Friday, August 15, 2014

India Week 5

Wow this past weekend we were able to visit the Taj Mahal and it is truly one of the seven wonders of the world. The sheer size and craftsmanship are impeccable. Every design on the white marble was done by hand; no wonder it took 20,000 people and 22 years to build! There are truly no words for its beauty except for breathtaking. It is definitely a sight that everyone should try to achieve in their lifetime, it's a true testament to Muslim architecture and craftsmanship. We were also able to visit the Agra fort which is a massive fort across the river from the Taj Mahal and it was quite an impressive sight to explore. However, it was an extremely hot day and wandering around in the open for hours really tired us out! Plus we had gotten a tour guide to see the city but quickly found out that he was keen on taking us to a bunch of shops to buy things, which we figured he probably got a commission from whatever we spent. This seems to be the case with many tour guides which is very unfortunate because it really feels like you're not in control of what you want to see and where to go. It was quite a hectic weekend as we also visited another city Jaipur and then almost missed our train to see the Taj Mahal because our cab driver took us to the wrong train station! It is definitely hard here knowing only English and in the future if I come back To India I will make sure to know some Hindi. It would make communication a lot easier! At work I have designed a website for my NGO, PORDAC. It is fightforpordac.wix.com/pordac-ngo. It took me a long time and a lot of edits but I am so proud! I really think it clearly and precisely conveys PORDAC's mission and gets the word out there. Having this informative website also legitimizes PORDAC and will convince potential donors and sponsors that this is a worthwhile investment and not just another startup NGO. I hope that Manjir, my boss, will continue to keep the website updated and continue spreading the word. I will miss seeing the kids every day and bouncing out ideas to Manjir. She has been so kind to me in showing me the city and taking me to markets with her. I really hope she will continue to get volunteers who will become as passionate about the cause as I am and continue to make a big difference. I have become so passionate about PORDAC's mission that I will work on spreading the word even at home and even just one person spreading the word can make a difference. All of the little things add up to make a big difference.



1 comment:

  1. Selena,

    Once again, I made a comment and the computer didn't save it! UGH. I hope that one day that I am able to see the Taj Mahal. I think your pictures are outstanding, but I know that seeing it in person is a whole different ball game. 20,000 people over 20 years?! That's unbelievable!!

    I checked out the website you created. I would be proud of myself too!! Awesome job! I think that provides pertinent information and is really easy to navigate. I'm sure Majir is very grateful. My suggestion is that before you leave that you make sure Manjir or another worker knows how to update the website.

    Best,
    Tammy

    ReplyDelete