Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
mein Urlaub
I think an update is in order. So let me brief you on the happenings of August. In early august me and the girls went to Kovalam beach which is in southern Kerala. We went for four days. While there we took a day trip to Kanyekumari which is in Tamilnadu. Kanyekumari is in southernmost tip of India where the Bay of Bengal, the Indian Ocean, and the Arabian Sea join. I have posted pictures of our time there. It was really relaxing as well as nourishing since we were able to eat western food from the “German Bakery.”
Just before we left for the trip Sara and I covered a conference for her field placement. It was a conference that dealt with issues associated with children in Kerala. The pictures I took are pretty darn cute, so check them out.
The Germans have arrived: two guys, and four girls. They arrived about a week ago. For the time being I have two neighbors now in the hostel, but with Andy leaving I am still a single in my room. I’m enjoying my life as a single bachelor. The room is adorned with newspaper clippings that come from Grandma Betty as well as pictures from my mom. Any letters I get go up on the wall as well.
The MSW students have been gone for almost a month now and will return this coming weekend. I’m really excited to see them, but after they return I will be leaving for 10 days to take part in the college’s rural camp. We’ll live in a rural area and do grunt work as well as celebrate Onnam (the harvest festival) with the villagers. From what I hear it’s a pretty cool and life changing experience. After that I think we’ll take another vacation to the state of Goa where we will lay on the beach for a week or so.
In addition to the two photo albums I have referenced I have also posted pictures I stole from Caitlin which show me though her eyes over the past 3 months. Enjoy…
PS: I continue the silent protest of tp
Just before we left for the trip Sara and I covered a conference for her field placement. It was a conference that dealt with issues associated with children in Kerala. The pictures I took are pretty darn cute, so check them out.
The Germans have arrived: two guys, and four girls. They arrived about a week ago. For the time being I have two neighbors now in the hostel, but with Andy leaving I am still a single in my room. I’m enjoying my life as a single bachelor. The room is adorned with newspaper clippings that come from Grandma Betty as well as pictures from my mom. Any letters I get go up on the wall as well.
The MSW students have been gone for almost a month now and will return this coming weekend. I’m really excited to see them, but after they return I will be leaving for 10 days to take part in the college’s rural camp. We’ll live in a rural area and do grunt work as well as celebrate Onnam (the harvest festival) with the villagers. From what I hear it’s a pretty cool and life changing experience. After that I think we’ll take another vacation to the state of Goa where we will lay on the beach for a week or so.
In addition to the two photo albums I have referenced I have also posted pictures I stole from Caitlin which show me though her eyes over the past 3 months. Enjoy…
PS: I continue the silent protest of tp
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
The Curry Pits Blues
This post will serve as an open letter to all those first generation Indian children in America:
Dear Middle School Indian American,
I know sometimes going through this change in your life can be difficult. Your voice is changing, hair is appearing where it's never been, and mom and dad seem to be getting more and more annoying. There are probably two experiences you are having right now. 1) You're going through an experience in your life where your physical body and your emotional mind are changing. For the next few years you will probably resent your parents at times, and that's okay, you'll get through this. Mom and dad are good people and they understand this change, they went through it too (even though it may not seem like it).
And 2) You're a bi-cultural adolescent. This is hard to conceptualize, maybe hard for you to understand, and most definitely difficult for your parents to comprehend. Yes, you have body oder (we call that BO in the US). And yes I know you use deodorant, your friends were nice enough to get you a stick, but buddy, it's not your fault you still smell. It just so happens that the food you eat goes in and decides to come out through your pores. Don't lament, and don't think a viable option is to stop eating mom's food. That will hurt her feelings, and put a dent in your practically already empty pockets. Your best bet is to weather the storm until you get to college and you can choose your own diet. Apply deodorant twice a day and try to mask the curry smell with some cologne. You'll get through this. Don't heed much to those other kids' teasing, you'll be their boss one day. Plus you know more languages than them, and dude, that's hot!
In closing, see this time in your life as an experience you can only have once. Make mistakes, try different deodorants (who knows one could really work- if so, let me know what the name is), and no matter how many times you feel different from everyone else remember that every kid your age feels that way- it's a right of passage.
Cheers,
-A sympathetic International Student
My shirts tell me each day that the curry pits have set in. No matter how much deodorant I use, it wont go away. But... I'm starting to get used to it.
In other news, Andy leaves tonight- I will miss him dearly. Soon the Germans students will be arriving and I will have new international student friends.
(BTW check out my newest pictures)
Dear Middle School Indian American,
I know sometimes going through this change in your life can be difficult. Your voice is changing, hair is appearing where it's never been, and mom and dad seem to be getting more and more annoying. There are probably two experiences you are having right now. 1) You're going through an experience in your life where your physical body and your emotional mind are changing. For the next few years you will probably resent your parents at times, and that's okay, you'll get through this. Mom and dad are good people and they understand this change, they went through it too (even though it may not seem like it).
And 2) You're a bi-cultural adolescent. This is hard to conceptualize, maybe hard for you to understand, and most definitely difficult for your parents to comprehend. Yes, you have body oder (we call that BO in the US). And yes I know you use deodorant, your friends were nice enough to get you a stick, but buddy, it's not your fault you still smell. It just so happens that the food you eat goes in and decides to come out through your pores. Don't lament, and don't think a viable option is to stop eating mom's food. That will hurt her feelings, and put a dent in your practically already empty pockets. Your best bet is to weather the storm until you get to college and you can choose your own diet. Apply deodorant twice a day and try to mask the curry smell with some cologne. You'll get through this. Don't heed much to those other kids' teasing, you'll be their boss one day. Plus you know more languages than them, and dude, that's hot!
In closing, see this time in your life as an experience you can only have once. Make mistakes, try different deodorants (who knows one could really work- if so, let me know what the name is), and no matter how many times you feel different from everyone else remember that every kid your age feels that way- it's a right of passage.
Cheers,
-A sympathetic International Student
My shirts tell me each day that the curry pits have set in. No matter how much deodorant I use, it wont go away. But... I'm starting to get used to it.
In other news, Andy leaves tonight- I will miss him dearly. Soon the Germans students will be arriving and I will have new international student friends.
(BTW check out my newest pictures)
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Eyes turned against me
So I had food poisoning yesterday. And no it's not fun. It was my first time. I woke up in the middle of the night 4 times and I had to run to the bathroom- which is down one flight of stairs and up another (our main bathroom is being worked on so I have to use a different one). I woke up in the morning exhausted and feeling really weak. I planned on simply laying in bed all day, but of course my Indian friends wouldn't let that happen. They came in my room and saw that I was sick- and ran to get Father Prassant (the hostel warden). After a few minutes of talking with FaPra he went and got Biju, the guy in charge of the international students. Biju took me to a doctor near by the campus and I was given several medications. Long story short I played video games and watched a movie yesterday- and now I feel 95% better.
When I ran into the vice principal, Dr. Mary Joseph, she told me that I was probably sick because as an old Indian proverb says "do something well and others will turn their eyes against you" which will make you sick. She of course was referring to the Cultural program that the Americans presented on Tuesday. She said that I did a wonderful job singing. Wait did I not mention that before? Well, I sang solo the National Anthem in front of some 300 students. It was my first time singing by myself in front of a large group. Andy of course took a video of the "performance" and put it on You Tube. I was really nervous but I think I did the National Anthem justice. Without further ado Jeremy's rendition of the US National Anthem:
When I ran into the vice principal, Dr. Mary Joseph, she told me that I was probably sick because as an old Indian proverb says "do something well and others will turn their eyes against you" which will make you sick. She of course was referring to the Cultural program that the Americans presented on Tuesday. She said that I did a wonderful job singing. Wait did I not mention that before? Well, I sang solo the National Anthem in front of some 300 students. It was my first time singing by myself in front of a large group. Andy of course took a video of the "performance" and put it on You Tube. I was really nervous but I think I did the National Anthem justice. Without further ado Jeremy's rendition of the US National Anthem:
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Mumbai
I just got back from a really fun weekend in Mumbai. I went with Andy, Shachi, Ashika, and Jessica. The first day we did some shopping and Andy and I went to Juhu beach. Yes it is a beach but as you can see form my photos it's rather dirty. While Andy and I were on the beach many street children tried to tap us for money. One kid has a monkey on a chain "want to see monkey dance- Michael Jackson monkey dance." I told this kid that "I don't speak English." That night we went out to dinner with a friend of Ashika (Anand). We went club and bar hopping, as you will see from my pictures. It was crazy how similar the bars and clubs were to American bars and clubs. This one bar we went to made me feel like I was back in College Park.
The next day we did sight seeing. We saw so many cool buildings and I got offered pot about 7 time: "postcards! maps of Mumbai! *whisper* you want marijuana?" My mom would be happy to know that I said "no thank you."
Mumbai was a nice relaxing weekend, but very expensive compared to Kochi. I was ready to come back home to Rajagiri.
The next day we did sight seeing. We saw so many cool buildings and I got offered pot about 7 time: "postcards! maps of Mumbai! *whisper* you want marijuana?" My mom would be happy to know that I said "no thank you."
Mumbai was a nice relaxing weekend, but very expensive compared to Kochi. I was ready to come back home to Rajagiri.
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
It's funny you mention that Scott
As I've gotten to know the men of the hostel, I've come to enjoy their company very much. We often hang out and make fun of each other. I even attended a fun event that the Masters of Computer Administration students put on for all their classmates (called C-STAR). When I entered the auditorium the emcee announced that a "special guest has just arrived- Jerome!" Yes, I go by Jerome here. The three syllable "Jer-ra-mee" becomes a hassle when I meet new people, so one of my new friends suggested I just go by Jerome (a common name here).
At C-STAR my friends thought it would be funny for me to tell a 4 minute impromptu story about a picture. I got a lame picture of a firetruck... For 4 minutes there were barely crickets chirping in the audience. Then later, at the conclusion, of the event they invited me up say some Malayalam and thank them for inviting me.
But back to the title of the post. Scott commented in my last post that I look "skinny" and that I shouldn't act surprised that he mentioned it. Well I WAS, for one very specific reason. Apparently it's totally ok to tell someone they're fat here. In the past two weeks I've been told I'm fat by different people at least once a day. Once, immediately after I was called the "F word" in reference to them offering me a bigger chair, I asked my friends what they meant when they said it. I explained that in America calling someone the "F word" is an insult. They were taken back by this and said "no, no, no, that's not what we mean when we say that." In India fat can mean the American understanding of fat or it can just mean big. My hostel friends explained that they mean that I'm big. To which Depack explained that he wants "to be fat too!" I can only hope that the rest of India was using the second meaning with me...
Here's to being fat
At C-STAR my friends thought it would be funny for me to tell a 4 minute impromptu story about a picture. I got a lame picture of a firetruck... For 4 minutes there were barely crickets chirping in the audience. Then later, at the conclusion, of the event they invited me up say some Malayalam and thank them for inviting me.
But back to the title of the post. Scott commented in my last post that I look "skinny" and that I shouldn't act surprised that he mentioned it. Well I WAS, for one very specific reason. Apparently it's totally ok to tell someone they're fat here. In the past two weeks I've been told I'm fat by different people at least once a day. Once, immediately after I was called the "F word" in reference to them offering me a bigger chair, I asked my friends what they meant when they said it. I explained that in America calling someone the "F word" is an insult. They were taken back by this and said "no, no, no, that's not what we mean when we say that." In India fat can mean the American understanding of fat or it can just mean big. My hostel friends explained that they mean that I'm big. To which Depack explained that he wants "to be fat too!" I can only hope that the rest of India was using the second meaning with me...
Here's to being fat
Saturday, June 28, 2008
When it rains it pours and opens doors
It's monsoon season and it shows about 5-7 times a day. It's quite peaceful in fact. The sound has become one that I look forward to. It's one that I hear and I instantly release all my tension and smile. I love how it brings people closer as they share an umbrella.
I've officially started my field placement and my classes. I am doing my field placement at this NGO called CHILDLINE. CHILDLINE is a toll free crisis hotline for children who may be being abuse, are on the streets, or need any form of support. The hotline extends to case work, where social workers respond to cases- by going to houses and sometimes removing children from the home. I will not be working the hotline, but rather the majority of my work will be doing trainings on children's rights with police departments and schools. I will also being doing a research project possibly on street children and/or outcomes of the clients involved with CHILDLINE. One to Two days a week I will be working with the clinical office where I will respond to calls to figure out how to keep children safe and secure.
I just got back from a field visit with Childline where me and two BSW students checked out two locations where children are placed after being removed from their families due to abuse or other domestic issues. The kids were adorable, and I loved playing with them. This one to the right was a handful- my friend Sooraj said that he thought he was probably a good example of me as a kid.
I am taking two classes: Urban and Rural Community Development and Social Work with Children. I'm excited about both classes- the students are great and so are the professors. Classes are very different here. We are not assigned a whole list of readings to do and books to purchase, but rather we learn through lecture, independent research, group work, and field experience.
Thats it for now- Here is a picture of me and some of my friends at Rajagiri. From left to right that's Bless, me, and Anoop. More pictures to come
I've officially started my field placement and my classes. I am doing my field placement at this NGO called CHILDLINE. CHILDLINE is a toll free crisis hotline for children who may be being abuse, are on the streets, or need any form of support. The hotline extends to case work, where social workers respond to cases- by going to houses and sometimes removing children from the home. I will not be working the hotline, but rather the majority of my work will be doing trainings on children's rights with police departments and schools. I will also being doing a research project possibly on street children and/or outcomes of the clients involved with CHILDLINE. One to Two days a week I will be working with the clinical office where I will respond to calls to figure out how to keep children safe and secure.
I just got back from a field visit with Childline where me and two BSW students checked out two locations where children are placed after being removed from their families due to abuse or other domestic issues. The kids were adorable, and I loved playing with them. This one to the right was a handful- my friend Sooraj said that he thought he was probably a good example of me as a kid.I am taking two classes: Urban and Rural Community Development and Social Work with Children. I'm excited about both classes- the students are great and so are the professors. Classes are very different here. We are not assigned a whole list of readings to do and books to purchase, but rather we learn through lecture, independent research, group work, and field experience.
Thats it for now- Here is a picture of me and some of my friends at Rajagiri. From left to right that's Bless, me, and Anoop. More pictures to come
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