Just beginning to download...

...photos from India.
Here we are shooting the Himalayas at dawn - me, then me and Michael Conner. Directly behind the farthest mountain top is China.
Michael had a remote shutter he set off with his hands snuggled in his warm pockets. As you can see, I shot the old fashioned way - bare hands exposed to the very cold temperatures as I snapped the shutter.
On our way back, we see a camel's day on the job that Michael snapped as we drove by. I was so impressed with how many people work side by side with their animals. It may seem primitive, but you'd be surprised how much work animals do there, contributing to family incomes and the national financial welfare.

Farewell, India

We leave India today.
The long drive from the Himalayas back to Delhi, arriving just in time to finish packing for an early morning flight and we’re on our way home.
This has been a whirlwind, profound adventure for Michael and me.
Michael is very well traveled and says this is the most fun he’s ever had on a trip. And the most tiring.
I’m reasonably well traveled and have learned more, seen more, experienced more, worked more, stayed in more extremely diverse billets and spent more time on the road here in India than I have in any other country – including places I’ve visited for work.
I came with a particular mission to work with the students, faculty and staff at the Rai Foundation School for Girls – a school financially supported exclusively by the Rai Foundation for girls from indigent circumstances from around the world (20 countries) to help them create better, more modern lives for them and their future families.
I wasn’t expecting to fall in love with the place and the people – but fall in love I did.
So I spent lots more time there than I – or they – expected. But what worthwhile work with such worthwhile people for such a worthwhile cause.
Then out of the blue I was asked to speak at one of the most important holidays on the Indian calendar – New Republic Day. It’s only one of three national holidays Indians celebrate – January 26th, the day on which the constitution of the new democracy, India, a newly free country to be governed by the rule of law, was signed in 1950.
I was honored, deeply moved and thrilled to be asked to participate.
Along the way I got very sick.
I prepared for every health precaution except one I suffered many years ago – sinus infections. Air pollution and dirt stirred up from massive infrastructure construction just about everywhere we traveled lingers in the air, and because I did not prepare for it, it got me, and turned into bronchitis.
I pushed through it, however, trying to put in some recovery effort.
Still, with so much to do, sights to see, things to photograph, stuff to read, people to meet, Indian radio (music of every description) and TV (one satellite service offers more than 1,000 channels!), it’s hard to take real “down time.”
India is a *huge* nation. With a population of 1.1 billion people. So much to do, so much to see, so little time. Believe me, with 1.1 billion people for a prospective audience, when you have a hit movie, TV show or recording in India – you have a HIT!
The most popular film ever in India is "Three Idiots," a slam of the Indian education system that now puts more emphasis on passing tests than learning and inspiring a generation to use their ingenuity to create a better world.
Its inclusion of so many races, religions, political parties, cultural backgrounds and more has amazed constitutional experts from the getgo, but somehow, India is a place that appears to work more than it doesn’t.
In some areas primitive ideas and superstitions rule; in others, the nation is a world leader.
In every case, India is fascinating.
Michael took a picture that, I believe, represents India’s mindset. Two young men were hired to dig a hole. Despite a lingering beggar population, most Indians work very, very hard. They must because it’s a tough life for the vast majority of people who live here. And Indians are known for their ingenuity.
Back to the two young men.
To get the hole dug faster, they rigged a rope to the neck of a shovel. One would use the shovel to dig, the other would pull the rope to make digging easier for the shoveler by easing the full weight of the dirt being dug, making the process go so much more quickly than just two guys digging with separate shovels. For every spade full of dirt one scoop would ordinarily be carried by one person, easily three or four were rapidly maneuvered with this contraption.
More, they were obviously good friends having fun.
I’ve written about the easy way drivers share the road with other cars, trucks, tripeds, bicycles, motorcycles, camels, elephants, oxen, buckboards, water buffalo, monkeys, dogs, goats, pigs, horses and more – including those coming in the opposite direction. Top speeds do not normally exceed 40km/hr so it’s not exactly a speedway even on open, clear roads. Again, it is fascinating to see such respect as all share the same road, actually helping one another reach their destinations – again, even those heading in the opposite direction.
That was actually us one night. Singh overshot the exit, so he turned on the flashing lights as we made our way going the opposite direction of the traffic on a major highway and not a soul did anything except make way for us.
Indian TV news has covered the Cairo crisis around the clock since its inception. TV journalists here are aggressive; one newer station also does investigative reporting, working to ferret out corruption in Indian government.
India takes its role as a free democracy very seriously; they would prefer that other nations were similarly free, but do not have the foreign policy of interfering with internal conflicts of other nations ruled by dictators or less democratic governments.
In India, there are no groups threatening succession, no Chai Party claiming that the government is out to do them in. They are proud to be part of a nation ruled by law, because they have tasted the bitter, destructive fruit of being ruled by another nation that considered them second class and worse.
Fundamentalism is seen as a threat, however, because fundamentalists do not believe in the rule of constitutional law, but want a theocracy ruled by rules of fanatical religious law, which is antithetical to the Indian way of life, though most Indians are deeply spiritual.
It’s impossible to describe watching dawn appear on a peak of the Himalayan Mountains, except to explain that Michael and I actually wept as we witnessed and photographed this event after the drive up to the peak under a sky so bright with nearby stars they felt close enough to grab.
Our driver, Singh. The best driver ever. The Hindi word for “best” or “first class” is pronounced “ba-ree’-ah,” so we said that to him often. “Bareeah driver!”
A wonderful family man who not only escorted us everywhere, but actually took care of Michael and I the day we were both sick and went to the hospital to see a doctor. We received our medical coverage cards, so in case we return and get sick, we’re in the system.
We met Singh’s 12 year old son Senjai and 23 year-old daughter, Nirmala, who works in marketing now but wants to become a journalist.
Senjai told me there are two things Indian people tend not to have as part of their personalities – fear and anger. With true faith there can be no fear; with an attitude of forgiveness and constantly moving forward, anger can be dealt with in a more positive way, channeled into constructive action.
Senjai told me he watches TV – including US programs from Animal Planet (good, educational), Discovery (yes! Educational!), Cartoon Network (OK..) and WWE (World Wrestling..? That phony, violent show? Really? Senjai, does your dad know?).
His favorite Hollywood films are Pirates of the Caribbean (all) and Spiderman (all). Favorite Hollywood actor – Johnny Depp.
Managing Himalayan roads and washouts is not a task for the weak hearted or the amateur driver. Singh intimately knows and loves his country and was proud to show us things not normally available to “tourists.”
I have to say, in three short weeks I have come to respect, admire and love this country. Of course knowing so many people here now makes a difference, but seeing how the country works (and doesn’t) first hand, it now has a very special place in my heart.
Visiting any developing country is hard work for a Westerner.
Interrupted electricity, wifi, water (which can also not be present at all), little hot water, congested air; although the ubiquitous animals did not bother me or Michael, I can understand how others might wonder…
Thanks to “squat toilets” – most public toilets are basically a hole in the ground – I return to the US with legs as strong as wrought iron because one has to “sit” without benefit of anything on which to sit. Like the exercise where you lean up against a wall with your legs perpendicular, only there’s no wall for balance. I bet I can crush a walnut with my knees, now.
And some simple processes are made complicated here. In a store, let’s say an Indian sweets store - one person takes your order and puts it together. Then someone else right next to him/her rings up your order. OK, then you have to take the bill across the store to the money taker and pay him/her. After you receive your change, your bill is stamped and you take it back to the person who put your order together to show you paid and that person hands you your order.
Three people to do the job of one person in other countries.
Small markets are everywhere, where apparently India’s favorite snack is Lay’s Potato Chips, because they are sold by the boatload here.
Speaking of snacks, Michael and I have both lost a noticeable amount of weight on our trip – between eating extremely healthy and being so active we couldn’t help it.
I’ll never forget the magnificent chai tea served here. The best has a taste of ginger in it.
Saying good-by is going to be such sweet sorrow.
I am so looking forward to seeing my pets, friends, actors, writers and other coachees as well as sleeping in my own bed!
And I already miss my new friends; all the things I’ve seen and experienced will come to mind vividly for months and years to come.
We covered such a small area of India’s total landscape, but the memories we carry are vast.
Michael and I have both been invited back by our host, which is terrific.
I’ve also decided I’m going to recommend to our host two people that he may want to invite for a trip like we enjoyed. I’m going to discuss this possibility with someone I know whom I believe will benefit greatly from this experience and share the knowledge gleaned with others.
And I want to ask a reader of this blog to write me why she or he would love to take this trip to India so I can submit the “winner” to our host. The idea is to want to learn the most and share what is learned with others.
Our host does not want you to like India, just experience the nation because few Westerners have, then have your own ideas and responses to what you see, experience and learn. How would you share your observations?
The caveat is that you must pay for your own airplane ticket – but lots of deals are available. You will be picked up from there if our host extends the invitation to you. And there is no social director. You have to know where you want to go.
So, email me if you’re interested at cpcontacts@comcast.net.
Just know that if you wish to come to India, you must really *want* to come to India. The trip itself is very long and arduous from North America, coming and going.
Meanwhile, it will take me a very long time to process all I have experienced here. I’ll be posting photos Michael and I took over the next several weeks. Wifi in India is slow for the traveler, so uploading photographs is a *very* time consuming job and I’ve opted to wait to show you many of our visual highlights.
Some changes I’ve made in my life already because of this trip:
I will never leave a glass of water poured for me at a restaurant; I will always drink that water or catch the wait person in time to ask that no water be poured.
My eating habits have changed drastically; I now wish to responsibly use whatever I have wisely and profoundly, including food.
Indians are very keen about their attire – nearly half a common wage here is spent on clothes. I’m not going that far, but my wardrobe, which is ordinarily a last priority for me, has been spiffed up!
My commitment to vegetarianism and animal welfare is deeper.
My devotion to matters of spirituality has expanded; I am ordinarily quite spiritual, but now this is true in a more actualized way.
Always carry toilet paper.
Have my camera nearby more often.
Watch more Bollywood – it’s silly, musical, romantic and “good clean fun!” India makes more films than any other nation by far. Movies are affordable entertainment here, so audiences are huge.
Check out the Cricket World Cup games.
I simply cannot see the world the same way after experiencing the wonders of this magnificent country, which will continue to haunt and fascinate me to my last breath. Things are not always as they appear to be; something that appears quite dysfunctional is, in fact, brilliantly functional. Likewise, things that may appear to be well organized and functional may well be a complete catastrophe.

One thing Michael and I have decided is a scientific fact, only we’re not sure how to prove it: Indian people, are, by far, the most beautiful people on the planet. Regardless of age, gender, weight, whatever. Beautiful. Then we decided if we see all of them as beautiful, why not all the rest of the people on the planet? So beauty is in everyone and we will choose to see it.

We cannot thank our host enough for giving us the opportunity of a lifetime.

Namaste, beloved India.

On top of the Himalayas...

Michael and I took pictures of the highest peak of the Himalayas near where we are staying at dawn this morning.
Driving up at 5 a.m., the stars were so big and bright and felt so close it was as if we could almost reach out and grab them.
The pictures of the mountains as the sun begins to cast its light on the mountain tops will speak for themselves. Just on the other side of the highest peak we photographed lies China.
After our 90-minute photo shoot, we had a traditional Indian breakfast, prepared by a friend of the late British naturalist Jim Corbett, a hero in this area who worked tirelessly to preserve the natural beauty and animals of this region.
The modest building in which he made our breakfast bread and chai was built in 1847.
Pictures to come later - wifi is very slow here unless you're in a business or government office, so it takes a major time commitment to upload them -- we'll hopefully be home this weekend (unless weather causes delays), and I'll be able to post the many photos that have been awaiting your perusal.
This evening we're going to an animal preserve to photograph its stars in their natural habitat, then I'm going for round two of taking pictures of the hundreds upon hundreds of swallows that come inside the resort to spend every night in two huge ficus trees planted near the pool.
Meanwhile, Indian TV news reports that Egypts President Mubarak "unleashed" his "supporters" to show that there are still people who like him, in what Indian media described as a last minute desperate attempt to influence national and international opinion about him.
Trouble is, the anti-government/Mubarak protesters were unarmed, his supporters showed up armed.
Indian TV has been carrying the story live for days, and while the anti-Mubarak throngs have been thousands and thousands deep, Mubarak "supporters" were few by comparison.
One Indian TV reporter was attacked with rocks, he dived behind an army truck, where he was asked by a soldier for his ID. He said he was Indian, a journalist, and showed credentials. The soldier told the reproter to get behind him and he would lead him to safety.
Since then the army withdrew from the area, apparently not wanting to appear to be attacking any protesters, even though at this point someone needs to restore order and stop the violence.
Along with the Egypt story, the cricket World Cup games are the big story. Cricket is played everywhere here; I've come to enjoy the game from watching it here.
I just read that CNN's Anderson Cooper was also assaulted by pro-Mubarak demonstrators (who at this point it seems may be described as thugs) and that US media are sending their stars to cover this story.
In the grand scheme of things, I believe it warrants this sort of coverage.
It's the first "internet uprising" spurred by young people, starting in Tunisia weeks ago.
One conclusion drawn by several broadcasters and newspaper journalists here: dictators are on their way out; that gradually the world will be rid of them. That Mubarak should be the last Pharoah of Egypt, and his ouster will be followed by others.
Later!

En route to the Himalayas

No camera can actually capture the majestic grandeur of the Himalayas, but here are some pictures of the trip en route to our Himalayan destiny.
I cannot overstate the extent to which India is spending on its infrastructure. Roads, highways, environmental improvements to existing structures, bridges, waterways, energy and so much more.
Skilled and unskilled workers, women and men are hired; local people from villages get jobs fixing damaged roads and potholes in their regions. This is a nation on a mission to become the number one superpower, and while the ancient and the modern may appear to collide in the eyes of many Westerners, they also work side by side.
Although they know it will take time, India is preparing to gain and maintain its super stature for a very long time and unlike the US, believes the strength of supremacy and longevity of functioning in that role lies in how it cares for its people and families, as well as services that support commerce, culture and communication.
En route to the Himalayas, we saw fields owned by major farming interests that also provide work and goods for local villagers to buy and sell.
Monkeys are everywhere, though the breeds change with territories.
Animals - working and just hanging out - are part of the national fabric in cities and fields and on roadways.
Fathers doting on daughters is a popular advertising message. There are some groups in India who only want to have sons; for every 1,000 males in India, there are 750 females. This practice, along with the harassment and "bride burnings" (where brides are injured or killed because the bride's family does not pay enough dowry or falls behind on its payments) are increasingly unpopular. Equality of the genders is the future of India.
The tall white building is a mosque that Michael and I were permitted - in fact, invited and welcomed - to enter. Neither of us wore anything on our heads, nor were we asked to. Muslims at this Himalayan location are proud of their mosque and were happy to have Michael take photos of their prayer areas.
Remember me mentioning the ubiquitous satellite dish? Michael captured an image of a woman hand washing her clothes outside her abode, which sports the circular TV receiver!
We are now staying at the Bhimtal Country Inn, thanks to our host. It is a five-star resort; a place anyone would love to stay with all the amenities, with villages nearby and scenic drives everywhere one turns.
Our host is a multi-billionaire, once one of the wealthiest men in the world - he knows Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, etc. - but left that world to work solely in education, creating a number of schools and universities in India(among them the Rai Foundation School for Girls). As part of his life's mission, he identifies individuals and groups internationally whom he believes would benefit from visits to India and whom he wishes to support with a little r&r at places like Bhimtal to enhance our creativity.
He discovered me through Facebook, telling me he admired my writing, background and photographs, and extended me the invitation. I in turn invited Michael. When he asked me to speak at the Girl's School, I jumped at the opportunity and offered to conduct the workshops, meetings and sessions I felt would support their work.
Fortunately, he, the faculty, staff and girls have been delighted with my ideas and work, and appreciated Michael's willingness to take photos as well as show them how his first class cameras work!
I have to say, while I ordinarily take all the pictures for my blogs, it's been a relief to have Michael carry most of that load on this trip, giving me time to think, write, and get well! And he has been having the time of his life, with India's nonstop lens candy!
Meanwhile, here at Bhimtal, every night at dusk, hundreds upon hundreds of sparrows come inside the Country Inn main building for warmth, to sleep and during mating season build nests in the large ficus trees near the pool.
They create a huge ruckus when they fly inside, no doubt chatting about what they did all day, who they saw, the latest sparrow gossip; likewise at dawn they sing their little hearts out welcoming the new day as they prepare to leave for their activities outside. It is a haven for human and birds alike!


Photos by Michael Conner.

The Instant Expert! Ask me any question...

After nearly three weeks in India - meeting so many people, going so many places, listening to radio and watching TV here, I believe I have become an authority in an amazingly short time!
To prove this, I am responding to the questions Michael has asked me over the past several days with answers that I believe any Indian knows to be true...
Michael: So if cars are supposed to drive on the left side of the road, why do they also weave in and out of the right lane and even use the center of the road to travel without stopping?
Instant Expert CP: Because, my friend, this is India.
M: If monkeys are supposed to be free here, why do some people own monkeys and walk them on a leash?
IECP: Because, Michael, this is India.
M: Hmmm. Although animals except monkeys are supposed to have owners, most seem free to wander as they wish. What's up with that?
IECP: Do they seem unhappy, these animals? Cows, pigs, goats, dogs, cats..?
M: They seem either completely laid back or happy - even playful.
IECP: I see. And do you know why that is?
M: Because...
IECP: Because this is India.
M: I think I see a pattern, here. OK. In other countries, people with different religions don't seem to get along. But here they live in harmony. Why is that?
IECP: Because. This is India.
M: Why are parrots allowed to fly freely here, where in other countries they are in cages?
IECP: Because this is India.
M: There is still a lot of ignorance in India. Tigers have disappeared because people killed them, selling their body parts to black marketers. Yet there is a tradition of conservation and respect for nature - I hear even killing a tree is frowned upon.
IECP: Yes, that is because this is India.
M: Rich people live next to poor people without rancor; people who do not speak English live alongside many who do, and even they get along. I don't understand... this can't be *just* because ... this is India...
IECP: Think about it. In India there is an attitude of let people live as they wish as long as they do not harm others. That as long as others are not hurt or worse, we all have good intentions.
In matters of driving, there is a dance of traffic among animals of every size, pedestrians, cars, vans, trucks, tripeds, buckboards, bicycles and more - eveyone's attitude allows each to share the road while reaching your own destination as quickly as possible without stopping for long distances (many, many miles) because there are almost no traffic lights.
You make way for someone else as someone else makes way for you. All for one, one for all.
No road rage, no insistence that I get farther faster than anyone else.
There is no assumption that if someone happens to be going in the opposite direction they are doing something wrong - they are helped to get going in the right direction or to their destination. And there is the proper assumption the driver is not impaired with alcohol or drugs.
People are not made out to be "wrong" - rather, it is assumed everyone is doing something right, in the right place for the right reason, no matter how it may look.
M: So you're saying ... that ... the reason these things work even though they may not look like they work to an outsider ... is ...
IECP: Correct. This is India. '-)

Major change of plans!

We decided rather than continue in the area of Delhi-Agra, we would go to the Himalayas, where we've been for the past day and a half. We've landed at a resort in the mountains owned by our host minutes ago. Lots of stuff and photos to catch up on soon!
Photographs cannot capture the majesty and magnificence of these mountains.
I now understand the lure of people who seem to come here again and again - it has nothing to do with mountain climbing; it's the region, the regal mountains and terrain; the animals and people.
Although far from the crowds of metropolitan India, satellite dishes and cell telephone towers are everywhere; technology and TV shows - including many American programs - are always nearby.
There is great concern over what is transpiring in Egypt. Indians there are leaving as quickly as they can. Media here are upset that the Indian government is not throwing its support behind the Egyptian people who want to dump Mubarak; India says it cannot get involved until they have someone in place with whom to deal. At this point the only organized group that may take over is reported to be the Brotherhood of Muslims - not to be confused with radical Islamists.
This is reported to be the first "internet uprising" in the Middle East.
Starting in Tunisia with young people, spreading and landing in Egypt's lap because of its horrific record of corruption and duplicity under the Mubarak regime.
Some stories reported on Indian news: unemployment is at about 20% in Egypt and other ME nations; where oil is the primary source of income, there is less strife even with high unemployment - but countries in which tourism is the #1 source of income, such as in Egypt, people are taking action.
More later!

A massage, a shower ...

This morning, Michael and I went to a reasonably priced mini-spa to get a fantastic massage and genuine shower with hot water that runs nonstop. I was also treated to a steam bath to help clear out my lungs from whatever condition my sinus infection has turned into.
Our first real (for us) shower in about three weeks.
I believe I made inappropriate noises as I scrubbed my hair and other essentials.
Ah!
That will probably be our last until we arrive home next weekend.
Then I got the three of us - Michael, me and our driver Singh, treats from Evergreen Sweets - great dessert stuff, small portions and not too sweet!
This is Singh. He loves kids. He has three of his own with remarkable age separations - 38, 23 and 12.
Then we're off to an exhibit of a 23-foot iron cast pilar that was made about 400 BC - that has *never* rusted. Pretty amazing.
It's part of an exhibition of ancient ruins from the Indian Valley associated with mosques, including a 238-foot tall sandstone tower with inscriptions at all five levels.
The collection of ruins of the Qutb Minar is protected as international historic heritage - preserved and protected by international law.
We also stopped at the Lotus House of Worship of the Baha'i faith, which is memorable and profoundly spiritual. Baha'i faith includes the equality of men and women, religion working with science rather than opposing it and other very progressive points of view, considering it is 157 years old. I covered stories when I was a TV journalist of Baha'i believers who escaped Iran and Iraq because they were being persecuted and even killed for their belief in equality of humankind. Very loving, courageous people.
Inside the House of Worship, it is beautiful, bright, and glowing with powerful spiritual energy. One must be silent upon entering, wearing neither shoes nor socks, and remain silent until you leave. A memorable visit, and one I made with a 12-year old Indian boy - the son of our driver. We actually had an adventure as well as sharing a very tender spiritual experience inside the temple.
Tomorrow we head to the Red Fort - where the constitution was signed in 1950 for the New Republic, then to the Taj (we know each other so well by now, I call it the Taj rather than the Taj Mahal)...
Here are a few photos Michael took of a village near the Rai School for Girls.

New Republic Day

A day I shall never forget.
New Republic Day is one of only three national holidays in India.
It is the celebration of the newly established constitution of India, the largest democracy in the world (currently 1.1 billion people population) as of its implimentation January 26, 1950.
If you are not familiar with the history of India, it would be time well spent to learn about the extraordinary abuses and indignations suffered by its peoples over the centuries at the hands of Great Britain, the Catholic Church and others they overcame, as well as an historical page mirroring the US past - turning on each other.
To think that out of that vast and tumultuous history comes a *democracy* thrills all political scholars. Can it be done? All that freedom with the most diverse population of any nation in the world? All those languages? All those points of view? All the dysfunction that preceded the establishment of the New Republic?
Tuesday evening, January 25, Michael and I arrived at the Rai School for Girls. We wanted to be there in time to enjoy the civic celebration the next day that they had been preparing for weeks. Music, dance, some speeches, awards and more. It was going to be a joy to behold.
As we ate dinner, Michael read the program for the next day's ceremonies.
"Oh, look at this. You're speaking," he said.
"I what?"
"You're speaking. See?"
There was my name - with a ten minute slot for speaking. One of three people, including the head of the school, the wonderful Rinchen Dolma and long-time Indian politician, Dr. Jaswant Singh Ji Yadav.
Me? Speak? This is one of India's most important events - I'm an American. The fact they would even think of me is flattering enough, but to give me the honour of speaking? Seriously, was this something I even deserved?
Michael also discovered that he was sitting at the table of dignitaries - with a turban! We assumed he was going to be eye candy '-).
Well.
To work. I first spoke with my closest friend at Rai, Shweta, about why this event is so vital to India's history. I did not reveal that my grades in history and government were not my highest when I went to school; I did not want her to have unnecessary concerns about her new American acquainantance saying something completely inappropriate.
I was left alone to write my speech; half an hour later Shweta and Michael returned, I read it to them, and except for on word pronounciation, it passed her whiff test!
Here is the speech I delivered the next day at the New Republic Day ceremonies:
"Happy Republic Day!
"I was at once honored and elated when asked to speak at your Republic India Day celebration.
"Coming from a young Democratic Republic still finding its way to fulfilling the promises its constitution makes, including the right to pursue happiness, I'm not in a position to tell you what to do!
"But I do have some heartfelt personal thoughts.
"First, while I've never visited your country before, I feel at home here.
"There is a sense of India, a tone set by its people and animals that says, 'Please, make yourself at home.'
"That is, I believe, a quality all democracies must have, that too many do not.
"The Rai Foundation is correct to say, 'Empower a woman, you empower a family.' That gender equality is the gateway to both world peace and a stable global economy.
"A real democracy works only if its family of citizens works together - informed, collaborating, compromising, laboring on behalf of all its family members; but especially protecting and encouraging our children.
"To fully participate here in what American constitutional authority Granville Austen called 'perhaps the greatest political venture since that oritiginated in Philadelphia in 1787.'
"UK Prime Minister Sir Anthony Eden noted: 'Of all the experiments in government since the beginning of time, I believe the Indian venture into parliamentary government is the most exciting. A system of a free democracy. It is also a brave thing to do!'
"After being with you girls, women, faculty and staff here, I know that with your leadership - in politics, business, communications, fashion, social care, finances, industry, media, culture, family care and so much more - Sir Eden might amend his comment. Rather than saying it's a brave thing to do, with the ongoing graduates of the Rai Foundation - its success is a certainty!
"Every day, as you take a step forward, toward fulfilling your dreams and aspirations, you take a step forward to fulfill the dreams and aspirations of your nation ... as well as providing the inspiration for generations to come.
"I am blessed that Mr. Rai asked me to speak with you.
"I am blessed to know you.
"Humbly, I thank you again for the magnificent honor to share your significant day with me.
"Namaste."
Michael and I were also given beautiful Indian shawls as a thank-you for our work with the girls at Rai.
Here's what the day looked like: Jai ho!

Cereal Killer

Kelloggs breakfast cereals set up a branch here in India several years ago they thought would catch fire among the 1.1 billion people who inhabit this country. Lots of brands and industries are hot for the Indian market because it is rife with promise and pioneering new markets!
Thing is, Indians start their day with hot cereals - my favorite is their porridge. Hot milk and wheat grains. Yum.
Apparently the Kelloggs folks did not do their homework, so their experiment has been the brunt of many a breakfast joke here.
You see, when Indian consumers tried Corn Flakes, the flakes died when hot milk was poured on them.
Like the Chinese, Indians tend to believe that starting the day with something cold is a shock to our system, so they prefer warm meals in the morning.
Well, I'm sure to give us something "American," the Rai School folks gave Michael and me some sort of Kelloggs cereal this morning for breakfast.
It's nothing we've ever seen in America - I'm sure Kelloggs does not sell this there - in fact it looks a lot like dog kibble. It was some sort of chocolate cereal whose only resemblance to taste was that of a crackling cardboard, even after pouring hot milk over it.
So we asked Tony the Tiger what he thought!
He said, "It's ggggggrrrrrrrrOOOOOOOOOSSSSSS!"