International Leadership: India

Welcome to the launch of the International Leadership Program! This leadership development, cultural immersion, and service learning program will provide 13 high school students from 4 New York City public high schools (in the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Manhattan) several months of afterschool leadership development and experiential education activities in NYC, as well as a hands-on learning and leadership experience in North India this summer.

For most of these students, it will be their first time out of the country.

Over the next five months students will participate in a series of workshop sessions in New York City exploring global citizenship and leadership and learning about the history, politics, religion, culture and languages they will encounter in India. They will engage with NYC's extraordinary cultural mosaic as a global learning lab. After meeting and studying NYC's South Asian immigrant populations, exploring Himalayan art at the Rubin Museum, and participating in leadership trainings, ILP students will embark on an extraordinary journey to India, spending several weeks in homestays and community-based and directed service learning work.

In Dharamsala, students will live in home stays with local families, enage in service learning projects, and get hands-on exposure to the many complex challenges involving relations between Tibet, India, and China.

When they return home to NYC, students will participate in storytelling workshops, essay writing seminars for crafting strong college application statements, and will receive customized support to make sure they are as prepared as possible for the entire college application and financial aid challenges just around the corner.

They will give back to their local community while honing their public speaking skills, giving presentations to their school communities, as well as to other schools eager to globalize their curriculum.

Learning how to turn dreams into reality through fundraising and community support is a key part of the program. As such, students have committed to raising $1,000 each towards their program costs.

However, to cover the remaining student and program costs--approximately $50,000--we need your help.

We believe deeply in the power of international education and intercultural communication competencies to transform young people's lives while building peaceful bridges across cultures. If an international experience has changed your life even in a small way, we ask you to consider helping Amanda, Kevin, Joelvy, Felicia, Precious, Amanda, Peter, Shah, Anna, La'Christin, Taccara, Kristina, and Ashley realize this opportunity.

To support the International Leadership Program please consider making an online donation. Or you can send a check payable to Global LAB to Global LAB, 4307 42nd Street, 5C, Sunnyside, NY, 11104. Please designate your gift "International Leadership." Your contribution is 100% tax-deductible.

Thanks so much for your support,

John Eastman, Global Learning Across Borders, Inc.
Bob Lesser, Replications, Inc.

Posted by Global LAB at 7:13 PM | Permalink

Hello all! My name is Ilora Majumder-Afzal, and I am one of the teachers helping to lead the trip to Dharamsala, India. I am so excited to be part of this valuable experience! I am a 12th Grade Government/Economics Teacher at the Henry Street School for International Studies, but I also teach Human Rights, Model United Nations, and am heavily involved in organizing our seniors' activities such as yearbook, prom, and senior trip. Just a little bit about myself: I am originally from Canada, but I've been living in New York City for 5 years now. My parents are from India, so I have some strong ties to the country and am looking forward to learning and sharing with all of you! My education is in Political Science and International Relations, so I am happy to bring a political flavor to this trip. Can't wait to meet you!

Posted by Global LAB at 2:27 PM | Permalink

Hi, I’m Adam Branson - a high school teacher at the Henry Street School for International Studies. I’m excited about the cultural immersion opportunity we have in Dharamsala and would like to tell you a little bit about myself. I grew up in a small Florida town, spending my childhood playing outside, camping as a Boy Scout, swimming in lakes and working as a lifeguard. My passion for photography lead me to New York, where I earned my BFA at the School of Visual Arts. I spent four summers working with the Fresh Air Fund as a counselor, lifeguard, and waterfront director.

Continue reading "Hello from Adam" »

Posted by Global LAB at 6:01 PM | Permalink

Hello Everyone!

As Director of Global LAB's India Programs, I am excited to be working with our NYC high school students, both during our 4 orientation sessions here in NYC and during our adventures together while exploring India. Having led Global LAB's India Semester program, I know that the students will have an incredible experience. This is truly a program of a lifetime!

Here is a little bit more about me...

Continue reading "Hello from Deborah, Global LAB Director of India Programs" »

Posted by Global LAB at 6:06 PM | Permalink

Hi! My name is Bob Lesser and I am responsible for coordinating the International Leadership Program for Replications, Inc. Before joining the Replications team, I led international experiential education programs for American students in Asia. I have a Master’s degree in Public Policy from Harvard University and a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Vassar College. I'm a native New Yorker and a proud product of New York City public schools. I'm sure this is going to be a life changing experience for everyone and I'm so excited to be a part of it!

Posted by Global LAB at 6:16 PM | Permalink

Hello. My name is Sonam, but you can also call me Peter. I was born on the 10th of March, in 1979, in small village called Changthang Nyoma in Leh, Ladakh to a family of nomads. At a young age, I was sent to the Tibetan Childrens' Village School located in the town of Choglamsar, in Ladakh. After the 10th class, I completed two additional years at a school in South India and then completed my college-level courses at Delhi University in the field of Business. In March of 2000, I started to work in the travel business IATO (India Association of Tours Operation) company at New Delhi as a travel coordinator. I stayed with the company for six years.

Continue reading "Tashi Delek from Peter, Global LAB's Delhi and Dharamsala Coordinator" »

Posted by Deborah at 5:16 AM | Permalink

Hi, my name is La'Christin Mack and I am a ninth grader from the Bronx, New York. I am really interested and excited to go on this trip to India and meet all of you in person.

Posted by Global LAB at 7:51 PM | Permalink

Hi, my name is Princess, I am 16 years old and I reside in the Bronx. I attend school at Frederick Douglass Academy III. Ever since I heard about the opportunity to attend the India program I knew it would be a once in a life time thing.

Some things I am hoping to get out of this experience is to leave America with little understanding of the Indian culture and to come back with fuller understanding. I am excited first and for most that I have the opportunity to travel to India. I am also excited that instead of hearing lectures on India I am going to be able to experience it for myself. I am excited to learn about their religion culture and the place they consider home. I am also excited to get a feel of how things differ from things in America. Things like their food, job, entertainment and more.

Posted by Global LAB at 2:49 PM | Permalink

Hello, my name is Ashley. I was born in Harlem, New York but was raised in the Bronx. I used to live with a family of 5, my mother, my father, my two older brothers and I. But being that my family has been through some changes I now live with my mother and one of my older brothers. Living in a divided household is tough, especially since I'm experiencing this at sixteen. Although my family is not how it use to be, we know how important it is to communicate with one another and still support each other through our struggles. I'm very reliable, responsible and also very compassionate. On my leisure time I like to knit, write and hang out with my friends and family. I'm looking forword to this trip, this would be an awesome experience, just to escape New York City and see how other families function As far as fundraising goes, so far I have fundraised $200. I'm preparing a dinner party at the end of February and organizing a school talent show/bake sale in the beginning of April, hopefully I will have $1000 by the end of April. I can't wait!

Posted by Global LAB at 2:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Hey, my name is Shah, and I attend the Brooklyn Latin School. I consider myself very friendly and so I look forward to making new friends along the way. Another reason why I look forward to this program is because I love visiting new places and experiencing new cultures. I hope to come out of this program enriched with a different perspective of the outside world because I find it hard to experience new things when isolated in a city. I am excited about meeting the people in India and living in their lifestyle because I think that will be a challenge and I love challenges. This is it for now! I will love to tell you more about me in person.

Posted by Global LAB at 4:29 AM | Permalink

Hi everyone! My name is Kristina and I am a sophomore at the Brooklyn Latin School. I am beyond excited to be part of this program because I never been to India. I love to travel and experience new cultures. I was born in New York City, but I lived in China for five years and moved here to live with my parents and two older sisters. In addition to living to China, I been to Costa Rica and the Bahamas.

I can't wait til we leave for India. This will be an eye opening experience to meet people who are exiles by the Chinese government. This will help create awareness and spread the word about what's going on in Tibet.

Posted by Global LAB at 2:56 PM | Permalink

My name is Amanda. I am a junior at The Brooklyn Latin School. I am really excited to go to India because I have always been fascinated with the Indian culture: Bollywood films, Indian food and the Hindu teachings. I’m really excited to learn a new language and be able to live with our host families. This past February was my first experience living with a host family, in Antigua, Guatemala. At first I was scared to live with strangers, but after that experience I feel more comfortable trusting new people and getting adjusted to their lifestyles. I am REALLY excited to be apart of this program and learn new life experiences.

Posted by Global LAB at 2:43 AM | Permalink

Hello, my name is Anna. I'm 14 years old and I have three siblings who are all boys, which made me a tomboy because I like to play catch and I don't like to dress up for anything. I am a freshman at Bronx Career and College Preparatory High School (BCC Prep). When I graduate I'd like to go to school overseas, possibly in England because I have relatives there. I decided to apply to the International Leadership Program because it will give me a chance to experience other places in the world, and I consider this a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Plus it sounds really fun!

When I went to the Himalayan Yak Restaurant I was a little nervous because I never tried Indian or Tibetan food before but as soon as I tried it I was hooked. I tasted vegetarian and chicken Momos, which is kind of like dumpling, and I also tasted Tibetan bread. I really enjoyed all the food but the one thing I enjoyed the most was the Roti bread and the white rice. I can't wait to go to Dharamsala and experience life there. I'm still counting down the days.

Posted by Deborah at 4:23 AM | Permalink

Hello my name is Kevin and I am 14 years old. I was born in New York and live in Bushwick, Brooklyn. I am an athlete. I started playing baseball when I was two years old. Now I love skateboarding.. I'm addicted to it. I've been skateboarding for a year and a half. I have a bit of a temper so skateboarding helps me get that out.. and it's really fun. I like to play handball. I'm also a pro at video games. I go to the Henry Street School for International Studies. I learned about this trip through my school and I'm very excited to go to India. This will be my first time going there. I want to learn about their culture because I think it's interesting.

Posted by Deborah at 2:52 AM | Permalink

Hi, my name's Felicia. I am excited to go to India. I really think it's a great opportunity to learn something new. I like to meet new people, so this will give me a chance to meet people outside of the United States. I love to travel. Traveling was always a passion of mine ever since I was a little girl. Meeting new people in India will help me learn the different ways to communicate in the United States.

Outside of school, I like to continue studying because I like school and it is better for my future. My favorite subject is math. I look forward to understanding their language and exploring new things in India. India will be the first time that I have explored another part of the world.

Posted by Deborah at 3:04 AM | Permalink

My name is Taccara; I am an 11 grade at Frederick Douglass Academy III. I am hoping to get a chance to see what most children do not get to see in a life time. From this experience I hope to get another language and a new culture to understand. I also hope to make a difference with the community service projects that we will be doing. I am most excited about going to another country and experiencing a place that I have been interested in for a long time.

Posted by Global LAB at 1:49 PM | Permalink

Hello my name is Joelvy, I'm an 11th grade student at Henry Street School for International Studies. Being a part of this amazing experience is really exciting. I am really happy that i was chosen for this opportunity. I hope that I can learn many things from the Indian culture, in which i can be able to share what a wonderful experience it was to be a part of this once in a life time opportunity.

Posted by Global LAB at 6:45 PM | Permalink

Hello my name is Amanda. I am 16 years old. I am a student at Henry Street School for International Studies. I am a very yellow person. Meaning I am a very happy person and my favorite color is yellow! I would like to travel as many countries as I can and experience different cultures. Getting to know other people is what I do best. I am very open and a good listener and a sharing person as well. I'm excited to see what our journey to India will be like!

Posted by Global LAB at 9:36 PM | Permalink

My name is Peter I am 17 years old and I go to FDAIII. I enjoy listnening to music as well as performing. I also enjoy writing stories. Im born and raised in the Bronx which is my home and the environment that shaped the person that I am today. I have always had India in mind as one of the places that I would like to visit.. I put it on my "bucket list". I hope to get an understanding of the way that the people in India do certain things and their environment as well. Im excited to meet new people and interact with people from another race and see how they do things. This will definatly change my life, and all I needed was an opportunity...

Posted by Global LAB at 10:10 PM | Permalink

Hey, my name is Donai and I attend Mott Hall Bronx High School. I can say that going to India is one of the rare experiences a teen can have. I am very great full and delighted to come across such an opportunity as going to India. My parents and family members are very proud of me. I love making people laugh and I always keep a smile on my face. When around my peers I’m somewhat a comedian, which my personality is outstanding. I've been to St. Thomas, Aruba, Barbados, San Juan Puerto Rico, and many other places as well. As I mentioned before, I am very excited and anxious to stay with the people in India.

Posted by Deborah at 10:55 PM | Permalink

Hi Everyone! This first post covers our first impressions and our thoughts about our first India-trip meeting!

The first orientation was a great meeting, being that we got to meet with the other students that were chosen to go to India with us. We also go to play a "get to know each other" activity, where all of us got stickers of personality types and stuck them on to each other. Then we introduced ourselves to each other. This orientation meeting was helpful because we got to meet and also got to know the other people who are going to India with us. We watched a documentary of college students who experienced the journey for a few months before us. We witnessed how emotionally attached they were to their host families and what they learned from the culture. We learned about the population and a little about Bollywood. We learned that there are very diverse religions in India and that some people eat with their hands. We asked questions about how to fundraise and activities that we will be doing in India. One of the things we wondered about was what new activities we will do next in order to get more into the Indian culture. As we continue to meet up with the group we will do many different things such as activities and watching films about India. The thing that we like about the group that is going on this great experience is that everyone felt comfortable and welcomed. Also everyone seemed very interested in this amazing trip.

Joelvy, Amanda, Kevin, and Felicia

Posted by Ilora at 7:21 PM | Permalink

Students enjoying a feast of Indian and Tibetan food at the Himalayan Yak Restaurant on Wednesday.

Check back soon because the the BCC Prep students will be posting an update with more details about this week's Pre-Travel Orientation Session #2, which took place in Jackson Heights, Queens, home of a large South Asian community.

Posted by Global LAB at 4:18 PM | Permalink

Hi, we are the students from Bronx Career and College Prep (BCC Prep). Our names are Jazzmin Mack, Anna Stanislous, and Nicholas Murrell. We are so glad to be going on this trip. It's an amazing experience that we can't wait to explore. What can we say? The trip to the Himalayak Restaurant was an eye opener and wonderful all at the same time. The food was delicious, especially the Indian flatbread. YUMMM. The chicken mo-mos were excellent, too. During our trip to Jackson Heights, we explored the neighborhood and asked some of the residents about their culture and background. We explored different clothing, music, and movie stores. We have learned a lot from this experenice. We learned that India is a very diverse nation. The time we spent in jackson Heights felt as if we were in a city in India, living as if we were one of them. If there was anything we would change, we would have spent more time the neighborhood.

Posted by BCC Prep at 4:44 PM | Permalink

Deborah, Shah, and Bob at a screening of The Sun Behind the Clouds

Over Spring Break, some of us went to see the movie, The Sun Behind the Clouds: Tibet’s Struggle for Freedom. Below, Shah eloquently shares his thoughts on the film and how it relates to his upcoming experience in Dharamsala, India:

Watching The Sun Behind The Clouds was an amazing experience for me. Not only did this documentary help in giving an insight in to the Tibetan struggle, it also gave me a better reason for wanting to go to India. Sure, experiencing a new culture sounds awesome but going there to help support a cause sounds even better.

Continue reading "The Sun Behind The Clouds" »

Posted by Deborah at 7:05 PM | Permalink

Taccara and Annette

Hello, my name is Taccara, when I first spoke of the idea of going to India to my mom she was on edge about it. However, when the Family Meeting came up I saw a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow! I was excited because then she would be able to get all her questions answered and her experience in the meeting would give me hope that my going to India would somehow become a reality. When my mom agreed to attend the meeting, it showed me that she was contemplating supporting this “out of this world” idea of her only child wanting to adventure and travel halfway around the world. By the end of the meeting she knew how safe I would be on the program and how this is truly an experience of a lifetime!

*****************************************************************************************************************************************

Hi, I am Annette, Taccara’s mother and I’d like to say this is a fascinating opportunity for our children. I attended the Family Meeting that was held in February 2010. It was an informational session and a get to know you type of event. We had the pleasure of meeting Bob Lesser from Replications, Ilora Majumder-Afzal from the Henry Street School for International Studies, John Eastman from Global LAB, and Deborah Friedman from Global LAB. They will be chaperones for our children during their global learning experience!

Continue reading "A Mother and Daughter Perspective on Going to India" »

Posted by Deborah at 4:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Shambala teacher Joseph Mauricio shares his knowledge about Tibetan Buddhism with the group

Yesterday our group met for several hours at New York's Shambala Center for a special introduction to Tibetan Buddhism and different meditation practices (both sitting and walking mediation).

Peter, Ashley, and Taccara will be sharing their impressions about the experience here on the blog.

We all enjoyed the very warm welcome the Shambala Center gave us and the engaging, experiential introduction to this fascinating practice used to cultivate mental stability, clarity, and unconditional self-confidence.

Posted by Global LAB at 12:25 PM | Permalink

The International Leadership Program to India is right around the corner. Here is some important Passport and Visa information to assist you in preparing your documents. Please read this information carefully as there are some deadlines to note. And, as always, be in touch if you have any questions.

PASSPORT
If Have Your Passport: Please email a scanned copy of your passport in PDF to John by May 21st. We need this information in order to confirm your airline flight.

Continue reading "Passports and Visas" »

Posted by Deborah at 10:43 PM | Permalink

The Core Travel Insurance Program: Global LAB provides the basic level of insurance for all of our program participants. Attached is a document that will provide you with information on the insurance program. If you would like to upgrade to another level of coverage, please email Core directly.

Download Global LAB's Core Travel Insurance Program FAQs here.

Posted by Deborah at 3:03 AM | Permalink

Peter, Taccara, and Ashley at the Shambhala Center

Ashley D:
The moment I walked in the room, I knew we were going to learn about the significance of meditation. Being that I was never introduced to this, I was excited to finally understand, why meditation is so important in the Buddhism and Tibetan culture. Mediation is not only a way of releasing stress, but it is also a way of life and self-cleansing from the outer world. I did enjoy the meditation session, however, I am not use to the sitting position, it was very difficult for me to adapt to it. But to me the harder the challenge, the better the experience.

Continue reading "Orientation Session #3: Shambala Meditation Center NYC Reflections from Frederick Douglass Academy III Students" »

Posted by Deborah at 4:28 PM | Permalink

"He who would travel happily must travel light." - Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Lugging a heavy pack around for the entire time we are in India can be extremely tiresome for you, and for the rest of the group. There will be plenty of times when we'll be traveling around and we don't want to end up like this. Since you will be responsible for carrying your own luggage, seriously challenge yourself to pack light. An old traveler's trick is to lie out everything you think you need, then pack half of it and return the rest to your closet. Then, carry your bag around your house for 15 minutes to make sure you are able to easily carry it by yourself. If not, take some more items out! Remember, you will be able to purchase anything you forget in India.

Continue reading "Get Ready, Get Set, Start Packing!" »

Posted by Deborah at 11:24 PM | Permalink

One of the perks of being an international traveler is that you have the opportunity to acquire lots of Frequent Flier miles. These miles are earned every time you fly and can be redeemed for reward travel or for purchasing certain products. If you are not already part of the Continental Airlines OnePass Frequent Flyer Program, we encourage you to enroll by clicking here and completing the form. Once you have your OnePass Frequent Flyer Number, please email it to Deb (deborah@global-lab.org) so that we can make sure you get the miles credited to your account for the flights to/from India.

Posted by Deborah at 9:32 PM | Permalink

After our today's all-day pre-travel orientation, during which we went over health and safety issues, cultural etiquette, and behavior expectations, the group celebrated with an incredible Tibetan feast at Tsampa. Dinner was generously hosted by Scott Hoyt. Thanks Scott!

Posted by Global LAB at 1:44 PM | Permalink

On the weekend of Friday, June 11 to Sunday June 13, five of the staff members involved in this India trip met up in the Berkshires to go over the fine points of the trip and the important details to keep the trip safe and worry-free. Adam, Bob and I drove up with Deb in her car, and met John and his adorable two dogs to have an info-packed weekend. We ended up getting to know each other and our styles of teaching/leading/dealing with new and stressful situations, while going over health and safety scenarios, student issues that have popped up in the past, and the variety of resources that we have available both in New York while we are on the trip, as well as on the ground in Delhi and Dharamsala.

The best part of the weekend was discovering the diversity within our group and how each of our strengths really work well with backing up any of our weaknesses. We are SO covered for this trip!

Ilora

Posted by Ilora at 1:05 AM | Permalink

After months of preparation and planning, the group met for a final pre-departure orientation in Manhattan on the day of our flight to India.

Then it was time to board our bus to Newark Airport where we boarded our plane to Delhi!

Once settled into our seats, we were ready to enjoy lots of movies and food and sleep (hopefully).

Felicia looking happy that all the waiting is finally over.

Kevin and Joelvy may not sleep. Too excited.

Posted by Global LAB at 3:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

The group has landed in Delhi. Peter Sonam, our local guide who will be with us for the next two weeks, warmly welcomed us and we are heading to our hotel for some rest.

Tomorrow we will do our best to stay cool as we explore Delhi, the capital of India. The high temperature is predicted to be 105(!).

Taccara better keep a close eye on her special water bottle with the internal frozen gel-pack--it is going to be much coveted by all.

Posted by Global LAB at 5:01 PM | Permalink

Jazzminn with her homestay father

Wow what a great time we all had on the airplane! For many of the members on the trip it was the first time on a plane or even at an air port. The plane ride was about 14 hours and it did not even feel as if it was so! The food was amazing, I can say. We ate dinner and breakfast. We were able to look at movies, play games, listen to music and more! Onced we arrived in Delhi we were greeted by Peter, who is known as one of our group leaders, who took us to our hotel where we stayed for two days. After we put our belongings down we went across the street to the De Continental hotel and ate a small dinner. That was our first night in Delhi!

by Jazzminn

Posted by Ilora at 5:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Greetings from New Delhi! I am so elated to have contact with the outside world!! We are all having a wonderful time. Today was ourfirst full day in the city. We ate breakfast, which was really heavy compared to my chocolate Cheerios and milk back at home. Then we headed to Jama Masjid Mosque, the largest mosque in all of Asia. Unfortunately, we got kicked out when the prayer session started and scolded because we were laughing. Although this caused problems, we all learned something valuable. When we had our nightly meeting, we all said that although we were mistreated, we handled ourselves in a mature manner.

I learned that many natives love to stare......STARE at foreigners. They took pictures of us and I have admit, I loved the attention. I felt like a Bollywood celebrity! I realized there are numerous of perceptions of the American traveler. They think we are either 1. Rich, 2. Fat, or 3. Snobby and don't care. This was extremely upsetting to me because we all do not possess these traits.

Later in the evening, we visited the Gandhi Museum. Wise dude! We followed his last footsteps that were engraved on the ground before he was assassinated.

The highlight of my day was riding on these AWESOME rickshaws. For those who don't know what they are, it is a bicycle with seats in the back. We sat while they rode the bike, touring the city. We saw the Sunday market.....DANG I never seen so many books and people crowded on one street before!! We saw slaughter houses in the market and even spotted an elephant!!

We all have one mission in mind-that is to immerse ourselves in the culture and learn as much as we can about the people, religion and traditions of the Indian people. So far, I have to rate this trip a 10. I've grown closer to my friends from school as well as new ones I made. Although, we were insulted by the Indians from the mosque, I felt a sense of bond. We each stuck together and did not argue. I think our motto of "there is no limit to open minds" truly fits our group. Global N.E.R.D.S. (New Explorers ready for D'sala) can take on India. Peace out New York!! We will be reporting back tomorrow with even more stories!!

--Kristina

Posted by Global LAB at 8:26 PM | Permalink

Want to see lots more photos from our journey? Check out Global NERD's Flickr photostream!

Posted by Global LAB at 8:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

After an epic 16-hour day of driving from hot and bustling Delhi north into the foothills of the Himalaya Range, the group has arrived in Dharamsala.

After some well-earned sleep, we will set out to explore the local scene in the morning. Stay tuned for more posts and photos.

Posted by Global LAB at 9:09 PM | Permalink

We have been so busy! I'm uploading photos for everyone and thought I'd write briefly about the things we've done and seen. (I'll let the students go into details once they get settled in their host families and can come with us to the internet cafe to write)

The car ride up to Dharamsala was long and interesting. We could feel the stress of the big city of Delhi fall off of us as we drove further and further north. We saw so many interesting things and are making a list to use for a road trip BINGO when we leave to go back.

Along the way we stopped in a small village. The people were so happy to have us visit. They were welcoming and laughing and even though we didn't know each other's languages, we had such a great time. The kids taught the little ones the HOKEY POKEY hahah! We plan on stopping at this same village to give them the photos we took together while we were there.

We made it to the colorful and comfortable hotel in Dharamsala called Ladies Venture and slept hard after hours of driving.

On the walk to breakfast this morning, we saw for the landscape for the first time. We just stood in awe at the mountains sprinkled with colorful houses and prayer flags. We found a place that served pancakes! They were a little different than the ones we are used to in the U.S. but they were delicious and made the kids feel at home.

Later, they attended their first Tibetan language class! They furiously wrote in their journals the words for Mother, Father, Brother, Sister, How are you?, What is your name?, Thank you, No thank you. They picked up so much so fast!

Then before lunch, they went on a scavenger hunt through the small town to find the best deals on money exchanging, internet cafes, laundry, sweets, and mailing.

After lunch the students met their host families at the hotel for tea and snacks before heading off to their new homes for the coming days!

Click to see photos of all the students with family members of their new homestays

And click here to see the rest of our photos from our adventure so far!

We'll keep you posted and the kids will write about the experience themselves soon!

Posted by Adam at 2:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Today was our first morning with the host families and amala (my tibetan mother) woke up at 5 am to pray in the room Ashley and I were sleeping in, so morning started very early for us.

Last night was amazing because we spent the whole night teaching them how to play card games. Amala was nice enough to boil water for us to shower in beacause the shower only had cold water. The most difficult part of this trip so far was the squat toilets. Grrr! Breakfast was chelakepe chimbuduke (very good), although my spelling is not. After talking to the other students this morning I found out that everyone's parents took them out for some exciting events, such as taking Kristina to the waterfall and going on a jog and meditating with Shah and Joelvy. Ashley and I weren't able to explore the town with our parents because our amala is mourning the loss of moomala (her mother). :(

Peter and Shah spin prayer wheels

After language class we went to the Tibet Museum and learned about the Chinese-Tibetan relations. It was sad to see how the Chinese government tried to erase the Tibetan culture. After the museum we went to the Dalai Lama temple and learned how to do rounds (pray). Rumor says that the Dalai Lama was in the building, but we did not see him. We finally had lunch on our own today, but it didn't make a difference because I'm becoming tired of the food. Ashley and I are going to make an agreement with our parents so that we can cook dinner one night.

After lunch we visited the Tibetan Parlament in Exile and learned how the government in exile works from a speaker who has studied all over the world. It was especially cool when he spoke to us in Spanish. Then we heard the tragic life story of Ama Adha, who was imprisoned in China for 27 years. Her story was moving especially when she talked about how she forgot what her village and what her daughter looked like after she was set free. Heading off to dinner now.

Peace,
Manda (Brooklyn Latin)

Posted by Adam at 1:25 PM | Permalink

On our way to Dharamsala it was already told that this was going to be a long ride. While driving there we had mad a lot of stops along the way. one of the stops along the way was Noor Pur Bedi, it is a small village along side the mountain. They were extremely friendly, they took lots of pictures with us and they seem to have a system that worked well with them. For most of the ride i slept because i get car sick. When i woke i was told of all the things they had seen but it wasn't as wonderful as what i had seen while i was awake. I can say that this experience is something that can not be explain but lived. If you are offered a chance to go and live in another country i would i advise you to take it. Tashi dalek Taccara.

Posted by Deborah at 1:47 PM | Permalink

Yesterday was the first day with the Homestay Families. It was so AWESOME!! My homestay family lives under a primary school and my Amala (mother) works there as a cook. My Achala (older sister) is a Nurse who just finished her residency. She is now studying to take a test in August in English so she can excel even further in her career.

At first I felt a little awkward because I just met my new "family" and when they would ask me questions I would give them 1 response answers. But, then I got over the awkward feeling and started asking them some questiions of my own.

Overall the experience of the first night with my homestay family was a good one and is one that I will remember for a long time, thanks to pictures and journals.

Anna

Posted by Ilora at 1:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Today was a day full of emotions-- some people laughed and some people cried. The first thing that we did was visit the TCV (Tibetan Children's Village) which is a school of Tibetan children that are refugees and orphans.

As we arrived we saw many kids playing outside having fun on their day off. I was told to give a breif summary about the TCV and explained the start of the TCV and also on how the TCV works.

We later then got a quick tour of the shelters where the children stay. We saw how the children helped around and lived. As we entered the shelter where the toddlers stay the childrens smiled with such an excitement to show us around. A little boy came up to me and held my hand and walked me to his bed. He showed me his elephant teddy bear and smiled at me. While in the children's shelter I was introduced to my little brother from my homestay family. This was when I started to tear up. I was very emotional because it broke my heart to see what the little children go through and have no clue on where their family is.

Being a big fan of children, this made my heart shatter. Bob seeing me in sadness told me to read a sign that said "keep smiling", and told me to smile and be happy that the kids are fine and have a place to live and where they are fed and that they are in a place where things are better for them.

Today we also watched a film called "Cry of the Snow Lion", where we learned so much about the conflict between Tibet and China. There was more than the short story about Tibet and China. And that this has made an impact throughout the world. Watching this film made me understand a lot more.

- Joelvy

Posted by Adam at 11:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Ashley and Amanda with their homestay mother

July 16th was full of strong emotions and point of views, as the international leadership program connected with Tibetans, their inner selves and other people within our group. We started our day meeting up at the Peace Cafe, from there we walked to our first yoga session, which i was late to by the way. Although I'm not flexible, i found it ease reenacting most of the positions our yoga instructor presented to us. After a 30 to 45 minutes session, we then had a chance to get more in depth with something of our interest, such as tongka paintings, tabla(drumming), cooking, medicine, Buddhism and Tibetan language. Jazzminn, Felicia and I choose medicine. Therefore, we visited a hospital facility to explore how Tibetans produce medicine and what methods were used to determine a person's illness. It was very exciting to see the different resources used to make medicine at the Tibetan Medicine Museum and the routine of a regular check up at the clinic. I also found it interesting how the museum, the clinic, the pharmacy, the university of medicine and doctor's/worker's homes was all compacted in one little area. You know i racked up on the health/beauty products! Thanks to Jazzminn, i felt more comfortable trying Tibetan medicine. Thanks to my group leaders, we had the opportunity to do service learning, which was exchanging conversation with Tibetans to build up their English. It felt wonderful knowing that one conversation can make a positive change as well as a powerful connection. And thanks to everyone in the international leadership program for opening up to each other and building a stronger connection than before. Our group council was really beneficial to our growth on trust and companionship!

Ashley

Posted by Ilora at 1:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Our group meets with the Karmapa!

July 16th was a really great experience. We visited the Norblingka Temple in Dharamsala. It was really decorated from the entry point onto the exit. It was like a paradise there were plants and flowers all over and water falls and Tibetan decorations which are really beautiful. We saw how many things were made. For example we saw how dresses were made and also how well skilled the tonka painters were. It was a day full of culture and illuminous colors. We went to a doll museum where it told stories about ancient times and it was amazing how it was set up.

After the temple we visited the Karmapa, he is like the Dalai Lama but a lower rank. It was incredible the whole group was dressed in chupas and we all looked really nice in them. Monks were coming up to us commenting on our chupas since not alot of men wear them anymore. When we walked in to meet the Karmapa it was beautiful. Inside the temple there were tonkas and bright colors, as well as unique designs all over the walls. It was really holy to me because it was a different experience and we were going to meet someone who was known and someone that was really important and most of the people from Tibet looked up to. When we went up to him he blessed the belongings that we were carrying which I will always carry with me. He blessed my prayer beads and my amala's prayer beads as well.

After that the Karmapa took a picture with our group and he really doesn't do that because then many people will want a picture with him. It was awesome! I stil can't believe it. I'm grateful to be in India an experience worthwhile.

Peter

Posted by Adam at 1:40 PM | Permalink

Princess with her homestay mother

The home stay experience was way different than what I expected it to be. At first i was scared of participating in the home stay especially alone. I felt as if i wouldn't fit in with the family, there would be a lot of awkward moments and the greatest task would be communicating! After Deb and Bob challenged me ( basically told me i had no choice ) i agreed to participate.

The first night was a bit weird because i was in a new environment, everything was in one room, the beds were different as well as the food. After loosening up a bit i realized this would be a great experience, me and my Ama la have shared many laughs, traditions, as well as stories. She taught me more Tibetan language while i taught her more English as well as twi ( my language). This home stay experience has been great and i am glad that Bob and Deb pushed me into experiencing it. I have grown more independently as well as in culture.

Princess

Posted by Adam at 2:13 PM | Permalink

Wood carving is a very interesting thing to do. It is very hard and complicated to make a wood carving figure or designs. You have to practice for months.the first time me and Joelvy went to wood carving, we both had a difficult time. While i was creating one of the designs that the guy that worked there told us to do, we had a hard time doing it. We spent almost 3 hours trying to figure out where to cut the wood and how to cut the wood.the second day me and Joelvy went to wood carving, we gave up in the design we were doing. So then we both told the guy that works there to give us a new piece of wood and to let us do whatever we want. so what we did was that we carved the first letter of our name. It was also very hard but we both finished it in 2 hours, but it came out perfect. This was a great experience and i wish to do it again.

Kevin

Posted by Ilora at 2:13 PM | Permalink

Hello Family and Friends back in the USA,

In case some of you are worried about the news of today's train crash in India, please rest assured that we are nowhere near the scene of that tragic accident--it happened near the border with Bangladesh, more than 1,000 miles from where our program is taking place.

We have been very busy here in Dharamsala--stay tuned for more blog updates soon.

Posted by Global LAB at 2:22 PM | Permalink

Greetings from Bagsu! Its Amanda! I will give a short brief about the music instrument name Tabla. It is a drum like instrument with three different sounds on it. Though there are two tablas Indians use, one for your right hand and one for your left hand. I have learned that the left has a sound called Ge and the right has variety of sounds like na, te te and more when you do both tablas at the same time at the same time. The way your fingers are put make a huge difference on how your music sounds as well as your hands. Even having a watch around your wrist or a ring on your finger also makes a major difference. Ashok-ji is my brilliant teacher and he has a lot of patience even when Shah, Ilora and I sound like a wreck. We even have a blast getting there. We would take a auto rickshaw and then walk for like 20 more minutes more like mountain hiking. Tomorrow will be our last day and we will make the best of it.

Amanda

Posted by Adam at 2:38 PM | Permalink

July 20th was great!. We had to wake up early to do yoga which got us started for the long day ahead. Yoga was really interesting we had to do many difficult yoga moves and I'm not flexible. Over all it was another great experience.

After yoga we had breakfast in the peace cafe our breakfast spot. We had to go to our classes by ten and my class was tanka painting. We had to finish our drawing of the Buddha and by the end of the class it came out really professional I was proud of my classmates and myself. We then ate lunch and I ordered chicken biriani and it was extremely spicy, but I had the best fresh fruit juice while my stay in Dharamsala.

We actually saw the Dalai Lama today as well before tanka class. It was amazing! I couldn't believe my eyes he said hello to the crowd surrounding his palace.

After lunch we did LIT which is a program the teaches Tibetan people how to speak english as well as write english. It was really cool, new people had to sing because that was a tradition in the class and so did our group since the leader requested us to sing since it was our last day. After LIT we had a speaker from the Students for Free Tibet program and it was great they had alot to say and all were peaceful resolutions. Overall it was another wonderful day in Dharamsala.

Peter

Posted by Ilora at 2:26 PM | Permalink

The group has arrived safely back in Delhi, after wrapping up our stay in Dharamsala with a farewell party honoring the homestay families and others who helped make our time so special.

The flight back to the USA is coming up fast. Hard to believe. We're hoping to have some more photos up here very soon for your viewing pleasure.

Posted by Global LAB at 8:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Team Global NERDS has landed safely back home in the USA!

Stay tuned for additional reflections and photos about the last days in India.

Posted by Global LAB at 2:00 PM | Permalink

The time has come when we reach back home safe and sound. This is a journey we can never forget. This is one of the greatest times in my life and I'm sure many others would say the same thing. Wow!

What can I say about the plane ride? First let me say it's over. Not that it was bad just very long.

I enjoyed every step away. Thanks to everyone who made this possible!

- Jazzminn

Posted by Global LAB at 11:57 AM | Permalink

After being in India for two weeks and experiencing the life altering situations we did, coming back home was hard. Although we had many pictures to show and jokes to pass on, the one major thing we could hold on to were our stories. We had stories about the people we met, the places we went and the food we ate. But retelling these stories weren't easy.

On September 1, 2010, the Global Nerds gathered for a story-telling workshop to help us strengthen our story telling abilities. With our travel journals in hand we journeyed back through our Indian adventure. Each of us chose the person or event that touched us the most and wrote a brief statement about them.

Professional story-tellers, Elicia Berger and Emily Epstein, came in and spoke to us about how to expand our stories in order to convey what we've learned from it. They provided examples with their own stories of encounters with the tooth fairy and French self-cleaning bathrooms. Their hilarious yet insightful stories taught us how to use description and emphasis appropriately in our stories. With their help we were then able to finish and present our stories aloud to each other. We found this to be a great accomplishment, as we are now able to recount our stories to those who were not able to experience India with us and make them feel as if they were there with us.

-Manda

Posted by Deborah at 3:50 PM | Permalink

Bob describing a model for how to write a fabulous college essay

Kristina listening intently to the college essay process

The International Leadership Program and our experience in India has brought us all a level of wisdom that we have never achieved before. From the many people we met in Dharamsala we learned the importance of spirituality, nationalism and family. These lessons will forever follow us throughout our lives. We also learned that these lessons, as long as we describe them in the correct manner, can give others insight into ourselves. We learned how to express these lessons during an essay writing workshop held in September.

We began by reviewing the stories we told during the story-telling workshop and turned those stories into acceptable college essays. We discussed what colleges look for in an applicant and what we should be showing about ourselves in these essays characteristics such as leadership, independence, and overall well-rounded students. We then discussed the fundamentals of a personal essay, for example the main event, the details and the moral. We were then ready to begin the essay writing process. We warmed up with two "free-writes" in order to get our creative juices flowing. By the end of the workshop we all came out with rough drafts of our personal essays and the confidence of knowing that we were ready for the college process.

-Manda

Posted by Deborah at 10:37 PM | Permalink

After spending two weeks in India and enduring many orientations before and after the trip, the end has finally arrived. On October 14, 2010, the International Leadership Program held its final ceremony for the students of their first trip to India. Complete with pictures, food and music the night was a sure success.

Traditional Tibetan and Indian food were served while parents, students and program supporters mingled with each other. The dessert in particular brought back memories of that final night in India as we all filled ourselves up on gulab jamun, a round, doughnut-like dessert. During the ceremony we shared this dessert with our parents while watching a slideshow of pictures and telling the stories behind each one.

The ceremony began as one of the group leaders, Bob Lesser, thanked all the parents for allowing their children to initially go on the trip and recognizing all those who have helped make this program possible. He was then followed by a speech by Jazzmin, a student on the trip, who spoke about her struggle to convince her parents to allow her to experience India and how her outlook has changed due to it. Shah then reminisced about our first night in Dharamsala when he and Peter-la struggled to open a pot of momos and how that experience was a metaphor for the entire trip.

After, we were all surprised with a clip of Erika's documentary about our trip:

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Although it was only a short teaser, there was a powerful feeling involved with watching ourselves on a big screen. We are all now excited to see how the rest of the film turns out!

We were also surprised with a YouTube video of Peter-la! He spoke about how he felt the trip went, how much he missed us and how he's doing now. He was also wearing Bob's hat! He's too cool!

In the end we received certificates of completion along with the letters we wrote to ourselves on the plane ride home. It definitely was a heartfelt ceremony and a great end to the life changing program.

Posted by Deborah at 10:48 PM | Permalink

Group picture

Kristina, Amanda, and Jazzminn register guests

Continue reading "ILP Final Celebration: Photos" »

Posted by Deborah at 10:56 PM | Permalink

Amanda and Kristina giving a school assembly presentation to students at The Dwight School in Manhattan, sharing what they learned about India and about themselves through the International Leadership Program and encouraging the Dwight students to pursue global experiences.

Posted by Global LAB at 12:10 AM | Permalink