SOM Study Abroad Course

Prague-Kayla Tirrell and Kayla Afonso

2009-06-08T17:56:00.000-07:00

Praha, as the locals call it, was the last stop of our study abroad trip to Central Europe. We stayed at Hotel Duo, which was only about 10 minutes away from the city by metro. Unlike the other places we stayed at, Hotel Duo was similar to a typical hotel you may see in the United States. In the other countries, it was based on a more hostel-style living. Hotel Duo had a restaurant, bar, sports center complete with a pool and sauna, beauty shop, gift shops, casino, and even a bowling alley. Breakfast and dinner were always included, but in our opinion, they weren't that impressive. Both meals were served buffet-style, but they served the same food every time and there weren't a ton of options. For lunch we ate at different places, either on our own or as a group; it depended on where we were that day. For example, we ate at the Institute of Banking in their cafeteria. It was a lot smaller than what we were used to at Simmons College. There were only a few options available to choose from. We both ordered the spaghetti with meatballs, which didn't taste any different from the United States. At many of the meetings, including those in the other countries, they would offer us snacks and beverages. We also noticed that sparkling water was a very prominent drink served at these meetings as well as in restaurants. In the United States, still/tap water is offered in most restaurants for free and even some provide it before you even order your meals. In Europe, you pay for the water, even if it's just still water.

Shopping seems to be inevitable while your studying in another country. Prague was the city where we both spent the most amount of money and where we bought the majority of our souvenirs. On our first night in Prague, we bought several Prague totes, t-shirts, magnets, bracelets, etc. Walking through the cobblestone streets was very nice and beautiful, and the shops were all around us. Many are geared toward tourists, so our advice is to look around the different stores before purchasing an item. Most of these stores sell the same exact products, so search for the ones that are selling theirs for the cheapest. The mix between Old Town and New Town was very interesting. We suggest going to both sides of the city for nightlife activities. Both have amazing architecture and fun places to visit, so try to see the two if possible.

Prague - Clare Conway

2009-06-05T14:46:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! So we've been back from our Central Europe voyage for almost a week now, and the last city we visited was Prague. Before I left, everyone I knew was telling me how gorgeous Prague was and how lucky I was to be traveling there. Even though the weather did not cooperate in the least (cold and rainy, like we never left Boston), I was still able to enjoy the beautiful architecture and historical sites throughout the city. The appearance of Prague itself, with its cobblestone sidewalks and mix of new and old buildings, was one of the city's most striking and memorable aspects. This is of note coming from the United States, where the cities are only hundreds of years old. European cities have thousands of years of history and settlements, adding to the eclectic mix of modern and historical buildings.

One of the most important historical sites we visited was Wenceslas Square, named after Saint Wenceslas, the patron saint of Bohemia. Fittingly, there is a large statue of him in front of the National Museum (which actually has bullet marks on certain pillars from Soviet fire). The square was home to many key events in the history of the former Czechoslovakia, as well as being a place where many Prague-ians go to either protest or celebrate. Interestingly, two young students decided to set themselves on fire in the square in 1969 to protest Soviet occupation. There is a memorial to them at the top of the square, and then a plaque in the middle of the square. Additionally, many demonstrations were held in the square during the Velvet Revolution of 1989. Even though some of the countries we have visited (including the Czech Republic) have had a history of Communism, Prague's overall appearance today seems virtually untouched by Communism. However, I think that the memory of this period is fresh in their minds: many advertisement-like billboards were up in the square commemorating 20 years since the fall of Communist rule in the Czech Republic. In contrast, Bratislava was filled with drab, spartan concrete apartment buildings which were all too revealing of a Communist past.

Also, listening to several of the women entrepreneurs in Prague was a highlight of the trip, as hearing how they have successfully worked on their own terms made me consider starting my own business. Their success in their own enterprises in a still male-dominated business world was truly encouraging. Even though Sarka (who owned her own tour guide company) suggested that starting a business early will allow you to spend more time with your children once you decide to have them, I am unsure that I will have enough knowledge and skill to become an entrepreneur right out of college.

Overall, I enjoyed my stay in Prague, but unfortunately the weather put a damper on any more outdoor activity. I would certainly come back, as there was so much more to see and do in the city that three and a half days did not allow for.

Vienna- Laura White & AnnaMarie Sintetos

2009-05-26T12:48:00.000-07:00

Greetings from Vienna!

This is the second leg of our journey through Central Europe and we can already see differences from our previous site, Budapest, and here. Vienna seems much more urbanized than Budapest and this is seen in everything from clothing to restaurants to transportation. Budapest still has various traces of Communism, which only ended there in 1989 while Vienna was relatively untouched by that era. There is a distinct "hustle and bustle" in Vienna, one we find similar to that of a native New Yorker. In addition we found that in Budapest there was an obvious central location for socialization among young people, while in Vienna we found that the social "hot spots" were more split up. Some of us visited the "Bermuda Triangle" a place our tour guide told us was the it place to go, but it did not live up to it's hype unless you want to be running around with fifteen year old boys.
Many of the central themes discussed in Hungary mirrored those in Vienna. For example, the three maternity leave common for working women also caused barriers in advancement of their prospective careers. Another major difference we found was that in Budapest several turned to entrepreneurship to balance the home and work life while in Vienna this is much less popular.
A major difference between Austria and the United States is the upper education system. The University System is free for anyone who desires to go to a public school, which is usually funded by the ministry. The students at University of Vienna were incredibly surprised that we attend a women's college and that we have such a complex college application process. If you go to WU try to start a conversation with a student, it is an enriching experience.

Look forward to Vienna if you are in the 2010 travel group to CE!

Laura and AnnaMarie

Note: The coffee is astronomically better than in the US!

Katie Bull, Central Europe: Budapest

2009-05-24T12:06:00.000-07:00

When we arrived in Budapest, I my first impressions were hot Hot HOT! I was dressed for a cool foggy day in Boston in jeans, a sweater, and sneakers! However, it only took us two or so days to adjust to the time change, weather, and food. The first night in Budapest, we went to a traditional Hungarian restaurant with live music, dancing, and traditional food. The goulash tasted amazing—it was so rich and flavorful. The dancing was also really impressive; some of us even were able to try it!
Over the next several days, we met several entrepreneurs and scholars from Budapest and other parts of Hungary at Corvinus University. I particularly enjoyed our conversations with a gender scholar from America-who-lives-in-Germany, Jeanne Hamilton. She spoke about how anything we perceive as "natural" should be questioned because we have been conditioned by our societ(ies) since birth to think this way. This is how we can break down stereotypes, consider their true implications, and form our own opinions on them. I also thought her comparisons between female candidates for office in the United States and in Germany were informative and interesting. We were able to draw some remarkable conclusions from this about the similarities and differences in our societies.

CE 09 USA mary

2009-05-17T08:47:00.000-07:00

Almost at the airport....concerns about swine flu---will Budapest let us in? Looking forward to a great trip!!

Elisabeth Pacl - The Golden Triangle

2009-01-31T19:52:00.002-08:00

There is no way that I could rate the cities that we visited in order of importance, but I can say that although we were the busiest in the last four days of our trip, the Golden Triangle was possibly the most exciting. The Golden Triangle, which is comprised of Agra, Jaipur and Delhi, offered us insights into a vastly diverse set of experiences ranging from the history and beauty of Akbar’s Temple and the Taj Mahal to the confident smiles of rural women working for fair pay and self-determined hours in the comfort of their own villages.
As I passed through the north gate at the Taj Mahal, I was suddenly hit with a wave of awe that stopped me in my path. My stomach dropped, my breath caught in my lungs and my mouth fell open at the sight of such a titanic structure, built from exquisite white marble. It was majestic and the sight has been burned permanently into my memory.

Lastly, I was blown away by the hard-working women in the village that we visited who were gainfully employed by the Jaipur Rugs Company. We had the opportunity to see the women skillfully weave the colored yarns in and out of a loom to the musical sound of the pattern conductor reading the codes of instructions to the women. We saw that the children of the village were dressed better than they had been before the opportunity to work came to their village. We also had the opportunity to visit the training center and saw teenage women learning the craft. My instant reaction to seeing these women training so young was that I thought that they should be in school, my instinct was generally to apply the ideals and norms from the U.S., but I learned, progressively throughout the trip to challenge these beliefs. These training centers postpone the time for young girls of 15 and older to marry and allows them to develop a skill that they can use for the rest of their lives. It was an unbelievable experience and I’m so thankful to have been able to meet these women and see their phenomenal ability to take opportunities, risks and go from surviving to thriving.

Elisabeth Pacl - Hyderabad

2009-01-31T19:28:00.000-08:00

One of the most important events for me in Hyderabad was when we had to opportunity to visit with some of the top members of the for-profit organization Basix. Basix is essentially the number one most successful micro-credit lending agencies in the country of India. From sitting in their boardroom and learning about the organization, I realized that this is exactly the type of organization I want to work for -- a for-profit that’s mission based!!! I was fascinated to hear about the technical development of such important missions; The organization’s goal is to advance the livelihood of the rural population through a hybrid technique of training, lending, monitoring, support etc. And the company is profitable, because they can claim a 99% recovery rate on their loan money—this is UNHEARD of anywhere else in the world. We were told that although it’s a 99% recovery rate, women are undoubtedly the quickest to pay back the loans—we discussed this as how women are generally using this money with the firm interest in developing strong assets for their families so these women are not going to make uncalculated risks and will pay back their lender immediately. I was beyond impressed by the success that Basix could show us, in relation to the majority of organizations in the U.S.

Rahala: Agra, Jaipur, Delhi

2009-01-31T14:57:00.000-08:00

The last four days of our trip were the most hectic. We travelled to 3 different cities and a village in Rajasthan. We got to Delhi on the 14th evening and from the airport took a bus drive to Mathura for an overnight stay then off to Agra to see the Taj Mahal. After that we went to Dausa. This is when we visited a village were we saw how Jaipur Rugs a family owned business, had been helping women who are uneducated, under privileged, making them empowered. It was amazing to see these women working on their own, making a steady income and again balancing family life as well. After this we were off to Jaipur were we met with CEO and executives of the rug company and other family members. They talked to us about the culture with in company, which is very family oriented and how it helped them be a successful business. We also visited couple other colleges, did tons of shopping, and some sight seeing. On the 18th we drove back to Delhi and spend the night on EMPI campus. Next day we had another conference, then some shopping, and then back on the flight to America.

Over all this trip was amazing, it opened up my eyes to a whole new India. I realized that yes there is poverty, corruption, bad people, but at the same time there is so much more being done to make it all right. Yes India has been a male dominated country for the past 60 years but now things are changing. Women are taking a stand for themselves and other women and girls. I visited many NGO’s that were working with government to educate young children both girls and boys, also working on educating women. As they said educate a man that just helps him, but educate a woman which is like educating the whole family.

Deanna in the Golden Triangle.

2009-01-31T14:38:00.001-08:00

The Golden Triangle is one of the most popular tourist areas in India, especially famous for the Taj Mahal. The effects from tourism were evident by contrasting with previous experiences of Indian culture.

We visited Basix, a microfinance institution with astonishing successes. By initiating business with genuine intentions, Basix customers reflect the company’s values, and thus cultivate flourishing entrepreneurship or business. After reading and hearing about the difficulties women and lower-caste members struggle with, especially when trying to establish careers, I was very pleased to hear how progressive companies like Basix are steadily remodeling the business worlds. Time will tell how many other businesses follow suit. In comparison to the United States’ ethics, the West may take longer to adopt this practice.

Jaipur Rugs ensures steady employment to women and lower-caste members. As a result, the statistics and the economy are shifting towards progressiveness and equality. The owner of Jaipur Rugs has appointed his three daughters with important management positions in his company. In context, this is a big step for Indian businesses. Though their roles were more inherited than earned, the Jaipur Rugs women set an example for all females aspiring a successful career life.

The sweetest ending to our trip was at EMPI. Not only were the students and faculty hospitable, we were entertained with a cultural festival in the evening. The consistent kindness shown by every host certainly left an impression on me.

Holly Paquette - Northern India

2009-01-31T10:40:00.001-08:00

Our last stops were Agra, Jaipur, and Delhi. The ultimate thing in which we got to experience was visiting the Taj Mahal. Its beauty and elegance can never be fully captured or written about, only when you see it first hand can you really experience its full magnificence and splendor. It was amazing to see and it is definitely something I will remember for the rest of my life.

In Jaipur we had the privilege of visiting Jaipur Rug Company. Learning about the company and what it is doing to help the local community, especially village women is fantastic. Before meeting with the head of the company we went on field visits. It was so moving and inspirational to visit with women from the villages and see where they live and work. Each village is provided with a big loom so that the women can work by producing rugs to make money. The great thing about this company is that the women who make the rugs are able to work on the rugs whenever they have a chance. For instance if they need to tend to their children or work on their crops, they have the freedom to step away from the loom. When meeting with the head of the company one thing that I found intriguing was the fact that many of the rugs produced by the women in these villages end up in big stores here in the US such as Ikea, Target, Macy’s, Nordstrom’s, Pier I, and Pottery Barn just to name a few. I never realized that a lot of the rugs on the market are hand made. After visiting with Jaipur Rugs it put a lot of things in perspective for me and the next time a go to a store selling rugs I will be able to look at them with a whole new appreciation. I just wish that these stores made it more clear to the consumer where these rugs came from and who made them because I always just assumed that they were all machine made.
Overall this trip to India has been filled with excitement, new found knowledge, new friends, and awe inspiring experiences. It has definitely impacted my life for the better and I have learned many life lessons.

Holly Paquette Hyderabad

2009-01-31T10:39:00.001-08:00

Visiting Hyderabad was a lot of fun; it was great seeing and learning about a different part of India. One of the most interesting aspects of our time spent in Hyderabad was listening to many different women speak and talk about their views and experiences with working in a male dominated career. We went to Dhruva college were we presented and herd a wonderful panel discussion. It was inspirational and at some points very funny to listen to these women speak, I diffinitly learned a lot and increased my perspective on the advantages and disadvantages women face in the workforce.

Having the opportunity to share in the experience of the Lohri Festival at IBS College really allowed all of us to engage in the Indian cultural. It was so much fun to dance and celebrate with the students of IBS. It really allowed us to decrease the cultural gap between the students of Simmons and the students of IBS. We learned and shared a lot with one another about our different customs and beliefs. Ever school and everyone we have met so far has been really generous and hospitable. It is almost overwhelming how nice everyone has been, but in a good way. It was also interesting to sight-see and shop around the city because it allowed me to see how people in the urban setting go about their day verse those we have seen and met in villages.

Friday, January 30, 2009

2009-01-30T23:34:00.000-08:00

Roxana Siu: Delhi, Agra, Jaipur

Upon visiting these three cities, in which they are dubbed “the golden triangle,” I have gained a sharper understanding of how the tourist industry works and how the economy capitalizes on tourists. I come from Hawaii and its economy survives on tourism, and I was never quite clear about how the processes worked. It was fascinating, and a bit intimidating, to learn that not only the stores, but the tour guides, taxis, and even the bus drivers, are all involved together to gather tourists and take them to specific areas of consumer consumption. Delhi, Agra, Jaipur are the prime areas because they are the places most traveled to. I found the most fascinating aspect of the tourism industry, is the government regulation and how strictly it is enforced. There is a closely monitored check and balance system, in which store owners are not allowed to treat customers with any form of disrespect and aggressiveness. If a store in this area misbehaves in any way that a tourist finds insulting and is reported, the store will immediately shut down. While shopping I also noticed that several stores along the same route is owned by the same person or the family of a previous store and I felt almost uncomfortable knowing that the store owners were a very tight knit group and that they were planning something. A difference in the shopping experience from Delhi to Jaipur, is that the store owners were very much more calm and less aggressive than in Jaipur. Store employees also cared a bit less, because of the high amount of traffic they get in comparison to Jaipur. Trying to separate the tourist part of me was a very difficult task, and I hope that with more traveling experience, I will be able to better do so, in order to get the full experience of a country. I do like to think though, that out my shopping experience in India, I gained a certain level of skill in bargaining, though I definitely need more practice!

Friday, January 30, 2009

2009-01-30T22:15:00.000-08:00

Roxana Siu: Hyderabad

Of all the conferences, I felt that the one we attended in Dhruva College was the most interesting, engaging, and intellectually stimulating. I believe the structure of the conference was the most effective, because instead of a panelist presentation, it was more of an informal discussion group. The rapport, age range and diverse job field between each panelists, held my attention and interest, and I just simply enjoyed what they had to say. It was interesting to note that the discussion was very positive about women empowerment and women leadership, and if there was a focus on the negative, the answer was always hopeful. There was a constant reference that barriers to women do not exist and to believe so is the barrier. These women do not believe that there are gender differences and that there are ample opportunities for women in the fields of journalism to healthcare. What fascinated me the most was how these powerful women would consciously lose the upper hand to their husbands just to keep the home life stable and conflict free. They find it necessary to allow their husbands to take control, which in my opinion, contradicts what they represent and their very own beliefs. Their validation in doing so is that it is difficult to balance the work life with the home life and in order to succeed within their career; they have to make the home life secure and stable. I can understand their point of view on that matter, and it makes me wonder if I would do the same or if all high powered women do the same. It would have been even more interesting if there were men leaders involved in the discussion, to get a wide range of discussion, issues, and debates, but then that conference would have been extended to the whole night! After the conference we were invited to attend Dhruva College’s commencement ceremony and it amazed me that majority of the gold medal recipients were female and it made me strangely proud that I witnessed evidence of women surpassing men, on what is deemed as a level paying field-education.
After the resort stay in Hyderabad, We celebrate Pongal at IBS and that was incredibly fun! I learned a very interesting part of Indian culture and am still touched and amazed how inclusive the student body was, to be a part of their celebration.

Delhi, Agra, Jaipur

2009-01-30T22:13:00.000-08:00

Maria Zaman – Delhi, Agra, Jaipur

Coming to the end of our trip, I can only say that so many of my wishes came true during the last leg of our stay. Not only did we experience the magnificent Taj Mahal, I got to ride an elephant and camel, see some of my most favorite songs performed live, and personally interact with villagers as well as the students of EMPI.
Taj Mahal was surreal; it was just so hard to grasp the fact that we were present to witness the monument which represented the grandeur of committed love. As for the animal rides, let’s just say it’s one scary experience riding a camel! The waiters at the restaurant were lovely, more than willing to stuff us with about 15-20 dishes, including three desserts! When traveling around Amber Fort, I got the opportunity to enjoy some Sufi style, spiritual songs performed by two men, one with the accordion and the other with the dhol. I became so entranced with the music and the entire experience that my lip singing was most definitely noticeable by the small crowd that had gathered to see me make a fool of myself! Feeling right at home when we went to one of the villages where men and women create rugs for Jaipur Rugs, I was again astounded by the love showered upon us by others. EMPI was a blast, since not only did we show some of our vulnerabilities through song and dance, the EMPI students did just the same for us!

Hyderabad

2009-01-30T22:07:00.000-08:00

Maria Zaman - Hyderabad

Spending time in Hyderabad was not just educational, but also filled with much fun. From a learning perspective, we were privileged to attend a women’s panel made up of professional women from all spheres of careers. Some came from teaching backgrounds, others worked as managers, whereas some were even from the media industry. The commentator and main interviewer Karuna was very competent to task, considering she had the ability to ask some tough questions to the women with admirable grace. It was a very enlightening experience hearing these experienced women share with us their wisdom on life’s struggles and the need to keep moving forward despite them.
Speaking of fun, we were able to visit Film City, an amusement park and IBS, a business school. Watching an indulging stage show with dances, acrobatics, and humor, we were also able to go on a dizzying, and very much so exhilarating ride. With many sights and sounds, the free monkeys only add to the existing thrill factor. The students of IBS were very kind and caring towards us; ensuring that they left no stone unturned in their hospitality. Enticing us with the beats of the dhol, a two sided drum, they requested that we join in the celebration of the Lohri Festival. Let’s just say that even though we had all been tired before, the dancing reinvigorated us!

Rahala: Hyderabad

2009-01-30T20:56:00.000-08:00

We reached Hyderabad on Jan 9th and stayed there till the 14th. The women conference that we attended at Dhruva college was one of the best once. There were six women leaders on the panel ranging from different professions and as well as age form 28 to 65 years old. I learned that one of the problem that women in India deal with is staying in the workforce and getting ahead. The solution to this is in their own homes, having peace at home will bring peace every where else. Also, asking their family for support, flexible hours, were some of the answers that the women gave. They also said that it’s not just the women who need to make changes; it has to come from men as well. Men need to be part of diversity programs.
Another issue creating problems for women are they themselves. The panelists talked about how women can be their own biggest enemy. The women need to learn that they are not superwomen and it is ok if she can’t accomplish everything. They need to satisfy themselves with out feeling guilty and know that they don’t need someone else’s approval. Some of the other topics that they discussed were power dressing, how to close gender gap, who has inspired them, definition of leadership, and to just spread awareness of laws and rules among the rural women.
The second day we did some shopping and sight seeing in the heart of the city. We went to the Char Minar area, there we saw many kids selling artificial pearl necklaces and so on. They followed us around and talk to us in English. I was so surprised and amazed as to how well they could speak to us in English. This is because they went to school during the day and did street side selling to make some money at night to add on to the family income. We visited some other colleges, business executives and also the famous film city.

Daniela Saldana- Northern India, our last stop

2009-01-29T12:59:00.000-08:00

Sadly, our last stop was India’s Golden Triangle: Agra, Jaipur and Delhi. In Agra, we visited the Taj Mahal and let me tell you, not a single photograph can represent the true beauty of such phenomenal piece of architecture. Standing in front of one of the Seven Wonders of the World, I found myself contrasting with the East as I was being surrounded by colorful and sparkling sarees.

After such an experience, we continued our journey and headed towards Jaipur. In this city, we visited the headquarters of Jaipur Rugs Corporation, a socially responsible company that sells rugs weaved by villagers. The founder’s daughter, Kavita, showed us the company’s operations and guided us through the delicate process of designing, making, checking and ultimately selling the rugs in the USA, Europe, and India. Also, the director of Human Resources took us to one of the villages in Jaipur where rugs are made. This visit was for me very inspiring because not only is the company creating stable jobs for villagers but also, it is paying them justly. Furthermore, it is allowing artisans to continue with their family's traditions and skills.

In Delhi, we spent a night at EmPI, a top Indian business school. Like usual, everybody was very attentive to us and created a cultural program specifically for us. We were able to interact with students our age and learned about their views on marriage, education and the West. Although most of us were terribly sick or tired, we truly enjoyed our time in Northern India. The experiences and people I met here will forever stay with me. I feel that the world could learn a lot from India like their group mindedness and diversity. I went to this trip with the purpose of expanding my global business knowledge and I came back with more than just business facts; I came back with an experience that will affect all areas of my life. Thank you India.

Maneth Dethchan-Manibusan :Northern India

2009-01-26T18:12:00.001-08:00

We were in the triangle of India: Delhi, Agra, and Japur. It was the most interesting. Northern India, especially around Japur, is more rural than urban. We visited a village in the state of Rajasthan which produce rugs for Japur Rugs. The "country-side" is beautiful with vast open land of mustard plants. One thing that stood out of our trip to the village was the way the women were covered and had to ask permission to speak to people outside their village. These women did not have the same behaviors or freedom as the ones we have encountered in the past. They were very modest and covered. I recall a conversation with a woman working on a loom. She had stated that working at the loom is her choice and that she can walk away from it whenever she wants, whether to harvest or take care of her family. She was empowered by her work, but yet maintains her culture of modesty in public.

The work that these corporations are doing in Japur is inspiring. Japur Rugs are promoting women empowerment by training these women to eventually be master of the loom at their village, and slowly work their way to corporate. Antoher thing that is really interesting of our visit in Japur was men working in these businesses that promote fair trade and women empowerment. It seems a little confusing as to why there were no women in the company's factory itself. But when asked why that is so, the only response was "it's the culture of India for men to be the ones at work and not away from home." It is different to hear the reason as to why women do not work in businesses away from their families. It upsetted me when an entrepreneur explained to me about her business and why she does not plan of incorporating women in her workforce, but then it occured to me that she is already contributing so much to India with fair trade and the fusion of eastern and western clothing. To brush aside the culture of India in one felt swoop is unlikely.

One of the many exciting things about Northern India is the shopping. One cannot beat the prices and the shopping experience in India. A woman can hone their negotiating skills and management skills in their markets. The skill of negotiating is an art. I have learned it is a give and take as long as one are willing to walk away. This can be applied to life and work. Negotiating is not giving something up or taking something, it is a compromise. At work, women are statistically paid lower for "lack of negotiating" as one reason. But when you have performed well and contributed more than enough, the willingness to walk away can do wonders for your compensation.

Deanna in Hyderabad

2009-01-26T06:25:00.000-08:00

In Hyderabad, our group visited Dhruva College of Management and participated in the International Conference on Women's Leadership. I remember being completely enthralled with the powerful, articulate women on the panel. They were witty and intelligent, brainstorming pathways to an egalitarian India. In short, the conference gave me hope for the world; if the women in a male-dominated country like India can embrace their feminism and femininity with the same arms, change is entirely possible everywhere else.

In Hyderabad, we also toured Film City. It was fun to see touristy commercialism in India, similar to that one would see in Florida or Hawaii. I noticed the daughters and mothers standing on the side of the rides, and the fathers and sons participating in the ride. This speculation sparked a bit of controversy within the group.

When prompted, some felt that it might be the individual's personal preference to not go on a roller coaster. Some felt it was a result of the male-dominated society discouraging women from participating. Some felt that their husbands did not invite them to participate, or directly told them they couldn't participate. Regardless of the circumstance and origin, the women in Film City at that time were not fulfilling the same roles as men.

It was in Hyderabad that I recognized the different forms of the relationship between femininity and feminism.

Shannon - Northern India

2009-01-22T10:03:00.001-08:00

If we’ve learned anything from all of our travel over the past three weeks it has been that there are many differences between northern India and southern India. The cultures different in the languages they speak, the food they eat, the way they dress, the names of celebrations and types of dancing. Facts have proven that that the south in more conservative than the north and because of that the women in the south are better educated than those in the north and increasingly more empowered.
After observing this phenomenon first hand in all different castes I find it somewhat backwards and confusing. I’m not sure if it was just because of the cities we visited in the northern part of the country that made me feel this way. My impression of the cities in the north was that they were more modern, more advanced in a way. Delhi in particular even had a metro system. These cities had high rises and European cars. Compared to the cities in the north the south was much more similar to the impression of the India I got from the pre-departure readings; with the live stock frequently blocking the poorly maintained roads and farmers moving crops with camels and buffaloes.
Based on my encounters and observations the first hand experience I accumulated during the trip I found it completely necessary to say that all stereotypes I had prior to leaving the Unites States have been completely dispelled and that the underlying moral is that appearances can be deceiving.

Shannon - Hyderabad

2009-01-22T08:41:00.000-08:00

Thus far the thing that has made this trip the most interesting for me as a non-management related major is that I’ve been able to give a different perspective on the things we’ve been learning and experiencing. One such occasion was our meeting with a few executives at Basix. First of all Basix is the most successful micro-financing agency in all of India. The goal of the company is to promote livelihood through marketing resources, with a focus on rural women in the under-developed parts of the country.
The part of the presentation where I began to see things from an outsider’s perspective was when one of the executives started explaining certain very impressive statistics. The executive told us that even as an agency that works primarily in lending money at the grass-roots level the company can still report a 99% recovery rate. Also compared to similar companies in the United States which offer only a 100% interest rate, Basix can prosper from an interest rate on the loans of merely 24%.
The executive also mentioned that the women who receive the money are more likely to pay it back entirely and in the shortest amount of time. This fact was the most interesting to me because this topic was exactly what my pre-departure article was written about. These women of rural India are more likely to repay their loans because they feel a need to maintain a good reputation and give a positive impression on their society. Also the way that these women choose to invest their money differs from the men in that they make long term investments with low risk involved all with the intention of paying back the loans and supporting their families.

Rahala - Coimbatore

2009-01-09T00:57:00.000-08:00

We reached Coimbatore on the 6TH. It’s been an amazing experience, definitely unforgettable one. This is not my first time in south India, but never really got to see the real culture and hospitality of this region. The culture, food, people, clothing everything is very different compared to the northern region.
Some of the differences that I saw was that the women here were much more soft-spoken than men. In all the other colleges that we visited it seemed that the men were much louder, much more willing to interact with us. One of the college’s that we visited was GIM, they planned a whole day event for us. Starting from the Pongal festival, which is a harvest festival celebrated only in this state. It then continued on to some more traditional dances, conference, and also having lunch on banana leaf. During the conference we presented our views on women empowerment in India along with the other students and faculty members. The presentations here showed very similar problems that we saw in the presentations in northern India. The emphasis was on how women need to be educated so that they can make informed decisions, the discriminations and stereotypes that women face, and how to overcome those.
We also went to an ashram that works primarily for women empowerment; there we met with Dr Veenu who was the in charge. We had a few presentations on how the self help groups (all women run) are giving jobs to women, making them independent entrepreneurs, and at the same time helping run their own families. As Dr. Veenu said educate women and that will educate the whole family.

Roxana Siu; Coimbatore; 01/09/09

2009-01-09T00:53:00.000-08:00

In Coimbatore, we went to visit an Ngo, Shanti Ashram, and it became utterly apparent to me, the strives that India as a country, is trying to help women, particularly in the rural areas, to become empowered. Their micro-macro business model, which follows the principals of Mahatma Gandhi, seems idealistic, but what is surprising, is that it actually works! The amazing people working here believe that by educating and helping these women save money, this extra expenditure will go towards their children, and in turn, by educating the children, the future of the family and the community will benefit. This NGO goes into rural villages and establishes self help groups that help women to become money makers. I was a bit skeptical at this level of idealism, especially in a country where, until the last decade or so, women leadership and empowerment were non-prevalent. We went to visit some of the self help groups, to see how such a business model was working, and I was taken aback, at how enterprising these women, with little to no education, and they are able to embark on their own businesses to earn money for their family and community. For majority of them, these women even earn more money than their husbands. We went to visit a site in which a self help group created a canteen in a secondary school. This no only helped the women earn money, but provides them with skills in management, budgeting, and most importantly, empowered self esteem. The children attending this school also benefited, by receiving a nutritious snack or meal, where as before, they would go outside to get food from carts alongside the road. Another self help group, when offered the chance to receive an education on making her own bio-technology fertilizer, took it and made a very enterprising business for her. What surprised me the most was her knowledge of marketing the product, in which she did not receive any education for. Upon hearing that she will be receiving visitors form the United States, she hired a photographer to take pictures of us looking at her fertilizer plant. She is now able to market her product in w\such a way that will help her sell even more fertilizer than her competitors! Indians believe that by helping the rural areas, the whole country can be raised economically, morally, and psychographically! I believe that such a mind frame and business model should be taken upon all countries, because such a model can only be a benefit.

Holly Paquette –Coimbatore

2009-01-09T00:52:00.000-08:00

Getting the opportunity to explore many different areas of India has really allowed me to see the vast differences in customs and cultures. As soon as we emerged from the airplane in Coimbatore the landscape and surrounding environment differed immensely. Compared to Mumbai, it is a lot hotter and greener with a lot of palm trees. Coimbatore resembles more of a vacation spot while Mumbai is more urban and crowded. The food in Southern India differs as well. We are all getting to try many different vegetarian foods, it is amazing to see how many different ways rice and lentils for example can be prepared. We even had the chance to have one of our meals on banana leaves, which was a great cultural experience.

We have already visited many different schools. All of which have welcomed us with opened arms. Their welcoming has been so grand and spectacular that some moments felt unreal, like we were in a movie. We have been able to part-take in the Pongal Festival, which has been amazing to witness. We were even given Sari’s to wear to fully feel apart of the India experience as well as other traditional Indian outfits.

One of the most interesting parts of the trip so far was when we were able to meet with other students and talk with them one on one. They asked me a lot of questions, which varied in subject matter. It surprised me to get so many different questions. Many students were interested in our presidential election and our economy. It was great to share and compare my thoughts on things to the students here in India. It was amazing to see how much we differ and how much we are similar in our viewpoints. It has also been interesting to learn about Southern India’s viewpoints on women leadership and gender discrimination. Many of Southern India’s views coincided with Mumbai’s however there were some differences as well. Overall my experience here in India has been fantastic and it is unbelievable how nice everyone here is!

Maria Zaman- Coimbatore

2009-01-09T00:48:00.000-08:00

Coimbatore, where to start and where to end? Just stepping off the plane itself, I felt such a big difference from Mumbai and Coimbatore. Whereas it was congested and ever so polluted in Mumbai, Coimbatore was serene and covered from top to bottom in lush green. Coimbatore has an abundance of coconut trees and these majestic mountains as a backdrop. Breathtakingly beautiful, I felt as if I had stepped into another realm that was beyond this world.
The two main themes of our visit in Coimbatore consisted of NGOs and interacting with students through the Pongal Festival; an occasion celebrated by Hindus on the 14th of January. We visited two NGOs, one with the objective of educating slum children titled Akansha. The other was one that involves a variety of tasks, ranging from women development and youth leadership to community health and poverty alleviation. Sitting in with the children as they learned about the solar system, I tried with some difficulty to not cry. Knowing that these children had much harder lives than I could ever imagine, I felt guilty to some extent for having so much. Contrary to my emotions, Akansha as an organization does not propagate pity, nor does it feel sorry for these children. It instead feels that each child is just as capable as any other child in being able to succeed.

Elisabeth Pacl -- Coimbatore

2009-01-09T00:42:00.002-08:00

Tech update: I am currently working on a Dell w/ a LG flatscreen monitor.

The sights that I have seen since arriving in Coimbatore have blown me away. The first day had the most impact. We met with an NGO, Shanti Ashram that helps women to form self-help groups with the goals of developing skills, confidence and the ability to earn a permanent income. We have heard from many leaders and speakers throughout our days that 90% of the women in the workforce are in the unorganized sector, where there are no benefits, no guarantees for work, no regulations, no assistance etc. These SHG helps the women who might be working dangerous, laboring jobs to developing something much more sustainable. For example, we saw a SHG that taught very young children of the poor rural village community lessons in a small schoolhouse. We then saw a SHG that ran a distribution center for the poor. Thirdly, we saw two women from a SHG who learned the skills required to produce bio-fertilizer and use marketing skills to sell it. We also saw a SHG of 15 women who work in a middle-school canteen selling healthy-snacks for their living. And finally we met with several women from a SHG that developed a pay-for-parking collection outside of the well-known Perur Temple and increased the temple’s revenues by 10%.
All of these women are making more income than their husbands. The men work as laborers and do not seek skills to move higher, while the women are realizing that they cannot survive on their husband’s income alone and use creative ways to earn an income, like the women that we saw from Shanti Ashram. One professor that we heard speak related this story. She had asked a man how he felt about his wife working. He said it was fine, as long as he earned the equivalent of 1 and she earned .75. The professor was shocked and asked him what it totaled. He said 1.75, of course. She responded with, what if your wife earned 2.25? What does that equal? He responded with 2.25, but that he doesn’t ever want his wife to earn more than him. When she asked which income would be better, 1.75 or 2.25 he didn’t want to answer anymore of his questions. The story tells that women can certainly add significantly to their household income, but it is hard for the women to find suitable work, and then once she has, for the husband to accept this.
I am very impressed by all of the women that I have seen throughout my time in Coimbatore; the women in the villages, the women in the temples, the SHG members, the children, the professors, the students, the shopkeepers. Everyone that I have met has struggled to find their place, and then again struggles to secure it.

P.S. I am wearing a creamsicle colored dress-pantsuit thingy with red bangles and a rose in my hair. I just played hand ball with a bunch of MBA students and I fell in a ditch head first. We then were served a full meal by hotel management students. We leave for Hyderbad in a few hours.

Shannon -Coimbatore

2009-01-09T00:42:00.001-08:00

Although we have only been able to spend a few days in the city of Coimbatore I have noticed significant differences in culture and traditions as compared to Mumbai. All of us individually, finally had hands on experience with the different style of saree draping. On our arrival at GIM (a management school in the local area) a group of girls immediately directed us to their dormitories where we each had our own special dressing room with four or five female students to help us dress. The saree style here is different from that of the northern regions of India in the way they pleat the front and also that they wrap it around from the front to the back. The changes are so subtle though that Professor Gupta had to briefly point it out before I was able to actually see a difference.
Also the south is much more conservative. You will never find the women here dressed in western outfits such as jeans or pants of any sort, nor will you find them wearing t-shirts, sweatshirts etc. The dress code is strictly traditional Indian clothing even in the universities.
Even though I have only been in the country for about a week now and have only been able to experience the culture of two different states I have slowly caught on to the diversity among each state. When traveling in the United States you could drive from state to state and not realize a difference other than a small sign in the side of the rode. Here each state is very unique. Each of the twenty-eight states in India have their own language and cultures and in some cases mannerisms, which I find very intriguing. I only wish that I could be more culturally diverse at home in Boston.

Daniela Saldana-Coimbatore

2009-01-09T00:42:00.000-08:00

Greetings from Coimbatore! This city showed me the rural side of India. Unlike Mumbai, Coimbatore is less crowed and people’s houses have more land where they keep their animals and/or their crops. The most significant aspect of my trip to this lovely city was to learn about the self-help groups (SHG). These groups are formed by women (each group has approximately twelve women) that with the help of NGO’s like Shanti Ashram, are able to create steady jobs, savings and micro loans opportunities for women and their families. For example, one SHG is in charge of the parking lot of a five-hundred-years-old temple, Perui. This group has been able to increase their annual revenue by ten percent and thus becoming role models for their community. Also, in this city I was able to see the acknowledgement for the need of women empowerment. For example, one newspaper, Hindu News, had three articles that addressed the low gender egalitarianism: female infanticide, SHG awards and women empowerment. My stay in Coimbatore was nothing by inspiring. I was able to meet wonderful women that have turned into role models; women who want to leave their mark in life. From this city I take home their life stories, passion and determination.

Deanna in Coimbatore

2009-01-09T00:21:00.000-08:00

Deanna in Coimbatore

In my experience, Coimbatore is vastly different than Mumbai. The dining style is much more informal; most South Indians eat with their hands. The style of dress is more conservative and traditional. Women tend to be more soft spoken and have more traditional values, whereas women in Mumbai adopted more Western values.
We’ve done a lot of shopping. I am less compelled to bargain here, as the stores are set up somewhat differently. I have only seen males selling women’s clothes, which strikes me as unusual.
We all got dressed in sarees the other day. A traditional Indian saree is basically a long, beautiful sheet of fabric that is wrapped around a woman in a specific way. There are pleats in the front, and it wraps around the left shoulder. A woman in a saree also has a small shirt underneath, cut off right below the bust with short sleeves. Also, an underskirt is worn. Personally, I am not used to wearing feminine clothing, so getting dressed up was highly unusual and uncomfortable at first. After a few hours, I adapted. Today, I am wearing a very feminine Indian outfit with Indian hoop earrings and bangles. In my more masculine clothing, I am much more of a spectacle. For now, I would rather fit in. At any rate, I am amazed that innumerable women wear sarees every day. I cannot imagine the upkeep.
Our group went to the Shanti Ashram, a non-government organization (NGO) that focuses on empowering women by helping them find jobs. We sipped tea during a very informative presentation, explaining the details, mission statement, and statistics related to the Shanti Ashram. After lunch, we ventured to five different job sites, including one for bio-fertilizer, a canteen, a village school, and rice plant.
One of the most remarkable things I have learned was the system of Indian postal service. There are no house numbers, street name signs, or mailboxes. Instead, mail is addressed to the person’s name and their village or city. The mail workers end up knowing their customers intimately and hand-deliver their mail. Even people in villages get mail, although some people are illiterate. The mail deliverers will actually read the mail to those who are illiterate, then write a responding letter, free of charge.
We have had the opportunity to participate in an international seminar at a technical institute. Each of us sat on a stage in groups of three and shared our views on our experience in India. I explained how my views about feminism have changed since I’ve been here, and that empowerment is not equivalent to abandonment of traditional values. For example, I have always seen the role of a housewife to be disempowering, submissive to patriarchy, and regressive to feminist ideals. However, I have met many women who emulate empowerment while choosing to take on the role of a housewife. One of the most inspiring, brilliant women I have met decided not to pursue her Masters in favor of getting married to her husband.
Marriage and family are sacred in India, and are of a much higher value. When two people are married, it symbolizes two souls combining for a greater good. It is the single most epic occasion of any person’s life. In addition, arranged marriages are not considered to be oppressive or unjust. Rather, some students I have spoken to have expressed their support for arranged marriages.
While visiting the technological institute seminar, one member of our group sat in a larger group of Indian students for a question-and-answer session. In context of the discussion about marriage and dating, I asked, “Would you prefer a more Western style or a traditional Indian style when it comes to dating and marriage?” The group, mostly composed of males, replied, “Western-style for dating, Indian style for marriage.” I will probably analyze the response later.
Right now, I am trying to keep a more open mind and accept different forms of womens’ empowerment. I am especially interested in President Pratibha Patil, the first female Indian president. Time is dwindling, so I must stop. I will be sure to write more later.

Maneth Dethchan-Manibusan: Coimbatore

2009-01-09T00:20:00.000-08:00

The city is much more conservative than our previous stay at Mumbai. The students here are co-ed but their behaviors are different than that of Somaiya College. The males and females here are separated at events and assemblies, whereas in Somaiya they interact with each other. The way the two cities wear their sarees are different as well. Mumbai students wore jeans and t-shirts and what ever they would like to wear; and the students here where sarees or ethnic garbs. Their food and the way they eat are different. It’s complex to believe these are cities within one country.

We visited Shanti Ashram, which is a NGO (Non-Government Organization) that provides empowerment and education to female child and their mothers in rural areas. We had visited five sites that this organization helped assemble to empower regular housewives to earn more income for their families. These groups of women are called Self Help Groups. They earn an average of 2000 rupees a month, which is more than what they were earning as housewives. Although they are now earning a living as entrepreneurs, they have not forgotten their family social responsibilities.

I admire these women. I realize I cannot look at these women and their values with my western thinking. They are wonderful women that translate empowerment to us all. I truly feel conflicted at our first encounter. I later realized they are entrepreneurs in their own right. They work when they want to while taking care of their families. I want to share an observation about the treatment of women and men that I have noticed. An aunt was called to sit next to us but her younger nephew pushed her aside and sat down with his uncle instead. It shocked me and surprised me. It was not only the treatment of a women but treatment of an elder. Although this may not happen all the time but this was still my western thinking. Maybe it was normal in the culture or playful in their family, but it was highly unusual for me as an outsider.

I speak again of their hospitality and generosity. Everywhere we have gone, the people there are so nice and helpful. They are loving and accepting. They enjoy talents such as singing and dancing. The students here are like any other students in the west, with their hobbies and entertainment. Through various cultural festivals, we have seen they enjoy singing, dancing, and a form of pinata.

Elisabeth Pacl - Mumbai

2009-01-05T06:34:00.000-08:00

Liz Pacl - Mumbai
I am currently typing this blog on a Gateway P.C. tower which has a floppy disk drive connected to a Samtron 56V, and using WordPad as my word processor (which lacks spell check--I've done my best) and the machine sounds like a freight-train. The internet is running at 100mbps, but it's about as slllllllow aaaaaas molllllllasses.
Anyways, onto my blog:
Although I experienced many surprising and exciting events, places and people here, there were a few events that made the most impact on my visit in Mumbai. I was most impressed by the academic panel that we listened to and spoke with during our first day in Mumbai. We had a panel of four women professors speaking to us on a range of topics that are greatly important to current India. The two topics that were of great interest to me were women entrepreneurship and foeticide. During the discussion on women entrepreneurship we heard about how the ratios of women entrepreneurs are low, which I recognize as being similar to the U.S. However, it seems to me that the types of women entrepreneurs are different than those in the U.S. The women in India are almost singularly in areas of cultural/social entrepreneurship. I am very interested in how women entrepreneurs find financing for their ventures, as I know that it is much more difficult for women in the U.S.to find financing, over men. I asked the panelists and they responded with the overwhelming surprise that there are many organizations that are offering venture capital opportunities for women, like Marashtra, NavaBean, and the MCED.
The second topic that I had interest in was foeticide. Another professor spoke on the subject starting my stating that 55% of India's population is under 25 years of age. This blew me away. She spoke about the ethical, social, and legal situation with middle to upper class urban women choosing to abort female children after a prenatal sex-determination. I was unaware of the rates at which these incidents were occurring and was interested to hear about the many NPOs (not-for-profit-organizations) and NGO (non-governmental-organizations) that are currently becoming involved in taking action to help eliminate this phenomenon. The most profound statement that this professor made was "The first step, and most important step, is to create change agents. Once this has begun, we will be on our way."
I'm currently freezing, which is common as the AC's are extraordinarily powerful here as it gets so hot outside. According to one classmate, I look like a safari-lady, another one said I look like an archaeologist. It might be the last time that I wear khakis. :)
Chalo!!! (that's Hindi for "let's go") which might not sound like a good parting phrase but it is the extent of my language after 3 days--aside from food names that is!!!)

Holly Paquette - Mumbai

2009-01-05T06:21:00.000-08:00

Before coming to India I did not know what to expect, I had a few assumptions about what India would be like. So far in the short time I have been here some of those assumptions have been proven right while others have not. What has surprised me the most is how much I have learned and experienced in the past few days. Getting the opportunity to meet people from many different backgrounds has really opened my eyes to how diverse India is. It is amazing to learn and see how there is not a lot of separation between the rich and the poor. You can look down one street and see the slums(as they call it here in India) and higher class housing coinciding with one another.
It has also been interesting to hear and learn first hand how Indian women feel about their culture in terms of gender discrimination. Before our trip to India I read a lot about gender discrimination and how it is negatively affecting Indian women in the workplace. What was shocking to learn was that most of the Indian women I have met and spoken with have had a positive view on the situation. Listening to them talk was inspirational because they exuded strength, confidence, and power. They made it clear to us that many women in India are breaking through the "glass ceiling" by becoming political leaders, presidents of CEO companies, leaders in and out of the workforce as well as entrepreneurs. It was interesting to hear their views and opinions on this matter because a lot of what they had to say was the opposite of many of the pre-departure readings. One woman said "Women don't want to be considered lower than men, and we are proving that we are not more and more each day". So far our trip to India has been an eye opener and I am gaining a lot of insight on the culture and customs of India. I am excited to continue our educational journey to the next destination of Coimbatore.

Daniela Saldana-Mumbai

2009-01-05T06:16:00.000-08:00

Greetings from Mumbai! These past three days (aside from exhausting me more than a day in Disneyland) have made me understand more about the reasons behind India’s fast economic growth. One of the reasons is India’s more practical educational system. On the first day, we were able to interact with junior college students (in our system, these kids would be in 11th grade) which have been already exposed to business theory like financial analysis and managerial accounting and practiced such theory in group projects. Also, I learned that students go to school Monday thru Saturday from around 9 AM to 5 PM which gives them more time to practice concepts in class. Aside from having a tight academic curriculum, Indian students find the time to volunteer and work on projects in the community because they want to help those in need. For example, many students volunteer at educational programs because they believe that educating the youth will empower and develop the country. Out of these reasons, I found the high level of social responsibility to be India’s “secret ingredient” for its “fast economic growth recipe.” Because everybody cares, everybody benefits. My time in Mumbai has given me the opportunity to see a side of India which has inspired me to become a better citizen of the world.

Maneth Dethchan-Manibusan: Mumbai

2009-01-05T06:03:00.000-08:00

While in Mumbai, interactions with the students and faculty of Somaiya College helped me understand the new role of women in Mumbai. The students perceived us, students of the United States, to have stereotypes of Indian women and India itself. But it turned out that they also have stereotypes of women in the United States. To eliminate these stereotypes questions of India and the United States were exchanged. One instance was about ketchup. We were having Indian dinner and a Somaiya student said they would put ketchup on a side dish. I respnded with "what?". It was meant as "why would you want to change the wonderful flavors of Indian cuisine?". But it was mistaken as a stereotype of India lacking ketchup. The student and I laughed about the misunderstanding and learned that she too like ketchup on everything.

A meeting with Amrita Somaiya helped me understand the controversy of traditional women roles and the modern world. Incorprating family into one's work is not a regression in society but a progression. To be able to take care of one's family and change certain aspects of society (work) is incredible. Amirta has given meaning to chosing to stay at home and raising a family as an educated woman. She helped me understand that with an education she had received she can decide to stay home and be perfectly content with it. As I am a mother and feel strongly that my family comes first before my career; the attainment of an education is also a must for me to motivate my child to achieve the same standards, then she can make her own choices in the world.

P.S. With all the things we have seen and heard about women empowerment, I feel organizations in Mumbai: Nareshwadi, Laadi, Akanksha Centre, etc., are on its way to changing the lives of women in rural and low income families.

Mumbai - Maria Zaman

2009-01-05T06:00:00.000-08:00

Maria Zaman - Mumbai
Even before coming into Mumbai, I already knew that upon landing and touring the infamous city, I would constantly be making comparisons between India and Pakistan. Being an avid fan of Bollywood, knowing that I was going into the heart of the film industry was exciting enough to get me psyched. For one, Mumbai Airport was quite large, especially in comparison to Islamabad Airport. It most definitely resembled an international airport, more so holding similarities with Pakistan's Karachi Airport. Something which struck me early on once in the airport, was the extensive construction taking place; the airport was trying to be bigger and better through renovation.
We were greeted with a beggar even before boarding the bus in the form of a middle aged woman clutching a baby to her side, visibly pregnant herself. She made her rounds asking each of us for money, yet we were unable to provide her with any monetary support. Of course I felt bad, but then again this is the sad reality for not just India, but for many developing countries. Glued to the window on our way to the Somaiya University Hostel, dimly lit streets, congested stalls, and a lively environment surrounded us. Still grappling with the side effects of the fourteen hour flight, I fought the urge to fall asleep during the bus ride, but to no avail. Jostled by the bus stopping, I awoke to enter the hostel, entered my room, and fell asleep wondering what the heck awaited me.

Shannon - Mumbai

2009-01-05T05:52:00.000-08:00

We've been in Mumbai for a couple days now and I have been introduced to so many different cultures and traditions that I am not even sure where to begin. As far as the culture shock goes I have to say that Simmons has almost over prepared us in a way. Yes all five of my senses have been overwhelmed and jet-lag has taken its toll mentally and physically. Yet after all of the pre-departure readings, movies, books and reflections I'm not as surprised by my reactions to the cultural differences as I thought I should be. I have been so well informed I think it's safe to say I learned as much about Indian culture if not more than what I know about my own.
For example the second day we were here we visited a theme park with water attractions. Knowing that the theme park and other swimming opurtunities would be available to us on this trip I still did not pack my suit. Before hand I knew enough about the culture to understand that any of the bathing suits I owned would not be socially acceptable to wear in public especially at this family oriented park. In order to prevent giving the assumption that I am not a modest person I only want to explain that the swim suit I own is nothing extravagant or outlandish. My suit is typical of the uniforms you would find at my high school swim meets: plain, black and one piece of material. When we entered the water aspect of the theme park I was not surprised by the fact that women and girls were running around covered in soaking wet outfits consisting of pants a long-sleeve shirt and even the occaisional head scarf. Nor was I surprised by the fact that they sold these "costumes" to women who did not have the appropriate attire. I was however surprised by what the men were swimming in. The men at this park. regardless of age were literally running around half naked. To spare the details lets just say that the suit I chose to leave at home had more materal than what most of the men were wearing.
Not to say that the choice to wear these "costumes" were not made by the women wearing them. Personally I found it hard to beleive that out of all of the women in this park not one of them wore anything even revelaing their shoulders. Especially when it was socially acceptable for the men to be so exposed. I can not personally reflect any more on this topic because I was just merely a spectator with no personal connection to the situation. But if I got the chance to ask some of the women young and old with out offending them I would be curious to know how they would dress if they were to visit a water park in the United States. If they would feel odd if they choose to wear their bathing "costumes". Or if they did decide to wear something slightly more revealing if it was because they felt pressured by all of the attention they probably would get otherwise.

Roxana Siu; January 5, 2010; Mumbai

2009-01-05T05:40:00.000-08:00

I left the U.S. with preconceived notions of India, particularly the women and their daily lives. I was under the impression due to the media, of the high patriarchal society in the Indian culture, and the degrading role of women. I was expecting to see women meekly following men and men running the scheme of things such as business and commerce. According the stereotypes, women were relegated the role of housewives, and I believed such stereotypes. However, on my very first day in Mumbai, I met empowered women who were the top of their graduate management program and esteemed professors who not only broke my stereotype, but explained to us the strives women have taken to succeed in a patriarchal society and the leadership and empowerment, and the struggles the have faced. The young women I met didn't even feel such gender barriers. However, they did explain to us that what the media portray exists within the rural areas of India. Fortunately, there are NGO programs that acknowledge the problems and are making strives in helping young girls in those areas receive an education and help them with the impression that women are worth much more than just in a family context. Such programs help young girls in those areas where women empowerment are non-existent. The head way women are making in India in terms of leadership and empowerment is truly tremendous. Don't get me wrong that women still have a very long way to go in terms of gender equality, and that sentiment can be applied to the whole world, but the rate at which women empowerment had been making head way in the Indian culture is inspirational. I am cheering and am supporting and looking forward to the future of the women in India and how they integrate their integral importance in their country, as India strives for a better economic market. Indian women can be the catalyst for breaking not only the glass ceiling, but maybe also the whole of gender barriers.

Rahala : Mumbai

2009-01-05T05:37:00.000-08:00

We arrived at the Somaiya campus at midnight on the second of January. This whole experience in Mumbai has been mostly expected since I was born and raised in India and have visited Mumbai several times. It was my first time at the campus, the hospitality that we received from the time we landed till now has been amazing and I am very thankful them for doing all the hard work that they did for us. Growing in up India I never appreciated all the things that were done for us here. Now that I look at this from an outsiders perspective I realized how spoiled I was as a child.
Other issues such as the gender equality and poverty in India. I didn't really see much difference in these issues, but i felt as if I was more aware of it this time and saw that there were more initiatives being taken to resolve them. I learned about how the urban women are changing and progressing as leaders while managing their home life's. The panel discussion that we had on campus helped me understand where the stereotypes of women in India come from. One of the women said that for the women in America getting a higher education is security but for women in India getting married is seen as security. This made a lot of sense to me helped me understand why families especially rural want to marry off their daughter at a young age.
We also got to do a lot of fun stuff such as shopping, going to an amusement/water park, and interaction with the local student. I got to do bargaining on my own for the first time. The interaction with students was the best part, learning about their college as well as their daily life style. It was also interesting to hear from the students what they thought of us and the stereotypes that they had about Americans.

Deanna in Mumbai

2009-01-05T05:32:00.000-08:00

It was very easy to become overwhelmed with the culture upon arrival. At first, "women empowerment" was defined within my own ethnocentrism. I found myself comparing the local traditions to ideals thousands of miles away. Within a few hours, I decided to observe rather than perceive and judge.
Indian women have found empowerment in three environments--urban slums, remote rural areas, and urban educated areas. Though the processes differ from those utilized in the United States, the outcome is powerful.
Progressive non-profit organizations have challenged the traditional patriarchy by focusing on children's education. More specifically, women of various statuses and careers volunteer at the NGO Akanksha (shown right). Akanksha focuses on children from low-income areas and provides them with opportunities to change their futures; activities include thoroughly learning English, exploring artistic expression, and socializing with different individuals. Over a long period of time, the program has a positive effect on a child's self-esteem and chances of becoming a more successful person. Prior research had aquainted me with the ubiquity of low-income education. However, I was very impressed and emotionally touched by the children's enthusiasm and volunteers' dedication. Without a doubt, the experience was much more profound than reading a few articles.
Another aspect of interest was the general temperment of the local women.
While maintaining traditional femininity, the urban educated women here at SIMSR (shown right) spoke eloquently and intelligently. They held interesting conversations and expressed their myriad experiences relevant to the current topic. For example, most women had professional jobs while participating in NGO projects and maintaining a healthy family life. Just conversing with these women made me feel lazy and unaccomplished, in effect inspiring me to take on more responsibilities.
The cultural dedication to social responsibility prevailed throughout in Mumbai. Whether it was the hospitality of the staff or the passion of the volunteers, I am both impressed and beguiled. If I can take anything back to the States, it will be the message of social responsibility.

My questions thus far are as follows:
*How do other Indian women portray their femininity in harmony with their empowerment?
*How do brothers/fathers/husbands feel about women's success?
*What messages from society are most noticable/prevalent to you, as an educated urbanized woman? (For example, images portrayed in media, general stereotypes and biases, news reports.)
*What issues are most important to you? (Examples, politics, gender equality, education, finances)
I'm sure some of these will be answered along the way. Still, I'm excited to learn.

Post Departure Blog - Priscila Sousa

2008-06-07T20:49:00.000-07:00

One of the biggest things I learned on this trip was not not look at something completely one dimensionally. I know this isn't the purpose of this blog but the reason I say this is because prior to coming on this trip I had a very narrow view of women's leadership and a certain disregard for cultures that valued anything in women that was either physical or bilological. It IS important for women to place priorities in their family lives and their interests in things that are not involved with professional goals. There, after all, must have been some kind of a reason for all of the cultural artifacts in some of the cities we visited to have indication of this. Of course there was a strong male influence in the developing of these cultural ideals, but there must have been a reason why women were so apt to just comply with the cultural norms seeing as how women have ALWAYS had complete ability to do things otherwise.

Post-Departure - Sylvia Corfman

2008-06-07T03:53:00.000-07:00

It has been almost a full week since our return from Central Europe. All too quickly I reintegrated myself into family, school and work life. Now I must consciously stop to think about the 11 days of travel, which seemed like a month en route. As I view the various photos taken by travel mates, I am taken back to a time and place that seemed both anachronistic and ahead of its time.

I was surprised to learn that, as diverse as our backgrounds are, women in the former Eastern bloc behind the ‘Iron Curtain’ have the same fundamental obstacles to achieving leadership positions as women worldwide. These obstacles seem to stem from women’s biological ability to bear children and almost universal inherent nuturing nature. However, with family guidance at a young age and family support when older, women are able to open new pathways to achieving the leadership positions that are their prerogative.

Perhaps the most enjoyable woman entrepreneur for me was our Prague tour operator, Sarka Kacabova, owner of Personal Prague Guide. She expressed her view of the issues with the current work force with refreshing honesty. Her perspective is that pervasive in the Czech culture is a resistance to change, a vestige from the false security of socialism, In spite of her family’s admonishments, Sarka followed her instincts and started a locally based tour business that has since become a world-renowned operation (via Rick Steves’ travel guide). Sarka displayed entrepreneur qualities when she was the first tour operator to offer a detailed and attractive tour map free to her customers, at the disbelief of her competitors. This map is a service winner for Sarka’s business.

Sarka has a plan and is on schedule. She is pregnant with the first of two children she hopes to rear. She will take advantage of the generous national maternity benefits (six weeks at 60% of earnings, and three years at 20% of earnings) augmented with the commissions she receives from her tour operation. Sarka has cleverly formed her business so that all of her operators are entrepreneurs, avoiding the overhead of employee administration.

I look back on my trip, thankful for having been, pleased at the new connections made, both long-distance and closer to home and once again learning life-lessons unexpectedly. Thank you to all for contributing to my experience.

Post departureblog - Lamis Nahas

2008-06-06T06:25:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone , there is a lot to say about this adventure we just had together, it’s a trip to remember ,,,I loved the countries and the historical places, however it was so interesting for me to see different women who use with different approaches in their businesses, and it was interesting to know their successful stories and the obstacles they faced.
This trip taught me tolerance and taught me that there is no place like home !
I never thought that 11 days would cause a cultural shock , or would be tiring , but the truth that it is tiring and needs a lot of adaptation…
The part that I liked the most was seeing Central Europe in reality ! as I learned a lot about the economic transition , the new members of the EU and the obstacles they are facing and putting them behind other big EU members in books, but this trip allowed me to sense it better …
Oh and I loved the b-day celebration the group threw me , it was so nice and it made my day a day to remember …
Great meeting you , and it was a great trip,,,wish you all the best, and if I got the chance to do this again I would definitely do it...

Post departure blog(Lamis Nahas)

2008-06-06T05:12:00.000-07:00

Post Departure Blog 2

2008-06-05T11:01:00.000-07:00

The blog that starts off "I just finished writing my paper", right below this posting is Lindsay Douglas's. I forgot to put my name on it. I posted it on June 5th, around 2pm. Sorry!

Post Departure Blog

2008-06-05T10:50:00.000-07:00

I just finished writing my paper and I have had a lot of time to reflect on my trip. I am amazed by how much I learned and how much I have been able to share with my family and friends at home. I still can't get over their maternity leave and how it really (although it may not have been designed that way) does keep women out of the work force. It looks really good on paper, but just promotes women staying at home with the children. I am so glad we got to meet with women who overcame this invisible barrier and were able to get back into the labor market and become extremely successful. I think one of my favorite speakers was Eva who give the conferences to women and teaches them how to become successful women. I really enjoyed how humble she was and what a respected buisness woman she is. I liked how she didn't want to be like most Czech companies and wanted to keep her clients happy, even if it meant sending them little notes or presents in the mail.
Seeing 4 countries in 12 days was incredible. I would do it all over again if I could, I honestly can't believe I am already home! Touring the cities and really taking everything in was so benificial, I feel that I got the most out of the trip I possibly could have. My two favorite cities were Vienna and Prague. In Vienna, we went out one night and met up with a family member of Diana's. He took us to the museum district, which was this huge square were all college kids hung out, drank casually and sat on the benches. I was thinking to myself when I was there, if we were in America right now, doing this, college kids would be running around like crazy, getting wasted, probably distroying property, playing drinking games and getting crazy. There, everyone was so calm and low eye, just hanging out, having a couple drinks, talking and socializing. In America, it would have been "go, go, go", its such a fast paced environment here, its very rare that people our age could just sit on a bench and talk for the night, we always need to be doing soemthing. It was a really relaxing night, not to mention we got to talk to students who were traveling abroad and studying at Vienna University.
Visting the Prague palace and seeing the churches lit up at night was another one of my favorite memories. I will always have that image in my mind and when I look at my pictures, I can't believe I was there!
All around, I had a great trip, with great girls and great instructors. I would do it again in a heartbeat.

Post Departure Blog-Pamela Griffin

2008-06-04T06:08:00.000-07:00

I can not believe the trip is over. The trip seemed so much longer than ten days which was great because I felt I had more time to take in the cities and experience. We got back on Saturday evening around 5. Since I last posted we finished up our time in Vienna. We got to speak with the scientists which was a great experience. They were very different from all the other women leaders that we have meet because they were so focused on science and how science enable them to enhance there leadership abilities. Then we traveled to Bratislava which we only got to spend one day in the city. However we did get to meet with women from the UNDP which was great to see a more global fight to the inequalities in women leadership. I wish we were able to spend more time because it looked like a great city. Our last city was Prague. Prague was the city that I was most looking forward to visiting. We got to meet with the editor of a women's magazine as well as a fashion designer both which were really interesting because of the different perspective that we heard compared to the other women we were able to talk to. Our last night of our trip was great because we went to a medieval feast for dinner which was very fun and a great way to end the trip.

Post-Departure Post (Brienne Black)

2008-06-03T16:48:00.000-07:00

Today, I reflected on my trip and time in Central Europe, mostly because I just got all 600 of my pictures developed. I had such a great time and I wish it didn’t have to end. I learned so much from my visit and time there, and from all of the amazing and inspiring women we met with. Each one of them had some great advice to offer, each on a little bit different than the other. I learned a lot about myself from this trip and from what I want and expect from my life. I was able to look up to the women we met with and picture myself in their positions five or ten years down the road. I met some great people on this trip, from Simmons and not from Simmons, and I saw some amazing places. I wish that everyone would be able to experience something as great as this trip was. I believe society could learn a lot from a trip like this and from the women that we met.

Mid/End Travel Blog

2008-05-30T17:31:00.000-07:00

Today we heard from Eva Cejkova, a successful Czech woman who not only owns her own business, but she also supports the rise of other women to top managerial positions through her work. I felt as if she was not only extremely poised and confident in her capabilities, but I admired her dedication to helping and providing support to other Czech female entrepreneurs. Like many of our speakers, Eva attributes her success to a strong family foundation and support system and her personal drive and internal motivation. The necessity of a strong family support system has become a common trend in the stories told by most, if not all of the women that we have spoken to in each country. It makes sense that a persons' work ethic is shaped by those around them, especially through the support provided by their family. So, in light of this it also seems that in order to ensure that more women become managers there must be a re-education within the home that supports the development of young women and their aspirations to become something outside of the home. Perhaps this can be associated to the gender socialisation of women, where they are told that they have a choice to either continue working or stay in the home, but the reality is that there is no real choice. Women now have a choice to stay in the home, a privilege that was not always granted nor accepted, and so it has subtly been indoctrinated that staying in the home is representative of this choice.

This is all a bit confusing still and it is something that is extremely interesting to me. I hope that through our final de-brief and in reading my journal entries, that I will be able to better understand the illusion of a choice that women are faced with once they become mothers. I have a great trip, and I think that I have taken much more away from the program that I was anticipating. Thank you Professor Kelley and Professor Gupta :)

Mid-Trip Post (Jenn Kowaloff)

2008-05-29T10:59:00.000-07:00

I am writing this from Prague with only a day left before we come home. I have learned and seen so much on this trip, I am sure I will be making connections for months to come.
In terms of pathways to leadership, I have identified 3. They are networking, education, and support. Though education is important across the board, networking seems to be different in the countries we have visited. By this I mean that the ways women go about networking is different. The women we have met with have been dressed more sexually then many women I have seen in the American workforce. In addition, some women specifically mentioned using flirting to make connections. IN addition, many of the successful women we met were particularly attractive. There is no doubt that dressing more sexually did not hurt their success.
Support is important in two ways. First, it is helpful to have the "permission" of your husband and family to enter the workforce. But in addition, support can mean helping with the "second shift" duties women face such as cooking, cleaning, and taking care of the children.
Lastly, having a role model has seemed to be common thread amongst the women. I believe this is because a role model helps them remember that they are not the first woman to attempt to have both a career and a family. It serves as inspiration for them.
After we return home and I have more time to reflect, I will definitely be making more connections to the course material.

Predeparture(Lamis Nahas)

2008-05-28T08:38:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone,I am thrilled to be traveling to europe , I hope it will be a great experience , I'm a bit worried about the change in weather and cultural shock...however I'm so excited that we will meet successful business women whom I want to learn a lessons from and apply it in my future.I'm also excited about the different countries we will visit , I guess its going to be a rich course , as we are hedding towards different places and viewing different experiences of women there...I hope this will make me a smarter woman, and I will go out from this course holding alot of new information about real world obstacles and paths for success in the business world ...Oh , another thing I'm looking for is to build up relationships with students , and have a life time memory with them in europeI'm so excited to travel ,,,meet you all soon !!!

Hey everyone,I am thrilled to be traveling to europe , I hope it will be a great experience , I'm a bit worried about the change in weather and cultural shock...however I'm so excited that we will meet successful business women whom I want to learn a lessons from and apply it in my future.I'm also excited about the different countries we will visit , I guess its going to be a rich course , as we are hedding towards different places and viewing different experiences of women there...I hope this will make me a smarter woman, and I will go out from this course holding alot of new information about real world obstacles and paths for success in the business world ...Oh , another thing I'm looking for is to build up relationships with students , and have a life time memory with them in europeI'm so excited to travel ,,,meet you all soon !!!

Central Europe-Diana Magner

2008-05-25T22:37:00.000-07:00

I have more then enjoyed my experience thus far in central europe. When we first arrived after our long day of flying I was a little worried about the safety in Hungry. As we drove from the airport I had a pit in my stomach that it wouldnt be what i expected at all. I was happy that those feeling soom surpassed once we went to the university and went on the cruise on the danube and to the gypsy dance. I really enjoyed the gyspy dance not only because we got the cool little men shot cglass, but because we got to try these good and got to experience what hungarians would do on a typical night. I really enjoyed the speaker at the unnniversity it really put into perspective how diffcult it is for women here to be able to live a life that fits anything, but the mold that society has created for them. They have so much pressure to have children and to stay home with then for almost a decade that it makes it near immposible to ever get back into the workforce. I never knew about parental leave until this and at first i thought it was great. You could graduate from college, work a bit, then have kids stay home on a paid vacation until they get older then go back to work. Then you think about and relize that their skills will deminish as they stay home and that thez are only allowed to go back to work for 1 month at their pervoius job so many people are terminated after that short time so they stay home. I enjoyed Marta presentation and the cartoon she showed. It really expressed that the women are suppose to dress sexy, care for the house, take care of the kids, and balance a job. I have also seen a trend that the women have the same right to education, but then alot less attention is paid to them and thez are supported less. It really makes one appericate our experience at simmons and see how lucky we are. Then we were off to Vienna and it was a beautiful ride. I could not believe how different the countries were from eachother considering how geogrpaically close they. When we drove into the city it felt like we were in a time machine and we had advanced about 200 years. It is such a richer countries and so modern and looks alot like other countries I have visited in Western Europe. It seems alot less effected by the communism. The city was so beautiful on the new danube sitting around I felt like I was on a tropical vacation. I loved the greek resteranut it was fabulous. I was surpized at how similar it was to our greek food because usually countries interrupt foods from other countries in different ways. It was really interested to speak with Catalina. I quickly realized that the womens have much more oppoourtunies here. They want to get educated and go into the workforce like us. They dont have to be tied down by marriage or having children at such a young age. On adverage the women get paid 20 percent less then men, but that happens in the US too. It was shocking that our guides need to go threw schooling and a difficult exam. That should happen in the US so they all know what they are talking about. Also 80 percent of tour gudies are women. So they have jobs that are dominated by one sex just like us. The walking tour was great, but I wish i was smarter about the shoes i decided to wear. It was interested to find out that their city is not divided like river as it is in Budapest and also in Paris. The people in austria also are more into fashion and dress much better then the hungarians. They also smile more and are more friendly and this is a direct correlation to their economic status. I cant wait to go to Prague and Bratislave and couldnt be happier that I came.

Central Europe Reflections - Kara Messenger

2008-05-25T13:58:00.000-07:00

So far this trip to Central/Eastern Europe has been very interesting and enjoyable. We have experienced Budapest and Vienna so far and have Bratislava and Prague to look forward to. I enjoyed Budapest very much despite the fact that I was a little turned off by the apearance of the city while driving through it from the airport. My first impression of it was that it was very run-down with urban art and overgrown grass everywhere. However, after our tours I was able to appreciate the most beautiful parts of the city including both the 'Buda' and 'Pest' areas. Corvinus University was also extremely interesting. I was very impressed with the women leaders we were set up with and enjoyed talking to them about their experiences living and working in Hungary. Some common trends I have noticed throughout our discussions involve women's challenges dealing with their work/life balance, how much their looks have contributed to their success, and how much family support plays a role in their success. I am particularly interested in how these remarkable women have balanced both work and life as I plan to become a mother as I pursue my career. I am looking forward to meeting the women scientists of Vienna tomorrow; however, I wish we would be able to directly ask them about their experiences as women in the workforce, as that is the basis of this course. I suppose that the cultural difference of not being able to politely ask those questions is a strong statement in itself and we should ask other creative questions to discover what it takes to be successful in this city as a woman. As far as culture shock is concerned, I am doing okay even though it is my first time in Europe. Everything is so beuatiful here and I wish we had more time in each city to experience all the things they have to offer.

Greetings from the happy hostel in vienna! -mariel

2008-05-25T13:46:00.000-07:00

Wow! We are about to say goodnight on our 2nd night in vienna and our 5th night of the trip... where has the time gone? While I am weirded out that we are half way done with our adventure with only 5 more nights left, I feel as if I have already had ample experiences that i can reflect back on.

So far our investigation into the similarities and differences between women's progression in Hungary and Austria in comparrison to the United States has been incredible. I had no idea that women (or men!) in Hungary could basically have up to 8 years of paid maternity leave from the government based on how many kids they have. How come there is no government regulation on maternity leave in the united states? Another interesting comparrison between women in the US and the women of Hungary is that they seem to be fighting different battles based on their country's history. Because women in Hungary were essentially forced to work during the communist era there has been a backlash in recent years of women dropping out of the workforce to stay at home with their families. While there is absolutely nothing wrong with that decision it is interesting to note that more and more women are making their decisions due to the fact that they could not before. Women in the US on the other hand were not allowed to enter the workforce in prior years, therefore the numbers of women choosing to stay in the workforce after having children has been increasing since the women's rights movement. I found it so interesting how two vastly different countries have women that are basing their employment decisions based on the history of the particular country.

On the fun side we have been able to enjoy some amazing tours and activities in the past few days that have successfully broken up our somewhat tiring in-depth analysis on women's leadership. My favorite thus far was without a doubt the mineral baths at the spa we went to in Budapest. It was so different than anything I have experienced before and it was a definite bonding time with the group!

Well we are off to brastislava in the morning and i need to re-pack yet again, this trip has been amazing thus far and we still have two more countries to go!

-Mariel Friedman

Central Europe Reflections

2008-05-25T13:32:00.000-07:00

Over the last week here in Central Europe, we have had an opportunity to meet some very strong willed, opinionated, hard working, self driven women who can be referred to as trail blazers. Not only are they changing the status quo, they are confident in their abilities and are not willing to go along with the expectations of others. I see these women working to make a change, not only for themselves but they are also working to help other women to take opportunities that are available to them and not to settle for what others think they should do, but to go after what they want.

Like women in the United States and other parts of the world, they believe that they can achieve it all. Children and family are important and they believe that they can work to achieve getting the better education, the perfect position or job and having a family. There is no question that they are confident that they can achieve all of the above and it is most evident that they are doing just that.

The same issues exist as in the United States and the rest of the world. The women in Central Europe continue to make less than men, the expectation is that they should stay home and be good mothers and wives, and they continue to try and knock down the glass ceiling.

All of the women that we met are trailblazers and as they continue to motivate and encourage other women, it is clear that they are going to make a difference.

Isaline

Central Europe trip - Lauren Hassett

2008-05-25T13:31:00.000-07:00

Its getting late here in the beautiful city of Vienna even though its not even 5pm back in the states. Our time here in this wonderful city is almost up and we only have one day left to explore and experience what its like to be in Vienna! I have learned so much about the history in not only Vienna but in Budapest as well and I cannot wait to see the other two citys we will visit although I will it here. I dont think that I would ever want to live in Budapest or Vienna but they are definatly places I would like to visit again.

The culture in Budapest and Vienna are so different in so many ways. Budapest has more laws towards womans rights than Vienna but I feel that Vienna is a much better work environment for women. After talking with Joanna who is attending the University of Vienna and studying law,she informed me that she didnt feel that she was personally discriminated against at all in school or in any of her jobs for being a woman working towards a leadership role. She felt that she was readily accepted and treated almost equal except for the pay. I found out that there are no equal pay laws in Vienna and that woman are usually paid less than 20% than men which is almost the same as the US even though we have labor laws against that.

I have so much more that I have learned and would love to share but its getting late and I'm exausted after all the walking around and exploring the city today, so I'm off to bed.

Report from Vienna - Sylvia Corfman

2008-05-25T13:19:00.000-07:00

It is our last night in Vienna; we are off to Bratslava tomorrow evening. The first 3 days in BudaPest, we met with many business women who talked about Hungary and the challenges of being a woman in business. I was struck about how similar the challenges are to my own as an American woman in business. Such things as work-life balance, spousal support and flexible work schedules. However, in the US, businesses are finally realizing the advantage of customizing work schedules to keep talent in the workforce. ´Hungary does not have part-time positions, to speak of, or they are low-pay and unchallenging. Austria, on the other hand, has offered a flexible work schedule, for as long as the young women we talked with, could remember, thus allowing young mothers to remain in the workforce while their children are young.

I must sign off now, because internet access is not allowed after 10pm and if 'caught' I could be fined $22 euro/hour.

Expectations of Central Europe Visit Isaline

2008-05-25T13:17:00.000-07:00

It would be very interesting to hear what the women in leadership positions in Central Europe would discuss. The women in the United States and other parts of the world continue to work to break through the glass ceiling and have a bigger voice in corporations and fortune 500 companies. While women leaders are making a difference and having a greater voice, there is still a long way to go and more work to be done to attain the fulfilment and achievement that women have hoped for. I am curious to hear where the women of Central Europe are in terms of their contributions in the workplace and where they see themselves in the next five to ten years. Are they earning equal pay to men? Do they hold top positions? Are they having a voice and are they still expected to be the ones who take care of the children and the home. I am most curious to hear and compare.

May 25, 2008 Brienne Black

2008-05-25T12:51:00.000-07:00

Well sadly this will be quick, because there is a long line waiting for computers...since there aren't too many readily available. I have had an absolutely amaizing time here in Eastern/Central Europe so far. This is not my first time to Europe, so I am not too culture shocked, and since I am living in Boston, the city doesn't seem so odd for me. I have found it extremely interesting though to hear from women and what they have to say and the struggles they face. In some senses it sounds like they face fewer challenges than women in the United States, but in others they face more. I think this has been one of the most eye opening and interesting experiences of the trip. I did really like the trip to the Palace today though, I found it very stunning and beautiful! I also found it very interesting that Mary-Theresa was the ruler of the house and not her husband, what a change in roles that is. Over all I think this has been a great adventure, and I cannot wait to see what Bratislava and Prague have in store for me!

Mid-Trip Report

2008-05-25T12:49:00.000-07:00

I find myself writing this in the beautiful city of Vienna. There have been a number of experiences that I have enjoyed thus far and I'm certain there will be more to come.

It does not come as a surprise the the cities that we have traveled to have been full of great architecture, sights, and history. The sightseeing and food have been great, but we have gotten to hear stories from several women leaders that have added a whole other dimension to our experience here.

In Hungary, we learned about the system that is in place to allow mothers the opportunity to stay at home when they have children. They are paid 70% of their prior salary if they are insured, and oftentimes, their employers supplement that with the remaining 30%. This is in place for two years and by law, the employers have to hold their positions for when they return. This salary coverage can be used for up to 3 children and the mother can take time off until her youngest child reaches the age of 8. Although this may seem like a very good deal for us in the States, it is still removing the mother from the workforce and it is often difficult for her to get back into it when she returns. Although she has a guaranteed job, her employer can fire her after she has been back for a month if she is not holding up to their performance standards. These policies are still a way to keep women out of the workforce and Hungarian women do face the obstacles of balancing motherhood and their professional lives. Even if a mother wants to keep working, if she does not take this time off, she is looked down upon as a bad parent.

These difficulties aside, the women that we were able to speak with were very successful in balancing their professional and personal lives. They seem to have succeeded and enjoy the work they are doing. We will be meeting with Viennese scientists tomorrow and I'm sure we will get a completely different perspective from them.

Mid-Trip Report (Abi Rafeh, Raya)

2008-05-25T12:40:00.000-07:00

It is an amazing experience to have the opportunity to meet so many people from the countries we have visited so far. Many, including professors, professionals in the workplace, and students, have been able to share their experiences as women who have succeeded in a country that still considers them as not equal beings. I realized that through these women’s perseverance and determination, they are creating a path for the younger generation towards a better life in the workplace and household. The city of Budapest is quite unique based on its people. I found that it is a city where many of the people seem to be more to them selves and reserved rather than Vienna where everyone is very friendly and assists strangers (foreigners). I am absolutely amazed by the energy and life in Vienna because there is more of a common bond among the people through out the day and night life. Furthermore, there are so many hidden subliminal messages around the city that it makes a person ponder upon the different meanings they symbolize. Overall, this trip is not over yet and I can’t wait to discover the new and exciting events in Bratislava and Prague.

Ciao for now.

blog in vienna

2008-05-25T12:14:00.000-07:00

we are in vienna right now.We have already gone to budapest and we have two more places to go. I have had an awesome trip so far and I cant wait to see the other two areas. I am looking forward to seeing prague. Vienna is beautiful and the people are nice. This city is more modern than budapest. so far we have meet some amazing women. These women are driven and inspiring which really is partof the culture. This is reflected in the art we have seen in the palace today. men are pointing to the women and the women are pointing to themelves. this shows that the women are in charge and confident. this shows me that being confident and driven is what you need to get yourself to higher placesl, either in the workplace or in other areas of life. vienna caught me that these characteristics are important to success in this culture.

Jessie Sementelli

Blogging during the trip

2008-05-25T11:57:00.000-07:00

Ok so right now we have seen one and a half city and spoken to several women. Budapest was an incredibly exciting city although I really can't help but wonder if the women who are so keen on encouraging other women to enter the work force and pursue leadership positions value the fact that women who take care of the household are also doing something. Even though the women who are not staying home aren't exactly moving mountains, they are doing what they can do best. There is a chance that maybe they will not be the least bit productive in a working environment outside the house. I DO agree that women should give it a try in order to find out, but a woman is still very valuable and is still a worthwhile woman if she chooses to stay home and "raise babies. Some people are better suited for that type of environment and who knows...maybe THEY will be able to take care of and raise the person who WILL move the visible mountains everyone is expecting to see. As with any life choice one makes, there needs to be preparation. If a woman chooses to stay home and take care of her household and the children, she should probably know that financially she WILL need something to fall back on in case the breadwinner of the household is one day no longer able to do so. There needs to be careful planning. Just as a women who ventures out into the work force needs to make sure that her household and children are being taken care of (through childcare, arrangements with members of the house to help cooking and cleaning, etc.) women who are suited to stay home need to make sure that other ares of their life (such as economic) are taken care of. Both lifestyles require the same amount of dedication, preparation, and attention and the women who are successful at either one of those areas should not be evaluated differently.

Half way into trip: Pamela Griffin

2008-05-25T11:49:00.000-07:00

I can not believe that we only have half or time left in central europe. So far we have gone to Budapest and we are right now in vienna although tonight is our last night. Budapest was a really goos experience. It was a very old country especially in reagards to the artictecture. The buda hills was great because I really felt like I was in the old country. The presentations that we had were great because we got to learn about lots of womens experiences being in leadership experiences esp how they are trying to increase the fertility rate but the paternity leave for women can take them out of the work force for more than 2-3 years but then comming back to the workforce is very hard so it ends up being a double edge sword. Also it was interesting to here the Vienna is very different from Budapest because it is very more modern city and a lot more touristy. Tomorrow we are going to go see the scientists which I have been looking forward to becuase being a science major and not a managment major. Today was rainy and cold in the morning but then it opened up and got really sunny and nice. Tomorrow after a full day we are going Bratisliva.

2008-05-20T11:40:00.000-07:00

Im leaving for the airport in about 5 minutes. When people ask me if I'm excited about going to Europe I tell them that I won't be excited until I'm actually there. I've been to Prague before and I loved it so I'm really excited to be going back. I researched the hotels, restaurants, and sites that we'll be going to. EVerything looks so interesting and I cannot wait to experience it all first hand. I'm most excited about going to the University in Austria and meeting with the other students. Being able to discuss the similarities and differences about being a student in the United States and a student in Europe is going to be a really great learning experience. I'm so excited!
-Katerina

Pre-Departure Post

2008-05-20T10:28:00.000-07:00

Wow in about an hour I will be leaving for the airport. I must admit I have tons of butterflies as I have never been anywhere outside the country except for Canada and Brazil before. Goodbyes have been bittersweet even though I will only be gone for a few short days (we Brazilians are "special" like that). I keep thinking that I'm forgetting something. I am all packed up but refuse to close all my bags until I am leaving the house...because I keep remembering useless things I probably won't use but want to take and putting them in! I am also e
I am very excited about seeing the role of women in all these different countries. From the articles it seems as if women are probably more valued for their manual labor than for their "brains" but I'm hoping to see otherwise when we get there. Men don't seem to be very supressive but they are just indiferent to the situation and offer little support in light of the difficult situations the women face. I'm super excited about going on this trip with so many people and Professors Gupta and Kelley. From what I've seen in the schedule it'll be a little crazy but I think we can handle it.

Pre-Departure Post (Kara Messenger)

2008-05-20T10:06:00.000-07:00

I am very excited for our trip. Only a few more hours until I'll be on my way to the airport! I still have a lot of packing to do as I lost my passport on Sunday and had to be out for most of the day yesterday trying to get a new one. Thankfully, I received one in a matter of hours. I was very stressed out about losing it but am now able to be fully excited about visiting Central Europe. I have never been overseas before so I am looking forward to my first experience in a foreign country. The itinerary seems very full of fun and interesting activities and I can't wait to observe all of the things we have been discussing in this course in person. Many people have told me that Prague and Vienna are among the most beautiful cities in the world and I can't wait to see them for myself. I also just turned 21 yesterday and being able to travel to a different part of the world will be the best birthday gift of all. See you all later!

Pre departure Post - Ayesha Mohammad

2008-05-20T04:19:00.000-07:00

12 hours to go, and finally I can feel the excitement. My visa arrived just yesterday, so knowing that I had to have a back up plan all along and being prepared for not being able to go was all that was running through my mind during the past few days. I have heard so much about Prague and Vienna being the most beautiful places in the world, I have been really looking forward to this trip. Since I love different cultures, expereincing their food and their way of living. I knew that going on this trip I would be able to learn a lot more about the place as it will be an academic experience combined with lots of fun! I am looking forward to getting to know the other students in the groups and treasure this experience and enjoy these awesome memories all my life!

Pre-Departure Post (Raya Abi Rafeh)

2008-05-19T20:58:00.000-07:00

It has been two weeks since I moved back home to New York City and unpacked all my suitcases and boxes from my dorm. I was truly content that I ended my freshmen year on good terms and was ready to go on an adventure to new locations. I had finally arrived back in Boston and meet up with friends for dinner. We shared our experiences of how much traveling we have done in our lives, describing very first experiences to extremely funny moments of embarrassment. I had my first cross continental trip at the very young age of three months from New York to Italy. My father had a lot of business with the Italians; thus, my mother and I would join him on his trips. As I got older, I would travel mostly to Lebanon and France because of my heritage there. Having the opportunity to travel many countries opened my knowledge of diverse cultures to a higher level of appreciation for the citizens of the world. This will be my very first time I travel to countries in Central Europe. I knew I would most probably never have the chance again to visit these countries and decided what better way to discover true local cultures than through my school. It will truly be an unforgettable experience to meet people from every corner in those countries to really understand their unique and indigenous points of view. Traveling is my favorite passion and hopefully I will continue on with my adventures.

Pre-Departure Post-Brienne Black

2008-05-19T19:51:00.000-07:00

Well…I just finished packing….checking everything…and packing again. I had quite the adventure finding my passport. I had it with me at school this year in a locked box, and somehow I misplaced the key to the box. I had to un-pack everything from school look all over and re-pack it all….and I still did not find the key. I had to tear the hinges off of the box to get my passport, but fortunately I did. I am very excited for the trip, however I am not looking at all forward to the flight. I have been to Europe before, and that is by far the worst part. I will be getting up bright and early tomorrow morning to catch a bus to Boston Logan Airport, which is scheduled to arrive at 3:55pm….hopefully it is on time. Well I hope everyone else is as excited as I am and is packed and all ready to go. I will see you all tomorrow.

Pre-Departure Post (Jenn Kowaloff)

2008-05-19T18:54:00.000-07:00

I have to leave for the airport in 15 hours and I have yet to start packing. I loathe packing. To be honest, I'm pretty nervous about this trip. I've never been overseas and I don't particularly like flying over water. At the same time I think adrenaline will kick in when we land and I'm actually in Europe. I'm very excited to see the cities and talk to the people we are going to meet.
I hope we can really see all the things we have talked about in class apparent in real life in terms of culture and gender norms and expectations. I also hope we get a chance to see the differences between the countries. I'm sure with such a full itinerary we will not truly absorb everything we see until after the trip is over but hopefully group discussion will help us learn from each other's experiences and get the most out of this trip.
On a personal note, my mom's family is from the Czech Republic and Slovakia so it's also very exciting to see the places where my great-grandparents lived.
I also hope this will be a great bonding experience for all of us.
I keep having dreams that I arrive at the airport either having forgotten to pack or without my passport so keep your fingers crossed for me that neither of those things happen and we have a smooth trip!!

Good luck packing everyone!

Pre-Departure Post (CE - Sylvia Corfman)

2008-05-19T16:30:00.000-07:00

I arrived by plane from San Francisco this morning, napped a couple of hours, unpacked, washed and am ready to iron and pack again. Our oldest son's wedding was this past weekend in Monterey, where it was uncharacteristically warm, and as beautiful as ever. As I prepare to travel an approximate distance in the opposite direction tomorrow, I am mindful of the startk contrast between the two destinations. Reviewing the itinerary to plan appropriate attire makes this contrast even more apparent.

It is with mixed emotions that I begin this trip, mostly from the after effects as the 'mother-of-the-groom,' an invisible persona akin to the U.S. Vice President's position, and the little time to properly prepare for Central Europe.

I am eager, though, to see this part of the world. I have listened to many stories from acquaintances who have visited the area, before and after the 1989 Velvet Revolution, and the dissolution of the communist state. These stories along with our class readings, presentors and discussions about Central Europe, its people and history, have piqued my interest to learn even more personally about this culture and how it affects modern-day women.

From my pre-departure paper, I selected an excerpt about CE's cultural awareness:

"Central Europe is an area that is defined more by its historic legacy than its geographical boundaries. Its diverse culture has been shaped over the centuries by war and cultural hegemony, a theory put forth by Antonio Gramsci in the early twentieth century. Gramsci’s theory simply states “that man is not ruled by force alone, but also by ideas” (Bates 1975). Forty-eight Czech female factory workers provide evidence of this theory when they resign themselves to their plight of economic hardship after the Czech Republic’s stalled economic transformation from socialism to capitalism during the 1990’s (Weiner 2005). These women accepted the political mantra of delayed gratification for long-term gain, positioning themselves to see no other alternative than to remain as factory workers."

With the Velvet Revolution in 1989 and consequently the transition from a socialistic economy to a free-market economy, workers valued a higher future orientation. However, these same workers remained attached to their strong cultural heritage of family and group structure, as a means of protection against the disappointments forced upon them by the variety of government and regime changes. This strong family attachment illustrates Central Europe’s high in-group collectivism cultural dimension. When the anticipated economic hardship delay of five years stretched into ten, these Czech women, as well as the entire Czech Republic, became disillusioned. This repeated pattern, which played out across most of Central Europe, except Hungary, contributed to this culture’s low future orientation."

Now, back to packing, and the myriad other details that must be done, before embarking on an (additional) 11-day trip. See everyone at the airport tomorrow!

Post Departure

2008-05-19T11:45:00.000-07:00

I am so excited and anxious about leaving for Central Europe. At this point I am very stressed out about packing and making sure I have everything and will be well prepared. I am a little nervous about how busy the trip will be. When I have gone away before, there is usually alot of free time to do whatever. I know the trip has to be micro-managed because we have a short time to do so much, but I am anxious to see how it will go since I have never been on a trip like this before. I am so excited to see 4 countries that I have never been to before and learn about how the women in management work there and how they got to be in the positions they are in now. I am excited to hear their stories and learn about their difficulites to make it to where they are so I can learn and hopefully take their experiences to help me. Leaving tomorrow and I still haven't packed!! Have to go do that now!

Pre-Departure (the 25 1/2 hour countdown)

2008-05-19T11:37:00.000-07:00

Well, it's nearly time. My bags aren't packed, but I'm ready to go... Nearly 24 hours until I will be at the airport tomorrow for this whirlwind trip around Central and Eastern Europe.

In my experiences of traveling, you can never really have expectations about what the trip will be like. I like to approach travel with an open mind and heart and a willingness to go with the flow. That said, I am excited about the people we will encounter and the places we will see. I am particularly looking forward to exploring the cities and soaking in the culture and history. I expect that any of my preconceived notions about European countries will be blown away and replaced with real memories and concrete experiences. I want to find out more about what life is like in the four countries we will be seeing. I'm interested in learning about business practices in Europe and how sustainability fits into their business model.

From my pre-departure paper, I would like to share a passage where I reflected upon awareness of cultural dimensions after completing the class readings and interacting with my classmates: "For women living in Central Europe, India or the United States, having children still makes it more difficult to advance in the workplace. There is still the existing stigma that women should fulfill certain roles, while men should be in others. It is often expected that women should raise the children while men will financially support the household. This pushes women into either staying home to care for the children, or taking jobs that allow them to bring in additional income while working with the children's schedule. In some countries in Europe, it is easier for a women to take time off because there are social supports for this. Many countries offer several months of time off for maternity leave and it is even paid time off in some areas. There are often times when women have to choose between the work and family and this makes it challenging for women to rise to leadership positions." I am interested to see if this perception holds true and see how women balance their busy lives.

I know this is going to be an incredible experience. I am looking forward to sharing it with the other women and professors who are coming along. It is certain that we will all learn a lot and will hopefully be able to bring back some key learning experiences to apply to our lives at home.

Look forward to seeing everyone tomorrow!

-Justine

pre-departure blog

2008-05-18T11:23:00.000-07:00

Jessie Sementelli
I cannot wait for this trip. I have been to Europe before but never to these countries. It is still hard to believe that this trip is around the corner. I am looking forward to meeting new people from these countries and to see the different cultures. I am excited to see the different lands and go on the tours. It will be very interesting to compare and contrast what we have learned thought readings and the classes, to the real experience of being in the country. It will also be interesting to be able to compare it to what India students experienced. I want to find out how people in Central Europe live their life I am expecting this trip to expand my multicultural knowledge and to be very interesting and fun. In my pre-departure paper, I mentioned that I expect these countries to be similar but very different. Even though the countries have many similar aspects, I predict that when we visit the different areas we will find distinct differences in the cultures, the societies and the environment. This trip seems to so short but reading the itinerary it looks like we will be very busy. I hope that when I come back from the trip I will have a new aspect of different cultures and lots of pictures.

Pre-Departure Blog

2008-05-15T10:31:00.000-07:00

Pamela Griffin

I can not believe that in 5 days we will be traveling to Central Europe. This whole semester I have been looking forward to the trip and finally it is just around the corner. We have learned so much about the countries that we will be visiting through the two full day workshops along with readings. However, you can not fully experience a country until you actual go and visit. The itinerary is packed full so I have no doubt that despite our short amount of time in each city we will be ale to get the full experience and learn a lot. I have never been to Europe so this trip is going to be an amazing experience. I am really looking forward to just being in the moment and taking the whole experience. I am looking forward to experience all the cultures and comparing and contrasting them to each other to see how they differ from our readings and workshops. Of course, I am really looking forward to getting to know all the girls that are going on the trip and making long lasting bonds with them. There is not one particular thing on the trip that I am looking forward more than the other; I am excited to do everything.

Less than a week until arrival!

2008-05-14T18:36:00.000-07:00

I am so excited that we leave for central Europe in less than one week from today! I feel that this trip will be an experience of a lifetime for everyone involved and that everything we have learned in the classroom will be able to be applied to this trip. I am so grateful that we were given two full days of cultural education, so when we go over to central Europe, we will have a basis to enhance our learning while we are there. I think that meeting all of these women entrepreneurs will be very enlightening and also motivating, because these women are breaking the mold in business. I am looking forward to fully immersing myself in the cultures of these four countries. I know that with the short amount of time, we will be in sensory overload, but I am looking forward to learning about the culture, the demographics, and the history. Based upon our readings in class, central eastern Europe has so much history within each country and it will be interesting to compare what we see in present day, to our readings about the history of these countries and the cultural and economic development that has been occurring during the post-communist years. I am going over to central europe with a completely open mind and a great attitude for whatever we are able to experience. Our itinerary is jam-packed, but that means that there will never be a dull moment. I'll keep you posted on what happens next!!

:) So excited!

L.R.

Pre-Departure Blog

2008-05-14T11:29:00.000-07:00

Elizabeth Hennigan
I'm looking forward to traveling Central Europe. After receiving the final itinerary I became even more enthusiastic about the trip. Visiting 4 countries in the short time we have can be challenging but with everything we have planned it looks like it's going to be nothing less than a rewarding experience. This will be my first time to Europe so my expecations are all over the place. I'm most looking forward to the conversations we will be having with leaders, tour guides and the locals. The open dialogue will be both enjoyable and informative. Even though there will be a language barrier, the end result of shared information will be beneficial in comparing and understanding the culture. I'm also looking forward to seeing as much of each city as possible. Each city offers beauty and is vastly different from the environments in which I'm accustomed. I'm interested in seeing how the cities and living dynamics effect and influence the various cultures. In the end, I think comparing cross cultures will be interesting. I'm interested in seeing the various roles of women in each country and the roles of the women leaders in their respected businesses. I am excited to embrace each culture, learn as much as I can, and get as much out of this experience as possible.

Pre Departure Blog

2008-05-13T09:53:00.000-07:00

Diana Magner
I am looking forward to experiencing so many different cultures in a short period of time. It will be amazing to be able to apply what we had read and learned about this countries to actually observing these countries and their customs. I have never been to central Europe so I look forward to comparing the role of women there to what I have seen in other parts of Europe and in the United States. I also would like to see what different experience we have in comparison to the group that visited India. The thing I am looking forward to most is meeting with the Austrian women scientists. This fascinates me because I am a science major here and one of the mar topics that always comes up is the challenges that women face in the science and technology industries, similar to the glass ceiling effect that women in the business industry face. It thinks its such a cultural difference that they will not wish to discuss being women scientists especially because we go to a women's college so are such empowered women and love to discuss that topic. One thing that I discussed in my predepature paper is the fact that before I read the book I assumed that all the countries would be very similar. The more I research and learn about these cultures the more I realize how different each one is and how much progression each has experienced post communism. I look forward to see how much Prague has changed since the guest speaker visited it over a decade ago. I cant wait to go!

Pre-Departure blog

2008-05-12T08:22:00.001-07:00

I cant wait to step off the plane in Central Europe and emerge myself in culture. I want to see how each country runs differently and how woman really are looked at in comparison to America. I cant wait to taste their food, photo graph their historical land marks and get to know more than just what you read in the textbooks.

Pre-Departure blog

2008-05-12T08:22:00.000-07:00

Deb H. at GIM in Coimbatore

2008-01-11T01:42:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we were at the Jansen School of Business in our beautiful salwar kameez outfits. Many pictures were taken. Met with a male graduate who’s now an entrepreneur and a female student in her first year. They were both fun to talk to. His factory produces for Roca Wear. I feel like a bit of a fraud when we are supposed to discuss business and I really don’t know the first thing about it. But there’s always something to talk about and learn, especially in these settings when both sides are eager to please and enjoy. I don’t think I have time now to go into all the details from my notes, but we talked about gender and family structure mostly. Lunch was delicious, including fresh pineapple, papaya, some type of orange and watermelon juice!

Next we had a tour of a textile factory, a high privilege not offered to many. Next we drove in lots of exciting traffic to a bizarre. It was kind of seedy, like similar fairs in the US. One salesman was rather aggressive squeezing bangles over my hand. I don’t anticipate taking them off. We had dinner at a fancy hotel with a grand lobby and large buffet. I didn’t feel like eating, so I just had desserts. Again I was extremely tired. I’m so grateful that I haven’t been sick at all. We came back to the hotel wiped out and it was so nice to find another gift waiting for us, beautiful shawls.

Today is Friday and we’re being treated like celebrities at the GIM school. I feel weird being in the computer lab when the students toiled for a week preparing for our visit and we’re not being with them right now. They welcomed us with fireworks, a parade, coconut water (in coconuts), dressed us in saris complete with accessories, ceremonies, performances, presentations, served tea and cookies while we watched, took videos and a million photos, games, lunch, even a cow! Holy cow. Lots to take in.

Zelina POst 4

2008-01-11T01:37:00.000-08:00

Sorry for not making sense in my last blog. I was kind of medicated.lol But the last two days was amazing. Today we had sarees put on. and yesterday we got to have a discussion with the students that i found to be very interesting. The students asked me questions about the government in america and alot of financial questions like how do you get a loan and etc. I found interesting when i was having a converstaion with two students one male and one female that the male student would not allow to let the female student to speak and would cut her off quite a few. It was very aggrivating, because he asked a lot of qustions and would not take the time to let me answer, so i told him that he needed to let me finish. After we all left I stayed back with the female student and asked her if that happens a lot and she said that the country is very masculine and that it happens alot but she is ok with it. I found it very hard to deal with, becuase she and I were not allowed to express ourselves. But it was an amazing conversation one of the most. Also I loved the Jensens school it was very very beautiful aand the students were more knowledgable about the u.s. and was not very conservative in their learning. I also loved the experience of going to shanti's house it was very nice and the food was amazing and her house was interesting not much in it.

Melanie - GIM

2008-01-11T01:32:00.000-08:00

Today we arrived at GIM and had the most beautiful/ embarrassing arrival possible. We pulled onto the campus and there was a group of men with various instruments from hand drums to who knows what, and off in the distance there were small fireworks going off. Further down the road the women off the college were lined up on both sides, we started walking down the path following the men with the instruments. As we passed the women they then joined in the procession and as we got to the top of the road the men from the college lined the road. We were greeted by almost the entire college; it was just so moving that they all wanted to be here to meet us. I say it was embarrassing only because I am not used to such lavish displays such as this one was. As we entered the building we were greeted with lays made out of jasmine and sent to a reception where we were given giant coconuts that had been drilled to fit the straws, this was quite the experience. I had tried coconut milk before but the coconuts here look so different and are so much larger than the ones that I have gotten in the states.
The next thing that happened was that we were sent to the women’s quarters where we each were paired up with a student, it was sari time, and I was so excited and hoped that I wasn’t going to have the same sizing problem as yesterday. I shouldn’t have hoped so highly because; surprise surprise there was a problem. The sari is made up of three different parts, a cropped top, a skirt and the long piece of fabric. The skirt fit perfectly as did the pants yesterday and of course the long piece of fabric was fine because well it is a really long piece. But the top, it didn’t fit so well, our host here was fabulous and came to check on me before I even knew that a problem was going to arise and had me try it on, it was too small so she took it to let out the seems and gave me and gave me as much extra fabric as possible, but unfortunately that wasn’t enough. So we had to make ado and luckily the shirt I had made here was gray and black stripped so it didn’t clash too badly for my taste with the yellow that I was wearing. Ha the next issue came when we tried to put the bangles on, first attempt not so much second attempt with soap and water not so much so we gave up. Third issue was with a necklace that we were given was too small and so it was pretty much like a chocker, I didn’t want to be insulting after all the other issues I had so I wore it for the time being but then took it off. Oh and the hair, these of course are all small issues but my girl tried to brush my hair to put it back and well since I have curly hair it would have turned into a large afro. I mean some of the women have curly hair here and they defiantly brush it because some of them their hair is really bushy, but their hair is longer and mine is shorter.

Claudia #4

2008-01-11T01:28:00.000-08:00

Men and women in India think men and women are equal. However I have noticed that women and men are often separated. My hypothesis is that the philosophy is separate but equal. The problem with separate but equal is making sure that it is equal. Men seem to think that they can do things that women can do not as well, however they also believe that there are some things women can do better then men. Does that count as equality? Is that accepting a difference and utilizing each person to their full potential, and is there anything wrong with that? I want to learn more about this. The problem with that is that this is their way of life. So why would they feel it interesting or relevant to tell me about it. There is no reason they should think it is that different. The other problem is that as a kind of new concept for me I am not sure what to ask, or how to ask it.

Another problem I have come across is finding out the difference. There are things that I would not have thought would be interesting but they have come up only to learn that things are very different in India. Similarly I have asked things that I thought would be different and their answer is similar to how things are done in the US. Without knowing what I don’t know, how do I know how to ask it.

Winnie Huie #4

2008-01-11T01:27:00.000-08:00

Today we got to wear saree! It was an amazing experience putting it on. The girls that at the GIM school or Guruvayurappan institute helped us put it on, they were very attentive. I never realized how much work and effort it took to put it on. I can’t believe these girls put this on when ever there is a special occasion. While in America we just put on a nice dress or out fit, the girls here wrap themselves in these. It is like a person in a origami After getting change we went to the cultural workshop where we watched girls put on a performance about Indian marriage. I never realized how much the culture has progressed, and looking at the presenters, this practice is very practical for them even though it may not interest us. This is their way of building leaders and it works. Being a mother, wife, and worker is very empowering for them. They are proud they are playing all these parts and see no hardship. Everything was well played out, though I was very overwhelmed with the information and hospitality from the students and faculty. It was really exciting to watch other cultural practices and I can’t wait to see more.

Wei Wong - #4

2008-01-11T01:20:00.000-08:00

Today we’re visiting the GIM (Guruvayurappan Institute of Management), about an hour away from Coimbatore and from the City Tower hotel. We now have a tour bus (like the ones you see taking people around in the States), which is infinitely more comfortable than the buses/taxis we’ve had. Prof. Gupta has been so accommodating and helpful, and the times that I hear him negotiating to make things more comfortable for us reminds me of what a great professor he is.

After being put into the salwar kameez yesterday, I have a newfound respect for all the Indian women wearing sarees. When we first arrived at GIM, they played drums and had a welcoming ceremony just for us, and gave us a welcoming drink of coconut juice (out of an Indian coconut, no less). Then we were split up into different groups of two or three students and led to the women’s hostel to be dressed into sarees. I was the first to be dressed into a saree, and I was so surprised at how long it took to dress! I was so glad to be pinned up, and when we came together as a group, it was like looking at caterpillars becoming butterflies (since all of us were in different colors). The students also put on some temporary henna tattoos on our arms (so glittery) and then they gave us a cultural performance and told the history of women in Tamil Nadu (and in India).

Following the performances was an incense ceremony to the gods celebrating Pongol, and since they worship cows, we got to feed the cow. That was pretty amusing, as was watching some of the girls play a game similar to our piñata game. I’m still so amazed at all the hospitality that these people are offering us; we’re the first international visitors to the campus (in the world, no less), and they’ve catered to our every need. Everywhere we’ve gone in India I’ve experienced this, and I have a feeling that I’ll be bringing this back to the States with me.

Tomorrow we’re going to Cheruthuruthy in Kerala, to stay at a river retreat and relax (somewhat). I can’t wait!

Kimberly Le Post # 4

2008-01-11T01:18:00.001-08:00

Yesterday was very tiring, especially because we had to wear this traditional outfits all day in the scorching heat, even though we were only outside for a short while. Personally, i'm just not used to being outside in the sun with no beach around, so that took a little bit of getting used to.

We visited a textile company, one of the largest in India. We sat down at the meeting room where the executives of the company came and gave us a presentation into what it is they do. Surprisingly, the people were regarded by the top dog as the his top officers, all men, no woman. Funny that we were there representing an all woman's college, but in being there and actually being able to ask questions, I learned from a man's.. let me rephrase, from the men's point of view what role woman actual play. Overall, to the men in India, women are mothers. They are more family and relationship oriented.

Today started off extraordinary! I realized I lost weight and so for breakfast, I dogged down 4 slices of toast and a bowl of cereal. We then took a luxurious bus trip up to another college where i believe we as guest were treating the best. I swaer it felt like royalty and all the treatment came directly from the people's hearts and it was very touching. From the moment we stepped out the bus, fireworks shot off and there was drums and music playing and students lined up, all the way to the auditorium that was built the evening prior, where 90% of the students put on a fabulous presentation for us. It was a lecture, a play, a mime show, a fashion show, and much much more, all crammed in one. It was amazing and I could not have felt any more welcomed. I love India, this country has captured my heart.

Catalina Rojo

2008-01-11T01:18:00.000-08:00

Hey, this time I remembered to put my name in the title! haha. I have had an amazing time, even after my little incident yesterday, I am now up and running as smooth as ever! Today we were fitted for saris. It was very exciting to see how they fold and fashion the long 6 meter piece of cloth to your body. We were all separated to fit our saris, and a few of the students helped us put them on. The saris we received were all stiffly starched and it is hard to keep a fold in them. I have no idea how they are able to fold and wrap the cloth to make it look so good on themselves. We each got different colors and different patterns, mine is green with red trim. It is very pretty, but not really my style.

The toughest thing I have noticed about wearing the sari is making it look good all the time. The folds come undone, the skirt slips, and the blouse rides up. I am constantly adjusting and pulling on everything, trying to make it look as good as the girls here. I think it also has to do with the quality of fabric we have as opposed to the quality of the saris the girls wear on a daily basis. I have no idea how they can handle the heat and the humidity caused by the sari, I feel like I am sweating bullets.

Another problem the sari presents is going to the bathroom, a task not easily done. I feel like I am back in ancient times, squating over the hole in the floor they call the toliet and hiking up my skirts and pleats and underskirts trying to not get them wet. It is quite an experience, and I have enjoyed learning about this unique part of their culture.

Courtney Williams Post 4

2008-01-11T01:16:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we had a really unique opportunity in Coimbatore, we visited one of the factories that produces cotton fabrics for several companies, including a few in the US, like Hanes and Wal-Mart. Apparently it’s one of the best factories in the area, and it’s run by the same company that runs Chennai Silks, one of the largest saree producers. They are the company that’s produced the worlds most expensive silk saree.

They had a lot of the certifications we would look for in a business, such as ISO, and they produced a lot of organic, and naturally dyed yarns and fabrics. They even generate some of their power with wind turbines.
It was amazing to be allowed into this factory, because, as any journalist will tell you, it’s not too often places like these let outsiders, especially foreigners, in to view the manufacturing process. But we were welcomed with more than hospitable arms, we first went into their executive boardroom and viewed a presentation on the company, and then talked with the current CEO and President (managing director) as well as his son and his father (heir and predecessor) about the roles of women in business, environmental issues, and international policy. It got a little tense, because issues involving womens roles in their business were pushed, but they remained courteous and tried to answer our questions as politely as possible.
After the discussion we toured the facility. We saw the president’s office, the sales and customer service departments, fabric testing area, cutting area, assembly area, raw cotton storage, cotton processing, cleaning, and spinning sections. The factory wasn’t at all what you picture when you imagine a clothes manufacturer in India. The ceilings were high, and all the buildings were warehouse like and well lit. The youngest girls there looked young to me, but they had all finished with their primary education, and were at least 15. There were visible safety precautions, and many employees wore dust masks to protect their t\lungs from the cotton dust. The workers all lived and ate for free in hostels on the grounds of the plant, and received yearly bonuses, as well as a large bonus after they’ve been working there for three years, which is enough money for them to get married (which to an American, sounds very assuming and almost condescending, but here it’s looked upon as more than generous.)
Unfortunately our blogging time is almost up, so I’m left without any great insightful conclusion (in contrast to Jen) and pages upon pages left that I wanted to type.

Jessica post number 3

2008-01-11T01:14:00.000-08:00

Greetings, blogland!

We have had an amazing day at GIM--and it is not over yet. I'm sure everyone else has blogged about this, but when we arrived here this morning, the entire school came out to greet us and they gave us flowers, played drums, and shot off fire crackers just to welcome us. They also dressed us in saris, put on a show, let us participate in a cultural celebration, and let us play a traditional game that is kind of like a pinata, only you try to hit a pot full of water.

I shared an observation with everyone on the bus this morning, and I think it is worth mentioning again: When we went to the professor's house the other night, I was shocked to see that her family had so few possessions. To an American, the house seemed to be empty. Today, when I went into the students' dorms, the rooms were nearly empty as well. It is interesting to see the cultural differences in attitudes towards accumulation of material possessions; in America, people are both pressured to constantly consume and there is a social belief that always having more is the ideal. In India, however, people are happy with what they have, and even well-off families are not pressured to consume in the way Americans are. As Professor Gupta mentioned to us earlier today, surveys in India have indicated that most of the top CEOs live incredibly frugally.
Along those lines, shopping is not considered a passtime here as it is in America. People do not go shopping when they are bored or as a social activity. I think I like that attitude better. I have too much clutter as it is.

I think we're out of time. On to the next activity!

Anne M. post #4

2008-01-11T01:13:00.001-08:00

Last night was so much fun. After a lovely day touring the Jenson Campus and meeting with students and businessmen, and visiting a textile factory-which made the most expensive sari in the world, $100,000!-we went out to a carnival. The front was built up like a little palace and light with white lights; very beautiful. I walked around mostly with my fellow student Kim, and we toured all the little stands. It reminded me a lot of all the flea markets at home: bargaining,people shouting prices at you, and others trying to pull you into the shops. It was great fun. Afterwards we went on a small carnival ride with one of the Indian students.
Today was incredible. After being sick and all, today was just so much fun. We left our hotel in Coimbatore this morning to arrive in GIM University. WE did not find out until the bus was pulling up to the University that we were the first americans to visit. I was surprised-and then shocked and delighted with the reception. We were met with a small band of sorts, who played on traditional looking Indian instruments. The female students were lined up along the road as the band led us past them. We were greeted at teh door with strings of lavender placed around our necks, and then we were led to the womens hostel. There we recieved our saris, and with a lot of help from the indian students, we put them on. Afterwards we were led to a main hall, where they had laid out a beautiful flower carpet in a design on the floor, and we were entained with traditional dances and a small lesson of indian culture. Afterwards we attended a small ceromony- I'm not quite sure what it was, but it had to do with the cow. It was very fascinating. Afterward we played a gmae similar to pinata, except with a jug and flowers. I wish I could elaborate more, but we have to move on soon. Till next post!

Steph K. Jan. 11

2008-01-11T01:13:00.000-08:00

The past two days have been amazing. Yesterday after our post, we had an awesome seminar in which we were paired up with a student and a local entrepreneur so we could do a 1 on 1 interview and ask the questions we wanted. My enrepreneur seemed extremely down to earth -- a very modern Indian woman. She owns a decorative glass hardware company jointly with her husband. She also has a 12 year old daughter, so she understands the difficulties of parenthood while maintaining a personal business. She told me that she and her husband share decision making, but they assume different responsibilities in their business. He does the marketing while she does the finance and administrative work. I asked if he prefers to work with clients because he is the male and thinks because of that he should, but she said it is strictly based on the fact that he has more of a extroverted, type A personality, while she personally has always preferred to stay behind the scenes.

She and her husband had an arranged marriage. I asked if she believes that all arranged couples in India work so well together -- as she is suited for the behind the scenes work while he is the extroverted marketer -- and she said a lot of the time that is the case. That is why arranged marriage is so widely accepted in India -- because it works. Parents have the insight and wisdom to pick someone they know will best suit their child. Believe it or not, some of us are envious of this practice. It saves us the trouble of doing it ourselves, and it makes Indian women more accepting of their surroundings and more adaptable. That is a major difference I see in our two cultures. Americans tend to want to adapt our surroundings, while Indian women prefer to adapt themselves. Who is to say that either is better?

Jen Lindsay #4

2008-01-11T01:11:00.000-08:00

We are having so many opportunities to meet with powerful women, learn about graduate programs offered at different Universities, and cultural activities. To see the great changes women have made progressing professionally is great. The change is happening so quickly that even between two generations respect for women in the workplace, the home and educational settings has noticably improved. But it is also important to remember that although many people are supportive of women in leadership, still more of the population believes a women's leadership should occur in the household. We held a q&a session with the highest executives of a textile unit in Coimbatore, concerning their factory and what roles women play in their great success. In response to my question, I donot see any women represented here, the CEO identified a woman standing near the door with a note pad, explaining she is a key player in their office (I think she was a secretary) Throughout this session, I sensed avoidance and discomfort when asked about women positions and leadership in the professional world. As a summary, his opinion (which can be generalized to most of the population of India outside of higher education universities)are supportive of women attending universities and having carreers, but feel it should not interfere with their responsibilites of the household and the family. During a personal interview I had with a family business owner, I discovered he inherited his business from his wife's father, and she doesnot work in the factory. Both (the CEO and the business owner) explained that although their wives and children were not official employees of their businesses, they still play important roles in the sucess of the business. After some avoidance by them and more specific questions by me, I discovered most responsibilites expected by the women is to support the men in their decisions and work lifestyle (late hours, traveling). Although both explained they would not have a problem with women working in their positions, they explained their positions' lifestyles were not suited for Indian women, and that women chose not to reach for such jobs. Also, they explained they would be supportive of their wives working, as long as it did not interfere with the responsibilities they have to the household and the family. Although it was frustrating talking to both of these men, and I left both situations with a sick angry feeling in my stomach, it was important to see that there is still a lot of change that needs to occur to reach equality here in India.

Heather Reis Blog #4

2008-01-11T01:08:00.001-08:00

Today we are at the GIM school in the Coimbatore area. This is the first time that an American college has come to visit the university. Leaving the bus we were greeted by the entire staff and student body. As we walked up the path towards that main building, the students were playing music and giving us flowers. The students and faculty are so proud of their university and that we chose to come and visit them. The cultural performance which included dance, role playing, powerpoint, game, and religious ceremony was very informative. During the cultural performance the women dressed as mimes and acted out a typical Indian woman’s daily life. She first served her husband tea then got him ready for work, followed by dressing her child and sending them off to school. Lastly, she dressed herself and headed to work to deal with the stresses of her job. This helped me see how the working women of India face many of the same struggles as American working women but have the added stress of putting their family first. We were dresses in sarees today. The women of the college were so kind and helpful. Sarees, bangles, earrings, and traditional necklaces. These women have so much pride in their country and their school. Visiting this school, has made me look at my own life, values, and culture and how it affects who I am and my goals for my future.

January 11

2008-01-11T01:08:00.000-08:00

Today was very interesting. When we first got to the college they set up a parade and fireworks. It was very nice to have such a warm welcoming. I also enjoyed the culture part of the day. The dances were very interesting and it was nice to hear more about the background of women's progression in the indian culture. The most interesting point of the show was that they described all the hard work that women do for themselves and their family. They have a sense of women empowerment that is different than how we show it in the United States. Also they gave us a "fashion show" of the different sares that women wear in different villages. The textile factory that we visited yesturday was also very interesting. We got to meet with the ceo which was exciting. I am excited for the next days to come.

Deb H. in Coimbature

2008-01-09T21:22:00.000-08:00

Having a wonderful time in India. Yesterday we flew from Mumbai to Tamil Nadu. Driving from the airport to our hotel, I was excited to be looking at the same bustling streets my parents had seen when they were here 3 years ago. We paired off with students at Karpagam University. My new friend Lakshmi is a management student and aspires to work in a bank. Her parents are very supportive of her and her brother’s education. He has an MBA and works for a private company. I asked if she would work and also have a family and she replied, “Of course, m’am.” Her mother managed it, so she hopes she can too. She explained to me that half of her class is Tamil and half are Malayali. She is Malayali, but also speaks Tamil. The students tend to stay with their own groups, so she doesn’t know everyone in her class. They are taught in English. Lakshmi is Hindu and from Kerala, about 8 hrs away. She takes the train home to see her family every month. She has a boyfriend there too, but hasn’t told her parents because is Muslim and she is 99% sure they will not approve. She’s holding out hope for that 1% chance that they will say they can be married. He is confident that it will work out. In Tamil, it is more common for girls to have a dowry, but she does not. It was really fun to have Lakshmi with me later in the day when we went shopping. Kept awake by caffeine, I picked out some presents for friends and a quilt for myself. Lakshmi helped me negotiate with the vendors.

That afternoon we also met with executive Rajshree Pathy in her stunning office. I thought of my sister who would love the beautiful design of her work space, filled with contemporary art. We watched a news story video about her life which was funny because she was sitting right there, but it was interesting and a nice way to convey the information. We fought to keep our jet-lagged eyes open. She reminded me of my friend Margot Strom as she spoke to us about trying to be seamless in her personal and professional life, that her home and her office are extensions of herself.

We had dinner at the home of the parents of a professor from Karpagam. Their effusive hospitality was wonderful as they showed us their home and served an elaborate meal on the rooftop under a bright, festive canopy. Her two little girls dressed up special for us, stunning in their jewelry and fancy dress.

Today we are dressed in salwar kameez with flowers in our hair. We are a stunning rainbow.

Anne M. Post #3

2008-01-09T21:13:00.000-08:00

I’m not quite sure what to talk about in this blog post. Yesterday we flew from Bombay to Coimbatore. Coimbatore is more traditional, and feels a little brighter than Bombay. I wish I could have seen more of it. Yesterday I was very sick, and spent most of the time in the hotel room. I cannot express enough gratitude towards Professor Kelly for giving me her room, and for staying with me when I was scared. I also wish to remark on the hotel staff for being very prepared and nice for myself and the other girls who got sick. I suppose I should talk about my visit to the hospital. I was feeling better, but I went just in case. I’m glad I did not only for health reasons but so I could actually blog about something other than what my pillow looked like in the hotel room! It was an emergency clinic, and they normally don’t take cases like ours. But they were very obliging and kind to us. The nurses, I noticed, all had off white saris on, and I remember thinking how different that was. Today is much better. I still feel sore, and I don’t think I’ll be eating many spicy things, but I am confident I’ll be fine. Besides, today we are wearing traditional Indian clothing! Everyone looks lovely, and the colors just pop. They put jasmine flowers in our hair this morning as well, so it smells divine. Everything seems to be on the ups.

Zelina Fenandes 01/10/07

2008-01-09T21:03:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was a very different experience it was almost to overbarring. At first i was excited to have some sun and meeting the new students, but the girls were all over me and it was scary. They have certain stereotype about american girls that are not true and i couldn't explain it, because they a. didn't care b. couldn't understnad. The students was very friendly and I couldn't get myself at their level, becaus many of the students could not understand me or i couldn't understand them. The women from the sugar indusrty was very inspirational and her story was beautiful. I definately like it here better than Mumbai, there was something strange about mumbai, but here i feel as though people are more compatible to me. Also, last night I got the chance to see a hospital in India. The hospital was very interesting, there method of cleaniness is nothing compared to the U.S. there were bloody gauges under the stretcher and dirty sheets and i had to lay on it. That was very gross!!! The people here have no care in the world. it seems as though they are very clam relaxed people and it is very interesting to me. So Yesterday I received my first shot on my buttocks that is a memory I will never forget in India!!!

Claudia #3

2008-01-09T21:00:00.001-08:00

These last few days have been a crazy. Women in this part of India will enter into or are in arranged marriages. I think this plays a role in their life as a woman in the business world. An arranged marriage is often like a business transaction. In an arranged marriage women do not need to be a wife in the same way. We met a powerful business woman does not live in the same city as her husband. She does not need to play the role of a wife. This is one less responsibility she has.

I wonder if an arranged marriage takes less time because there does not need to be moments together, they do not need to worry about keeping the romance alive. However it could involve more work because it is like a business transaction and with there is certain responsibilities. The answer is probably different for each relationship.

The extended family net work is different in India. Women live with their parents then when they get married they live with their in-laws. When the women go to work family members watch their kids (there is also more daycares at work). I feel that if my extended family would look after my kids while I work it would be easier to be a mom and work. However with this comes other responsibility. The individual person has less choice. They must do what is best for the family or what their parents want. Few women have the opportunity to say no to their parents and do what they want to do.

Wei Wong - Post 3

2008-01-09T21:00:00.000-08:00

We’ve been in Coimbatore for about a day and a half now and we aren’t leaving for another day. The culture down here is so different from that in Mumbai. Also, getting used to the jet lag and the food has definitely been interesting.

The women in Mumbai were more liberal and relaxed than the women here in Coimbatore, especially those we came in contact with at Somaiya University. We visited another university yesterday, the Karpagam Institute of Management Studies, and were well received by all the students and faculty. We had a chance speak with several of the students in small groups after the welcome ceremony, and learned all about how life is here for them. We spoke with Nithya, Lakshmi, and Priyanka, all two-year MBA students.

The girls explained that they were only allowed to wear saris or salwar kameez, instead of tailored jackets and suits. They are more respected with this type of wear, especially because of the Tamil culture. I learned that they follow the Tamil “bible,” which is more of a book of sayings and poems that they follow their lives by. The women are VERY traditional, living in joint families and accepting whatever comes to them. They do not argue, and when disagreements do occur, they will accept what happens. The entire family is involved in decision making, and arranged marriages are mostly common. Nithya spoke mainly for the group, with Lakshmi chiming in every once in awhile. Their accents were more difficult to understand than those accents in Mumbai; Prof. Gupta explained that it’s because of the culture and how fewer of them watch western shows.

The girls were studying to get their MBAs so that they could run their own businesses. Nithya explained that learning to manage their businesses also meant being able to manage their families, and that it wouldn’t be difficult to manage both because of the joint support received from the joint family. All three of them agreed that their mother is their role model, since it is whom they look up to. Marriage is especially important; if they don’t get married right after getting their MBAs, they will be asked to do so.

Compared to Mumbai, these women are considered conservative, especially in social terms. Family is extremely important overall, and education for women is becoming increasingly prominent. They are more accepting of their way of life, and are quite happy living this way.

I’ve been having a great time here, meeting lots of new people and making connections. It is quite exhausting at times, but I’ve gotten used to the time difference. I have to admit, I wouldn’t mind eating my rice with chopsticks and having less spice in my food, but that’s the cultural differences. I can’t wait to share all my stories with everyone! (Oh, I have to note that they are all crazy drivers down here. And Winnie and I were locked in our room yesterday till they got us out. More stories to come.)