October 9 Conference Call 7pm

Hello India Delegates!

Reminder that our next conference call is Tuesday, October 9, at 7 PM ET.  Hoping that everyone is able to join in!  

Toll Free Phone Number:  1-888-757-2790

Guest Code When Asked:  445585

We plan to discuss:  

Facts about India:  Please be able to let all the rest of us know something you have discovered by India.

Gifts and/or thank you notes you might want to take for people like our Indian delegation manager, driver, guides.

Form updates and any questions concerning visa apps.

Ordering rupees.  

Any questions about items discussed during last conference call on Sept. 18.

PLEASE LET US KNOW IF THERE IS SOMETHING YOU WOULD ALSO LIKE US TO INCLUDE.

Story of India on PBS

Tuesday Oct 2nd in 1869, Mohandas Gandhi was born into a Hindu community in coastal Gujarat, India. Gandhi is recognized and remembered for using non-violent civil disobedience to lead India to independence from the British.
Explore "The Story of India" interactive photo gallery to learn about the themes, events and individuals that helped shape India’s history at http://to.pbs.org/OBfV5r

Switching to FB

After you read all this great info, be sure to check the FB page at https://www.facebook.com/groups/p2pspiritIndia/
We are suspending this blog and putting all our info on FB now!  See you there!

Forms Needed!

Hey Delegates,
Molly needs copies of your health form and success contract.  Please send via snail mail to her Cincinnati address!   do you still have a friend that wants to join us?  It's not too late! Contact Molly with name and contact info.

McDonald's Goes Vegetarian — In India

Thought you all would be interested in this article!
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2012/09/04/160543754/mcdonalds-goes-vegetarian-in-india?utm_source=NPR&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=20120903

With all the great food available to us in India - would you want to try this new menu?

Join our FB group at
https://www.facebook.com/groups/p2pspiritIndia/
It's closed so request to join or send me your FB ID and I'll add.

Recorded Conference Call from 8/11/2012

Greetings to India Delegates.  Please see below in order to listen to the recording of our recent conference call on August 11.

The facilitator has sent me the following instructions:
To listen to a digital audio recording of this conference, use the following:
Toll free: 1-888-203-1112 #
Recording ID: 76771656

As I emailed earlier, I would like to arrange for additional conference calls--to occur at 7 PM ET on various weekday evenings.  That way all delegates can hopefully log in multiple times without conflict.

Please give me a couple of areas you would like to focus for our next scheduled call, and I'll set up our second conference call late August/early September.

Don't forget to complete your Health Form and Success Contract and get those to me.

Thanks everyone!
Molly

Another movie to see!

A friend went to see the movie "Trishna" last night and highly recommends it. It is about a beautiful Indian woman who lives in an area of poverty in rural India. She meets a wealthy man who takes her out of poverty and treats her well at first......... don't want to spoil it with any more details but think you would enjoy it.

Hey Everyone

My name is Tylor Peterson, I'm a 21 years old Junior at Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego, I'm studying business administration. I was born in Akron, Ohio and  grew up in Oregon. I went to England and France the summer before my freshman year of high school, then to Austria and Germany for the world sports festival where I played on the USA soccer team, that was my senior year, both trips were with P2P. I've done a fair share of traveling outside of P2P, I've been to Australia, Brazil, Mexico and Canada and several trips to Euro. So traveling is a huge part of me, and I'm stoked to get the opportunity to go to India. I'm looking forward to the experience.

See everyone in a couple months.

Clothing and Money Suggestions

1. Dress was conservative. Even on our white water rafting day, students were not allowed to wear bathing suits. There were days in the mountains when we were doing our adventure activities that students did wear shorts, but everywhere else we were told that capris were okay for girls, but no shorts. Since you won't be in the mountains, I'd suggest that girls don't even pack shorts--unless 1 pair for hotel.
2. Our itinerary really required footwear other than flip flops. After one day, we were easily able to enforce this because the students discovered that they were not appropriate for our activities. One other factor---cows are everywhere and cow pies certainly go with the territory---not good for flip flop wearing!
3. Money---we easily obtained rupees here in the U.S. We made sure that everyone who flew into Newark early enough in the day had rupees with them. If not we took them to the currency exchange in the airport. There may have been a few (I was dealing with lost luggage incident once we arrived) who arrived later in Newark that exchanged once we arrived in Delhi.
4. US money---wasn't really an option. However, I did use US dollars one time when the DM brought a few cheap items from vendors onto the bus for us to purchase. A few US dollars in small denominations would be okay---but not many.

  THE ABOVE COMMENTS WERE GIVEN TO ME BY A PTP LEADER WHO JUST RECENTLY RETURNED FROM INDIA.  I'LL PASS ALONG ANYTHING I RECENT VISITORS SUGGEST AS I GET INPUT.

MOLLY

EWU Credit

If anyone is taking a course through EWU that requires the textbook titled "Principles of Intercultural Communication" I have a copy that I no longer need. Just shoot me an e-mail at elizabethfilkins79@comcast.net to let me know.

HIgh School P2P bolg on India trip

Check out this blog, https://www.facebook.com/ChisagoPTPIndia   This is  about the delegation of American students that explored iconic sights, engaging with local people and helping the underprivileged. Our trip will be equally awesome!

More Pics from India

The High School delegation has shared some additional pictures.  The cooking class looks amazing!  Leader MJ writes this,

"We have shared some of our pictures from India, but if you want to see more of the incredible things that our delegates are doing and the people they are meeting, check this out: http://www.flickr.com/photos/82016761@N04/show/

Pic from P2P High School trip to India Summer 2012 - A preview of what's to come!

These are from MJ's trip with High School Inaugural tip to India.  Looks like they brought book donations to distribute to the children.  More on that in the future!  The delegates helped clean  trash from the boulder bed and learned about the prayer wheels with the Dalai Lama.  Another comm

 

Summer Reading and viewing

Hi All!  Molly came across tow interesting books on India that would make great summer reading. The two books on India that Molly recommends are Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo and Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts.  Both books are available at your public library.  The one by Katherine Boo comes on CD which would be great for listening if you are taking any long drives!


Also, if you haven yet see this movie,

Molly says it s a wonderful movie.  Put it on your "to see" list for summer fun! I'll post the 

Google review below.

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

Reviews - Photos - IMDb

‎1hr 58min‎‎ - Rated PG-13‎‎ - Comedy/Drama‎
Director: John Madden - Cast: Bill Nighy, Maggie Smith, Judi Dench, Tom Wilkinson, Dev Patel - :

A group of British retirees decide to "outsource" their retirement to less expensive and seemingly exotic India. Enticed by advertisements for the newly restored Marigold Hotel and bolstered with visions of a life of leisure, they arrive to find the palace a shell of its former self. Though the new environment is less luxurious than imagined, they are forever transformed by their shared experiences, discovering that life and love can begin again when you let go of the past.

Great Documentary Series on India

Did you know that the first know edicts on animal rights originated in India?  The first animal hospital was established in India too.

The Mahabharata is the longest Sanskrit epic. Its longest version consists of  over 200,000 individual verse lines the Mahabharata contains much philosophical and devotional material, such as a discussion of the four "goals of life".  the importance of the Mahabharata to world civilization to that of the Bible, the works of Shakespeare, the works of Homer, Greek drama, or the Qur'an.

For those that would like to explore more about India, here is a link to the series "The Story of India" with host Michael Wood.  It's a PBS series that can be found on the web at
http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/story-of-india/
and also  can be found on instant view on Netflix.   

9. Education in India

Despite growing investment in education, 25% of its population is still illiterate; only 15% of Indian students reach high school, and just 7%, of the 15% who make it to high school, graduate.
Just 5 yrs ago the Prime Minister had this to say:
Our university system is, in many parts, in a state of disrepair...In almost half the districts in the country, higher education enrollments are abysmally low, almost two-third of our universities and 90 per cent of our colleges are rated as below average on quality parameters... I am concerned that in many states university appointments, including that of vice-chancellors, have been politicized and have become subject to caste and communal considerations, there are complaints of favoritism and corruption.
— Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in 2007

As of 2011, there are 1522 degree-granting engineering colleges in India with an annual student intake of 582,000,^[7] plus 1,244 polytechnics with an annual intake of 265,000. However, these institutions face shortage of faculty and concerns have been raised over the quality of education

8. Food and Drink

We will Go behind the scenes in Jaipur and meet the chef of a famous local restaurant serving Rajasthani cuisine.   We will explore local ingredients, spices, and herbs, and learn to make a special Indian dish.  Indrani shares some thoughts about what we might expect! 

7. Currency in India - Money Money Money

The exchange rate will mean lots of rupee bills to manage.  Bring some paperclips to keep the denominations separate. The modern rupee is subdivided into 100 Paise (singular paisa) though this division is now theoretical; as of 30 June 2011, coin denominations of less than 50 paise ceased to be legal tender. Bank notes are available in nominal values of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 500 and 1000 rupees

Cash is best for markets.  Leave your debit card at home, but you can bring a VISA or MC and your PIN number to use at the many ATM's  Use you credit card only at larger (air-conditioned) stores.
Currency converter can be found at  http://wwp.greenwichmeantime.com/time-zone/asia/india/currency-india/index.htm

Holi Celebration

HOLI

Holi, the festival of color, is undoubtedly the most fun-filled and boisterous Hindu festival and one of the oldest among Hindu festivals. Draped in white, people throng the streets in large numbers and smear each other with bright hued powders and squirt colored water on one another through pichkaris (big syringe-like hand-pumps), irrespective of caste, color, race, sex, or social status; all these petty differences are temporarily relegated to the background and people enjoy a colorful rebellion. Every year Holi is celebrated on the day after the full moon in early March and glorifies good harvest and fertility of the land. It is also time for spring harvest. The new crop refills the stores in every household and perhaps such abundance accounts for the riotous merriment during Holi.

6. Souviners and Shopping

India is rich in luxurious textiles.  Silk pays a big role in textiles that range from the glorious silken sari's to the beautifly woven silken rugs.  Garments may be elaborately embroidered over hand stamped patterns that have been passed down through the ages.  Pashima's are a must for the fashion minded!

5.Diversity in India

  
Regarded by many historians as the "oldest living civilization of Earth", the Indian tradition dates back to 8000 BC, and has a continuous recorded history since the time of the Vedas, believed variously to be 3,000 to over 5,500 years ago.Several elements of India's diverse culture, such as Indian religions, yoga, and Indian cuisine, have had a profound impact across the world.

4. Arranged Marriages

There are numerous articles on the web about this custom. What do you think about arranged marriages?

3. Economics in India

The 2011 Census lists India as the second highest population in the world. While India accounts for 2.4% of the world surface, it supports and sustains a whopping 17.5% of the world population.

The Indian government officially recognizes historically discriminated lowest castes of India such as Shudras and Untouchables as Scheduled Castes. These Schedules Castes are sometimes referred to as Dalit in contemporary literature. In 2001, the proportion of Dalit population was 16.2 percent of India's total population.
Since 1950, India has enacted and implemented many laws and social initiatives to protect and improve the socio-economic conditions of its Dalit population. By 1995, of all jobs in India, 17.2 percent of the jobs were held by Dalits, greater than their proportion in Indian population. The quality of life of Dalit population in India, in 2001, in terms of metrics such as access to health care, life expectancy, education attainability, access to drinking water, housing, etc. was statistically similar to overall population of modern India.

2. Appropiate Clothing

Breathable clothes are often sold as "wicking" or "dry fit"  athletic clothes.  Cotton is always breathable, but in the summer months in India it's very hot so heavy cotton would not be so comfortable.  During December a nice long-sleeve cotton shirt will come in handy and you can layer over it for additional warmth.  No "Daisy-Dukes" - remember your 4 "B's" of dressing, no exposed backs, breasts, bellies and buttocks!

Meet Indrani Chatterjee!

 

Our dear friend and P2P Leader Indrani was born in India and her family still lives there.  Molly spends some time talking with her in this first of a series of short videos about India.  Enjoy!

Question on Happiness

From the Daily Traveler website... http://www.cntraveler.com

San Francisco State University says that people who spend money on experiences instead of new things are happier overall. The researchers issued a questionnaire to 10,000 people, and those who spent their money doing something new— flying to Italy, eating dinner at a new restaurant, buying tickets to a play that just opened—were generally more content with life than those who blew their cash on shoes or fancy gadgets. Those so-called “experiential spenders” were also more likely to play well with others, take risks, and feel less anxious. A 2010 study at the University of Colorado had similar findings, and went so far as to say experiential spenders were seen as more charismatic and as people you'd like to spend more time with; the shopaholics came off as shallow. Now we just feel like we're bragging, so tell us: Are you happier when you spend money doing or buying something fabulous?

In India we can do both!

From one of my favorite places to shop - Marketplace Handwork of India comes this typical street food called "Pani Puri" which is basically crunchy balls of wheat with a spicy filling of potatoes filled with ice cold spicy minty water. Its an explosion of flavors in your mouth and Indians love it!!!  Here's a website that has some tasty recipes.
 http://www.manjulaskitchen.com/  Follow the link. They are mini puris stuffed with potatoes. Just before eating you pour into the top a little lemon juice, ginger, coriander, tamarind liquid. Awesome!

Colors in India!

Can't wait to see the colors of India in person!

http://peopletopeopleblogs.com/2012/3/holi-festival-of-color-and-family/

Passport Info for India

In case you haven't had time to read all the great information on the Delegate PTP site, so I"ve extraced some information about Passports that you should be aware of.  Spend some time checking out the other cool info on your Delegate website.

Your passport
Because your official national identity is so important during international travel, you must have a valid
passport. U.S. and Canadian citizens may obtain or renew a passport application form at a local post
office or courthouse in their home country. There are also resources online. It can take as long as eight
weeks to obtain a passport, so apply early! Please read all instructions carefully and completely.
Your passport must be valid for six months after your return date from India. This is required by
the Indian government, so please double-check your passport’s expiration date.

Also, please note that you must have at least two blank visa passport pages for immigration
endorsements. The official endorsement pages in the back of most passports will not be accepted for
immigration use. The blank visa page needed for endorsement purposes excludes pages in a passport
reserved for observations and amendments.

It is important that we receive a copy of the picture page of your passport (showing your complete
name, passport number, date of issue, date of expiration, and date of birth) and a copy of your
current driver’s license or state identification (showing your current address) as soon as possible
after application.

We also recommend that you make a copy of the picture page of your passport and your visa page,
after it is received, and carry it separately from your passport. If necessary, this information will expedite
the process of replacing a lost or stolen passport while traveling.

	Where else can a college student ride an elephant, stroll through an ornate palace, AND cook authentic Indian cuisine under the guidance of a professional chef? And that's only one city on next winter's Collegiate Ambassador program!

Namaste!

Hello! My name is Maggie. I’m a 22 year old college student from Tulsa, Oklahoma. I’m finishing up my requirements for a degree in Asian Studies and a minor in Japanese at the University of Oklahoma. I’m currently living in Yamaguchi, Japan where I study at Yamaguchi University and work at a local English Conversation School part time. I absolutely love it here and hope to return soon as an English teacher. I’m going to Boston in May to hopefully get a TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) certificate. I’m also hoping to volunteer with a local school in the ESL department after I return to America.

In my freshman year of high school, I went to the UK with P2P and had a wonderful time. I am so excited for India! My degree has allowed me to take some classes on India and I am thankful for the opportunity to actually experience what I’ve been learning about. I think India has such a rich and ancient culture and I can’t wait to be a part of it and be able to talk with locals about the legends and the Hindu gods. Like I discovered with Japan, you can read about and study a culture for years, but until you can experience it for yourself, I don’t think you can really understand it.

I look forward to meeting everyone and sharing a fantastic experience!

Hello fellow travelers!

Hi! My name is Elizabeth but I usually go by Lizzie. I was born in Frederick, Maryland were I still live (while not in school) with my parents, sister, dog (Wendy, in the picture with me), and lizard. I am currently a student at the University of Kansas. In May 2011, I graduated with my undergraduate degree in Unified Early Childhood Education which means I am able to teach children from birth to third grade in general education and special education settings. My master’s is Functional Special Education which will allow me to work with people up to the age of 21 with severe disabilities that require assistance with basic daily needs like feeding themselves. I am also working on an endorsement to teach English as a second language.

In high school I participated in 3 P2P Student Ambassador Programs allowing me to travel to Europe and Australia. I have also participated in several PTPI programs in high school and college.

I wanted to participate in this trip to India for many reasons. I guess the biggest reason is because we will be given MANY opportunities to interact with and help the people of the places we are visiting. The activity that intrigues me the most is getting to teach English at a local school. Other reasons to participate in this trip include learning more about the culture of India, seeing new sights, and meeting new people.

I can’t wait the get to know everyone and travel with you in December!
Lizzie