Thanksgiving in India

  

"If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, 'thank you,' that would suffice." 
                                                                                                                  ~Meister Eckhart

I found myself in New Delhi, India on Thanksgiving.  As you can imagine, the American holiday of Thanksgiving is not celebrated in India.  The people here are not too impressed that some Pilgrims had dinner with the Indians a few centuries ago.  I mean, I am sure they find it cute that the Europeans named the native people of the America's after them but sitting around the table and gorging themselves on Turkey is not high on the list for the world's largest population of vegetarians in the world. 

I spent the evening with my parents, and two sets of uncles, aunts and cousins.  We had traditional Indian food and deserts.  There was no Turkey. There was no cranberry sauce.  No watching the Lions lose on TV.  But in the spirit of Thanksgiving, I was with family and I guess that is all that really counts.

It is not hard for me to think of a number of things that I am thankful for this year.  This year has been an amazing year of experiences that have allowed me to reflect on how fortunate I am to be living a life long dream.  I have met great people, witnessed hard working organizations and expanded my understanding of international issues.  I have had the opportunity to see world wonders, push myself physically and witness worldwide events in person. 

Though there are so many more serious things that I am thankful for, I want to take a few lines of my blog to thank people who made this trip possible.

• I am thankful to Patrick Krips for joining me on this journey for the first six months.
• I am thankful to Mike and Kelli Baird for the work they have done on the website and graphics. And to David Sholeen who helped create the Google map for the site.
• I am thankful to my parents for their support of all aspects of the trip.
• I am thankful to Patti and Brent Dolan for taking care of my dog and house in East Lansing.
• I am thankful to my colleagues at the City of East Lansing and the Michigan Nonprofit Association who gave me great travel gifts before I left that have made the trip a little bit easier.
• I am thankful to the forty-six people who joined me on the trip so far including Shawn, Pam, Kim, Graham, Jen, Suneil and Mike who met me out on the road more than once.
• I am thankful to the people who have helped reduce the cost of this trip by taking care of accommodations, hosting me in their home, buying meals or arranging travel arrangements.
• Thanks to those who have supported my volunteer activities.
• Thanks to those who have used my paypal account to help make the trip a little easier by buying dinner, a round of drinks or sending me an early Christmas gift.

Maybe most importantly, thanks to those who have read the blog and promoted it to their friends. I appreciate the e-mails and the supportive responses to the various posts because it gives me the push to keep on going.  As we enter the holiday season, I wish you and your families the best.

Terror in Mumbai Challenges the Nation

I was planning on writing a Thanksgiving post today but I have been focused on the news watching the tragedy unfold in Mumbai.  The terror attacks on Mumbai are almost a day old and there is still an unresolved hostage situation in one of the hotels.  The news coverage has been rapidly changing over the day as new information is being uncovered.  At the moment, 101 people are confirmed dead and over three hundred people injured.  An Islamic group, called Deccan Mujahedeen, has claimed to be behind the attacks.  According to media reports, terrorist experts have limited information on this group.

The scale and the intricate nature of these attacks have raised the level of concern for terrorist experts.  The coordination of the attacks on ten different sites by a group of at least 25 terrorist shows that they were well trained and funded for this act of terrorism.  There is concern that this type of terrorism might have been influenced and funded by larger terrorist organizations creating the fear of additional attacks in the near future.

India has not been a stranger to terrorism.  They have been dealing with issues of terrorism for years often tied to the ongoing conflict with Pakistan in Kashmir.  This year there have been attacks in a number of cities including the capital of New Delhi.  The attacks will have a significant impact on Mumbai and India as a whole.  The attacks have occurred a few weeks before statewide elections and a few months before the national election.  An incident of this nature will be on the minds of people as they go to the polls.  Experts are concerned of the other effects of this attack such as the impact on the already struggling economy and tourism trade. 

Mumbai is the financial capital of India. In addition, it is the headquarters for India’s movie industry, Bollywood.  Mumbai was the victim of a terror attack in 2006 that targeted passenger trains leaving over 200 dead.

I went to bed last night before the attacks began to be reported on by the media.  In the morning, I went to my cousin's room to use his internet and logged into Facebook.  It was there that I learned of the attack as eight friends had left posts asking if I was safe.  Though I was in Mumbai this past week, I had returned to New Delhi on Friday to attend a wedding.  All of our friends and family from Mumbai were fine and not near the area that was attacked. People in Delhi were in shock and the lack of concrete news did not help but people went on with their daily routines.

I had heard from my friend, Annette that her brother was supposed to be at the Oberoi Hotel in Mumbai yesterday.  I had lunch and drinks with him and his wife a few months ago when I was in Hong Kong. His flight to Mumbai had some mechanical problems so he was rerouted to Bangalore.  He luckily was grounded there for the night.  A small blessing in the midst of a huge tragedy.

The police are still in the process of trying to bring these attacks to a conclusion. Hostages are still being held in the Oberoi Hotel.  It seems that this nightmare might continue well into the night.  As many of my friend’s celebrate Thanksgiving in the United States, I hope that they will keep in mind and their prayers the people of Mumbai and the victims of these attacks. 

Habitat for Humanity in India (Part 2- Religion and Service)

When Millard Fuller founded Habitat for Humanity, he was inspired by his Christian faith to help those in need.  "I see life as both a gift and a responsibility. My responsibility is to use what God has given me to help his people in need."  Though Habitat for Humanity is a Christian based organization, it does its work in a way that those with different faiths can be involved and feel comfortable.  As an organization, they do not shy away from their religious roots but they also don't use it as a venue to proselytize.  

My first two Habitat for Humanity volunteer trips this year were in countries that were predominantly Christian, Costa Rica and Romania. The only outwardly religious thing that I saw during my volunteer experiences were during the morning reflection sessions before we started to work.  During those sessions, people would provide words of encouragement and at times someone might share a biblical passage before a few moments of silence. 

I was interested if there would be any changes in India since only a small part of the country was Christian.  The staff of the Habitat's local affiliate was mostly Christian but the families they were working with were mostly Hindu and Muslim.  The group worked very well between all the religions.  Since the staff members were all local people, they were sensitive to their client's customs and beliefs even if they didn't share the same faith.

As a team, we were asked to respect any of the customs in the village and to refrain from talking about sensitive issues regarding religion or caste.  Since there was a significant language barrier that was not a hard request to follow. 

The village was fairly diverse with Hindu and Muslim families living side by side.  There was a small mosque and a few Hindu shrines in the small village.  Religion was an important part of peoples lives but wasn't one that divided people. 

Our first day of work was during the Hindu festival of Diwali. Out of respect, we were assigned to work with three families of Muslim background since the Hindu the families would celebrating the holiday.  We were told that during the first day of a new build or a new group there were often a small prayer or puja given. Though we were working with a Muslim family, there was still a Hindu blessing provided at the site the construction manager/mason on the site was Hindu.  In addition, each of the volunteers in our group was welcomed with a prayer and flower garlands.

  

Pictured: My fellow volunteer, D'Ann Tollet, being blessed during our first day at the site.

At one point, I was looking at the people working on my site-there were people of Christian, Jewish, Hindu and Muslim faiths setting cement blocks for the walls of a new house.  It was a very powerful visual that I am sure that no one else in my group noticed. The power of faith in action.

Habitat for Humanity in Bangalore India (Part 1)

Getting to Bangalore

 

I took the first flight from New Delhi to Bangalore, India to meet up with my team from Habitat for Humanity.  Most of the group arrived the night before so when my uncle, Adesh, offered to pick me up from the airport, I jumped at the opportunity.  I hadn't seen him in over 20 years.  As we drove to his house so I could meet his wife and my two cousins for the first time, he pulled over the car and showed me a billboard that starred my younger cousin. 

 

 
Pictured: My younger cousin is a star!

 

It seems that my two cousins are making quite a name for themselves in television commercials and doing other types of advertising.  I had breakfast with them and then Adesh dropped me off at the hotel so I could meet up with the Habitat for Humanity group. 

 

Location of the Build

 

The staff of the local Habitat for Humanity affiliate joined us for a lunch to provide a basic overview of what we were going to accomplish over the next ten days.  We were going to be based in a small village, Ullala, which was located right outside of Bangalore.  We were going to be working with five families during our ten days in Bangalore.  

The village was an outcome of the explosive growth of Bangalore.  Many of the plots in the village were given by the government in exchange for people moving from an area zoned for development. Over the past decade, Bangalore has become the Silicon Valley of India.  Almost every major international IT firm has located its India branch in Bangalore.  Indian IT startups and back office service centers are strategically located in office parks throughout the city.  Unfortunately, the city government has not adequately planned for the quick growth in population and the need for new infrastructure.  Many of the poorer parts of cities are being relocated to meet the need for development so community relocation and eminent domain are utilized more often than one would imagine. 

 

Fans of Singh Around the World Are Generous

 

I was surprised how many people offered to help me participate in my recent Habitat for Humanity experience.  As I have written before, many international volunteer experiences charge participants a fee for their participation.  The fees cover the costs of hosting and feeding the volunteer, the supplies that will be used during the build and covers the staff that will work with us.  In addition, a substantial portion of the fee is a donation to the local affiliate so that their work can continue after we leave. The model is very progressive because our participation will not cost the affiliate any resources; it will actually add finances to continue their work into the future.

My friend and old boss, Dave Egner, very generously offered to cover the entire fee for me through a personal donation, which was matched by his foundation's matching gift program.  He is currently the President of the Hudson-Weber Foundation but he hired me out of college to work with volunteer centers when he was the CEO of the Michigan Nonprofit Association. A few years later, I took over MNA from him when he went to work for the foundation.

 

Pictured: My friend and old boss, Dave Egner with his All American family!

I was also supported by four other friends and fans of the blog for other costs to participate in the program not covered by the program fess.  In addition to Dave, his family and the Hudson-Weber Foundation, I would like to thank LaRonna Harris, Cyndi Mark, Jen Turner and Kyle Caldwell. 

On the Campaign Trail in Agra, India

Pictured: Agra Fort

A week before I arrived in India, I was informed that my uncle, Ajay Mama, was going to be in Agra, India holding a rally for a potential run for Parliament. He had served in Parliament before and this was a way to test his base for a potential political comeback.  Though I missed the rally because I was in route to India from Nepal, I showed up first thing the following morning.  I arrived to my uncle’s hotel room as a group of advisers and friends were starting to dissect the implications of the rally.  The rally was well attended and sent a strong message to the current incumbent and the political parties that my uncle was seriously considering the uphill battle.

Though I didn’t have a firm understating of his constituency or Indian politics, the familiar dialog of media coverage, poll results, the incumbents member of parliament’s record and unfavorable ratings were familiar themes from my campaign experiences.  We watched video footage of the event and they discussed themes, editing and dissemination of a truncated DVD of the rally.  It was interesting to watch the give and take in the meeting and to see the process from a different perspective.

Though he had been out of office for a number of years, people still were stopping him to talk about issues.  At one point we had pulled over on the side of the highway and a truck of his former constituents passed by.  They made an immediate u-turn and soon he was chatting them up on the issues they were concerned with. He hasn’t made a final decision on whether he will contest the election but it was a good first step.

 
Pictured: Ajay Mama (Uncle), Shiro Mami (Aunt) my mom and me.

I joined my uncle in two other meetings with nonprofit leaders in the area.  I think he specifically organized the meetings around my visit because of work and interest with nonprofits.  I am continued to be amazed at the different groups I have had the opportunity to see and learn from on my 10 month journey.

I also took some time to do some sightseeing in the Agra region.  We went to see the Agra Fort, the Taj Mahal, Fatehphur Sikri, and the Bharathpur Bird Sanctuary.  Of course, the highlight of sightseeing in India is the amazing Taj Mahal.  I have had the opportunity to see it a number of times and each time my breath is taken away when I walk through the main gate and see the Taj.

 

"In 1631, Shah Jahan, emperor during the Mughal Empire's period of greatest prosperity, was griefstricken when his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal, died during the birth of their fourteenth child, Gauhara Begum. The court chronicles of Shah Jahan's grief illustrates the love story traditionally held as an inspiration for Taj Mahal. The construction of Taj Mahal begun soon after Mumtaz's death with the principal mausoleum completed in 1648. The surrounding buildings and garden were finished five years later. Emperor Shah Jahan himself described the Taj in these words:

Should guilty seek asylum here,
Like one pardoned, he becomes free from sin.
Should a sinner make his way to this mansion,
All his past sins are to be washed away.
The sight of this mansion creates sorrowing sighs;
And the sun and the moon shed tears from their eyes.
In this world this edifice has been made;
To display thereby the creator's glory. (Wikipedia)"

Pictured: Taj Mahal and its Mosque.

My favorite story of the Taj Mahal was the story that Shah Jahan was planning on building a second Taj Mahal across the river made out of black marble. One could imagine the amazing beauty that the two contrasting buildings would have with the river flowing between the two. Unfortunately, Shah Jahan was overthrown and jailed by his son before it could be completed. 

New Delhi Half Marathon

 

I decided to run the New Delhi Half Marathon on a whim.  My Shiro Mami (Aunt) mentioned that the race was being held during my stay in India because she had been following my interest in running through the blog.  I initially thought it would be a good training run for my first attempt at a full marathon the following month in Singapore. I was hoping that it would provide me the focus that I needed to get back into the training mode. 

My training was going well until I hit Nepal and my trek to Everest Base Camp.  I was on target during my stays in China, Hong Kong, Thailand, and Cambodia.  Nepal was the beginning of the end of my attempt at the Singapore Marathon.  The two weeks of hiking to Everest Base Camp meant two weeks of not training for the marathon.  Though I was doing tough physical activity, I wasn’t training the way I needed to in order to be successful in distance running.

After getting to India, I signed up for the New Delhi Half Marathon and was hoping to get the training back on schedule.  Unfortunately, my work with Habitat for Humanity stood in the way.  After a hard day of lifting cement blocks or digging foundation, I didn’t have the energy to run.  Another two weeks of training down the drain.  I came to the conclusion that Singapore was not going to be a reality.  I needed more stability in my life in order to train and the life of a traveler was not providing that at this time.  I will still run in Singapore but most likely the half marathon.  My desire to run a full marathon will have to wait. 

The New Delhi Half Marathon was great fun.  It was very well organized for a race that was only in its fourth year.  They had a great turnout for the run.  Over 30,000 people participated in the half marathon (21 km- 13 miles), senior citizen run (4km) or the Delhi Fun Run (7km.)  The media was out in droves covering the race and the Bollywood stars and cricket players that were making appearances as “Race Ambassadors.”   Even controversial American athlete, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, was out there supporting the race. 

 

I ran my personal best but was far from what I was hoping for.  I was on target during the first half of the run for finishing the race at two hours but the last 5km were my downfall.  My lack of training over the previous six weeks was evident during my last 5 km.  My knees were acting up and I could feel a slight pull on my hips.  I ended the race at 2:17 besting my best time by ten minutes but feeling disappointed in the end.   

I limped into the finishing area to get some refreshments and to stretch out.  All the participants of the Half Marathon were given a medal but those that ran the Delhi Fun Run only received a certificate of completion.  A young Indian boy was clearly disappointed in only getting a certificate so I handed him my race number so he could claim my medal.  It was a touching “Mean Joe” Green moment minus the Coke and jersey with an athlete that limped across the finish line.  At least one of us left the race happy.

My Thoughts on the US Election

It is hard to express how I feel about the recent election of Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States of America.  It is an amazing feeling of pride that I feel for my country.   I have been excited for other elections when my candidate has won but somehow this is different.  I believe that this election will have a transformational effect on the US and perhaps the world.

I have been obsessed over the election since the conventions.  It didn’t matter what country I was in during the past three months, I was constantly connected to my laptop.  If I had free time, I was exploring political websites trying to get the latest information.  Huffingtonpost.com, Politico.com, Fivethirthyeight.com, Dailykos.com, CNN.com, Dailyshow.com.  It didn’t matter--- if they discussed politics I was on it.

I think to some degree I was making up for the disconnect I felt about this election.  I am so used to be involved in campaigns whether my own or others that acquiring information was a way to fill the void. 

In August 2004, I was at the Harrison Roadhouse Restaurant and watched Barack Obama take the stage during the Democratic National Convention and give his famous speech.  Immediately after the speech, I called my friend Glen Brooks, who does community organizing with the Chicago Police Department, and asked if Obama was the real deal.  He responded that he was and that some day he would be president.  I don’t think either of us thought that night it would be four years later.  I assumed after a few terms in the Senate, Obama would be a formidable candidate.  I was still unsure if America was ready to vote for an African-American for the highest office in the nation but I thought he would be competitive. 

As we went into the 2008 presidential campaign cycle, I was on record as a Hillary Clinton supporter.  Though I liked Obama and found him inspirational, I didn’t think the country was ready to vote for him because of both his race and his experience. I guess I underestimated my fellow countrymen and women.

During my first two months of travels, I found Obama more and more compelling.  On March 1, 2008, a few days before Super Tuesday, I wrote a blog post that explained why I was changing my endorsement from Clinton to Obama.  I am sure neither campaign took any notice of my change but for me to change mid-stream was a difficult decision. The responses from friends ranged from disappointment to understanding. 

Here are a few paragraphs from that post.

"What I know is that Obama brings hope to the people of my county.  He brings hope to the world.  We elected a guy for the past eight years who hadn't left the country for his first 40 years on the assumption that he would surround himself with good thinkers. I have no doubt that Obama will surround himself with the best thinkers.

I WAS a Clinton supporter.  I believed after 2004 she could get elected.  I did the electoral college math and knew she could win the election.  She could win Ohio-Florida.  I just wanted a Democrat to win.  Our country needed a change.  I still believe she would be a good president.

Last night I changed.  It is hard for a politician to change.  As the former Mayor of East Lansing, I am on the public record supporting Clinton.  I know for some I will be a traitor.  I know for others I will have joined the bandwagon late.  But I have never cared what they thought- I believe in what I believe.

I am now an Obama supporter.  You do not know how hard it is write this.  I have grappled with this my whole trip.  I justified who I supported because she could win but now I believe there is something bigger. Obama will bring people back to the process. Even if he loses he will make people believe in government again...Travel changes people.  It has made me more idealistic."

Because of the time difference, I watched some election coverage right as the East coast polls closed before I went to sleep.  I woke up a few hours later and Obama was still leading in the Electoral College tally but hadn’t made it to the magic number of 270.  I knew my friends were at election parties and a few were headed to Grant Park to hear Obama speak win or lose.  I was missing home. 

I was torn because I wanted to watch the results but I needed to join my fellow volunteers on the bus to head to the village where we were building houses for Habitat for Humanity.  Almost all of the volunteers in my group were Obama supporters and though the election hadn’t been called there was a buzz and sense optimism.  Everything was falling into place.

As we drove through the crowded streets of Bangalore, India, a few in the group were trying to get data connections for their I-phones.  We needed information and final confirmation.

Then my phone rang.  My cousin had given me an extra phone so I would have one while I was in India.  My aunt, who lived had in New York for many years before heading back to India, was screaming on the phone.

 “He did it, Sammy, he did it.  He won.  He won.  CNN has called the election.”

Shortly after that call, my uncle a former member of the Indian parliament, called to wish me congratulations.  After that my mom called.  It was the first presidential election she voted since becoming a US citizen in 2005.  He had won.  HE HAD WON!

After that first call from my aunt, I had looked back in the bus and saw my fellow volunteer, Patti, who was wearing a MoveOn.com/Obama t-shirt, raising her hands in victory.  The I-phones were connected and the news had hit.   It is the visual that I will remember when people ask me where I was when I heard Obama make history.

It was at that moment that I realized there was no better place for me to be but on that bus.  Though it would have been great to hear Obama’s acceptance speech live or be with campaign volunteers in East Lansing, I was exactly where I needed to be.  It was fitting that I was in a foreign country heading to a volunteer project.  It is everything that the Obama campaign represents for the future.  A new direction in foreign policy.  A stronger commitment to civic engagement.  I was proud to be on that bus.

Thoughts from India on Obama's Election

Dear Gentle Readers:

I had a couple of readers ask what were the thoughts of Indians regarding the recent election.  I would say from my interactions, Indians by far supported and appreciated the election results from Tuesday night.  At the same time, many people have a wait and see attitude.  Issues such as the recently signed nuclear energy treaty, the Kashmir conflict and the global slowdown are hot button topics for Indians.  I have taken a few blurbs from both the print and electronic media to give you perspective on what is being said about the recent election of Barack Obama.

If the whole world has been riveted by this election, it's because people everywhere felt they had a stake in it. There are two contrasting images of America abroad. One is that of a bullying superpower that undertakes bellicose military adventures abroad, epitomised by Iraq. The other is that of a land of hope and opportunity, an open society that welcomes migrants and where merit and talent matter for much more than ethnic background or kinship ties.

The Bush administration, unilateralist by instinct, seemed to stand for the former America. McCain couldn't disentangle his campaign from George Bush's toxic legacy, a good part of the reason for his defeat. Obama stood for the more benign image of America to the world. Not only is he African-American, his is the classic melting-pot story. Obama's election is testimony to America's capacity to renew itself.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh did not tell Barack Obama Indians "deeply love" him, but he did promise the US President-elect "a warm welcome" in the country.

In his congratulatory message to Obama, the Prime Minister said: “Your extraordinary journey to the White House will inspire people not only in your country but also around the world.”

“I hope you will find an opportunity to visit India soon. A warm welcome awaits you,” Singh added, saying he looked forward to working with Obama. "We have strong ties between our people and I look forward to working with you to realise the enormous potential for co-operation that exists between India and the US." (Columnist-RADHIKA RAMASESHAN)

Opinion Poll

Will the election of Barack Obama as the US President benefit India?

Posted On Wednesday, November 05, 2008

Yes	59%
No	24%
Can't Say	17%

The cynic will say it took eight years of George W Bush to ensure that Americans would vote their first non-white President to office. Pollsters had said they would, but many people around the world remained sceptical until the result was confirmed on Wednesday morning. The Senator from Illinois will take charge of the world's leading superpower from a man whose presidency was arguably the blackest in American history. No single individual since Adolf Hitler has done as much to divide the modern world as the incumbent of the Oval Office. To add to the catastrophic misadventures in the Middle East, President Bush oversaw and in the opinion of many was responsible for the economic emergency that holds the world in its grip. Senator Obama talked of change; his opponent, the vastly more experienced John McCain, represented continuity. In electing Mr Obama, Americans joined other civilized people around the world in agreeing that change was indeed needed.

What does this US election mean to us? Some Indians seem to have developed a penchant to let the US lead the way. In India, as in the US, corporate financial interests have connived with the State to destroy basic political values and brute force is used to settle scores. What are the positives we can draw from the elections? The inspiration is not of an unlikely and radical change in the world order, but the message that we, the ordinary people, all have a potential role in creating a better world.

The fact that Obama says he will listen and particularly to dissenters reminds us of Mahatma Gandhi. It is also something that is familiar to those who fought for independence in India. May be success without necessarily becoming self-righteous and arrogant has a message for those who want to break through the barriers of prejudice in this country.

A Black President in the White house is a dramatic and powerful political visual. It remains to be seen whether Obama will deliver as a statesman. But for now, that visual is cause enough for a moment of celebration. (Columnist---Aruna Roy)

Obama and India

by Kamla Bhatt

Kakisi's World captures the mood and how history was created with the election of Barack Obama as the 44th President of the USA. The blogger writes that what India needs is an Obama:

"Barack Obama as President of the United States is a small step for humankind, a giant leap for America. All nations of the world take interest in the American elections, for America is not just a country but an idea, a dream. Only country that surpasses that dream is India for the idea of India is far more ambitious than people anywhere else would possibly imagine."

Randeep Ramesh of 'Asian Musings' writes about 'Obama Nationlists' in India and says:

“Like the rest of the world, India woke up this morning agog at Obama's victory. His speech as President-elect was relayed live on every one of the three dozen local language news channels this morning displacing the usual blizzard of crime, stock market and cricket statistics.”

Rashmi Bansal of Youth Curry writes an interesting post about what Obama's victory means and wonders when India will get its Obama:

"And here in India one has to wonder when we will see an 'Obama' who will help us rise above our differences. And lead us into 'change we can believe in'…Not in 2009… but someday for sure."

Absentee Ballot Around the World!

Here is a brief outline on the process of my voting in this year's presidential election.  The hardest part for me was that I didn't know where I was going to be when the absentee ballots were mailed out so I had to play it by ear.

Hong Kong----- September 17, 2008
I printed the absentee ballot application and filled it out.  My attempts to scan it and e-mail it to the East Lansing City Clerk did not work so I needed to find a fax machine.  I made two attempts to fax it from a nearby hotel but it didn't go through.  It was not meant to be.

Phnom Penh, Cambodia---September 22, 2008
I reached the city and I needed to find a fax machine.  During a training run, I saw a sign for an internet cafe that had international fax services.  I went over after the run and the fax went through to the city of East Lansing. It cost me $3 US.  A few days later, I sent a confirmation e-mail to the East Lansing City Clerk and she responded back that the city had received the application.

Livonia, Michigan, USA- October 9, 2008
My parents received my absentee ballot at their home.  My mom was meeting me in India anyway at the end of the month and so we decided that she was going to hand deliver the ballot to me.

Detroit Metro-USA/ Amsterdam-Holland/ New Delhi-India--October 23, 2008

Pictured: My mom and I at my going away party in the Bahamas.

My mom and my absentee ballot traveled to India.

New Delhi, India- October 25, 2008
I filled out my ballot but wasn't able to find a Fed Ex or DHL Office so I decided that I would wait until I made it to Bangalore, India.

Bangalore, India-- October 29, 2008
I went to Bangalore, India to work with Habitat for Humanity.  On our third day of work during lunch, I left the village via auto rickshaw to the closest DHL office.  It was 20 km away and I dropped off my ballot.  They said it would take 48 hours to be delivered and it cost me $50 US for the service.

DHL Service--October 29-31, 2008

Date		Time		Location Service Area		Checkpoint Details
October 29, 2008		13:16		Bangalore - India		Shipment picked up
October 30, 2008		00:22		Bangalore - India		Arrived at DHL facility in Bangalore - India
October 30, 2008		01:48		Bangalore - India		Departed from DHL facility in Bangalore - India
October 30, 2008		22:31		New York City Gateway, NY - USA		Arrived at DHL facility in New York City Gateway - USA
October 30, 2008		22:40		New York City Gateway, NY - USA		Departed from DHL facility in New York City Gateway - USA
October 31, 2008		02:18		DHL Wilmington Airpark, OH - USA		Transferred through DHL Wilmington Airpark - USA
October 31, 2008		05:11		DHL Wilmington Airpark, OH - USA		Departed from DHL facility in DHL Wilmington Airpark - USA
October 31, 2008		06:18		Flint, MI - USA		Arrived at DHL facility in Flint - USA
October 31, 2008		06:34		Flint, MI - USA		Departed from DHL facility in Flint - USA
October 31, 2008		08:29		Dimondale, MI - USA		Scheduled for delivery
October 31, 2008		08:31		Dimondale, MI - USA		With delivery courier
October 31, 2008		10:08		East Lansing, MI - USA		Shipment delivered

Democracy In Action
The process took over six weeks through four different countries.  My ballot traveled thousands of miles but eventually made its way to the East Lansing City Clerk.  It ended up costing me a total of $53.  A small price to pay to do my part in rectifying the past eight years of horrible foreign and economic policy.  I am hopeful and confident that the results will be something that our country and world will remember as turning point for our nation.

To my American Readers:
If I can go through this to vote- it shouldn't be to hard for you to wake up and go to your polling place tomorrow.  Make your voice be heard!