There is No Thank You in Friendship
Flying. I’m flying from Dehli to Mumbai. My heart is full, my eyes are heavy and my soul is alive. My body is above the clouds and so is my heart.
South Asia. The shapes on the map of screen in front of me are new, different, I know them but not like I know the outline of the North American continent. I know them only as a passing thought, an every other year for one month sort of reality. But now I’m here – Here in India for 10 months and this fills my heart with tremendous joy and a well of anxieties.
Blessed. I am one of 35 fellows who have been given the opportunity to experience Incredible India. Months back coming to do the AIF Fellowship was an idea, today it is my reality. Meeting 34 people from all over the globe coming together for one purpose, to create change in our own lives and thereby begin to plant the seeds of change in the relationship between India and the US, to as the mission so simply states, “catalyzing social and economic change in India.”
Well step one was orientation and it is done now – I already miss the energy and presence of being around all my fellow Fellows, and yet the light we created as a group follows each of us to the many corners of India. Even though we are all far apart we are collectively engaged in a shared experienced made stronger by the community in which we now exist. The community of AIF.
I offer you Gayatri’s 10 random (and in no particular order) highlights from AIF Orientation:
- Bollywood Dancing and specifically Brian’s incredible dancing skills (yes Brian I am calling you out here). Thank you to all those fellows who checked their ego at the door and danced. You were all beautiful and with any luck I will be able to add here one of the many videos taken during said dance lesson.
- Scavenger-Hunting about Delhi, words fail to capture the insanity that became 7 teams of AIF Fellows traipsing about Delhi by bus, metro, auto, on foot and in cars. To tourists sites, shopping malls, mosques, temples and markets we went. Sharing our family heritage with one another while piled into an auto in India traffic, practicing our Hindi and our bargaining skills in an attempt to spend as little money as possible.
- The VYK Lobby / Make shift internet café, There was a true joy to the community we built around getting online. It became this funny, ridiculous, frustrating time, sitting in the lobby at random intervals during the day trying to get online. What was lovely is even if your computer never connected you got a good dose of community just sitting there, talking, getting to know the beautiful stories and adventures of our peers in this fellowship.
- The amazing AIF Fellowship Staff Team. Anyone who knows me knows I am honest. I tell it like it is and like it is, is this: We have an amazing support system in our fellowship staff team at AIF. I don’t think they could have been more caring and supportive of us. I know the road ahead will get bumpy for all of us at times but I feel much more comfortable and secure knowing the quality of the team backing us up and the care they hold in their hearts for each one of us fellows.
- Paneer. Before living at VYK for a week I would have said I could easily eat paneer all the time, now after having done that I know better. I can complain about the food and yet the thought always lives with me how privileged I am to have food, not just food but nutritious food. So well I jokingly remark on the crazy amount of paneer that was served over the course of this week I am also acutely aware of the luxury of such easy access to meals.
- Schedule Changes. I think one of the best tools utilized during our orientation to India was the consistently with which the schedule was changed. I say this not as a criticism but as a compliment. The reality of our schedule is that whenever something more important came up we changed the schedule, a great speaker is able to come by – change the schedule, we have a change to see any amazing dance production in Gurgaon – change the schedule. I loved it. It helped me shift from my US mentality into my Indian mentality of simply being open to what comes.
- Sridar. For anyone that knows….I don’t need to say anymore but for some of you who may not have any idea who this new uncle of mine is I will tell you. He is a caring, engaged and committed mentor to AIF and specifically to AIF fellows. He has become a critical piece of the AIF fellowship and has been engaged directly with fellows over the past 7 cohorts. He leverages his relationships and contacts to support the learning and development of fellows. Programs like the AIF fellowship require a champion and Sridar is without question that champion.
- Interacting with AIF Alums. We are not just 35 fellows coming to India this year (2012-2013) we are already part of a community for former fellows who have been coming to India for over a decade. We are a part of a community of 250 fellows who have participated in the program. I was moved, inspired, and encouraged by the many opportunities we had during the week to interact with former fellows. This fellowship is truly not something people do to take a break from real life but rather a tool to jump more fully into life.
- Gearing up for AIF. T-shirt, check. Coo AIF sholder bag, check. AIF padolio, check. Creating community goes deeper than having everyone wear the same t-shirt, but it is certainly a step in that direction.
- Laughing and Learning. I learned so much this week. Some of what I learned came from the tremendous resource experts that were brought in over the course of the week but the majority of what I learned I gained by talking to the Indian fellows over a glass or beer (or soda). I learned and I listened and I laughed, a lot. I know having Indian fellows is a new twist for AIF which started just last year but I cannot imagine this program without them. These fellows have so enriched my learning and my (limited) experience of this fellowship. I think perhaps the most important lesson I learned is that there is no thank you in friendship. After having said thank you a dozen or so times for all the help one of the Indian fellows had given me he said, “Stop thanking me, you don’t need to say it. I know. There is no need for thank you in friendship.”
