Today is crunch time for all of us as we work with our groups to gather our research and venture design ideas into eight-minute PowerPoint presentations. There is a cooling breeze from the darkening sky as it begins to rain at exactly 5 p.m. for the fourth day in a row. Personally, I have come to love these reliably cooling afternoons brought by monsoon season. To think that tomorrow our final presentations will mark the end of our trip brings many bittersweet feelings. In this blog I am going to briefly mention some of the untold, yet memorable moments that will be lasting memories for each of us as we travel back to our homes/apartments.
A Presentation from an Amelia Earhart Expert:
One of our beloved mentors (who never fails to surprise us with his stories), Kenton Spading, gave a presentation on his involvement in the research and archeological efforts in uncovering the death of Amelia Earhart. Kenton has made several extended trips to the suspected crash sites with his team of researchers with the goal of solving her mystery in order to allow her achievements to become the focus of her fame once again.
A cooking lesson from Aruna’s parents:
One night, the entire group visited the home of Aruna to receive a cooking lesson from her parents. The night was filled with lessons on chopping, rolling chapatti, and sharing stories over the delicious cooked food.
Art Fair:
One afternoon, we were invited to view the artwork of some fellow ISIers (Indian Social Institutors). The paintings depicted the struggles of the caste system and social injustice in India, which was a great way for us to gain a deeper empathy for the local citizens we have worked with.
Volleyball in the Dark:
One night during our homestay near Shakleshplur, we decided to draw some lines in the dirt and play volleyball in the dark using a close line as our net. Tensions rose as we neared a close end to game three. In my opinion, however, the third game shouldn’t have counted as there was little to no visibility. Let’s call it a tie!
That’s all I've got! I look forward to the next 48 hours as we make some last minute memories with our friends from Bangalore.
-Bryce R.
