We had a one-day guest appearance from one of our public health classmates, Allison. Allison did a one day world wind tour of the Taj Mahal and Delhi on her way to her class in Bangladesh. Despite the fact that we are school-mates I met her for the first time in India. I am glad I did. She was fun, warm, energetic and added something special to our trip to the Taj.
It turns out that Allison is truly a citizen of the world. She grew up in so many different countries around the world that I lost track. Her parents were in the US Foreign Service and actually spent a lot of time in Southern Africa, including Swaziland! Allison herself spent time in Morocco with the Peace Corp.
My favorite part of her story was that her parents met and fell in love while in the Peace Corp and many years later their daughter fell in love with her boyfriend during her Peace Corp years. In rural Morocco there were no internet cafes and telephones were in scarce supply so The Boyfriend used to send her telegrams arrange dates. Is it just me or is that pretty romantic?!
Well Allison I hope that you had as much fun with us (and our HILARIOUS group dynamics) as we did with you. I hope that you made it to Bangladesh safe and sound. Remember-don’t drink the water! LOL!
As for the Taj Mahal, there are no words to describe it. It was amazing! The whole thing is done in this gorgeous white marble with very intricate paintings, carvings and designs. The Taj Mahal is a mausoleum that was built in the 17th century by Emperor Shah Jahan as a tribute of love to his favorite wife who died during childbirth of her 14th child. Talk about setting a standard! The irony of the whole thing is that the person who it was built for will never see it. Additionally, within half a kilometer from the palatial monument there are people living in such abject poverty that it makes you wonder if perhaps the Emperor’s money could have been better spent on helping the living…hmmm.
It turns out that Allison is truly a citizen of the world. She grew up in so many different countries around the world that I lost track. Her parents were in the US Foreign Service and actually spent a lot of time in Southern Africa, including Swaziland! Allison herself spent time in Morocco with the Peace Corp.
My favorite part of her story was that her parents met and fell in love while in the Peace Corp and many years later their daughter fell in love with her boyfriend during her Peace Corp years. In rural Morocco there were no internet cafes and telephones were in scarce supply so The Boyfriend used to send her telegrams arrange dates. Is it just me or is that pretty romantic?!
Well Allison I hope that you had as much fun with us (and our HILARIOUS group dynamics) as we did with you. I hope that you made it to Bangladesh safe and sound. Remember-don’t drink the water! LOL!
As for the Taj Mahal, there are no words to describe it. It was amazing! The whole thing is done in this gorgeous white marble with very intricate paintings, carvings and designs. The Taj Mahal is a mausoleum that was built in the 17th century by Emperor Shah Jahan as a tribute of love to his favorite wife who died during childbirth of her 14th child. Talk about setting a standard! The irony of the whole thing is that the person who it was built for will never see it. Additionally, within half a kilometer from the palatial monument there are people living in such abject poverty that it makes you wonder if perhaps the Emperor’s money could have been better spent on helping the living…hmmm.
1 comment:
I thought the Taj Mahal was a huge, high-end shopping mall. Just kidding. The picture is postcard perfect.
Post a Comment