We had a fun weekend getaway. This weekend we traveled to Mysore and Coorg. We arrived in Mysore on Saturday, checked into the hotel and then began exploring the city. We started at an art gallery called Devraj Mohalla. This gave us a chance to take a look back at look of Indian history and artifacts. This art gallery was filled with many Indian art pieces. I was amazed at the amount of art that was there. Then from there we drove to the top of the Chamundi Hill. It was such a beautiful overlook. From the top of the hill, we could see the whole city, including the Mysore Palace. We drove to the top of Chamundi Hill and there was a temple. The temple was tall and covered in monkey, that were jumping around it. I still haven’t gotten over the fact that these monkeys are wild. I am just so used to only seeing monkeys in the zoo, not roaming the streets. After staying the night in Mysore, we woke up early the next day and traveled to Coorg. In Coorg, we visited the Dubare Elephant camp. This camp is an elephant sanctuary where visitors can go and bath, feed and interact with the elephants. Upon arrival we got into a little john boat and we boated across the river to where the elephants were. Right when we got there and we were waiting in line for the boat, it started to rain. The rain did not put a damper on our trip at all, it added to the adventure. It was truly an amazing experience to be so up close and personal with these giant gentle creatures. I had only ever seen an elephant in a zoo. I have never had the opportunity to be up so close and able to reach out and touch them. Being able to touch them was amazing. I had no idea what their skin would feel like. After seeing the elephants, we went to a Buddhist monastery. The place was gorgeous. When I walked in I was just stunned, but the amount of beautiful painting and colors that filled the room. Getting to have these experiences are ones that I will never forget. Another fun weekend trip to lead us into the last week of school.

It seems impossible that I am starting my last week at school. Looking back, time really does fly by. I remember looking at the calendar and thinking I have so much time here. Now that the last week is upon me, I am overwhelmed with emotions. I am so excited to get home and see my family and friends, but it will be sad to leave the school family I have made here at Shilp. This week I will be giving the lessons that I have been preparing over the coarse of my time here. I am excited to see how the students react to the lesson I have created and receive feedback and advice from the teachers. These last few days have been a lot of reflection on my trip so far. Thinking about everything that I have learned and experienced here. Going into my last week here, I hope to continue to make the most a of each day and learn something new. I can’t wait to see what’s in store for this last week

(The view from the top of Chamundi Hill.)

(The Temple that was on top of the hill. If you look closely, you can see the monkeys sitting the edges.)

(The gentle giants.)

(The Buddhist Monastery.)

I cannot believe that week 5 has already come and gone. Where did this summer go? This week at DPS – East, my students had testing in all of their subjects (Math, English, Environmental Science, and Hindi). They worked so hard and it was very interesting to see the similarities and differences between testing in India versus the United States. I am glad that all of the tests are over so that we can enjoy my last week stress free!

After our full week at school, we took a trip to Mysore. It’s about a 4 hour drive from Bangalore. In Mysore, we saw an art gallery, the famous Mysore Palace, and drove up the Chamundi Hill to see a temple, market, and a breathtaking view of the city. It was so nice to explore a new place again. My favorite part of the weekend was going to the Dubare Elephant Camp in Coorg, India, two hours from Mysore. I have always been fascinated with elephants and think they are one of the coolest, most amazing animals. Although it was pouring rain, we still managed to have one of the best days yet. We were able to bathe, pet, feed, and interact with all of the elephants in the reserve. One of the hardest things about going to places like this is seeing how the animals are treated. Although the elephants have chains on their bodies, it is just to slow them down and prevent them from running off while visitors are present. The camp is only open for three hours in the morning and three hours in the evening. When it’s closed, the elephants are unchained and are able to roam free. Knowing that they weren’t confined to these heavy chains all the time made my experience a lot more enjoyable. I had such an incredible day, took the greatest pictures, and have fantastic new memories to cherish forever.

This weekend, I had Indian food for every meal. I finally found a few dishes that I enjoy – Chicken Kebab and Butter Chicken. And of course, Butter Naan. I’m excited to get back to America and actually know what to order at an Indian restaurant!

I have a lot of hopes for the upcoming week. I cannot believe that I have 6 full days left in India. This is going to be a week full of lasts. Last Monday, last day of school, last time at our favorite restaurants, last sleep in Casa, last group meeting, last time wearing my Kurtas, etc. The list is endless. It’s funny looking back because the days seem so long in the moment, yet the weeks have been flying by. Life move very fast here. There is nothing slow about India – except, maybe the traffic. My only hope for this week is to look up and take it all in. Again and again. Before I know it, I’ll be hopping on the plane home. I have very mixed emotions about returning back to the US. I am anxious to see my friends and family but a part of me will always be here. In the craziness, chaotic, colorful, and fast-paced beauty that is India. I am beyond thankful to have one more week to appreciate it all over again. Slow down the clock, week 6!

            “You know, one of the things I was most excited to see about India was how each city was different,” one of our MU facilitators said on the drive to the Bangalore airport. “I know that back in the States a lot of cities are different, but we’re a diverse country. India is a very similar country, so it’s exciting to see how each city will be different.” We were on our way to Delhi, for a mid-summer getaway experience. It was definitely exciting to be able to see another side of this beautiful country.

            We had been told that Delhi was hotter and that the air was more polluted than Bangalore, so I was dreading the atmosphere, but when I got there, it really didn’t feel too bad. The humidity felt worse than the heat, but thankfully, having experience in Missouri and Louisiana prepared me for humidity. Though I haven’t been in 100+ degree heat since I lived in Nevada, it felt nice to be in that kind of heat again in the country of my dreams.

            The pollution affected the look of the city more than any air quality I experienced. And it wasn’t exactly negative- it was sublime. It set the city apart from the world, a dome of chemical-yellow, cloudless sky covered this capital, adding a pensive backdrop to all the scattered relics of the city, adding to the story of Delhi.

            Though I did miss the home and natural feel of Casa Cottage throughout the weekend, I had no qualms with being put up in nice hotels in Delhi and Agra. It was a luxurious experience that truly touched my soul. It’s a consolidated version of my gratefulness of this entire experience- especially geared towards the U.S. Dept. of State, Dr. and Mrs. Smith, Gabrielle and Dean Cheval, and GenNext: how I can be sponsored to experience something I’ve been working my whole life to experience, and be somewhere I’ve been waiting for my entire cosmological existence, just so that it can give me an opportunity to grow and because my sponsors want to see that growth.

            And trust me, this flower is growing.

            The capstone of the entire weekend, of course, was being able to go to Agra to see the Taj Mahal. It truly is a wonder of the world. As soon as we stepped through the intricate and passion-filled gate, following the middle line that led right to the Taj, and saw the beauty of the tomb of kings, I was immediately overwhelmed with the feeling of remorse of the fact that I. couldn’t bring everyone I had ever cared about to this place. It is my goal, as soon as I laid eyes on that marble wonder, to bring all my loved ones, friends, and family, to see the Taj Mahal and stand reverent in its presence. The sky in Agra was bluest of blue, the trees were greenest of green, the marble was purest of pure, and the space inside the tomb itself was spiritual, subtle, and filled with such ethereal history that one couldn’t help but shed a tear when hearing the workers and guides sing the names of those who passed through the room up into the dome of the tomb of the emperor’s one true love.

            Any human is lucky to experience a fraction of the love this emperor had for his wife. I truly believe this.

What an amazing and busy week this has been! I taught, flew 1,300 miles, and saw one of the Wonders of the World (again). I am so grateful for all of these experiences.

The week started off normally at DPS Bangalore North. On Monday, I had my first experience teaching my first class alone. My teacher was stuck in a meeting and I was left to take over the class. It was so great to be able to be in my own classroom. This was my first experience without a host teacher. At first it was terrifying with 40 children staring at you waiting for what you were going to do next. With no lesson plan and no teacher to tell me what to do, I panicked for a second but suddenly and almost instinctively I started to teach. I taught the songs I already knew by heart from all the practice I have had from the previous weeks. I even let the kids come up with their own dance moves to the songs. We sang all sorts of songs. I need to work on my pacing as I quickly went through the songs my teacher and I teach third grade. To fill time, we reviewed songs and learned songs that the other grades were learning. We were having so much fun that I forgot when the class ended. The class was fun but I struggled to keep the attention of the students. They were always turning around talking to their friends or drawing in their notebooks instead of writing down the lyrics. But in the end, everyone learned the songs and wrote them down and that qualifies for a successful class.

The rest of the week was vacation. On Wednesday, we got mehndi. It was so fun to see everyone’s unique designs. The woman painting the paste on had so many designs that each hand was different. The smell of the mehndi paste brought back memories of my friend drawing mine from previous times I was in India. The next morning, our orange stained hands turned a rich brown and still faintly smelled earthy.

One bumpy flight later and a short nap later, we landed in Delhi early Thursday morning. Our first stop of the trip was Amity University. We ate a delicious North Indian lunch and gave a speech to their pre-service teachers about our experiences in the schools in India versus the USA. Some of their students traveled to Mizzou and New York a few years ago to learn about our school systems and to strengthen the connection between universities. The next day we visited the Fulbright campus. Fulbright is an organization that promotes international, educational exchange programs. We went shopping at a market and picked up more gifts. Soon I will need to buy a second suitcase for the trip back home! After, we went to the American Center which is the U.S Embassy branch in Delhi. We talked to the staff about our experiences so far in India. Right after the American Center we hopped on the bus for a 3 hour bus ride to Agra. 

Today I got to experience one of the Wonders of the World for the second time. The Taj Mahal was as beautiful and breathtaking as the first time. The grandeur of the building made before machines honestly takes your breath away. I could come to the Taj thousands of times and it would never get old. We toured around Agra and saw the Agra Fort and traditional artwork. Sadly our short day trip to Agra had come to an end and we drove back to Delhi.

In Delhi we did some more shopping at a huge market names Dilli Haat. I had been there my first trip to Delhi and forgot how extensive the market was. After a full day of braving the 100+ degree heat and stuffing my suitcase to the brim, it was time to head back to Bangalore. Although the trip was short and sweet, I loved every second of being back in the city that I fell in love with in India. It is time to head back to the real world of Bangalore and finish off the trip doing what I love most: teaching.

I can’t believe it! 4 weeks down, only 2 to go! This week I experienced something I never thought I would have had the opportunity to see EVER in my entire life (keep reading to find out what I’m referring to). To begin the amazing week, a lady came to our hotel to give us hennas. Hennas are a symbol of celebration here in India so our reasoning for getting them was to celebrate our trip to Delhi. I was so amazed by the entire process. She gave each and every one of us our own unique design which took less than 20 minutes per person! It would have taken me days to paint something so beautiful. It looked like a black paint that she put on our hands and then we had to sit for about 2 hours (not touching anything) to let it dry. Once it was dry, we scraped off the black paint and an orange design appeared. It was so beautiful- I wish it would last long enough to show everybody back home!

Early Thursday morning, we headed to the Bangalore airport and flew 3 hours to New Delhi. In Delhi, we visited Amity University, saw the Taj Mahal, and of course, more shopping! Our stop at Amity University was so cool. We interacted with pre-service teachers and administrators at their university. First, our professor gave a brief presentation on social and communicative behaviors which was so beneficial as future educators. Then, all 8 of us were able to stand in front of about 100 pre-service teachers and individually share our wonderful experience here and briefly explain why we chose to go into this field. Lastly, we watched some amazing dancers which was the perfect ending to our visit.

The next day, we visited the American Center/U.S. Embassy which was a really cool experience. I was so proud to be an American standing in front of that building and walking through the front doors. We met with Conrad Turner, the Senior Foreign Service Officer at the U.S. Embassy New Delhi, India. It was awesome being able to share our experiences in the school here in India with somebody so powerful and truly interested in hearing our journey.

Friday, we all packed into our small van and began our journey to Agra. In case you didn’t know, Agra houses one of the seven wonders of the world, the Taj Mahal. I still can’t believe I can say I stood in front, inside, and behind this incredible place. First off, it is the most breathtaking monument I have ever seen…it did not look real! The white marble shined so perfectly and even after the many, many, MANY years it’s been standing, it still looks good as new. I am also so amazed by the history this monument holds. It was built to be a tombstone by a man in honor of his late wife. Wow! What a way to be remembered! I am so so so thankful to have this experience which I will remember forever.

I can’t believe next week is our last week in the schools! I am so sad to be leaving in two weeks but so grateful to have been able to come here in the first place. Week 5, here I come!

Last Thursday, we arrived in Delhi and went to Amity University. At the college, Chad gave a presentation on Bullying and we shared our experiences in India thus far to a group of pre-service teachers. The faculty, staff and students were so welcoming to all of us. I was nervous speaking at the podium but quickly became more comfortable as the presentation progressed. It was interesting to hear about the structure of the teacher preparation program in India and talk with other preservice teachers. Additionally, I like how they put an emphasis on there teacher’s teaching in both private and government schools. This is similar to Mizzou’s education program in which they require students to teach in a variety of different types of schools. I think that by exposing students to a variety of school environments it makes the teachers more equipped to handle the needs of all students. The next day, we visited the USIEF Center and the American Center which is a branch of the U.S Embassy. At USIEF, representatives from Fulbright gave a presentation on its English Teaching Assistantship program in India. After hearing about the program, I became extremely interested in the ETA program because I have been seeking an experience after graduation that would combine both my passion for cultural immersion and teaching. After USIEF, we went to the American Center and spoke with the U.S diplomats. They shared their duties as diplomats and the English language programs that they run for students from disadvantaged backgrounds in India. I was so inspired by their dedication to creating positive ties between the U.S and India. Then that night we left for Agra and stayed at a beautiful hotel. The next morning, we made it to the Taj Mahal which was an unreal and amazing experience.  Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think that I would see the Taj Mahal! I was overwhelmed by the beauty and the vastness of it. Additionally, it was interesting to learn about the history of the Taj and how it was constructed as a tomb for the emperor’s wife. Additionally, I learned that the Taj took 22 years to be constructed which is unbelievable to think about. Then afterwards, we went shopping at a couple of local artisan shops. We learned about the Parchin kari marble inlay which is seen on the Taj Mahal. I fell in love with the beauty and history of their artwork. I was so impressed by the dedication of the artisans to their work and how long it takes to construct one piece. Then on our last day in Delhi, we shopped at an open-air market for a couple of hours. There were so many different types of items at the market such as kurtas, spices, artwork and statues. I bought so many souvenirs for my family and friends. I had the best time in Delhi and was sad to leave but also very excited to return to my students. It is crazy how fast this experience has flown by and that there are only two weeks left. I am going to cherish every second that I have left in Bangalore and at my host school!

This past week has been an amazing experience, something that I will remember for the rest of my life. Although I was sad missing a few days of school, my time in Delhi was an experience of a lifetime. Being able to interact with other preservice teachers at Amity university, gave me a deeper understanding of where my host teachers at DPS-East began their journeys as educators. It is always great to see the beginnings of educators and how their time as preservice teachers leads them to be the teachers they will be in the future. Seeing the run down of their program, it is nice that they get the opportunity to see both government schools and the private institutions. For me being versatile and being able to teach in any institution makes for a great and understanding teacher.

The heat in Delhi is nothing anyone can be prepared for. From the first moments stepping off the plane it was like walking into an inferno. Seeing the abundance of people, it amazes me that they live in the heat throughout the year. Although it was hot, there was so many things to see and experience. Making baring the heat worth the experience. There were so many amazing sights and places to shop. I enjoyed bargaining and experiencing a different shopping experience than the ones I had in Bangalore. In addition to the shopping, North Indian food is amazing. From our first moments eating at Amity University to the dinners at our hotel, there was such a delicious variety of food.

The Taj Mahal was my favorite experience in Delhi. There is so much rich history behind the creation of the monument, and such a beautiful love story as well. From the moments stepping through the gates, it was breathtaking. Still beautifully white, with such craftsmanship in all of the little details. Learning that the Taj took twenty two years to create and other than the first few years that went to creating the actual building, the rest went into making the details. The art in the Taj of that is stones inlayed in the marble structure is something that continues to amaze me. To further our knowledge on this type of art, our tour guide took us to a shop where they showed us how the art is created and the history behind the art. As a dying form of art, it saddens me to know that the art style that created the Taj Mahal will soon be extinct as the families have no one interested in keeping the art form alive.

India is such a beautiful place with many histories and cultures. Being in Agra and seeing two different type of art was inspiring. There is such dedication to each form. Seeing works of art that take extreme hours and months to create is something that continues to inspire and amaze me. There were so many sights to see and experience. I am extremely lucky to be able to have this experience and see the Taj Mahal.

Hennas, New Delhi, and the Taj, oh my! This week was filled with spectacular adventures and world wonders. It was a perfect mini vacation from our hard work at school. I can’t wait to share all of my new memories.

Before we left for our weekend getaway, we all had the chance to get Henna tattoos. I had no idea what to expect. I sat down, put my hands out, and the artist started right away. No time to waste! I was mesmerized. She carefully and beautifully created such a unique design on both sides of each of our hands. This art came so quickly to her. I was so fascinated that no two hands looked the same … and there were 9 of us! We had to wait for it to dry for two hours which was really challenging since we could not touch anything. After it was finished, we picked off the dried black paint and the color had turned orange underneath. By the time we woke up the next morning, the paint had turned to a dark brown. Needless to say, I felt very ready for my special weekend now that I was covered in the prettiest Henna. It only lasts 8-10 days, so I may have to get it again before I come home!

If I had to sum up New Delhi in one word, it would have to be HOT. Wow. It was truly the hottest place I have ever been. We were crazy about staying hydrated and cool. Immediately after we left the airport, we went to Amity University. The staff were so welcoming and the lunch we ate there was my favorite Indian meal by far! We had a presentation for the pre-service teachers that attend the college and discussed everything we’ve experienced in our classrooms so far. It was really fun to meet with students (future teachers) that are in the same boat as us back at Mizzou.

The next day, we went to The American Center of the United States Embassy. I was so proud to see our flag waving and interact with people that are familiar to me. It was an amazing experience learning about how they ended up in India and what their specific jobs are. The center was so cool to see and I love that I have a safe space where I can feel comfortable while I’m thousands of miles away from my home.

My favorite part of the weekend, the trip, and probably my whole life, was our visit to the Taj Mahal. I was surrounded by such immense beauty, history, and wonder. It’s crazy to say that I have seen one of the seven wonders of the world…and that some people will never get to see this monument in their lifetime! Sadly, my pictures will not do this moment justice. I felt overwhelmed with happiness and was in a state of awe during the entirety of our time there. I only wish that my friends and family were with me to witness everything that is the Taj Mahal. It truly looked like I was staring at a photograph! I feel so fortunate to have had this special experience. My teacher and students were so excited to hear about my weekend and I shared all of my pictures with them as well.

This was a fantastic (and needed!) break to get us through the next two weeks. I can’t believe that we only have 13 days left. I am so excited to see my people back home, but I am not ready to leave India just yet. Here’s to week 5!

To start, I have to say we’ve had such a busy, eventful week. We started off on Monday at the schools, went to Delhi, went to Agra to see the Taj Mahal, and then finished our weekend on the plane back to Bangalore. Like always, I have learned an immense amount from these experiences that I have had throughout this past week. 

At the schools this past week, we were only there for two days due to our four day weekend trip to Delhi. Although it was cut short, I still had a blast with my students. On Monday they had world Doctor day, so the 1st and 2nd graders all dressed up as doctors and did a cute collage of doctors as a craft. These kinds of fun days happen for the kids every week and you can tell they always thoroughly enjoy it. It is a way for the teachers to see the student’s creativity, but also a way that they are able to make school fun while also teaching them different things about the world. For instance, one day was world environment day, another was world population day, and they’ve also even had UFO day. I truly think that these days for the kids are ways that the school is providing to keep their students excited about coming to school to learn. I think that this would be something that I will take back with me in my own classroom since I want to get my students to have the same level of excitement to be at school as these students do at Magnolia. Along with this, I love the days that they have these types of unique activities because it is extremely fun to help the students do the craft, see what they come up with, and get to know them more on an individual level rather than as a whole class. I know I have said this before, but I feel as if every single day I am becoming closer to the students and the teachers at Magnolia. I feel comfortable to ask my teachers questions, get constructive feedback and get to know their lives in Bangalore. I also feel comfortable to talk to the students about all the things they like to do in and outside if school. These strong relationships that I am making are actually making me slightly worried since I will be sad to leave in less than two weeks! I am trying to make the most out of every day that I have left at AECS Magnolia by learning as much as I can from both the students and teachers. 

Aside from the schools, we left for Delhi early on Thursday morning. Wednesday we reserved for rest and preparation for our trip (this preparation included Mehndi (henna) on our hands to get ready for the Taj Mahal). It was cool to build up the excitement and get a traditional art done on our hands for our special occasion. We all went to bed ready to leave to see a new part of India. 

In Delhi, we tried to see as much of the city as we could while we were there. On the first day, we visited Amity University and spoke in front of other pre-service teachers about our experiences teaching in India so far. While we were at Amity, we had a warm welcoming and a great meal to start off our stay in Delhi. The next day, we got to see the American Center/US  Embassy and the Fulbright Scholar Office in India. After we visited these two places, we made our way to Agra because on Saturday we were able to see the Taj Mahal. Seeing one of the 7 wonders of the world was surreal. When we were there, I was in complete awe of the story behind the Taj and being in the midst of something not everybody will see in their lifetime. Of course, we took many pictures, but none of the pictures that we took could not capture how great of a monument this is. Overall, seeing the Taj made me remember how lucky I am to be able to see something this amazing and to be in India in general.

Finally on Sunday we went shopping at Dilli Haat which was fun but exhausting since it is 100+ degrees in Delhi all of the time. I did score cool trinkets and gifts to bring back to remember our trip. As a side note, I can feel myself becoming more comfortable when shopping since I am better at bargaining and able to communicate verbally and non-verbally with the shop owners better than I could before. Overall, it was a great experience Delhi and its similarities and differences with Bangalore. I am glad that I was able to see more of this beautiful, colorful, busy country! 

I saw one of the seven wonders of the world. I still can’t believe it. For four days, our group traveled to Delhi and Agra. In Agra we got to see the Taj Mahal. Something that I never thought I would be able to say in my life time. Seeing the Taj Mahal was an experience that I will never forget. As we were walking up through the massive gate that leads to the Taj Mahal, I could see it glowing in the back ground and couldn’t even believe my eyes. The massive marble structure shines in the light almost as if it has a glow around it. I have seen so many pictures of the Taj Mahal, but those pictures didn’t even compare to seeing it in real life. What made the Taj Mahal so amazing for me was the way it was constructed. I couldn’t wrap my head around the rich history that I was seeing with my own eyes. The Taj Mahal was finished in the year 1648, before any machinery or heavy equipment existed. I was standing there looking at this massive beautiful monument, thinking how was it even possible to build something of this size so long ago. Even today with all the equipment and technology we have in the world, it still seems unreal to build a building of this size. After leaving the Taj Mahal, our tour guide asked us if we wanted to see some of the dying arts of India. They call these art the dying arts because the next generation isn’t learning them and they aren’t being passed down. Many of these art forms stay in families for many many generations. Our guide lead us to a shop that was selling marble. As we walked in there was three men sitting on the ground, engraving these marble slabs. It was amazing to see the craftsmen ship of these three men. They were carving on the same type of marble that that the Taj Mahal is made from. A very hard marble, that is almost impossible to break. The owner of the marble shop informed us that the men that were carving the marble were descendants of the men who created the Taj Mahal. After seeing the marble carvings, we went to see how embroidery was done. Hand embroidery and marble carving are two of the dying arts. Getting two see these two arts forms was truly amazing. It was a glimpse of all the rich history that India holds.

When we arrived in Delhi we visited Amity University. When we arrived we were greeted with flowers and smiling faces. There were pre-service teachers from Amity who were with us while we toured. It was such a cool experience to interact with future teachers from a different country. In true India fashion, no guest ever goes without food, so we sat down and ate lunch with the dean and the students. The food was delicious and the company was great too! It was so interesting how the profile of flavors in the food of northern India was so different from the southern India food we had been eating in Bangalore. After enjoying a delicious lunch, we went to this lecture hall to listen to a presentation. After listening to Dr. Chad Rose give a presentation, along with some students from Amity, it was our turn. Each of us got up and talked about our experiences in India and in the schools thus far. It was fun to present to a group of students from a different University. We finished our time in Delhi by going to an outdoor market called Dilli Haat. Dilli Haat was a gorgeous outdoor market with so many different booths and vendors. They pretty much had everything, from purses to scarves to jewelry. I got some beautiful things to bring back home. The trip to Delhi and Agra was truly an amazing experience. Now it’s time to get back to school and continue to learn more. In these last two weeks, I hope to seize every opportunity that I can and continue to learn more and more each day.

(Colorful wall of shoes at the Dilli Haat Market)

(The marble engraving on the walls of the Taj Mahal)

(The Gate the was built to guard the Taj Mahal)