India

Hello,

Well, i know it's been a while since the last blog but we have been busy shooting and editing segments for CH1 and MTV, with little time to spare for anything else. The ports are getting closer and closer together, only days in between countries now instead of weeks. The trip is starting to go by so fast now.

The GNG team had a really busy time in India. We were shooting a piece for MTV U, a college based channel for MTV. We followed some college kids from semester at sea as they met their Indian counter parts , six medical college students from Chennai India. We followed this group of students from totally different world and watched as they introduce themselves and their cultures. At first the kids didn't know what to make of each other but by day 2 every one was pretty tight. All the students realized that they had a lot more in common than they first thought. After being all around the world and meeting High school and college kids everywhere I have come to the conclusion that kids are kids no matter where you go. Human beings are generally the same no matter how much we like to point out our differences.

While we were in Chennai, the India students took our American students on a tour of the city, starting out with there medical school campus. I'm not too sure that the students were prepared for what they saw...The first class we visited was anatomy , where there were cadavers and body parts al over the room. WOW! That was a bit much at 9 in the morning. I'll spare you the really gruesome pictures, this is a family blog after all.

After the tour of the morgue , the kids were ready for something s little more up beat. The Indian students took the Americans out into the city for shopping, eating, and to experience the crazy India traffic. India has by far the worlds most insane driving by the way. It's amazing, thousand of people on motor bikes, rickshaw, car, trucks, bikes...flying all over the road. No rules, no laws, driving on the wrong side of the road is actually encouraged. But hey, if this whole TV thing doesn't work out for me I'm gonna move to India and become a Rickshaw driver, so i got that going for me. Always good to have a back up plan.

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At the end of the night all the American kids had the opportunity to go home with an Indian student and spend the night in their homes meeting their families. The kids truly had the unique experience of a local perspective of while in Indian, which is so often missed with the guided tours and hotel meals.

On the last day all the students, Indian and American came together for a video conference back to the US with the University of Maryland. The students exchanged their thoughts on the global issue of HIV/AIDS. They Indian students explained that even though their country is the second highest HIV/AIDS infected area in the world just behind S. Africa, there is still little information available about safe sex and AIDS prevention due to the huge taboos surrounding sex and HIV in their culture. The American students were also able to give some insight on how HIV is being dealt with in the states.

Over all the trip was a big success, the students got a long really well and they learned a lot from each other. Indian is a great country with amazing people, I really enjoyed working with the Indian students and hope that everyone involved in the project keeps in touch. Meeting all those great people and seeing such an amazing place makes the next part of my blog hard to think about...

Just days after we left there was a series of horrific events in India. For those of you not keeping up with the news there was a huge cyclone that hit the Southern region of India. The powerful storm has caused massive flooding. From what i gather from the bits of news that i can get out here is that the floods are also responsible for a train derailing that left many people dead, hurt, or stranded in the river. And if that wasn't enough there was also a bombing in New Delhi that left 28 dead. This act if terrorism comes in response to the historic agreement between Indian and Pakistan to open 5 boarder points along the line of Control in Kashmir to allow Aide from India to Earth Quake victims in Pakistan. The border had been closed for almost 60 years and if the major point of conflict between the two countries. A militant group in Pakistani Kashmir has claimed responsibility for the bombings in an attempt to disrupt the peace movement. Lets all hope that this desperate display of violence does not impede the peace process.

Well on a lighter note, we will be in our next port, Burma in a day or 2. We are not a allowed film there because of the MIlitary isolationist government, but we will put some pictures up for yall. Next stop after that is Vietnam. We will have three video conferences in Vietnam with high school students. Catch up you then.

Interesting Facts:

February 1865 is the only month in recorded history
not to have a full moon.

Humans and dolphins are the only species that have sex
for pleasure.

I am. is the shortest complete sentence in the English
language

If Barbie were life-size, her measurements would be
39-23-33.

She would stand seven feet, two inches tall and have a
neck twice the length of a normal human's neck.

If the population of China walked past you in single
file, the line would never end because of the rate of
reproduction.

If you fart consistently for 6 years and 9 months,
enough gas is produced to create the energy of an
atomic bomb.

If you keep a goldfish in a dark room, it will
eventually turn white.

Take care,

Jason

Comments

[Kat]

FYI- Pirates really did exist near Kenya. I thought you were making it up lol!! Check out this article:

http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/11/06/news/pirate.php

Fact for the day:
Pirates believed that earrings could help them to see better and could actually improve their eyesight

Have fun in Ho Chi Minh!
Love, Kat

[Tim]

Are you alive. I just saw a Tsunami warning for Japan.

[tim bridgwood]

hey jay! just ran into your mom at the bank i work in. she told me about your trip. it is really great to see that somebody has the balls to get out of levittown. best of luck to ya. get back safe. bridge.

[Kirby]

Hey there!!! I was just thinking about you out there far far away and thought that I'd let you know that I miss the hell outta ya!! We have much to catch up on, and some similar pictures from my honeymoon and your trip! Hope to see you soon, J.
Kirby

[Kirby]

Hey there!!! I was just thinking about you out there far far away and thought that I'd let you know that I miss the hell outta ya!! We have much to catch up on, and some similar pictures from my honeymoon and your trip! Hope to see you soon, J.
Kirby