Casual, Yeah Right!

So tomorrow is my first day and I have to admit I am a bit nervous. Today I received an email detailing the first two days and so forth. I was asked to dress in "casual" attire in that the first two days are staff retreat days. Anyhow, I never knew the designation of "casual" could be so complicated. Of course, I am bringing most of this upon myself. If I had been working there for awhile then "casual" would not be so bad. However, I am new and so this makes it even more difficult. I have tried on several different outfits, trying to look "casual," yet it is so planned, taking any meaning of casual away from it. Anyhow, off to work I go. I will let you know how it goes sometime this week.

Ha ha! I am shocked! Just for you Jason....now don't ask me which one I got wrong, because I have no idea.

You Passed 8th Grade Science

Congratulations, you got 7/8 correct!

Could You Pass 8th Grade Science?

Gosh, this test does not make me look very good!

Anyhow, I did not have anything to post about, so there you have it.

Your Values Profile

Loyalty: You don't really value loyalty. In your opinion, friendship should be earned. If you don't agree with someone, it doesn't matter how close you are. You'll let them (and everyone else know) exactly what you think. Honesty: You don't really value honesty. You do value getting your way, no matter what. And if a little lying is required to do that, no problem. A few white lies never hurt anyone (at least, that's what you tell yourself!) Generosity: You value generosity highly. So much so that you often put your own needs last. There's nothing wrong with having a caring heart... But you may want to rethink your "open wallet" policy. Humility: You value humility a fair amount. You tend to be an easy going, humble person. But occasionally your ego takes over. You have a slight competitive streak - and the need to be the best. Tolerance: Not only do you prefer to be around people very similar to you... They're the only kind of people you'll tolerate. You know what you believe in, and you don't like to deviate from that. You don't hate people who are very different - you just don't want to be around them.

The Five Factor Values Test

Why You Can't Just Run Off And Join the Foreign Service

Finally, I did it!!!!

Drum roll please.....

I did it! I got a job!!! Well sort of, it is a full-time, paid internship at the University of Colorado at Boulder for the position of admissions counselor!

I am just so excited and I really feel like things are starting to turn around for me. The position, my position, starts on August 1st. I can't wait to be back on campus!

Woo hoo! Ok, I have to go jump around now!

“Ooof, your making me homesick.”

I recently visited a blog and commented that the posts about Calcutta were making me homesick. Right after posting my comment I felt guilty. I often feel this way when I claim a country as my own. That’s one problem with being a TCK (third culture kid); we have this mental barrier that keeps us from fully integrating anywhere.

I have strong connections to certain places because of the time I spent living in them and traveling to them as a child, but I’ll never be considered a local. I was born in Calcutta, have so many memories there, yet I’ll never be considered Indian enough to truly call it home. Vietnam is where I spent so many important years of my life, but I’ll always be a foreigner there too. Thailand, where I lived and traveled for so many years, can’t mean more to me than it does to the average tourist, because I am not Thai. Even now, a part of me feels that I am not a true Coloradoan because I never lived here for long periods, even though I have family here and this has always been our “base.”

The one problem with this phenomenon is that if all the above is true, then what can I claim as my own? Where do I belong? What I have started to realize is that it’s ok to feel that I belong to all of these places and that they belong to me. These places are an integral part of who I am; I grew up in them, and just because I don’t identify with one place alone, that doesn’t mean I am less a part of all of these places. When I walk the streets of Calcutta, Bangkok, Hanoi, they might see a tourist, but I remember the summers I spent causing chaos with my sister, the fun I had in school, making friends from all over the world, and the sense of “home” I feel when I go back.

Holy Moly!

I passed the Foreign Service Written Exam (FSWE)!!!! It is the first step in a long and rigorous process to get hired on by the State Department as a Foreign Service officer.

I just can't believe I passed! The next step is the oral exam and that should happen in the next couple of months. I get to choose between these locations: Washington DC, Chicago, Austin, San Francisco, Miami and Denver. Since I am right here in Colorado, Denver would be most convenient. However, the exam testing period for that location does not happen till the end of year and I think I want something sooner. Besides, it will force us to take a vacation!

The orals are supposed to be very difficult, and so for right now I am just going to celebrate the fact that I passed the written exam. The orals are whole 'nother animal!

Smoker's International Airways

As seen on Keith Olbermann's worst person in the world!
SMINTAIR

"As the World's first smoker's airline, SMINTAIR is entering many uncovered niches in aviation, designed to give the traveller maximum pleasure out of their flight experience. "

East-Indian Heritage Camp

This weekend we spent our time at the beautiful YMCA campgrounds in Winter Park, Colorado celebrating the East-Indian heritage of over 92 adoptive families. My parents Cherie Clark and Sunil Prakash founded International Mission of Hope in 1978 in Calcutta, India. Over 10,000 children were cared for by IMH staff and over 4,000 were adopted to the United States in the 25 year span that IMH ran. Due to a variety of reasons IMH-India was forced to closed its doors in 2003.

(Amazing Bhangra Night!)

Every year in July, Pam Sweetser (also an IMH adoptive parent) of Colorado Heritage Camps puts together the most amazing gathering and camp for children adopted from India. Due to my parents involvement in the lives of these children, we were invited to celebrate with them. We had an amazing time and my daughter Khazana, after getting down at bhangra night, is already discussing next year's camp! We also celebrated my dad's 50th Birthday!

( Papa with Peter and Samantha, both adopted from IMH in the 1970s and 80s.)

(Papa and the tart: dangerous combination!)

Yum!

Yum, mango mania in India.

Weeny

I want to do this, but I think I am too much of a weeny!

Knock Knock!

Arghhhh...what is wrong with me??? I would never let a stranger in my home....but I did....two of them and they were carrying bibles!

So I am going about my morning and two ladies knock on the door. I answer (they already saw me through the screen door) and I quickly bumble out an excuse as to why I can't talk to them.....I say "ahh the puppy just pooped inside and I am very busy." Whew it worked, they leave. 10 minutes later they are back and dumb me proceeds to let them in.

I sat in my own living room so uncomfortable discussing Jehovah's Witness stuff! They ask my religion and I say I don't know, I am a little mixed up (Hindu father, Catholic mother and so forth). I believe in something, I do, I just don't know what and I am very happy with that. They continue to interrogate...."don't you think it is important to find these answers to these very important questions in the bible?".......I say in a non-confronting manner "Yes, but not necessarily from the bible." On and on, they are reading paragraphs, I am reading paragraphs, all the while you could hear, oh so slightly, the vibrations of my dad's voice as he practiced his daily Hindu prayer and meditation in the basement.

All I could think of as this lady was staring at me, was I wish I could ask them for a picture for my blog.

She said she would be back next Wednesday...........I told her I was not sure If I could do that.

I need to get a back bone.

Miscellaneous

Hmmm

My mom sent this pic of my brother standing in front of a shop that is selling diet water in India. If you zoom in you can see that the sign says "Diet Aqua." Hmmm..... I thought it was funny.

"It's never too late to be who you might have been."

– George Eliot

Real Age

I just took the Real Age test suggested by Jason and have set three new goals for myself for the coming months.

1). Take a daily multivitamin
2) Floss after each meal (or at least 2 x day)
3) Exercise for 30 min 4-5 times a week.

Thanks Papa!

My dad just returned from India a couple of days ago and with him he brought a pendant for both my sister and I.

It is absolutely beautiful and more than that, I think it will help start turning things around for me. Yes, I am a bit superstitious. The pendant has both the Om symbol and Ganesh, who of many things is the Lord of good fortune.

Who's Your Pick?

Lars Baron, Bongarts, Getty Images


Ok, right at the last minute I am getting World Cup fever. Italy pulled a fast one (or let's just a slow one) on Germany and now France shows Portugal who's the boss.

Who's your pick, mine is Italy. I have a soft spot for them since I watched the game against Germany.

Happy 4th of July!

We had a great day today with family and friends.

I am stuffed with great barbecue food and I think I have gained a couple of pounds! Once again, I forgot my camera and lost the opportunity to take some great pics for my blog!! Bad blogger, bad blogger!

Won Ton’s first doctor’s appointment went quite well. He was awarded a clean bill of health, although the vet did say he was a bit rotund and could stand to cut back on some of his food. This is all about a dog who is merely 4.5 lb! He did however, gain a pound in the last two weeks :)