For the wonderful opportunity to visit India I have many people to thank.
Marlene Brown, current Rotary District Governor of District 7150, for her time helping our team prepare for our trip and public presentations. Also, she was the only district governor to ever join a Group Study Exchange team along on their trip. She met up with us during the final days of our exchange by speaking at the district conference.
I must also thank her husband, Earl, who was always on hand to help out.
Henry “Mac” MacDonald, the GSE chair and our team trainer, not only took out time to meet with us before our journey but kept in contact to make sure we were OK.
Also from Rotary, I must thank George Mango, Camillus Rotary Club president, for sponsoring me and getting 25 Camillus banners and many thanks to Dick Kemmis of the Fulton Rotary Club who was my first contact in helping me through the application process.
Before leaving for India, Mike Theiss, manager of novelty operations at the Carrier Dome, helped me get a deal on several Syracuse pens and Otto pins to hand out as gifts.
I must thank Grishma Sheth, a Welch Allyn co-worker of my fiance. She not only prepared Indian food for us, but met with my team to answer questions. Even though she is from north India and we were traveling to the south, she contacted friends and family from areas where we were visiting to pass along information on places to see, food to eat and other useful details.
She even prepared food for my fiance several times while I was gone - and unlike Indians we met abroad, she left notes for him on what not to eat in the food such as bay leaves.
Travel nurse Robin Drypolcher with passport health gave me a personal consultation covering any health concerns. She spent more time with me than my own doctor and answered all questions and concerns. Thanks to her I was armed with any medication and knowledge I needed for a safe trip, and her information greatly helped in easing my mother's concerns.
And many thanks to my team and our hosts in India. Penny Poling was our team leader and our members included Bob Bird, Beth Carroll and Brenda White. Many thanks to Bob for a wonderful final presentation, Beth for eating everything off my plate I could never finish and Brenda for comic relief. The hosts treated each of us like family and made every attempt to be sure we had a comfortable stay.
Lastly, I must thank The Citizen for time off, my parents for their support, my fiance, Hee-Rak Kang for encouraging me to go and all our friends for keeping him well fed.
This experience is one I will surely never forget.
I must also thank her husband, Earl, who was always on hand to help out.
Henry “Mac” MacDonald, the GSE chair and our team trainer, not only took out time to meet with us before our journey but kept in contact to make sure we were OK.
Also from Rotary, I must thank George Mango, Camillus Rotary Club president, for sponsoring me and getting 25 Camillus banners and many thanks to Dick Kemmis of the Fulton Rotary Club who was my first contact in helping me through the application process.
Before leaving for India, Mike Theiss, manager of novelty operations at the Carrier Dome, helped me get a deal on several Syracuse pens and Otto pins to hand out as gifts.
I must thank Grishma Sheth, a Welch Allyn co-worker of my fiance. She not only prepared Indian food for us, but met with my team to answer questions. Even though she is from north India and we were traveling to the south, she contacted friends and family from areas where we were visiting to pass along information on places to see, food to eat and other useful details.
She even prepared food for my fiance several times while I was gone - and unlike Indians we met abroad, she left notes for him on what not to eat in the food such as bay leaves.
Travel nurse Robin Drypolcher with passport health gave me a personal consultation covering any health concerns. She spent more time with me than my own doctor and answered all questions and concerns. Thanks to her I was armed with any medication and knowledge I needed for a safe trip, and her information greatly helped in easing my mother's concerns.
And many thanks to my team and our hosts in India. Penny Poling was our team leader and our members included Bob Bird, Beth Carroll and Brenda White. Many thanks to Bob for a wonderful final presentation, Beth for eating everything off my plate I could never finish and Brenda for comic relief. The hosts treated each of us like family and made every attempt to be sure we had a comfortable stay.
Lastly, I must thank The Citizen for time off, my parents for their support, my fiance, Hee-Rak Kang for encouraging me to go and all our friends for keeping him well fed.
This experience is one I will surely never forget.
