St. Louis Park Rotary club GSE party

Rotary District past governor Rod Shilkrot and his wife, Cheryl, invited the Bangalore GSE team, the St. Louis Park Rotary club and me to their house for a dinner party on Sunday evening, May 3.  It was a beautiful, sunny, Spring day! 

Current Rotary District Governor Chris Holm posed with the GSE team and the Indian youth exchange student.   

Incoming Rotary District Governor Sandra Schley standing in the kitchen with Manju, the Indian youth exchange student, and Sandra's husband Duane. 

Genesha greetings from Minnesota!

My office assistant, Allison, and I send you warm, Genesha greetings from the "Hagen Financial Network" office in Eagan, Minnesota. Please notice her gold, Indian bangle bracelets and earrings which she received from her kind, handsome, funny, generous boss after his return from Bangalore. All the best!

Surrounded by beautiful Indian women!

Priti, Manasa and I had our picture taken at the Rotary District 5950 district conference in downtown Minneapolis on the 50th floor of the IDS tower last weekend. Three fun-loving, beautiful people just a few feet from the DAIS . . . .

Follow the rules in the park!

If you're in Cubbon Park in Bangalore, please be sure to follow the rules on the green park sign.

If you're walking through the botanical garden in Bengaluru, kindly mind the posted rules on this blue sign. 

Bangalorean dancers came to USA

Charu Anand and some of her friends were invited to an international dance festival in Savannah, Georgia. Charu and her family hosted two of my GSE team members in the last days of our GSE stay in Bangalore. Doesn't Charu look beautiful in her red and orange dress with her magnificent jewelry?!

Traffic outside of New Delhi

This camel is running down the highway and pulling a huge wagon overloaded with grain.

Blow horn! That's what it says on the back of the truck! Honk - honk! Toot - toot! Beep - beep! A symphony of horns . . . .

Fun with the GSE team members

More fun pictures of the GSE team at our house. 

"Uncle G K" playing with our girls. 

A wonderful evening was had by all which will remain a special memory for my family and me for a long time. 

GSE potluck dinner at "Hagen Mahal"

On Saturday evening, March 25, the Eagan Rotary club board officers and the GSE India team gathered at our house for a fun potluck, vegetarian dinner. 

We were 24 people gathered to celebrate our new friendships with the GSE team from Rotary District 3190.  Manasa and Mangu were the VIPs at the dining room table while G K, Harsha, and Preeti were the VIPs at the kitchen table.  Anne and our three girls looked on from their family room dinner table. 

Bangalore GSE team on top of the world

The Bangalore GSE team assembled on the 50th floor of the IDS Tower in downtown Minneapolis for the Rotary 5950 district conference lunch. 

In the afternoon, they gave their GSE India powerpoint presentation at the Minneapolis Club during a GSE breakout session. 

Friends visit for India trip report

Henrik, a college friend from Freshman year, and his family visited us recently to hear about my Rotary GSE trip to Bangalore. I surprised them at the front door wearing my Indian attire. They enjoyed watching my India photos DVD accompanied with Hindi music and later looking at my India Shutterfly photo album. We had coffee and treats, the kids played and Henrik helped me on the computer; a fun time was had by all!

Some of my treasures from India

Here you see most of the treasures which I brought home from India.  I realized later that I forgot a few items from the picture - darn! 

The happy boys in Mysore

Kids loved to have their pictures taken while I was in Karnataka.  These boys greeted our GSE team after lunch in Mysore. 

A cow and a cart

Whether he's driving a cow drawn cart in Bangalore or someone else is rolling along in a wagon in Mysore, both are a mode of transportation which one doesn't see back in Minnesota. 

News from Nils in Bangalore

Nils, my GSE homestay host from the Diamond District Rotary club, celebrated his birthday recently with a family lunch in a forest near Nrityagram (which translates as "dancing village") outside Bangalore.  This village of dance was set up by Protima Bedi, a well known dancer in a classical Indian style called Odissi.  Her dance school continues on.  For more information:  www.nrityagram.org. 

You see a cool photo of Durga, a goddess with many arms, nicely and artistically framed.  Check out those stone steps!

On a green banana leaf

After the wedding in Bangalore, we enjoyed a traditional meal served on a banana leaf.  A couple kinds of rice were also added to the Indian lunch feast!  Interesting colors and textures to experience with the fingers - great tastes - yum!

After dinner "breath freshners" waiting on a banana leaf were fun to sample!

Coffee, treats & my India photo album

Sandy Schley, our Rotary District 5950 incoming governor, treated me to coffee and sweets at Starbucks in the Mall of America.   We looked at my GSE Bangalore trip "shutterfly.com" photo album and discussed my trip and the incredible experience.   She has been a great supporter and showed a lot of interest in the GSE experience in India. 

The Bangalore GSE team in Minneapolis

Look at those good-looking Bangalore Indians at the Guthrie Theatre with the mighty Mississippi River and bridges framing them from behind! 

Hennepin County Commissioner Randy Johnson enjoyed visiting with the District 3190 GSE team in the Minneapolis City Hall's Council Chambers in downtown. 

GK Murthy, the GSE team leader, exchanged Rotary flags with Karin Treiber, president of the Minneapolis South Rotary club.  Karin was recently in Bangalore and Hyderabad with Rotary District Governor Chris Holm and others from our District 5950. 

Thanks to District 5950 incoming GSE co-chair and Richfield Rotary Club President Barb Devlin for sharing these pictures!

Fire truck garden

At a Bangalore fire station, the exotic garden of beautiful plants was quite impressive!  Those Indian firefighters must have a "green thumb!"

A lot to think about

After 4 weeks in Bangalore, I reflected on the many experiences during my Rotary International GSE trip.  Sitting on the steps of a minaret at the Taj Mahal, I marveled at the magnificent, marble monument built by one of India's mighty former emperors. 

The Bangalore GSE team went to school

The Bangalore Rotary GSE team visited students in Richfield schools with Richfield Rotarians.  Reading is fun!