tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45449990151207740052011-11-27T19:24:37.307-05:00Follow the team from Rotary District 6900 as they experience India.Amy Wenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258498012000801648noreply@blogger.comBlogger431100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4544999015120774005.post-91773254410827994602010-06-22T15:17:00.001-04:002010-06-22T15:53:00.474-04:00

Photos of the 3060 District Conference. Thanks,Blakehttp://www2.snapfish.com/snapfish/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=2275591021/a=2323473021_2323473021/otsc=SHR/otsi=SALBlink/COBRAND_NAME=snapfish/

Blake Beyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09606716524861724725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4544999015120774005.post-86594123647038636152010-06-22T14:54:00.002-04:002010-06-22T15:16:38.448-04:00

And on to Vapi!Blakehttp://www2.snapfish.com/snapfish/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=2275410021/a=2323473021_2323473021/otsc=SHR/otsi=SALBlink/COBRAND_NAME=snapfish/

Blake Beyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09606716524861724725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4544999015120774005.post-79233765334309985402010-06-22T14:41:00.001-04:002010-06-22T14:53:11.936-04:00

And on to Surat!Blakehttp://www2.snapfish.com/snapfish/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=2276368021/a=2323473021_2323473021/otsc=SHR/otsi=SALBlink/COBRAND_NAME=snapfish/

Blake Beyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09606716524861724725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4544999015120774005.post-6975535969779612322010-06-22T14:11:00.000-04:002010-06-22T14:12:22.097-04:00

And now the photos from Vadodara!Blakehttp://www2.snapfish.com/snapfish/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=2275638021/a=2323473021_2323473021/otsc=SHR/otsi=SALBlink/COBRAND_NAME=snapfish/

Blake Beyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09606716524861724725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4544999015120774005.post-69659268008333754872010-06-22T13:21:00.001-04:002010-06-22T14:03:51.688-04:00

Here are some photos from our day trip to Ahmedabad, and our time in Anand.Volcano!Blakehttp://www2.snapfish.com/snapfish/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=2276061021/a=2323473021_2323473021/otsc=SHR/otsi=SALBlink/COBRAND_NAME=snapfish/

Blake Beyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09606716524861724725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4544999015120774005.post-67628773907093673602010-06-22T13:19:00.003-04:002010-06-22T13:21:35.772-04:00

Photos of our time in Wadwan City and Surendrenagar.Thanks,Blakehttp://www2.snapfish.com/snapfish/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=2275430021/a=2323473021_2323473021/otsc=SHR/otsi=SALBlink/COBRAND_NAME=snapfish/

Blake Beyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09606716524861724725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4544999015120774005.post-60628286903160404802010-06-22T12:59:00.002-04:002010-06-22T13:13:20.916-04:00

More photos.There are some good shots of Asiatic lions, including a good video.http://www2.snapfish.com/snapfish/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=2275481021/a=2323473021_2323473021/otsc=SHR/otsi=SALBlink/COBRAND_NAME=snapfish/Blake

Blake Beyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09606716524861724725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4544999015120774005.post-84228863762487902472010-06-22T12:56:00.002-04:002010-06-22T12:59:14.262-04:00

Ok,Some photos from our GSE visit to Porbandar. Please visit the link for the album. I've had some difficulty with the links coming through, so you may have to copy the link into your browser.Thanks,Blake(http://www2.snapfish.com/snapfish/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=2276524021/a=2323473021_2323473021/otsc=SHR/otsi=SALBlink/COBRAND_NAME=snapfish/)

Blake Beyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09606716524861724725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4544999015120774005.post-59687455232227764232010-06-21T19:32:00.002-04:002010-06-21T19:40:48.658-04:00

Ok,I have some pictures from Bhavnagar. Hopefully some of you are still on the email notification list.Thanks,Blakehttp://www2.snapfish.com/snapfish/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=2274894021/a=2323473021_2323473021/otsc=SHR/otsi=SALBlink/COBRAND_NAME=snapfish/

Blake Beyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09606716524861724725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4544999015120774005.post-26212273368240557622010-04-27T23:02:00.003-04:002010-04-27T23:08:45.404-04:00

I know,I've been terrible about getting back on here to provide a concise wrap up of this amazing adventure. I have a little free time this week, at least in the evenings, so I'm going to start uploading photos onto a new Snapfish account. I'm organizing the albums by city, so hopefully that isn't too cumbersome. Also, my Indian friends, this initially is only my photographs, so please let us

Blake Beyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09606716524861724725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4544999015120774005.post-59923078549202897482010-02-06T10:26:00.002-05:002010-02-06T10:36:47.993-05:00

I'm sorry that we slowed down on the posting at the end, but we had greater difficulty finding time for the internet in our last two stays in Surat and Vapi, as we spent a number of our nights out with Rotarians enjoying dinner and company. Now that the GSE trip has wrapped up, and the team has gone on separate vacations, we will look to complete the journey in the blogosphere when we return to

Blake Beyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09606716524861724725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4544999015120774005.post-72538014002481738902010-01-31T10:27:00.004-05:002010-01-31T10:41:35.354-05:00

My friend, Rotarian Ruchir Jani, was elected "Rotarian of the Year" from District 3060 in Gurajat , India, today. Ruchir is a founding member of Rotary Vapi - Riverside. We were very lucky to Ruchir as our coordinator and he excelled at fielding all our questions and schedule changes, in addition to his responsibilities for the conference. We are forever indebted to Ruchir for his grace,

Wm. Barney IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03646986920416719018noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4544999015120774005.post-48281268385845753832010-01-29T01:46:00.006-05:002010-01-29T02:07:25.126-05:00

The team was fortunate to meet with Kalyan Banerjee today. Kalyan is RI President elect for 2011-12 and his home club is here in Vapi. He has just returned from the States and is busy preparing for the District 3060 Conference. He and his wife were kind enough to give us time and open their home to the team. Evidently, Kalyan is not too busy to get involved with the team's personal travel plans

Wm. Barney IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03646986920416719018noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4544999015120774005.post-9263429348611249292010-01-26T22:45:00.001-05:002010-01-27T23:03:32.259-05:00

Surat is a city with a rich history. It was India's largest trading port before Bombay gained strength. During our visit to Surat we were met memorable sights and people. We toured Venus Jewels, an impressive diamond polishing factory. Surat polishes more than 70 percent of the world's diamonds. Sadly they did not provide free samples :). We also visited Rivaa Exports Ltd., a manufacturer of

Amy Wenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258498012000801648noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4544999015120774005.post-8190589379472773792010-01-26T00:44:00.001-05:002010-01-26T00:45:42.705-05:00

Last night we made our presentation to the 11 Rotary clubs of Surat. It was a high-profile event as we were fortunate to have District Governor Maj. S.K. Sharma in attendance. Our GSE leader Bill Barney presented Maj. Sharma with "Marshes of Glynn," a painting by Charlene Hall, wife of Past District Governor and Polio Challenge Coordinator Robert Hall of District 6900. It was certainly an

Amy Wenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258498012000801648noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4544999015120774005.post-41632628192253622492010-01-22T07:40:00.005-05:002010-01-22T07:50:46.912-05:00

Some of the smartest, most creative branding professionals in India, at aadharshila

Whitney G. (for "Gujarat-visiting") Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14407299833265815512noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4544999015120774005.post-76315344261359639552010-01-22T07:06:00.004-05:002010-01-22T07:38:30.156-05:00

I love Baroda. After visiting the city palace yesterday, we spent quality time with our host families. You can see mine to the right: Kavita (homoeopathic doctor), me (Whitney), Savir (VP marketing Inox India), Ashna, Jingle (adorable cocker spaniel), and Tanvi. Ashna and Tanvi are identical twins, and both are athletic and artistic. It will be very hard to leave such a warm, vibrant family and

Whitney G. (for "Gujarat-visiting") Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14407299833265815512noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4544999015120774005.post-32225612569926107942010-01-22T06:23:00.010-05:002010-01-22T07:45:31.708-05:00

Many thanks to Blake; aka 'Black Bear' for his lengthy posts. He speaks for the team on our general impressions and we are grateful he has the ability to find connections without interruption and sufficient bandwidth. Rotary continues to astonish us with its breadth and dynamic reach for community betterment. We are humbled at every turn.

Wm. Barney IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03646986920416719018noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4544999015120774005.post-34482764169614946632010-01-21T10:21:00.008-05:002010-01-21T13:12:02.122-05:00

We wrapped up our much needed R and R on Wednesday morning. Whitney and I were able to spend a few hours at the pool for some color, so hopefully we won't look so pasty in our photos. I hear it's pretty chilly in the States right now. Must be tough! The pyramid in the photo was a little strange. Apparently a room for meditation, it had a single plastic lawn chair centered under the peak of the

Blake Beyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09606716524861724725noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4544999015120774005.post-16021651766737124582010-01-19T21:52:00.000-05:002010-01-19T21:52:49.352-05:00

Since I finally cleaned the salt from my shoes, I thought it was time to post my pictures of the Rotary windmill project. My teammates (Blake and Whitney) did a good job of describing the alternative energy endeavor, but you might like this visual interpretation. The life of a salt farmer is meager. A typical family makes around $500 a year. Laborers like this young girl will suffer severe

Amy Wenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258498012000801648noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4544999015120774005.post-78998471592851896432010-01-19T07:26:00.015-05:002010-02-19T09:48:46.384-05:00

Well,We are two weeks into our trip here, and we have been at a hotel the past two nights for our mid trip break. The rest comes at a good time, as Whitney and I were getting over colds, and while we were here Renee got food sick. Also, we are very good sports, but being 'on' for two weeks straight, with our days stuffed full of activities, is exhausting mentally and physically. It's been

Blake Beyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09606716524861724725noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4544999015120774005.post-6271872187592268552010-01-18T08:29:00.001-05:002010-01-18T08:31:55.006-05:00

Through our GSE experience, we've witnessed the global relationships that Rotary builds. We've been welcomed into the homes and businesses of Rotarians, and last night we were fortunate enough to attend our first Indian wedding. The father of the groom, Devang Desai, happens to be a member of the Rotary Club of Vidyanagar. Thanks to our GSE coordinator in Anand, Kamalesh Parikh, and his lovely

Amy Wenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258498012000801648noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4544999015120774005.post-63564882434225320962010-01-18T07:52:00.003-05:002010-01-18T08:11:52.772-05:00

About halfway through this trip of a lifetime, we are fortunate to get some much needed R&R at a local hotel in Anand. Then we'll hit the ground running again tomorrow evening for our last two weeks.From Bhavnagar, we headed to Wadhwan where we met another group of incredible Rotarians and saintly hosts. We visited a beautiful garden developed and maintained by Rotary in the heart of the city (

Whitney G. (for "Gujarat-visiting") Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14407299833265815512noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4544999015120774005.post-64630337973549777352010-01-13T06:01:00.012-05:002010-01-13T08:40:17.819-05:00

(Accompanying photo taken in Rajkot. Tree planted in dedication of DG Roy Strickland- District 6900- Georgia)The title speaks for itself. So much to learn. We discovered a source of amusement for our Rotarian hosts, hearing us try to pronounce their names, especially at Rotary meetings. Luckily, the gesture can move in two directions. (See previous post where 'Blake Beyer' has become 'Black Bear'

Wm. Barney IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03646986920416719018noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4544999015120774005.post-85288458901231381002010-01-13T03:39:00.001-05:002010-01-13T03:51:14.969-05:00

Last night our team presented at the official Rotary meeting with three Bhavnagar clubs present. Renee sang our national anthem in closing, which moved not only the Rotarians, but also our team. It is such an honor to be on this life-changing trip with such talented, inspiring people. Additionally, it is humbling to see firsthand the selfless work the Rotarians throughout Gujarat are doing each

Whitney G. (for "Gujarat-visiting") Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14407299833265815512noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4544999015120774005.post-82436047398144393432010-01-12T05:11:00.001-05:002010-01-12T05:14:33.302-05:00

It would be impossible to share all our team has experienced since our arrival in India Jan. 3. But I would like to recount some of the sights and spirit through photographs I have taken: Touring a school in Porbandar with Shastree Swami Bhanuprakashdashji. Observing morning exercises at the school in Porbandar, Swaminarayan Gurukul. Catching sleepy asiatic lions at the Gir Forest.

Amy Wenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258498012000801648noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4544999015120774005.post-49135354851227385622010-01-12T04:53:00.004-05:002010-01-12T05:49:38.674-05:00

Well,We've talked a lot about our experiences, the warmth of the Indian people, and the neat things we've seen. But, the primary reason for us being in India is to see all of the good work and camaraderie Rotary is achieving worldwide. Before I start, I'd like to apologize for not posting pictures with this post, as I have some amazing ones. I'll have to edit this post later when I have access

Blake Beyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09606716524861724725noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4544999015120774005.post-38405299231270674412010-01-10T04:58:00.000-05:002010-01-10T04:58:15.712-05:00

One of Rotary's most impactful projects is the Polio Plus eradication program. Through the mass distribution of  oral vaccine, Rotary has rid most of the world from the crippling disease. However, India is one of  four countries still afflicted. Today, we went to a hospital for women where our Team Leader Bill Barney gave a small girl the two-drop Polio vaccine. It's a truly noble cause, so it

Amy Wenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258498012000801648noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4544999015120774005.post-69643299776945906522010-01-09T09:08:00.004-05:002010-01-09T09:19:56.120-05:00

Our hosts in every city were told to make their food more mild for us, as it was expected that it would be too hot for us. Luckily, being Atlantans, we have the opportunity to eat a lot of Mexican, Thai, Indian, and my favorite, Hot Wings. We saw smiles on their faces when we told them to make it as hot as they take it. I don't think they thought we were serious, so I took a spoonful of their

Blake Beyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09606716524861724725noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4544999015120774005.post-49852094151026828732010-01-09T09:02:00.003-05:002010-01-09T09:08:36.407-05:00

I have a little extra time today after visiting Ghandi's birthplace, and so I need to get a few observations out before we head to dinner. My name is Blake Beyer. I only reiterate this because of our language differences. Since I've arrived, my name has evolved from Blake to Black, and Beyer to Bear. And, without seeing it coming, Blackberry. It goes both ways though. I was calling Rajesh

Blake Beyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09606716524861724725noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4544999015120774005.post-29589816524210407172010-01-09T08:29:00.003-05:002010-01-09T09:02:44.609-05:00

Well,we were sad to leave Rajkot and the new friends we had made, but we packed up our SUV with all of our luggage (on the roof, thankfully), and stuffed eight people in. It wasn't that bad spacewise, but the bumpy roads on the way to Gil Forest really played havoc on my tailbone! The driving was terrifying enough to have Bill and Renee shutting their eyes while our driver played chicken with 5

Blake Beyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09606716524861724725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4544999015120774005.post-14070302444776728312010-01-07T14:54:00.000-05:002010-01-07T14:54:41.980-05:00

Tommorrow we depart Rajkot with the most amazing memories. Some of my favorite involve interactions with the press. Our GSE team was twice featured in the pages of Akila Newspaper. Try this link Akila News but it may go bad after tomorrow. We were also priviledged (thanks to my wonderful host Ketan Joshi, Rotary Club of Rajkot president) to be interviewed on Big FM 92.7. We each were asked to

Amy Wenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258498012000801648noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4544999015120774005.post-25442347917031352912010-01-07T08:48:00.005-05:002010-01-07T09:39:35.331-05:00

It's been a few days since I posted, as internet and time have been hard to come by. We have been so kindly welcomed into the homes and hearts of our Rajkot hosts, that thanks can't come close to conveying our gratitude, but will continue thanking them. I can't possibly cover everywhere we visited in this bustling city, so I'll try to focus on impressions, and how our experience has effected us.

Blake Beyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09606716524861724725noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4544999015120774005.post-61464687150937156312010-01-06T22:23:00.002-05:002010-01-06T22:39:31.562-05:00

As we've mentioned, the people in Rajkot have been overwhlemingly gracious. We've visited many temples, a meditation center, factories and other businesses. We also visisted a girls' school where nearly all 1,400 students who live on site in hostels rushed to see us. I have beautiful video of this, which I'll try to upload later today. So far, the connection has not allowed us to upload

Whitney G. (for "Gujarat-visiting") Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14407299833265815512noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4544999015120774005.post-4540113341485944812010-01-05T22:20:00.000-05:002010-01-05T22:20:08.222-05:00

We have been too busy to write in Rajkot! Our days have been filled from morning to night with the most amazing sights and opportunities. We have visited several factories including Atul Auto and Rolex Rings. We have eaten fantastic meals at very nice restaurants like Motel the Village, where we also watched an entertaining puppet show. Yesterday we visited Big FM and today we will go back for an

Amy Wenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258498012000801648noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4544999015120774005.post-81846535933316441462010-01-03T20:50:00.003-05:002010-01-03T21:15:24.019-05:00

Well,It's Monday morning and we are about to start our first morning in Rajkot with our gracious hosts. I haven't posted yet, so I wanted to talk a bit about our trip in, and hopefully I don't duplicate much with my teammates. We left Atlanta around noon on New Years and flew to Detroit. The flight was uneventful, save for a snorer next to Whitney sleeping off the night's revelling. After a brief

Blake Beyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09606716524861724725noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4544999015120774005.post-71791827728472537552010-01-03T07:31:00.003-05:002010-01-03T07:48:27.310-05:00

Fresh off plane in Rajkot. Greeted by District 3060 representatives at Hotel Evershine.

Wm. Barney IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03646986920416719018noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4544999015120774005.post-26879941652991983952010-01-03T00:30:00.001-05:002010-01-03T00:30:02.886-05:00

When we arrived in Rajkot, the first city on our tour, we received the most incredible welcome. Representatives from District 3060 held a banner and placed fragrant flowers around our necks. We posed for pictures outside and then rode by car to Hotel Evershine, where we will stay and rest today. The ride over came us our first glimpse of the city and India. Wow! This is certainly nothing like

Amy Wenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258498012000801648noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4544999015120774005.post-88065244886258452192010-01-03T00:14:00.001-05:002010-01-03T00:14:09.277-05:00

After more than 24 hours in travel, the GSE team has arrived in India. Security in Atlanta was a breeze, despite the recent scare over Christmas (it just so happened that we took the same Northwest flight, although the opposite direction from Detroit to Amsterdam. That being said, security in Amsterdam was a grizzly bear in comparison. We waited for more than an hour to have our bags searched

Amy Wenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258498012000801648noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4544999015120774005.post-57859660793477519672009-12-31T22:45:00.004-05:002009-12-31T23:07:52.785-05:00

[Insert "Annie" tune.] We're gonna fly out... tomorrow. Bet your bottom dollar that tomorrow, there'll be sun (at least in Gujarat, that is). I cannot believe our GSE trip is finally here! Here's the countdown:1 hour 'till we ring in the New Year, 9 hours 'till our group meets at the airport,13 hours 'till we depart Atlanta, and42 hours 'till we arrive in India! What an incredible way to kick off

Whitney G. (for "Gujarat-visiting") Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14407299833265815512noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4544999015120774005.post-26464766384348526592009-12-30T15:10:00.002-05:002009-12-30T15:24:58.788-05:00

The anticipatory emails are scorching the ether. The team SEEMS to be prepared and the tying of loose ends is the order of the day. Our Indian hosts have been busy organizing our vocational days and clearing our itineraries with Rotary International.

Wm. Barney IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03646986920416719018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4544999015120774005.post-24279597330912759662009-12-08T21:37:00.010-05:002009-12-10T17:11:07.724-05:00

What a way to hail in the new year. On Jan. 1, the District 6900 Group Study Exchange (GSE) team will depart for Gujarat, India. Since August, our five-member group has met to prepare for a 30-day adventure in the northwestern state that borders Pakistan. Each month we have learned of Rotary's expectations and our respective responsibilities. At the meetings we were graciously joined by guest

Amy Wenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258498012000801648noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4544999015120774005.post-83262153546915630002009-10-21T16:58:00.007-04:002009-12-04T18:54:20.176-05:00

In about two months, five Atlantans will leave for a month-long adventure in India. As members of the Group Study Exchange program sponsored by Rotary International, the four young professionals and one seasoned Rotarian will journey to the western state of Gujarat. There the team will present to local Rotary clubs, gain vocational experience and visit attractions all the while immersing

Amy Wenkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258498012000801648noreply@blogger.com0