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We had an incredible vocational day, especially for me, because our first stop was a private bank called Karnataka Bank.  It’s a private bank, as opposed to a state or government run bank.  India has both private and state banks, so that was very interesting to me.  They also are very much in to saving money and buying gold for saving.  Indians on average save about 40% of their income per year.  Look like I can learn a thing or two over here!!

Karnataka Bank staff and GSE Team 5830

Next up was Kottai Mariyamman Polytechnic College and a great tour by the principal of the school.  They study mechanics, welding, and electronics.  Then we had the honor of watching a dance/talent show and getting to dance on stage!  Of course, we were not as good as the talent but we sure tried.  They kept us on stage to give awards to all the bright students in art and sports and other subjects.

Award ceremony at the polytechnic college

Up next: A chocolate factory.  We watched the production of caramel candy and how they form and pour it into shape then fill it with cream.  We each got to sample the goods and take a bit home with us!

Finally we visited the ABS Botanical Gardens where they keep rare and special plants that have homeopathic uses.  It’s like a plant sanctuary.  It was a great visit because we go to see some wild species of plant that we had never seen before.  The place was amazing!

Now we’re ready for the next three days of the Pongal celebration!  Stay tuned!

-Paul

What a day…We started off at 9am this morning by visiting a girls government run school that rotary has sponsored projects for.  When we first arrived at the school we stood and talked to some of the girls that were outside studying.  I was immediately surrounded by a large group of girls in 8^th standard (grade).  They all wanted to tell me their names, shake my hand, and tell me about what they were learning in school!  As we started to walk away from the first group of girls to tour the school one girl came up to me and asked for something I’ve never had anyone ask me for…my autograph! JWe sat in a room of 12 standard girls and let them ask us questions and take pictures.  Again I was asked for my autograph and the guys even joined in on this signing session!  Because of Rotary these girls now have clean bathrooms to us during the school day!  It was yet another amazing and inspirational trip!  After the school we toured a hospital, a bus station and a coffee factory. 

Kari is famous!

Class act

The process they go though to produce the coffee here locally amazed us all.  They start with the raw bean and finish with instant coffee.  James was especially impressed since they use much of the same equipment he has been looking at for the Pecan Company that Harper Corporate Services has started.  After the Coffee factory we took a short break to freshen up and then meet for dinner at a little Chinese Restaurant.  Yes, we had Chinese food, in India…and it was Amazing!!

The team at the coffee processing plant

Tomorrow we are going to be touring several facilities, including a Chocolate factory…and I can’t wait!!!

-Kari

Today was the second and the last day of Rotary District 2980’s district conference. After a great motivational speaker who is also an actor and a chairman of a big IT firm we all were called to the stage. After nice introduction John stepped up to the microphone, he looked out to the audience of about 3,000 people and told them a little about himself. They only gave us 10 minutes to do our presentation, for all of us, so each of us went up there one by one giving a brief 2 minute presentation about ourselves and thanked them all for the amazing hospitality the have provided us. I have never spoken to such a large group of people before, I was so nervous before I went up to the microphone but from what I heard from some of the Rotarians that were present we did a good job and they enjoyed it.

John with District Governor Gopi

 After we were done the outgoing GSE team that’s going to Texas also gave a brief introduction. After shaking lots of hands and posing for lots of photos we returned to our hotel and headed back to Salem. Roopali and Nallini both rode with us, we had some great conversations with them and learned a bit more about Indian culture through them. They have been such a great help on this trip and it was so cool getting to know them. Nallini had the idea to take us to a Hindu temple that she was familiar with. It was my first time in a Hindu temple, I found it very interesting, it was dedicated to their god called Krishna. The building it’s self was pretty modern looking from the outside, big and in a square shape. The inside was big and empty of furniture, along the walls on each side of the building were wooden carvings of their god or gods doing different things, the carvings were huge and very elaborate. Ahead was a stage and then another stage with a big chair and a huge statue of their god sitting in the chair. Some people there started chanting and playing some music, after about 15 minutes we thanked the caretakers of the temple and left.

Nallini wanted to take us to one of her stores, so she took us a mini-shopping plaza where she had a jewelry store, there she sold gold and silver jewelry that come in from all over India, it was very nice. Roopali wanted us to visit her house, so she brought us over to it. Her house was beautiful, with an art deco style living room, an amazing marble staircase and a terrace on top with a great view. We all socialized on her terrace for a while and then went out to eat dinner where we met up with the people that were hosting us for the evening. Tomorrow we have another day full of surprises planned for us that we can’t wait to experience.

-Matthew T. Rader

The alarm clock came early on us today!  We were off to the District Conference to have breakfast and spend the day with the Rotarians of District 2980.  There was a true excitement in the air as everyone from District 2980 arrived.  Before long the conference hall had swelled to roughly 4,000 Rotarians.  I was amazed at the turn out and support for Rotary shown by all. 

From the start of the conference we were honored to have the opportunity to sit on couches in the front row.  We were front and center for speeches by District Governor Gopi, special guest Constable Chandran and the Yogi Jaggi Vasudev.  The speeches were in Tamil so it was a little hard to understand but make no mistake there presentations were all eyes and ears by the audience. 

District 2980 Governor Gopi

We took a brake from the conference and went with the incoming GSE Team to Texas from District 2890.  The team was so kind to take us to lunch at a restaurant in Coimbatore.  The meal we all shared was one of the best we have had on our trip.  The conversations and exchanges of information between the groups was awesome.  From here we all hit the streets to absorb some of the daily culture and of course do a little shopping.  I must say that the incoming GSE team to Texas is a very strong team that is eager to find out more about America and especially Texas.

Outgoing India team

After only a few hours on the streets of Coimbatore we found ourselves in a rush to get ready for the evening events at the District Conference.  To every ones surprise and with a little help from our incoming GSE Team we made it to the evening conference in full Indian attire.  Kari was dressed in very pretty Indian saree and the rest of us in dotis.  If you have never worn a doti I would say that it is quite the experience. 

Looking good in our dotis and saree

We ended our evening attending a wedding reception at a lovely country club thanks to the invite from past District Governors Major VGR and Kurian.  I can’t tell you how fascinating it was to see an event such as this.  Not to mention, the time and hospitality shown by the incoming GSE Team and past District Governors.

-James

What a great morning!  The District 5830 Team (that’s us!) assembled at the courtyard of the Salem Club Inn to have breakfast, and it was a good one.  “Fruit en Fibre” cereal with hot milk, toast and jam, eggs, a piece of chocolate cake and freshly made pomegranate juice.  Now we had the energy to start the day.

Yum, yum, yum!

Before leaving Salem, our team was lucky enough to make two extraordinary stops.  The first was the Salem Gopi Memorial Hospital.  The facility was amazing and the patient care was top notch.  The team made a full tour of the hospital and even got to visit the operating area, an empty one of course!

Our next stop was a school for mentally challenged children.  Rotary funds the salary for one teacher here, which is incredible.  There were about 20 students when we arrived but we learned that there is a morning school and afternoon school so we only saw half of the students.  These children are helped to learn the Tamil and English languages, how to work with others, and overcome their disablility.  Sensory tools like walking on different mediums and textures help the children understand their surroundings better.  If a child needs something like a restroom break or a snack, they pull a card off the wall with a picture of what they need and with it spelled out in Tamil and English, to help reinforce the learning.  It was amazing and the children were all very loving and happy.  Rotary is helping do big things in Salem, India.

James and Matthew and one of the children at the school

After our visits, the team hopped on our trusty van and headed to Coimbatore for the night to get ready for the Rotary District 2980 Conference.  Our two friends from the Outbound Team came with us, Nallini and Roopali.  We watched a great Indian movie called Dasavatharam where the lead actor played 10 different roles.  We also got a taste of a traditional breath freshener called Sweet Beeda.  Folks, this is something you have to try once.  Its a mint leaf with cinnamon and sweet candy inside with a touch of limestone.  Yes, limestone.  It tastes like Colgate!  Here is one of the results…

Sweet Beeda!, that's delicious...

We stayed on the road to Coimbatore and met up at the conference hall for a small dinner, a few handshakes, and a ton of smiles.  A night at the Heritage Inn and we are ready to go for a weekend of events!

-Paul

We left our first host homes after much to short of a stay.  It’s been only two days yet I feel like I’ve known my family for years!! I have never felt so welcomed in my life!  My mother, Indra, treated me like a daughter!  She even let me take home the saree that I wore to our first Rotary meeting.  I can be a pretty emotional person yet I was able to hold it together, only because I know I will see my Hosur hosts again at the Rotary District 2980 conference (that good-bye will be a different story).  I have already decided that I will be bringing Josiah to Hosur sometime in the near future to meet them!!

On our drive to Salem we first stopped at the Rotary sponsored Krishnagiri School.  When we first arrived, a small group of people welcomed us with a traditional Indian welcome by dotting our foreheads and draping flower garlands around our necks.  They then led us around the corner where, waiting for us in an open field, was over 300 kids (grades 1 – 10)!  As we rounded the corner they all started clapping and cheering for us!  Pongal celebrations are only a week away and since we were going to be at the school and the kids will be out of school at the time, they held their celebrations early. Pongal is a celebration for their harvest, kind of like Thanksgiving in the states, so they thank the cow for his contribution by feeding him bananas.  First, some of the teachers lit incense and brought a cow over to the table. Each one of us were able to feed the cow… who knew cows liked bananas!?  After that we played a traditional Pongal game, which was just like a Piñata.  A clay pot hung above you and after being blindfolded and spun around we took a stick and tried to hit the pot above we.  John went first but missed, Matthew went second and missed also.  James stepped up and whacked it on his first try, of course he has a full foot advantage over the rest of us! J  Paul and I also got turns because the whole pot had not been destroyed and we both hit little bit of the pot.  We then had lunch and toured the school and took part in a small Rotary meeting with some of the children from the school.  An eleven-year-old girl did a dance presentation for us as well.

We then continued on to our next Rotary Project visit, a school for the deaf and dumb.  Once again the kids were lined up to greet us when we arrived.  They showed us ways that the kids learn using headsets.  The kids stay at this school for 10 months at a time and they showed us their sleeping quarters, which were metal bunk beads with small thin mats.  Even considering all the circumstances these kids have they were still all smiles the entire time we were there!   This time I was not able to hold my tears back.  It was such an inspiration knowing that Rotary clubs had worked hard to make this school possible and are working to offer the kids even more activities.  I only hope one day I can do something half as amazing for kids like this.  After only a few days we have all been inspired so much and have learned so much I’m not sure my heart will be able to handle what is left to come on this journey!

After arriving at our final destination for the night we stayed in a hotel called the Salem Club.  We stayed up and had a few drinks, finger foods, and met new friends.  We met Amber and Mike who are visiting India because of Rotary projects that Mike made possible a few years back.  Mike was a team leader to India 4 years ago and saw a need for toilets and furniture in some schools.  With Rotary he was able to fill this need and was invited back to India to see the progress he made possible.  Amber is his daughter that came along with him for her first trip to India.  We also got to meet Nallini and Roopali, who are going to be coming to Texas in April as the team from India.  After a couple of hours of hanging out and getting to know each other we went to our hotel room and prepared for our next day of travel to Coimbatore for the District Conference.

Kari

Last night we attended our first club meeting in Hosur, four Rotary Clubs were represented at the meeting.  I found it very exciting being around and meeting all those nice Rotarians. They had us all sit on stage as they went through their usual meeting practices, then they called up a member from John’s host family, a retired colonel, and asked him to tell everyone about how it was like having John in his home, he had nothing but nice things to say about him. After he was done they called up a member from all of our host families one by one, it was a wonderful and touching experience hearing how my team members and I touched their lives and how everyone was impressed with each of our willingness to eat their food, learn their language and conform to their customs. Mine and Kari’s host families bought us traditional Indian clothes, Kari wore hers to the meeting, it was a huge hit with everyone, she look beautiful in it.

After our introductions by our host families we gave our own self-introductions and talked a bit about our families and Texas. I heard nothing but compliments from all the Rotarians about our presentation, they loved our photos and learning about us.  Kari’s host mother told me that she felt like that we took her to Texas mentally and she really liked that a lot. It was really nice hearing all that especially since that was our first time giving our presentation in India and we thank Abdul for talking the great photos of us giving our presentation. After the presentation the mothers from each of our host families handed us a gift, an intricately carved wooden hand made incense box that we all loved and then we exchanged Rotary Club flags. They closed the meeting with a very friendly social event that included lots of delicious Indian food. It was a kind of bittersweet evening because we all knew this would be our last night with our host families from Hosur, and each one of us quickly bonded and grew fond of our families, but now we look forward to the adventures that Salem holds for us.

Matthew T Rader