Another yummy day-out in summer!

My friend, Amrita and I went to The Counter, a special burger restaurant. There you are greeted with a clipboard that outlines an extensive list of patty (vegetarian and non-vegetarian both), cheese, toppings, and burger fixings that includes type of breads that will allow you to build your own exclusive burger. I tried Veggie Patty (rice and black-eyed beans) with some roasted red peppers, tomatoes, grilled pineapple, and dill pickle chips (pickled cucumber: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dill_pickle) for my toppings. I chose a basil pesto sauce and English muffin bun to complete my burger. I was apprehensive about how the combo would taste, but to my surprise, the burger actually turned out to be delicious and it gratified all my curiosity to try my style of unique burger. Along with good range of burgers, this place has a warm ambience, making it a nice place to hangout with friends and family.

http://www.thecounterburger.com/concept/

Two semesters down

I am glad that I am done with my final exams for spring semester, and with that my first year of graduation. Now, I will have a summer break for a month, and my summer classes will start from June. However, my summer practicum will continue through out May.

I have been doing my practicum at a learning academy with children with behavioral and developmental challenges for 6 months now. At my practicum site, I have had a good opportunity to experience the US education and work culture. I have picked up some commonly used US terms like “pop” for carbonated drinks/soft drinks and “garbage can” for dustbin. I have also learned to write dates as mm/dd/yy instead dd/mm/yy. I try to use culturally relevant terms to communicate with the children and colleagues effectively. One time while giving an instruction to the children, I said, “Please stand in a queue.” All the little kids stood there staring at me. Soon one of my colleague prompted them, “Boys and girls, line-up please.” My colleagues and I had a good laugh at this.

Its fun that how simple things are communicated in different ways across different parts of the world. Indians may face initial faux-pas in the US because we are trained in the UK English; nevertheless, people here are quite open to diversity and variations. And, it has been easier for me to learn these cultural nuances with the help of my supervisors and colleagues at work. We work hard for the whole week and socialize on the weekend, which provides me with some more opportunities to clarify and adjust to cultural differences in the U.S.

Although these are minute differences between the cultures, I find it interesting to mention it on my blog. I am sure many of my international friends would have had similar experiences. However, I feel it is priceless to travel abroad for further studies as it broadens ones horizons, adds to the cultural experiences, enhances intercultural communication skills, and shapes the ability to adapt and learn.

Studying in the U.S. – How satisfied are you with your graduate program?

This week, The Chicago School (TCS) is conducting a Student Satisfaction Survey. TCS usually conducts this survey at the end of every semester. This survey aims to collect students’ opinion and feedback (U.S. students and international students) about the performance of all the faculty members across all the departments. Click here to see the previous survey result: http://www.thechicagoschool.edu/resources/content/1/8/6/6/documents/research_bulletin_april07_prelim_findings_student_sat_academic_survey.pdf.

Although I have had a positive experience at the school and with my faculty members so far, I know that there are some international students who have expressed concerned about the sensitivity of the faculty or professors towards international students. Additionally, I know that some of my classmates have expressed dissatisfaction about the Applied Behavior Analysis program, as it does not correspond with their expectations regarding the program. I am glad that the Office of International Research administers this survey so that students have a chance to express their concerns. The results of this survey are mostly made available online for students to view. It can also be helpful in providing prospective students with a more balanced outlook of student satisfaction than simply talking with one or two current students at an institution.

Often, on the basis of one negative experience many continuing students develop a strong attitude against the course or a particular faculty and may inadvertently share this impression with other peers further spreading the anxiety amongst other students; this may impact the decision of perspective students in choosing the program or the university. I think that relying completely on one or two student’s opinion may be highly subjective and detrimental. In such a quandary, I would suggest one must also refer to the “student satisfaction survey results” or “Performance Survey”, usually posted on university/college website under the column – “about faculty”. To my knowledge most of the universities in the U.S. often conducts periodic surveys and facilitate the objective information about the faculty and department services on their website especially for perspective students.

In the process of choosing an appropriate university or a program, one may also contact the department head or concerned professor to gain first-hand information about the course and the scope for international students; especially when you are selecting a course that is new for you and your background and exposure in that particular course is limited, for e.g. Very few students may have precise knowledge about applied Behavior analysis science, so may select on the basis of some or the other students’ opinion, and later may end up not liking the course or switching the field. However, I am not suggesting disregarding the continuing students’ opinion completely. I chose TCS and ABA program by relying on the combinations of information from website, professors of the program, and few continuing students.

Overall, I am satisfied with my program requirements. Although I may not be impressed by the entire curriculum in my program, I am learning significant things that are required for shaping my knowledge in the field of behavioral science.

Some countries are gifted with a massive ‘Civic Sense’!

I live on the UIC campus, and my grad school is in downtown, so I commute via CTA train everyday. Yesterday, on my way to college, I saw that two to three CTA maintenance men were swabbing and cleaning the station entrance area with disinfectants. Furthermore, ever since I have come, I have noticed that almost everyone, as young as 3 year old to 70 year old uses a garbage bin. I have hardly seen anyone litter around on the street. I find this highly appealing specifically because, this attitude is missing in many of my community people. It’s been years now that civic sense has been an issue of debate and discussion amongst young educated people in my country, focusing on inculcating cleanliness and hygienic practices within the community, using placards like – “Green Mumbai clean Mumbai”, “Your city is your home, treat it like your house”, Your community is not a garbage-bin”.

I realize that there are some antecedents that need to be considered before making such comparisons like: country’s infrastructure, population rate, economy. However, in my opinion, civic sense plays an important role in guiding such behaviors; it should be felt by every individual from within to keep the community environs clean. I call this attitude a ‘civic sense’, which is beyond any of the above antecedents. It is inculcated within the family and reinforced in the society. Government rules and policy and their strict implementations plays predominant role in shaping community sense – a sense of responsibility towards one’s state, country etc. I really wish that the young people who are working towards such a noble cause – ‘awakening the civic sense in every possible Indian’ will see a ray of hope one day. I dream of that day!

St. Patrick’s Day Celebration

My spring break ended last weekend. On Friday, after my practicum, we went to one of my colleague’s place. On our way we bought some tortilla chips, salsa, and a bottle of sweet white wine. Afterwards, she prepared a delicious Mexican dish of chile, corn and cheese flautas for the dinner. It is a wonderful vegetarian dish that I surely hope to enjoy again!

After the Friday night gathering, I had a hard time getting up next day. But, when I got up and looked outside my window, I was astounded by the weather. The city was sun poking through the clouds made everything look like it was glistening from the rain that had fallen the previous. After I got dressed, Naomi and I had some Hot Masala Chai (Indian Tea) and breakfast and set out to explore Chicago for St. Patrick’s Day festivities. Usually St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated on March 17, but the parade was held on the 13th since it was the weekend closest to St. Patrick’s Day.

St. Patrick’s Day is named after the most commonly recognized patron saints of Ireland. It became an official feast day in the early 1600s. It is widely celebrated in places where there are large numbers of Irish immigrants like: Great Britain, Canada, the United States, Argentina, Australia, New Zealand and Montserrat, among others.

The parade began at noon. All of Chicago was out on that day. There were hordes of people around the Michigan Avenue, where the parade took place. Everybody was wearing green; some were in green hats, some in green beads, while some were dressed entirely in green clothes, including green shoes. I was very curious to know about the association of the green colour with the celebration of St. Patrick’s Day, so I gathered some information about it.



Green ribbons and shamrocks were worn in celebration of St Patrick's Day. St. Patrick used the shamrock, a three-leaved plant, to explain the Holy Trinity to the pre-Christian Irish. Hence, wearing and display of shamrocks and shamrock-inspired designs has become a ubiquitous feature of the day. People say that in 1798 in hopes of making a political statement Irish soldiers wore full green uniforms on 17 March with the phrase "the wearing of the green", meaning to wear a shamrock on one's clothing.

In addition to all the green clothing, the city of Chicago dyes its river green as well, and has done so since 1962 for Saint Patrick's Day. Originally 100 pounds of vegetable dye was used to turn the river green for a whole week but now only forty pounds of dye is used and the color only lasts for several hours.



Taking part in the St. Patrick’s Day festivities this past week reminded me how enjoyable it is living in Chicago. I love everything about this place--the spirit of its people, it’s many cultural celebrations, the climate and array of food. What a great way to end my spring break!

Spring Break

This week school is closed for Spring Break. Although, I am not able to leave town for a warm, sunny destination like many students do, it was glad to kick off my Spring break celebrating my friend’s 25th birthday on Saturday. The theme of the party was to incorporate the number 25 in our attire. I wore a T-shirt with the number 25 printed on it, while others painted the number 25 on their faces, arms and clothes. There was a huge truffle cake, soft drinks, and some Indian snacks for the party. As a birthday surprise for Venkat, the birthday boy, we prepared a slide show from an assortment of his photographs with all his friends, spanning his two year long journey in Chicago. The slideshow turned out really well and it lit up everyone’s face with a big smile and moist eyes, cherishing the two years of memories in Chicago. Then, we all rocked the floor on famous Bollywood numbers and sang few old Hindi songs. The party went on till 2 a.m. We did not leave any opportunity to capture all the happy moments of his birthday celebration.


The Saturday night fun quickly ended after I reached home and found an email from my professor stating that the rough draft of an assignment I attached on E-college (web-based classroom software) had not been uploaded, so my professor could not review it. As such, he told me that I would have to finish my final draft with any edits from him. This left me with a feeling of apprehension, as I will have to take excessive care to do the final draft correctly. I hope that I utilize my spring break well to finish my assignment. Along with my assignment I also plan to rest well, eat some good food, and watch some movies during the break. The weather is warming up and the sun has made some appearances over the last couple days, so I’m hopeful that my Spring break won’t be too bad after all.

Fellowship work and board game recreation!

As my spring semester is progressing my task list is getting longer, full of assignments and homework. Last week, In the midst of my daily school work, we had an International Board Game Event.

This event was organized by International Students Services, where I work as an for 10 hours a week. As part of the organizing team, I assisted in planning, preparing flyers, catering, arrangements, and hosting the event. This event not only was a good recreational break, but also an opportunity to sharpen my administrative skills – My Fellowship work in International Student Services is truly a good learning experience for me!

The International Board Game Night turned out to be a joyous event. There were lots of interesting board games selected from different parts of the world, like: Dominoes, Carcassonne, For Sale, Snakes and Ladders, Ticket to Ride, etc. Placards were placed at the tables where each game was being played; each game was hosted by a predetermined person. I was host of the game, “For Sale”, a European style card game

The event took place in the evening and as such, sandwiches, chips, cookies, and soft drinks were served at the event. Munching and playing simultaneously added more fun. I was impressed that regardless of the hectic school schedule, many students made it for the event. A group of 10 students from Peru, who were at the school last week for an educational and cultural competence seminar, also participated in the board game event. It was a pleasure to interact and exchange some cultural views about the board games with the Peruvian students.

There is a popular misconception that playing board games is childlike. But, according to me, it is a great brainstorming and creative leisure pursuit. I was amazed to see that some students were completely engrossed in planning strategies to win the game, and some were also using pen and paper to strategize while playing. Very Interesting!!

Overall, for me participating in this event was refreshing and innovative break from my daily, monotonous routine. I wish more such events keep happening at TCS, and I hope that I keep up my good work as a fellow in International Student Services.