Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Post India Trip!

Thankfully, we had a safe trip back from India. The traveling was definitely the worst part of it all. Even though it had its pros and cons, it was a great experience, and I don't regret it for anything. We toured the first three days and then the conference started. We had to make an invention to present that was a way to improve education through the world of technology. It was very stressful because we only had a few hours to do it, and in Mrs. Vicki's class we usually have a week. The last day we went to a school for underprivelaged children. This trip was made so we could try and incorporate it in our project. Personally, this was my favorite part of the trip because the children's faces lit up when they saw us. We got to play with them for about an hour, and see how their school system worked. We are greatly blessed in America! Their recess area was dirt. When comparing where we live to where they live, I definitely learned to appreciate everything I have that much more. I had heard how bad the conditions were over there, but I didn't actually realize how true it was until we actually saw it: the smell, the trash, the pollution. the poverty, and the over-populated cities. Aside from this, we experienced good things as well. The first three days we got to see some beautiful buildings of the city. We saw 2 temples, Ghandi's residence, the Gateway of India, Ju-Ju Beach, and Elefanta Island. We also had the opportunity to buy many things along the way for very reasonable prices. After the conference started, we stayed with host families. Mine and Jordan's were Australian and they had two cute little girls. Their home was very nice and welcoming. We had a great time with them getting to know them and learning more about India, as well as Australia. I hope that we will keep in touch with them, and we cannot thank them enough for their hospitality. Another thing that caught my attention was the traffic and the driving. They drive on the opposite side of the road for us, and the driver's seat is on the right. They also do not have lanes; they just weave in and out. When they go to pass each other they just beep the horn. It's crazy! I think you either have to be a really good driver or a really bad driver to be able to drive in that sort of environment. It was an eye opener because it is nothing like what we are used to!
The food was also very different over there. They had a McDonald's and KFC, but instead of beef they use lamb. Needless to say...we did not eat at either of the two places. We ate out only three times in the city. In India, they put cury in everything. This is a different tasting Indian spice. We had a meal pre-ordered for us and everything was with cury. The other two restaurants were continental so they were pretty much compatible with our tastes. The other meals we received were either prepared by the hotel or the host families. The food, surprisingly, did not bother me as much as I thought it would since I am a very picky eater. I really liked most of the things I tried. Overall, this was an amazing experience. I am so grateful that I had the opportunity to travel across the world. I definitely would recommend if any student has the chance to go to take it because it is a once in a lifetime experience. If this trip would not have been school related, I probably would never have gone to India in my life, but I learned so many things and have memories that will last forever!





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Sunday, March 7, 2010


















The trip to India was a wonderful experience for me. It took us over 15 hours to get there, but once there it was all worth it. The hotel that we stayed at was very nice with very tight security. One of the things I noticed right away was the entire run down areas and poverty stricken places. You would see a nice building on one side with a rundown building on the other side. I can’t imagine what it would be like to grow up in those conditions; it really makes you appreciate the things that you have. One of the main differences I noticed while visiting was how they drive in India, there are no lanes to drive in, and it’s just a free for all they do not even care if their cars get banged up. When we were on our way to the hotel from the airport we saw a taxi flipped over on its side. No wonder the host families we stayed in had their own personal drivers.
While visiting Mumbai I learned a great deal about other people’s cultures, different technology and different ways of thinking. One of the things I enjoyed the most was living with my host family. I was able to realize that halfway around the world teenagers are not so different after all. They dress the same, socialize in the same ways, hangout with friends and listen to the same music just as we would in America. It was really interesting to see how they live and interact as a family as well. They have live in servants, chefs and drivers. I only saw Ishan’s Mom one time while we were visiting; the servants do everything for their families. This was very different than my family. The food that we ate while visiting was very different than what I was used to. Over there many people are vegetarian therefore many of the restaurants would have vegetarian and non-vegetarian meals. At first I will admit I was not that big of a fan of their meals but as the days passed it seemed to grow on me, although I was glad to be home and have some mashed potatoes and red meat.
The conference was one of the high points of the trip. When the conference began I was thinking to myself “wow three days of work this is not going to be much fun”, I was definitely mistaken. It was so cool to meet so many new people from numerous parts of the world. Many people I met shared the same interests as I did, it was really interesting to share favorite songs with them, and they even liked techno. At the conference we split into groups. My group was Hikaru, Jane, and myself. The idea was that each group would come up with various ways to help other people. Our idea was to show how technology could be implemented in the classroom and the advantages it could have if everyone was able to have a laptop. Unfortunately our idea was not selected as one of the top three.
When the conference was over I was excited and sad all at the same time. I had gained so much from this trip and have such wonderful memories. Although it was lots of fun I was happy to be going home to see my family and friends and start my normal life over again.

Thank you Mrs. Betty and Mrs. Vicki for taking me on this trip, it changed my life!

Saturday, March 6, 2010

Daniel's Post Trip Blog






The India trip is something I will never forget! The different lifestyles that I was exposed to and the great people I met changed how I view the world. The second I arrived in India, the hospitality was amazing and everybody had a smile on their face. It hit me, when we were touring the less fortunate areas of Mumbai, that my little problems are nothing compared to the starvation and the lack of hope of these people. The food over in India was very different from that back in the U.S. Since I always like to try new things, it was a new experience for me. Some of the food was actually good. The places we toured were very amazing from the architecture all the way to the exotic flowers everywhere. When it was time to attend the conference, my thoughts about it were mixed. I got there thinking it was going to be nothing but work, however it turned out to be the funnest part of the trip. The different people I met were amazing! I worked with other people from countries such as the UK, China, Korea, India, and various parts of the U.S. They were all very nice. Everybody had a different point of view on things which was interesting to hear about. The video that my group created made me really think about the aspect of students becoming the teachers in the classroom. The Flatclassroom conference taught me that students could come up with solutions to help improve education. All in all, I came home with a new view on life and an ambition to do something to help the less fortunate people back over in India.

Monday, March 1, 2010

Will's Post-Trip Post :)

This trip to India was AMAZING! I would go back in a heartbeat!
We had lots of fun sightseeing.

On Monday we went to an Islamic Mosque, where Muslims go to pray and
worship, although a few people in our group were not allowed in the mosque
because they were wearing shorts, the Islamic faith has a very strict
dress code and if tourists are not dressed properly they are not allowed in to
see the mosque. The mosque is a very old building that was built hundreds of
years ago on a jetty that juts out into the Arabian Sea.
After that we went to a Jain Temple. The Jains are a group of Hindus that
are unlike most Indian Hindus today. The Jains never beg for money (They
feel that their gods will provide for them in their own ways), and the
Jains that have money give most of it to provide for the temple, they only buy what they need, not what they want. The temple was very beautiful, with many
statues of gods and elephants.
Then we went to Gandhi's house where he lived when he traveled to Mumbai.
The house is now a museum that has many pictures and exhibits on Gandhi and the work that he did while he was in India.
After Gandhi's house we traveled all the way back through the city to Juhu
Beach, Mumbai's biggest and most visited beach. We had an authentic Indian
meal of chicken masala, dal, and naan bread, and the best chocolate ice
cream i have ever tasted for dessert.
And finally we traveled back to the hotel. We were all so tired we all
went straight to bed and slept for about 10 hours!
But that was only the first day!

On Tuesday we took a ferry across Mumbai bay to Elephanta Island. This was
my favorite place so far! They ancient temple was very beautiful. The
temple was cut right out of the stone cliffs in the center of the island. Shiva
was the Hindu god that was worshiped in this temple, there are many murals,
rock cuttings,and statues depicting Shiva and some other gods as well. On this
island, monkeys can roam free almost everywhere. I have never seen so many
monkeys in one place in my entire life!
When we got back from Elephanta Island we shopped for the rest of the
afternoon. and returned to the hotel even more tired than we were on
Monday!

Wednesday was the first day of the conference. But today was also the day that i got sick! I think i got because i took my doxycycline on an empty stomach! i missed the tour of Mumbai with the other students, but kaycie said i didnt miss anything, except another chance to shop. That night we stayed with our host families, Ishan was our host student, he is pretty cool. He lives with his mom and their two servants. Their house is pent house on the first floor with a big terrace veranda and a view of the sea. that night i slept like a dead baby because my medicine that i was taking made me so tired!

On Thursday, i met my teammates in my group for the Flat Classroom project. Beatrice was from Korea Intl. School, Jeongmin was from Beijing (BISS), and Arjun from ASB. We had 3 virtual participants, Riki from Japan, Nancy from Madrid, and some girl from Germany. Our project was IMPACT, Inspirational Museum Promoting Arts by Children through Technology. I think we had the best idea, and the most votes for our pitch.

Friday was just another work day, we worked on our project all day and gave our pitch and moved on to the next round with Like-Write and AHA! teams.

Saturday was the bad day. we advanced to the next round and the finals and had to create a video about our project. we worked really hard until about 1:30 when all of a sudden... ALL of our work was gone!!! we dont know how it happened but it did so we were pretty mad! so we had to work really hard and almost didnt make the deadline! Our video wasnt as good as we wanted it to be but Beatrice is working on a revised version of it so maybe we can get more votes and possibly win and get our project made into a reality!!! maybe...

That night was the night we left for home. Our flight left at about 12:00 midnight from Mumbai and then we took a 15 hour plane ride back to Newark and then we returned home! the first thing i did when i got back to Camilla was go to McDonald's and get Big Mac!!! it was SOOOOO good. then i went home , took a shower, and then slept for about 12 hours!!

This trip to India was a once-in-a-lifetime trip and i enjoyed it very much! I learned alot about technology and education. Next year i plan to go to Beijing for the next conference! i hope to see all my new friends there next year!!

Thank you mrs. vicki and mrs. betty for taking me on this trip!!! I LOVED IT!!

Post-trip blog




Our trip to India was very interesting. The flight over was around seventeen hours long, total. When we got to India, we were taken to a hotel where I realized just how large of a contrast there is between the living standards of the rich and the living standards of the poor. Here we were staying in a beautiful and luxurious, and right outside we could see the small dank houses of the impoverished. A drastic distinction between the wealthy and the poor was apparent. While I was in India, I learned how to bargain, I learned about the Hindu religion, and I learned much about the Indian culture. The traffic was outrageous and helped me to appreciate our traffic system and the value of patience much more. The cuisine was quite peculiar. In some places, it was entirely vegetarian. In other places, it was not vegetarian. In some places it did not seem vegetarian, but in actuality, the meat was stuffed with vegetables. We saw many interesting land marks, such as The Gateway to India, Elephanta Island, and an Islam mosque. The Islam mosque was very interesting because of its rules and regulations. I was not allowed to wear my shoes into it. Tayler and Ethan had to wait outside of it because in order to get in, you have to wear pants. They had on shorts. An interesting side note to me was that all of the citizens and tour guides claimed that there was little risk of danger in Mumbaii because all of the inhabitants were happy. Yet there seemed to be max security everywhere I went. Perhaps this security was just a formality to put the minds of the paranoid at ease. My host family was very hospitable and I really enjoyed their company. They had two live-in servants and a driver. This was very interesting for me, because I’ve never been anywhere that had a live-in servant before. We stayed with an ASB student named Ishan and his mother. He was a very generous host and taught us much about the Indian culture. We accomplished much during the flatclassroom conference. We prepared a presentation in about two days. My group’s project was about worldwide collaboration of literature. We did a short skit about how worldwide collaboration on a literature project can help to expand a student’s mind after hearing an opinion from another culture. Then we did another project which became one big presentation. My part of the presentation was to participate in a skit that represented the difference between a traditional narrow-minded teacher and a more tech-savvy teacher that uses Web 2.0 tools to teach students. Needless to say, the tech-savvy teacher has more of an impact on his or her students. We also attended a meeting in which we learned about new technology and methods of teaching. It was all very interesting and productive. I hope that more students will get the chance to experience what I have experienced this past week. This project is certainly an effective way to enlighten students and make the world more "flat."

India!

India was such a great experience! It was so fun to be able to travel to such an interesting place! This is the second time that I have had to opportunity to travel to the flat classroom conference, and it was definitely worth the 15 hour flight from Newark to Mumbai. I could tell an immediate difference when we got off of the plane at the Bombay airport. Obviously, the people looked much different, and it didn't smell much like America did, and that's all I'm going to say about that. When we left the airport, we went straight out onto the interstate with our cab driver. It was so cool how everyone weaved in and out of the other traffic, not really heading that there were even lanes on the road. The hotel that we stayed at was very nice, and one of the nicest in India. I was a bit nervous whenever we had to leave the comfort of staying at a 5 star hotel to stay at a host family's home, but it turned out to be great. The family that Daniel and I stayed with had two personal drivers, four at-hand servants, and two chefs. That alone was great, since the chefs prepared eggs and chocolate pancakes every morning for Daniel and me. That was sweet. The conference was very fun too, and I enjoyed meeting people from other countries. In my group, there was a girl from Korea and a boy from India. Also on my team was a man from Oman, and a guy from Germany. My group's project made it too the top 3, and it is now available to be voted on.

Friday, February 26, 2010

The Student Conference

The conference is going amazingly well, in just a few minutes, the kids are going to be presenting to the conference. For more information, see this blog post.


Find more photos like this on Flat Classroom Conference

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Indian Voyage






Hello, I am in India at the moment learning all about these exotic things and I'm going to tell you about a few. Well, it all started right off the bat when we got into the car. I was put into a whole another world of chaos on the roads. Surprisingly the people don't have wrecks even though they have no restrictions. They mainly drive by the rule of I won't hit you if you wont hit me .

The Indian cuisine is very exotic in that it is different from the regular type of food we are used to eating. We ate a traditional Indian meal our second night in India, which consisted of boiled lemon chicken, flat bread, and spicy marinated chicken.

We woke up the next day and got to see the Gate Way to India which is a gorgeous monument next to the Taj Hotel. We rode on the local ferry for an hour before getting to the Island Elephanta. The island is solely tourist based and gets water from the top of mountain from the rain. We got to bargain with the natives for items for loved ones and got to see Sheba's temple with all the stone engravings .

We visited the house of Ghandi's cousin where Ghandi lived for at least 5 years. We have done so many things in India and we have gained a different prospective of life outside of America .

India Trip

Hello everyone. I am here in India, and this is a great experience. We have done and seen so much. It is much different from everything I am used to in south Georgia. I have enjoyed my time here so far, and I am looking forward to the conference that starts tomorrow. I am anxious because I'm not quite sure what to expect, but excited at the same time. I think it should be fun. We have been touring the past three days, and the city is so different. There are a ton of people here, and they have been welcoming for the most part. The first day we went to an Islamic temple and a Hindu temple. Both of those places were interesting to see because at the Islamic temple so many people were coming giving gifts and visiting the temple. At the Hindu temple they were actually having a church service of some sort, and that was cool to see. On that day we also went to the place where Ghandi would stay when he came to the city. It was once his friends house, but now it is a huge museum dedicated to him, and that was one of my favorite parts. Yesterday we went to Elephanta Island and the Gateway of India. That was fun because we took a one hour boat ride there, and it was like a island out in the middle of the ocean. It was really pretty because there was a lot of trees and nature, it has been preserved and no buildings have been built on it. My favorite part about it were the monkeys that were running around. The monument on the island was really interesting because it was one piece of stone that they formed all the sculptures from, using only a pick and a hammer. That was neat to know. After visiting the island we went around the town and shopped for a while, and did the same thing today. We also rode on the tour bus and our guide told us a lot about the history of Mumbai. Here in India the food is unlike anything I've ever tasted. It is very different from the food I normally eat. It was interesting to try out the different types of food they have. Tonight is our first night at our host family's home. I love it here, the Sullivan's are my host family and they are so nice.

While in India!

Hello! I am blogging from here in Mumbai! We finally made it after a 15 hour plane ride! The very first thing I noticed when we arrived was just how blessed we actually are in America. It's very true that you don't believe it until you see it. I had no idea how bad and unsanitary the conditions are. Children in the streets come up to you begging you for money (instead of being in school). People are sleeping on the streets everywhere you look: some without clothing, shoes, food, etc. The good parts of this city are like the bad parts of where we live. It really broadened my perspective of the world and helped me realize just how blessed we are.

We started out by touring on Monday and Tuesday. We had our own personal guide that took us to the temples in the city as well as Elefanta Island and the Gateway of India. These were each very interesting. The temples were all different depending on the religion. Some you could not have your shoes on and the boys couldn't go in because they had on shorts. The Gateway of India was a huge monument which we went around to get on a boat to Elefanta Island. Here we climbed 120 steps with hundreds of shops aligned on both sides along the way. Once we reached the top, we saw a memorial with Shiva and other gods in it, relating to the Hindu religion. There were also many monkeys that we got very close to. Throughout these journeys we have encountered a variety of Indian foods. Most of it has spices in it including cury. It's very different from what we are used to, even the sodas taste differently. We are only aloud to drink bottled water and sodas out of the can because the rest is considered unsafe. After meals the waiters bring to you a bowl of water to clean your hands and some Indian mints that look like herbs. It's a very interesting experience to try new cuisines from a different country.

The American School of Bombay took us on a tour of the city today (Wednesday) where we got to do some more shoppping and sight seeing. After that, we got to meet our host families. Mine and Jordan's is very nice and hospitable. Their names are Rebecca and Ben Sullivan and they have 2 daughter, Emma (4) and Rachael (7). They are originally from Australia and have been in India for a year. Their home is very nice and cozy. I particularly like it because we have internet! We were expecting not to have it but were very relieved to find out we did! Right now we are just relaxing in our room and giving ourselves time to breathe. The conference officially starts tomorrow and I am looking forward to what is to come! So far it has been an amazing experience!


Street in India


Entrance to the Islam Temple


Lambs on the street



Inside the Hindu Temple


Garden in India


Gandhi’s place of residence while in India


Restaurant overlooking Ju-Ju beach

Indian food

We have eaten well. The food has been interesting, and we have been careful to ask for suggestions on what would be best for us to eat. The servers are all eager to please and help.
Our tour guide chose our traditional Indian meal for us Monday night. We ate on the balcony of a hotel restaurant that overlooked Juhu Beach, a favorite night spot for families here. She chose all the foods - ground chicken with something mixed in and fried served with mint sauce (yummy), barbecued chicken in a tomato gravy, a lentil dish scooped up with grilled flatbread, balsatti rice - all served with bowls of pickled onions, beets, guava, and something else?????? These were all salty, and it did not take much to clear the sinuses. W had ice cream for dessert. ine was a mixture of ice cream with figs and toasted nuts. It was wonderful. This was followed by dishes of crystalized sugar with different types of spices that served as breath fresheners. I did not find one that I cared for and wished that I had stopped with the ice cream. They brought perfumed, warm cloths before the meal to wipe our hands and also finger bowls with sliced lemon after the main courses. This was a first for our students.
Interesting McDonalds tips - No beef is served in India so McDonalds serves mutton burghers, fish burghers and chicken nuggets. They are a great favorite with children here. We have also seen Baskin Robbins ice cream and KFC but no other American franchises.
A breakfast buffet comes with our rooms. You can get a traditional omlette, toast, sweet breads, and fruits, including guava, figs, and pomegrante seeds. There is cereal, but the milk is at room temperature. One table is filled with cheeses and thin sliced meats??? The hot bar has eggs mixed with different things, chicken sausage, fried potatoes, pancakes, and french toast. Joseph says it all tastes like it has spices in it. Even what is familiar tastes a little different.
Not to worry - we are getting plenty to eat.

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

All Things India: Travel with our Tour Guide Mrs. Jaishri Vashisht

The fifth graders have had us on a "scavenger hunt" of sorts about all types of things India. Some of these things are not "in" Mumbai or not easily observable, so we asked our delightful tour guide to help us and explain the many things. The fifth grade, in particular, should watch these with their scavenger hunt in hand and "sit" beside Mrs. Jaishri Vashisht to learn about the items in their scavenger hunt. The rest of you may learn from her as well. Enjoy! It is about sixteen minutes long.



Mrs. Jaishri's contact information is below: Jaishri Vashisht Joyful Journeys Pvt. Lts. jshri2509@hotmail.com www.touringindia.org Phone 26183779, 66302812 New Delhi (She covers the whole country and does wonderful student exchange programs. She used to be a teacher. I would really like to come back and have her take me on a "tiger spotting tour," to the Ganges, to New Delhi, and to the Himalaya mountains.)

Monday, February 22, 2010

Our first day in Mumbai

Taylor, Ethan, Daniel, Will, and Joseph at the Trident Hotel in Mumbai












Outside view of The Trident Hotel












Cool statues in the lobby of the Trident














We are uploading all of our photos to our web album that you may see below. As we upload photos, they are all going here.


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Sunday, February 21, 2010

Hi everyone,

We made it safely to Mumbai after a long 26 hours of traveling. We arrived at our hotel at midnight India time, but 2:00pm Camilla time. Our bodies are totally confused. First impressions are hordes of mosquitoes everywhere , tight security at airport and hotel, heat and humidity, smoky atmosphere, poverty, horrendous traffic, and and endless construction. We have been scanned for drugs, bombs, my titanium knee, Vicki's curling iron, and medication we were carrying. Of course, we were carrying nothing illegal. It is a bit unnerving to be at the mercy of people who do not know you, do not speak your language, and question all things American. There is no disguising where we are from, particularly when traveling with 7 students.

The Trident Hotel is first rate and brand new. We have yet to figure out all the buttons and how to work the lights. They checked our car from the airport for bombs before we could unload and then put us and our baggage through x-ray. Security is tight here and for the conference. That creates a paradox. I am glad the security is in place, but it also makes you think about why all the security is necessary.

The flight attendants on the plane commented on the excellent behavior of our students. I know they will make us proud as we go forward.

I hope the immersion project is going well at school. Ethan and Jordan are taking pictures of things in the hotel to upload for the 5th grade scavenger hunt. We will leave on our first tour in about an hour and hopefully will be able to post some pictures and video tonight when we get back.

Betty Shiver

Hello from Mumbai

This is the letter I sent to the second grade class.(my assigned class) Thought you all would like to hear from this.

Hi everyone - this is a letter from Mumbai - It is 2:35 pm your time but over here it is almost 1 am in the morning so I'm going to go to bed very soon.

This is such a different place!  We made it through the airport - lots of long hallways and long lines here!  We had to go through security to get out of the airport and have our bags xrayed. Then we got our money (45 rupees for one dollar - rupees are the money they have here.)

Then, we got out of the airport and had two groups of people waiting for us - the hotel AND the school hosting the conference - that was interesting. As we left the airport, the roads here are sort of scary - many are the size of 3-4 lane roads in the USA but have NO LINES ON THEM. Everyone just drives wherever they want and motorcycles zip in and out and people just cross the road where they want to as well!  We complain about speed limits and our bumpy roads in the USA but I will never complain again!

When we got to the hotel we had to go through security AGAIN - they screened our bags and us and even our car by looking under the car to make sure no one was hiding in the car or underneath it to get into the trident.  They called me back and I had to show them that the thing they were confused about in my bag was a CURLING IRON.  So, we got into the hotel  and everyone was hungry - but they couldn't eat because it was AFTER midnight although at home it was only around 1 pm and you all were eating Sunday lunch.

We got here and found out that they charge for the Internet and so some of us have the Internet but had to pay for it.  We got in and then had to figure out the Internet and Mrs. Betty skyped with her family and we had to figure out the plugs -- they don't use the same plugs we use - but type D adapter. Did you know that the electricity is different every where you go?

We were on the plane for OVER 14 hours! I watched about 6 episodes of my favorite tv show Numb3rs (yes it has a 3 in it) and slept as much as I could (when the baby wasn't crying that was in the front row.)

Ok,so I've pretty much let you know about everything. Everything is different here - it smells different, looks different, everything is different!  (If you go in their kind of toilet - it is just a hole in the floor!)

But we are excited about going and touring tomorrow! We will keep you posted and I'll share some film with you tomorrow!  We're excited to be here and I hope that if you all work hard in school and learn a lot about technology and computers that maybe one day you can go on a trip like this!

Email me your questions or post them as comments here!
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Friday, February 19, 2010

Will's Pre-Trip Reflection

I am really excited about this trip to Mumbai, India! But I’m also really nervous!

I am ready to be a part of the ASB Unplugged Conference at the American School of Bombay, and to experience the other cultures of India. India has always been at the top of my list of places to travel. Although we will be there only for a week, I KNOW that I will return someday to see ALL of India and see everything about it! But for now, I will just have to make do with Mumbai!




The reasons I am nervous is the LONG 16 hour flight! And the fact that if I drink the water I could potentially die! Just kidding. Thieves are pretty bad over there too, but we will be in the rich part of town so I really don’t have to worry about it. Mumbai has one of the largest slums in the world, which is where Slumdog Millionaire was filmed

I am REALLY excited aboout India! The post is posted the night before our plane flies out.I CANT WAIT!!!

Joseph Dixon's pre-trip reflection

I am excited to go to India next week. I can't wait to culturally immerse myself. I want to meet many diverse people. I've been joining all of the blogs and wikis and I'm almost ready to go. Something that I've already learned about India is that Mumbai and Bombay are the same city. I really appreciate this chance to broaden my horizons and expand my mind through participation in the flat classroom project.


Ethan's pre-trip reflection



I am extremely excited to be going to India.
This will be an incredible experience for everyone
and I know will change my view on a lot of things.
I cant wait to travel to this country and work with
people all across the world.
We leave tomorrow the only problem with this trip is the
eighteen hour flight.
Overall this will be a wonderful trip and
a great learning experience.