Sunday, August 9, 2009

Fulbright Orientation in DC


As I write this, only four days remain before we board our plane for Delhi, India on August 13. However, I feel a little more confident going into our journey, following our orientation in Washington, D.C.
From August 3 – 7, all the Fulbright Exchange teachers from the U.S., along with their exchange counterparts, met for a series of informational sessions and one-on-one conversations. Our group commandeered almost the entire hotel and, at times, it felt like a mini United Nations, except that it was composed mostly of teachers! We met teachers from Hungary, Switzerland, the U.K. (England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland), Czech Republic, Turkey, Ghana, Mexico, and India.

While Mike attended various sessions and got to know his exchange teacher, Ms. Chitra Balasubramanian, the kids and I were free to sightsee in DC, which is a great city for families. All the Smithsonian Museums are free, although the crowds were bigger than usual, maybe due to the popularity of “Night at the Museum 2,” which is set at the Smithsonian. Unfortunately, none of the museum exhibits came to life when we were there (of course, maybe that’s because we were just there during the day . . .).

On our last night, the Fulbright farewell dinner was followed by a “cultural fair,” which was basically an international talent show. There were French songs, Swiss yodeling, Hungarian folk dancing, Ghanaian drumming & dancing, and the UK contingent did their own version of “Britain’s Got Talent.” The Indian group sang a song of peace and then followed with a rousing dance number from “Slumdog Millionaire.” I was worried that our own country would be woefully unrepresented, but fortunately, one of the families led everyone in a sing-along of “This Land is Your Land.”


So now we’re back in Cedarburg, preparing to leave. Our exchange teacher, Chitra, is here and beginning to adjust to life in the U.S. She likes how quiet and clean Cedarburg is, but our cost of living is much higher. She was surprised to learn how expensive coffee is at our local coffeehouses! After all the stories she has told us, we are very excited to get going. Hopefully, my next post will be from Delhi, after we arrive. - Carla

6 comments:

  1. I'm glad you sang "This Land is My Land." Last night we watched the Pete Seeger 90th birthday party and he led that song, which typifies so much of the goodness of our country.
    I'm also excited to see you're blogging, Carla. I will look forward to your entries.
    Have a wonderful trip, Cullen Family. My good wishes fly with you.
    Lolly

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  2. After the get-together at your home, I found the blog. Keep us all informed of your adventures. I'm excited for all of us.
    Kay

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  3. Hello Cullen Family - How are things on the other side of the world??

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  4. Hi Cullens,
    We hope you are doing well and settling in. We are sorry we missed the math get-together on the 11th, but we did bump into Jeff Diederich and his family that day in Green Bay. He is doing well and says hello. We look forward to your updates.
    -The Pollocks

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  5. Hi Carla -

    What an experience!! The pictures are amazing. Looks like a real adventure. Will the kids attend school there or will you be able to teach them at home while Mike is at school. Good to hear from you. Look forward to your updates.

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  6. hey taz and family, just wanted to say hi and tell you about some new stuff. by the way my mom really loves your pictures. guess what in florida i got my hair cut to shoulder length and i got two turtles and a snail. my mom says our house is turning into a zoo. i cant wait to see you and hear from you guys. have tons of fun!
    lots of love,
    Kiwi

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