title="Wordle: WE ARE FAMILY 2010">
alt="Wordle: WE ARE FAMILY 2010"
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Wednesday, September 8, 2010
WE ARE FAMILY (and don't you forget it!)
Click on the link below and enjoy!
title="Wordle: WE ARE FAMILY 2010">
alt="Wordle: WE ARE FAMILY 2010"
style="padding:4px;border:1px solid #ddd">
title="Wordle: WE ARE FAMILY 2010">
alt="Wordle: WE ARE FAMILY 2010"
style="padding:4px;border:1px solid #ddd">
Sunday, August 22, 2010
On Our Way to the US
Dubai—the gateway to the world. Seems nowadays the whole world travels in and out of this cosmopolitan city of the Middle East. 
So it was no surprise that one tall man in a red shirt was shepherding 21 blue shirts through this ginormous terminal from one airline to another. They had about 6 hours to spare and 
after getting their boarding passes, Tom let the kids loose for awhile to look at all the stores. After some browsing and sniffing out the Internet lounge, Tom treated his hungry brood to their first taste of America—McDonald’s. It isn’t the healthiest of choices but it was a break from all the Indian food they’ve been eating the last month. 22 McRoyal meals=22 happy students and teacher. Tom did this rite of passage last year in the Dubai airport and it worked out well, so he’ll probably make it a tradition. After downing their burgers, fries and Cokes, they looked out 
on the giant mall below, taking in one last time all the glitter and glitz of the Dubai International airport. After a little more time in the Internet café, they began boarding their flight to DC, ready for the 14 hour flight to the US.
So it was no surprise that one tall man in a red shirt was shepherding 21 blue shirts through this ginormous terminal from one airline to another. They had about 6 hours to spare and 
after getting their boarding passes, Tom let the kids loose for awhile to look at all the stores. After some browsing and sniffing out the Internet lounge, Tom treated his hungry brood to their first taste of America—McDonald’s. It isn’t the healthiest of choices but it was a break from all the Indian food they’ve been eating the last month. 22 McRoyal meals=22 happy students and teacher. Tom did this rite of passage last year in the Dubai airport and it worked out well, so he’ll probably make it a tradition. After downing their burgers, fries and Cokes, they looked out 
on the giant mall below, taking in one last time all the glitter and glitz of the Dubai International airport. After a little more time in the Internet café, they began boarding their flight to DC, ready for the 14 hour flight to the US.
Saying Goodbye to Woodlands
August 11th, the first day of Ramadan, the last day at Woodlands. Today our students begin their month of fasting and tonight we head down to Delhi for our flight to the US. The day passed along rather leisurely. The students slept in until 9 and then 
had their departure meeting/PDO review with Tom all morning. Some of the kids were a little woozy, the first day of fasting is difficult for some and with the heat of northern India, dehydration was a concern. So they took it very easy and we didn’t have them do anything too rigorous (only fill out US Customs forms and review PDO material). At noon, they all piled into a bus and went to pray at the mosque and make phone calls home to their families. All was quiet back at the ranch and us staff busily closed down the classrooms, packed our clothes, preparing for our imminent departure. Tom spent most of the afternoon compiling the slideshow, which took on epic proportions. Thanks to his new MacBook Pro, there is so much that can be done in a slideshow that it was a bit overwhelming. Still he got it done with pics and vids to what was a entertaining slideshow. Now if he can figure out how to burn it onto a CD for everyone, he’ll be content.
The slideshow was completed and Tom’s things were packed just in time to inaugurate the Gills’ new Weber gas grill that arrived the day before. As the students broke fast with a meal in the dining hall, the staff enjoyed one last evening with the hospitable Gill family, grilling chicken tikka and mutton, and having a few last laughs until next year. At 10 pm, the students loaded the bus of all our things: boxes of books, camp supplies and luggage. At 11, we settled into the mini theater for the slideshow and by 12/12:30, we were on our way down to Delhi.
Sadly we had to leave Martin and four boys behind since they didn’t have placements. They should be joining us a week later if all goes well. It was unbelievable to get on the bus in the middle of the night and leave Woodlands. Where did the month go? How could it end so fast? Many of us were too stunned to miss it just yet. That will come after the long journeys to our homes and in quiet reflection we may grasp what had been. Then we will miss it.
Our AC bus zoomed out of town and down the Grand Trunk Road toward Delhi in the darkness of the night. Most of us slept
as best we could in the bus until 6 am when we stopped at the Haveli roadside oasis for breakfast and a freshen up. By 10 am we were in Delhi, first unloading all the boxes of PDO materials, then off to the hotel to say goodbye to Jane, Chynara, Batma, Jeena, Nick and Zia. After that, Tom and 21 kids in tow headed for the Indira Gandhi International airport for the first leg of their flight to the US. A tall man in a red t-shirt, followed by 21 blue t-shirted students, they made their way through the brand new terminal for their flight to Dubai.
had their departure meeting/PDO review with Tom all morning. Some of the kids were a little woozy, the first day of fasting is difficult for some and with the heat of northern India, dehydration was a concern. So they took it very easy and we didn’t have them do anything too rigorous (only fill out US Customs forms and review PDO material). At noon, they all piled into a bus and went to pray at the mosque and make phone calls home to their families. All was quiet back at the ranch and us staff busily closed down the classrooms, packed our clothes, preparing for our imminent departure. Tom spent most of the afternoon compiling the slideshow, which took on epic proportions. Thanks to his new MacBook Pro, there is so much that can be done in a slideshow that it was a bit overwhelming. Still he got it done with pics and vids to what was a entertaining slideshow. Now if he can figure out how to burn it onto a CD for everyone, he’ll be content.The slideshow was completed and Tom’s things were packed just in time to inaugurate the Gills’ new Weber gas grill that arrived the day before. As the students broke fast with a meal in the dining hall, the staff enjoyed one last evening with the hospitable Gill family, grilling chicken tikka and mutton, and having a few last laughs until next year. At 10 pm, the students loaded the bus of all our things: boxes of books, camp supplies and luggage. At 11, we settled into the mini theater for the slideshow and by 12/12:30, we were on our way down to Delhi.
Sadly we had to leave Martin and four boys behind since they didn’t have placements. They should be joining us a week later if all goes well. It was unbelievable to get on the bus in the middle of the night and leave Woodlands. Where did the month go? How could it end so fast? Many of us were too stunned to miss it just yet. That will come after the long journeys to our homes and in quiet reflection we may grasp what had been. Then we will miss it.
Our AC bus zoomed out of town and down the Grand Trunk Road toward Delhi in the darkness of the night. Most of us slept
as best we could in the bus until 6 am when we stopped at the Haveli roadside oasis for breakfast and a freshen up. By 10 am we were in Delhi, first unloading all the boxes of PDO materials, then off to the hotel to say goodbye to Jane, Chynara, Batma, Jeena, Nick and Zia. After that, Tom and 21 kids in tow headed for the Indira Gandhi International airport for the first leg of their flight to the US. A tall man in a red t-shirt, followed by 21 blue t-shirted students, they made their way through the brand new terminal for their flight to Dubai.
The Big Afghan Meal and Talent Show
Where has the month gone? It seems we just got here and now we are getting ready to say goodbye. There have been lots of good times here but now it is time to head to America. We have learned a lot, played a lot, made friends and became a family. The last rule of camp is “We Are Family”, and in the end the kids understood and obeyed this rule for sure. We had our bumps a long the way but this year’s YES students will leave more connected to each other, more aware of their role in the YES program and the importance of learning from this experience and taking it home.
On August 10th, the night before Ramadan begins, we celebrated our achievements with an Afghan meal, a talent show (an excuse for the kids to make fun of the staff, plus some real talent) and an awards ceremony to mark all the important work these students have done here at camp. The Afghan meal, made by a group of students under Zia’s direction and was stupendous! The cooks had to be a little flexible in their preparation for we didn’t have the exact rice to make qabuli pilau (it was delicious anyway) and there was no mutton or lamb to 
be found in the market, so we used chicken. Apparently one of the big butchers in town married off his daughter so took all the mutton to be had, plus invited all the other butchers and merchants in town so there was no meat to be found. I guess he didn’t invite the chicken people for we had chicken instead.
Everything worked out perfectly and the dinner was delicious. We moved all the tables and chairs back and put down big mats from the classrooms so we could sit Afghani style on the floor. The Gill family joined us, and Mr. Tim surprised us all with his Sikh look. He got one of the Woodlands staff to help 
him tie on a turban. Tim you looked oh so Sikh!
The show was great. Jane’s class did a presentation on Civil Rights leaders to start off the evening. A poem was read, Tom sang “Oh What A Beautiful Evening” (the new Woodlands version scribbled on a piece of paper during YES IDOL round 2), Tim and Chynara’s class parodied a day in the life at PDO which was hysterical, there was a funny Afghan tale about a donkey and a
horse (no one wanted to be the donkey so there were two horses) and one of the girls sang. After the show, there were speeches by Tom and his staff praising the students for their hard work and wishes for a successful year. Tim commented that this group is the best prepared for academic writing. Jane, Martin and Chynara also commented on the successes of each of their students individually. Certificates were given out, applause was
heard all around as the final night of the PDO came to an end.
Despite the humidity, we had a wonderful evening. All the festivities ended right around midnight, just in time for the holy month of Ramadan. The kids decided to fast on the first day since we would be leaving Woodlands late in the evening, so they went off to their dorms to get ready for their big month of fasting. Although they would be traveling for two days, they decided
that they would fast the first day.
All was quiet in the dining hall the following morning as the staff gathered for breakfast. The students had some work to do with Tom in the morning and then would be off to the mosque for mid-day prayer at noon and to make phone calls home. It was an easy day, one of reflection on the past month and what lies ahead in America. Four of our family members have not yet gotten placed so they will be staying on another week. It’s sad to have to leave them behind but they will be in good hands with Martin. Inshallah they will be placed and on their way next week.
On August 10th, the night before Ramadan begins, we celebrated our achievements with an Afghan meal, a talent show (an excuse for the kids to make fun of the staff, plus some real talent) and an awards ceremony to mark all the important work these students have done here at camp. The Afghan meal, made by a group of students under Zia’s direction and was stupendous! The cooks had to be a little flexible in their preparation for we didn’t have the exact rice to make qabuli pilau (it was delicious anyway) and there was no mutton or lamb to 
be found in the market, so we used chicken. Apparently one of the big butchers in town married off his daughter so took all the mutton to be had, plus invited all the other butchers and merchants in town so there was no meat to be found. I guess he didn’t invite the chicken people for we had chicken instead. 
Everything worked out perfectly and the dinner was delicious. We moved all the tables and chairs back and put down big mats from the classrooms so we could sit Afghani style on the floor. The Gill family joined us, and Mr. Tim surprised us all with his Sikh look. He got one of the Woodlands staff to help 
him tie on a turban. Tim you looked oh so Sikh!The show was great. Jane’s class did a presentation on Civil Rights leaders to start off the evening. A poem was read, Tom sang “Oh What A Beautiful Evening” (the new Woodlands version scribbled on a piece of paper during YES IDOL round 2), Tim and Chynara’s class parodied a day in the life at PDO which was hysterical, there was a funny Afghan tale about a donkey and a
horse (no one wanted to be the donkey so there were two horses) and one of the girls sang. After the show, there were speeches by Tom and his staff praising the students for their hard work and wishes for a successful year. Tim commented that this group is the best prepared for academic writing. Jane, Martin and Chynara also commented on the successes of each of their students individually. Certificates were given out, applause was
heard all around as the final night of the PDO came to an end.Despite the humidity, we had a wonderful evening. All the festivities ended right around midnight, just in time for the holy month of Ramadan. The kids decided to fast on the first day since we would be leaving Woodlands late in the evening, so they went off to their dorms to get ready for their big month of fasting. Although they would be traveling for two days, they decided
that they would fast the first day.All was quiet in the dining hall the following morning as the staff gathered for breakfast. The students had some work to do with Tom in the morning and then would be off to the mosque for mid-day prayer at noon and to make phone calls home. It was an easy day, one of reflection on the past month and what lies ahead in America. Four of our family members have not yet gotten placed so they will be staying on another week. It’s sad to have to leave them behind but they will be in good hands with Martin. Inshallah they will be placed and on their way next week.
Public Speaking 101
One of our required classes this summer, besides academic writing, was public speaking. Since students will be making 
presentations about Afghanistan in the US, we feel they need to know how to effectively give a presentation. For a whole week they worked with Jane and Chynara on how to make good 
presentations, found pictures on the Internet for their Power Point slide shows, and wrote up clear talking points on various aspects of the theme—Afghanistan.
At the end of their week in class, they presented to their YES peers. At the end of the PDO camp, they presented to the
students of Woodlands. Dressing up in their Afghan finery, with visual aids and Power Point slide shows, in pairs or trios, the YES students marched into the 4th, 5th and 6th grade classes to tell the local Indian children about their country. They spoke of the places where they live, their clothes, and their flag. One 
group even taught the Atan, another taught the children a song in Dari. For the YES students, this was a good opportunity to practice for their year in the US. For the Indian students, this was an informative break from their regular studies as well as a chance to get to know the Afghan students who have been living at their school the past month.
presentations about Afghanistan in the US, we feel they need to know how to effectively give a presentation. For a whole week they worked with Jane and Chynara on how to make good 
presentations, found pictures on the Internet for their Power Point slide shows, and wrote up clear talking points on various aspects of the theme—Afghanistan. At the end of their week in class, they presented to their YES peers. At the end of the PDO camp, they presented to the
students of Woodlands. Dressing up in their Afghan finery, with visual aids and Power Point slide shows, in pairs or trios, the YES students marched into the 4th, 5th and 6th grade classes to tell the local Indian children about their country. They spoke of the places where they live, their clothes, and their flag. One 
group even taught the Atan, another taught the children a song in Dari. For the YES students, this was a good opportunity to practice for their year in the US. For the Indian students, this was an informative break from their regular studies as well as a chance to get to know the Afghan students who have been living at their school the past month.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
A Trip To Punjabi Village
Prior to the start of camp, the Gills took us staff people out for an evening at Punjabi Village, a themed restaurant complex 
about an hour from school. Here you can experience Punjabi life and traditions as wonderfully replicated in large figures inhabiting a traditional village. Besides the fiberglass mannequins, there are real people doing a variety of things like make popcorn, tell fortunes, spin clay, do puppet shows, play traditional games, perform magic, dance and sing, tell stories with performing monkeys, and so much more. If one didn’t step out of Punjabi Village onto a busy thoroughfare in the Punjab, one would think they were in the Epcot Center. But 
this my friends, is the real deal.
We had such a good time with the Gills that we decided to bring the YES students here to absorb some local culture. One night toward the end of camp, after all our hard work, we piled in to our favorite school bus for the 45 minute ride to Punjabi Village. The kids really enjoyed the full Punjabi experience. They looked at all the exhibits, watched the dance show, rode the camel back and forth across the village, and shopped at the little stores selling souvenirs. Our Afghans love to shop and any
moment they have to spend money, they are happy. We try to curb the shopping because it gets a little crazy at times, but when they are good and it is convenient, we let them shop for small things.
The dinner is included in the price of admission so after awhile we went into the fancy dining hall for the all-veg dinner. Afghans can be picky about trying new foods and we prepped them into trying everything. Indians are not big on wasting food and when they see full or half full plates of food from Afghan students, they get upset. We’ve been working on that with them little by little and here was another opportunity to open their minds and get them to taste something new. Try a little bit of everything and ask for more if you like it—that’s the rule. Eating only bread is not OK (that’s the other rule). So with this in mind, dinner was served. It’s a thali, which means a big platter with small bowls of various veggie dishes in a semi circle. The fresh nan and chappati are constantly brought around by the waiters in jackets and long skirts. After almost a month in India, most students had no problem with the food and even asked for seconds on some things. A few did pick at their food but at least sampled everything and finished some of the dishes. For those that cleared
their plates, the award was a free camel ride, compliments of Tom. This was a bit of motivation for finishing their meals. A camel ride didn’t convince everyone to finish their plates but we 
had a few that took up the challenge.
Post-dinner as the plate cleaners rode the camel, the others did some more shopping and watched the fantastic Punjabi song and dance show. The hardest part about watching the show is that you can’t get up and dance. A difficult task when the lively Punjabi music makes you want to shake your shoulders and start dancing. Somehow we resisted. When all the camel rides were over, all the money spent on souvenirs and the show had a break, we headed back to our big yellow bus for the ride back home. Happily the students sang and clapped all the way back to camp. Another cultural experience for them to remember.
about an hour from school. Here you can experience Punjabi life and traditions as wonderfully replicated in large figures inhabiting a traditional village. Besides the fiberglass mannequins, there are real people doing a variety of things like make popcorn, tell fortunes, spin clay, do puppet shows, play traditional games, perform magic, dance and sing, tell stories with performing monkeys, and so much more. If one didn’t step out of Punjabi Village onto a busy thoroughfare in the Punjab, one would think they were in the Epcot Center. But 
this my friends, is the real deal.We had such a good time with the Gills that we decided to bring the YES students here to absorb some local culture. One night toward the end of camp, after all our hard work, we piled in to our favorite school bus for the 45 minute ride to Punjabi Village. The kids really enjoyed the full Punjabi experience. They looked at all the exhibits, watched the dance show, rode the camel back and forth across the village, and shopped at the little stores selling souvenirs. Our Afghans love to shop and any
moment they have to spend money, they are happy. We try to curb the shopping because it gets a little crazy at times, but when they are good and it is convenient, we let them shop for small things. The dinner is included in the price of admission so after awhile we went into the fancy dining hall for the all-veg dinner. Afghans can be picky about trying new foods and we prepped them into trying everything. Indians are not big on wasting food and when they see full or half full plates of food from Afghan students, they get upset. We’ve been working on that with them little by little and here was another opportunity to open their minds and get them to taste something new. Try a little bit of everything and ask for more if you like it—that’s the rule. Eating only bread is not OK (that’s the other rule). So with this in mind, dinner was served. It’s a thali, which means a big platter with small bowls of various veggie dishes in a semi circle. The fresh nan and chappati are constantly brought around by the waiters in jackets and long skirts. After almost a month in India, most students had no problem with the food and even asked for seconds on some things. A few did pick at their food but at least sampled everything and finished some of the dishes. For those that cleared
their plates, the award was a free camel ride, compliments of Tom. This was a bit of motivation for finishing their meals. A camel ride didn’t convince everyone to finish their plates but we 
had a few that took up the challenge. Post-dinner as the plate cleaners rode the camel, the others did some more shopping and watched the fantastic Punjabi song and dance show. The hardest part about watching the show is that you can’t get up and dance. A difficult task when the lively Punjabi music makes you want to shake your shoulders and start dancing. Somehow we resisted. When all the camel rides were over, all the money spent on souvenirs and the show had a break, we headed back to our big yellow bus for the ride back home. Happily the students sang and clapped all the way back to camp. Another cultural experience for them to remember.
Monday, August 16, 2010
The Great Cricket Match--YES Daredevils VS. The Woodlanders
After a week of intense training, the YES Daredevils went up against the Woodlands team in a game of cricket. Zia was our 
stalwart coach who had the boys up every morning at 6 to practice their cricketing before breakfast. After classes and tea break, they were out there again preparing for the big game.
Last year we had a soccer match but this year it was decided that cricket would be the sport to play. Zia was determined to put together a great Afghan team to rival the finesse of the Woodlands team. He had them batting and balling everyday morning and evening to make sure we were prepared to meet the challenge of the home team. Great job Zia!
Nothing at Woodlands is done on a small scale. So amid pomp and circumstance, the Gills and Tom were escorted onto the field by two senior students to the applause of the teams and the spectators. A grand trophy was on display on a table amid the official viewing stands. The Gills and Tom reviewed the teams and wished everyone a good game. Tom got to flip the coin to see who went first, the Woodlanders got it—tails.
For many of the YES students and staff watching, it was the first time seeing cricket being played. Many of us were a little
confused about the rules, so we asked the Gills and other Woodlanders what was what. Despite all the great team work, we didn’t win the match, the Woodlanders were just too good for us. The team was a down in the mouth over their defeat but we’re encouraged by Tom and others saying “It’s not whether you win or lose, it’s how you play the game.” It took a few repeats of the phrase before they got it and took defeat like gentlemen. After the trophy was awarded to the Woodlanders, the YES team was already asking about a soccer match. Afghans are much better at soccer apparently and they wanted a chance to win back that trophy. Better luck next year guys.
A big round of applause to Zia jan for all his hard work and determination!! Woo Hoo!!
stalwart coach who had the boys up every morning at 6 to practice their cricketing before breakfast. After classes and tea break, they were out there again preparing for the big game. Last year we had a soccer match but this year it was decided that cricket would be the sport to play. Zia was determined to put together a great Afghan team to rival the finesse of the Woodlands team. He had them batting and balling everyday morning and evening to make sure we were prepared to meet the challenge of the home team. Great job Zia!
Nothing at Woodlands is done on a small scale. So amid pomp and circumstance, the Gills and Tom were escorted onto the field by two senior students to the applause of the teams and the spectators. A grand trophy was on display on a table amid the official viewing stands. The Gills and Tom reviewed the teams and wished everyone a good game. Tom got to flip the coin to see who went first, the Woodlanders got it—tails.
For many of the YES students and staff watching, it was the first time seeing cricket being played. Many of us were a little
confused about the rules, so we asked the Gills and other Woodlanders what was what. Despite all the great team work, we didn’t win the match, the Woodlanders were just too good for us. The team was a down in the mouth over their defeat but we’re encouraged by Tom and others saying “It’s not whether you win or lose, it’s how you play the game.” It took a few repeats of the phrase before they got it and took defeat like gentlemen. After the trophy was awarded to the Woodlanders, the YES team was already asking about a soccer match. Afghans are much better at soccer apparently and they wanted a chance to win back that trophy. Better luck next year guys.A big round of applause to Zia jan for all his hard work and determination!! Woo Hoo!!
Pitching In and Going Green!
Our second weekend’s theme was ecology and volunteerism. We wanted to have the students participate in some community 
service activity and be more aware of the environment around them, as they will be doing such activities in the US.
Saturday, the local Department of Forestry invited us to help plant trees in one of their forestry preserves. After official speeches from the Forestry officials, Woodlands school director and the PDO director, the students went about planting a
variety of trees around the grounds. Here in Punjab, they are very much into planting trees and we are always willing to help plant trees. I think many of the students and the counselors were inspired to do this back in Afghanistan as an alumni project. There are many parts of Afghanistan that could use more 
trees. After our tree planting, we toured a large garden of medicinal plants that the Department of Forestry grows. Lots of interesting plants to smell and taste that are beneficial for one’s health. The lemongrass was a big hit—a healthy deterrent to bad breath!
Back at camp, we expressed our love and appreciation to the place we call home for one month by cleaning it up. Although we
have people who clean our dorms, bathrooms and classrooms, we gave them a day off and the students got busy sweeping, cleaning, dusting, throwing away garbage, and tidying
up. At first the school staff were adamant that we shouldn’t do anything but we told them that the students need to do take part in cleaning up their home, at least one day while we are here.
On Sunday, we piled in to a nice AC-ed bus for a long journey to Chandigarh to check out the Nek Chand Fantasy Rock
Garden. I read about this in Tim’s Lonely Planet guide and thought this would be an interesting place to visit. Nek Chand was a road inspector who took garbage and building debris and 
created a giant garden in the jungles outside of Chandigarh. As new building went on and old buildings and villages were torn down, he saw all this debris and waste as an outlet for his creativity. So with rocks, broken plates, sinks and toilets, glass, bottle caps, wire, bracelets, glass, and so much 
more, he created this amazing fantasy garden will gods and goddesses, whimsical animals and deities. At first many of the students didn’t understand the concept of the garden (even though we briefed them and gave them websites to search) but once it was explained to them again and they saw it with their 
own eyes, they got it and were amazed. I think what amazed them the most was the fact that Nek Chand is still alive. As one student put it, “We are used to seeing things that
were built thousands of years ago by unknown people. It’s so interesting to see something that was built by someone who is still alive.”
We roamed the giant, walled garden for two hours, snapping photos in front of waterfalls and rivers, and looking at all the
interesting figures that make up this magical place. In the more modern part of the garden, students and teachers took advantage of the camel rides, swings and ice cream to end a pleasant day of fun and learning. Jane, one of our teachers, had a dream of riding an elephant here in India but 
compromised and rode the camel, which was just as exciting. Who knows what impression this visit had on the students. Was it a true learning experience or just a romp in a fun place. Hopefully this experience will make them look differently at garbage, and think about how important it is not to waste.
service activity and be more aware of the environment around them, as they will be doing such activities in the US. Saturday, the local Department of Forestry invited us to help plant trees in one of their forestry preserves. After official speeches from the Forestry officials, Woodlands school director and the PDO director, the students went about planting a
variety of trees around the grounds. Here in Punjab, they are very much into planting trees and we are always willing to help plant trees. I think many of the students and the counselors were inspired to do this back in Afghanistan as an alumni project. There are many parts of Afghanistan that could use more 
trees. After our tree planting, we toured a large garden of medicinal plants that the Department of Forestry grows. Lots of interesting plants to smell and taste that are beneficial for one’s health. The lemongrass was a big hit—a healthy deterrent to bad breath!Back at camp, we expressed our love and appreciation to the place we call home for one month by cleaning it up. Although we
have people who clean our dorms, bathrooms and classrooms, we gave them a day off and the students got busy sweeping, cleaning, dusting, throwing away garbage, and tidying
up. At first the school staff were adamant that we shouldn’t do anything but we told them that the students need to do take part in cleaning up their home, at least one day while we are here.On Sunday, we piled in to a nice AC-ed bus for a long journey to Chandigarh to check out the Nek Chand Fantasy Rock
Garden. I read about this in Tim’s Lonely Planet guide and thought this would be an interesting place to visit. Nek Chand was a road inspector who took garbage and building debris and 
created a giant garden in the jungles outside of Chandigarh. As new building went on and old buildings and villages were torn down, he saw all this debris and waste as an outlet for his creativity. So with rocks, broken plates, sinks and toilets, glass, bottle caps, wire, bracelets, glass, and so much 
more, he created this amazing fantasy garden will gods and goddesses, whimsical animals and deities. At first many of the students didn’t understand the concept of the garden (even though we briefed them and gave them websites to search) but once it was explained to them again and they saw it with their 
own eyes, they got it and were amazed. I think what amazed them the most was the fact that Nek Chand is still alive. As one student put it, “We are used to seeing things that
were built thousands of years ago by unknown people. It’s so interesting to see something that was built by someone who is still alive.” We roamed the giant, walled garden for two hours, snapping photos in front of waterfalls and rivers, and looking at all the
interesting figures that make up this magical place. In the more modern part of the garden, students and teachers took advantage of the camel rides, swings and ice cream to end a pleasant day of fun and learning. Jane, one of our teachers, had a dream of riding an elephant here in India but 
compromised and rode the camel, which was just as exciting. Who knows what impression this visit had on the students. Was it a true learning experience or just a romp in a fun place. Hopefully this experience will make them look differently at garbage, and think about how important it is not to waste.
A Trip To Science City
One of our first outings around Punjab was to Science City. This is a huge complex dedicated to everything science. There is a 
huge aerospace hall, IMAX movie, lots of hands-on exhibits, the body experience, solar pavilion and dinosaur park. This trip got a big thumbs up from both students and teachers.
Last year, Tom took his “Terrific Ten”, i.e. the 10 students who stayed behind two weeks to check it out. They had so much fun there, Tom decided to put it on the schedule for this year. Like last year, everyone had a great time. All of the YES students know a lot about science but have never interacted with it. This was a great chance for them to understand the knowledge they
already have and learn new concepts and ideas about science. The most debated exhibit was the evolution of man, which started a whole lot of questioning about the origins of humans. Seems that in Islam, just like Christianity the debate is the same.
We took advantage of all the exhibits: the Flight Simulator, the fantastic laser show (everyone loved that), the “Magic of Flight” IMAX movie, the 3-D show (so-so) and all the fun hands on activities. The Virtual Hall was a new one this year and we really
had fun there. Lots of computer generated activities to interact with like moving giant marbles and flowing worm-like blobs around a big screen, standing in front of a big screen and having virtual butterflies land on you and lots, lots more. The Fun Science hall was a blast too. Riding a bike to generate light, optical illusions, funny mirrors, spinning wheel activities, the spinning tunnel (go through it fast or throw up) to name a few of the fun things we did there. The students could have stayed there forever. They were having so much fun. The Body exhibit was an eye opener for many. Here you could go inside a giant heart and see all the parts of a heart, get your blood pressure 
checked, see all the organs inside your body, test your vision, learn about AIDS, see the skeletal system at work on a bicycle, and find out about chromosomes and genes. Again, students could have spent all day in this hall too.
After our fun indoors, we headed outdoors in the humidity and heat to the Dinosaur Park. Here are life sized replicas of the beasts of yore. Lots of photo taking went on amid the T-rexes, triceratops and stegasauri before the heavy drops of an oncoming rain storm got us running for covering. The 
monsoon downpour hit right as we got under cover. After about 10 minutes, the rain let up a bit and we ran across the main plaza to the entrance for some gift shopping and ice cream. By the time we were done with that, the rains had let up and it was time to go home. Wet, yet happy, sated on ice cream and a yummy lunch of chicken burgers, we headed back home singing and clapping the whole way.
huge aerospace hall, IMAX movie, lots of hands-on exhibits, the body experience, solar pavilion and dinosaur park. This trip got a big thumbs up from both students and teachers.Last year, Tom took his “Terrific Ten”, i.e. the 10 students who stayed behind two weeks to check it out. They had so much fun there, Tom decided to put it on the schedule for this year. Like last year, everyone had a great time. All of the YES students know a lot about science but have never interacted with it. This was a great chance for them to understand the knowledge they
already have and learn new concepts and ideas about science. The most debated exhibit was the evolution of man, which started a whole lot of questioning about the origins of humans. Seems that in Islam, just like Christianity the debate is the same. We took advantage of all the exhibits: the Flight Simulator, the fantastic laser show (everyone loved that), the “Magic of Flight” IMAX movie, the 3-D show (so-so) and all the fun hands on activities. The Virtual Hall was a new one this year and we really
had fun there. Lots of computer generated activities to interact with like moving giant marbles and flowing worm-like blobs around a big screen, standing in front of a big screen and having virtual butterflies land on you and lots, lots more. The Fun Science hall was a blast too. Riding a bike to generate light, optical illusions, funny mirrors, spinning wheel activities, the spinning tunnel (go through it fast or throw up) to name a few of the fun things we did there. The students could have stayed there forever. They were having so much fun. The Body exhibit was an eye opener for many. Here you could go inside a giant heart and see all the parts of a heart, get your blood pressure 
checked, see all the organs inside your body, test your vision, learn about AIDS, see the skeletal system at work on a bicycle, and find out about chromosomes and genes. Again, students could have spent all day in this hall too.
After our fun indoors, we headed outdoors in the humidity and heat to the Dinosaur Park. Here are life sized replicas of the beasts of yore. Lots of photo taking went on amid the T-rexes, triceratops and stegasauri before the heavy drops of an oncoming rain storm got us running for covering. The 
monsoon downpour hit right as we got under cover. After about 10 minutes, the rain let up a bit and we ran across the main plaza to the entrance for some gift shopping and ice cream. By the time we were done with that, the rains had let up and it was time to go home. Wet, yet happy, sated on ice cream and a yummy lunch of chicken burgers, we headed back home singing and clapping the whole way.
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Spirit Days
Spirit Days are a new idea here at the PDO. It was one of the counselors’ idea to have special days to dress up and show school 
spirit, just like in a US high school. So this year we had four 
Spirit Days: Backwards Day, Crazy Hat Day, Twins Day and Warm Color Day (because it’s so hot here this was an easy one to do—dress in red, orange, yellow or pink).
It was so exciting waiting at breakfast to see who would 
come in showing their PDO spirit, and gladly most everyone had the spirit. The Woodlanders at first thought we were a little crazy, as we walked down the halls with our clothes on 
backwards or wearing some kooky hat but then they were
jealous and started requesting such days from their teachers and principal. Who knows, maybe we started a trend here.
spirit, just like in a US high school. So this year we had four 
Spirit Days: Backwards Day, Crazy Hat Day, Twins Day and Warm Color Day (because it’s so hot here this was an easy one to do—dress in red, orange, yellow or pink).
It was so exciting waiting at breakfast to see who would 
come in showing their PDO spirit, and gladly most everyone had the spirit. The Woodlanders at first thought we were a little crazy, as we walked down the halls with our clothes on 
backwards or wearing some kooky hat but then they were
jealous and started requesting such days from their teachers and principal. Who knows, maybe we started a trend here.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
YES IDOL Round 2
Hello Blog and IDOL Fans!
After a bit of editing, the YES IDOL Round 2 video is ready for viewing! It was quite an entertaining night and our YES talent really shone that night in all shapes and forms. The video just tells some of the story. Enjoy Enjoy!
After a bit of editing, the YES IDOL Round 2 video is ready for viewing! It was quite an entertaining night and our YES talent really shone that night in all shapes and forms. The video just tells some of the story. Enjoy Enjoy!
Places of Worship Weekend Part 2
Last Sunday was part two of our weekend exploring the different faiths around us here in India. We went in to town to visit a Jain temple, a Hindu temple and a Christian church. Jainism is an ancient religion that originated here in India back in the 9th century BC. Its main tenet is non-violence toward all living beings. At the temple, we met some female gurus, or holy people who were staying there. The wore white cotton robes,
like saris wrapped around their bodies and small, white clothes over their mouths so that no living thing would be ingested and killed. They are strict vegans, don’t eat past sundown and don’t use modern devices. They sat on a raised platform and we all sat on the floor in front of them, asking questions about Jainism. This religion was something totally new for most of us sitting on the floor so the students had a lot of questions about Jainism and their practices. They asked good questions and it was a lively discussion between them and the four gurus. After the talk, we were invited to their dining hall for some snacks. There 
were different kinds of snacks that many of the kids found unusual and didn’t eat which made the servers a little unhappy. The rule is you must eat everything on your plate and not waste 
anything. Another learning lesson for the YES students.Our next stop was the Christian church. What we thought was going to be a Catholic church, turned out to be a Protestant
church. The reverend spoke with us for about 15 minutes and explained to them the main ideas behind Christianity, how they worship and told them about the rituals of the service. Many students commented that there were similarities between Christianity and Islam so, unlike Jainism, it was more familiar to them.
Some students wanted to have the question time be a debate about two religions and asked some rather pointed questions to the reverend which he answered without getting into a debate about basic tenets of two different religions.
The last stop on our tour of places of worship was the Hindu temple. Like Jainism, Hinduism is something quite different from Islam so they found the temple very interesting. There was a 
priest on hand to answer questions and Mr. Santosh and his nephew Sumit were there to explain the different gods and goddesses and the proper protocol in a Hindu temple. Did you 
know there are about 33,000 gods and goddesses in the Hindu religion? That was an amazing fact for all of us.
We planned to visit the local mosque but we ran out of time. The students will get to visit the mosque on the first day of Ramadan next week, a more meaningful visit for them. After a trip
to a store for some shopping and to buy friendship bracelets for Friendship Day which was last Monday, we headed back to our camp, feeling more enlightened about some of the other religions in the world. As one student put it, “Visiting different places of worship made me ask questions about other religions. It really makes you find out more about your own religion because you can compare your own praying ways with others.”
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