming with me (Claire) and of course she did because she loves to swim. It was a great and relaxing decision after a good day of hard work. Get this: there is even a diving board! It was a nice bonding time for Claire and I, and then after cleaning up, we went to supper.

I have my next couple of days planned out for work and what I hope to accomplish. Also, we are beginning to look ahead to the weekend. I was asking about a good Bollywood movie to my friend who is from India interning here, because Bro Ben gave me instructions to find the best one recently, so I think some interns may watch an Indian movie. Also, some of us are planning to do yoga and I am excited to learn all that she knows. The one other thing we are planning is the b-day celebration! (Next Tuesday I will have a birthday celebration. Maybe we can keep the year out of it because I am one of the youngest here!) Here is an example: A really nice and welcoming man introduced himself to me today. He is a scientist working with the seeds and just wanted to welcome me to ICRISAT and meet me when he saw me walking around. He then brought up the dreaded question about my education. He asked me if I was working on my PhD here! Of course, I then had to follow with the news I just got my high school diploma, and I explained the World Food Prize part a bit!

It is a great experience being around all of these very motivated students and scientists. All you need to do is ask a question to learn a lot - about whatever interests you. That is my goal, to ask away! More tomorrow, I am still combatting jet lag, but am buckling down now. I think tonight will be the night I make it through (sleeping that is!). The power of positive thinking.

June 22, 2010

Today was my first day of work. Claire, also with the WFP called me to awake me from my slumber, because I did not show at breakfast. (My erratic sleeping schedule!) I went to b-fast, then reported for work at 8:30. I was taken up to my office, where I was able to meet the many scientists in my division and learn from them more about what I would be doing this summer. Found out, it is kind of my choice! Within 2 wks. I need to have my project solidified and begin working on completing it. I will first learn about what it is my department at ICRISAT does, then I will decide the areas most of interest to me, and then I will begin with my Village Level Studies to obtain the necessary information. There are 6 villages I can choose between that data has been gathered from since 1975. We are attempting to see how they are adapting (or not) to the change in climate. There are scientists focused on the quantitative aspects of climate change, graphing rainfall, weather patterns, irregularity, etc., economists, and some more socially focused. I began reading a giant stack of papers, dissertations, and info. on climate change, village level studies, collective action (seeing if the communities are coming together in the face of the crisis or not), and other important areas to gain a background knowledge. It was my goal to finish the stack and I did. Goal no. one obtained. It took about all day and I have about 5 pgs. of typed notes from my work from day one. I then went back to one of the scientists to consult, but she was busy with another person. My mentor is on leave, who is head of the department, so I got to work with others in the same field. Padma, a very, very nice and knowledgeable lady who helped me (one of the documents I read was part of her PhD work) left me 2 more books for my work tomorrow. Rupsha, another really nice scientist, actually a sociologist, is creating a whole electronic folder for me to work on tomorrow. She also invited me to town to eat with the department, which I declined b/c of jet lag. I am off to a great start and just thrilled about my freedom in this internship. It seems like everyone is here to assist me in making this internship all I ever dreamed it would be and much more. I am headed to bed early tonight and skipping supper, I feel like I could drop after that poor night's sleep and an intensive day. I had to decline another invite to spend some time outside with other friends who are interns! I am gonna get a nickname: tired, offer-declining Leah!! (p.s. I also met a great friend who is an intern working on a 2 yr. masters program. He goes to the London school of economics and he is originally from singapore.) Wish me luck sleeping tonight and accomplishing more tomorrow!

June 21, 2010

(More Dubai pics.)

Ichecked into the guesthouse and received a piece of paper to take to the dining hall. I was led to my room by a worker who did not speak very much English. I had still not slept one minute. I tried to ask him a few questions, but that is how I discovered the whole English thing. I thanked him and thought about how I had arrived safe and sound after such a tumultuous journey. Here I was, Leah Lucas finally at ICRISAT, but there was no parade, no festival, and no flashing lights or beating drums. There was simply early morning silence and peace. I helped myself to a mango that had fallen to the ground and I ran to my room with it. I went into the bathroom and looked myself in the mirror as I took this big step. Looking back at me was a slightly disheveled, but otherwise healthy-looking girl ready to eat her first mango - EVER! I smelled the mango, and my nose revolted.

I told myself to continue on, unafraid, as I peeled the skin with my teeth and tasted the ripe fruit. Wow! Strong! Sweet, and somewhat tangy in a way I had not expected. I was rudely shocked by this reaction of my taste buds b/c I had been looking forward to my 1st mango for weeks! I ran back outside and deposited the mango right where I had found it - the ground - and sneaked back inside, uncaught. I then needed to contact Lisa and let her know that I, the most difficult and worrisome intern (in terms of travel only, hopefully!) had finally arrived! I needed net access b/c I couldn't remember what room Claire was in and I had that info. online. I went to the guest entrance where I came from and asked some more questions. I got internet access, and the man told me b-fast began at 7:00. I emailed Lisa the good news and decided to go to b-fast, having no idea what else to do with myself. I still haven't slept. I met some other interns and enjoyed the international cafe. Food is good here, lots fresh, there are choices, and I will be happy with that. I found out where I needed to go to check in and another intern showed me that office. I also got to talk with Claire! I met some of the other interns. Some in university, but most done and/or working on masters degree. One showed me the office where I met very nice men. I began to do my paperwork for my stay at ICRISAT. I was quite tired: still no sleep and it was getting to be 10 a.m. I got all check-in work done and finally got to go back to bed for maybe 3 hrs. if I was lucky. I then had to wake up and go back to the office to call the airport and the man did that for me. He found out I needed to return to the airport so he called a driver and I went along for that. I got maybe 15 min. of sleep both there and back in crazy India traffic. More importantly, I got my bags!!!!! WOOO-HOOO!!! I was so happy upon seeing them, and in such disbelief, I could not take this ridiculous grin off of my face! I then returned to my rm. with my luggage, and tried to sleep for a couple more hrs. That night I went to supper with some of my new friends (also interns) and had a fun time. Two are from India, Claire from US, another from US, one from Canada, and me who have dinner together often. I was gonna go to bed but instead stayed up rather late and finally got to sleep at like midnight. I thought I could sleep 7 hrs. till 7:00, but woke up at 1:30 or so. I stayed up until 5 or so when I went back to bed until 7:15. I always thought of jet lag as being something that makes you tired, not unable to sleep!

June 20, 2010

I woke up at about 10:00 a.m. and I feel much better rested now. I then began to update my blog and was kept busy at that the next couple of hrs. I had no food because I had finished off my trail mix and shredded wheat the previous night (early morning actually) affter returning to my hotel room. (It was when I was feeling weak and bewildered and probably overwhelmed.) When those emotions combine, all rules to not eat late at night go out the window! I felt much better after I ate that snack and was not too hungry when I woke up. I held off awhile as I got much work done on the computer. I was taking my time because when I left to find some food, I also was going to find terminal one, which I would depart from later. After I could wait no longer, I got up and pledged to finish the blog later. I got ready for the day in the same great travel outfit I wore the day before by first ironing my nylon cardigan (at a low level of heat, Mom!). I felt exhilarated and ready to take on the world after a wonderful shower the night before, a comfortable bed to sleep in, horizontally, (despite the 6:00 a.m. wake-up call!), and the ability to connect to the internet - and I even got to message my aunt, Billie! I left the room with my necessaries: passport, camera, visa, flight itinerary, some U.S. dollars, and my rosary bracelet. (Not to mention my handy-dandy map of the terminals - in case I got really desperate I could find a bathroom stall and map out a route to take!) I got some great pictures of the airport, but they can never tell the whole experience.

I kept getting told that terminal one was at the very end so I decided to stay on the same floor and just see if terminal one would appear to me. In the meantime, I kept myself occupied as I decided what to eat. I compared prices of various items becasue things were quite pricey here. I would say more than a US supermarket or grocery store, but about the same as a US airport. I wanted to avoid breaking my twenty if possible and using my debit if possible, at least until I transferred more money to my checking account. (It is advisable to keep under 500 us dollars on a visa card in case of card misplacement or theft.) I found a banana for 3 Dhs. or 86 cents in US currency and purchased that for starters. I then asked for my change back because they weren't going to give it back b/c they didn't have any US coins, but I got some Dhs. coins, so that was cool! I ended up getting another banana later on because of the great price and I received 2 more Durham coins. Woo-hoo! A total of 28 cents in 4 Durham coins! I got another bag of food at the supermarket places and finally located terminal 1. I thought to ask where I could get my boarding passs because I, at the time, only had a printout of the flight itinerary. Because I was changing airways, once again, I had to get the boarding pass from the respective airway I was going to be traveling with next. I decided to het it while I was there after I found the transfer gate. I then discovered that I was too early to get my boarding pass, b/c they only let you get it 3 hrs. before take-off time. I would have liked to have my boarding pass, so I would feel more secure and be able to locate my gate in my time off, but I marched away quite content with myself for figuring out the airport and mapping out the exact route I would need to take later. I then returned to my room, because I had no concept of the time while roaming the airport, and I did a little more on the net in my room. (Like tried to send a Happy Dad's day message to Dad via Anna, which I later found out he didn't yet receive!) I also connected with Claire, another WFP intern already at ICRISAT in India. After my successful accomplishments of the day, I decided it would be a good idea to take a catnap before the large night ahead of me. (It made more sense to me to sleep on the comfortable bed in a locked room than in the terminal at my gate!) I called to make my check-out time a little later, and also called for another wake-up call. I organized a bit before I went to bed so I would be able to wake up and leave. Luckily, I did because I woke up at 8:00 PM!!!! and I was supposed to receive my wake-up call at 7:30 PM!!!! I frantically gathered my things, double-checked my room, and bid my sweet suite goodbye. I checked out, receiving more curious glances from the international businessmen checking in, and headed on a mission to "Catch that plane!" I made record time down the airport to terminal one where I hastily arrived at the transfer desk after skipping the security check by telling them I was scheduled to depart in 2 hrs. and had no boarding pass. The lines at the transfer desk were unbearably long and my adrenaline rush intensified. However, by the grace of God, AGAIN!, nearly the only line with downwards of 20 people in it was the one for my airway. Upon my time at the counter, I dutifully handed the man my passport and flight itinerary I received in Frankfurt. To my dismay, he asked me for more documents. These were the only documents I had for him! After explaining the situation to him, and telling him I received my last boarding pass with those documents alone, I waited. He made some phone calls, did some computer work, and then began to give the person on the phone the passport no. and info. I breathed a sigh of relief as I felt that all would be ok now, until I heard him say, "Indian". Not, "India" but "Indian".

My first instinct was to say, "No, I am actually American!" But then I glanced next to me and saw a man who looked of Indian nationality, and I realized the man was not even working on my boarding pass. I was being shuffled aside and put on hold - held in limbo. After finishing with the other client, the man came back to me and told me I did not and never did have a seat on this plane because it was overbooked. He said I only had requested a seat and it was never confirmed, so I now had no seat. I was in utter shock. Dis - bel - ief! I explained how my flight had been changed and asked if there was some mistake or what. He said the word, "Standby" and I knew things were not going to be good. I had heard horror stories of being on standby. My only other option was to find Emirates, or United, or get in touch with Lufthansa and find out how and why someone made this mistake with my flight. I knew that I had no idea where or how I would accomplish this though, and that if I left this line, I would be stuck in Dubai for another night because even a rebooking could not get me out of there in the next few hours. I had been in Dubai for 22 hours, and regardless of how nice the hotel was, I was ready to get to India and begin my internship. Enough pampering for me. I did not want to have to cancel on my driver from ICRISAT again (I later found out that he was there waiting for me for hrs. the night that I didn't arrive despite the email that Lisa sent about my delay). I also was receiving a few too many looks from the nearby men, especially when I would pull out my laptop in frantic attempts to find Lisa's no. I chose to stay on the dreaded standby (the lesser of 2 evils) and was told to come back in 20-25 minutes and they would tell me then if I had a place on the plane. I needed to contact Lisa about this 180 degree turn in my plans, but the nearby phones would not take a credit card. I also had another problem. Lisa's no. was on the back of the piece of paper I handed to the man that he needed to keep if I chose to stay on standby. This is why I was frantically searching for Lisa's no. in my word documents. I had it there - thankfully - and I attempted to use skype. Fail. I sent her an email instead with the subject line, "help!". (Poor Lisa! She did not sleep so well the nights that I was traveling here.) I told her my situation and told her if I did not get on the flight, which wasn't looking too positive, I would simply try to get the best rebooking possible and head to the room for unaccompanied minors. She was shocked by this sick twist of events also!

The man approached me and gave me my passport and flight info. back, which I took as a very bad sign. I asked him what my chances were, and he said, "Not good." There were 4 unclaimed seats left though, which left me praying. I told him I was only 17 yrs. old and alone, and had been in this airport for umpteen hours. He said to just keep waiting. I did hear him on the phone though, saying this is a little girl, 16 yrs. old and a woman, try to get her on if you possibly can. I obviously really wanted on the airplane, but I wanted also to just know if I would be on the airplane and I hoped they were not just keeping me in limbo to break the news gently. I needed to know so I could get booked for the next flight asap. I went up to the desk at the time he told me and I found out. . . he got me on the flight. HE GOT ME ON THE FLIGHT! I was in disbelief once again as I tried to snap to my senses and convey as much appreciation and relief as possible without jumping over the counter and giving him a bear hug. I then got in the line to get out of there! It was dreadfully long and taking forever to go through security. I asked a businessman next to me if he thought I had to go through security if I thought I would miss my flight. He looked at my ticket and told me they were boarding at the time I thought they were leaving so I would have no problem making my flight. I felt slightly relieved but still unpatient. We began chatting and I asked him if he could point me in the direction of where my gate would be. He helped me with that also and then asked me where I was headed. He did a double-take when I said, "Hyderabad". I explained what I was doing and he was very impressed. He was, I found out, and even more impressive man himself. His name is David Phoely (probably wrong spelling of last name!) and his life experience has been amazing. He has worked as a diplomat for many yrs. and used to work as the war correspondent in some form. He now is with the U.S. State Department in Homeland Security. He is the correspondent to the Middle East, hence, his presence in the Dubai airport, Africa, and another area also. In the past he worked with BBC and NBC through his career also. He was envious of my youth, my opportunity, and was pleased to hear I was headed to Wesleyan in the fall. He was very kind and even walked me partway to my gate, all the while encouraging me to consider the foreign service. He talked about living "a life of significance", and the things he said were pretty cool. Oh yeah, I forgot, he worked for the UN too!) It was just another awesome contact I met on this trip. He was cool to meet and get to know. I bid him goodbye and checked in for my flight - at last this one headed to Hyderabad, India! I asked where I should go and they told me downstairs. There was a bus outside we went onto, and the warm air of Dubai welcomed me kindly to the peaceful night, just in time for me to leave. I sat on that bus, accompanied entirely by Indian men, praying my rosary bead bracelet. At last, one Muslim woman arrived with her 3 small adorable children and her husband. I was happy to have at least on other female on the bus. I was also hoping I was on the right bus, and tried to not let my imagination run wild! It seemed hard to believe I could be so close to boarding the correct plane. . . to India! I found my seat next to a man and he ended up being very nice also. We were due to receive a meal, so I eagerly awaited that although we were losing 3 hrs. and it was the middle of the night. (It was suppertime in the US!) I chose to forego sleep and enjoy the meal. I received my customs wksheet and diligently worked to complete that. This is where my frequent flier seat partner came in handy. He is an Indian resident originally, but now is a Dubai resident as well and lives there. They have homes in both places and he was going to be in India for 10 days. He gave me his business card and told me to call if I needed anything in India. He had great respect for his elders (his parents) and at one point his dad bent down to untie his sandals. My seatmate leaped up and untied the sandals off of his dad's feet. I thanked him upon landing, another angel on my path, and then went through customs and waited to see if my bags were on the plane. (I was not too optimistic!) The weren't so I attempted to file a claim pertaining to my bags, all the while being worried about my driver. I was finally in Hyderabad, India and didn't want to be stuck here without a driver! After a looooong reporting process, I was told I would need to return later that day to pick up the bags. I did not know if that would be possible (because that would mean another trip from Patancheru to Hyderabad for an ICRISAT driver) but I just said ok and took down the number.

My plane got in at 3:30 a.m. and it was 6:30 a.m. before we got to the ICRISAT campus. The ride there gave me this insight: Poverty is not solely a conceptual matter to be debated in intellectual circles, but a real, living, breathing, and deplorable way of existence. It was hard for me to come to understand that people lived in the homes they did, because they were not really homes at all. I was in shock at viewing this level of poverty for the 1st time. I checked in to ICRISAT and registered my laptop so I could take it with me when I left campus in August.

June 19, 2010 Continued, continued

Well, I met yet antoher great person as we were leaving the airplane last night. She is from Germany and has a worldwide expanding business. She is a "Heilpraktikenn", and a healer, coach, and I believe head of this entire natural anti-aging business. I told her what I am doing this summer and she was very interested. Her business sponsors the program, Nourish teh Children, which is where the food from Feed the Children goes to be distributed to the poor in the world. Her business is booming and is now going to be sponsoring seacology, which is the protection of endangered species and island life. She was very nice, and frequently flew into the Dubai airport for business, as it is really taking off in the Middle East. I thought to ask her if she knew where the hotel was in the airport since she said she was very familiar with the place. Unfortunately, she had no idea there was a hotel in the airport, so she couldn't help me in that regard. I decided to bid her good by and continue on down the airport to find the hotel.
After some sign-following, security checks, and multiple inquiries to workers and the information desks, I finally found the hotel. (This process consisted of me pretty much walking in circles until it all became clear!) It is funny, when I was asking for the hotel, people often questioned, "The business hotel?" To which I would reply, "Yes." I am not the usual clientele for the business hotel I guess! Upon arriving at the hotel lobby, I walked to the desk to check in, and after saying who I was and for what, the lady at the desk spoke, "Passport?" as if I was unintelligent. I quickly got out my passport and gave it to her. It was so interesting to me how the three most important things to have on this trip are things I have never had before this trip: a passport, visa, and international flight itinerary. (The next thing she wanted to see was my boarding pass!) After shelling out a whopping 770 durhams, or about 240 U.S. dollars, I needed to take a breather.
I got to my room - my really really nice room - and began pondering what to do next. I immediately tried to Skype Lisa (with the World Food Prize), but after finding out the regular url for Skype was blocked here, I emailed her instead. It was around midnight here, but I was in no mood to be going to sleep. I was feeling like I had low blood sugar, and was undergoing some late-night culture shock. My computer battery had about 10% left after emailing Lisa from the hotel hallway because the lobby Wi-Fi did not reach my room at first (or grant me access). I went back to the lobby, set a wake-up call for, and I quote, "6:00 p.m." and I went downstairs to the airport to search the prices on electronic adaptors. I found that the price for an international converter was ridiculous, something like 70 us dollars. Although I really wanted charge for my laptop, I really did not want to charge 70 more dollars to my card even more. I just walked around a bit, trying to get a feel for the place, (still moving and grooving like it was daytime at 1:00 a.m.), and tried to get accustomed to the culture.
I felt out of place with my respectable Western wear and cross necklace displayed among the bindis, cloaks, shawls, and turbans. I checked out the prayer room only to discover it was not a universal prayer room, but a mosque and I could not enter of course because I did not have a shawl with me to cover my head. I then moved to the public restroom just for the experience and to be among the people a little longer. This was solely for the "experience", considering I had a private restroom right upstairs in my hotel room. The water in the toilet was warm - really warm, which was an interesting experience indeed. Also, the washer-thing to the right of the toilet reminded me of how toilet paper is more of a Western phenomenon. I was, however, happy to see they also had t.p. as this was an international airport. Ok, enough about that. After these experiences, I had gotten rid of some of my energy and returned to the comfort of my room.
I thought to ask at the hotel desk about an electronic adaptor because I figured, if this is the international business hotel, and I am paying an arm and a leg to stay here, they better have adaptors for their guests! I was given one, but upon looking at it, I saw no compatible plug. I asked if it was compatible all over the world and the man said yes. I retreated to my room and sure enough, it was not compatible. I decided to bring it back and bug them some more (the squeaky wheel gets the most grease, isn't that what they say?!) and I received a plug-in to plug into the adaptor. Yippee! It was now compatible with the US plugins. Electricity never made me so happy. However, the electrical charge made a humming noise and I was worried about voltage compatibility. So, I unplugged the charger and took my laptop to the hallway once again. With my dwindling (really dwindling) batter I researched what the voltage was and my voltage concerns. I found that in Dubai, the voltage is 220-240V, and I confirmed that with a few sites and then also an employee of the hotel. He reassured me the voltage was 220V in the hotel. I then found on my battery that is served as a converter for all voltages from 110 to 220, so I could charge my laptop once again, humming noise or not.
I then decided to treat myself to a warm shower, which I thoroughly enjoyed, and which was much needed. After garnishing myself with a lush white robe from the Dubai International Business Hotel, I decided to take advantage of the internet connection, and when I could resist no longer, I climbed into the big, white bed. I planned to sleep as long as my body liked and I had set an alarm with the front desk for 6:00 p.m. so I knew I would be fine for the 10:15 p.m. flight. However, all of a sudden I awoke to a jovial tune: singing and door-banging in the hallway. I groggily got out of bed after sleeping from 3:40 a.m. and saw 2 desk employees saying, "Ms. Lucas, this is your 6:00 wake-up call!" I said, "Thank you, may I have one for 6:00 p.m. please?" (That is the time I had requested, but here, everything was in military time so I guess it would have been less confusing for the staff than "p.m."!) They laughed and I glanced in the mirror on my way back to bed. One side of my head of hair was horizontal because I slept on it wet. I laughed, slightly hoping it made them feel bad for waking me up at 6:00 (A.M.!) and went back to bed.

June 19, continued

Frankfurt was absolutely insane. We were told to go upstairs to find out the new flight schedules their staff had worked out for us. When we were told this, we were still in the double-decker airplane. I thought there was a slight possibility we needed to go upstairs in the plane for a moment and the flight attendant told me I would need to wait because the people were coming down. I then told her what I needed to do and she said, "Oh, no, I thought you wanted to see the pilot!" At that point, I knew for certain the upstairs they spoke of was most definetely in the airport! They announced the gate we needed to find to pick up our new flight information if we were headed to Bangalore, Hyderabad, or a number of other places as well. I headed to that gate (in the opposite direction of course), found a bathroom, got turned around, and found the proper gate -rather, desk, with a loooong line of people. Luckily for me, a woman called out names really fast - I couldn't tell what language she was speaking, and the last name she spoke sounded like, "Lucas". I decided it would be better to be safe than sorryso I followed the others who had been called to the front of the line. Yippee! I reported in and she took my boarding pass which had expired by two and a half hours and I received my new flight itinerary. This itinerary did not follow Lisa and my plan to stay at a Frankfurt hotel overnight, and then catch the flight going out tomorrow. This told me I would fly to Dubai, stay there somewhere around eighteen hours, and then head to Hyderabad on Sunday night around 11:00 p.m. to reach Hyderabad at about 3:30 a.m. I wasn't sure this was a good idea at all, so I headed to a phone to call Lisa and fill her in. I found a phone that takes your credit card and I attempted to use that. I didn't, however, know the U.S. country code, so after a few failed attempts, an operator assisted me. I hope that call wasn't too terribly expensive, I don't even know what the rate was. Nor would it have mattered at the time - I was desperate. Anyway, the call quality was horrible, so it was difficult to communicate. I finally gave her some information she needed and told her I would call back in 10 minutes. There were 2 people nearby looking at tickets they had recieved, so I asked them a couple of questions about my flight. They helped me decipher the military time, and I found out they were on the same flight as me to Dubai. Their final destination was Bombay and they were on business. I thanked them and voyaged on. I decided I better find my gate if I was going to keep the flight. I plundered on what was undoubtedly the wrong path, and stopped to ask the security at one of the gates. They looked slightly bewildered as they switched from German to English to communicate with me, asking me if I was really flying with Emirates Air. I said yes and I just needed to know where the gate was, when the kind woman from before (headed to Bombay on business) tapped me on the shoulder. She found me to tell me that their travel agent said there were many seats open on the flight that would leave tomorrow morning from Frankfurt, in case I preferred that arrangement. Then she remembered I wasn't headed to Bombay also, but I decided to ditch the clueless security guards and pair up with her. She was at least going to be on my first flight! So, as she called it, we were the blind leading the blind as we searched for our gate. At least she had a cell phone that worked internationally which I could use to call Lisa and give her information she needded to reserve a room for me in Dubai. The only bad part was, I wasn't able to tell her my visa information aloud where we were, so it took quite awhile to get it accomplished. Meanwhile, we were riding on the train, then getting off, and we accumulated 3 more companions at this point who were also searching for their gates. One lady joined our team, who was also traveling alone, and riding the same plane as us to Dubai. We finally found out (somehow) how to get to the 2nd terminal and the proper train to catch - this part is still a bit fuzzy to me! After arriving at the 2nd terminal, I could sense we were nearing our final destination. We really did not have that much time to catch this plane and then one of the ladies realized we did not even have our boarding passes yet. We simply had the printout of our flight itinerary. After a long line at security and a search of my backpack, they let us through. I was happy to get away form a boy who creeped me out. He was WAY to interested in my text message to Lisa that included my visa information, and I had to keep moving on the other side of my friends. I just prayed he would not end up as my seatmate on the plane, and my prayer was answered. We are about 45 rows different. I am in the very last row of the entire plane, next to the restrooms and the flight attendants' area. I guess that is handy. Whew! I am happy to be far from him! My seatmates are wonderful on this flight once again and the lady next to me was on the flight from Chicago with me as well I found out. I feel so bad for her. She has been on business for 2 weeks in Indiana and she is now returning home to her husband and 2.5 yr. old son. She misses him a lot and now has all of these delays and complications. She is from Mumbai, so has a few more rides after this one to get there. I was happy to befriend her. I have her my snack of crackers and she gave me her leafy greens at dinnertime after I awoke from my slumber. So, it has been quite a day. We are now 1:56 hrs. away, traveling at 35,000 ft., and we are going over many Arabic nations. Oh yes, and the Tigris river too! I keep thinking of how the average person reacted when they found out I was traveling alone to India. It was typically something like, "You are going all by YOURSELF?!" to which I would respond something like, "Yes, it should be exciting!" or "Yes, most of the other interns have already safely arrived in their countries." Little did I know just how exciting it would be or how I really never have been alone. All along the way, I have had little angels helping me find my path. I am very thankful to my parents for raising me to turn to God when in need and He will always deliver you, because He surely has been helping me out! I am very thankful for all of the prayers and support back at home, it is very reassuring. I will keep you posted on how the hotel-findin goes when I arrive at Dubai. Apparently, the hotel is attached to the airport (in the terminal), so that should be better thatn having to take a shuttle in Dubai at midnight to a strange hotel. Better indeed! The hotel is really nice, Lisa says, and really pricey also, but I will be reimbursed for that, so that is a big relief. More later, I am going to rest now, considering it will be 11:30 p.m. when we arrive.

June 19

We are landing in Frankfurt now, after 7.5 hours of flight, after 3.5 hours of waiting on the airplane, and after the about 3 hours I waited in the O'Hare airport. We just lost 7 hrs. overnight, so we are now in Germany, and it is 1:30 p.m. I got a little sleep overnight, but I will hopefully be picking up some more today. I will need to get a hotel room now, so I am praying that there may be a way to avoid that. Wish me luck and pray for me in Frankfurt.

June 18: The Trip Begins! Continued, continued

Our flight is currently delay in O'Hare so I am just waiting it out right now. The chances for me to catch my next flight are growing slimmer and slimmer by the second. Lisa, the all-wonderful Lisa, is currently checking out some alternatives in case I do miss my flight. (Lisa is the director of Youth and Education Programs with the World Food Prize Foundation.) . . . (A couple of fitful attempts to sleep after we have boarded our plane) . . . Alrighty, I have some news to report. I have been stuck inside this airplane for 3.5 hours. I know what you are thinking, "You do have to go across the Atlantic, right?" Yes, no doubt about it, I do need to go across the Atlantic, however, we ahve not been moving! This may be slightly difficult to comprehend, but let me spell it out for you, WE ARE STILL IN CHICAGO!!! This must have been the crisis I foresaw back in a previous journal entry. I have thoroughly enjoyed some aspects of this long wait, and of course, thoroughly disliked many aspects as well, but that is to be expected. What has most impressed me is the kindness found in humankind. I have just observed a woman holding a newborn baby on the flight for another woman so she could call her husband and inform him of the delay. A different man offered a small child an extra seat to lay down when he gets tired. What's more, these hours together, however troublesome they are for each of us, postponing many important meetings, trips, and vacations, truly have brought us together. I would have never met some of these great people. One of my seatmates has been working on these graphs on his computer the entire time, and I have been getting quite curious. I no found out that he works for a NGO based out of Denver, CO, devoted to studying climate change - exactly what I am going to be studying this summer! He travels all over the world working on different studies and projects and has visited India four times. He is a vegetarian also, and really enjoys the Southern India cuisine and culture. He says that the food is really not all that spicy in the south, at least compared to the food in the north. He also has friends (rather, friends' children) who have attended Wesleyan University, the college I will attend this fall. I am so thrilled to have bonded with him during some of our down time. Without this delay, we may have never shared this information. The man behind me is hilarious - a really entertaining guy to have around during a crisis. He is quite perturbed by the whole waiting situation. He lamented, "This is no way to run a railroad," regarding the airline. Then he wanted to get a water refill and went after one of those. His wife and he then began talking about their unbearable hunger, considering we were supposed to receive a meal on the flight. His response was, "Let's just order a pizza." For some reason, this remark was quite humorous as my mind wandered to an image of a pizza boy trying to deliver a pizza to our airplane on the runway. We are in a massive airplane - my first ever ride in a double-decker. The upper deck is where all of the business, business exec., etc. sit. The slightly funny part is that they boarded before us, so they have been on longer than all of the Economy seats. Right now, however, they are probably all lying down with their personal seat areas that fold into a horizontal bed. Not to mention, the air is probably on in their area, unlike ours. The heat is flaring up in here, as are some people's moods. I really want to get some sleep but can't get comfortabel because I keep thinking about how we will be (hopefully) taking off soon. We keep getting new times we are supposed to leave and I continue to doze off here and there. I can't believe we are still in Chicago, but I guess that is better than being in tumultuous and unsafe weather in the air! That's all for now.

June 18: The Trip Begins! Continued

I have safely arrived at O'Hare Airport in Chicago, IL. The trip is going well so far, after meeting my great plane friends. They were going to the same concourse as me (Concourse C), so we ended up having another chat when we passed each other here. I even got a picture of the two of them before we parted. I am now just waiting in the concourse for the flight to Germany at

my gate. However, the weather has just taken a turn for the worse. A big turn! There is a full-out torrential downpour occurring outside right now - along with high winds, thunder, and lightning. Hopefully my flight will not be delayed, considering I already have only an hour and ten minutes to catch my connecting flight there. (In Frankfurt, which is, by the way, one of the largest international airports in the world!) A delay here would mean I would almost certainly miss my flight to Shamshabad from Frankfurt. I held off to read the envelopes Mom and Dad gave me until just a few minutes ago. The wait was well worth it. I was happy I saved my napkins from the flight because they served as a good substitute for a tissue! They were the sweetest notes and really meant a lot to me, Mom and Dad. (Mom, I don't think I have ever found that one, and Dad, I have seen that prayer hanging and always loved reading it aloud. Now that I know the story, I like it even more! Thank you both for your loving words!) Anna also has a video surprise I am still waiting to watch. I think I will watch it upon arriving in India. (Or at least after catching up from jet lag.) Speaking of jet lag, I am getting a little sleepy now and haven't even lost any hours yet! Mom and I had a rather late night last night, and I decided to bake some bread for Anna at midnight, which didn't help matters either! I better get up and check the status of my flight! Wish me luck :)

June 18: The Trip Begins!

Wow! The trip to India has finally begun. After talking for months, planning for weeks, and packing for many, many days, (ask my poor parents!), I think I am finally ready to go. At least, I hope so, because ready or not, here we go! The plane lurches forward and our speed increases as we head down the runway. All of a sudden, we are thrust into the air and we rapidly soar upward in pursuit of the ideal altitude. All should'ves, could'ves, and would'ves disappear as the farms, buildings, and Des Moines airport fade away beneath us until they become a distant blur. The airport environment is a unique one, with eacher person in the building ahving a different stroy to tell and life to live. Everyone has their own mission, yet the innumerable individual stories have an intricate and dependent relationship to one another as well. The scene while we were boarding the plane made me think about how we were ever so interconnected, indeed, yet we would not truly appreciate and value each others' companionship unless a crisis were to occur. Our fast-paced culture sometimes discourages taking the time to recognize our commonalities which unite us all as one. I must admit, somthing about the line of fellow passengers waiting to board the plane called to mind the plot of the TV show, "Lost"! However, after contemplating how well we would get to know each other living on some remote island after a plane crash, I realizzed that we are traveling one hour from Des Moines to Chicago! I guess I probably will not be finding any remote islands between here and there! Mom, Dad, and Anna all accompanied me to the airport and sent me off with love and hugs. I am incredibly blessed with such loving and supportive parents, siblings, extended family, friends, and a great church community. Your prayers mean the world to me as I embark on my adventure. I am simply thrilled to experience the Indian culture, to undergo an intensive learning and research project, and to enjoy the eclectic mix of cultures aat the International Institute in India! Already, I have some fellow passengers on our plane who, I believe will be with me for the entirety of the trip. Don't worry Anna, I will resist the urge to follow them! Life is truly an adventure and I am thrilled to experience this adventure ahead of me. I am anticipating some meals in the flights to come and am curious about what the entrees with consist of. (You know what they say about airplane food!) Oh well, regardless of the meal, I am well equipped with trail mix, shredded wheat, and an apple besides. Prepare for the worst and pray for the best - that is my philosophy! I think I may do a little reading now before this short one hour flight commences. My travel companions to the right of me are a lovely mother and daughter duo. They will be going to Italy and traveling to see the beautiful sights for an entire three weeks. I am thankful God sent them to me as a friendly reminder he will take care of me on this trip. Love to all of my family and friends! This is Leah, signing off.

Welcome

Hello and welcome to my very own blog! I am happy you have visited my site. No facts from India yet, but June 18th is rapidly approaching (the date of my departure). I will be heading out from Des Moines on Friday afternoon towards Chicago (O'Hare), and then touching down in Frankfurt, Germany. Next I will soar to Hyderabad, India, where my driver from ICRISAT will be waiting to drive me to Patancheru, India (the site of the ICRISAT campus). Stay tuned for details from India and thanks for visiting my site!