School's Out For Summer

I feel like apologizing for my longest absence yet from this blog would be playing the same tune for you readers that I have played many times over the summer. However I do apologize if you have been checking the blog only to be disappointed. I could blame it on Europe (which seems to be the trend as far as the healthcare debate goes right now), I could blame it on the two weeks in Little Rock, or I could blame it on my recent move to Houston to begin work with the Houston Early Age Risk Testing and Screening (HEARTS) organization at the University of Texas Medical School at Houston (http://www.utcardiovascular.com/hearts/). However a wise man in India told me that whenever you point a finger in blame you are always pointing three back at yourself. I have thought of few instances where this saying is not true.

So I hope we can all make this water under the bridge and move in a POSITIVE direction to a new chapter in the discussion of STUFF. Let’s go.

The last month or so for me has been one of transition and constant exposure to new experiences. I visited five countries in two weeks and learned many things about how some western European countries operate. For example Switzerland has a private health insurance system that is not controlled by the government other than the fact that the government requires all citizens to have a bare minimum of coverage (almost like automobile insurance here in the United States). Instead, they have 15 companies that the individual citizen chooses from, almost a forced capitalism if you will, to provide their health insurance. I thought this was an interesting idea since I am under the belief that change to our healthcare system must happen but it must be a hybrid system that combines both reform and a respect for our capitalistic traditions. The current system is unsustainable given that healthcare costs are rising 2% faster than our GDP.

I have digressed however. I returned from my adventures abroad on August 5 and went straight to a Mexican (Tex-Mex) restaurant. I found it ironic that the only country that can do decent Mexican food is in fact, America. The next stop for me was Little Rock where I got to see most of my classmates, the staff and faculty at the Clinton School, and friends. It was nice being home, eating all of my comfort food such as Buffalo Grill (four times) and seeing the sights and sounds of the city that I have fallen in love with.

After a whirlwind couple of weeks I made the six and half hour journey down south to Houston. I am 24 years old, living with my parents, having the best possible Capstone Project opportunity, and taking classes to become an EMT. Life, I must say is pretty good. The main reason why I am here though is to help better children’s lives through public service.

As I have learned over the past year or so, public service comes in many forms. I have had my preconceived notions about what it means to be a public servant; police officer, military, paramedic etc, all the “normal” jobs that people see daily as serving the public. However, as I have been thrown into the “deep end” of public service, I have changed or added on rather, to my definition of a public servant. I would have never thought that as a graduate student I could be a public servant. But here I am two days into the job, just back from India and I realize that even the work that we do as students as huge impact on the lives as many.

All of my classmates and many students around the world are doing the same thing. We have an incredible opportunity to help others as students, an opportunity that is available to no one else in any other field. Given our flexible schedules, our enthusiasm, and the natural curiosity that comes with being a student we are in the unique position to positively impact the world as no one else can. Thinking back to undergraduate I feel as though I wasted valuable time that could have been spent serving others rather than myself. Not saying I look unfavorably on my undergraduate days because I assure you I do not. I just did not realize the potential that I had to help others.

Now I am working everyday on helping prevent the sudden cardiac death (SCD) of school children in the fourth largest metropolitan area in the United States. I have just returned from India where I was responsible for ensuring the continuation of projects that literally enabled people to live. I had classmates help educate indigenous populations on reproductive health, help build a better life for prisoners, and various sustainability projects. Based on what? That we are students? Pretty awesome responsibility.

So to conclude this rant, the last four months have been an awakening about me, about the world, and about how I can impact others. After doing something like I did this summer and like many have done before me and will continue to do hereafter, I realize that the potential for public service is in us all and we have the ability to make a difference through means that most have never thought about as public service. My definition of public service has expanded greatly and for that I am thankful.

Next time on “Positive Stuff” I will go in depth about the work that I am doing with the HEARTS organization and its impact on the entire community.

Reverse Culture Shock

This is now day eight of my European trip and I must say that it has been the experience of a lifetime. While I am not able to upload any pictures I will be sure to let you know when Ashley updates her Facebook with a link to said pictures.

One of the things that I have noticed is how clean the cities are that I have been to. There is certainly a noticeable increase in government services in terms of street cleaners, police, and other emergency services. These are all things that I noticed were lacking in India. Secondly there is constant construction on new buildings and repairing of old ones. There is also a noticeable commitment to the environment. There are recycling bins on every corner and the cars are of course smaller. In fact during a 24 hour period here in Milan, Ashley and I have counted 201 Smart cars.

In a less academic adventure, we went to Laga da Como (Lake Como) yesterday and it was exaclty like you see in the movies. However nothing can describe actually being there. The villas sprawling up the tree covered hills, the serene water, and freshest air one can imagine. Towards the end of the day we took a trolley up the hill and had an authentic Italian meal (I had lasagna) overlooking the lake. Needless to say it was very enjoyable.

For now we are boarding the 3:10 train to Zurich. I cannot wait to see the Swiss Alps. Hopefully there will be wireless so I can upload photos. I shall keep you posted.

Hola and Adios

I have been absent from my blogging duties for a while. Mea Culpa. However I have been documenting every bit of the trip so far. Ashley and I are about to leave Barcelona for Milan but over the past five days we have been to Barcelona, Valencia, and Madrid. All I can say so far is that Spain is absolutely amazing. It is beautiful and the people are very helpful and friendly. I also noticed how clean the cities are and the obvious presence of municipal services.

These are just some preliminary observations of course but in the mean time click here to see the photos from the trip so far. I will later expound upon my thoughts in a more insightful and detailed manner. For now it is off to the overnight train to Milan and hopefully no power outages on the train. More on that later. Adios!!!

The Final Countdown

I chose this title for my last blog post from India for several reasons. One, it is kind of an obvious title. Two, the band who sings it, Europe, might be the greatest band known to mankind. And finally it was the choice I convinced the hockey team at the University of Alabama to come out from the locker room to from our second intermission break. In fact the last time coming out of the locker room I heard it I became very emotional because I knew that this was the last time I would ever hear the song as a player for the University of Alabama. It was something that meant a great deal to me and still does.

I am at the end of another journey however. This journey was one of the best things to happen to me, much like the hockey team. Throughout the last ten weeks I have gone all over the state of Gujarat and Rajasthan, including the Pakistani border. I have learned a great deal about organizations and humanity. If you have been following this blog for any length of time you have seen some of the stories that I have uncovered as part of my work here. Well I will be the first to tell you that they are just an infinitesimal fraction of the stories of pain and suffering but also stories of hope, life, and understanding. I feel as though I have gone through a transformation in terms of how think about the world. "The World" is no longer something that is in a text book or in a lecture it is real and there is a lot more left to see.

As I am writing this I am sitting in the office saying my goodbyes and thanking everyone that I have met over the last ten weeks. But there are some that are not here in this office that need to be thanked for everything that they have done for me. First I would like to thank the Clinton School of Public Service, The Clinton Foundation, The University of Arkansas System, the great state of Arkansas, Joe Ballard, and Dean Rutherford. The efforts of the aforementioned make the International Public Service Project possible for my classmates and I and will continue to do so for the classes to come.

Secondly I would like to thank 1Well. Dan Morrison and May Yu are two of the greatest people I have ever had the chance of meeting, much less working with. They are patient, kind, and caring. They have put up with me since December of 2008 trying to make this project a reality and no amount of gratitude is sufficient. The entire 1Well team are dedicated public servants and embody the word service in every facet of their organization. For more information please go to www.1Well.org. It is worth your time.

I would also like to thank SEWA for showing me their beautiful country, the good and the bad. We had a great time together and I consider it an honor to be associated with an organization such as theirs. In fact Secretary Clinton has been in India on a five day trip and several of the women I regularly interact with had a private one and a half hour meeting with the Secretary to discuss women's issues in India. Both the former President and Secretary Clinton are strong supporters of 1Well and SEWA.

I would like to thank the people of India for showing me warmth and hospitality. I sometimes felt like I never left home because of how hospitable and friendly people were towards me, a complete stranger.

Finally I would like to thank my classmates, friends, and family, for all of the supportive emails and updates as to what is going on back home and around the world. I have missed you all terribly and I thoroughly enjoyed every blog posting, postcard (Thank you Belize), care package, and Skype calls.

I am at a lost for words where the past ten weeks has gone but I know soon enough that it will all hit me and what I have just done is something people rarely get to experience but often dream about. I will miss India for now, treasure the memories I made, and look forward to making new ones on return trips.

But for now I am off to experience many more cultures as Ashley Davis (www.davisashley.blogspot.com) are traveling five countries in Europe and both she and I will will be reporting on the 'Positive Stuff' that we find over there on our blogs. See you all soon.

Aljo,

Josh

A Little House Cleaning

As I have read my classmates blogs I noticed a few features or posts rather that I too would like the world to know about, such as what books I've read, but the main one I need to respond to right now is the IPSP Biggest Loser competition. Adam and John have both made reference to this competition on their blogs, www.penman612.wordpress.com and www.johnmemmer.wordpress.com, and the fourth member, Chad, just has not talked about it because I think he realized that any effort on his part would be futile.

The reason why I mention it now is because up until yesterday I thought it was smooth sailing. I am in country where the temperatures have exceeded 122 degrees, there is usually no AC, there is no meat, and you cannot even have the occasional beer. So could John and Adam really take me on? I thought 'no'. Then I read John's blog and he said that he had already lost 20 pounds. This also does not concern me as I have lost 30. What does concern me is that I have four days left on my project and John has a month. In addition "Positive Stuff" will be going on a trip to Europe for two weeks which will surely not be good for the competition. So what are my options? I am left with only one conclusion, that being I shall live the Gujarati lifestyle until the official weigh in (for all those of you that just laughed or were just filled with an extreme since of doubt you are correct).

However one thing that I will take away from this experience is that I have re-discovered the joys of working out. After work nearly everyday, barring monsoon rains, I have been working out and finding it a great release. I feel great and I would like to keep that going so I plan to do so upon my return to the states.

In another personal update, when I move to Houston to begin my work with the HEARTS organization (Houston Early Age Risk Testing and Screening) for my Capstone project through the Clinton School, I will also begin my training to become a paramedic, a lifelong dream of mine. The plan is to get my basic certification and continue my education when I return to Little Rock in January.

And in case you have not had enough me yet here is what I have read to date:

"Pirate Coast" by Richard Zacks
"Arkansas Politics and Government" by Diane D. Blair and Jay Barth
"Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell
"Anti Memoirs" by Andre Malraux
"Looking Back at the Arkansas Gazette" by Roy Reed (Clinton School Speaker) (www.clintonschoolspeakers.com)

...and I will be finishing out the summer with "The Defining Moment: Franklin Roosevelt and the
First Hundred Days" by Jonathan Alter, Newsweek's senior editor and former Clinton School Speaker.

I think that that is enough of me for now. Tomorrow is Saturday and I will be in the office all day wrapping up my final few days so if any more epiphanies come into my head I will be sure to let you know.

Back in the Saddle

One of the unfortunate things about international travel is that in a lot of cases one is completely dependent upon technology for the most basic things including, but not limited to, communication. The current predicament that I find myself in is that my laptop has contracted the computer version of H1N1 and is on its way back to Dr. Kari. This also means that my computer will be eating at Buffalo Grill before I do.

However I am entering the last week of my project and I cannot believe it is here. My classmate and good friend Ashley Davis is the only one who precedes me in terms of being completely finished with the entire project and I took a few lessons from her blog about what life is like outside of this intense experience (www.davisashley.blogspot.com). As I spoke with Ashley during her final week she could not believe it was happening, much as I cannot. Ashley also told me that she could not even think about it because of how busy she was during the final stretch. Yet another similarity in the "Final Week" experience.

I have however had the time to reflect only for a moment as to what I have experienced here in the just nine short weeks. From the monkeys bouncing around at all hours of the day on their pedestrian appendages (sometimes two and sometimes four), the unique and all to familiar taste of the curry leaf, the heat (122 where I was for the Fourth of July), and the extreme warmth and generosity of people here including the ones in the villages who were all to eager to spend a day's pay on me so that I could have a Fanta. However there are of course other things that will not soon escape my mind as I have never seen such poverty and hopelessness, whether the people who are living it knew it or not. How life's basic necessities can be absent when the when pain and suffering are so present.

A final thought for now came from the wonderful experience I had just yesterday. Ela Bhatt, the founder of SEWA and a very influential and gracious woman, gave me the honor of sitting down to have a conversation with her. She met me at my guest house where I had prepared a table with the fresh picked flowers that my security guard assembles for me everyday and places into water bottles. I also had a bottle of water with two glasses on a tray underneath the fan on my front porch so we could escape the heat outside and the train wreck inside that my place has become. We sat and talked for close to two hours and one of the many things that she said to me that I will never forget is that, "We are all trustees of society". I have not fully digested all the possible meanings of that statement but initially I could not help to think to myself that if we all felt our vested interest in society and the responsibility we have towards each other, people will begin to see the need for their positive role and participation in society.

For now SEWA will continue to bring people together to give them a voice. A voice that is necessary as the people here are truly under-represented and not empowered. This Union does not represent those that are already making $80/hour but rather those that will make $80 in year (if that). As Ela Bhatt said to me yesterday, "Organization without values is a terror and values without organization is just as bad". I have a new concept of social justice that puts into plain sight the words that Professor Jehan Raheem spoke to us about during the spring semester.

I hope to be online again tomorrow to keep you updated as to my thoughts about my final days here in Ahmedabad. In the mean time please keep Nikolai DiPippa in your thoughts and prayers for a full recovery. He his a wonderful staff member at the Clinton School and even better friend.

Let Freedom Ring

I was sitting in the office today ready to go on a site visit to Dungarpur in the northern state of Rajasthan (One of the only other areas besides here that has yet to feel the effects of the much needed monsoon) and then I received a phone call. It was from the district coordinator telling me that something had come up and we would have to push the trip back till tomorrow and return on Sunday. A common occurrence here in India and no big deal except that this weekend happens to be my favorite holiday of all, the 4th of July. I was planning on visiting Rajasthan anyway but with some European friends who were going to relax and enjoy the sun (if that's possible) but now I will be working in the desert on the most awesome of holidays.

In a vain attempt to provide solace for my patriotic soul I started thinking about it. I am going to a desert wilderness where a loose confederation of villages are dependant on one another for survival and to ensure that life in this area goes on as it has for years. Then I realized I am going to an area that was just like America so many years ago. True the wilderness was different but the need the same. Also India has only had its independence since 1947, when the movement led by Gandhi effectively forced the British out of India (Little bit more peaceful than our spat with Britain). The desire for basic human rights that John Locke talked about are as present here as they were in 18th century America (sans slavery). I will be helping bring these basic human necessities in another country to people who need it desperately.

On certain holidays, such as Thanksgiving (my second favorite) and Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa, we have trained our brains to think about those less fortunate than others. But I think on our own holiday celebrating our independence we should also think of others less fortunate, our troops overseas fighting for the very freedoms I am referring to, and how blessed we are to be Americans.

I would be lying if I did not say that I am going to be a little bit jealous of my friends skiing on the lake, grilling out, being with family, or any of the other ways Americans celebrate Independence Day. However I know that the work that I am doing is much needed and I will certainly say that this is a 4th that I will never forget.

Happy 4th of July to all my fellow countrymen and women. May the Stars and Stripes forever fly and continue to strive to serve as model of justice, peace, and humanity for those who call it home and those who are her neighbors in world.

I would also like to wish a happy birthday to Momma Stokes as it will be her birthday on July 3rd. I love you Mom.

Hotel Pakistan (Part 2)

Readers please forgive my absence from this blog. I have had a very busy, Internet-free couple of weeks. But I would like to continue right where I left off. Last time we talked about the fun side of visiting the Indian/Pakistani border. I would now like to share with you some of the work that I did while I was there.

The first and highest priority village I went to was Sonalnagar which is currently finishing all of its bio-gas plants. If you are not familiar with bio-gas plants they are concrete structures that enable the user to utilize their own resources for cooking. These natural resources are mainly cow and buffalo feces, and considering many people in the Kutch district are involved with animal husbandry there is no short supply of fuel. This cost effective method saves the average user about half of their monthly income that would have been spent on alternative fuels and fertilizers. It also saves countless hours as the villagers no longer have to search for fuel and can spend their day working and generating more income for their families.

In addition to cooking needs there are very serious water needs. The villages of Guher, Sagunguna, Haji-Bhachudiwandh, Kapurashi, and Khengarpar all need water for various reasons but they all boil down to the same thing. Life. I have always been told that water is the essential element to life. But I was told that in an environment where I could go to the faucet, play in the rain, and even drink from some rivers and creeks. This is certainly not the case here and in Social Change last semester, Professor Jehan Raheem told us that one of the next major resource wars will be for water (Canada has the lion's share when it comes to water) and being here it is easy to see why. The people here are dependant on water for their livelihood and their lives and have not even a fraction of the access that we in developed nations have to this precious resource.

When I return home to Arkansas I plan to float the beautiful and majestic Buffalo River. However this time I will not take it for granted and I will certainly be thinking of those in Kutch who do not have this basic life necessity.

A Fool In the Rain

Continuing with my Classic Rock themed titles I thought I would share a little introspection I had today with you all. Can you imagine going 6 and a half months without seeing a drop of the wet stuff. I know in Arkansas that would be impossible. But today when I was walking home from my workout it began to rain, on June 18, for the first time this year. People's livelihood depends on this rain that only comes once a year and stays just a short while. Tough to imagine driving over the I-30 bridge in Little Rock and seeing the Arkansas River completely dried up but this is the reality that people are faced with everyday here.

This is a river one month out of the year.

So while I enjoyed the Led Zeppelin playing in my head while walking home I also realized that this rain was serious business.

Hotel Pakistan (Part 1)

For those of you following me on Twitter, you know that I posted that I was going to an "interesting border area" on Sunday. Well I purposely left out which border area to reduce potential worries that I could not quell due to my lack of communication abilities. If you could not guess I went to the Indian/Pakistani border. Needless to say it was the trip of a lifetime and if I was to make one blog posting about it you all would be very angry at its length. So the first installment will be all about the trip and the sites unrelated to work that I saw. The second installment will be all about the amazing work that took place on this four day journey. Enjoy!

The trip began on Sunday night at 10:00. Qeetaben, Juslaben (the translator, more on that to come), and myself boarded a non-AC sleeper bus. For those of you that have not traveled this way I highly recommend it. You sleep with the windows open underneath the night sky and the gentle rumble of the engine will lull you to sleep. Unless you take into account the horn of the bus that pierces the night air to let other drivers know, "I am a bus, I am big, I win, get out of my way". Or, since the windows are open, watch out for sandstorms (not the the rave song). At about 1:30 in the morning I was awoken to the sensation of sand hitting my face through the open window (See picture below). The storm got so bad that the buses stopped so I walked outside to snap another pic and just to say that I had been in a sandstorm.

After 8 hours we finally arrived in the city of Bhuj in the Kutch district to board another bus for the two hour drive to the SEWA district office. After grabbing some sleep on my bed for the next four days (a thin mattress on the floor) we headed out to the villages for some amazing work. At the conclusion of the second day my translator asked if I would like to go see a Hindu temple. I did not know what a treat this would be. The temple she was referring to was 2,500 years old and was one of the holiest sites in the Hindu religion (Pictures are not allowed to be taken inside). In addition to that it was literally on the Pakistani border separated only by a small "sea'' as my translator called it. It was surreal being next to such a peaceful place knowing that only a few hundred feet away was a country at war with the Taliban. A country filled with strife, pain, and suffering caused by hatred and extremism.

Anyway, as I walked to take a picture of the temple from the dock I was stopped by two Border Security Enforcement Officers, who were mainly curious as to where I was from but showed little emotion, and they proceeded to tell me the whole history of the temple and its significance. The next and final day I went out to more villages but this time actually stepped foot on Pakistani soil as told to me by my translator. The village that we visited was literally on the border and was so remote that it did not even warrant border police (Although I did see the Border Enforcement office on the way back). It was truly an awesome experience.

The land border between India and Pakistan

This concludes 'Hotel Pakistan Pt. 1'. Please stay tuned for the Part 2 detailing all the important work that took place over the last four days in amazing area of the world. And go Penguins!!!

A Short Blogging Hiatus

Dear Loyal Readers,
As work dictates sometimes I must go out on field visits far away from Ahmedabad and my beloved Internet. This is week will be such an occasion. I will be traveling to the Kuch district about 8 hours away and do not know of the Internet situation. But fear not readers as I will have plenty to blog about when I return from this desert wonderland they call Kuch. See you soon.

-JDS

She Thinks My Tractor's Useful

Today was 'America to the Rescue' day. First, there was me, bringing school supplies and developing projects in the Anand district of Gujarat. Secondly there was that great American hero of industry and agriculture, Mr. John Deere.

On our way out to the first village of Devpura to inspect their need for a motorized handpump to access ground water we embarked on a desert road filled with, what do you know, sand. So the brave band of soldiers we were, embarked in our Mahindra Jeep down said road. Halfway through we got stuck. So the ladies said that the driver can deal with it and we can go ahead and conduct our work while he gets the Jeep out. So we walked up to this beautiful village and nursery. As we were walking we noticed a very large group of women meeting underneath a gigantic tree. No big deal I thought because SEWA regularly organizes large meetings with the village women. However, when we walked closer my translator told me that they were a group of women that SEWA had flown in from Kabul, Afghanistan and they were educating them on to start grassroots organizations. The women greeted me and the very first question they asked me was "What country?". At first I was a little hesitant to respond but being the true blooded 'Merican that I am, I proudly responded "America". They all began to smile and greet me one by one. It was a truly unique experience.

A little side story. In January of 2009 SEWA opened an office in Kabul to teach women about self-reliance and grassroots income so that they could provide for themselves and their families especially since many of their husbands had been either killed by the Taliban or their husbands were fighting with the Taliban and had gone underground to avoid coalition forces and continue fighting. Since January of 2009 three separate women on three separate occasions have served as suicide bombers exploding devices attached to themselves inside the SEWA office. Yet, the staff and members of SEWA remained undeterred and unwavering in their fight to enhance the status of women and enable them to become self-sufficient and independent if need be.

Now back to something a little less serious. We continued with our work at Devpura and finished up in about thirty minutes. When it was time to leave I learned that the Jeep was still stuck. The translator either said that we have to push or they will send someone. I said why not just use one of the tractors. At that exact moment, like the P-51 Mustangs coming over the heads of stranded soldiers in WWII, a beaming green John Deere tractor came over the hill and was coming to our rescue. So I hopped on board the tractor with my driver and the tractor driver towards our stranded vehicle (Which the notion of me doing was apparently funny to the women). Once we got to the Jeep the real fun began as you will see in the video. Also I helped dig out the video which was also funny to everyone. I will figure out why me doing labor is funny to people here sooner or later. Flat also made an appearance to try and help but he mainly just lounged in the shade.

Few of you may know that I have over 200 hours on a tractor both from my job at a golf course and my job last summer. But I left it to the experts on this one.

A Big Thank You

I would like to thank everyone who donated to my project throughout the recent months and all those who will give. I am pleased to announce that we have received the funds here in Ahmedabad for the first part of my project, the Khod water tank. This 100,000 liter water tank provides water for the entire village including drinking, bathing, and sanitary water. The tank recently became unsanitary as massive cracks that had, developed comprimising the quality of the water. Women and young girls were having to walk two hours every two hours to fetch water for their family and their basic needs.

Because of your support Women are now able to have jobs bringing in more income to the household and young girls can now have a chance at an education. I thank you and the people of Khod thank you. But there is much work yet to be done. To find out more about my project and the great work that 1Well does please go to http://www.1well.org/ or click the link at the top left of the menu bar on this blog. Here are some pictures of Khod and what you have helped to fix.

Notice the animals bathing literally 25 feet from the drinking water supply. I assure there was no shortage of flys either.

A Day in The Park

So after my initial debacle with the gym regulars, I have now become one of the regulars to the gym and to the park. All the guys want to hang out and still want me to spot them on the bench press or hold their feet for sit-ups, which I gladly do. Yesterday I decided to take my camera and show you the work-out group and the a little bit of the park that the gym is in. It is a beautiful, litter free area which is a nice reprieve from everyday Ahmedabad. Enjoy.

This same motley crew greeted me only days prior with not-so-happy looks when they thought I wanted to "throw another shrimp on the barbie".

One of the trails in the park.

A lily covered pond with some palms in the back. According to the guys at the gym this is the equivalent to 'lover's lane' or 'lookout point'.

O How the World Works

I post this entry with hesitation knowing that my parents and others will worry about safety, but I want to stress that there is nothing to worry about and that this story has a very happy outcome. I also thought it was important because it occurred on the same day as Obama's "Cairo Speech".

For those of you abreast of international news recently, in Australia there was a group of 5 Indian students severely beaten by a group of Australians. This has obviously caught traction and drawn much outrage here in India. Keep this in mind.

So on Monday I realized that I was in a competition to lose the most weight out of the group of guys so I said to myself, "Its time to get serious". I knew there was a park about half a mile down the road so I thought I would give it a whirl. Boy did I ever. On my last lap however I noticed off to the side of the park but still in it, was a room with weights. The group in there seemed to be a group of males in their late teens, early twenties and a pretty exclusive group at that. But I figured that the park was free so I would give it a try next time I came back to the park.

Fast forward to today. I get to the park and start to stretch outside of the gym. I am getting the regular stares that I get on a daily basis. Also the the same group of guys were there that were there on Monday. They started getting together and pointing at me with not so pleasant looks on their faces. I ignored it and kept listening to my iPod. A minute went by and there was now ten guys staring at me conversing. Then they began walking over to me with the same stern looks on their faces. So I took my earbuds out waiting to hear what they were going to say. The leader of the group, said" WHAT COUNTRY?!!! AUSTRALIA?!!!". Immediately my Twitter sense went into overdrive and I knew what they were pissed about. I said, "America". To which he replied inquisitively, "Obama?". I said, "Yes Obama". They all began to smile, give me high-fives, and invited me into the gym where they all wanted me to be their partner and try every exercise with them. When I left, no joke, they all gave me a round of applause and thanked me for coming. One invited me tomorrow to meet him at 6:00 to work out.

While I doubt seriously that this event had anything to do with Obama's speech, since these guys were Hindi and probably did not see the speech, the moral of this long story is that America has done a 180 degree turn from all accounts, in our international standing. People are not seeing us as war-mongers but rather as progressive and diplomatic. It also does not hurt when the guys at the gym have American flag patches on all their clothes and pictures of WWF stars such as John Cena. I hope you all are inspired and I am as always, proud to be an American.

This characteristic of understanding an open-mindedness are essential to becoming a 'global citizen' in today's global society. The message that President Obama expressed yesterday should and does not apply just to the Muslim world but to the world as a whole. With that I am off to the gym with my new workout companions.

The Hokey Pokey

I entitled this article "The Hokey Pokey" because it describes, 'what it is all about'. Yesterday I went the slums of Ahmedabad to visit the Hamare Bachche Program which means "Our Children".

In 2002 a group of about 500 Muslims attacked a train car carrying Hindu pilgrims here in Ahmedabad. 58 men, women, and Children were killed. This caused such an outrage that between February and May of 2002, officials estimate that over 1,000 people (predominantly Muslims) were killed (Although some estimates range as high as 2,000). The result was that many husbands and fathers were killed leaving many Shantibens (Widows) without a husband, although it is important to note that the women are not called widows and the translation of 'Shanti' means 'Women in Peace' and 'ben' means 'Sister', and children without a father. Also the families were left without a primary wage earner forcing some to relocate to lesser conditions and some children to have to work as young as 10 forgoing their education of course.

So yesterday I went and visited many of these families to deliver checks to them from funds that had been raised by 1Well and its amazing donor base. These funds pay for all aspects of a child's education. I will give you one example of the many I encountered yesterday.

Shakiliben is 30 years old. She has 3 children; Farhana, 18, Ilran, 16, and Irzwan, 13. Their father was killed in the riots forcing Shakiliben to work in a fabric factory for 50 Rupees a day or one dollar a day. Her daughter, Farhana is too old to attend any school other than college which they simply cannot afford so she rolls incense sticks everyday for 10 Rupees a day. All together that means that this household of four survives on 1,800 rupees per month. Now subtract the 1,000 Rupees for rent each month and the 800 (16 dollars) does not go so far for food and clothing, much less the 2,500 Rupees/year for Irzwan's school or the 10,000 Rupees/year for Ilrfan's hostel which feeds, shelters, and educates him or for Faarhana's medical expenses for her stomach condition. In fact Ilrfan,up until SEWA and 1Well became involved, would go to school from 7-12 and then go to work the rest of the day to help supply income to his family. He told me that he wants to go to technical school and become a computer programmer.

These children are made fun of by their peers for not having the same uniforms, lunch boxes, or even a slate board which they all are required to have. The teachers publicly chastise the children in front of their peers and in one case a nine year old girl was made to stand out in the sun everyday for an hour for fifteen days for non-payment of fees. In case you have not seen my blog before the heat index can reach up to 130 degrees. So this work being done by SEWA and 1Well is absolutely essential to ensure that all children have an equal chance to succeed . Yesterday I was able to witness that chance being given to Shakiliben and her family and that is what it is all about.

Arkansas Democrat Gazette Article

Recently several of my classmates and I were interviewed by the Arkansas Democrat Gazette for a story about the unique aspect of the Clinton School curriculum known as the International Public Service Project. It is a great article and if you would like to read it please click below.

http://www.nwanews.com/adg/News/260988/

Smoke Screens

Today I decided to go to one of my local restaurants in my neighborhood called "Kings Food Factory". This place has traditional Indian food along with some American "comfort" or as it is known here, "continental food". They have air conditioning (a true luxury here) and a full ice cream bar. I also noticed today while I was eating the band Nickelback was playing in the background and thats when I started noticing pictures on the wall that I had not. One was "The King of Music" another was the "King of Kung Fu" (which was Bruce Lee of course). The last one however, is what bothered me not only because it was just plain wrong but because it is one of the only signs of colonialism, besides tobacco use, that I have seen in this traditional and conservative part of India. The title of "King of Comedy" was given to this man:

That's right, Rowan Atkinson. For those of you that are not familiar with the creative work of Mr. Atkinson he is most famous for his British comedy, "Mr. Bean", a tv show that is the modern version of Benny Hill minus the women. Mr. Bean even had a movie come out that was somewhat on par with the "The Full Monty". I know this because "Mr. Bean" was one of my two favorite shows along with the "The Jerry Springer Show" in middle school. Certainly not the so dubbed "King of Comedy"

This got me to thinking though about the other things that I had seen in India that were not wuite what they seemed to be, a smoke screen if you will, so I took a picture of everything I noticed in the half-mile from my house to King's only. In this half mile I discovered:

This clearly is not Atlanta, Georgia or Texas (LPT's hometown). And I am not positive but I do think that Cher has been hiding in India running a hair and beauty spa but I might consult Olivia on that.

Ahmedabad is certainly not a "Windy City" so I do not know what the Sears Tower is doing here but...(you will notice it says Sears Tower at the bottom)

I do not think that this is what he had in mind...

And finally did you know that Obama liked India and their democracy so much that he moved here, because I didn't until today...

So I hope that you have enjoyed this little tour of Western influence here on my street in Ahmedabad and as I have seen more and if there is a request as such, I will post some more.

Current Events

Over the the past few days I have been receiving e-mails from concerned family and friends about the riots in the state of Punjab (several states to the north of me) and Cyclone Aila destroying parts of Bengal and Kolkata (in the extreme southeast of the country). First let me apologize to those who were concerned. I should have published something earlier that neither of these events were affecting me in Ahmedabad. Secondly it made me realize that even though it was Tuesday I think it was time for some Professionalism (A Monday class during the Spring semester at the Clinton School) and Current Events .

I noticed that I had not heard that much about either of these seemingly major events here in Ahmedabad (a city the size of Houston, TX) so I decided to venture out and find a good ole fashioned print newspaper. I did not realize the task that I was embarking on. The problem is that, in a city where 35% of the people are absolutely illiterate there is no point in selling newspapers everywhere. After two hours of passing many newspapers being used as pillows by many of the city's 35% homeless population (I do believe that the percentages are mere coincidence) I finally found a newspaper stand. "The Star of India" and the other one, both had front page coverage of the riots stemming from the Vienna Shootout and Cyclone Aila. I also learned that director Steven Spielberg is going to make a movie about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. So now that I am caught up on Indian current events I feel I can answer any question about Indian news. I shall keep you all posted sooner next time if anything occurs.

Monkey Madness

For those of you who have been following my blog you know that I have a special alarm clock that wakes me up every morning. This alarm clock has been known as Cattatamonkey and until today I have only been able to obtain Sasquatch-esque pictures to prove his existence. That all changed today.

As I was sitting on my front porch today I was alerted to a commotion in the trees. It was the monkey and he must have known that I was looking for him because he brought eleven friends/family members. They were quite a rambunctious group as the video will show.

Additional Photos

Since my Flickr account seems like it does not want to cooperate I will just put the pictures on the blog but please check out the post below for some actual somewhat intellectual content.




Flat Stanley serving up slap shots of public service.




This picture is of a poster entitled, "Great Women of India". If you will notice the woman directly to the left of Mother Teresa, Ela Bhatt, she is the woman who founded SEWA and whom I met on my front porch just the other day.





The mountainous desert.





For all those that have asked me about wells, here ya go. This one is empty and has no water as you can see.

Power Symbols

So this past weekend I went to the Dungarpur District in the state of Rajhistan. They said we were going to the mountains which I thought meant cooler but which actually just meant closer to the sun. Also as with most travel, SEWA provides me with a government SUV and a driver which is a great way to travel. This weekend was no different. However, the conditions of the terrain are best described by Doc Brown in Back to the Future; "Roads? Where we're going don't need roads". But I have already digressed.

Last Fall in Communication class Dr. Standerfer and Dr. Hemphill taught us about symbols and how they derive their power from their meaning. Well as I was traveling out to one of the villages I was greeted by this:






A forty foot high and wide "Hollywood" sign of a swastika. Now here is where Communication class comes into play. This symbol to the people here means, ironically enough, peace and prosperity, while to a large portion of the world it means hatred and destruction. Coincidentally enough, here in Ahmedabad there is a Swastik Road that is adorned with swastikas. It is a little eerie at first but then once you understand the meaning of the symbol it puts all things in perspective.

Here is another symbol:






These children are between the ages of 3 and 5 and are the direct recipients of a project that was fund raised by 1Well and implemented by SEWA. These children are learning how to read, write, and count as I witnessed. Truly positive stuff.



One final symbol:



To some this majestic creature represents the wild, the circus, memory(because an elephant never forgets), and to others, such as myself and a Class 5 member of the Clinton School, it represents the mascot of one the two greatest universities in the academic world. So to LaTrenia Byrd and the rest of class 5 welcome to the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service, one of the two greatest universities in the academic world. A special congratulations and appreciation for all the hard work that Alex Thomas did to put together such a talented class.

A Few Experiences to Dwell On

So this morning at 4:30 a.m. I was awoken by a Skype phone call from my good friends Chad and Heather. If this had been any other circumstance I would have been irate but granted that Cattatamonkey had woken me about 15 minutes prior and Chad is about to leave for Rwanda I will let it slide. If you would like to see what this experience was about check out Chad's blog because he Flipcammed the whole thing.

http://chocolatelab.wordpress.com/2009/05/19/skype-alarm-clock/

Also since I have been here I have had the privilege of experiencing a whole new culture and environment. I have been the guest of honor at a traditional Muslim wedding luncheon because my driver said he wanted to grab some lunch. This honor awarded me the privilege of having my photograph taken with all members of the wedding party. Another honor I was given was a local men's club (of which my driver was a member) had a raffle to see who won a new motorcycle and guess who got to be the honorary drawer of the number, me (I was two off from my driver's number and one from his friend).

However the neatest experience so far is the one in this photograph below.

This picture was taken in Jogad village, a village about 2,000 years old and with a population of about 800. What is happening here is that I had just conducted an impact story with my Flip Cam for one of the elements of my project and since you can load the video immediately I decided to show the people who had participated their video. Why this is so interesting is that first I am in the middle of the Indian desert about 100km from the nearest Internet on a laptop which most had never seen before. But more importantly this was the first time that any had seen their own image played back to them before and the amazement is evident on their faces. A picture is worth a thousand words.

Work

So I have attached a link to my flickr page so that you can see a variety of the photos about life here in India and some of the work that I have been doing. In any case I hope you enjoy and please let me know if there is anything you would like me to try and photograph or if there is a question you have I will try and answer it. I would like to make this blog as interactive as possible for those that may not know all that we do at the Clinton School of Public Service or for people that just have a general curiosity about India. In the mean time enjoy the pictures and video about my humble abode.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/38569433@N08/

Congratulations

I would like to say a special Congrats to two close friends Megan Lancaster and Adam English on their recent graduation from the University of Alabama. I am proud of both of you and I know you are both going to do great things in all your future endeavors.

Life in India

Well I have been here a little under a week and am thoroughly enjoying myself. There is a lot to take in when coming to country like India like the cows, donkeys, goats, camels, and dogs that roam freely around a city the size of Houston, Texas. I have taken away a few lessons so far.

1. Dolphins and Indian drivers have a lot in common.

Dolphins use sonar to see where one another is in the ocean. India's drivers do the same thing except with a horn. They use it when passing someone, when saying hello, when going over hills, when coming down hills, when going through intersections because the lights mean nothing. Somehow this organized chaos works every time with no accidents to report to date.

2. Indian's hospitality rivals that of the American South

Everyone I have met here has asked me over for dinner or to stay at their place after meeting me for five minutes. In fact using my (as one of my esteemed colleagues puts it), "Go-Go Gadget Networking skills" I made several friends on the plane ride over who have asked me to come out with them on the weekends. One was a sophmore at the University of Alabama (RTR!!!) but he was heading to Pakistan so I do believe I will be seeing him this trip.

3. Never tell your host what you like.

On a recent site visit I mentioned off hand that I am partial to ketchup. Well please believe that at lunch, (Chinese noodles and rice) that I had to use ketchup. I am happy to report that it tastes delicious despite the fact that Indian ketchup ranks somewhere between Hunts and Southern Home.

4. Monkeys make great alarm clocks

There is a monkey that lives in the tree outside my bedroom window which remains open. Every morning my friend, Cattatamonkey, wakes me up at 5:30 which is good because I am on a schedule that is somewhat resembling that of a professional. It is also good because I can go for a run at the park close to my house.

5. Speaking of exercise...

First I want to say that all those in the Biggest Loser competition are in trouble. The temp during the day here is 118. Imagine being in a sauna 24 hours a day. I sweat out all the vegetables (because that's all there is to eat) that I am eating.

6. Contradicting my exercise...

Everyone here loves tea. In fact I am really starting to like it. But this is no ordinary tea. It consists of milk, sugar, and ground tea leaves. Basically coffee. It is customary to give guests tea and it is rude for the guests to turn it down. So I visit an average of three villages a day plus breakfast, lunch, and dinner tea meaning I am wired by the end of the day. It has one positive side effect besides its deliciousness in that I am getting a lot of work done.

Apologies for the length of this blog but I have been absent from the Internet for almost a week. The internet can be wierd at times so I will try and post videos and pictures when possible.

Around the World

This video documents my trip from Houston to Ahmedabad. Also there is no joking internationally about H1N1. I had to be checked by doctors in the Ahmedabad airport for H1N1. This took two hours and was necassary to go through customs.

The Longest Plane Ride Ever

Today my trek to India began. At 6:50p.m. local time I departed Houston, TX. I have never flown internationally so this was one heck of a way to start. 15 hour plane ride and all the movies one could ever watch. There was also a sheet all passengers had to fill out about H1N1 and since I am not in quarantine I am assuming I am good to go. However I do not know if it was the plane ride or the movies actually were just that bad. Quick recap:

"W."-Bad

"The Wrestler"- Worst movie of the trip

"Yes Man"- Eh

"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"- Not to shabby

"Paul Blart: Mall Cop": For the 30 seconds I watched it, No.

In the meantime I as well as Flat Stanley noticed that there was a flight track to show where we were currently located. At one point we were flying between Tehran and Baghdad. Kind of wierd to be flying 40,000 feet above an area that we here so much about.

Finally I have arrived at my layover in Dubai (daily prayer has just started). Local time is 8:27p.m. Speaking of prayer there is a difference here in the airport between the guy symbol on the door with a crown and the guy symbol with on the door with no crown. One is the bathroom the other is a prayer room. I do not know who was more stunned when I figured that one out.

Under two hours till boarding, a 3 hour flight and I am in my final destination. Talk to y'all soon.

Two Wild and Crazy Guys

What happens when you turn two of the most eligible bachelors dressed in classy attire loose on the fourth Largest city in America? You get tonight, the Memorial Hermann Foundation Gala. An event that raised over $2.3 million for their Children's Hospital. There was plenty of dancing and singing, and might not a bad meal of veal.

This night wrapped up Flat and I's weekend in Houston for now we must depart for India. We will be departing at 6:50 tomorrow night and will not stop until we reach Dubai. Then a quick layover and its off to Ahmadabad for a 3:05a.m. arrival on Tuesday (local time of course, which this blog is published in). The work begins then so stay tuned as Flat and I begin our adventure in India

Flat's Big Break

In case you were not watching the Houston Rockets take on the Los Angeles Lakers last night there was a handsome gentlemen helping the Rockets score as many baskets as possible. This newbie was seen giving out high fives and assisting in layups. While the Rockets were unsuccessful I think for this rookie he made a statement and the world payed attention.

The Blog Equivelant of A Re-Tweet

A little self promotion but I thought this story was so well written that people needed to see it. It is a powerful story about one teachers impact on two students who answered a call to service. Please check it out on the Bolivin It Up Blog by Sarah Clark.

http://bolivinitup.wordpress.com/2009/05/07/great-story/

Flat Stanley Army

Behold my vast army of little public servants that will accompany me on my trip to India. These mini-servants are inspired by the First Lady of Arkansas, Ginger Beebe. The Flat Stanley project is part of Mrs. Beebe's literacy campaign. The photos that come back from our trips will be used to show children all across Arkansas other countries and cultures. Please look at Mrs. Beebe's Flikr page so that you can view all the Flat Stanleys pictures from around the globe. Enjoy.

https://mail.clintonschool.uasys.edu/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.flickr.com/groups/arkansasflatstanley/

The Last of the Little Rock Food

As I am wrapping up my last week in Little Rock I am trying to enjoy all of favorite restaraunts one last time. So far I have visited the one and only Buffalo Grill and Boulevard Bread Company. Next up Fantastic China, Whole Hog, and La Hacienda.

This smorgasbord (it's Swedish Ashley) of food is all in an effort to win the Clinton School International Public Service Project Biggest Loser. Weigh in is on Wednesday and I am sure that I will be horrified as to the results but I have all the confidence in India to help me lose more than all my classmates. I will keep you posted on that progress.

Also send me suggestions about where to eat in Little Rock before Thursday.

The Undefeated S.O.B.'s

The S.O.B.'s have finished their season by securing the conference championship with an impressive 26-3 victory.   Kickball and my teammates will be one of the things that I miss the most over in India. Speaking of India I depart one week from today on my trip.  I am looking forward to this adventure which is full of uncertainty but will help in the development of many skills that will be with me for the rest of my life.  

I hope that as you read this blog you will provide feedback to me about what you would like to see in addition to what I post.  So please feel free to leave your comments as I am sure that I will want to hear from all my friends and family back in the U.S.