more on hosur-cont.

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(read my other blog first) okay, so i do want to say what's really great so you aren't thinking that everything stinks. My trip really is still amazing, but thanks for letting me vent...because i've been struggling a bit over the last day or so.

today we visited two really great manufacturing plants. the first was a gold jewelry manufacturer...and we saw the whole process...from raw material to gold bars to end product. i bought some fabulous tradtional indian earrings that i really love...thanks to deb who helped me pick great ones. this plant also manfactuers titan watches...which they say are terrific...all the rich people wear them anyway! We're going to look at them tomorrow. They manfacture the thinnest watch in the world--among other things.

The other plant does bio-genetic cloning...and it was sooo cool. Because India is so agricultural and has a huge population, good food yeilds are critical. This company is taking high-yield plants and tripling or quadrupuling the amount of bananas, sugar cane, bamboo, etc. It was fascinating and quite impressive. And the scientist who runs the place was so passionate about his work that it was absolutely contagious.

Tonight we're giving our presentation to two rotary clubs...over 100 people. i'm starting to really hate the marriage/family questions. they don't understand why there is so much divorce in the united states and they think it is very bad...try explaining the divorce rate in our country! and i'm a divorced woman, living alone with no children at the age of 35--unheard of here! They feel sorry for me, or they try to lecture me on how to make family life and marriage better...no matter how much i tell them that i have a wonderful life and that i love it! oh well, it is a cultural exchange, so i'm just going to keep being me and being gracious to them no matter what...and maybe doing a bit of crying at night when i need to. oh, they also always ask about Bush and the war and whether americans support it...such touchy stuff, talk about dodging land mines!

Wish me luck tonight! love to you all...i'll likely be able to write from banglore in the next couple of days.

ps: we saw an accident with two dead people on the road today...kinda messes with my theory that they really do drive safe, even tho there are near misses every few minutes!

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Photos

Rotary Flag Exchange
This is our team leader, Mike, exchanging flags with the President of the Rotary Club of Hosur. The flag here is from my fabulous sponsoring club, The Peoria Rotary Club. I have a bunch of these flags to present to my Club from many of the clubs we visited in India.

Titan Watch Factory
The team and a couple of our Indian Rotary friends at the Titan Watch Factory in Hosur. Titan makes the thinnest watches in the world.

Comments

[Renee]

Driving safe
Hi Jody! I love reading your blogs because I feel as if I am living it too, with the comforts of home! You said you saw an accident with 2 dead. Since you have been gone I couldn't tell you how many accidents there have been here as well as deadly ones! So just remember it really does happen everywhere it is just more real when we actually see it for ourselves. So hang in there and keep praying to the gods!!

[Debbie Beebe]

Strong Woman
Jody,it has been so awesome to read the travel blogs you and Maggie send,although I am having trouble getting comments to Maggie's site. You are a strong woman and that is something not always valued in other cultures. You are a role model and may be opening doors or at least helping people there to see that a woman can be strong and still be a woman. I am sure that when you open those doors you do so with respect for their culture and with dignity! Give everyone a hug for me.

[gerrit and carolee terpstra]

congratulations!!!
Dear Jody, Thank you so much for your great communications...we feel like we are there. We have been relaying the info to our club on a weekly basis, and they really enjoy hearing your stories. Please give yourself and team a big hug from all of us back here...'cause you deserve it. Please tell Debbie we are thinking of her, and wish her strength and good health to have a wonderful experience of a lifetime. Love, Carolee and Dr. T.

[Phelecia]

People and Politics
I've enjoyed reading your journal and look forward to reading more of your adventures in India! When I was in India, almost five years ago, politics was also a hot topic then, but is such in most of the world, too. One way I dodged the bullet was to allow the Indians to express their opinions about our president and American politics, then asked them if they believed as their politicians believed. More often than not the answer was, no. Then I would remind them that the politics of a nation, democratic or not, does not always represent the opinions of its people. I love India, but in a country that has arranged marriages based on the color of one's skin and the size of one's dowry, women are seemingly nothing without a man. Yet there are a few educated, intelligent men who believe women are the future of India and its strength. If it gets too rough, just tell them that you were a powerful man in your previous life and some of those strengths carried over into this life and you have yet to meet the man intelligent enough to be your equal! Best of luck to you and stay healthy---drink fresh coconut milk!