tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64614344655497882292024-03-14T11:12:18.143+01:00Be Wanderlustful“All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware.” -- Martin BuberJessihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04612643603953726126noreply@blogger.comBlogger143125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6461434465549788229.post-6287328185195880302013-08-12T11:52:00.000+02:002013-08-12T11:56:19.322+02:00Yearly Update<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Well, I'm a bit ashamed to see that it's been almost one year since I managed to write a blog post! but hear me out - it's been a busy year! Here's what I've been up to:</div>
<br />
<b>School wise</b><br />
<br />
<i>Fall Semester:</i><br />
<ul>
<li>1 presentation</li>
<li>4 papers throughout the semester</li>
<li>1 Norwegian written exam</li>
<li>1 Norwegian oral exam</li>
<li>3 x 3 hour cumulative essay exams </li>
<li>1 x 4 hour cumulative essay exam</li>
<li>1 x 48 hour Case exam (Solve a case and write a 12 page solution in 48 hours...in the middle of all your other exams)</li>
<li>1 x 12 page final paper</li>
</ul>
<i>Spring Semester:</i><br />
<ul>
<li>2 presentations</li>
<li>1 mid-term paper</li>
<li>Master Thesis presentation and preliminary proposal</li>
<li>4 Term papers (15-20 pages, including one on Multivariate Data Analysis Statistics - ahh)</li>
<li>1 x 3 hour cumulative essay exam</li>
</ul>
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and those are just the graded items - I can't even begin to quantify the hours of stress, class preparation, group meetings and group editing sessions, and trying to have fun and enjoy the fact that I am living in Norway!!<br />
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<b>Travel wise: </b><br />
Despite being extremely busy with my studies, and traveling being an expensive hobby, I have managed to enjoy quite a few travels this past year! Not as many as I had hoped for before moving to Norway, but reflecting on all that I have seen and done, I am happy to have managed these trips considering my schedule this past year.<br />
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Where I've been this past year:<br />
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<i>In Country: </i><br />
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<tr><td><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DPZd_ZKKPW8/Ugip1M3z_OI/AAAAAAAANkU/74m3gT8Z2lw/s1600/kjerag.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DPZd_ZKKPW8/Ugip1M3z_OI/AAAAAAAANkU/74m3gT8Z2lw/s320/kjerag.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption">August 2012: Road trip from Oslo to Stavanger, Kjeragbolten hike, and Kristiansand</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PveK209l6Gk/UgipwD133vI/AAAAAAAANi4/M9iPUSveD7s/s1600/Fredrikstad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PveK209l6Gk/UgipwD133vI/AAAAAAAANi4/M9iPUSveD7s/s320/Fredrikstad.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption">September 2012: Fredrikstad</td></tr>
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<tr><td><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vWjFoIAMK-A/UgipwDmr_FI/AAAAAAAANi0/4Q0IHSeKDGk/s320/Bergen.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption">March 2013: Bergen</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-T5VNek7xb8U/UgipwNWgruI/AAAAAAAANjo/8kN8-XSssQc/s1600/Bergen,+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-T5VNek7xb8U/UgipwNWgruI/AAAAAAAANjo/8kN8-XSssQc/s320/Bergen,+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">March 2013: Bergen</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Vgwwefc_93I/UgipyDMaZYI/AAAAAAAANkY/BogAnlFJAZM/s1600/Lofoten,+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Vgwwefc_93I/UgipyDMaZYI/AAAAAAAANkY/BogAnlFJAZM/s320/Lofoten,+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">April 2013: Bodø and Lofoten Islands</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gnBTV-0P0Jk/UgipypkRlxI/AAAAAAAANjk/FKlMo1DTm6w/s1600/Lofoten.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gnBTV-0P0Jk/UgipypkRlxI/AAAAAAAANjk/FKlMo1DTm6w/s320/Lofoten.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">April 2013: Lofoten</td></tr>
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<br />
<i>Out of Country:</i><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nVzmArVIB74/Ugiu0FdHHjI/AAAAAAAANlA/6fAS76-RPCc/s1600/P1030373.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nVzmArVIB74/Ugiu0FdHHjI/AAAAAAAANlA/6fAS76-RPCc/s320/P1030373.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">September 2012 and July 2013: Sweden shopping trips - cheap meats and alcohol! </td></tr>
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<ul>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NB6b7dF8Pnw/UgiuzCdOT5I/AAAAAAAANk4/Sr6IBHOqOAY/s1600/home.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="203" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NB6b7dF8Pnw/UgiuzCdOT5I/AAAAAAAANk4/Sr6IBHOqOAY/s320/home.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">December 2012 - January 2013: Home to VA for much needed Rest and Relaxation</td></tr>
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</ul>
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<tr><td><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uBrWSwISrO4/UgipzRq4jkI/AAAAAAAANj0/ebCpX38o3oQ/s1600/Portugal,+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uBrWSwISrO4/UgipzRq4jkI/AAAAAAAANj0/ebCpX38o3oQ/s320/Portugal,+3.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption">March 2013: Portugal</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ODIiO3UlNaE/UgipzLPx0bI/AAAAAAAANj4/cH6FTzpKy-Q/s1600/Portugal,+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ODIiO3UlNaE/UgipzLPx0bI/AAAAAAAANj4/cH6FTzpKy-Q/s320/Portugal,+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption">March 2013: J Girls in Portugal</td></tr>
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<div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Kyu83-ZjQ_0/Ugip0KHXkOI/AAAAAAAANkI/A98CW4sVT6Y/s1600/Portugal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Kyu83-ZjQ_0/Ugip0KHXkOI/AAAAAAAANkI/A98CW4sVT6Y/s320/Portugal.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">March 2013: Discoveries Monument, Portugal</td></tr>
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</div>
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<tr><td><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sl-KU-Nmpac/Ugitz5Y52bI/AAAAAAAANks/ionsimjZ6N0/s1600/germany.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="247" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sl-KU-Nmpac/Ugitz5Y52bI/AAAAAAAANks/ionsimjZ6N0/s320/germany.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">April 2013: My one and only picture from an amazing week in GAP, Germany</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xNw_59j_j0o/Ugip0VGncbI/AAAAAAAANkE/1roo1_EUCmo/s1600/Valencia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xNw_59j_j0o/Ugip0VGncbI/AAAAAAAANkE/1roo1_EUCmo/s320/Valencia.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">June 2013: Valencia, Spain</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Vzz94MDtN70/Ugipxuuem1I/AAAAAAAANjU/KJ6XR7t74kc/s1600/Italy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Vzz94MDtN70/Ugipxuuem1I/AAAAAAAANjU/KJ6XR7t74kc/s1600/Italy.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">July 2013: Puglia Region, Italy -- this picture was taken from the Tremiti Islands</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uD7k3mZiNpg/UgipwzwSf9I/AAAAAAAANjE/gDMRipcM3DQ/s1600/GAP,+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uD7k3mZiNpg/UgipwzwSf9I/AAAAAAAANjE/gDMRipcM3DQ/s320/GAP,+2.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption">July 2013: Garmisch, Germany - FEST!!!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zlUSFqAFwGI/UgipxcHDAdI/AAAAAAAANjY/I-IWNrXNmuY/s1600/GAP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zlUSFqAFwGI/UgipxcHDAdI/AAAAAAAANjY/I-IWNrXNmuY/s320/GAP.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption">July 2013: My amazing hosts and friends in Garmisch, Germany</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iV1G6wSVEEc/UgipwrUAaHI/AAAAAAAANjI/GmsdbU7jBHU/s1600/GAP+Alps.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iV1G6wSVEEc/UgipwrUAaHI/AAAAAAAANjI/GmsdbU7jBHU/s320/GAP+Alps.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption">July 2013: Hiking in the Alps - my favorite place in the whole world!!</td></tr>
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Jessihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04612643603953726126noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6461434465549788229.post-28653517005748836802012-09-15T10:38:00.000+02:002012-09-17T19:21:20.159+02:00Life in Norway so far<br />
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I can't believe it's been almost two months since I arrived in Oslo to start this new chapter of my life as a graduate student in a foreign country. As the days and weeks wear on, or rather fly by, I find myself feeling more and more settled. The first week of classes seems like it was ages ago - we are entering our fifth week of classes now. The semester started off a little rocky considering we were all behind from the first day of classes since professors had expected us to read several chapters before the first class (welcome to masters level studies). It has taken some adjusting to the new type of class schedule and how to best prepare for only having each class once a week instead of three times/week. Two of my classes meet for three hours, two for four hours, and one for SIX hours (starting at 8am on Monday mornings - joy!) but the six hour class will stop meeting at the end of September and the professor will start to teach a different class for second year masters students...meaning we will have three-day weekends for the remainder of the semester. BI (the school I am attending) mandates 15 minute breaks after 45 minutes of lecture time, which helps manage the longer lectures. </div>
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The classes have overall been really fantastic. My classes include: psychological measurement (to include personality type analysis - my favorite!!), business ethics (potential thesis topic), Organization Science, Strategic Management, and Organizational Behavior (love this subject so much - another possible thesis topic). Of course, I can't forget my Norwegian course! I figured since I will most likely be here for two years I should learn some Norwegian and it would be nice to learn the basics to get by even though every Norwegian I've met speaks English. The class meets twice/week and so far is going great...if only I could justify spending time studying Norwegian over my other subjects...</div>
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My apartment is nice considering it's student housing. Of course it can't even compare to the student housing at CNU (the best on-campus housing in the nation!!) nor does it come close to my lovely furnished apartment in Bangladesh! but it fits the bill for a place to sleep and eat. I have also been very lucky to have a wonderful "roommate" - we share a bathroom - from Germany and 5 great flat mates to share the kitchen with (7 of us in total). My flat mates are from Germany, Latvia, China, and France - talk about truly international student housing. The apartment complex is located close to the best spot of nature in Oslo - the Sognsvann (picture below) and the beginning of the forest, so I've been able to take study breaks and run around the lake and enjoy the beautiful nature. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-K3U1n8wOWF8/UFQ8c4RSgXI/AAAAAAAANdw/3VvVB3VlKNs/s1600/P1010367.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-K3U1n8wOWF8/UFQ8c4RSgXI/AAAAAAAANdw/3VvVB3VlKNs/s320/P1010367.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sognsvann near my apartment in Kringsja, Oslo</td></tr>
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I've been able to do some exploring around the city and country. Before classes started, my German roommate and I hit the road to the west coast to enjoy our last days of freedom. We made the nine hour drive through the picturesque countryside through the middle of the country (see picture below). These roads were often only wide enough for one car and involved lots of steep inclines and switchbacks. There is really only one 'highway' through Norway. It follows the coast line and I use the phrase 'highway' because the speed limit is only about 50mph at its fastest points. We explored the small city of Stavanger before a good night's rest and a gruesome and completely rewarding hike in the Lysebotn fjord to Kjeragbolten. On our way home along the highway, we stopped in Kristiansand, a popular beach spot for Norwegians. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qDqT_ABeYNM/UFQ8in3JHwI/AAAAAAAANd4/5Hb5dchBDrk/s1600/P1010472.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qDqT_ABeYNM/UFQ8in3JHwI/AAAAAAAANd4/5Hb5dchBDrk/s320/P1010472.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Driving through the Norwegian countryside (Oslo to Stavanger)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vEFmWuTi0kQ/UFQ8k7rL1lI/AAAAAAAANeA/mXm0wqhPN9o/s1600/P1010587.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vEFmWuTi0kQ/UFQ8k7rL1lI/AAAAAAAANeA/mXm0wqhPN9o/s320/P1010587.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lysebotn Fjord</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kZrJKKeWjiA/UFQ8nnqJl3I/AAAAAAAANeM/hYAQ6OVMZtU/s1600/P1010620.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kZrJKKeWjiA/UFQ8nnqJl3I/AAAAAAAANeM/hYAQ6OVMZtU/s320/P1010620.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kjeragbolten! done and done.</td></tr>
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Fun/random observations so far:</div>
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<ul>
<li>In any given 24 hours, you can expect rain.</li>
<li>It's cold already - time for my winter coat and thermals kind of cold.</li>
<li>Norwegians claim that their eggs do not contain salmonella - making it perfectly acceptable to eat all the raw cookie dough you want :) </li>
<li>I'm not sure if I'll ever get used to the fact that Norwegians do not greet each other when walking/running around the Sognsvann</li>
</ul>
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Jessihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04612643603953726126noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6461434465549788229.post-33078380070788883612012-07-01T23:27:00.001+02:002012-07-01T23:31:38.430+02:00Grad School in Norway!!<br />
I'm sure this post won't surprise too many of you. One, most of you already know! Two, we all know how much I love living abroad!<br />
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I'm moving to Norway for an amazing graduate program I discovered last spring (2011) before I received my job offer from AUW. I was searching and searching (and searching some more) for a masters program that seemed like a perfect fit. I am passionate about employee appreciation, employee job satisfaction, and overall effective business operations (HR topics). Most Organizational Psychology programs in the US are PhD focused and/or require a strong psychology background ('strong' considering I have no psychology background). This particular program is a masters-focused program in a top European Business school. There is also an incredible opportunity, if I get accepted, to earn a dual degree. This means I would spend one year in Norway earning my Masters in Leadership and Organizational Psychology and one year in the Netherlands earning my Masters in Organizational Studies. What a fantastic opportunity -- two countries, two degrees = double the experiences, double the learning power, and double the adventures.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qE17hTLRh1Y/T9YhZd337gI/AAAAAAAANc4/Tn32z8yLjuY/s1600/BI_Nydalen0017_sverre_vinje-e1308301161878.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qE17hTLRh1Y/T9YhZd337gI/AAAAAAAANc4/Tn32z8yLjuY/s400/BI_Nydalen0017_sverre_vinje-e1308301161878.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">BI Norwegian School of Business, Oslo Campus (official photo)</td></tr>
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<a href="http://youtu.be/hPZ8_leo_UA" target="_blank">Tour of the BI Campus from the Architect</a><br />
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In December, I had the opportunity to visit Oslo for several days and visited the BI campus. Here is a picture of the interior I took while touring the campus: <br />
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<br />Jessihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04612643603953726126noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6461434465549788229.post-78938619137061098412012-06-08T17:33:00.000+02:002012-06-08T18:34:37.400+02:00Memorial Day Weekend 2012This was the first Memorial Day I have been able to spend with my family since 2007. I have been loving the time at home since returning home from Bangladesh in September and being within weekend-visiting driving distance! Here's how the weekend shaped up:<br />
<ul>
<li>saved a kitten that managed to 'doggie paddle' ('kitty paddle'?) all night long in the swimming pool</li>
<ul>
<li><span style="text-align: center;">searched for said kitty after he escaped from his box in the house....15 minutes later found him hiding in a corner</span><span style="text-align: center;"> </span></li>
</ul>
</ul>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<ul>
<li>killed a Virginia Black snake ...which was mistaken for a copperhead snake at first which was in the house!! (ok, Dad killed it! but still!)</li>
<li>family reunion complete with pool time, grilling out, and chicken egg hunts!</li>
<li>pitiful yard sale x2 mornings</li>
<li>two extra paid days off from my company! = 5 day weekend!</li>
</ul>
<div>
Hope everyone had a fantastic Memorial Day weekend! </div>Jessihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04612643603953726126noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6461434465549788229.post-20684344034478673342012-06-06T03:19:00.001+02:002012-06-06T22:30:31.471+02:00Leaving BangladeshI know I haven't blogged in quite a while. A handful of you know where I am and what I have been through the past few months but to bring everybody up to speed, here is a super abbreviated, unemotional update....After returning to Bangladesh in August, I quickly (considering I was hoping to live in Bangladesh for several more years) turned around and returned to the US after quitting my job. The decision process seemed incredibly long and drawn out (it took me almost three weeks to decide to leave!) but considering the implications, it seemed to be an insufficient amount time to respond. To ridiculously under play what happened, there were major unethical leadership decisions made that I could not ignore. Unfortunately for the students, the decisions of one person led to a huge turnover before school even started... Leaving Bangladesh, AUW, my students, friends, memories, and future hopes and travel plans was, without a doubt, the most difficult decision I have ever made.<br />
<br />
Top 10 things I miss:<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>The students!!!!</li>
<li>My co-volunteers, office mates, and roommates (shout out to the penthouse!) who became my travel partners, sounding boards, and best friends</li>
<li>The Food - Doi Puchka, Kalo Jam, Kacha Gola, Tandoori Paneer to name a few</li>
<li>Aarong! amazing fair-trade store with gorgeous Shalwar Kameez outfits, saris, household items, etc.</li>
<li>The Clothes - picking out fabrics in the market and sewing designs at the tailor. and of course, Sari Sundays at school!!</li>
<li>Traveling - Asia is simply amazing!</li>
<li>Work Dynamics - having a challenging, rewarding job with a fun office environment, ample time off, and in general feeling like you're making a difference every day</li>
<li>AUW - the sense of community, diversity, and constant learning experiences</li>
<li>Humility - I miss being humbled on a daily basis. Living in Bangladesh reminded me how sheltered and easy my life has been and to be more grateful for the experiences and opportunities I have had.</li>
<li>Bangladesh - overnight buses (the real-life equivalent of playing chicken on the road!), rickshaws, CNGs, miscommunications, villages, holiday celebrations, and the list could go on!</li>
</ol>
Thanks to my great new friends, daily van rides, lunch gatherings in the cafeteria, travel fiascos, twice daily tea breaks, etc. I have come to associate numerous songs with my memories of Bangladesh....If my time in Bangladesh had a soundtrack, it would sound something like this:<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>'Sheila Ki Jawani' by Tees Maar Khan (hottest Bollywood song of the year)</li>
<li>'Pee Loon' from Once Upon A Time in Mumbai (favorite song to listen to in the van in the am!)</li>
<li>'Tum Jo Aaye' from Once Upon A Time in Mumbai (another fave van song)</li>
<li>'Home' by Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros</li>
<li>'Somebody to Love' by Justin Bieber (let's be honest, all things Bieber)</li>
<li>'Enchanted' by Taylor Swift (again, let's be honest, all things TSwift were jamming in our office!)</li>
<li>'Wavin Flag' by K'Naan (South Africa WorldCup theme song)</li>
<li>'On The Floor' by Jennifer Lopez ft. Pitbull</li>
<li>'Waka Waka' by Shakira</li>
<li>'California Girls' by Katy Perry</li>
</ol>Jessihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04612643603953726126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6461434465549788229.post-82945444928547436412011-08-30T09:53:00.003+02:002011-09-14T05:03:42.193+02:00Preparing for Eid is like preparing for a hurricaneI feel like I'm with my east coast friends and family in spirit right now. Even though the worst is hopefully behind you now, I feel like I am going through the same preparation steps you may have taken days/weeks ago. It is Ramadan here, meaning people have been fasting all month and tomorrow will be the big day, Eid, for their holiday (their Christmas, if you will). Eid does not even compare to shopping before Christmas or preparing for a hurricane or anything - it is on a whole new level of craziness all by itself, especially here in Bangladesh. It's a month full of shopping for gifts and a special outfit for each family member to wear on the Eid day. I've gone out shopping several times the past few days to stock up on supplies before Eid, because after Eid most shops will close for up to 10 days. Even the grocery stores close for 3-4 days. It has been overly crowded everywhere but today was amazing to see! I wish I could begin to estimate how many people were in Agora (the local grocery store) -- hundreds!! Every aisle was packed, there were at least 10 customers waiting in each checkout line (about 6 checkout lines in total). It was insane! When I first walked in, I thought to myself, you do not really need any of the items on your list, but I continued on anyway because there was a great sensation of feeling like I was a part of their holiday in this one way. While I am very excited to be here during Eid, I will be happy when things go back to "normal" (whatever normal is in a country populated by 160 million people).*side note -- I was going to get a facial or massage but the "spa" was packed! They estimated the wait to be at least an hour but I think that was an under estimation. The ladies like to be made more beautiful for Eid, including having mendhi done.*<br />
<br />
A few items on my must-have list for the holiday weekend include:<br />
<ul><li>going to the DVD store - bought Grey's Anatomy Season 7 (the second half since I purchased the first half last spring), Nicholas Sparks multi-movie disc, and Pirates of the Caribbean collection (I have only seen the first one - now might be a good time to get caught up) -- each disc cost $1 (amazing!) </li>
<li>ribbon - I brought mini clothespins with me and needed more ribbon so I can then hang pictures off of the ribbon -- so I can spend some time over the holiday nesting/decorating the apartment</li>
<li>2.5kg potatoes, onions, pasta, limes (lime juice goes in a lot of dishes I seem to make here!), oatmeal (and other ingredient for no-bake cookies), and my favorite food obsession - chickpeas! </li>
</ul><br />
The pictures below do not even begin to give you a sense of the crowdedness of the grocery story today. At least people were very polite about it, no pushing and shoving you like you might have seen in the US (hello, black Friday....). Occasionally someone would bump into my handcart or I would bump into them and there was always a quick, friendly apology with a look of understanding - that this is crazy!<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tMRUpX87SpQ/TlySR49FxhI/AAAAAAAANIY/qVc5zIsq1nc/s1600/IMG_8949.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tMRUpX87SpQ/TlySR49FxhI/AAAAAAAANIY/qVc5zIsq1nc/s320/IMG_8949.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">A shopper's nightmare.... </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gfJ6v9rSM7g/TlySO6hdjnI/AAAAAAAANIU/0jj5t-NGmes/s1600/IMG_8948.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gfJ6v9rSM7g/TlySO6hdjnI/AAAAAAAANIU/0jj5t-NGmes/s320/IMG_8948.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Waiting in line to check out....</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wpLnDNc5Ifc/TlySTiXSfGI/AAAAAAAANIc/qj2InpHZdtk/s1600/IMG_8951.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wpLnDNc5Ifc/TlySTiXSfGI/AAAAAAAANIc/qj2InpHZdtk/s320/IMG_8951.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Waiting in line while others try to maneuver around the lines to get down the next aisle</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-874oUte-K4U/TlySVOzYdzI/AAAAAAAANIg/Lhjg6LtRfXM/s1600/IMG_8939.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-874oUte-K4U/TlySVOzYdzI/AAAAAAAANIg/Lhjg6LtRfXM/s320/IMG_8939.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">A sample Iftar meal...I love Iftar food but my tummy doesn't always love it because it's all fried, as you can surely tell in this picture. When I first arrived we went to my favorite restaurant, Tava, to order some food to bring home. While waiting for our meals to arrive in take-away boxes we were served this lovely plate of Iftar food so that we could break the fast with the other patrons in the restaurant. Michelle and I also went to our neighbor's (from last year) home for Iftar the other night. Families often create a pre-made plate of food just like this, even when breaking the fast at home. PS -- can we talk about the bird in the middle of the plate?! I am what I like to call a polite vegetarian when in Bangladesh. I do not really like to eat meat here (I am not vegetarian by any means it's just a personal choice to not eat it here). I especially do not like to eat beef here but I will eat it if it is served to me and there are not any other options, to be polite. Last year I did not eat the beef after seeing cows slaughtered during the second Eid (that was the end of my beef politeness....). I could not, however, bring myself to eat the bird on my plate.... </div>Jessihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04612643603953726126noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6461434465549788229.post-19879745672861744242011-08-23T02:44:00.000+02:002012-05-21T02:49:12.315+02:00Joys of the RickshawYou know you love riding in a rickshaw too much when....<br />
<br />
you get mad about losing momentum!<br />
<br />Jessihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04612643603953726126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6461434465549788229.post-3616102982465978422011-08-21T11:04:00.000+02:002011-08-21T11:04:56.495+02:00Summer of 'Before and After'At the beginning of the summer I had all these lofty goals and ideas....now that summer is over I accomplished more than I would have without any of those goals but certainly did not check everything off my list. Number one on my list was to clean my room! It's been a storage room for the past 8 years and I decided that if I was going to have call that home for 2.5 months I needed to be able to see the floor. I also wanted to change some things up since I haven't lived in my room since high school. Here's how my summer room-cleaning project shaped up..... (some of the colors are a little off because I didn't think I needed my flash on....apparently I did! oops!)<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">Chalkboard Before....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wZV0SrAFR2w/TlDHZ64uccI/AAAAAAAANHM/0NNNKaO14rk/s1600/IMG_1176.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wZV0SrAFR2w/TlDHZ64uccI/AAAAAAAANHM/0NNNKaO14rk/s320/IMG_1176.JPG" width="320" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Chalkboard After! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--t_QS-YsNeo/TlDHebiVATI/AAAAAAAANHQ/kX_1nAODvBY/s1600/IMG_1193.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--t_QS-YsNeo/TlDHebiVATI/AAAAAAAANHQ/kX_1nAODvBY/s320/IMG_1193.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"> My Bed Before....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2vgj2rnEyNo/TlDHgMRnqbI/AAAAAAAANHU/CTfLIVTpFp8/s1600/IMG_1173.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2vgj2rnEyNo/TlDHgMRnqbI/AAAAAAAANHU/CTfLIVTpFp8/s320/IMG_1173.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Bed After! (featuring a painted picture from Aunt (center above bed) and Grandma (right of bed))</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-t0QF3V-QqDk/TlDHiSh44oI/AAAAAAAANHY/YYhAEi5M2lc/s1600/IMG_1199.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-t0QF3V-QqDk/TlDHiSh44oI/AAAAAAAANHY/YYhAEi5M2lc/s320/IMG_1199.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Bulletin Board Before.... </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2G8LZg94OkY/TlDHjyuvOvI/AAAAAAAANHc/KabmcJaJHM0/s1600/IMG_1183.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2G8LZg94OkY/TlDHjyuvOvI/AAAAAAAANHc/KabmcJaJHM0/s320/IMG_1183.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Bulletin Board After! painted the frame, covered the back with paper from Paper Source, and attached ribbon in a zig zag pattern :) </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-adpExtnm7zo/TlDHlXP3D0I/AAAAAAAANHg/RGcSdNnkRPA/s1600/IMG_1186.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-adpExtnm7zo/TlDHlXP3D0I/AAAAAAAANHg/RGcSdNnkRPA/s320/IMG_1186.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">That side of the room after all the changes :) - notie the stylish bulletin board! I found cute clothespins at Michaels that go well with the color scheme!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ROhwn4N4zqI/TlDHmy6WRHI/AAAAAAAANHk/UllhwS6VeKs/s1600/IMG_1261.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ROhwn4N4zqI/TlDHmy6WRHI/AAAAAAAANHk/UllhwS6VeKs/s320/IMG_1261.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">My beautiful hand stitched pictures from Aarong (fair trade store in Bangladesh) with my favorite doll from my childhood on top of my wardrobe</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-thwQpL2UpQQ/TlDHn906HPI/AAAAAAAANHo/uvETRJqktBc/s1600/IMG_1263.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-thwQpL2UpQQ/TlDHn906HPI/AAAAAAAANHo/uvETRJqktBc/s320/IMG_1263.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">disaster zone on the chest at the end of my bed...before....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LnOyKRS3itE/TlDHplWDLEI/AAAAAAAANHs/BQHa8cnJkxQ/s1600/IMG_1182.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LnOyKRS3itE/TlDHplWDLEI/AAAAAAAANHs/BQHa8cnJkxQ/s320/IMG_1182.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">After! with the beautiful <span class="st">Nakshi Kantha table cloth (from Sylhet)</span> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Rv-DnmX_sMY/TlDHq8w71aI/AAAAAAAANHw/qN7nlTHc70Q/s1600/IMG_1267.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Rv-DnmX_sMY/TlDHq8w71aI/AAAAAAAANHw/qN7nlTHc70Q/s320/IMG_1267.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">My desk before the massive cleanup! Needless to say, I never actually used my desk, even in high school..... </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gFq4UCTpMN4/TlDHsKJB7yI/AAAAAAAANH0/w9KNbaJB7aU/s1600/IMG_1174.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gFq4UCTpMN4/TlDHsKJB7yI/AAAAAAAANH0/w9KNbaJB7aU/s320/IMG_1174.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">My desk space after! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QzKoQijQTjI/TlDHtOanKYI/AAAAAAAANH4/NajXGYAZ6Ec/s1600/IMG_1266.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QzKoQijQTjI/TlDHtOanKYI/AAAAAAAANH4/NajXGYAZ6Ec/s320/IMG_1266.jpg" width="185" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Bookshelf before.... </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DjIYt-O-_Sk/TlDHue5dSjI/AAAAAAAANH8/w5Q1XVIg9LM/s1600/IMG_1179.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DjIYt-O-_Sk/TlDHue5dSjI/AAAAAAAANH8/w5Q1XVIg9LM/s320/IMG_1179.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Bookshelf after!! A lot of the books that were on here went up to the yard sale, leaving room for all the books in baskets on my floor and in my closets! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9jkPTc44dVk/TlDHvjF9HcI/AAAAAAAANIA/AyxDLI3c6Ko/s1600/IMG_1265.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9jkPTc44dVk/TlDHvjF9HcI/AAAAAAAANIA/AyxDLI3c6Ko/s320/IMG_1265.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br />
So that was my massive clean-up project for the summer! By the end of the summer it felt soooo good to have a nice, clean, organized room! I am a neat freak, Type A after all :) Hope you enjoyed seeing my productivity!Jessihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04612643603953726126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6461434465549788229.post-1554049863261489002011-06-29T05:33:00.002+02:002011-09-14T05:03:01.519+02:00Thailand Sneak Peak!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>I feel like summer is flying by and it does not have my permission to do so! My mom's family got together for a family reunion at Myrtle Beach, which was awesome. It took us three family photos to get everyone in a picture...and still there is not one picture that captures all of us at one time! haha It was a great time hanging out, eating, tanning, and finding lots of weird critters in the ocean! <br />
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<br />
I finally got my laptop back today...even though it isn't fixed yet....thank you Bangladesh for doing quite a number on my laptop! and I was feeling inspired to look through the hundreds of photos I took in Thailand and Malaysia in May! I thought I'd start by posting a few of my favorites that stuck out as I sorted through photos today.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EgwqJF9f5po/TgqcH0xt3MI/AAAAAAAANC4/fCbtvmCZmTM/s1600/IMG_0973.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EgwqJF9f5po/TgqcH0xt3MI/AAAAAAAANC4/fCbtvmCZmTM/s320/IMG_0973.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Young girl in one of the long-neck villages</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AeclyyJysDU/Tgqb0qozvFI/AAAAAAAANCk/H4qcvrKTgA0/s1600/IMG_0165.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AeclyyJysDU/Tgqb0qozvFI/AAAAAAAANCk/H4qcvrKTgA0/s320/IMG_0165.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> at a temple in Bangkok</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QKO1Jfbm8rg/Tgqb48oZftI/AAAAAAAANCo/rljqNLWr24Q/s1600/IMG_0275.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QKO1Jfbm8rg/Tgqb48oZftI/AAAAAAAANCo/rljqNLWr24Q/s320/IMG_0275.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Koh Tao!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OSFMxffpLg8/Tgqb_19JnAI/AAAAAAAANCs/HKs_eLTUzVo/s1600/IMG_0535.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OSFMxffpLg8/Tgqb_19JnAI/AAAAAAAANCs/HKs_eLTUzVo/s320/IMG_0535.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Chiang Mai temple (don't ask which one....we went to a million!)</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GJGBlV8LZVU/TgqcDSxYjSI/AAAAAAAANCw/wNpE-m2e01g/s1600/IMG_2839.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GJGBlV8LZVU/TgqcDSxYjSI/AAAAAAAANCw/wNpE-m2e01g/s320/IMG_2839.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">I don't know why but I really loved these hot water kettles at our breakfast on our overnight hike to a hilltop tribal village outside of Chiang Mai</div>Jessihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04612643603953726126noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6461434465549788229.post-85442103456625834682011-06-07T03:31:00.000+02:002011-06-07T03:31:18.710+02:00So This Is Summer...Well, I had the ideas for a great blog in my head earlier today but now I'm just flat out exhausted...blame jetlag or the fact that I worked out for the first time in a loooong time or the fact that I was totally defeated while shopping in town today...<br />
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Here's how my day shaped up<br />
7am -- Day 1 of the couch to 5k run program! Loving the app! It tells you when to do what...week 1 = 20 minute run/walk intervals with a 5 min warm up/cool down. I don't know if my early wake ups can be attributed to jetlag or not but at least the run was a lot cooler at 7am! Let's just say that now that it's the end of the day my legs are pretty tired! Hopefully I can keep up the motivation and commitment to finish the 9-week training program! <br />
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Spent the morning shopping in town for craft supplies for a few projects for my room....I haven't lived at home since high school and I thought I'd spruce up my room a little - including massive, massive cleaning/organizing! *Note: my room has been a dumping zone for the past 8 years...after college, after Germany, and now mid Bangladesh!* Perhaps I'll post a few before/after photos when my craft projects start to look a little more promising (today was a fail on craft shopping....so looks like I need a bigger crafts store!) and when I'm feeling like I will have enough energy to muster through the piles and tupperware boxes in my room. Oh! Let me tell you about the wonders of the GPS....in brief, why can't it just say "turn right now [you idiot]" haha - seriously - it always seems to be one step behind me and I'm staring at street signs and wondering "Is it this road or the next?" maybe I'm the only one with this problem but I doubt it...."recalculating" ahhhhh<br />
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"Installed" mom's new baby....and her and dad's evening entertainment.....pool cleaning robot. He was a little crazy if you ask me - I had to keep pushing it under water because it would spin its wheels and come up to the surface and climb the walls of the pool....of course it worked perfectly when mom came home and wanted to see it do it's thing. Go figure. Well, hopefully it keeps working (it did a great job cleaning the parts it did roll over) so I don't have to have my old job of pool cleaner back! Spent the afternoon supervising the robot, tanning, and reading <i>The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.</i><br />
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The evening was spent making homemade banana ice cream and mapping out my day for tomorrow....eye appointment in Richmond so I'm going to try to do some shopping before the apt! <br />
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Hope everyone is enjoying their summer and had a wonderful Monday :)Jessihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04612643603953726126noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6461434465549788229.post-87502581095033346702011-06-02T17:18:00.001+02:002011-06-02T17:23:12.281+02:00HOMEWell, after a month of traveling around Malaysia and Thailand and making the long journey (30 hours) home I am finally here!! I was greeted with a beautiful bouquet of flowers and hugs and kisses. Since home I've been doing the usual hunt for new things...so far I've discovered the new fridge (kinda obvious....the old one was well, old, and white...the new one - spiffy and black! It even beeps at me when I stand staring into the fridge for too long...oops!), new dishwasher, I'm thinking there's a new grill (not sure if it's new or if I've just been away for too long to really remember what was here before), new dishes, new silverware, mom's newest and first quilt, and I'm sure a few other things I still haven't discovered.<br />
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Much to my surprise the new fridge was actually filled with food! Usually the fridge is bare-boned empty when I get home. Thank goodness it was full because I'm not sure if I'm ready to conquer the roads where people don't honk, drive on the right side of the road from the left side of their car, and don't swerve in and out of traffic. hehe what will I ever do without all the chaos?! Anyway, thank goodness there was cheddar cheese in the fridge! I have been devouring the cheese ever since I woke up this morning (bright and early at 7am!) I'm guessing I'll crash early this afternoon considering I went for 40+ hours on minimal sleep/airplane napping! The fridge also happened to have a container with one of my fave mom dishes -- 3 bean casserole :) yumm<br />
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Lucky for mom I was too tired when we got home last night at 11:30pm to empty my suitcase and show her all of my latest purchases including several gifts for her. Yes, usually this is my ritual that as soon as I walk in the door I start emptying the contents of my suitcase! Last night I was so tired I didn't even want to shower but forced myself based on the sheer fact that I was disgusting after traveling from Bangladesh to Abu Dhabi to JFK to IAD to home....in 30 hours... <br />
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Well, I'm going to get back to enjoying the TV (there's so much going on!! funny how facinating the TV can be after not watching tv for a year!) and my pictures from Thailand and Malaysia, which I will post soon enough :) <br />
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Send me a message, email me, call me, etc. if you want to get together this summer while I'm home :) xoxoJessihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04612643603953726126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6461434465549788229.post-55233948961784662322011-04-18T02:46:00.000+02:002012-05-21T02:48:35.746+02:00Leadership Adventure DayBelow is a lovely poem written by one of my students for all of red group to read at the start of their Leadership Adventure Day! Such a proud moment!<br />
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Gratitude to AUW from all your dearly daughters<br />
Still the words are less, even many more we utter.<br />
Smiling forever and caring are our teachers,<br />
Helpful and understanding with unique features.<br />
We are the women with a dream to gain,<br />
Inspiration from AUW makes us work in a chain.<br />
Proud to know AUW, the way of dreams and hopes,<br />
In a very challenging time,we have learned to cope. <br />
~Kalpana, Nepali student (red group)Jessihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04612643603953726126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6461434465549788229.post-57136489152182400382011-04-04T09:49:00.022+02:002011-09-14T05:04:19.695+02:00la la la Sri Lanka<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><i>March 10-27, 2011 </i>Spring break in Sri Lanka!! A much needed vacation from the long hours of lesson planning, grading, teaching, student meetings and having no social life. OK, don't get me wrong - I love my job - but I'm not a machine!<br />
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A few faves from my wonderfully amazing vacation in Sri Lanka!! :) More pictures <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/105950151753072480549/SriLanka?authuser=0&feat=directlink">here</a>. <br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JWt2p-WSAkU/TZHr8mWVghI/AAAAAAAAM6k/mBQtVaiAOXo/s320/IMG_8521.JPG" width="320" /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I was blessed to meet two of my students' mothers. Wasana's mother, Nima's mother, and a family friend while showing me around Colombo.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-D0GD0WlADvE/TZHsjgQDb7I/AAAAAAAAM7g/qNd9L9NVkNU/s1600/IMG_8751.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-D0GD0WlADvE/TZHsjgQDb7I/AAAAAAAAM7g/qNd9L9NVkNU/s320/IMG_8751.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Elephant Orphanage outside of Kandy</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HjpLZZzME00/TZHsmLsosuI/AAAAAAAAM7k/eqGrYUEVzwA/s1600/IMG_8756.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HjpLZZzME00/TZHsmLsosuI/AAAAAAAAM7k/eqGrYUEVzwA/s320/IMG_8756.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">adorable!!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PMa3aIkh_PA/TZHtTbsxXdI/AAAAAAAAM84/7bF7JULU8nU/s1600/IMG_9004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="237" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PMa3aIkh_PA/TZHtTbsxXdI/AAAAAAAAM84/7bF7JULU8nU/s320/IMG_9004.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">waiting for our train, taking pictures of other trains going through the station in Kandy</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zQyx5zYF7-E/TZHtlpnw4KI/AAAAAAAAM9Y/Whqk1Mt3mHQ/s1600/IMG_9091.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zQyx5zYF7-E/TZHtlpnw4KI/AAAAAAAAM9Y/Whqk1Mt3mHQ/s320/IMG_9091.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">on the most beautiful train ride from Kandy to Ella...I sat in the doorway with my feet dangling out the door most of this train ride - one, for the fresh air. two, because I kept giving up my seat to cute little old ladies that needed to sit more than I did.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GeYqoIFhRpo/TZHtv-W681I/AAAAAAAAM9o/D2m9eQmc6bQ/s1600/IMG_9190.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GeYqoIFhRpo/TZHtv-W681I/AAAAAAAAM9o/D2m9eQmc6bQ/s320/IMG_9190.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">this was one of those ladies who i gave my seat up to :) </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZyMhUFDDslU/TZHt6p05-zI/AAAAAAAAM94/e2hQybIdV84/s1600/IMG_9251.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZyMhUFDDslU/TZHt6p05-zI/AAAAAAAAM94/e2hQybIdV84/s320/IMG_9251.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">gorgeous country side.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-v7tAKNd04ps/TZHt01fTSAI/AAAAAAAAM9w/IdEo4ylevqo/s1600/IMG_9243.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-v7tAKNd04ps/TZHt01fTSAI/AAAAAAAAM9w/IdEo4ylevqo/s320/IMG_9243.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">storm rolling in!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2FHEhFzzzBw/TZHt8a3wxbI/AAAAAAAAM98/vkEbmnjOaWA/s1600/IMG_9287.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2FHEhFzzzBw/TZHt8a3wxbI/AAAAAAAAM98/vkEbmnjOaWA/s320/IMG_9287.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Our awesome tomato farmer that led Michelle and I up to the top of Ella's rock, barefoot. Apparently we looked lost as we tried to read our scribbled down directions from our lonely planet guide. Thank goodness for him and his machete that was to protect us from the wild boars (?!?! yikes!)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rPct9vxZ6wM/TZIBVAVCbJI/AAAAAAAAM_Q/aWwJ4eBveCU/s1600/IMG_9388.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rPct9vxZ6wM/TZIBVAVCbJI/AAAAAAAAM_Q/aWwJ4eBveCU/s320/IMG_9388.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Unawatuna!! <3 </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-S_wWKf5lZ98/TZIBmFoo6TI/AAAAAAAAM_o/ini4Urywg2o/s1600/IMG_9400.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-S_wWKf5lZ98/TZIBmFoo6TI/AAAAAAAAM_o/ini4Urywg2o/s320/IMG_9400.JPG" width="320" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Unawatuna was such a lovely way to end our vacation! I loved our guest house/hotel that we stayed at -- secluded at the end of the beach with slotted doors allowing the sounds of the waves crashing to soothe us to sleep every night! :) </div>Jessihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04612643603953726126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6461434465549788229.post-60600085631179339422011-02-22T10:29:00.000+01:002011-02-22T10:29:04.672+01:00Happy International Mother Language Day and Happy Birthday to Kristen<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><i>February 21, 2011 </i>Another day off of school for a national holiday. As has been the case lately, holidays and weekends do not necessarily mean a day of rest and relaxation. School is in full swing and has been busier than ever, meaning lots of fun and exciting activities (and academic work). International Mother Language Day was a wonderful experience that I'm glad I woke up early for :) Students gathered at 7am (yes, it was optional and yes, students didn't actually start showing up until closer to 7:30....we should have known better!!) at the university gate - all dressed in black and white ready to walk to the national monument in Chittagong where we would donate our flowers. Along the walk, students sang songs to show their Bangla pride and purchased Bangladeshi flag headbands. The students had told me we would walk barefoot, which I contemplated but wasn't sure if I would actually walk the streets of Chittagong barefoot....I later found out that in Dhaka there is a special walking area and people do make long walks barefoot (on painted pavement adorned with flowers). Without those special arrangements in Chittagong we walked to the monument before removing our shoes (thank goodness!).<br />
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After the International Mother Language Day ritual/ceremony was complete, the students seemed to quickly scatter. It was about 10:30 by the time we made it home....time to eat breakfast/lunch and nap! The nap was necessary because we had a student-faculty basketball game at 4! The faculty won 38-14 but the students scored 12 points in the second half!! Of course, what do you do after any team sport, win or lose??? Eat ice cream, of course! So we treated our students to ice cream after the game! <br />
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After the basketball game, it was time to freshen up and cook some bruschetta (Michelle and mine's contribution) for Kristen's birthday celebration! It was a delicious night including bruschetta, pineapple pizza calzones, hamburgers and french fries, and chocolate cake with bounty bars!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Here are some pictures from the day....enjoy! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZKD4aHPW6C0/TWNzFg0_-UI/AAAAAAAAM1U/sw3N3bUHTAE/s320/IMG_8396.JPG" width="320" /></div><div style="text-align: center;">My students, past and present....Nusrat (white group), Khadiza (red group), and Saika (orange group) </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JJOtg7IK5Pk/TWNzNX6hiUI/AAAAAAAAM1k/bnXDdKGlnvs/s1600/IMG_8419.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JJOtg7IK5Pk/TWNzNX6hiUI/AAAAAAAAM1k/bnXDdKGlnvs/s320/IMG_8419.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iH5ToqVLjPQ/TWNzm7XWu4I/AAAAAAAAM2o/5Yr8q36mGfM/s1600/IMG_8509.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Vietenamese students showing their multiculturalism</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LE7Evqro9Pc/TWNzNjGd_6I/AAAAAAAAM1o/lQeoDtnz-j8/s1600/IMG_8429.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LE7Evqro9Pc/TWNzNjGd_6I/AAAAAAAAM1o/lQeoDtnz-j8/s320/IMG_8429.jpg" width="213" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">One of the students with a hat she made - it was intense, blood and all! (ok, fake blood)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hZcaKRqUppU/TWNzQV0UUoI/AAAAAAAAM10/Xnq5zkCJzKo/s1600/IMG_8434.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hZcaKRqUppU/TWNzQV0UUoI/AAAAAAAAM10/Xnq5zkCJzKo/s320/IMG_8434.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Tien and another student with the spirited Bangladeshi flags! The whole city is green with red dots -- the CNGs are green and now they have all painted red dots on them to show their pride on National Mother Language Day.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9ko4qPBTUCQ/TWNzglR2xKI/AAAAAAAAM2U/Dxyb9Chc3gs/s1600/IMG_8502.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9ko4qPBTUCQ/TWNzglR2xKI/AAAAAAAAM2U/Dxyb9Chc3gs/s320/IMG_8502.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Intense face painting!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kU1WQrx2cs8/TWNzVwPDQ7I/AAAAAAAAM2A/_7vG6TO7OKQ/s1600/IMG_8462.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kU1WQrx2cs8/TWNzVwPDQ7I/AAAAAAAAM2A/_7vG6TO7OKQ/s320/IMG_8462.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Once we made it to the monument (a 40 minute walk) we took off our shoes before visiting the monument and donating our flowers.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m-k3h2JyJHg/TWNzk5rVZ4I/AAAAAAAAM2g/bCiX6PMQFI8/s1600/IMG_8507.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-je-4Sm_pFvs/TWNzaJ76dNI/AAAAAAAAM2I/AvX0Z7ZNfjc/s1600/IMG_8482.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-je-4Sm_pFvs/TWNzaJ76dNI/AAAAAAAAM2I/AvX0Z7ZNfjc/s320/IMG_8482.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> The students and our flower arrangement</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JJOtg7IK5Pk/TWNzNX6hiUI/AAAAAAAAM1k/bnXDdKGlnvs/s1600/IMG_8419.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-F-9awYfRGjY/TWNzcGMwS_I/AAAAAAAAM2M/OFs8E2pRXq0/s1600/IMG_8475.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-F-9awYfRGjY/TWNzcGMwS_I/AAAAAAAAM2M/OFs8E2pRXq0/s320/IMG_8475.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> AUW on International Mother Language Day, February 21, 2011</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kZ_VnpmNrTE/TWNzWV2u1XI/AAAAAAAAM2E/2mvZqGsiNPc/s1600/IMG_8466.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kZ_VnpmNrTE/TWNzWV2u1XI/AAAAAAAAM2E/2mvZqGsiNPc/s320/IMG_8466.jpg" width="213" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Everyone was showing their Bangla pride!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m-k3h2JyJHg/TWNzk5rVZ4I/AAAAAAAAM2g/bCiX6PMQFI8/s1600/IMG_8507.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m-k3h2JyJHg/TWNzk5rVZ4I/AAAAAAAAM2g/bCiX6PMQFI8/s320/IMG_8507.JPG" width="320" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">A group of cheerful boys</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iH5ToqVLjPQ/TWNzm7XWu4I/AAAAAAAAM2o/5Yr8q36mGfM/s1600/IMG_8509.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iH5ToqVLjPQ/TWNzm7XWu4I/AAAAAAAAM2o/5Yr8q36mGfM/s320/IMG_8509.JPG" width="320" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Happy Birthday to Kristen!!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FVfPWDLLVvY/TWNzk91-EcI/AAAAAAAAM2c/hvc7wZb-5XA/s1600/IMG_8508.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FVfPWDLLVvY/TWNzk91-EcI/AAAAAAAAM2c/hvc7wZb-5XA/s320/IMG_8508.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">yummy birthday cotton candy! :) </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AjXWhVnCwbs/TWN_HBOUqFI/AAAAAAAAM3E/fm_Ld1ymyJw/s1600/IMG_1964.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AjXWhVnCwbs/TWN_HBOUqFI/AAAAAAAAM3E/fm_Ld1ymyJw/s320/IMG_1964.JPG" width="320" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">All those years that I played basketball (and dreaded practice)...who would have ever thought I'd be playing basketball in Bangladesh!!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lIQHZ1syJ1s/TWN_JwMYopI/AAAAAAAAM3I/AAadQkkZ1Sg/s1600/IMG_1969.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lIQHZ1syJ1s/TWN_JwMYopI/AAAAAAAAM3I/AAadQkkZ1Sg/s320/IMG_1969.JPG" width="320" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Celebrating with ice cream!! :) </div><div style="text-align: center;"></div></div>Jessihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04612643603953726126noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6461434465549788229.post-48606328770502087462011-02-14T04:08:00.003+01:002011-09-14T05:04:52.707+02:00Fishery Ghats<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><i>February 12, 2011</i> I finally made it to the fishery ghats! Claudio, AUW's professional photographer, graciously donated 6 SLR cameras to the photography club because last time he was here the photography club had NO cameras!! After the symposium he has been at AUW teaching groups of students how to use the cameras and leading them on trips to document the Saraswati Puja. This past weekend he took the photography club to one of his favorite places in Chittagong, the fishery ghats. For the best photos and most action at the fish market we left early, early, early (6am) Saturday morning. It was so worth it! There was so much happening - building ships, unloading fish, transporting huge blocks of ice, selling the fish, drying the fish, etc. I even boldly climbed up a flimsy ladder with 2 students to explore a ship being built - we found out that it only takes them 3 months to build the ships - crazy, huh?! Big thanks to Claudio for an awesome field trip and for renewing my love of photography! Oh yeah, and donating cameras to the photography club so the students can finally be little shutterbugs!<br />
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Here are a few of my favorites from the day....enjoy! <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-epghY_MRTi4/TViYp5BelpI/AAAAAAAAMy4/JFX5bKikgu8/s1600/IMG_7867.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-epghY_MRTi4/TViYp5BelpI/AAAAAAAAMy4/JFX5bKikgu8/s320/IMG_7867.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-csB_BkEC4wo/TViYvYG3PAI/AAAAAAAAMzA/DoW1W-RR_Xs/s1600/IMG_7977.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-csB_BkEC4wo/TViYvYG3PAI/AAAAAAAAMzA/DoW1W-RR_Xs/s320/IMG_7977.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-As0MnZ8KXlw/TViY8THOIyI/AAAAAAAAMzQ/NrkA0dSWBvE/s1600/IMG_8087.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-As0MnZ8KXlw/TViY8THOIyI/AAAAAAAAMzQ/NrkA0dSWBvE/s320/IMG_8087.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zoVqvOUHr-M/TViZBJxgQJI/AAAAAAAAMzU/mkxhrUTMtVE/s1600/IMG_8114.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zoVqvOUHr-M/TViZBJxgQJI/AAAAAAAAMzU/mkxhrUTMtVE/s320/IMG_8114.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xvsgJah87TA/TViaR3CLhAI/AAAAAAAAMz4/HmKDFqWF5RU/s1600/IMG_7979.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xvsgJah87TA/TViaR3CLhAI/AAAAAAAAMz4/HmKDFqWF5RU/s320/IMG_7979.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wQWgqEqSz58/TViZGomW_vI/AAAAAAAAMzc/ojv-YltSaIk/s1600/IMG_8185.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wQWgqEqSz58/TViZGomW_vI/AAAAAAAAMzc/ojv-YltSaIk/s320/IMG_8185.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-b8BYbP5vPpk/TViZDiWYTMI/AAAAAAAAMzY/HaQ9f8k7mnU/s1600/IMG_8154.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-b8BYbP5vPpk/TViZDiWYTMI/AAAAAAAAMzY/HaQ9f8k7mnU/s320/IMG_8154.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-X3Ap-dyfMUc/TViZL0XlL0I/AAAAAAAAMzk/BGaqQULcpGc/s1600/IMG_8295.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="258" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-X3Ap-dyfMUc/TViZL0XlL0I/AAAAAAAAMzk/BGaqQULcpGc/s320/IMG_8295.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
</div>Jessihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04612643603953726126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6461434465549788229.post-58012518002390749962011-02-06T08:51:00.000+01:002011-02-06T08:51:47.559+01:002011, where did you come from???<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Somehow 1/12 of 2011 is already over and I haven't even begun to think about my goals! I thought I'd start this year by reviewing last year's goals that I so conveniently blogged about. It's funny how in one way or another all of my goals from 2010 got accomplished...similar to <i>Under the Tuscan Sun</i>, my goals may not have been accomplished in the way I expected to accomplish them but reflecting back on 2010, I did achieve them! For 2011 I want to keep it pretty simple....<br />
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1. <b>Be happy. </b>Who doesn't want to be happy?! I'm a happy girl but really want to reflect on what and who makes me happy because when I'm happy, I'm more energized and I want to feel this happiness and energy everyday!<br />
2. <b>Be appreciative.</b> There are so many things that we take for granted everyday. I want to be more appreciative for everything and everyone I'm lucky enough to have in my life. <br />
3. <b>Be selfless. </b>As I learned this past week at the Chittagong Grammar School's conference, "Closing the Gap" I was fortunate to have been born into a family that was able to send me to school and take care of me. Not everybody has this same fortune and we all have gifts (not necessarily monetary) that we can offer to other people. This even means sharing the last cookie in the package! Even if I don't want to!<br />
4. <b>Be patient. </b>This is a great characteristic that Michel, a french traveler we met in Nepal, was working on through his travels. I also feel the need to improve this sometimes - whether it's with friends, students, strangers, or travelers. Everything will work out in the end - so why not have a pinch of patience along the way. <br />
5. <b>Be healthy.</b> Everybody always says they're going to work out, diet, whatever....this year I'm focusing on taking better care of my skin! Wearing sunscreen everyday (especially on my face) and figuring out how to get rid of the mosquito bite scars all over my feet...thank you Bangladesh...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_GfN2VmYasj4/TU5R9tVczNI/AAAAAAAAMvQ/Y1zB336PCkk/s1600/IMG_1593.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_GfN2VmYasj4/TU5R9tVczNI/AAAAAAAAMvQ/Y1zB336PCkk/s400/IMG_1593.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Happy New Year from Udaipur!!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div>Jessihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04612643603953726126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6461434465549788229.post-63454013430007280742011-02-06T05:46:00.001+01:002011-09-14T05:06:15.084+02:00Hiking and Paragliding in Nepal<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>December 22, 2010</i> Our last day in Nepal...After too many days in the big city of Kathmandu, Michelle and I were ready to see the esteemed mountains of Nepal. Since it was almost Christmas time I was feeling especially nostalgic for the Alps and this was the perfect cure!! In fact, I think the Himalayas might be more beautiful and breath taking than the Alps! (crazy, huh?) It was absolutely gorgeous hiking up to the city of Sarangkot and watching the sunset from the mountain side. We went to bed early - one, because we were exhausted; two, because it was freezing and curling up in bed was the warmest option! The next morning we woke up bright and early to catch the sunrise (unfortunately with a million other people who didn't even make the effort to climb up the mountain...yes, there's a road that takes you right to the top). After the sunrise it was time to paraglide down the mountain!! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_GfN2VmYasj4/TU4OEYR_l_I/AAAAAAAAMuM/9BqqRINkgbk/s320/IMG_5288.JPG" width="320" /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Sunrise from Sarangkot</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GfN2VmYasj4/TU4OHX8TNAI/AAAAAAAAMuU/s55gV-jF_-I/s1600/IMG_5355.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GfN2VmYasj4/TU4OHX8TNAI/AAAAAAAAMuU/s55gV-jF_-I/s320/IMG_5355.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GfN2VmYasj4/TU4OItXmlwI/AAAAAAAAMuY/IupUqwU5JrY/s1600/IMG_5367.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GfN2VmYasj4/TU4OItXmlwI/AAAAAAAAMuY/IupUqwU5JrY/s320/IMG_5367.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_GfN2VmYasj4/TU4OGY-N-VI/AAAAAAAAMuQ/o7vp9dfpgBY/s1600/IMG_5293.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_GfN2VmYasj4/TU4OGY-N-VI/AAAAAAAAMuQ/o7vp9dfpgBY/s320/IMG_5293.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Pokhara Valley</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GfN2VmYasj4/TU4OPpqsBjI/AAAAAAAAMuc/AO82hguPUT4/s1600/IMG_1395.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GfN2VmYasj4/TU4OPpqsBjI/AAAAAAAAMuc/AO82hguPUT4/s320/IMG_1395.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Paragliding Start Point!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_GfN2VmYasj4/TU4OS8VMToI/AAAAAAAAMug/dM-DvPUMUSs/s1600/IMG_1418.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_GfN2VmYasj4/TU4OS8VMToI/AAAAAAAAMug/dM-DvPUMUSs/s320/IMG_1418.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> And we're off!! Looking back on the Himalayas and our starting point</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GfN2VmYasj4/TU4OVeQj3yI/AAAAAAAAMuk/MYFH9nwEdhU/s1600/IMG_1423.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GfN2VmYasj4/TU4OVeQj3yI/AAAAAAAAMuk/MYFH9nwEdhU/s320/IMG_1423.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Igor, my awesome Russian pilot, and I mid flight!</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_GfN2VmYasj4/TU4OXNjFENI/AAAAAAAAMuo/zalDC8SciD0/s1600/IMG_1431.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_GfN2VmYasj4/TU4OXNjFENI/AAAAAAAAMuo/zalDC8SciD0/s320/IMG_1431.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Looking down on all the other paragliders -- Igor was awesome at finding thermals and keeping us high up in the air! I had wanted to go parahawking (the pilot looks for the hawks in the air and follows them because they find the thermals and float around - not losing altitude) but there's only one pilot that does this in Pokhara and he wasn't flying that day....but Igor naturally did this - AWESOME! Sometimes the hawk would be flying right beside us!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GfN2VmYasj4/TU4OZEiTBfI/AAAAAAAAMus/_1G-jHzE5kI/s1600/IMG_1434.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GfN2VmYasj4/TU4OZEiTBfI/AAAAAAAAMus/_1G-jHzE5kI/s320/IMG_1434.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Beautiful!!</div></div>Jessihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04612643603953726126noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6461434465549788229.post-14123232438449738982011-02-04T18:18:00.001+01:002011-02-04T18:47:25.061+01:00My Guilty Pleasures<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">When I travel I always have a serious obsession with photographing locks, colorful doors, and laundry lines!! So here are a few i spotted on my vacation to Nepal and India</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_GfN2VmYasj4/TUwz7c8ARQI/AAAAAAAAMtI/CJqy_Szy_IU/s1600/IMG_4852.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_GfN2VmYasj4/TUwz7c8ARQI/AAAAAAAAMtI/CJqy_Szy_IU/s320/IMG_4852.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_GfN2VmYasj4/TUw0C78V-LI/AAAAAAAAMtU/s4WzCVbGGgM/s1600/IMG_5629.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_GfN2VmYasj4/TUw0C78V-LI/AAAAAAAAMtU/s4WzCVbGGgM/s320/IMG_5629.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GfN2VmYasj4/TUwz9qiVaUI/AAAAAAAAMtM/zPTVuP-68a8/s1600/IMG_4864.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GfN2VmYasj4/TUwz9qiVaUI/AAAAAAAAMtM/zPTVuP-68a8/s320/IMG_4864.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_GfN2VmYasj4/TUw0Gkkq6lI/AAAAAAAAMtc/ESJ4iCekIos/s1600/IMG_6511.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_GfN2VmYasj4/TUw0Gkkq6lI/AAAAAAAAMtc/ESJ4iCekIos/s320/IMG_6511.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br />
</div>Jessihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04612643603953726126noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6461434465549788229.post-25873833385855476562011-02-04T17:33:00.002+01:002011-09-14T05:07:17.817+02:00Nepal/India faves<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I may never get around to going through all of my pictures from my 3 week vacation to Nepal and India but I wanted to post a few favorites.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GfN2VmYasj4/TUwn7tAE1AI/AAAAAAAAMrQ/mUPVbsp4Q6M/s1600/IMG_5052.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GfN2VmYasj4/TUwn7tAE1AI/AAAAAAAAMrQ/mUPVbsp4Q6M/s320/IMG_5052.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">At a Buddhist temple in Nepal</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GfN2VmYasj4/TUwn-OtS0xI/AAAAAAAAMrU/7IwuDg8KLrg/s1600/IMG_5996.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GfN2VmYasj4/TUwn-OtS0xI/AAAAAAAAMrU/7IwuDg8KLrg/s320/IMG_5996.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">At the end of the day when we were waiting for our bus to take us "home" to Agra after a day of sightseeing in Fathepur Sikri I went to buy a bottle of water... I had a long debate about which stand would have the safest water and I wanted to make sure I chose a stand that had properly sealed bottles of water! Well, I got way more than I bargained for! 10 minutes later the vendor took a huge knife to my bottle of water to get it open - yup, it was sealed alright!! While waiting I happened to see these cute men sitting around a shoe polisher. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_GfN2VmYasj4/TUwoANJOS7I/AAAAAAAAMrY/OyXoY2uAYEs/s1600/IMG_6240.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_GfN2VmYasj4/TUwoANJOS7I/AAAAAAAAMrY/OyXoY2uAYEs/s320/IMG_6240.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Kristen swears I chose this cute old guy to be our tour guide at the Agra Fort so I could take pictures of him...it's only 1/2 true! How cute is he?!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_GfN2VmYasj4/TUwoBkqPuAI/AAAAAAAAMrc/RyNe6F5MJdU/s1600/IMG_6688.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_GfN2VmYasj4/TUwoBkqPuAI/AAAAAAAAMrc/RyNe6F5MJdU/s320/IMG_6688.jpg" width="213" /></a> </div><div style="text-align: center;">Beer camel! No, really! Our camel entourage had just arrived at our final destination in the dunes and we were enjoying the sunset and I made a comment that anywhere else in India or Bangladesh someone would come along trying to sell us something! Then we saw this guy. We didn't think much of him at first and then he asked us if we wanted to buy beer! We all busted out laughing because the timing was too perfect! Sad for him, we had already bought beer before setting off into the desert! </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_GfN2VmYasj4/TUwoECnpLqI/AAAAAAAAMrg/XQdiRzdo1VE/s1600/IMG_6855.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_GfN2VmYasj4/TUwoECnpLqI/AAAAAAAAMrg/XQdiRzdo1VE/s320/IMG_6855.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Delhi was where we got our shopping quota! Luckily we met a wonderful woman in Agra who we ended up staying with in Delhi and she told us about this special market that was going on - complete with festive music! </div></div>Jessihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04612643603953726126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6461434465549788229.post-73052836594908662632011-02-04T16:26:00.002+01:002011-02-07T02:02:18.792+01:00Lunar New Year Celebrations!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Our students, a few teachers, and OSA have organized several activities to celebrate the Lunar New Year! To kick things off we had an exciting game night with Chinese candies and calendars as prizes! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="255" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GfN2VmYasj4/TUwVyB0HNII/AAAAAAAAMp4/mHI_5NCjGqY/s320/IMG_1747.JPG" width="320" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Chopstick Races</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GfN2VmYasj4/TUwV1D4nXFI/AAAAAAAAMp8/jIxgNfbMQJc/s1600/IMG_1750.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GfN2VmYasj4/TUwV1D4nXFI/AAAAAAAAMp8/jIxgNfbMQJc/s320/IMG_1750.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Tricky Riddles </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_GfN2VmYasj4/TUwV3Ti2ryI/AAAAAAAAMqA/SqrzM4OF-jo/s1600/IMG_1778.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_GfN2VmYasj4/TUwV3Ti2ryI/AAAAAAAAMqA/SqrzM4OF-jo/s320/IMG_1778.jpg" width="209" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Le, one of my Vietnamese students, was so mad that I was able to do this twice (with the easy and the more difficult chopsticks) and she couldn't do it once!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_GfN2VmYasj4/TUwV6hP15dI/AAAAAAAAMqE/ALsrPiGX-Kc/s1600/IMG_1779.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_GfN2VmYasj4/TUwV6hP15dI/AAAAAAAAMqE/ALsrPiGX-Kc/s320/IMG_1779.jpg" width="234" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Hakima, one of my Afghan students, trying really hard to pick up the pingpong ball - she eventually got it!!</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_GfN2VmYasj4/TUwXs-W7TkI/AAAAAAAAMqw/e7Rbwr8YztA/s1600/IMG_1780.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_GfN2VmYasj4/TUwXs-W7TkI/AAAAAAAAMqw/e7Rbwr8YztA/s320/IMG_1780.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Thuy, Xian, and Oanh -- past and present students</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GfN2VmYasj4/TUwWBCepM8I/AAAAAAAAMqQ/s-ghyeDacrU/s1600/IMG_1786.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GfN2VmYasj4/TUwWBCepM8I/AAAAAAAAMqQ/s-ghyeDacrU/s320/IMG_1786.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> Vietnamese Bingo!! AWESOME! I can't even tell you how much we laughed and how much fun this was!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GfN2VmYasj4/TUwWEHuV3OI/AAAAAAAAMqU/HmXcb02CLY0/s1600/IMG_1794.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GfN2VmYasj4/TUwWEHuV3OI/AAAAAAAAMqU/HmXcb02CLY0/s320/IMG_1794.jpg" width="227" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Xiang Ba, another one of my students this semester at the Calligraphy table -- writing symbols that are beyond my abilities! </div></div>Jessihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04612643603953726126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6461434465549788229.post-29781387055815249412011-02-03T08:45:00.000+01:002011-02-03T08:45:48.886+01:00Happy Lunar New Year!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Today, February 3, 2011, is the Lunar New Year in Vietnam, year of the rabbit, and China, year of the cat.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GfN2VmYasj4/TUpas6DbWLI/AAAAAAAAMpc/ajW84tkjL28/s1600/IMG_1734_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GfN2VmYasj4/TUpas6DbWLI/AAAAAAAAMpc/ajW84tkjL28/s320/IMG_1734_2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Happy New Year in Vietnamese</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_GfN2VmYasj4/TUpYuhimrEI/AAAAAAAAMpA/BXAbsBcEPHY/s320/IMG_1729_2.jpg" width="180" /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Ngoc and Tien-- I love their traditional dresses - I want to have one made when I go to Vietnam!!</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GfN2VmYasj4/TUpZHqgd--I/AAAAAAAAMpE/RialeiL5IUQ/s1600/IMG_1732_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="287" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GfN2VmYasj4/TUpZHqgd--I/AAAAAAAAMpE/RialeiL5IUQ/s320/IMG_1732_2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Ngoc, Tien, Vinh, and Anh on the Vietnamese New Year!!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GfN2VmYasj4/TUpZY45NkhI/AAAAAAAAMpQ/AXjyrhQa0xc/s1600/IMG_1737_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GfN2VmYasj4/TUpZY45NkhI/AAAAAAAAMpQ/AXjyrhQa0xc/s320/IMG_1737_2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Lucky Money :) How cute is the money folded into a heart!! Lucky presents are given to enhance relationships and it can be bad luck to refuse a lucky present.</div></div>Jessihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04612643603953726126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6461434465549788229.post-11847581345425208442011-01-31T17:09:00.001+01:002011-02-01T17:51:11.729+01:00AUW Symposium<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Here are a few pictures from the AUW symposium, "Imagining Another Future for Asia: Ideas and Pathways for Change" held in Dhaka January 19-22, 2011.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_GfN2VmYasj4/TUbbwENbkRI/AAAAAAAAMog/3u5r78vWsI8/s1600/IMG_1678.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_GfN2VmYasj4/TUbbwENbkRI/AAAAAAAAMog/3u5r78vWsI8/s320/IMG_1678.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">There were beautiful posters of our students and inspirational quotes all around the venue!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_GfN2VmYasj4/TUbcQSBTnCI/AAAAAAAAMok/daf3HkDQrag/s1600/IMG_1695.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_GfN2VmYasj4/TUbcQSBTnCI/AAAAAAAAMok/daf3HkDQrag/s400/IMG_1695.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Ngoc, one of my Vietnamese students from white group (my 2nd class last semester), and I at the conference. </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GfN2VmYasj4/TUbcmZJwa2I/AAAAAAAAMoo/fWQYYUNysPw/s1600/IMG_1699.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GfN2VmYasj4/TUbcmZJwa2I/AAAAAAAAMoo/fWQYYUNysPw/s400/IMG_1699.jpg" width="223" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Tien, one of my Vietnamese students from orange group (my 1st group of students last semester), and I at the conference. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GfN2VmYasj4/TUbbaQGKhDI/AAAAAAAAMoc/z10FoEaqjyI/s1600/IMG_1671.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GfN2VmYasj4/TUbbaQGKhDI/AAAAAAAAMoc/z10FoEaqjyI/s400/IMG_1671.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Michelle, Karin, and I all dressed up for the first day of the conference -- Cherie Blair (AUW Chancellor) and Sheikh Hasina (Bangladesh's Prime Minister) both gave remarks to open the symposium. When the day had finished we all bused to the Parliament building where we were received for a lovely dinner reception and guided tour of the parliament building. Due to high security throughout the day (meaning no handbags, cameras, cellphones, etc. allowed), I only have a few pictures of us in our saris at the end of the day in our hotel. </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_GfN2VmYasj4/TUbcz9jRl-I/AAAAAAAAMow/Df_6nj0uOtQ/s1600/IMG_1674.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_GfN2VmYasj4/TUbcz9jRl-I/AAAAAAAAMow/Df_6nj0uOtQ/s400/IMG_1674.jpg" width="155" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">My new sari from India :)</div></div>Jessihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04612643603953726126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6461434465549788229.post-55872854940092810122011-01-30T17:29:00.000+01:002012-05-21T02:43:22.617+02:00Back at AUW<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
So much to blog about, so little time....Kristen and I arrived back from our Nepal/India vacation the morning of the 9th, the day classes were supposed to start but thank goodness they were postponed - we are just now starting our classes (last week was our first week for the academic seminars!). Since arriving back in Bangladesh it's been a whirlwind of illnesses (thank you Dhaka for my food poisoning!), 80+ esteemed visitors at AUW, and a campus-wide symposium in Dhaka. Now my time is consumed with planning a semester-long course for 2 classes and finding my feet as the adviser for several clubs that need a serious action plan! Thank goodness for many wonderful connections at the symposium! Oh! and Saraswati Puja is right around the corner (Feb 8 and 9) and Claudio, an international photographer who has generously donated 8 SLR cameras to the photography club, is at AUW to run photography workshops with the girls and document the festival - I can't wait!!</div>Jessihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04612643603953726126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6461434465549788229.post-25134277031656737892011-01-29T14:49:00.003+01:002011-09-14T05:08:02.500+02:00India<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>So much to write about, so little time....I'm back from winter break and had a wonderful 3-week vacation in Nepal and India! Life has been pretty busy and hectic since returning. I spent the first couple of days home in Bangladesh sick (thanks to food poisoning). Then, 80+ esteemed board members and visitors, including Cherie Blaire - AUW's newly appointed Chancellor, visited AUW to observe classes, meet students, and see the site of the <a href="http://www.asian-university.org/campus/plan.htm">new campus</a> - designed by Moshe Safdie. Following these events at the AUW campus, the entire campus (400+students, faculty, staff and families, and visitors) stormed Bangladesh's public transportation as we made our way to Dhaka for the AUW Symposium, "Imagining Another Future for Asia: Ideas and Pathways for Change." In the interest of time (lesson plans are calling my name!), check out <a href="http://bloggingbangladesh.blogspot.com/2011/01/january-whirlwind.html">Jess' blog</a> for more on the conference!<br />
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I realize that was a very skeleton update but I'm teaching two semester long courses this semester, TAing, and advising three clubs....and sometimes sleeping.... I haven't even had a chance to look through all of my vacation photos but I thought I'd post a few that I have looked through. Of course when you go to India the first thing everybody wants to know is, "Did you see the Taj Mahal?" So here are a few pictures from the TAJ!<br />
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</div>Jessihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04612643603953726126noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6461434465549788229.post-76856296546936579932010-12-14T08:46:00.001+01:002010-12-14T08:47:30.962+01:00White Love<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GfN2VmYasj4/TQcd0eubMsI/AAAAAAAAMng/Py_Ugyjps1k/s1600/IMG_1266_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="222" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GfN2VmYasj4/TQcd0eubMsI/AAAAAAAAMng/Py_Ugyjps1k/s320/IMG_1266_2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">White Group (from left to right) back row: Nusrat, Nazma, Rabia, Me, Ngoc, Anh, Aaliya, Yagel, Sumitra, Jesmin</div><div style="text-align: center;">front row: Israt, Jannatul, Pahima, Meher, Vinh</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Time is flying! but when isn't it? It's the end of another 7 week course and subsequently the end of the semester. This time around I'm ready for a break and ready for the change that awaits us all next semester. Speaking of which...next semester we will all be teaching semester long courses instead of 7-week classes. I've spent the past few days not only grading and planning for our winter break vacation but also beginning to plan a semester-long course. I will still teach business leadership but will expand on the existing topics and emphasize self-leadership development. <br />
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In the spirit of <i>Who Moved My Cheese</i> here are the Writings on the Wall (with no editing) that the presentation groups created to inspire themselves and their classmates to practice leadership in regards to each specific topic from our course. <br />
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<div class="MsoNormal">Ethics: “The more you’ll be ethical, the more you’ll take the world up.”</div><div class="MsoNormal">Psychodynamic: “Respect yourself and others to build a bridge of a good relationship.”</div><div class="MsoNormal">Transformational: “Transformational leadership is like a mountain, climb on it. If you succeed in climbing you can become a good leader.”</div><div class="MsoNormal">Culture: “If you don’t know anything about me you can’t make friendship with me.”</div><div class="MsoNormal">Women: “Never prefer to be the follower because of being a woman, other than make this fact as your straightness to be the leader for others.”</div>Our students really do say and write the cutest/funniest things all the time and it's hard to remember to write them down...I didn't do too great of a job recording cute sayings from the white group but here are two:<br />
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- "In first class I failed, second year I studied two classes and I became third position and then first position. Oh God! A big change!!" -- Rabia<br />
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- "I want my teacher to keep smiling because it rises the value of your face." -- Meher (in her first writing assignment where they had to tell me about themselves and their expectations of the teacher)Jessihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04612643603953726126noreply@blogger.com0