Just when I though I wasn't going to get to return to India, life gives me a second chance. I am going to India to purchase more product for my small online business called "Global Clothing by Carol". It has been a year since my last post in 2011, and what changes have come about since then.
Although I am in school full-time (online) and teaching up to 10 fitness classes a week, I am packing up the books and using the plane ticket that I never thought I would have a second chance to use! Many thanks to co-workers willing to teach my classes in addition to their own workload, and to friends and family willing to send me off again and take care of things in the U.S., and of course, to friends who are willing to care for me in India.
This will be the first time I will experience Divali in India and I am sure to enjoy it. I invite you to join me again for a unique experience in India. I have studied more about the Hindu religion and the Indian culture and can't wait to experience it with newfound knowledge of its history - a different perspective I think.
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Monday, October 3, 2011
Hello Everyone,
I can't believe it has been over a year since my last blog - but I have been VERY busy. No, I haven't been travelling in India - actually I haven't been ANYWHERE lately except beautiful Columbus, Ohio.
I continue my liaison work through my new business, Global Clothing by Carol. I have a website GlobalClothingbyCarol.com, but the real fun is having a booth at Pearl Alley Market in downtown Columbus and next year I hope to participate in more outdoor markets.
I have met people from all over the world and we share our stories, enjoy beautiful clothes, meet families and introduce friends. As the market winds down at the end of October (they might move the market inside somewhere) I will be posting some pictures and stories of the new friends I have made.
I can't believe it has been over a year since my last blog - but I have been VERY busy. No, I haven't been travelling in India - actually I haven't been ANYWHERE lately except beautiful Columbus, Ohio.
I continue my liaison work through my new business, Global Clothing by Carol. I have a website GlobalClothingbyCarol.com, but the real fun is having a booth at Pearl Alley Market in downtown Columbus and next year I hope to participate in more outdoor markets.
I have met people from all over the world and we share our stories, enjoy beautiful clothes, meet families and introduce friends. As the market winds down at the end of October (they might move the market inside somewhere) I will be posting some pictures and stories of the new friends I have made.
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Thursday, May 5, 2011
It's been a long journey....
Actually, a journey of a personal sort not a journey to a far off land! I would like to inform you of my booth at the Pearl Market this summer. It's downtown, on Pearl and Lynn (next to the Rhodes Building) from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. I will be there on Tuesday and Fridays starting May 17 until October. Please tell everyone you know that works downtown or that lives nearby.
I have friends shopping for me in India this summer; another friend connecting me with her friends in Zambia! I met someone with a Japanese Kimono and Obi collection that she would like to sell me and so yes, I am having great fun finding things around the world to share with new and old friends.
You can also see my things on globalclothingbycarol.com - every month I will have new things. I will also have some sales and promotionals, so check back often. Also let me know if you are looking for something specific.....
Namaste,
Carol
I have friends shopping for me in India this summer; another friend connecting me with her friends in Zambia! I met someone with a Japanese Kimono and Obi collection that she would like to sell me and so yes, I am having great fun finding things around the world to share with new and old friends.
You can also see my things on globalclothingbycarol.com - every month I will have new things. I will also have some sales and promotionals, so check back often. Also let me know if you are looking for something specific.....
Namaste,
Carol
Monday, June 14, 2010
Sari Party 2010
Good food, pretty saris and wonderful friends. It was a great excuse to have a party - new friends, long time friends and pretty Indian things!
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Continuing the Liaison Here at Home
Liaison: a channel for communication between groups. Culture: the tastes in art and manners that are favored by a social group; all the knowledge and values shared by a society; the attitudes and behavior that are characteristic of a particular social group or organization (selected out of the google search).
It seems to me my calling in life is to be a liaison no matter where life takes me - hence my interest to put my self out there as a "Cultural Liaison" - not that I know everything about all cultures - just that I'm willing to learn!
For example, one place I worked as a IT Liaison. My main job was to train nurses to do their job on client server software instead of a mainframe software. BUT....since the IT group did not want to deal with 30 independent and demanding nurses who knew nothing about computers and software, I not only trained the nurses, but all IT problems funneled through me. If I couldn't help the nurses, then I met with the IT group to get things changed. The two groups spoke a different language and both had established (and different) cultures that needed a liaison to facilitate conversation. I learned a little of each language and appreciated each of their cultures enough to bridge their differences and make progress on the project.
A similar situation evolved in another customer service position, except this liaison position was not only between customers and our IT groups, but also between ethnic groups within our organization. I often went with fellow employees to talk to developers because they couldn't understand their English, encouraging them to 'JUST TRY' . Lunchtimes spent sharing food and personal histories flew by too fast but made going to work worthwhile.
Here's a funny one: several years ago a few friends and I decided to work on a project for the Columbus Asian Festival. It was a display of bridal outfits from all over the Asian world. Also, we did a boat for India - which is quite a scene if you've ever been to the festival. Anyway, I'm the only one of the group still at all involved (not much) but I usually ended up doing some craft representing India (one year it was the Hmong story drawing - not India); I used to do the sari wrapping in the dress up area! So, I mention this because there I am representing the majority ethnic group representing another group's culture - it's a little different, but fun.
Maybe it's just that I grew up in very multi-cultural places and have heard many different languages being spoken; but my family members do not seem to have this talent or desire - they still live among MANY other ethnic groups. But sometimes living among many ethnic groups other than your own, creates discontent for some people, so it also must be that 1) I am curious and love learning about people; and 2) I believe we have more in common than we realize; 3) I love to travel and have new experiences even if it's vicariously through other people's travels and experiences; 4) some religious texts reference seeing God in a stranger; 5) you get the idea......
Working in retail also brought out my liaison skills. When I overheard (usually negative) comments about other ethnic groups shopping at our store, I shared whatever knowledge and awareness with my co-workers (trying not to be a smarty-pants) talking of common traditions, making food, etc. Sometimes, I was asked to speak to customers who were obviously (to me) speaking English but had an accent. I think of that as liaison work as well. In reverse, our dominant culture has some pretty strange beliefs and unspoken rules that I try to explain to my friends who did not grow up in this culture.
One of my favorite liaison activities is speaking to Ms. Bierl's sixth grade classes about my Indian/Hindu life as I experienced it on my trips there. They embrace this knowledge with such excitement and many spoke of wanting to know more, or shared their own experiences of trying the customs of other cultures. They completely get it. We are the same but different and sometimes doing it their way is more fun.
My liaison work to Isle de Reunion has been postponed to next year (hopefully not cancelled) so I'm starting on some new projects here in Worthington, Ohio. My Cultural Liaison work will continue - just not sure what shape it will take. Please post any and all comments about your own "Cultural Liaison" work.
Namaste
It seems to me my calling in life is to be a liaison no matter where life takes me - hence my interest to put my self out there as a "Cultural Liaison" - not that I know everything about all cultures - just that I'm willing to learn!
For example, one place I worked as a IT Liaison. My main job was to train nurses to do their job on client server software instead of a mainframe software. BUT....since the IT group did not want to deal with 30 independent and demanding nurses who knew nothing about computers and software, I not only trained the nurses, but all IT problems funneled through me. If I couldn't help the nurses, then I met with the IT group to get things changed. The two groups spoke a different language and both had established (and different) cultures that needed a liaison to facilitate conversation. I learned a little of each language and appreciated each of their cultures enough to bridge their differences and make progress on the project.
A similar situation evolved in another customer service position, except this liaison position was not only between customers and our IT groups, but also between ethnic groups within our organization. I often went with fellow employees to talk to developers because they couldn't understand their English, encouraging them to 'JUST TRY' . Lunchtimes spent sharing food and personal histories flew by too fast but made going to work worthwhile.
Here's a funny one: several years ago a few friends and I decided to work on a project for the Columbus Asian Festival. It was a display of bridal outfits from all over the Asian world. Also, we did a boat for India - which is quite a scene if you've ever been to the festival. Anyway, I'm the only one of the group still at all involved (not much) but I usually ended up doing some craft representing India (one year it was the Hmong story drawing - not India); I used to do the sari wrapping in the dress up area! So, I mention this because there I am representing the majority ethnic group representing another group's culture - it's a little different, but fun.
Maybe it's just that I grew up in very multi-cultural places and have heard many different languages being spoken; but my family members do not seem to have this talent or desire - they still live among MANY other ethnic groups. But sometimes living among many ethnic groups other than your own, creates discontent for some people, so it also must be that 1) I am curious and love learning about people; and 2) I believe we have more in common than we realize; 3) I love to travel and have new experiences even if it's vicariously through other people's travels and experiences; 4) some religious texts reference seeing God in a stranger; 5) you get the idea......
Working in retail also brought out my liaison skills. When I overheard (usually negative) comments about other ethnic groups shopping at our store, I shared whatever knowledge and awareness with my co-workers (trying not to be a smarty-pants) talking of common traditions, making food, etc. Sometimes, I was asked to speak to customers who were obviously (to me) speaking English but had an accent. I think of that as liaison work as well. In reverse, our dominant culture has some pretty strange beliefs and unspoken rules that I try to explain to my friends who did not grow up in this culture.
One of my favorite liaison activities is speaking to Ms. Bierl's sixth grade classes about my Indian/Hindu life as I experienced it on my trips there. They embrace this knowledge with such excitement and many spoke of wanting to know more, or shared their own experiences of trying the customs of other cultures. They completely get it. We are the same but different and sometimes doing it their way is more fun.
My liaison work to Isle de Reunion has been postponed to next year (hopefully not cancelled) so I'm starting on some new projects here in Worthington, Ohio. My Cultural Liaison work will continue - just not sure what shape it will take. Please post any and all comments about your own "Cultural Liaison" work.
Namaste
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Back in the USS(A)
No pictures, but just letting everyone know that I am safely home. A few days of waking at 4 a.m. and trying to stay awake until 7:30 p.m. are coming to an end and I'm starting to get back into the Columbus world again (OMG I just heard about Google changing its name to Topeka).
My very long flight home was complicated by my dropping my luggage on my big toe and having a time getting around four airports. I had a five hour layover in Paris so I treated myself to a massage and spoke French to all service personnel in the airport. The massage staff were VERY indulgent and we talked for an hour or so. She actually spoke Portugese as well as French, and then we were joined by another client who spoke Portugese (she was from Brazil, travelling from Germany to New York and then back to Brazil. All three of us enjoyed 'girly time' in the spa, in three languages. Willingness to try is all it takes!
Then I ran into a young woman who I first saw in Mumbai and we talked for an hour until HER flight left. She and I de-briefed our India trips finding common situations that ran up against our US experiences and we laughed and laughed and exchanged email addresses. She lives in Chicago and will visit Columbus for a friend's wedding. Such a small world!!
For the first time in all of my travels I purchased gifts at the Duty Free. For some reason in Detroit, coming out of customs into security, the kid told me I couldn't take them through in the sealed plastic, but had to try and pack them into my already overstuffed bags. YIKES, I was already late to be at my gate!! I somehow got it into my bags, anticipating that all of my clothes would soon be soaked in alcohol by the time I got to Columbus. I limped quickly to the boarding gate (I've never been in the Detroit airport) and remembered that I had shared with someone earlier -"Gee, I wonder what it's like to be the last person on the plane". Safely on my last plane of the journey, I was looking forward to seeing my daughter's beautiful face and going to sleep in my own bed. I also can't believe that through all of my side trips to Bordeaux and India - I NEVER ONCE HAD MY LUGGAGE LOST. That is truly amazing. Yeaaah, Air France - way to go!
I miss Kalpana's chai and sweet smiling face every morning - her letting me cook in her kitchen; Girish calling "Dahlia" to tell her he's home and being the best host a person can have. I miss the curious people, the brave ones who speak to me in English or shake my hand; and the neighbors who invited me to snack (and chai sometimes). I miss Vaishalli's exuberant love and Raju's quiet but caring affection (he always brings me safe water) I didn't realize how quiet it is here with Jake and Tuna. Thank God for phones and email.
I have an opportunity to teach English on a French protectorate called "Isle de Reunion" in September. My friend Cassie knows of my love of French and India and thought that this opportunity would be perfect for me (thanks Cassie). The India part is that not only is it closer to India, but there is a large population of Gujrati's on the island. I can learn about French culture, Island culture and India culture; the blended cultures, etc. I should be an anthropologist.
I need to rent out my condo, find a place for Jake (or take him with me) all before September. Please pray for me and my family as we anticipate and plan for this next possible opportunity.
Back laundry, house cleaning, pet walking and French lessons.
Namaste
Carol
My very long flight home was complicated by my dropping my luggage on my big toe and having a time getting around four airports. I had a five hour layover in Paris so I treated myself to a massage and spoke French to all service personnel in the airport. The massage staff were VERY indulgent and we talked for an hour or so. She actually spoke Portugese as well as French, and then we were joined by another client who spoke Portugese (she was from Brazil, travelling from Germany to New York and then back to Brazil. All three of us enjoyed 'girly time' in the spa, in three languages. Willingness to try is all it takes!
Then I ran into a young woman who I first saw in Mumbai and we talked for an hour until HER flight left. She and I de-briefed our India trips finding common situations that ran up against our US experiences and we laughed and laughed and exchanged email addresses. She lives in Chicago and will visit Columbus for a friend's wedding. Such a small world!!
For the first time in all of my travels I purchased gifts at the Duty Free. For some reason in Detroit, coming out of customs into security, the kid told me I couldn't take them through in the sealed plastic, but had to try and pack them into my already overstuffed bags. YIKES, I was already late to be at my gate!! I somehow got it into my bags, anticipating that all of my clothes would soon be soaked in alcohol by the time I got to Columbus. I limped quickly to the boarding gate (I've never been in the Detroit airport) and remembered that I had shared with someone earlier -"Gee, I wonder what it's like to be the last person on the plane". Safely on my last plane of the journey, I was looking forward to seeing my daughter's beautiful face and going to sleep in my own bed. I also can't believe that through all of my side trips to Bordeaux and India - I NEVER ONCE HAD MY LUGGAGE LOST. That is truly amazing. Yeaaah, Air France - way to go!
I miss Kalpana's chai and sweet smiling face every morning - her letting me cook in her kitchen; Girish calling "Dahlia" to tell her he's home and being the best host a person can have. I miss the curious people, the brave ones who speak to me in English or shake my hand; and the neighbors who invited me to snack (and chai sometimes). I miss Vaishalli's exuberant love and Raju's quiet but caring affection (he always brings me safe water) I didn't realize how quiet it is here with Jake and Tuna. Thank God for phones and email.
I have an opportunity to teach English on a French protectorate called "Isle de Reunion" in September. My friend Cassie knows of my love of French and India and thought that this opportunity would be perfect for me (thanks Cassie). The India part is that not only is it closer to India, but there is a large population of Gujrati's on the island. I can learn about French culture, Island culture and India culture; the blended cultures, etc. I should be an anthropologist.
I need to rent out my condo, find a place for Jake (or take him with me) all before September. Please pray for me and my family as we anticipate and plan for this next possible opportunity.
Back laundry, house cleaning, pet walking and French lessons.
Namaste
Carol
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