India is definitely a growing power. We have spoken to many Indians in our journeys and they all have voiced that America is a great country, if not the most powerful in the world, and while they have voiced their concern over our falling economy and growing debt, they are happy that the value of the rupee has gone from Rs 50/1 USD to Rs 40/1 USD. We have been able to see that India is still a third world country in many ways and filled with poverty, especially in the interior, but it is growing out of that. They do believe that India will be the next great country of the world. I rather tend to agree with them.
The middle and upper classes of India seem to be quite concerned about global warming and they are taking measures to conserve energy and fuel. Even when they may have several cars and personal drivers, they will still jump on the motorcycle. There are solar powered water heaters are frequently as electric ones (don’t take a shower first thing in the morning though; the water will still be quite chilly!). And the incandescent bulb is rare; fluorescent is the way to go.
Aha! I found the trail mix and granola bars. J
I met Jennifer and a bunch of Rotarians at the Polio clinic in town this morning. Twice every year is “Polio Sunday”. Every child in India is supposed to get vaccinated against polio every year through age six. I was able to drip the two drops for each dose of the vaccine from a small bottle into the mouths of several children. It is a great program and polio has been virtually eliminated from all but a few remote parts of India.
We then went up to a high place where we could look down on an iron mining industry that exports ore by big barges and ships. The view was really nice. Then I was taken to my host’s family’s place for lunch. Not much I could eat but I wasn’t too hungry anyway.
My host, Nelish, used to be a part of a joined family and lived in a house with 14 people of his family but recently he moved out and now lives in a nuclear family situation: husband, wife, two daughters, dog, and cat. The dog is an 8 month old Boxer, Pinky, and the cat, Moga, is the first true pet cat I’ve seen here in India, though they say are they are not uncommon in Goa.
This home is about 1 kilometer from Goa Airport, the only airport in the state and an international airport. It looks to be about the size of Allentown airport. Every now and again I see a jet on final approach when I look out the window. This is where we will be flying out of tomorrow to go to Mumbai, London, and finally JFK.
We went to the beach, I don’t know the name of the beach, and walked along the stores. All of the store-keepers kept trying to get us to go in their shops and we went in a few but didn’t find anything to buy. In one place I looked at an anklet and the man said it was Rs250 ($6.25). We started walking away and kept calling out lower prices and finally got down to Rs100 ($2.50) but I really didn’t want it so we kept walking. We went on the beach for a short wade and this beach had almost no seashells but lots of seaweed. Again the tide was receding. We stayed almost long enough to see the sunset into the saddle of a camel-humped island. I got some beautiful photos though.
I was on the internet just long enough to check e-mail and compose one to start arranging a ride home when the power went out. I was just moving the mouse to the send button too! Jennifer, Elizabeth and I will be flying into JFK at 1100 on Tuesday, February 12th and Elizabeth’s husband, Adam, will pick all up and take us to Plainfield. I just need someone to bring my Jeep and give me a ride home from there. That is, if anyone misses me and wants me home again! (The power came on a few minutes later so I could send the message, thank goodness for gmail’s auto-save function!).
My host took me to a luggage shop so I could buy a bag to put all the things in that I have been carting around in tote bags. All of my host families have been giving me gifts that now won’t fit in the luggage I brought. Plus I bought some books and a few other items, like clothes. I packed everything today so I will have that much less to do in the morning.
I found out that the big blocks I thought were bricks are actually stone blocks that are cut from the ground. It is a stone called laterite. It comes in different grades from hard to crumbly.
We attended the Vasco Rotary meeting and send-off dinner. It was rather emotional. The District Governor, Vice Governor, Radhika, Ajay, and so many people were there to speak. When I got up to speak, I couldn’t finish due to tears. Jennifer managed to finish and sit before hers came. I was almost speechless for words to describe what the experience has been for me. I feel sad that we are leaving tomorrow. I will definitely have to return to India. I have so many friends and new family here!
The middle and upper classes of India seem to be quite concerned about global warming and they are taking measures to conserve energy and fuel. Even when they may have several cars and personal drivers, they will still jump on the motorcycle. There are solar powered water heaters are frequently as electric ones (don’t take a shower first thing in the morning though; the water will still be quite chilly!). And the incandescent bulb is rare; fluorescent is the way to go.
Aha! I found the trail mix and granola bars. J
I met Jennifer and a bunch of Rotarians at the Polio clinic in town this morning. Twice every year is “Polio Sunday”. Every child in India is supposed to get vaccinated against polio every year through age six. I was able to drip the two drops for each dose of the vaccine from a small bottle into the mouths of several children. It is a great program and polio has been virtually eliminated from all but a few remote parts of India.
We then went up to a high place where we could look down on an iron mining industry that exports ore by big barges and ships. The view was really nice. Then I was taken to my host’s family’s place for lunch. Not much I could eat but I wasn’t too hungry anyway.
My host, Nelish, used to be a part of a joined family and lived in a house with 14 people of his family but recently he moved out and now lives in a nuclear family situation: husband, wife, two daughters, dog, and cat. The dog is an 8 month old Boxer, Pinky, and the cat, Moga, is the first true pet cat I’ve seen here in India, though they say are they are not uncommon in Goa.
This home is about 1 kilometer from Goa Airport, the only airport in the state and an international airport. It looks to be about the size of Allentown airport. Every now and again I see a jet on final approach when I look out the window. This is where we will be flying out of tomorrow to go to Mumbai, London, and finally JFK.
We went to the beach, I don’t know the name of the beach, and walked along the stores. All of the store-keepers kept trying to get us to go in their shops and we went in a few but didn’t find anything to buy. In one place I looked at an anklet and the man said it was Rs250 ($6.25). We started walking away and kept calling out lower prices and finally got down to Rs100 ($2.50) but I really didn’t want it so we kept walking. We went on the beach for a short wade and this beach had almost no seashells but lots of seaweed. Again the tide was receding. We stayed almost long enough to see the sunset into the saddle of a camel-humped island. I got some beautiful photos though.
I was on the internet just long enough to check e-mail and compose one to start arranging a ride home when the power went out. I was just moving the mouse to the send button too! Jennifer, Elizabeth and I will be flying into JFK at 1100 on Tuesday, February 12th and Elizabeth’s husband, Adam, will pick all up and take us to Plainfield. I just need someone to bring my Jeep and give me a ride home from there. That is, if anyone misses me and wants me home again! (The power came on a few minutes later so I could send the message, thank goodness for gmail’s auto-save function!).
My host took me to a luggage shop so I could buy a bag to put all the things in that I have been carting around in tote bags. All of my host families have been giving me gifts that now won’t fit in the luggage I brought. Plus I bought some books and a few other items, like clothes. I packed everything today so I will have that much less to do in the morning.
I found out that the big blocks I thought were bricks are actually stone blocks that are cut from the ground. It is a stone called laterite. It comes in different grades from hard to crumbly.
We attended the Vasco Rotary meeting and send-off dinner. It was rather emotional. The District Governor, Vice Governor, Radhika, Ajay, and so many people were there to speak. When I got up to speak, I couldn’t finish due to tears. Jennifer managed to finish and sit before hers came. I was almost speechless for words to describe what the experience has been for me. I feel sad that we are leaving tomorrow. I will definitely have to return to India. I have so many friends and new family here!
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