Update: End of a Journey, onto the Next

India: For those who wish to view my summer internship to India, please search my first/lastname in Facebook and I'll add you as a 'Friend.'

Final semester: We are in our 10th out of 16 weeks at Colorado State. Just finished draft I of my thesis. It's first snow and I'm feeling pretty weak. So I'll be staying home and nursing myself back to a healthy state.

After this semester: I'm considering putting together a non-profit organization that teaches people how to measure their 'sustainability' efforts. So in other words, does the paper recycling you do make a dent in the amount of paper products you consume? How about, does the amount of times you ride your bike to school/work compensate for the one plane trip to take for your vacation? Simple things like that. So, I'm off to do some research on metrics, databases, etc.

Certainly, if you know of an uncomplicated measurement tool that a common person who does not need to have a PhD to understand what they're reading, heck, I'd love to hear about it. Might save me sometime or reinforce my theory.

Your thoughts and constructive criticism are most welcomed!

Trek to India: Another mad dash

On Sunday afternoon, we arrive at 3:30 pm in JFK International Airport, NYC as opposed to 4:30. Immediately, I call Russell, a good friend of mine for the better part of 15 years, to let him know we’re here. Earlier I arranged to have dinner with him and his fiancé, Nancy Kelly. He’s heading into his senior year in biochemistry at Columbia while Nancy is a RDBMS person and going to Columbia part time. Kellen came along too (pics & video to follow)!

When Kellen and I got to JFK airport, we headed for Qatar Airways to get our boarding passes. Earlier we couldn’t get them because their doors were closed. As we walked to the main area where they were, we bumped into their business section that didn’t have a line. The ticket agents prompted helped Kellen. She asked if I could accompany her into the business lounge because we were traveling together (I was traveling economy so we weren’t sure); and they said yes! Sweeeeet. We had about an hour or so to kill before boarding started and we could see where they were boarding from where we sat in the business lounge.

Probably because it was so late at night, there was hardly anyone there. The cosmos drink we had back in Queens was pretty weak and Kellen suggested another one. Yummy. We loaded up on some snacks while we were there. Being that I am going into a Muslim country, I went into the restroom to put a Indian top on that Nandini gave me (Thanks Nan!).

Next thing you know, Kellen is screaming at me, “Come on Janell, we gotta go! They just called us to board the plane and we’re the last ones again!” Off she went. OMG, not again. Crrrrap! I powered down the laptop, stuffed by bag, searched for my boarding pass, and made like rabbit in my Indian getup.

Oh yes, the trek continues...

Trek to India: A mad dash to catch a flight

On Sunday, June 14th, Green Ride Co picked me up about 6:10 am. As the driver opened up the trunk for the luggage, he turned to me and said, "Now you look familiar. Where you at the Northern Colorado Entrepreneur's Network recently?" My answer: Yes, I presented our water filter, SHEBA, to a crowd of over 100 people. As a matter of fact, I'm going to India to study rural women and their needs and that bag you're holding contains the surveys me and my collegues will be using.

So, off we go to the Denver Airport. I'm hanging out at McD's typing away and passing time waiting to board; soon Kellenmy team mate, meets up with me. She's telling me about her morning and how she got the timing mixed up a bit. Two minutes before the closing time, she barely makes it in for the baggage check in and the Delta folks were kind enough to let her in through the employee's line. Just as she said that, we hear our names being called for last chance to board our Delta Flight to JFK. Kellen makes a mad hatter's dash to the goal line while I'm scrabbling like an idiot to the power down my slow laptop, find my ticket, & zipper up the carry on. She makes it and I follow suit.

The trek to India and our adventure continues...

Am I seeing things? Thunder, lightening, funnel clouds, oh my!

Yesterday, on my way down on Hiway 25 to Denver to pickup a girlfriend, I could have swore my right eye had issues with flashing lights. More of a nerve thing. I ignored it and continued singing with the radio.

Then, all of the sudden, just like those radio broadcasts when a period of silence followed by a static sounding announcement of the American Broadcast System, "If you are in South Weld County (which I was) there is a tornado watch in effect for the next 30 minutes; and there are severe thunder storms in Denver" (Courtesy: The Denver Channel). Nice to know that my right eye is in tact. Would have been interesting to see flying cows, like the movies (what's that movie name?)...

By the time my girlfriend and I made it home to Fort Collins, the ground was dry, the sun was shining, the clouds were very turbulent, and I was still singing to the radio.

AYZH Project Description is now posted at Colo State's website!

Just found out that our project, AYZH International, has its description now posted on the College of Business website. Location: http://www.biz.colostate.edu/gsse/program/projectExperiences/Pages/2009GSSEProjcetSummaries.aspx

In between here, there, & everywhere

One thing about Ft. Collins that I have found is that most places have a solid one 'academic' year lease. Only a handful are negotiable for anything other than the norm.

This puts a damper for odd people like me who graduate in the middle of the school year, complicated by the fact that my two cats have been re-bestowed to me. Earlier a girlfriend took care of the cats, but on a good note, she was recently married early May.

So, the story is this: my lease runs out on July 25 and they don't accept cats or a 6 month lease. Bottom line: I will need to find a place before I leave or at least sign for a place so I have a home to move into by mid July.

In traveling to many condos, apartments, and locations in the last couple of weeks, I have come to one place that is ideal. I've got my fingers crossed on it.

On another note, Zubaida Bai, the founder of AYZH, has left this evening to India. Kellen McMartin and I will be following suit in mid June. My Visa was sent back to me from the Consulate and my travel arrangements are in progress. Certainly, our travels will be researching and surveying rural women in India; the other half is setting up the legal entity. It is very interesting to me to see how arduous (or not) the formal process is in forming a for profit business a foreign country.

Getting ready for Summer 2009 Internship

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Getting ready for India


I watched Ghandi this a.m. and checked out CIA.GOV for India just to get a feel of this country. It's amazing to me how a country that has the landmass of 1/3 of the USA has ~1/6 of the world's population (1.1B/6.9B).

From what I've been learning, many of the 3rd world countries have a "developed" city with all of the comforts while the peri-urban areas and the rest of their countryside is quite poor. This, I believe, is not only in India, but in many of the poorer countries.

In our AYZH meeting this afternoon, we will discuss our travels and assignments more in detail. For those who don't know me, I am a graduate student in Cohort #2, Global Social Sustainable Enterprise (GSSE) program, Colorado State University, College of Business. My team, AYZH International, is my project team and we are distributors of technological solutions for women; more specifically rural women.

Thank you for visiting and do enjoy your journey.