To God Be The Glory

As this journey comes to an end, I can only say: All thanks be to God. All thanks. I post a lot about the things that I have experienced here in India, but you all must know that God’s favor is behind it all. And prayer is what gets me through each and every day.

I don’t think I’ve ever made one of my prayers public so here goes nothing. I wrote this prayer shortly before I left for India and I have decided to share it with you because the only reason that this experience was possible is because of God. God has most certainly taken care of me during this time and I am so grateful. I posted this prayer in my room and read it frequently because it served as a reminder of why I was here, it got me out of the hustle and bustle of everyday India life, and it kept me focused.

Dear Lord,

Thank you for this opportunity. You never cease to amaze me – a Fulbright award . . . to India! Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. As I prepare to take this trip, I must admit that I am nervous and anxious to say the least. This is BIG Lord & I am going to be so far from all that I know . . . as my heart yearns to be calmed & put at ease, I ask that you remind me that I am always, ALWAYS in the palm of your almighty and protective hands. Please grant me safe travels from the beginning to the end of my trip. Please calm the hearts of my family members. Just be a fence around me Lord. . .

Also, please help me to make the most out of this opportunity. I won’t waste it Lord, I promise. Just please do your work through me . . . help me to fulfill the purpose that you have for my life at this time. Help me to remain focused. Help me to do a good job. Help me to be a good representation of the U.S. and black women :-) I am still shocked that you have done this for me . . . But, my oh my, am I grateful!!! Help me to be your vessel . . . help me to show my students to dream big. Help me to set a good example. You know I still have trouble with the fact that people admire me. All I can say is: Thank you for shining your light through me, for I know that nothing I do/accomplish is because of my own merit. I am only where I am because of your unfailing mercy and grace. Thank you.

I’m excited Lord. I think this is going to be great :-) Hold my hand please . . . Let’s do it! In Jesus’ name, I pray . . . Amen.

-Jessica

At the end of the day, this prayer was indeed answered. I had an awesome time. I am absolutely in love with my students. I was safe and protected every step of the way. My family and friends are all well in America. Yes, my God listens to and answers prayers.

My Favorite!

I’m just gonna call it what it is – the most appropriate name for this post would probably be: An Ode to Violet, but that’s awkward hahahahaha. Anyway, this is my homie. And it made my day/week/month/year that she came to India to see me. Although I have already talked about the visits of my friends to India, I feel the need to say a few words separately about this one because her trip/visit was especially meaningful to me. Violet’s visit was so special because during my time in India, she has been the one (in conjunction with Jesus of course) taking very good care of me and who made this trip possible (and by possible, I mean she kept me sane lol). With this being my first time out of the country, and for nine months no less, I knew that it would be difficult being away from family, friends and all things familiar for so long. Luckily for me, homesickness was at a minimum and I have this girl to thank for that. She went out of her way to check in on me regularly, she sent me my favorite magazines each month, we burned up a ton of minutes on both of our phones at all kinds of crazy hours, we skyped our behinds off . . . the list goes on. And then on top of all of that, she flew ALL the way to India, just to see me!!! I mean I was too excited to hang out with this girl – you have no idea!

Aside from how awesome of a friend she’s been during this time and how unimaginably excited I was to see her, the coolest thing about her visit was her desire to really get into this whole India thing. She demanded a sari, which I had to pick out and have tailored before her arrival, so that she could wear it to the Taj Mahal. She wanted henna hands. She wanted to get a salwar kameez suit tailored. She would not let me keep her away from street food. An elephant ride was put on the agenda all the way back in November. Yes, this girl was serious about getting as much out of India as she possibly could and I did my best to make sure she got it all :-) At the end of the day, I am so happy she came and I am glad that I got share this experience with her :-) #thatisall.

My Favorite Moments!!!!!

Nine months in India have flown by. I seriously cannot believe that it’s over. As I think over this experience, I have decided to highlight a few of my favorite moments. Trust me, there are many more moments that brought me joy, but here are my top 5 (in no particular order).

My 25th Birthday

As we all know, 25 is viewed as a BIG deal – one of those milestone birthdays. And I had the pleasure of turning 25 years old here in India. One of the coolest things about this birthday was that my mom and sister were here visiting me! My mom and I share the same birthday and since I went to college when I was 17, I haven’t spent my actual birthday with my mom due to the fact that it’s ALWAYS finals week during my birthday – but who knew that I’d have to come all the way to India to get to spend my birthday with my mom. That was great, but my students are the ones who really made this birthday one to remember.

I can honestly say that I have never ever, in my whole life, felt more special and loved than I did on my birthday while I was at school. Let me first say that my students had been wishing me a happy birthday for about a week prior to my birthday, reminding me of how many days there were until my birthday was to come. On the morning of my birthday, I was greeted by students with presents and cards before the morning assembly; in each of my classes my students greeted me with their own unique Happy Birthday renditions; in the hallways all day long every kid I saw (whether or not they were in my class) wished me a happy birthday; and even some of the primary kids who I worked with on a dance came to the staff room to present me with flowers and handmade cards. I mean it was the best day ever. I couldn’t have asked for a better way to turn 25. Those kids have no idea how much that day meant to me. I am so grateful. Oh and it didn’t end there, I even received belated birthday wishes the day after my birthday (even from the students who saw me and wished me a happy birthday the day before) – I guess they didn’t want my birthday to end either ;-)

Visits with Friends/Family

I don’t know how I got so lucky as to have 5 people come little ole me in India. But Lord knows that I am so thankful. My mom and sister were the first to make the trip in December and it was great. Those two are my right and left hand girls, we are truly a team, so it was great to be with them again. And you know, family is family, so we had fun getting on each others’ nerves and simply being who we are when we are together.

 Now seeing my mom and sister would have been enough to make me happy, but then in March the friendship train made its way through India too! I got to see my best friend since childhood - Jaclyn, my Spelman Sister – Ieshaah, and my favorite person from law school – Violet. It was great for me to be around people that know me and love me for real. There’s nothing like spending time with old/good friends– skype, facebook, gchat, and email don’t do friendships justice (although they help us out tremendously when distance is an issue). We saw the Taj, rode elephants, drove rickshaws, ate some good food, talked for hours on end, and even took a trip to the hospital (Jess got sick :-/ whomp whomp whomp) – all in all, we had a good time and I am so grateful that they made the trip. It was an experience of a lifetime for each of us ;-)

Games Period with my students - this is many moments ;-)

Now this was a recurring experience, but I loved it so much. As much as I enjoyed teaching, I loved the time I spent with my students out on the playground during their games periods. I seriously looked forward to playing with them and even Jessica Ma’am would be disappointed when it rained or when games period was cancelled for any reason :-/ I learned some cool games – handball, gallery, coco, ice water and throw ball. And I taught them some of my favorite games – simon says, Chinese jump-rope, freeze tag (which turned out to be ice water lol) and telephone. Some days I would have up to 3 games periods in addition to my classes. I was a busy Ma’am – and I was happy. I will surely miss playing with my kids – they kept me young and added sunshine to my days.

Holi

The Festival of Color! Ya’ll know I love color, so this was a wonderful experience to have here. I am so so so glad that I was here for this holiday. And I am so lucky to live in an awesome neighborhood (shout out to Malviya Nagar). We a great Holi celebration in the park and it was a ton of fun. Other than the water fights and color throwing, my favorite thing about Holi is that everyone – young and old – participated and had a good time. No one was off limits and it was just some good “clean” fun. I wish we had Holi in America – this is one thing I am truly going to miss.

Jessica Week

I already posted about this, but I must say that one of the best weeks that I had here in India was when I got to spend some quality time with myself. We were all on fall break and everyone else decided to explore India, I opted to get to know New Delhi more intimately ;-) I pampered myself – mani, pedi and massage. I spent plenty of time outside and I made a trip to favorite at place in the city Haus Khaz village/Deer Park. I did some sightseeing and went to the zoo! Took myself to a movie. Had some good food – including sushi and waffles ;-) Learned more about Gandhi-ji. Saw a play. I had a great time! I may need a Jessica week more often, we’ll see how that goes ;-)

Friends Make the World Go Round :-)

Delhi. Agra. Delhi. Agra. Jaipur. Delhi. Jessica was a busy lady for the first two weeks of March. I had the pleasure of having three friends come and visit me, all the way in India, over the course of two weeks. I did my best to show them the parts of India that I know and love, which is why Agra and Jaipur were the cities of choice (well, I was supposed to go to Amritsar, but a serious illness got in the way :-/ ).

 Jaclyn: First up was my best friend, who I have known since I was nine or ten years old. She came for a week and the original plan was to travel to Amritsar and Agra, but my body had different plans so Agra was our only trip. Nonetheless, we had a great time, and she was so happy to see the Taj Mahal. While we were in New Delhi, we had a chance to go to my favorite place – Haus Khaz Village, we ate some good food and of course we went shopping! She also had the opportunity to visit the Gandhi Memorial and Museum – thanks to my wonderful roommate Abby as I was too sick to make that trip. Also, on Jaclyn’s last day we celebrated Holi!!!! It was so much fun and she was happy to be here to experience such a fun festival.

Ieshaah & Violet: After dropping Jaclyn off at the airport, I waited a few hours and picked up Ieshaah lol. We spent her first day hanging out at Old Fort and stuffing our faces. Then later that evening, I had to get Violet!!!! We did some shopping – went a little crazy, there’s just so much to choose from and it’s so cheap! Then off to the Taj Mahal we went! We enjoyed the Taj (Violet & I wore saris!) and Agra Fort the next day. We then made our way to Jaipur, which was a BLAST!!!! Our hotel (Hotel Pearl Palace) was amazing! We got lucky with a really cool auto driver who took us around both days – Super Sameer, who we called Super-Ji or Supa Dupa-Ji ;-) We rode elephants, saw too many gorgeous buildings/forts/places, drove the auto, shopped some more and ate plenty. A good time was most certainly had by all. Our days in Delhi were a bit more lowkey (once again Jessica got sick) and Violet spent the remainder of her trip taking care of me :-/

March was a great month because I got to spend time with some lovely ladies and their visits were an awesome way for me to end my time here in India. I am ready to go home. So glad for the time I spent here, but I’ve got to get back to reality and to those who love me ;-)

Books Part IV: Books that Spoke to My Soul

One of my absolute favorite things to do is read, read and read some more. I would live in a bookstore, preferably BusBoys & Poets’ 14th & V location, if I could. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that I got some serious reading done since I’ve been in India. So far, I’ve read roughly 15+ books and I really wanted to talk about them on my blog. I was supposed to start doing this a LONG time ago, but you know how it goes – procrastination got the better of me and I now have to find a way to tell you about these books without making a ridiculously long blog post. In the interest of reader ease, I have opted to put the books I’ve read into several categories to make it more manageable. I wouldn’t say that I have written book reviews here, more of a stream of consciousness with regard to some great books that I have had the chance to get into over the past several months. I hope you see something you like :-)

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Part IV: Books That Tugged on My Heart Strings . . .

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

This book will go down as one of my top 10 books in life. I could not put it down and read it over the course of 3 days. The story was compelling and I found myself feeling for both Maryam and Laila. I spent a significant about of time in undergrad focusing on women of color and their experiences of domestic violence and this book reminded me of why I am so passionate about that issue. Women’s lives, all over the world, are marked by, interrupted, destroyed and forever changed due to violence that they experience in their homes and in their communities. If I had to pick one book as my favorite since I’ve been in India – it would be this one. Read. This. Book. It will change your life.

Eat, Pray, Love  by Elizabeth Gilbert

I know, I know. How cliché – Eat, Pray, Love in India – of course it spoke to me, right? But seriously, I loved every minute of this book. I had already seen the movie a couple of years back, and I enjoyed it – but the book had me going through some things (lol). It is much, much, much better than the movie because you get a glimpse into this woman’s mind and heart, in a way that a movie cannot adequately portray.

While I was reading this book, all I could think was gosh, I wish I had the money to go run away for a year to the countries of my choice. It got me to thinking, if there were 3 things that I need to focus on, what would they be???? Maybe I could Discover, Swim, Write.

The discover part of my trip would have to take place in an African country. Preferably a French speaking nation so I can practice :-) I’m thinking Senegal! I say discover because I would like to know more about Africa and the transatlantic slave trade. While I am not sure which part of Africa my ancestors are from, I know my roots are somewhere on that continent and I pray for the chance to spend some serious time in Africa.

Next I’d like to swim (well actually swim, sail, jet ski, surf, etc). I love water, but I am ashamed to admit that I cannot swim, but I am committed to changing that in the next year! Not sure where I’d do this either, but I’m thinking Australia. I’d love to live on the beach, I’d take a hut and I’d be one happy Jessica.  

Lastly, I would write! I want to write at least two books in my lifetime and I need some time to get my thoughts together and start putting pen to paper. I have a lot f ideas floating around lol. I know I don’t need to go away to do this, but it would be nice to set aside 3-4 months of my life to start my life as an author. Still no idea of where I’d do it – I’m thinking England or somewhere in Europe. Don’t ask why, I just feel like I could be inspired by some cool libraries at the Universities. Aww well, a girl can dream. Maybe I’ll get my chance to Discover Swim Write. We’ll see . . .

All in all, Eat Pray Love was great. It’s a book that I plan to read again in a couple of years. Even if the movie didn’t move you, trust me when I say the book is so much better, so give a chance if you have the time.

    

The Cry of the Giraffe by Judie Oron

I picked this book up on a whim because it had a drawing of a young African girl on the front cover and I don’t see that often here in Indian bookstores (actually I don’t see that often in bookstores in America either).  Anyway, The Cry of the Giraffe is based on true events surrounding the civil unrest, famine and religious persecution of Ethiopian Jews who fled to Yerusalem, their spiritual homeland, in the 1980s. You know 1980 isn’t that long ago and this book reminded me that all over the world groups of people are fighting for their lives and their faiths.

It made me wonder what would I do if I lived in a country that shunned me because of my beliefs? Would I have the courage to flee? Would I be willing to stand on my faith in the face of strong opposition, violence and extreme poverty? I have taken being Christian in America for granted. But after reading this, I pray that if ever faced with persecution, I would have courage to stand by my God because God has surely stood by me. This book brought parts of the Bible home to me, especially the Old Testament, and my faith was strengthened even though Christianity wasn’t the religion in question.

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

 After reading A Thousand Splendid Suns, everyone told me that I had to read – The Kite Runner, so I broke my “no more books” rule and got myself a copy. The book tells the story of a friendship between a wealthy boy and his father’s servant. They grew up as if they were brothers, but class always seems to get in the way. Another book set in Afghanistan, the author does a wonderful job of weaving the troubled times of the nation with the story of the boys. This book is powerful because it shows how choices of our childhood can and will follow us well into adulthood. It’s a story of redemption after the unforgivable. It is beautifully written and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. I think we can find a bit of ourselves in each of the characters – life is complicated and so are humans. Read this book too ;-) Khaled Hosseini is two for two when it comes to me.

Books Part III: Fun Reads :-)

One of my absolute favorite things to do is read, read and read some more. I would live in a bookstore, preferably BusBoys & Poets’ 14th & V location, if I could. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that I got some serious reading done since I’ve been in India. So far, I’ve read roughly 15+ books and I really wanted to talk about them on my blog. I was supposed to start doing this a LONG time ago, but you know how it goes – procrastination got the better of me and I now have to find a way to tell you about these books without making a ridiculously long blog post. In the interest of reader ease, I have opted to put the books I’ve read into several categories to make it more manageable. I wouldn’t say that I have written book reviews here, more of a stream of consciousness with regard to some great books that I have had the chance to get into over the past several months. I hope you see something you like :-)

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Part III: Books I Read Just For Fun

32 Candles: A Novel  by Ernessa T. Carter

I saw this book on the Essence Magazine reading list a few months before I left for my trip and it tells the story of a woman born to a mother who didn’t love her and who has a fairly rough and un-enjoyable childhood. Her biggest problem – she believes that she is ugly and unworthy because that is what she has been told all her life. Long story short, she runs away and “recreates” herself – the path is difficult as the story showed me that simply by changing my surroundings doesn’t mean that a “new me” will automatically surface, you have to deal with your issues or they will follow you and find you. Always. The story reminded me of one of my Joyce Meyer devotional readings that said “Whatever you run from will always be waiting for you somewhere else.” (The Confident Woman Devotional – “No Excuses” September 19). If you’re looking for a coming of age story for adults, this is great one :-) #ilovedit!

Farther Than I Meant To Go, Longer Than I Meant to Stay  by Tiffany L. Warren

Another book I downloaded on my kindle for coming to India, this was an easy read. Focusing on the life of a woman who was not happy with her 36 and single self. She played with fire because she was tired of being alone and she got burned to say the least. This book showed me to make sure I am careful with who I decide to welcome into my heart and my life. The damage can be great. Not a male-bashing novel, this book reveals how important it is to find security in yourself before you seek it out in the world and in this case in the arms of a man. With a quite a few twists and turns, my mouth definitely fell open a few times while reading this one and I recommend it if you’re looking for something fun and quick.  

Losing My Virginity and Other Dumb Ideas  by Madhuri Banerjee  

This one was just for fun ;-) I saw it at the Delhi Book Festival and I had to pick it up because the title brought a smile to my face for some reason. The main character, Kaveri, is a the top of her game professionally, but as she nears the big 3-0, she finds that there’s one major milestone she has yet to cross off of her personal to do list – losing her virginity. Her solution – she makes a vow with herself to lose it by the time her 30^th birthday comes around. As you imagine, a declaration like that can lead to some hasty decisions and unforeseen consequences. The cool thing about this book is that you get to see how a “grown” woman deals with being a rookie in the dating world and it gives perspective to the benefits and potential downfalls of waiting until you get yourself together to start looking for romantic relationships. In a short amount of time, Kaveri learns a lot – about herself, her wants/needs, about men and what she’s looking for in a relationship.

Ain’t No Sunshine  by Leslie DuBois

This book was pleasant surprise. I downloaded it on my kindle because at the time it was free or like 99 cents (it’s 2.99 now lol) and I figured it couldn’t hurt. It’s a short book; I read it in two days because I had to know what happened next. The book is set in 1960s Virginia, so racism is of course on the table, but what kept me reading was the constant physical abuse experienced in Stephen’s home and how his friendship with a neighbor, Ruthie – who is black, helped keep him alive. Yes it’s a love story but as the story unfolds, it’s not what you expect. Trust me. I seriously couldn’t put it down and I am sure a few flies flew in and out of my mouth because my jaw dropped repeatedly while reading this one.

Books Part II: Virtual Life Coaches :-)

One of my absolute favorite things to do is read, read and read some more. I would live in a bookstore, preferably BusBoys & Poets’ 14th & V location, if I could. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that I got some serious reading done since I’ve been in India. So far, I’ve read roughly 15+ books and I really wanted to talk about them on my blog. I was supposed to start doing this a LONG time ago, but you know how it goes – procrastination got the better of me and I now have to find a way to tell you about these books without making a ridiculously long blog post. In the interest of reader ease, I have opted to put the books I’ve read into several categories to make it more manageable. I wouldn’t say that I have written book reviews here, more of a stream of consciousness with regard to some great books that I have had the chance to get into over the past several months. I hope you see something you like :-)

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Part II: Books That Helped Me Get My Life Right

• No Apologies: Powerful Lessons in Life, Love & Politics by Alisha Thomas Morgan

I have had the pleasure of meeting Alisha Thomas Morgan only twice in my lifetime, but I remember the first time I heard her speak during an event at Spelman - I told myself that she was a woman worth watching out for. A woman that I would like to be like. And when I read in our Spelman Alumnae magazine that she wrote a book, it took me all of 2 minutes to whip my kindle out and download it. I have to be honest here . . . it took me a while to actually read it (I have got many a book on my kindle waiting to be read hahaha) – but once I started it, I could not put it down. One of the reasons I’ve admired Representative Morgan for so long is because she is so honest and open. She has a laundry list of accomplishments under her belt, but she never pretends that it came easily to her and she personifies the saying “fall down 7 times, get up 8.” She openly shares her successes and failures (both personal and professional) in this book and I think that every young black woman should take a look. You’ll learn something about yourself (trust me) and you’ll know that whatever your dreams, you’ve got the stuff inside you to make it happen. Read this book – you won’t regret it.

• The Success Principles: How to Get from Where You Are to Where YouWant to Be  by Jack Canfield

One of the reasons that I wanted to live out of the country for an extended amount of time was so that I could step out of my comfort zone and really think about the things that I want to accomplish during my lifetime. Lord knows I have some BIG dreams and I am working to bring them to fruition. What I loved about this book was that it was straight to the point and it provided a road map for making/setting goals as well as how to make dreaming big a way of life. This book taught me to dream as big as I possibly can . . . and then dream BIGGER! I’m working on it ;-)

More books to come!!!! Happy reading :-)

Books Part I: India Related

One of my absolute favorite things to do is read, read and read some more. I would live in a bookstore, preferably BusBoys & Poets’ 14th & V location, if I could. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that I got some serious reading done since I’ve been in India. So far, I’ve read roughly 15+ books and I really wanted to talk about them on my blog. I was supposed to start doing this a LONG time ago, but you know how it goes – procrastination got the better of me and I now have to find a way to tell you about these books without making a ridiculously long blog post. In the interest of reader ease, I have opted to put the books I’ve read into several categories to make it more manageable. I wouldn’t say that I have written book reviews here, more of a stream of consciousness with regard to some great books that I have had the chance to get into over the past several months. I hope you see something you like :-)

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Part I: Books About India



• City of Djinns by William Dalrymple

There’s an African proverb that I learned during my freshman year at Spelman College in our African Diaspora and the World (ADW) course: “Until lions have their own historians, tales of the hunt shall always glorify the hunters.” This quote kept running through my head as I read City of Djinns. India has a deep  and sometimes very dark history – much of which I was ignorant to before coming here and making a conscious effort to learn more about the nation in which I had decided to spend nine months of my life. This book offers an excellent historical overview of Delhi and much of what has shaped India – the good, the bad and the ugly. The parts that interested me the most were those focused on Partition and the intense, and often violet, splitting of a nation along religious lines. Many of us think of India and our minds go straight to yoga and elephants and the Taj Mahal – but there is so much more to this place and this book tells a great story that helped me peel back some of the layers of this country and deepen my appreciation for the opportunity to be here.

• Fasting, Feasting by Anita Desai 

I picked this book up because it was about India and the author had been recommended to us during our orientation in July. It takes an interesting look at families and the role that food/eating plays in our relationships. Focusing on the lives of Uma and her brother Arun, it is set in India for the first part and in America for the second – examining the individual lives of Uma and Arun respectively. Of particular interest to me was the focus put on Uma as being unmarriageable and the light shed on her cousin who had everything (i.e. beauty and a husband), but whose life ended quite tragically despite the cards being dealt in her “favor”. Overall, it was a good read – I’m glad I picked it up.

More books to come :-) Happy reading!!!!

If You Can't Go Home, Bring Home To You . . .

Week 22-23: Days 151-158

 

This is soooo late, but still worth talking about :-) In December, my mom and sister made the journey half way across the world to see little ole me!! Like me, India would be my sister’s first international experience, but this would be mom’s 2^nd time out of the country – so we’re all pretty new to this lol. From the moment I decided to apply for this program, I knew that this experience was/is so much bigger than me and I am so glad that I have opened the world up for my family (I seriously can’t wait to put the travel/study abroad bug in my students!).

As for their weeklong visit, I did my best to show them a good time, we explored Delhi, went to Agra to see the Taj Mahal and I also took them to school to meet my students. Oh and of course we shopped until we dropped – India was not ready for my mother who bought no less than 20 scarves and a wide assortment of bracelets, necklaces, and decorative items. On their last night in India, my mom and I celebrated our birthday together for the first time in 7 years! Usually my birthday is overshadowed by finals/school and so my mom and I have to exchange “Happy Birthday” phone calls until I make my way home for Christmas break, so this was a nice way for me ring in 25 – with my mom and sis by my side :-) The visit was a good one and everyone enjoyed themselves and got back to America safely.

Now I am gearing up for visits from 3 friends in March – excited doesn’t even begin to express my feelings about them coming to visit me. Seeing them was not only good for my spirit, it also reminded me that I have people back home who are thinking about me, praying for me and proud of the woman I am becoming :-)

Sri Lanka - What a Wonderful Place

Week 24: Days 162-167

I. Love. Sri. Lanka. And I love being a Fulbright ETA. Ohhhhh Sri Lanka. What a wonderful five days we had together! Although the purpose of our trip to Sri Lanka was to convene with other South/Central Asia English Teaching Assistants (ETAs), the trip turned out to be not only professionally beneficial, but it was also personally uplifting.

Before I get into the details of the conference, let me just say that Sri Lanka is an absolutely beautiful place!!! With its breezy island feel, I allowed myself to relax and rejuvenate. My favorite part of Sri Lanka – the Indian Ocean, duh! Anyone who knows me knows that I love me some water, and boy oh boy did Sri Lanka have water for me! I spent every possible moment (including 10-15 minute breaks during the conference) outside and it was indeed good for my soul. Aside from the ambiance, I also loved my time in Sri Lanka because of the people I had the chance to meet there. Not only were we reunited with the Calcutta ETAs (whom we miss so very much), but we also met the ETAs from other countries in our region and I truly enjoyed getting to know them.

Okay, now to the important part – the ETA conference! It was an absolute pleasure meeting the other ETAs and they reminded me that my time in Delhi, teaching English, is part of something greater. We are working to fulfill the Fulbright mission of promoting mutual understanding among and across cultures. It was comforting to know that we face similar challenges relating to language barriers, discipline in the classroom and simply trying to find our way in our new communities.

In Sri Lanka, we came together, shared our war stories (lol) and our triumphs, big and small, and by the end of the week, in some way, each of us were renewed. Speaking for myself, I can say that I felt refreshed and ready to give my students my everything for the rest of my time in Delhi. I walked away with fresh ideas and a feeling that I was indeed making an impact – no matter how small – on my students. You know, it’s easy to get bogged down in the everyday stress/craziness of it all, but this conference reminded me to always see the forest while taking very good care of the trees :-)

One of the best things about the conference was that it served as a reminder of how important it is to take a step back and gather with your colleagues – from all over the place. There’s something special that happens when people, who share a common purpose, come together, share their experiences and work towards making improvements. It’s almost like a revival . . . your faith in your work is strengthened and you are certain that you’re in the right place, even with the day-to-day craziness and all the while recognizing that there is always more work to be done.

As I reflect on the ETA conference, I couldn’t help but think of the Teach for America 20^th Year Anniversary Summit which took place in February of 2011. I remember vividly how emotional I got during the opening ceremony as tears came to my eyes while standing in a room of thousands of people who all believe that all children in the United States of America deserve access to QUALITY education – regardless of race, socioeconomic status or any of the other stuff America puts in the way of students. I am honored and humbled to be a part of the TFA 2012 Houston Corps and I cannot wait to meet my students and get my hands dirty while trying to improve the U.S. education system.

The ETA conference reminded me that I have some serious work to do and God has deemed it necessary for me to join in the fight for quality and accessible education for all. . . . Man, it’s a good feeling to know that I am walking in my purpose. My time in Sri Lanka reminded me of that and I am so grateful to the Fulbright for such a wonderful opportunity. So, I’ll say it again – ohhhhhh Sri Lanka, I love you. And I promise to come back soon :-)

Holidays? Not so much :-/

Yeah, this is late. But as the holiday season comes to a close, I must write a quick note about how much I missed home and my family and friends. This is my first time spending the holidays away from my family and friends in Detroit. It feels weird. It doesn’t really feel like the holidays to me and I have to say that I now understand the cliché statement that the holidays are really about the people you love. Without them, the past few weeks have simply been days on the calendar and although I am enjoying my time in India, I can’t help but be a bit homesick ;-)

I don’t really have much else to say. I pray that all of you have had a safe and wonderful holiday season. I am looking forward to the New Year, God has surely blessed me. Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!!!! Peace.

For This I Am Thankful . . .

“Let me tell you something about Jesus.” This is a phrase that I frequently use with friends as I talk about just how good God has been to little ole me. There is no way that I will ever be able adequately thank God for everything he/she has done in my life, but I want to take some time during this Thanksgiving season to reflect over my year and how grateful I am.

You know, this time last year I had just found out that I had been accepted into Teach For America (TFA) as a high school English teacher in Houston, TX. I had completed my application for the Fulbright program and I was anxiously waiting to find out if I would be selected as a finalist. I remember telling the few people that I shared my Fulbright dreams with that in a “perfect world” I would be accepted into TFA, then the Fulbright program in India. I would request a one-year deferral from TFA, it would be granted and I would be placed back in Houston, TX teaching high school English (yeah, it was a lot that I was asking for lol). Well, praise God because I got it all!!! By the grace and unmerited favor of God, I received all those things and my humble requests were granted . . . amen, amen, amen.

Beyond Fulbright and TFA, I am grateful for many other things. This year, like any other, had ups and downs but God has remained faithful through it all. In March of this year, I was involved in a car accident along with two of my friends, which resulted in my car being totaled. That event revealed to me the art of peace in the midst of a storm . . . after my initial shock and going a bit crazy because I was more worried about my friends in the car than anything else, we were able to remain in good spirits following the accident. We actually ended up laughing and making jokes while waking for the police to come and everyone, in both cars, walked away unharmed. Ultimately, as sad as I when I got the news that my car would be totaled out, I was beyond grateful that we were all okay and the car was the only casualty.

I am also grateful this year for my graduation from law school. I remember when I was in undergrad hoping to be admitted into a good school . . . the nervousness of 1L year is still fresh in my mind. . . I was blessed with an awesome study group who became my family and support system at the HUSL. . . . Law school also gave me the opportunity to live with my sister on our own for 3 years and we didn’t kill each other – hahaha. . . . Oh & I remember the sheer joy that I felt when I found out that I would become a member of the Howard Law Journal. 

Man, when I think about law school, I realize that the 3 years I spent there were not just about my professional development, but law school literally changed my life. In that space and place I was tested – mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually. There, I finally had a chance to see what I was made of . . . with the extreme competition that can take place in law school, I had to make sure that I did well, without stepping on others . . . I had to offer whatever help I could, knowing that there are more than enough blessings in the store house and my success would not be diminished by the success of someone else . . . I had to learn that taking care of myself was to always be my #1 priority . . . I had to trust that I was in the palm of God’s hands at all times . . . and most importantly, law school taught me the value and necessity of a positive attitude. God helped me to let my light shine, no matter the atmosphere and I pray that I was of service to someone else during my time at the HUSL. All of this to say – I am so very thankful for my law school experience and excited to see where my life goes now that I have decided to dedicate myself to the fight for quality education for all children in the United States.

Now, you all know that I cannot talk about things that I am grateful for without giving glory to God for my experience here in India. Who knew that I would be here???? Certainly not me! I am so so so grateful to have this opportunity. I am lucky to have a supportive family who told me that can do/be anything. It is because of them that I had the courage to apply for this program and knowing that I am making them proud is what sustains me during this time. Lord knows I am missing them this Thanksgiving (see the picture to the right from last year’s Thanksgiving dinner).

When it comes to India, I am thankful for my students – they are the light of my life these days and I am honored to teach them. I have been blessed with a church home here - thanks to one of my students :-) . . . I am grateful for the beautiful monuments and historical places that I am able to visit. It amazes me that next month I will also travel to Sri Lanka and Egypt. At this point, God is simply showing off . . . and I am grateful! I am humbled. I am so excited to talk to my future students about the importance of going abroad and I just want God to use me. . .

I have a lot to be thankful for this year and I am working hard to make sure that I don’t waste any of what God has blessed me with. I wish each of you a Happy Thanksgiving!!! I am missing my family very much, so if you are with yours – enjoy and appreciate this time with them :-) Until next time, I urge you to think of the things you are grateful for . . . .

I Now Crown You "Jessica's Delhi" :-)

Week 14: Days 90-96

This is long overdue ;-) So, while the rest of the world (and by world I mean the other New Delhi ETAs) was off exploring different parts of India and visiting folks during our fall break, I decided to stay in Delhi and enjoy my days off here. Truth – I was super excited to have the apartment to myself for a few days – not because I don’t love my roommates, but because it’s hard for me to have true “Jessica Time” these days. At best, I’ll get a few hours to myself to myself at the movies or at the park reading, but every once in a while I need to relax, relate, release and whoosah . . . – ya know ;-) I simply need to be left alone for an extended amount of time to recalibrate and this was my chance! I needed some time to decompress and explore in my own way this wonderful city in which we live and I just wanted to chill out. I must say: Mission Accomplished! I had the best week ever!

My theme song for the week was Jill Scott's "Escape". . . . I mean, I literally listened to this song like 100 times over the course of the five days I was in the apartment alone. . . . “I need a way out, I need an escape, I need a moment, I need a real break, I need a vacay for my mind’s sake, I need a party for me and my homies . . .” It was so fun just turning the music up, singing at the top of my lungs and dancing around . . . “I’m not complaining, no I ain’t, I need time just for me, Maybe a long walk, Maybe a drive, Just so that I can breathe.” Yes, an escape was needed and granted :-)

Let’s look at some highlights for the week:

Saturday, Sunday and Monday were pretty chill. I got a mani and pedi, went to church and cleaned my room. Oh wait, on Sunday I celebrated Gandhi’s birthday at India Gate where the largest sand painting of Gandhiji was unveiled. Tuesday was probably my favorite day of the week – I walked to Haus Khaz village – my absolute favorite place in Delhi! I had only been there once, but I instantly fell in love with the complex. It’s so peaceful and the water near it is what makes me go there to relax. It was nice to be able to go there, take a snack, some reading material and spend as much time as I wanted to there without the fear of others wanting to move on because it’s just a cool place to sightsee. After Haus Khaz village, I made my way to Purana Qila (Old Fort) and the Zoo! Wednesday was also quite nice, my mind was set on a movie and sushi which I had and thoroughly enjoyed! I also finally cracked open my October issue of Essence (courtesy of Violet :-)) and read it cover to cover throughout the day. The little things in life matter so much and being able to read my favorite magazine brought a piece of home to India for me and gave me a bit of normalcy. Thursday was my last day to myself and I made the most of it. I started the day off visiting Gandhi’s memorial and the Gandhi museum. His life was indeed his message and what a powerful and inspiring message it is. I’ll have to go back to the museum at least once more because there was so much to read about his life and it was all so interesting. Gandhiji was a true example of greatness, especially considering that he never considered himself greater than anyone else. Gandhi = humility personified. After the memorial and museum, I went to one of my favorite restaurants in Delhi – Mrs. Kaurs Crepes and More – mmm mmm good! I ended the day watching a live performance of an adaptation of India’s great epic "The Ramayana". Overall, I had a great time and I was happy to see my roommates smiling faces on Friday – I missed them!

 

Sorry - no pics :-( They won't upload. #darnit!

100 Days in India!!!!!

Week 15: Day 100!!!

I can’t believe that I’ve been in India for 100 days now. At some point each day, I am still in awe that God granted me one of my dreams – living abroad!!!! I am simply grateful beyond words. Making it to the 100 day mark is significant for me because this time last year, I had never even been outside of the United States (well, I’ve been to Canada, but I’m from Detroit and it’s only a 15 minute drive across the bridge lol) and to make it 100 days so far away from my family and friends is a true testament to how good God is and how he/she will never take you somewhere that you cannot handle. Time has been flying by and I can say that I have made a home for myself here. You know, India isn’t as scary as it was it I first got here. I have no doubts that the next 5+ months will bring forth even better experiences and growth.

 

 

Also, the 100 day mark has me thinking – “what do I have to show for myself after 3+ months of living in India???” I’d like to think – a lot! First things first, I have grown to enjoy teaching – as much of a roller coaster ride as it is, I love my students and I am learning a lot about being an educator. I am seriously looking forward to teaching long term. When it comes to my experiences at school, I must say that I am very fortunate to be teaching at such a welcoming place – in my opinion, KV- Andrews Ganj rocks! Now don’t get me wrong, I have my fair share of bad days and minor annoyances, but that’s everywhere so I can’t complain. My fellow teachers are so sweet and seriously treat m like their child/younger sister – always feeding me and making sure I’m okay. It’s so funny because sometimes they watch me when I eat to make sure I like the food and when I got my hair braided, we talked for days about it. And when it comes to my students – they are like any other group of 12-15 year olds –smart, inquisitive, crazy, mischievous, sweet, funny, active . . . just kids. And I love them for it! I find myself growing attached to some of them and it’s going to be really really hard to leave them in April. I’ve been able to build a rapport with my students and we are getting to know each other fairly well – they’ve become accustomed to my facial expressions and how I look at them when they are acting a fool. I’m learning their personalities and depth is being added to our interactions. All in all, the reason I came here is to teach and I’m learning and growing so much because of my kids that I couldn’t be more grateful for this opportunity.

Oh and I must tell you all about my roommates. I. Love. Them. One of the reasons that India has been so enjoyable for me is because I live with great people that make life easy for me. I really do not think that I could have adjusted so well to the many culture shocks of India without good people at home. Let me tell you about these wonderful (albeit crazy lol) people with whom I live. [See the pic above - from left to right, we have JoJo, Me, Abby & Krish].

• First up we have my beloved JoJo (Joanna) aka “Radio Jo” because this girl sings all day, every day. I’ve gotten so used to it that if she didn’t randomly create tunes for our everyday life, I would be a bit worried about her. But back to how wonderful of a person this Chicago native is – it’s impossible to not have a good time or be in a good mood when this girl is around – she’s thoughtful, super smart, outgoing and a great friend/roommate.
• Now on to Abby (Abigail) – this girl is such an inspiration. A Maryland native, she’s the healthiest person that I’ve ever personally known and I’m becoming a better/healthier version myself because of her. I look forward to our Saturday morning workouts – she goes hard, but she’s so patient and super positive. Also, she maintains a positive outlook on our experiences, even the frustrating things that everyone else complains about, Abby takes it as part of the experience and I admire how genuinely dedicated she is to being the best teacher she can be and how much she wants to truly immerse herself in Indian culture.
• Last, but certainly not least, we have Krish. Hailing from Alabama, I knew during out DC pre-departure orientation that we would be friends when I said something was dumb and he replied “really dumb” – making reference to Antoine Dodson. I’ve never lived with a man before, but Krish makes it easy. He’s hilarious so we’re never out of laughs in this place. He is a super smart dude who has plans to attend law school when we get back stateside and I have no doubts that he’ll rise to the occasion there. All in all, I couldn’t be happier with the people I share my space with and I trust that we’ll collect many memories along the way between now and April.

Hmmm, what else is there? I’ve simply been enjoying myself. I have seen a lot of New Delhi and I am doing my best to soak this place in. I am so lucky – I really am. My favorite part of India has to be the people – especially the children. Aside from the sheer volume of people and the fact that waiting in lines is a completely foreign concept in India, the people I meet tend to be kind and helpful. There are people I see every day on my routes to and from school and the market and I look forward to their welcoming and smiling faces each day. I’ve also gotten more comfortable in auto rickshaws – I even listen to music in one ear during the ride (but believe me, a whole lot of praying is still going on because Indian roads are a dangerous place to be lol). I am learning my way around the city and can recognize the way home from many points now. I have found a church home here and God has shown me that he/she can be found anywhere. The services are in Hindi and English and it feels so good to be surrounded by God loving people who seem genuinely concerned about my well being. I seriously have to wonder what I’ve done to get so lucky. . . But you know, I won’t question God – I’ll humbly accept his/her blessings and do my absolute best to make the most out of this opportunity.

All in all, I am happy to report that not only am I surviving here in India, I am thriving and I believe has given me this opportunity as a prelude to some plans in store for my future. And I am looking forward to it all :-) To the next 176 days - let’s go!!!!

*I had many more pics to upload, but the site chose not to cooperate with me. Hopefully I'll have more luck on the next post :-/

Learning to Teach - This Will Be a Lifelong Journey for Me

A few weeks ago, I had one of those days with one of my classes at school. Boy oh boy, they had tapped danced on my last nerve, yelling was involved and I lost my cool – it’s as simple as that. The next day, I apologized because I don’t think that it was okay to yell at them and I will be the teacher who respects her students as human beings first. But, you know, this incident kind of shook me up because I have made a decision to become and educator and eventually a superintendent. And I got to thinking “If I can’t control/get through to these kids, what in the world am I going to do when I begin teaching with Teach For America and have students of my own?” It was then that I reminded myself that even the best of teachers have bad days, and good teachers got that way through years of practice and by making many mistakes.

I have so much to learn, but I know that I must take things one step, one day at a time. Thanks to some inspiration from JoJo, I have started listening to podcasts about Education. I try to listen to at least one podcast a week and over the past month or so I have realized that there are so many people who are so passionate about Education and improving America’s schools. [check out ]I am ready to join in that fight. If I had one wish, it would be to see education declared as a Constitutional right in America before I die. Now, I won’t hold my breath for it to happen, but I will do my best to help make equal access to quality education a reality for as many American children as possible.

When it comes to what worries me the most, I need to learn (in no particular order):

1. Effective classroom management
2. How to motivate students (even the ones who think they are too cool for school)
3. Strategies to attend to the needs of students at different levels
4. Ways to create a culture of community, responsibility and positivity in my classroom
5. What to do when a student comes to me with a serious life problem
6. Effective and creative lesson planning
7. Effective organization techniques
8. How to prepare my students for standardized tests without teaching to the test
9. The art of remaining professional yet personable yet respected in my classroom
10. How to focus on the big picture and the day-to-day learning simultaneously

I certainly have my work cut out for me, but knowing that God has placed me here, I eagerly accept the challenge of improving the quality of life for my students. Knowing that I have a responsibility to each student who enters my classroom, I have drafted an ABCs of Teaching list – this is the type of teacher I want to be and these are the things that I am committed to giving my students. I’m bringing my A-game to them because they deserve nothing less.

Jessica's ABCs of Teaching

A - Always put the student first
B - Believe that your students are capable
C - Create innovative ways to teach your subject
D - Demand the best from your students
E - Engage students in the learning process
F - Find something good in each student
G - Give your students your absolute best
H - Have a command of the subject matter
I - Invest in each student
J - Joyfully teach
K - Kindly correct errors
L - Love your students and Love your job
M - Motivate your students
N - Never think you know everything
O - Offer yourself as a resource to your students
P - Prepare, prepare, prepare!
Q - Quit??? Never!
R - Reflect often and find ways to improve your teaching methods
S - Supply students with the tools to succeed
T - Treat students with kindness and respect
U - Understand that students are people too
V - Value each student’s opinion
W - Walk the walk, don’t just talk the talk – practice what you preach
X - X-plain everything – never assume the students know what you expect
Y - Yield to the greater good, not your ego
Z - Zealously try to make students better people – academically and personally