We’re finally here at our hotel in Hyderabad, almost 36 hours after I left home. It has been a tiring trip, and it’s only just begun! Of course, there were a few snags to make things even more interesting.

There are 17 of us in our group from Western Kentucky University – three faculty members (including me) and 14 students. All of us had been instructed to pack only carry-on luggage to minimize the chance of our clothing and equipment getting lost, and we all dutifully followed those orders. One student even had to buy a new $130 bag at the airport because the one she brought from home was too big to carry on.

But when we arrived at the Air India counter in Chicago to check in for our international flight, we were told that our carry-on bags must be checked. All that drama over packing was for naught. Then, we had to wait at the ticket counter while our boarding passes were reissued about three times in an attempt to get our entire group sitting together.

We all made it on the plane and after hours of waiting, took the 7.5-hour flight to Frankfurt, Germany. There we exited the plane, took a shuttle bus to the terminal, and killed some time browsing duty-free shops. Next was the 7-hour flight to New Delhi, India.

On board the plane, we were served food and drink seemingly every hour or so. Yes, they do serve Indian food on Air India, and I thought it was pretty good, at least in my sleep-deprived state. I spent most of the flight time grading student papers on my laptop and trying to get some shuteye. I also watched a really bad Bollywood movie with English subtitles and a lot of dancing.

When we got to New Delhi, we had to go through long lines at security again. There was some snafu with our boarding cards not having the right date printed on them, so we actually went through the lines about three different times. Our flight to Hyderabad was delayed about 1.5 hours, as we sat on the tarmac for no explicable reason. At least we were served one last meal on the flight.

When we finally arrived at our destination, we had to go through immigration and customs. At last, we made it to the exit, where we waited about an hour for taxis to take us to our hotel, which was another hour’s drive away. I’ll let Colleen fill you in on the death-defying performances by our taxi drivers.

As you can imagine, it’s a huge production to go anywhere with 17 people in tow – much less taking multiple international flights. A big kudos goes out to Kerry Northrup, our group leader, who not only arranged all the logistics but also counted the heads of our little chicks every time we made a move.

Now, we’re safe and sound in our hotel in Hi-Tech City. I’m not using my cell phone here, but we do have Internet access. More soon on what it’s like here and what we’re up to next.

Thanksgiving was absolutely lovely. I hope you all enjoyed yours!

Sadly, though, when we returned, we found our poor little betta fish, Leo, had jumped out of his bowl and was on a cookie rack that was drying on the counter. We don’t know how long he was there, but even after we put him back in his water, it was too late. He died during the night. :’( I know it might sound silly, saying that I cried over a fish, but it’s true. We had become very attached to him.

On to happier things.

Last night my family and I went shopping for Christmas things! (Lights, stockings, etc.) And after a trip to Walmart and Target, came home with:

5 loverly stockings (yes, we even got one for the dog! I had to roll my eyes, but have laughed and gone along with it)

This one's mine... isn't it so cute??

lots of beautiful lights

and even 2 celtic christmas cds and

a nightlight! (Yes, even at almost 18 years old, I need a nightlight. That might be a post for another time.)

I loved the whole Classic Winnie-the-Pooh thing. Too cute!

~*~

The night before last, we watched ‘The Shop Around The Corner’.

At first I was rather skeptical, but I recanted. I love it! It’s rather witty and amusing, though tinged by sadness. It’s a perfect example of human nature at its best (or worst.) I definitely recommend it.

~*~

Oh, before I forget! There are two giveaways you should go see:

1) Natalie Lloyd is giving away a copy of her book, Paperdoll – go to her blog and leave a comment saying your favorite part of thanksgiving. The ‘drawing’ will take place next Thursday, the 3rd.

2) Maggie is giving away an absolutely ADORABLE bag! Go here to find out more; the contest ends December 31st.

~*~

So what are you doing to prepare for Christmas? Got any decorations up yet? Planning a party? Trying to figure out what gifts to get (or make)? If the latter, you might want to check out Emily Rose’s A Homemade Christmas! Click on the button in the sidebar -> for more info.

~Tea

P.S. So far I’ve only had 1 response for the writing group idea… I’d love to hear from any more of you!

Ce n’est pas comme si j’étais déjà partie…

This morning before we left on our journey, I checked my email one last time. I was hoping there would be a note from our translator, Vamsi Krishna, about our appointments Monday. Sure enough, there was.

Several days ago, an important contact had fallen through and I was desperate to make new arrangements. Vamsi had been able to arrange two more meetings with sources while were sleeping. It was like magic to wake up and find that a major problem had been solved overnight in India.

Thanks, Vamsi! I’m sure it won’t be the last time.

It is approaching 8 a.m. when Sara will be picking me up at my house. We will drive to Nashville airport to catch our flight to Chicago, departing at 11:05 on American Airlines. Then we will fly…
- out of Chicago at 16:55 and arrive in Frankfurt, FR, at 8:05 a.m.
- at 10:05 we will depart Frankfurt and arrive in New Delhi at 22:20
- from New Delhi we will depart at 0:05 and arrive in Hyderabad at 2:10
The time changes make it confusing. Essentially, this is going to be a long flight.
Here goes…

It’s nearing 3 months since the Jaebeom scandal broke out, but it’s been reported that preparations of the leader’s return are well underway. Now it’s not confirming his return but what it is saying is that preparation for his possible return are going on as we speak and has been going on as JYP has been secretly marketing this in a cryptic manner for a long time. But first off we have to investigate all aspects of the past, present, and future situations.

The real reason JYP let Jaebeom leave

JYP, this once unanimously respected man, praised for his music and his producing of hit groups Wonder Girls, 2PM and 2AM has been under fire these past couple months over the whole Jaebeom scandal. One thing netizens and Hottest fans are angry about is the fact that JYP let Jaebeom go. Yes, it was the former leader’s own wish to return to Seattle but because he was in a legally binding contract with JYP, he couldn’t exactly pack his bags and leave. So why did JYP give the green light?

The man is considered a genius among the many in the Korean music industry not just for his music but also for his business skills. JYP is no ordinary CEO of a company who makes decisions right off the bat. He looks at the situation and broadens his view, considering all aspects and possibilities in his choices and decisions. Jaebeom’s words from his trainee days were yes, not appropriate but it wasn’t something so big that he should leave 2PM. However, JYP knew that Korea was an overly proud country and that they did not tolerate those who mocked and insulted their country and ego. With this in mind, when the request for his leave came up, he approved it with Jaebeom’s well being in mind. He knew that Jaebeom would become public enemy #1 if he had remained in Korea, and so to preserve his reputation and to prevent it from being hurt any further, he let 2PM become 6.

JYP has already prepared for Jaebeom’s return

Preparations began when Jaebeom left for Seattle. Every single move JYP made was to benefit Jaebeom and to possibly open a path for him to return to an entire country of furious Koreans. JYP kept his silence on the matter even when the fans were demanding answers. He did release an official statement but he didn’t exactly side with Jaebeom or the country, as to not show favoritism and anger any loyal fans or the furious Koreans.

But change has begun to show when on the November 12th episode of ‘Golden Fishery’, JYP commented on the Jaebeom scandal. Although they were there to talk mainly about the Wonder Girls U.S. debut, JYP dived into the matter deeper than he had previously done saying, “If Jaebeom is to return as an artist, he will return as 2PM. The 7 members love each other and if he was to return he would definitely be with the group and not as a solo artist.”

2PM members also prepare for Jaebeom’s return

Not only JYP but the group itself has also begun their own preparation for his return.

When 2PM won the Best Artist of the Year Award at MAMA, they shed tears on stage saying, “Winning such a big award is an honor. Jaebeom hyung…We wish to share this glory with our leader.” This was a moment where the group expressed their hard teamwork and their true feelings for their leader.

Such a statement could have only been said because the group and their company were on the same wavelength. If JYP had any negative or disapproving feelings towards Jaebeom’s return or if there was no possibility of it, he would have never allowed the group to say what they said.

For the past two months the group had said nothing on the matter and had even been pulled out of shows and MC gigs. But with the recent wave of comments from the group and the boss himself, it’s all pointing to a possible return. JYP allowed the fans to express their outrage and sorrow over the course of 3 months and for the country of Korea to settle down, thus slowly opening up a path for Jaebeom. In fact, in this time many Korean studies have shown that they had overreacted on Jaebeom’s light words and had never directly insulted the country in a severe way. Now that the fans have settled down a bit, JYP is sparking up the interest in Jaebeom again, thus raising the question: Is Jaebeom coming back? Korean reports are saying that the possibility of his comeback are now higher than ever and that fans can feel a little more contempt.

Don’t forget to check out our friends at the 2OneDay forums!

I’m packing today for our 10-day trip to India… and everything has to fit into carry-on luggage, including all the camera gear we’re taking.

Colleen and I are carrying two digital SLR cameras with lenses, a video camera, a wireless microphone, a tripod, an audio recorder, and a laptop computer, plus low-tech tools like reporter’s notebooks, pens, maps, etc. We’ll use the equipment to cover the journalism conference we’re attending, and we’ll also take it into the field to record interviews and footage of researchers, activists, policy makers, farmers and others.

In addition, we have to take business clothes for three days of the conference and sturdy work clothes for our days in the field. We’ve been warned that women need to dress “modestly” in India, which my new friend Swathi interprets as no cleavage, nothing above the knee, and in the villages, half- or full-sleeve shirts. Head coverings aren’t necessary except at some religious sites.

We’re carrying all our luggage because we don’t want to take a chance on checking it and having it lost or mishandled. All my stuff has to fit into a roller bag and a backpack. Wish me luck!

Andhra Pradesh is is one of India’s main rice-producing states. About 70 percent of the total population are farmers and more than a third of the state’s gross domestic product is derived from the earth.

Major crops in the state include: Tobacco, Groundnut, Chillies, Turmeric, Oilseeds, Cotton, Sugar and Jute.

Well, it is more of boxes. And they are not packed yet, at least not all of them. But the day of moving is approaching faster and faster, and I am really nervous now. Only 6 days to go!

I already packed my old suitcases and some cardboard boxes, full of drawings, books, dinnerware and art supply (and some clothing, too) and started carving the pieces of my bed’s frame.

Goth, I am just so excited! The Satyr seems to keep it quite cool, a thing that I simply can’t understand.

There’s s much to do and so little time at the moment, but when I don’t have to commute any longer, I’ll have time for all my projects! *phew* I also have got to start making yuletide presents, but I couldn’t find something for everyone yet…

Awww, next week at this time I will be there, in the little white house at the banks.

Starting Sunday around 2 a.m., we will be in Hyderabad, India, located in the south-central part of the country, in the state of Andhra Pradesh.

Hyderabad is known as the Silicon Valley of India because of the high-tech firms there. In fact, our hotel is in “Hi-Tech City,” a development built specifically for this industry. The city has more than 4 million people, and the official languages are Telugu, Urdu, Hindi and English.

We will spend about three days at the World Newspaper Congress and World Editors Forum.

After that, we will be traveling to farming villages outside Hyderabad. One area we plan to visit is the district of Medak, where a number of non-profit organizations are working to help farmers.

Cassandra Andrew – 17 years old
Yukon, Canada

Well, volleyball season is over for me and it is time for me to once again kick it into high gear with school (Math 12 in particular) and preparations for Copenhagen! I am still working on completing my presentation with two other ICC’s, Lily from Victoria, and Louise from Germany. It was great that even when we first started planning it, we were all completely on the same page as to what we want to put across. As far as we know, we will be doing two presentations for WWF while we are in Copenhagen. I am extrememly excited as I haven’t had the chance to public speak in a while. It is something I found that I really enjoy, although I’m still trying to get better at it!

It’s definitely exciting to keep getting emails from people I met at Power Shift Canada in October. So many youth are working hard in these weeks leading up to this conference. We’re all just wishing that our politicians would step up and due the same. We really have to work hard these next couple of weeks to not only affect our political leaders, but our peers around us as well. Likely, you all are, so keep up the great work, and please! No matter what, don’t give up. We all have each others support.

Journalism may be undergoing a crisis, with newspapers and magazines closing and laying off journalists. Let me report, however, that the international fellowship of journalists – both here and broad – is alive and well.

Fellow journalists from the U.S. and India have responded to my requests for help in planning this trip. Without them, my work would be much more difficult.

When I found out I’d have the opportunity to go to India, I knew I wanted to report on agriculture in that country for an ongoing project on that topic. But where to begin? I’d have to figure out what the stories were, who my sources might be, and how to get there.

I started by posting an e-mail to the listserv of the Society of Environmental Journalists, a group that represents some of the best environmental reporters anywhere. Numerous members posted helpful replies with everything from suggested reading lists to possible story ideas and travel advice.

From there, I posted another e-mail to the International Federation of Environmental Journalists. More assistance poured in from journalists in India, including contact information for government agencies and non-profits dealing with agriculture. Others helped me locate a translator and guide – a necessity for traveling to rural areas where Telugu, not English, is the primary language spoken.

I had dozens of e-mail exchanges with these journalists, called some on the phone, and chatted with others on Skype or gmail. With an 11.5-hour time difference between here and there, I stayed up late many nights to catch people during normal office hours.

I marveled at how small the world has become. I am so grateful for the technology that enables these connections and for the global community of journalists willing to help each other. The values and goals of a free press translate in any country, and we are all the better for it.

Hey guys, lately there’s been so much talk about what makes a person sexy. Should you believe all the hype? Let’s face it; we live in a visual world that is highly controlled by major media outlets like, reality television, music videos, magazines, newspapers, and fashion designers. They all have a huge influence on nearly every aspect of our lives, everything from what we eat, wear, where we live, who we should or shouldn’t date, and what our bodies should or shouldn’t look like.

Yet today the million dollar question still remains, “What is Sexy; is it truly in eye of the bolder, or is it in the hands of the money makers? Can we honestly make unfiltered individual choices about what sexy is and what it really means?

Many media outlet say it’s all about image and having the perfect package. Their emphasis and primary focus usually caters to what’s current, young, and hot! So I ask do we no longer need to be able to think for ourselves. Or have our media outlets taken complete control over what we think sexy should be.

Well, maybe this is a question you might have to decide for yourself. However, here’s a list that I’ve composed of what some adults are saying, “What they think is Sexy.” The results just might surprise you.

Yet the big question here is how many of their answers are similar to your own, and if not, will they rub off? Will it make you think about your own life, or will you just go with the flow and let society/media dictate what it means to you. How can you Develop Your Own Sexiness?

What is Sexy?

Sexy is natural, being yourself.
Sexy is having a nice swagger/walk.
Stronger enough for man but made for a woman.

Sexy is working with what you have.
Sex is an independent woman or man.
Sexy is confidence; having a good attitude.
Sexy is dressing well.
Sexy is a stimulation conversation.

Sexy is flirtatious & fun
Sexy is fore play.
Sexy is sweet and submissive.

Now, What’s Your Definition? Please share!

For the full list & story go to.

www.myspace.com/joeys_world_dance_groove

Namaste.

The greeting pervades India and is often interpreted as “the spirit in me meets the same spirit in you.” Literally translated as “I bow to you,” it acknowledges the inner light in all living things.

This sentiment rests at the very core of my desire to investigate agriculture in India.

In the words of Wendell Berry, acclaimed Kentucky environmental author and poet, “Eating is an agricultural act.”

To explore the roots, literally and metaphorically speaking, of Indian farmers we will be exploring the very aspect of life that sustains all humans.

So many people throughout the world are detached from the very food they put in their mouths. So many have no reverence for process or producers… no sense of namaste.

Implications of plants that are growing or not growing have a direct and powerful impact on the people nurturing them for the rest of the world. These farmers are intimately intertwined with the their crops. They are dependent on the life that resides in their soil.

And so are we.

The 8th of December is “Pretend to be a Time Traveller” Day!

Ladies and Gentlemen, please fasten your seatbelts and lay back in your paisley velvet chesterfield seats. This flight through time will take off in a few minutes…

And the question that it is all about is: Future or Past?

Travellers from the Future

Dystopian or utopian? You may either go in rags ‘n tatters or wear something that could come from the set of Star Trek: TNG, come either from a word that is torn down everywhere except at the core, where everything is shiny and splendid like in Firefly Serenity or somewhere completely different and out-of-space. Or you can just go for a tinfoil helmet and act like a character from Futurama.

Travellers from the Past

This one is quite easy, even if you don’t own any period clothing. For the girls I’d recommend a ruffled or lacy blouse and several skirts of different lengths. Just gather one or two of the upper layers to imitate a bustle skirt. It’s even easier to find a boy’s outfit as the patterns changed not much during the last twelve decades. One thing that is really important is the headgear. A top hat of any kind will do, or a fascinator for the ladies, as well as complex headdresses. It’s mostly the accessories that make the outfit (at least in my opinion).

Oh, and don’t wear trainers.

You may find other information and advice here.

And please remember: Let nobody know you’re a time traveller! This project is an entirely secret service.

I’ve chosen where I’d like to live: the Vines, a seemingly beautiful house on the edge of the Oxford city limits.  It’s a 35-minute walk, a 15-minute bike ride, and a 10-minute bus ride to town.  I would have picked the house that is in town, but I decided that I’d rather experience both the “city” life and the “country” life instead, with the option of meeting more people.  Hopefully it is the right choice.

This was what Walter Hofer, FIS Race Director for Ski Jumping and Ulrich Wehling, FIS Race Director for Nordic Combined said when they visited Falun recently.

The reason for the Falun visit was that Walter Hofer and Ulrich Wehling had been to Holmenkollen outside Oslo to see how their preparations for  the 2011 Championships were progressing. And being in the area they decided to take a look at Falun too, to gather information on the work Sweden is currently putting into Ski Jumping and Nordic Combined. They were met at Dala Airport by Anki Kjellberg, Secretary General of the Swedish Ski Games, who hosted the visit, along with representatives from the Municipality of Falun.

The first item on the programme was lunch with County Governor Maria Norrfalk at her official residence in Falun. This was followed by discussions with the Swedish Ski Association and local representatives of the Ski Jumping sport. The visit finished with a dinner together with Per Lehmann, Secretary General of the Swedish Ski Association and Sven von Holst, Chairman of the Committee leading Falun’s bid for the 2015 World Championships.

Walter Hofer was very pleased with the information they had gathered about Sweden’s ambitions in these two classic winter sports. Amongst other things he said:

– The most important thing is to get young people out onto the snow, experiencing the joy of  the sports. And when it comes to developing Ski Jumping in your country, Falun and FIS need each other to be successful.

Both Walter Hofer and Ulrich Wehling emphasized that it’s not just a matter of being able to host a few World Cup events or World Championships. They hope that Falun will be able once again to host first-class events in all three diciplines. This would make Falun into an important partner in an exciting Nordic triangle with Holmenkollen (Oslo) and Lahti, Finland, where the three venues can hold world-class events in all the Nordic ski disciplines. Of course based on applications of the resp. national ski associations and dates available within the frame of the World Cup calendars.

Walter Hofer, Head of Ski Jumping and Nordic Combined, FIS Race Director Ski Jumping.

Ulrich Wehling, FIS Race Director for Nordic combined.