Bangalore, Karnataka India...Unity in Diversity

After 18+ hours of flying, we arrived in Bangalore at 1:00 a.m. and to our hotel after 3:30 a.m. We were all happy to arrive, but traveling abroad demands that you are always thinking about what needs to be done next. With bloodshot eyes and the beginnings of hallucinations due to sleep deprivation, we very quickly shifted into figuring out where to exchange money for Indian rupees, how to manage settings on our cell phones so that we didn't have $100s of dollars in charges waiting for us when we got home and if indeed, the WiFi would work in the hotel. Bless the people who work in the hospitality industry, as they are eternally patient with us American travelers :-)

Hundreds of people waiting outside the Bengaluru Airport to pick up passengers

Licia, my partner teacher from Pennsylvania, and me @ Bengaluru Airport

Today, we listened to presentations on the foundations of the Indian education system and Indian culture and history. The prevailing theme of both presentations was that India is a place of unity within diversity. 

It's Monsoon Season...

Our gracious host in Rajkot, Gujarat on the western coast has prepared us for the monsoon season. She's advised us to bring an umbrella and rain gear. I've read that monsoon season is a time of revitalization for the country, since 80% of the country's rainfall occurs during the months of monsoon season (June -September). Take a look at these images from the 2013 season so far.

Land of Languages

As an English as a New Language teacher, I always love learning about the languages and culture of my students. I have had several Indian students over the years who spoke Tamil, Hindi, Gujarati and Telugu respectively. There are 22 "scheduled languages" of India, although Hindi and English are most commonly used for governmental and political communication. Each state of India can choose its official language. While many people speak English for everyday interactions, I am looking forward to learning a few helpful phrases. I'm sure my terrible pronunciation will be a great ice breaker!

Using the following links, you can listen to common Hindi phrases, see samples of the languages that abound in India and discover which location they are spoken.

(information in this post was excerpted from www.indiabook.com)

Quotes

Always seeking inspiration in words...


"India is, the cradle of the human race, the birthplace of human speech, the mother of history, the grandmother of legend, and the great-grandmother of tradition. Our most valuable and most instructive materials in the history of man are treasured up in India only."

- Mark Twain

"We're living in a time when the world has suddenly discovered India because it's run out of raw material for its imagination. The raw materials for imagination are inexhaustible here." -Deepak Chopra

"A nation's culture resides in the hearts and in the soul of its people."- Mahatma Gandhi

"If there is one place on the face of earth where all the dreams of living men have found a home from the very earliest days when man began the dream of existence, it is India!" -Romaine Rolland

Where I will call home...

This is where I will be staying while in Rajkot. The schools I will be working in are within a short walking distance. 

Tourist vs. Traveler in India: There is a Difference

This article is a good primer for both the traveler and the tourist in India. I hadn't thought about the semantic differences between the two words until now. The tourist has to be prepared to make every attempt to observe and experience the wonder of grand attractions; however, she must also pay attention to the smallest gesture of good will and welcome. The traveler, however, must be prepared for the assault of the senses and must accept that the combination of heat, volume of people, communication barriers and lack of the western attention to a schedule will be part of the experience. Travel helps you to test your own limits and learn about yourself as much as touring allows you to witness beauty and history.

http://www.indiamike.com/india-articles/8_the-india-confusion

Heat Wave...

Check out this link about the heat wave in India...

http://world.time.com/2013/05/22/india-heatwave/photo/topshots-india-weather-summer/?iid=hl-article-moreontime

While St. Louis is miserably humid during the summer, it looks like I will feel right at home in India.