Students are settling in to their sleeping compartments and I'm sitting next to two lovely families who are returning home from their holiday in Amritsar.

We'll eat box dinners of chana masala, aloo ghobi, mixed vegetables, and naan.

Everyone is very excited about reaching Agra in 14 hours and visiting the Taj Mahal on Indian Independence Day.

That's all for now. I'm going to drink some Chai!

Bob

Today we arrived in Agra on the over night train after 17 hours! It wasn't as bad as everyone thought it would be. We all played card games, laughed, made weird jokes, and just enjoyed each others company.

It was interesting that we all slept in bunk beds on a moving train for so many hours, but it was a great and enjoyable experience. All of us were so shocked at how much fun it was, considering it was 3 hours longer than our plane ride!

Once we arrived at the hotel we all settled in, took showers, and started our journey to the TAJ MAHAL!!!! Since today was the 64th anniversary of Indian independence there were many people, but we took some amazing pictures. Then we saw the tombs of both Shah Jahan, the architect who built the Taj Mahal, and his wife, Mumtaz Mahal.

Soon we made our way to a marble factory and went to the Agra Fort. After a long day of walking around we had a "special" dinner at...PIZZA HUT! Everyone was so excited; after trying different cuisines for two weeks, the leaders decided we deserved a treat. It was so good! We spent the rest of the night relaxing in the pool, and enjoying our second to last night together.

Today I realized how much work went into creating the different famous structures in Agra. The architects who worked on the Taj Mahal and the Agra Fort created precise, and balanced designs throughout their work. Even the designs that were made of diamonds needed to be carved with diamond crusted needles, because diamonds are the only thing that can break diamonds. Becoming educated on the methods and designs of these monuments taught me to have a greater appreciation for art and architecture.

- Amber

Poems

Tierra de esperanza,
tierra de sabiduria,
tierra de valor,
tierra de fortaleza.
Belleza sin igual,
incomparable como ninguna.
Vastos valles y planicies, ciudades en lo alto,
maravillas que encantan.
Eso es Dharamshala.

Clouds in the streets,
the rain flowing in form of river.
Hills in everywhere to walk up.
Hundreds of places to make shopping.
Temples that reflect their entire devotion in their religion.
A museum that preserves its history.
Families that will never forget their origins.
Thousands of tourists for year
That's Mc Leod Ganj.

Excitement flows through their veins
when they talk about their ancestor.
They proudly proclaim the strength that they have.
They defend their customs with love.
They defeat battles and wars.
They admire their religion.
They appreciate their culture.
They won't ever forget where they came from.
They are Tibetans.

En route, we'll be stopping at the ancient court and palace complex of Fatehpur Sikri, which was the very first example of urban planning under the powerful Mughal Empire and served as the Empire's capital for more than a decade in the late 1500's.

The Mughal rulers were forced to abandon Fatehpur Sikri after 15 years (it took almost that long just to finish its construction) because of severe water shortages and a growing population.

Today, Fatehpur Sikri remains as a well-preserved ghost town, awarded UNESCO World Heritage Site status in 1986.

It is also a popular destination for Indian couples of all religious faiths who are hoping to have children--there is a Sufi saint's tomb in the complex where a devotee can pay a few rupees to have a peacock feather waived overhead as a fertility blessing.

Indians gathering in Fatehpur Sikri to receive the Sufi's fertility blessing. The students will not be indulging in this unique opportunity.

Only a couple of updates left from here in India before we will be boarding our flight back home!

Afterwards, we visited Fatehpur Sikri which is located near the city of Agra. There, we explored the history behind the fort and admired its fascinating architecture. After, we went to the mosque and made wishes using pieces string and tied them to the walls of the mosque. It is said that when your wish comes true, you have to untie it and if you are unable to, you do good karma. Later, we returned to the hotel and headed towards Delhi with the teachers that were going to help us with our presentation.

On our way to Delhi, we had an interesting but fun ride. We spent 5 hours in a car looking for ways to pass the time. We talked about our presentations, what is going to be the first thing we eat when we all get home, played hangman for about an hour, and ate every single bit of a jar of Nutella. Upon arrival to the World Buddhist Center, the first guest house we stayed in, we began to realize that this truly was our last night in India. After spending 3 weeks with a group of people that we barely knew, it began to sink in how much of a family we've become and we all know this is not the end.

-Kassandra and Jeannely

performing on the tabla...

and mastering the fundamentals of traditional woodcarving

Rob

Also, it has been especially exciting for one of us, Kassandra, because it's her birthday today. She was surprised when the group altogether shared a great moment with her, by dedicating a happy birthday song to her.

To celebrate our last day in India and Kassandra's birthday we stopped at the India Gate for Henna, a non-permanent all natural ink traditionally used for Indian weddings.

.

Afterward, we left to Jan Path Market, which is a place like a mall with a bunch of stores where everybody did their last minute shopping before we leave India.

Then, we ate our last Indian food in Sarvan Restaurant. After that, we went back to the World Buddhist Center to pack everything up and finally leave to the airport for our 14 hour flight.

- Geancarlo

As profound as the India experience can be for students, the real growth and change in attitudes, beliefs, behaviors, and values takes shape in the weeks, months, and years to come. As students encounter familiar situations and obstacles, they will have opportunities to apply what they have learned about themselves in India and approach these challenges in new and constructive ways.

And the International Leadership Program is not over! In just a few short weeks students will reunite again in NYC to participate in workshops helping them turn their experience in India into school and community presentations and college application essays.

The ILP culminates with students planning and implementing leadership activities to improve communities of their choosing. These workshops will focus on ILP's leadership model of:

1) Choosing a community (e.g. schools, neighborhoods, international)
2) Selecting a problem that is negatively affecting that community
3) Planning and implementing a constructive intervention to help solve the problem

In this way the ILP benefits more than just the students who participate. And it is our hope that we can build a network of young, compassonate, and skilled leaders who can help make our world a better place.

Yours,

Bob, Deb, and Peter

The first day we arrived home, it was really great to see my family. Then as the days passed by I found myself always thinking about the New Indian Tigers and what we'd normally be doing in India.

In Dharamsala, Amber and Taquesha share what they learned about yoga

It feels a little weird getting back to my normal routines, but it wasn't as lonely and sad as I thought it would be.

For some reason I notice that I'm a lot more motivated to do things that I normally wouldn't be so enthusiastic about, such as chores and work.

I guess I just grew a greater appreciation for what I have from experiencing first hand how the Tibetan people live such a simple, and modest lifestyle.

I still really miss the group, and how we were all together, but soon school will start and hopefully we'll all work out a plan for visiting each other!

-Amber

I thought you might be interested in joining me at this free talk by Geshe Pema Dorjee, a Tibetan Buddhist monk who escaped from Tibet and was the principal of the Tibetan Children's Village School we visited in Dharamsala.

He's going to talk about cultivating compassion and helping people who have experienced trauma. This will be especially interesting for those of you considering psychology as a career.

I'm planning on attending and it would be great to see you there. It's right near Columbus Circle and is accessible by A,C, B, D and 1 trains. The talk starts at 7:30pm.

You can register on-line here.

Best,

Bob

Here's some more info on Geshe Pema Dorjee:

Geshe Pema Dorjee was born in 1951 into a nomadic family in Tibet. After he escaped Tibet with his family, he attended Tibetan schools in India, including the Institute of Buddhist Dialectics founded in Dharamsala by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. There, from 1973 to 1981, he completed the equivalent of two Masters Degrees, one in Prajnaparamita Philosophy (The Perfection of Wisdom) and the other in Madhyamika Philosophy (The Middle Way).

He then dedicated himself to the Tibetan Children's Village School located in Dharamsala, where he taught Tibetan Buddhism, language, and culture for nine years. In 1990 he was appointed as principal of the school, and from 1993 to 1997 he served as its director.

The people are obviously different--I'm more appreciated by my family & friends.

I can wear whatever I want again without feeling some type of way! The food is obviously different! The weather! not much though...

And being over here in NYC makes me miss everything I had over there in India with everyone!

I notice everyone tryna make time for each other. Everyone is different mentally! Alot of people around us.

My mom got me a job & I've been trying so hard to be active with my younger siblings :)

I feel good to be home happy. I appreciate everyone and everything.

I miss everyone, sad...I really really really miss everyone & can't wait to be together!

--Sha-Dae

Except the one thing that has really changed is how I see the world and my parents.

I feel really happy being home with my family now. I see how much I missed them and how much I love them.

Now I notice that all I have comes from the people that brought me to this world and go to work everyday to give me everything.

--Guadalupe

Taquesha is ready to get an A!

The 2011 ILP participants, teachers, principals, and families gathered this evening for a moving graduation ceremony, honoring all that the students have accomplished over the last year.

Over a feast of Indian food, we heard the students give talks describing how much they discovered about their own strengths and passions; we learned about the projects they are now launching to improve their local communities; and we heard parents and teachers describe the positive changes they have observed in the ILP Fellows.

It was very clear to all who attended that this group of exceptional young leaders is destined to continue on their inspiring journeys of personal discovery and making meaningful contributions to their communities.