Ever chased butterflies....????

well...I did...and I am not kidding...

There is this place called Magic Wings near Amherst--its a Butterfly Conservatory...so, you enter this room, which is like a greenhouse, full of plants and butterlfies flying freeeeeeee!!! It was just so AWESOME!! and, if one could be very still and patient, it would land on you! It was the most amazing place to spend the day...I had never seen butterflies so closely in my life...and now I took pictures of them from so close!!

JOHN KERRYYYYYY!!!!

yes yes yes....I met John Kerry and he is sooooooooo CHARMING!!!! How did that happen??? Well...one of my friends had worked in some way with the democratic party and there was a "secret" meeting in Northampton (a towm close to Amherst, where I live!!) and we all piled into my friend Anna's car and went off to see if we could really get inside...and VOLLA!! we did!!
(In the pic, L-R, John Kerry, Patricia, Elena, Anna and me)

He was basically talking about how people should go and vote...and not skip it!! The most important thing that I noticed was the difference between politicians addressing crowds in India and here...there, they would be surrounded with hordes of policemen, body guards with guns--as if someone will kill them everytime they step out of the house---while here, he was not surrounded by any body guards..was standing with everyone who wanted to take pictures with him....maybe its because he was campaigning---but he definitely looked more approachable than the Indian ministers---most of them think that they are God, once they get the seat!!


Anyways...Maria (a World Peace Fellow Alum) reminded me that I forgot to mention in my last blog what exactly I am studying---I am pursuing my Masters in Public Policy and Administration...Thanks Maria for pointing it out!!


Till next time, see u.........!!!!!!!!!! :)

Two months and I am still alive....!!!!

Two months and I am still alive….
Why do I say this? Since the time I attended the North-East Link Orientation @ Worcester on September 20-21, 2008, I had been planning to start writing this blog…but somehow, something or the other kept coming up…no I don’t think I got lazy—there is just no time to get lazy…and when I say this to my seniors, they say, “Welcome to Grad School!!” But, then, I shouldn’t really start with the drawbacks—should I?
(Just to caution you---this is going to be LONG..so, maybe you would like to take a break now, get a cup of frothy coffee—I miss that here—and sit back and relax while I take you through my journey so far!!)

So, how did I actually get here???
Not many people know but I had ACTUALLY applied for a World Peace Fellowship offered by Rotary Foundation---it is a two year fellowship to study peace studies and conflict resolution. But, unfortunately, I got a regret letter---stating that I didn’t have work experience (I had just graduated from Masters in Economics when I had applied for it). And, lo behold, one fine evening, I got a mail from Rotary that I have been awarded a one-year scholarship to study @ UMass Amherst. I couldn’t believe it at all---was it REALLY happening??? When I got here, I met Robert MacDonald (who was my initial contact in USA!!) and he told me the story how his District had some surplus and he initiated the idea of sponsoring a scholar with two basic conditions---she/he has to come to UMass and that she/he has to be from India (Bob is fascinated with India, although he has never been there, and has done many matching grant projects with clubs in India). So, when the Committee liked my application but couldn’t grant me a World Peace Fellowship as I didn’t have any work experience (internships didn’t count ), they granted me this…and that’s how I landed in US of A!!!

The Honeymoon Period…

Nah! I didn’t get married---that’s how I like to describe the first week of School @ UMass. As an International Student, I was expected to arrive earlier than the others, as the International Programs Office (IPO) @ UMass (University of Massachusetts Amherst) hold a week-long orientation for International Students—helping us open bank accounts, apply for Social Security Number, social life in USA, Visa status and its implications, taking us around Amherst/Boston, explore the hiking possibilities to name a few. It was week of fun and enjoyment as we had a whole bunch of entertainment lined up for us---cultural night, comedy night, Bar-B-Q, ice-cream social, the HUGE pizza slice (my friend Kriti actually asked me to click a picture when I eat one!!)…and the list continues! I had some adventures as well---getting lost in the campus WITH a campus map in my hand---and not just once (the campus is SO HUGE!!), getting on the wrong bus back from campus…Ah! Those were the days!!!

I had gotten in touch with my Rotary Host Counsellor Maureen Bowler (President, Rotary Club of Amherst, RI Dist 7890) and she had offered to help me move from my temporary stay @ my friend’s place to my dorm room on a Sunday morning. (That was really sweet of her—isnt it? She is a sweetheart and I am so lucky to have her around.) She suggested that I take my time to settle in, explore the place and then within a week or so, we could start getting serious about my Rotary duties as an Ambassador of Goodwill. Worked fine with me!!

Getting in the grove…
Week two was fun in a different way---classes started @ an easy pace, department orientation, meeting new people and making friends is always fun!! And, then, we had the Department Picnic…I had never done a Bar-B-Q on my own…so, it was my first time ever!! Gosh! I was so thrilled…but then, I was thrilled about everything that was new here! (Not that much differed from the city that I come from in India).

Rotary Club of Amherst was the first club that I visited and then re-visited to make a presentation on “Festivals of India”. Honestly, I was super-nervous…but the response was great and the interaction made me feel at home. One of the questions that came up was—what was it that shocked me the most after I have come here? It took me a while to think about this---basically, I come from an urban city in India, which is very much like cities here. And, most of my other “shocks” were met when I was in The Netherlands for a Summer School in 2006. So, although Massachusetts is a pretty liberal State, I had been to one of the most liberal countries in the world. But then, there was something that had struck me—somehow, people are so engrossed with themselves here—the headphones are ALWAYS plugged in while they are walking, even its just 200 yards; the books/papers are ALWAYS open in the bus—somehow, I felt that people tend to become so self-dependent for EVERYTHING that they just don’t need another soul around….and I wonder is if this the reason leads to any psychological disorders. I really fail to understand this!! (Any help?)

BOSTON!!!
Well…it’s always nice to have family around somewhere---and I am lucky too. My cousin and his wife stay in Boston, which is just 2 hours from Amherst. So, the first time I visited them, we had a nice tour of Boston and Cambridge. I was super-thrilled (there I go again---didn’t I tell you???) about being in the Harvard Campus that I so-wished I could study there! Ah! Someday!! I went with a backpack and came back loaded with ingredients to cook some nice Indian food for myself!!

Welcome Fresher’s!!

The Indian Students Association @ UMass is very active. They had organized a Fresher’s Party for the newbies...and of course, we were supposed to put up some great show! The ‘enthu-cutlet” that I am (don’t know what I am talking about—check out my orkut profile testimonials---for lazy people, it just means, enthusiastic about everything in life!!) I made sure some of us presented a small dance and then I went a step further---I performed a solo performance!! Gosh! It took some guts to do that!! But then, it was fun...they had also organized for dandia and garba—and the dance freak that I am, I felt I attained Nirvana!!

Rotary orientation @ Worcester…

This was one weekend that changed a lot of things in my life----first and foremost, I met a number of scholars who have been selected by Rotary International to go abroad from USA and come to USA...the exchange of ideas, notions, beliefs was amazing…and what was more reassuring was the sharing of common apprehensions of the inbound scholars. The orientation was very well-organized and it was really nice when we split in groups so that inbound and outbound scholars could discuss things that concern them separately. Concerns like weather (which is a HUGE concern in the New England area in North-Eastern USA), presentations and how to go about them (we also had a practice session for that!!)The weekend was a hectic one as we continued our informal conversations way after the formal sessions got over---the networking was awesome and meeting some of the Alum was a great experience…and am looking forward to seeing them again on Nov 8 (Rotary/UN Day @ UN HQ in New York). Before I forget, Carlton was a sweetheart to volunteer to drive me to Worcester and Maureen joined me on Saturday morning, and then drove me back.

Rotary and Rotract presentations…
The next Rotary Club that I visited was Bob’s

club…it was a presentation I did without the powerpoint and it was much better than the last one (whoever said we couldn’t survive without technology, I certainly did better without it!!)…there were other Indians in the club and we all sang the National Anthem of India in the beginning of the presentation—that was a hit, since this club is known for singing for every occasion—they sing before the meeting begins, sing a welcome song for the speaker…It was great day—especially, after the meeting, Bob’s wife Joan took me for my “WINTER” shopping…Bob and she wanted to make sure that I was WARM in the winter…and knowing women, you know how much we looooooooovvvvvveeeeee shopping…but, it was super-nice of her to take me around, trying out things and making sure I get the best…Thanks Joan…

Did I tell you there is a Rotract Club @ UMass? I don’t think so…well, I am Rotractor here…and so, I also had a small presentation in one of our meetings…well, I didn’t bug the under-grads with the culture of India—so, instead we had a discussion about college life in India, dating scene in cities and small towns, body piercings, the work that I did during my Interact days in school…they asked some really nice questions too---how am I finding it here, what are my biggest shocks (Somehow, this question ALWAYS comes up!!) and how am I adjusting to the education system here.

Handling kindergarten kids…
Yes! I decided I needed some challenge in life…so, thanks to the Associate Director of my Program, I went to Mountain Brooks Kindergarten School in Sunderland to talk to kindergarten and pre-school kids about India…and that was the MOST AMAZING presentation I had…they came up with questions only kids can come up with---about my nose ring, animals in India, number of languages we speak in India, how much time does it take to get from India to USA…and the fun activity got them excited too—I had drawn the flag of India on paper for each of them to colour…and it came out so well!! This encouraged me to try arranging for some more presentations in schools…am working on that, let’s see!!

Vintage Train Ride for Alum of RI District 7890…
District 7890 organized an Alumni get-together for scholars from their District. It was a vintage train ride to see Fall colours and picnic lunch in Thomaston in Connecticut. It was long ride but I got to interact with District Governor Jim Dusza and discuss issues regarding my presentations and my experiences here. Meeting some of the Group Study Exchange (GSE) Team members was great---some of them are leaving this January for Thailand and some had come back with rich experiences. Also present was Governor Elect Prasad Menon and a few other Rotarians. A fun-filled day!!

So, this is for now..will keep writing in..and this time, more regularly….DEFINITELY!!!

Initial hiccups...

hello fellow scholars, alum and roatarians...

if someone visited my blog and found it empty, then I am really sorry!! Its not that i have nothing to say, its just that I dont know where to start----putting a month's experience isnt easy, is it? So, I am working on it---am not that great with stuff like this, you know....so, check this space after the Columbus Day weekend, and you will definitely find interesting account of my short experience in USA!!!

till then, thanks for logging here...

Puja