80th and final post

So I guess after this post, I will call it a wrap. Let me first finish telling you what I did on my last Saturday and Sunday and Monday in the wonderous land of India. Briefly, to finish Saturday off, I got invited by my Plant Nutrition Conference friends to accompany them on their cultural excursion. I didn't know if I should go because the trip was arranged especially for them, but they insisted I was welcome to at least try to go. Well, try I did and I had a wonderful time. To start at the beginning, we began to plan out our day by discussing our interests on the way out of campus. Then we found out that the excursion was arranged for us and we were kind of required to see this temple. I was excited because I hadn't yet been to a temple - however, some of the men along had their hopes set on a little souvenir shopping, considering the fact this was pretty much their last chance to get a souvenir off campus. So, I tried to work some magic with the driver and convince him to go to the market also. Dissapointingly, he did not know of the market I had been to, so after a lot of saying, "Shilaparamum!" my friends thanked me, saying at least I tried.

We decided we were happy to go to the temple and had accepted this fact. We arrived at the temple, and to my surprise, the driver came back and asked me what I was saying earlier. I continued to say the market's name, Shilaparamum, when he at last, could understand my dreadful pronunciation! He was really nice - but said we would not have time for the market. I worked some persuasion and finally the "but it is their last night and they just want a gift from their family to remember India by!" line worked and he agreed to stop by the market after the temple.

The temple was a cool experience, we got kum-kum on our foreheads if we wanted, and that was cool. (Some red powderlike stuff, and then some yellow stuff we saw later on.) There was a priest that dispensed holy water into our right hand and we were supposed to drink it - but I just pretended because of health concerns.

Next we headed to the market and got some great souvenirs and then went back to campus for a special lunch prepared for us. I decided to go on a walk to the church to bid it goodbye. . . in the pOuRiNg rain! That was great :) The day was finished off with an 8:00 dinner with friends and an intense GMO debate between two good friends from the plant nutrition conference.
Yippee!
Sunday . . . was a great day - because it was both the assumption of Mary into heaven and it was India's independence day. There were just tons and tons of children dressed in white all around the church. (White symbolized freedom and peace.) It was really moving to see all of these Catholics - and their devout faith.
I did some packing up today, worked on my paper, and spent some more time with some friends.
Then Monday, the day I never believed would actually come. The day was a blur as I worked to the bone to finish my report, thank everyone, say goodbye, and give some gifts. Then that evening, I decided I may as well go out with a shout as we went into the nearby town to visit the market/store 1 last time. The night ended with a big ceremony my friends put on for me at supper - complete with a poem, a garland of flowers, and kind words.

India has been one sweet sweet experience - and I thank you all for following me there . . . and to many of you for helping me get there. I am ready for the next chapter of my life now as I embark on an experience some like to call, "College". I may give some updates every now and again on a blogsite throughout the year. If you are interested, look below. Until we meet again, peace to all.
http://latestonleah.wordpress.com/

Home Schweet Home!

I am officially home to IA safely and doing wonderful! I must say, I am a person who likes closure, so I profusely apologize for leaving you all hanging for a few days! I will finish up the last few days which I have journaled about and then tell you about the trip home and then the final reflection before this blog is beat, so be patient with me. (No net in the Bankston hills for the Lucas family!)
But I am doing great great great - adjusting to a new climate after 2 mos. away - and prepping to serve my family a delectable Indian meal tomorrow night! (We will take lots of pictures!)
My one suitcase was delayed, but we already have it so now the unpacking and repacking process has begun! I will keep you posted and finish up the trip's blog within the next little while. I feel like you all were such a part of my trip this summer - I just loved to have your support.
More later,
Leah

The Saturday of all Saturdays!

Saturday began - and I decided to wake up at 7:30 am. I was supposed to have b-fast with my nutrition conference friends - but I compromised and didn't go quite as early as usual. (7:30 instead of 7:00! Still early!) I told myself I could nap later, but it was important to cherish the relationships I had built. So I arrived there and my one friend was no where to be seen (he prob. went earlier). The man behind me in line said something to me and appeared to be nice. I sat down before him and thought he may join me. He, however, sat by his friend from Nutrition conference, so I thought, "What the heck?" and picked my tray up, turned around and asked if I could join them! Ha!

This delightful table grew and grew and we had a jolly 'ol time chatting. I was able to meet people I have seen around but not spoken to, and some I knew were with us also. Then a man came over and said the car was waiting. They were confused, but I knew what was going on so I said, "Ok, ok, thank you!" One woman just sat down with her breakfast and I explained to them how apparently their car was ready but it was no problem and it would wait for them . . . it wasn't even 9 yet and that was the planned time for their excurion. (They were scheduled to have a final excursion into Hyderabad to end their conference.) So I walked with them towards my room and the guestel - their destination, until the turn-off for my dorm. I then said how nice it was to meet them and they were like, "Aren't you coming with us?!!"

This was a special excursion planned just for them b/c they were bigwigs so I was like, "Oh no! I don't think so!" They were like, "Oh, do you have other things to do?" To which I responded, "Not really . . ." And then they insisted, "You should come! Come along!" So I said I would run up to my room first. I hastily put on a nicer sweater, ran my fingers through my hair, grabbed my purse stocked with a couple chapati and a Rs. bills, and headed down. I then got down there and we waited until 10:30 am for the whole thing to work out with our driver coming. It was so funny because these people had been waiting the entire conference and experiencing funny things with misorganization. Why change that on the cultural excursion day?

I met a wonderful woman - Francesca! She is from Italy, and then there are others I met as well. Alex is from DC but now is resident of Australia and has been there for the past 7 yrs. He is so nice - very charming personality and so fun to be with. A man from the Netherlands, one from Israel I think it was, and many more countries were represented on our cultural excursion. . . .

So as the excursion finally began we piled into 2 vehicles - ours was bigger - we had 4 of us in the back where there are seats facing each other. . . Anyway, we began to plan our excursion, talking about where we wanted to go and what we wanted to see.



This progressed to a rather lively and fun gathering at the table as some others joined us. I got to meet people I had seen around but not formally met and we had a nice time. Then I walked them back to the office where they were gonna wait for their car for the cultural excursion planned.

A High Profile Day

Wow. (That seems to be a popular beginning to my blogs!) Today was . . . where do I begin?!!? (That is also typical, huh?!) Anyway, I had a ginormous day today - let me give you the play by play. So it began with a 6:30 wake-up call. I wanted to give myself 8ish hrs. of sleep for the huge day. Then I went to b-fast at 7 and stayed there until 8 w/ my conference presenters: "Dr. friends!" Which was great - b/c one of my friends gave me his card and we had the best time getting to know each other. He is great - such a nice guy - plant pathologist - and is the one from CT. He passes Wesleyan Un. he said like 4-5 times a week. He was telling me about Middletown and all the great things to do. I am really exited for the beautiful river that the campus overlooks - I never saw that while we were there - the CT.



Anyway, apparently the best Thai restaurant in all of CT (hah- catch that? ALL of CT!!). And anyway, the most exciting part! I am supposed to email him when I get out there and he was telling me how there is this great place to hike that he goes to and then a good b-fast place as well! So I am thrilled about that, these wonderful PhD men going to this conference have been the most fun to have around! I mean, what a better way to kick off the day than to have great conversations with really accomplished, intelligent, and interesting people!



It is so hilarious also. There are all these special things planned for them b/c of this conference but they always want and try to invite us . . . for example they had this whole cultural dance/performance show and they were reminiscing about how we should have been there b/c there were like 75 empty seats in the auditorium! It is so nice and funny! It's like, well, we aren't quite that high profile around here! (This comment is a lead-in, I admit it!)



Except for today! I guess it would be qualified as very high profile indeed. So the day began - well I already told you about breakfast - then I came back to rm., backed things up - and a few sidenotes to add in here:

1) my hair cooperated/was fairly tame today, and. . .

2) I wore my nice Western wear dressiest outfit, and . . .

3) (This is jumping the gun on schedule of events, but no spillage on white shirt during lunch!) :)



Ok, anyway, work this morning was ok. Although I felt like I was waiting for the other shoe to drop the whole time. So I gave presentation to friends last night after supper - which was so so so super helpful and they gave me great suggestions. The concensus was: "You were great - powerpoint was bad!" So, I made a lot of changes to p-point, well not the structure, but I just made it more of a presentation for p-point so cut down on words and such. It was really easy b/c I could simply copy/paste most from paper - same logical sequence. However, for example, in presenting my objectives, I needed to just not give full sentence, and expand upon it. So that was very nice of them to be so helpful . . . and frank!



So my supervisor was on a trip to the village and fell down some stairs there - I felt so bad for her! But she is ok, so I found that out this morning - but she was at wk. of course! And good thing too b/c she leaves for Ethiopia on Monday morning so she had to be here for a lot today - my seminar being one of the things!



So I was supposed to do dry run in the morning to my mentor but then plans changed. I ended up:
1) eating at a banquet-style executive dining hall with Director General
2) then dry-running for mentors in the afternoon
3) making last minute changes
4) and presenting!

The lunch was delicious and I met wonderful people from Un. of Florida who were so cool. (They were husband and wife and the husband was putting on a seminar thing here.)

The presentation went fabulous, the Q and A segment was good also and people were so nice! My mentor said some fail, some pass, and some pass w/ flying colors - I was last one :) (Well she said some fail, I thought it was a joke, but then realized it wasn't meant to be funny - it was true, so I stiffled my laugh!)

Then I was bewildered my presentation was over and I had given gifts to mentors (Iowa farmers' market jam + specialty organic peppermint tea + dbq postcard) . . .

Next I talked with Christen, then other intern friends at dinner, then hung out with UK friends and learned all about UK education system and college admission process. Sol went to Cambridge so that was interesting to learn about . . .

I headed back to my room and didn't end up going to bed until 2 in the morn!!! And then the last Sat. was ahead!

(BTW: I had a technical glitch and had to halfway rewrite this entire day of events so be appreciative!)

One down, Four to Go!

Reminising about the days when my hair would lay nicely after bed. . .

So now is when all these bigwigs are here w/ the plant nutrition conference, and it is great! I go to breakfast and eat with them each day - they are all so nice and fascinating. Today I think this is who we had at our table: Israeli, European, Australian, and another American. One of my "friends" who is a presenter here got this huge drawn out award yesterday! They were talking about how he looked a little embarassed after the whole production. They apparently are really big on respect and recognition here - - - I better remember that for tomorrow! However, anyway, I come home from b-fast only to see my wild wacky hair. The above picture doesn't quite capture the bed head that has taken over - but it expresses emotions. The one below is an even better emotion-communicater!

The hair is in crisis mode! We went from stylish to awkward, back to stylish, and now my hair has hit the permanently in need of cut stage! So I am excited for that :)

These are some things I am ready to return for:

1. Visit to Dr. Miller in Hiawatha, my chiropractor a.k.a. miracle worker! Saved my life as a child . . sob story for another time!

2. Hair cut!

3. Keep moving and grooving to the next chapter in my life: a.k.a. college. (My level of "readiness" for that one is debatable - but it's time for that chapter in the book of life! :p)

4. International travel - which is sure to be a challenge - and a blast!

5. Potentially meeting up in Germany w/ one of the other WFPers who also is coming from India and is my friend! (Really excited for that one - our schedules just line up, so we'll see if the dots can be connected and the paths crossed!)

6. Umm, fresh food from garden sounds nice and some more control over food choices - although the cafe here is the BEST BEST BEST! And I am sooooooo lucky to have gotten such a sweet deal! (I actually have this meal card thing which means all my food is free and I can get pretty much as much as I want and it still wouldn't amount to what the card costs - so anyway, I can always try a bunch of Indian dishes and share w/ friends!) Not to mention, I also have learned things that you can order, like steamed vegetables - I've known that one since like 2nd day! But now I get an egg white omelete made in the morn with onions and tomatoes. . . mhm, mhm, good :) Anyway, that reminds me of 7!

7. Grocery shopping! (An activity I enjoy, especially at co-ops and natural food stores :p)

8. Pretty excited for the Bankston auction. . .

9. Seeing all the Iowa greenery :)

10. Church - although know I get to go to Mass here - I am loving that!!!

11. Packing and shopping for college and school supplies in less than a week sounds challenging and I am always up for a challenge, so I guess that makes the list.

12. And I have saved the VERY VERY BERRY BEST FOR LAST!!!! GETTING TO SEE ALL OF YOU! (Well the ones I get to see that is!) Really excited to see family!!!!!! And the whole Bankston/Iowa community I know and love! :)

Ok, well that is that. And btw: those are the only 2 pictures you get today - just what you were dying to see of India - I know! Alright, on to my day . . .

Well things are really coming down to the end here. I am working on the big bad final reports I have been talking about forever. It will be a great and relieving and successful feeling to finish them up. I present my oral dealio tomorrow - maybe I should be practicing. . . but I just don't feel like it now. I mean, I have been working on this for 2 whole months, I like public speaking, and I have a slideshow. . . so, I am just pooped out of practicing I think! :)

I also then will finalize my written report on Monday and turn it in! Wow! This wkend I don't know if I will toooooo much wild and crazy Indian stuff. Maaaybe venture out a tad and work on report and pack and then on Sunday, hopefully church, and then Monday will be my last day at office, (I'll probably leave early to pack), and then I leave after supper on Monday night! Craziness, huh?!

I am sure it will be hitting me sometime - but right now I am doing ok with everything. 2 days ago I was practically flying with happiness here, then last night I was a bit unsettled/not knowing what to do w/ myself, so then I prayed, thought, and slept and I think I have come to peace with it all. I mean, I don't want to stay here indefinetely. This is what I came for and I am accomplishing my purpose, so it is only right that my time will end after the purpose is complete. Sounds pretty easy on paper, huh?! But I am thinking that maybe I won't cry when I leave b/c I am preparing myself and getting ready now. I mean, I can cry some time later of course, but housing is really gonna think we are cooky if we keep having these cryfests in there!!

So, yeah. That is the agenda and life as I know it. Tonight I am gonna make myself pick up a bit, lay out clothes for tomorrow, mayyyyybbee run through presentation, but maybe wait until tomorrow morning's dry run . . . and get arranged around here. Oh yeah, I can't forget shower time! Off to do that one now!
Chao!

Decent Progress and Tremendous Rain

I was really quite soaked through.

Capturing the whole wet, watery, and fun outfit!

Well this morning I thought I would wake up at 5:30 and do oral presentation. . . I thought wrong. I woke up - felt like a train ran over me (not that bad, but needed more sleep, so went back to bed). Then I woke up in time to get ready and make it to b-fast @ relatively normal time - 7:00 - around when they open. . . I learned today it pays to be a friendly person. I mean you can go through life just looking down and never reaching out to others but you would not meet too many exciting people. There is, as I said or alluded to, this huge big bad conference going on right now on plant nutrition. I have met a few presenters and this morn., the man in line in front of me at cafeteria was another. He is from U. of Cali (San Francisco) and actually has a colleague and friend whose daughter was on this Borlaug-Ruan internship program last yr. in Peru! So that was cool! He invited me to sit with him and I joined some other presenters too at the breakfast table. We had a wonderful and invigorating breakfast chat - I really liked the group of men I was with. However, I was supposed to go back and call the rents so I was able to just quickly chat w/ them before heading off to work after my pleasant morning encounter. They also want me to go to the conference, so I will see if I can spare any time from my work to sit in on a session of interest.

Work was good - I had those coworkers proofread for me a while back and those suggestions have been taken into consideration- but now after making slideshow - it is really helpful and I am making more changes myself to improve report. It is becoming quite concise also. These 2 pgs. with some of my village profile have 6 graphs and commentary to explain the data . . . 6 graphs on 2 pgs! Man, I am learning to shrink and make it fit! You see b/c a new chapter of report needs to start on a new pg. but I don't like to have any gaps so a little fanangling needs to be done :) Anyway. . .

I met another great man at work today. He is going to miss my seminar on Fri. b/c he leaves for a trip tomorrow but took the time to explain a part of ICRISAT's Village Level Studies program to me. He was sooooo nice and I was wanting to me him too. I am sad he'll miss my report but he can read my report if he so chooses! Also found out my village investigator - the really nice man who got flown in from Delhi just to introduce me to the village - will miss my report on Friday also. (Trips, trips, what are you gonna do!?!?)

Sidenote: I have a roommate lately. He is one of those iguana/lizard things. I am not a big fan b/c he is not little enough to be cute but when I first spotted him - I told him I'd like to stay out of each others' way. He just was making some little noises so I told him to stop. It was unsettling. :) I sure like sleeping under my mosquito net! :)

I left wk. at tea time this afternoon b/c I needed to practice oral report aloud - from rm. However, I first needed to go on my tea time walk - but it was raining. So. . . even better! I came to room, deposited things, and considered changing clothes. I then realized: These clothes are already partially wet (from walk home), why not just get them really wet?!!? So then I headed off. It was awesome - and (Claire: I embraced each raindrop twice!) really really funny also. I mean, I was in work clothes and . . . it was pouring. So I got soaked. Some people I saw were under this overhang waiting it out - and me - this crazy, looney, whitey, is just splashing along in the muddy puddles getting more drenched by the second. (Just for the record - I was wearing good clothes for it - brown peculiar pants and a tan cotton shirt - and (Mom's) sandals.) Thanks Mom! Those sandals have been the best best best!

It was a great walk - and then I came back and practiced presentation. My voice couldn't last through whole thing. I gotta start talking more around here or something. Maybe less. . . :)

Yeah, now I am just doing the nightly routine! ROUTINE! That will be changing soon enough :( And I am a fan of my busy little schedules! Gonna shower before supper and then I am hoping to get to bed much much earlier tonight! I will look a little nicer in the morn if I meet any more bigwigs around here! (BTW!!! Apparently all the flags were up @ ICRISAT - and still are - not for the conference - but for the PRIME MINISTER OF A.P. (ANDHRA PRADESH!!!!) Man, what I would do to get to see/meet with him!!! It is very allusive though - no one knows where he is or why. Well. . . no piddly-diddly interns I mean :)

I'm off then - if I think of any more enlightening news or excitement, I will be sure to let you know. . . OH YEAH! So Lisa just told me that Claire got bumped up to 1st class on the ride home! 1st class! Boy oh boy - some have all the luck! Well, I guess I have some pretty awesome travel thus far. I am excited for next international travel. I will be shock - absolute shock perhaps - leaving here, but maybe I can enjoy the travel still. Int. travel is my favorite, but this will be my 1st experience coming home from int. trip. . . so idk what that one will be like!

Alrighty then. . . More later!!
<3 Leah

A Breathtaking Day in India

The sun is beginning to set - and Christen is the small figure modeling next to the tree.

Breath-taking sunset.

So, in case you were wondering, it is actually just a little bit gorgeous here.

This is where I work - my brand, spanking new office space. (Well, I am pretty moved in by now!)

Helping Claire carry bags out - such a sad event!

Yes, Claire, we will miss you! (Already do!)

Sol took the picture of us, the decorations, and Claire-bear!!!

And on to today. . .

It was simply one of a kind. The sun, the air, the weather, the trees, the flowers. Oh my. I cannot explain how the warm wind carried the aroma of the freshly blooming white, purple, and pink flowers to my nostrils and filled my whole body with the calming and fulfilling scent. It was priceless.

I woke up early this morn., went through my oral presentation before breakfast, then after b-fast went on a great walk after getting my things set up in the office before office hours began b/c it was just soooooo beautiful from the get-go, I couldn't stay inside. I went on 3 more walks then before the end of the work day and then went on another tonight with my friend Christen. We went to one of the lakes on campus before supper to watch the sunset. It was so so so beautiful. Christen also came with me on one of my walks today during morning tea break and that was so nice. We even spotted a crab - just on the street!! No camera for a picture of that, but I have some real beauts from this evening you saw :)

There is so much going on right now at ICRISAT - I feel like my head is just spinning in circles. They have all the flags up on the way in to campus - and having the flags up is a really big deal! So there is this international nutrition conference. We met a man from CT actually who is here for a few days presenting at it and made friends with him at lunch yesterday. Then today at lunch some (we think European, maybe Australian) people were questioning us about getting out to see Hyderabad since we are such experts! Ha! Apparently they were cautioned against going out for some reason - but they are bound and determined to make their own way! (I wonder who told them not to b/c it was all I could do to keep everyone who I met from sending me on a plane to Delhi to see a few more sights!)

I am so appreciative of every moment here - I cannot even begin to describe the beauty. Every day I just breathe so deeply and imagine capturing it all to send home - or to bring back with me. However, a picture, a video, or any other virtual tour just cannot capture the full experience, but they do help. So I have been trying to snap like it is going out of style!

Then tonight at supper - which was so delicious - I need to take some more pictures of the food as well b/c I am really appreciating that lately also! . . . Anyway, we met another man who is here originally from Australia - but lives in Taiwan with his family at the World Vegetable Center Headquarters. That was neat b/c he heard about Claire b/c she interned there and they have been getting WFP interns for 4 yrs. now. He also knows Tamara - the WFP intern in Taiwan at his center right now! He was really nice.

However, the amount of white people on campus right now is getting a little too much for me. We are feeling bombarded by the western world right now - I guess people are flocking to ICRISAT for these big conferences going on! I talked to an Indian friend tonight from work. He is so nice and wonderful to me. He always asks about my work, my health, my happiness here in India, how my experience has been, what I have learned, and if I would like to come back when I am Dr. Leah to do some research here again. I try to shake off the "Dr." part, but say of course I would love to come back here! He is just thrilled - I guess he has met Westerners who don't want to come back, but all the Westerners I am w/ here all either plan to come back or have been here before or both! The only problem is that I always get chatting with Indians at night - outside - and of course I am the one squirming with the bites! But a few bites are worth a wonderful chat - so it is a payoff :)

Alright - I need to go to bed now now now - gonna wake up early and hope to do a run-through of slides and maybe a call home to B-town, IA.

So Long!