CRZTCHR hits Austin, Texas

Well I started my day with an intense secondary search at the airport.  I mean intense.  They scanned everything and frisked me.  Then I arrive at Austin but without my luggage.  It is now 11:00 pm and they have not located it yet.  What is this karma thing?  The worrying point is that Ella the Elephant, our class mascot is in my luggage and she was to be the star in the crown of India.  Fingers crossed for tomorrow, not to mention that I will be a little gross by then as it is forecast to be 99 degrees tomorrow.  Tomorrow we start our academics at University of Austin in Texas.

Ella is lost -boo hoo! Anyone seen her flying around?

Some Interesting Facts

• There are over one billion people in India.
• India is the 7th largest country in the world. It is as large as the whole of Europe.
• It has 95 peaks above 24, 600 feet (7500 meters)
• There are 22 official languages in India.
• India’s diverse population includes Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, Buddhists, Jains, Zoroastrians, Jews, and animists.”
• There are “800 million people who live on less than $2 per day.”
• “India is the world’s youngest country.
• Fifty percent of India’s people are under the age of twenty-five. By 2015, there will be 550 million teenagers in India.”
• “India is facing a severe water crisis. With 17 percent of the world’s population but only 4 percent of the world’s freshwater, India’s water resources are already stretched beyond capacity.”
• A baby is born every 1/2 seconds depite birth control. The population is growing at a rate of 3% per year.
• 50% of the population is in a state of poverty. It is one of the poorest nations in the world.

Some great reads about India and Sri Lanka

Fulbright Suggestions:

Stitching Identities in a Free Trade Zone

In Spite of the Gods Darsan:

Seeing the Divine Image in India

The Gujurat Series

Everyday Life in South Asia


My Booklist:

Eyewitness India

A Fine Balance

The Namesake

The Space Between Us

Culture Smart! India and Sri Lanka

Shantaram

The Inheritance of Loss

Gandhi

Holy Cow



More Books from Fellow Fulbrighters:

Homeless Bird

Untouchables

The Painter of Signs

Third Class Ticket

Nectar in a Sieve

A Handful of Rice

Train to Pakistan

Life Full of Holes

Learning about India Through Indian Eyes


Movies I have watched so far::

A Passage to India

Gandhi

The Namesake

Earth

Monsoon Wedding

The Jewel in the Crown

Any other suggestions?? Post please.



My favorite quote:

"Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever." Mohandas Gandhi

My Travels

These are the cities I’ll be visiting soon…

The calm before the storm - but it is not so calm:-)

Friends, Romans, countrymen lend me your ears.

Do you like the photo of the crazy teacher in Rome last year? Well this year it is INDIA (or Inja as Bob mocks me!)



Just found this great Google blog site so I am thinking this will be the way to go. I am busy buying TIVA's, DEET bug spray, and reading, reading, reading! I cannot believe that we got all of these thick books to read only one week before our travels and education.



This is going to be a great experience and I am excited to share it with you.


Sooooo this was my trial and now I will push the button to see it it works.

CRZ TCHR signing off with 1 week to go..........................