The New Brand

On July 12th 2010 the YMCA of the USA announced that they would be releasing a new brand strategy. From this point forward the United States based YMCA organization would be known simply as “the Y”. Straying from the rigidity and narrowness of the old brand, the new logo and outlook pairs fresh and more vibrant colors with a new organization of programs falling under the categories of Youth Development, Healthy Living and Social Responsibility. The rebranding process intends to embrace the language used by the community in referring to the organization as “the Y” and provides a great opportunity to illustrate a better understanding of the mission: to put Christian principles into practice through programs that build healthy spirit, mind and body for all.

In a two-year study conducted by the global strategic branding firm Siegel+Gale the results indicated a significant gap in the community understanding of what the Y is really all about. According to a survey conducted in 2006 by Business Week (an international business and news source), the existing black and red logo was among the most recognized in the world but despite the worldwide recognition few showed a true understanding of the depth of the organization. The community impact of the Y is being lost and this rebranding process will give the Y of USA a chance to tell their true story. As put best by Y of USA in a recent press release, “Most of us were inspired to work for the Y because we are committed to a higher cause. Unfortunately, most people outside our organization have no idea what our cause is…Our new brand platform allows us to tell our story more consistently and inspirationally putting us on equal footing with other national organizations we admire.”

The rejuvenated logo is bold, active and welcoming and the color palette will help better reflect the vibrancy and diversity of the communities served and activities provided. The refreshed logo, with its multiple color options and new, contemporary look better reflects the diversity of the Y movement. In addition, the new logo gives the Y a chance to clarify their message to those who do not clearly understand what we are all about, and at the same time is a symbol of the Y’s commitment to personal and social progress.

In an e-mail interview, Dr. Rolf Wulfsberg a leader in the research team for the rebranding strategy for the Y of USA said “we were acutely aware of the recognition factor of the Y logo. At the same time, our research indicated that the overwhelming association of what the Y is and does is vastly different from what the Y really is and does. The organization needed a way to signal to the public that they’re not just a provider of swimming and fitness, but the leading non-profit committed to strengthening community through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. A logo change – particularly to a logo so well recognized – is one way to challenge misperceptions and get the public to re-examine the benefits of the Y”.

After more than two years of research, the results have shown that this rebranding process has the potential to be a really positive change for the Y. According to the findings the new branding strategy has the opportunity to increase new membership by 810,000 units and increase the number of new organization donors by 773,000 individuals. Not only do these numbers indicate a growth in success of the organization as whole, but more importantly they show that there are many members of the community that feel that the old brand does not appropriately address their needs and individuality. With the fresh look and clearer understanding of the mission and principles of the Y, the Y of USA will be able to more effectively reach and serve our communities.

What many do not yet understand is that the new brand strategy of the Y is not only about reinventing the public image of how the Y is seen by the community but it is also a reorganization of how individuals will understand the programs provided. Youth development is centered on the commitment to nurturing the potential of every child and teen. The Y believes that all kids deserve the opportunity to discover who they are and what they can achieve. Under the category of healthy living is a rededication to improving the nation’s health and well-being in communities across the United States. With a mission centered on balance, the Y brings families closer together, encourages good health and fosters connections through fitness, sports, fun and shared interests. Social responsibility describes the giving back and providing support to neighbors. Through the Y, 500,000 volunteers and thousands of donors, leaders and partners across the country are empowering millions of people in the U.S. and around the world to be healthy, confident, connected and secure.

The world is always changing and can be an unpredictable place, but to resist this change is to be left behind. The Y of USA is taking steps to recognize these changes and grow with their communities. No matter what challenges they may face, one fact remains certain – the Y is, and always will be, dedicated to building healthy, confident, connected and secure children, adults, families and communities.

Kodaikanal

I am happy to report that the peak of the Indian summer heat has passed! However, with temperatures still hovering around 90-95 degrees F a weekend escape to a higher altitude before the start of school seemed just perfect. A popular destination for local as well as foreign tourists, Kodaikanal is a beautiful hill station that sits about 7,000 ft. (2000 m) above sea level allowing for pleasant New England-like summer temperatures. When suggested by the Madurai YMCA General Secretary Suyambu that I take the weekend and head into the hills I eagerly accepted. What made the offer even more enticing is that as it turned out the President of the Madurai YMCA owns a small hotel in Kodaikanal called the Snooze Inn (or as I prefer to remember it, the Snooze'n) so my stay would be free! Excited to make it to cooler temperatures and desperately wanting another escape from city life I hopped at bus at 6am on Friday morning and set off for a winding and at times fightening four hour drive into the mountains.

I arrived in Kodaikanal at around 10am. Located only a short walk from the bus station, I headed to the "Snooze'n" to drop some things before going out to explore what this beautiful hillstation had to offer. Luckily, since I was a guest from the YMCA the Snooze'n staff had arraged for one of the receptionists to take me around on his motorcycle to show me the different tourist hot spots in and around Kodaikanal. I have to say, before coming to India I had only been a passenger a few times on the back of a bike but since being her it has become my new favorite way to travel. I love being able to quickly jump from place to place while still feeling like a part of what is going on around me.

Croweded with local tourists and with cloud cover heavy late in the day, the popular spots left something to be desired. I decided that the following day I would find a guide and head into the hills for a nice long trek away from all the tourist traffic. The staff at the Snooze'n suggested a guide by the name of Cannon. At first glace he didn't look like much but as we spent more time together I came to learn that he is not only a terrific guide but also has a degree in biology and botany so was able to tell me all about the flora and fauna of the region, collects various types of plants and flowers to make his own oils for local distribution and sale AND he is an amazing chocolate maker!

Judging by the look on my face and my positive attitude Cannon could tell that I was really ready for a nice long and challenging trek and that was exactly what he gave me. Over grown with trees and plants from the rains that had been coming, hiking the trail was a lot more bushwhacking than just trekking. Pushing and crawling through the dense forest and down trees covering the trail made for an interested and challenging journey but just to make matters even more interesting for the majority of the trek one misstep to my left would have meant a plummet of about 4000ft to my death (don't worry mom, I survived fine). Bushwhacking our way along an altitude of about 8000ft stopping to take in some of the most beautiful scenery I have ever seen, we trekked for most of the day with our final distance settling at about 20km.

Arriving back at the Snooze'n at about 3:00 I decided that I still hadn't had enough of the beautiful mountains and arranged to meet back up with my guide Cannon in the evening to check out some of the more beautiful views of the city at night.

Kodaikanal is a really interesting little city. Not only is the scenery just absolutely beautiful but the community that that city is made up of is quite a nice little variety. I even came to discover a really interesting community of Tibetian refugees who have made their home in Kodiakanal. Selling traditional Tibetian garments and artisan products as well as running a few really nice Tibetian resturaunts where I picked up some delicious chowmein and dumplings these people have really made a nice community for themselves in India's deep south.

Before I knew it Sunday had arrived and it was back to Madurai for me for the start of school!

Rameshwaram

I have decided that I am really going to try hard to write about things that I've done or places I've gone relatively shortly after I return because it seems to the longer I wait the harder it becomes to remember. Duh, right? Well I guess I thought that because everything is so wonderful and exciting here I would never forget the details, but the reality is that when everyday is new and exciting and filled with new experiences, I often forget what I ate for breakfast that morning never mind how my travels went the week before.

I arrived back to Madurai Sunday afternoon after having spent a tremendous 36 hours in the southern city of Rameshwaram. Rameshwaram is located on the south-eastern coast of India only 20km from Sri Lanka. It is basically as far as you can go towards Sri Lanka without actually crossing the border. Along with Madurai is it also considered one of South India's most sacred places for Hindus to visit and make pilgrimage to. It is believed by Hindus that in this city the god Rama, an incarnation of Vishnu, worshiped Shiva in the Ramayana. The Ramanathaswamy Temple is known for its magnificent structure, long corridors and aesthetically carved pillars lining it.

I had been thinking about going to Rameshwaram for quite some time now and it just so happened that because of the new government in Tamil Nadu, I have two extra weeks of holiday time before school starts back up. Rather than just hanging around Madurai for two weeks I decided to take advantage of this time and do some more traveling around the south. Although it is possible to catch a bus to Rameshwaram, I have been in India nearly three months and still had not traveled by train! Unfortunately for me the trains to Rameshwaram run at rather inconvenient times, 6am and 9pm, so up I got at 5 am on Saturday morning to head to the station and get my first train ticket!

There was not too much to report about the train, it was pretty much well, just a train. It was probably a bit hot, crowded and smelly but I've grown to love that environment so these days I am finding it hard to notice. Easily the best part of the ride came after nearly three hours when we crossed the 2km long bridge from the main land of India to the island of Rameshwaram. It was really incredible. Since the only open water I have seen so far in India was in Mumbai and, let's face it, it's pretty nasty and polluted seeing the Bay of Bengal was absolutely breath taking. The sea was such incredible shades of blue and green with fishing boats littering the distance all throughout the coast.

After a nice four hour train ride I arrived in Rameshwaram and wandered through the city to make my way to the Hotel Tamil Nadu where I would be staying the night. As suggested by my Rough Guide, I made it clear that I was really interested in a room with a sea view and with a little persuasion, viola. It was absolutely worth the little extra energy. With a beautiful sit out attached and an excellent views of both the sea and the temple area the room would be ready in just one hour so I decided to go explore down by the water while I waited.

As you have probably gathered thus far, I love the water and any chance I have to be on it or in it I can always be counted on to take advantage of. This weekend was no different. Upon my first exploration of the seaside it was just my luck that I discovered a small business that gives short boat tours of the island coastline for only Rs50 (about $1). After settling into my new room and having a delicious spread of south Indian delicacies, I made my way down to the water to hop aboard the boat. A relaxing 45 minutes later we arrived back to shore and I was ready to explore what else Rameshwaram had to offer.

I was aware that the main temple in Rameshwaram would not open for another hour or two so I decided to go over to the temple bathing area in the bay and check some things out. As advised by my doctor before leaving for India I had no real intentions of bathing with the pilgrims but once again, it didn't take long before I was interested in hoping right in. Although I restrained myself just enough to prevent myself from going all the way in, I did make a point to "do as the Romans do" (as they say) and wash my feet in the sea before walking over to the temple.

As is true in most temples, only Hindus are allowed in the central and most sacred parts but with a little help from a local I was guided around the back to the area where the sacred baths are located. In all, there are 22 baths in the Ramanathaswamy Temple where pilgrims come to cleanse themselves of their sins each one supposedly tasting different due to naturally occurring minerals in the wells. Again, with the intention of only watching the cleansing the ceremonies and sneaking a few shots in here and there I believed I would be walking out of the temple nice and dry but again, I was wrong. It didn't take long before a local guide giving baths to a small group of young men approached me and asked if I would like to join. For only Rs100 I too could be cleansed. Unable to think of a good reason to say no, I said "sure, why not?".

Twenty-two baths later, I was cleansed. Before leaving I stopped to pay my Rs100 to my very nice guide who then suggested that if I had a very nice time I could pay more. Feeling a little conflicted and a bit broke, I decided that in fact, I did feel pretty wonderful and I had had an especially nice time so I gave him an extra Rs50 before heading down to the seaside to dry off.

Since wet clothes are not permitted in the worship area and no spare clothes to speak of, I headed back down to the seaside with the hops that the cool sea breeze and sunshine would dry me in no time. Acting as an attraction of my very own with every person walking by stopping to stare just for a second and children being encouraged by their parents to come and say hello to me, I sat and enjoyed the view while I waited to dry. Feeling a little guilty for not having gone right back to the temple to worship as I told my guide I would fate struck me head on. Walking directly towards me with two children at his side was the very guide who bathed me in the temple.

Recognizing me immediately and asking why I didn't go back to the temple, he asked me to meet him there after they went for a boat ride, he wanted me to come to his come and meet the rest of his family. As it turned out, that extra Rs50 gave my guide just enough extra from his daily pay to be able to take his two children for a boat ride that evening. Having live in Rameshwaram their whole lives, Vinoth and his family had never had a chance to ride the boat until that evening. Forty-five minutes later with two very excited children at his side we walked the short distance to his home to enjoy some tea and company with his wife and get to know his children. The excitement of having a foreigner in a locals home attracted nearly every child in the area to come and see for themselves.

Finally around 8:00 exhausted and quite hungry, I headed back to my hotel where I indulged in some more white rice and a spread of sauces and chutneys. Spending the remainder of the evening sitting out looking at the sea, the stars and even some fireworks being set off near the temple I reflected on the day. It was been like a dream; perfect in every way. After a short dream vacation, the next day I would head back to Madurai and prepare for my next adventure.

Beautiful Bombay

"It's the right place for me, if you understand what I mean, and I knew that on the first days, in the first hour that I came here. So, in a sense, I was comfortable from the beginning".
-Shantaram

This is exactly how I feel about Mumbai. Even on the first night I was there, however jaded with the idea of actually being in India, I knew there was something special about the city. I felt an instant connection, an instant comfort and that feeling was only further reinforced in 10 days I spent there in late May.

Fresh off the bus from Nilshi I had already made plans with some of the other volunteer counselors to do a bit of exploring around the city in the days to come. I knew I was lucky to have some locals guiding me around because in a city of 18 million it's easy to get lost. First up on my sightseeing would be an awesome bike tour around Colaba with Dwayne and Gideon. This seemed perfect since back home this is ideal biking time and in recent weeks I have been longing for my bike.

Showing up around 6:30 on his scooter, Gideon and I set off to meet Dwayne to rent some bikes and hit the pavement. We finally set out to the streets of Colaba around 7am and with hardly any cars out it was a perfect time for exploring. We rode all around checking out the various points of interest like the docks where the fishermen come to sell their fresh catch early in the morning, the military compound located at the tip of the island, a ride down to the end of Marine Drive and even a cruise by the World Trade Center which before the existence of the giant tower was once the slum setting in the wonderful Shantaram.

Focusing all of my attention on the glory of Colaba with its classic architecture and colorful personality I seemed to miss the transition from quiet open streets to floods of cars and people. Before we knew it we were in heavy competition for the road with cars and bikes bringing some of the 18 million Mumbai residents to work. Bringing out bikes back and stopping for a quick break at Dwayne's we decided there was no better way to end the morning than with a delicious Iranian breakfast at Olympia right across the street from Leopolds!

Before heading back to the YMCA International House (IH) Gideon decided that we should make a quick stop by the sea and check out the Sea Link, an enormous bridge that stretches from Mumbai center to Bandra (an up and coming suburb of Mumbai). We also made a quick stop at the very impressive Mahalakshmi dhobi ghats where washing from all over the city of brought each morning to be soaked in concrete vats and then pounded clean by the resident dhobis.

Upon my return to IH I took some time to speak with the General Secretary about spending a few days seeing the various programs that the Bombay YMCA has to offer. Being one of the largest YMCA branches in India (only second to Delhi), the Bombay YMCA has more than five different branches within the city and offers programs to thousands of children. The most prominent program offered in all the branches is basketball but the Bombay YMCA also offers programs in swimming, badminton, skating and much more.

Although the majority of the programs run by the Bombay YMCA are sports related they also run a boys home (much like the one run by the Madurai YMCA), a number of skill training centers for women and men as well as a home for street children in Juhu. During my stay in Mumbai I had the chance to visit a number of the branches but was most impressed by the work being done at the Juhu branch. Located in a beautiful location right along the seashore it is here that the YMCA offers a home for children who have been found to be alone on the streets and provides them with food, clothing and access to a decent education. Since the children are not mandated to stay with the YMCA some do choose to return to the streets but it was wonderful to learn that the majority of the kids brought in choose to stay and have a chance at a successful life. For some staying with the YMCA has even meant being able to attend college and for some, masters programs.

With my first full day in Mumbai coming to a close I could think of no better way to end the day than with a nice stroll down the infamous Marine Drive. Hopping with locals and visitors alike, The Queen's Necklace couldn't be more beautiful. Exhausted and looking forward to the following day when my German friends from Madurai, Pati and Esther, were coming to stay with me for a few days in Mumbai, I headed back to IH to get some much needed rest.

I had a really excellent time in Mumbai with Pati, Esther and their friend Simone. We did all sorts of wonderful touristy things like visiting the Gateway, seeing the infamous Taj Hotel and taking a nice boat ride out to see the Elephanta Caves. About an hours ride out by boat and even with a foreigner ticket costs 25 times more than a ticket for an Indian national, I would say the caves were definitely worth the visit. The island is only populated by a small fishing community and was named in honor if the carved elephant statue that was found by the Portuguese. The caves are currently one of India’s great archeological sites with an impressive massive three-faced Shiva sculpture.

Later that evening eager to see a bit of the Mumbai night-life that is so raved about we decided to go out for a bit of dancing and celebrating in Bandra. Rockin’ to some American classic rock on the first floor and a mixture of Hindi and English pop music on the second and third, we had a truly excellent time.

Before I knew it my German friends were heading back to Madurai to catch their flight home to Germany but I still had a few more days to enjoy the city life of Mumbai. Being such a big city with nearly all of luxuries of home, while in Mumbai there were often times when I had to stop and remind myself I was actually in India. Of course it was a bit louder, a bit smellier and a bit more untamed than most American cities but with McDonalds, shopping malls, Hollywood movies showing in nearly every theater and English music on the radio it was a bit like going back stateside for a few weeks.

Discovering a new interest in the game of Cricket with India winning the World Cup, I mentioned to a few of my friends how cool it would be to see a cricket match. I was in luck! As it turned out the Bombay YMCA gets a few sponsored seats to every match and I jumped at the opportunity to sit in the stands and watch my very first live match. Since it was Tania’s father Melvin, a secretary at the Bombay YMCA, who get the tickets and she also had yet to go to a match we decided to go together.

When we arrived at the stadium I was a bit embarrassed that I didn’t even have a clue which teams were going to be playing. Expressing my concern to Tania learned quickly that she too was not aware so when we found out that the match was a playoff match between the Bangalore Royals and the Chennai Super Kings we did our best to make an informed decided about who to cheer for. Since Chennai is in Tamil Nadu, the same state as Madurai, and their uniforms were bright yellow which intrigued me, I suggested we cheer for Chennai. Although there was about an hour of the four-hour match when we were sure we had chosen to wrong team, in the end Chennai came out on top and even went on to win the Indian championship! (No cameras allow so no pictures here, sorry)

No trip to Mumbai would be complete without a day of street food so Tania and Gideon decided there was no better place to indulge than around Crawford Market. Here street vendors sell everything from Kabobs, chicken and beef rolls to pudding, homemade ice cream and nearly every flavor soda you would want. A few hours of eating later and quickly approaching a wonderful food coma we hit the streets back to Mumbai Central to rest and digest for a bit.

With only one day left in Mumbai I knew that I had to make the most of my remaining time so I decided to hop a train out to Brandra and meet up with Carlos. Starting with a scrumptious slice of Red Velvet cheesecake and an Iced Coffee from Candy’s and continuing our eating tour of Bandra with dounuts, ice cream and some yummy Mango iced tea Carlos and I spent the day shopping and eating our way across Brandra. Needing to sit and digest for a bit we decided there was no better way to digest then escaping the heat in a nice air conditioned cinema watching Kung Fu Panda II!

With my time in Mumbai quickly coming to a close I knew there was no better way to end an excellent couple weeks in such a great city than with a delicious dinner at one of the cities top restaurants with my new best buddy Gideon. After some careful thought, Gideon and I decided that there was no were else better than The Taj. Known for its wonderful cuisine and the glorious views overlooking the Gateway and the Arabian Sea that accompany the meal we decided that we would go to Soux, the Middle Eastern restaurant on the top floor of the new building of the Taj.

After have feasted on some delicious but over-priced grilled lamb chops for myself and a beautiful shrimp plate for Gideon and a few glasses of wine we hit the streets for one last stroll down Marine Drive.

The time had finally come for me to return to Madurai. I knew there was no doubt that I would miss Mumbai but everyday what I miss more are the awesome friends I made in that great city.

See you again soon Mumbai.

Bombay YMCA Camp Lakeside

I have always been a camp person. I love the atmosphere, I love the woods and most of all I love camp people. There is something about being miles away from civilization that seems to bring out the best in everyone and I have been lucky enough to get chance to experience some camp love while in India. On March 13th I set off from Madurai to spend a few weeks in Mumbai with the Bombay YMCA. When General Secretary of the Bombay YMCA Jacob Abraham offered me the chance to spend the first few days of my visit at their campsite in Nilshi I jumped at the opportunity. I had heard some stories of the beauty of Camp Lakeside but what I didn't know is just how wonderful a time I would have an how many amazing new friendships I would make.

Having left Mumbai around 6:30am, after a long and winding drive through the mountains of Maharashtra (the state where Mumbai is located), we finally arrived in Nilshi at about 1:30pm. I knew I was in for something special simply judging by the reaction of the volunteer counselors when they saw the arrival of the new group and Bombay YMCA secretary, Chris. Not knowing what to make of the over enthusiastic counselor running full speed towards us with his bright red whistle swinging from his neck I simply smiled and hoped for the best. I didn't know it then but this over-enthusiastic counselor would soon become one of my best friends. His name is Gideon.

On first sight I was truly struck by the absolute beauty of Camp Lakeside. With final construction being completed only a few years ago by a Canadian architect, the buildings were all created to coexist with the surroundings. Rather than blasting the land that exists there and putting in large structures that obstruct the land and take from the beauty of the area, all of the buildings were built into the topography of the land making for some really interesting and stunning spaces. With a beautiful mixture of bamboo, jungle mango trees and naturally occurring flora and fauna the campsite is absolutely breathtaking.

Outside of the beauty of the camp there was one additional thing that really impressed me about Camp Lakeside. Where I expected that I would be the only volunteer at camp, that proved to be very wrong. In fact, virtually every counselor working at camp was there on a volunteer basis. For some, the volunteer stay only lasts 5-10 days but for others the stay will last to full duration of all camps, nearly one month.

The first day of camp was pretty low-key. We spent some time getting to know the campers who turned out to be a really interesting group of kids. The camp I attended was initially intended to be a senior camp for 18+ but due to a lack of interest, registration was opened to all ages. This meant that within our group of 30 there were campers from age 6-22. There was some concern that there would be a lack of cohesiveness in the group due to the age differences but as it turned out, the group really bonded incredibly well. The older kids had a great time playing with the little ones and everyone in between looked to the older campers as role models.

To finish out the first day of camp Carlos, the head counselor at the camp, and Gideon lead the group on a nice nature trek where we got a chance to see the lake (my personal favorite part of camp), as well as the traipse and some other beautiful spots around the oasis I learned to call Camp Lakeside. The trek was then followed by some super camp get to know you games, a bit of camp exploring and finally some much needed r&r.

Starting the following day nice and early with morning exercise led by the one and only red-whistled, high energy Gideon, day two had an excellent surprise in store for the campers as well as myself. We were going to the lake! I was so excited to go down to the lake but I was not sure that any of the other volunteers really understood my extreme enthusiasm. You see, the things is that since being in India it had been more than two months since I had been in the water! Now for some people that may not seem like such a big deal, but for me, it has been more than 10 years since I have gone that long without being in the water. I was literally beginning to feel like a fish being dried on land.

The lake in Nilshi is just amazing. Stretching over a distance of more than 40k, the water is impeccably clean and just a joy to swim in. All the campers suited up with life jackets and we headed down to the lake. I don't think that I am aware of it so often when I am teaching multiple hours a day at the Y back home, but I really love being with kids and adults in the water. It is truly amazing and so interesting to watch as people step into a foreign environment and being there to comfort them and act as an additional sort of life jacket is a really wonderful experience. For some, the water is a natural place to be but for many others being surrounded by water and a significant distance from land can be pretty unnerving.

For one counselor in particular swimming across the lake (about 300m each way) had been taunting him since his first year at camp four years ago, so this year I told Gideon that we would swim the lake together. Beginning our first attempt with only a half swim to get a feel for the distance I did my best to make small talk and random conversation to distract him from his fear. Finally, assuring him that I would be there if he needed any help and having seen that he was more than capable to complete the swim, with only a little convincing he completed swimming across the lake with no problem. It was obvious that Gideon was satisfied with himself but for me the experience was equally satisfying. Even though he is an extremely good swimmer and there was no question of ability (he is so good in fact I am hesitant to admit he beat me in a 50m race...twice), having the chance to help someone overcome their fear of the water, no matter what that fear may be, is one of the greatest feelings.

On the third night of camp the counselors decided that because of the intimate size of the group and the full moon on our horizon, we would trek out to a beautiful site called Camp 18 and sleep under the stars with the kids. After only a few hours of trekking we arrived at Camp 18 located on a cliff side overlooking a beautiful village. Although we got a bit wet in the morning being woken up by a slight drizzle, the site was beautiful and making a nice big campfire always makes me happy.

After a nice drive back to camp to prevent any additional campers from getting too wet we arrived back at camp for some fun and games. My personal favorite was the unforgettable “Candyman”. Now as some of you may already know the urban legend of Candyman is pretty horrifying but this game was equally horrifying and amazingly fun in it’s own way. The way the game is played is four or five unsuspecting counselors are chosen (or volunteer in my case as I am always happy to step up to any challenge) to have a bunch of pieces of candy taped to their body and then essentially go hide in the woods and wait as children hunt them down.

It took some time to choose my hiding place. I tired to think where the best place to go would be in a zombie apocalypse. “Where could I go that has good visibility, high ground and multiple escape routes” I thought. I finally chose my spot and waited like a sitting duck as I heard my name being called from the small voices of children all throughout camp. “Jessica, where are you? We want your candy.” Fear shot down my spine as I felt like an animal being hunted by vicious hungry beasts. It took a bit of time but finally they surrounded me and viciously ripped the candy from my body. With the children very satisfied with their hunting skills and my side aching from laughing we headed back to our central meeting point having finished the game.

Before we knew it the last day of camp had arrived and what better way to celebrate the end of a wonderful camp than with a great big bonfire and sharing night. Every camper took the time to put something together to share for the group and each was proud of what they had prepared. As the fire died down on that last night and the campers went back to their bunks for one last night in their cabins I couldn’t help but be a little sad to be leaving such a fantastic place. In only five short days I had gotten to know a pretty incredible group of kids and made some really wonderful friends but I also knew that I had 10 glorious days ahead of me in Mumbai where I would be spending more time with the fantastic friends I made at camp.

YMCA Madurai Volleyball Coaching Camp

On April 26th, 2011 the YMCA of Madurai, India in collaboration with the Physical Education Teacher’s Association inaugurated the first annual Volleyball Coaching Camp. The camp was held at the beautiful grounds of the YMCA Boy’s Home. With more than forty boys and twenty girls attending the camp we new instantly that the camp was to be a success, and a success it was.

With coaching assistance from Mr. Pondiraj, a local retired Volleyball player and continued enthusiast, as well as support from two other local coaches, the students came out to the ground every morning at 6:45 ready to work hard. Ranging in age from 11 to 18 years, all the students spent their time at camp working on everything from basic skills like setting, bumping, and serving, to learning attacking, blocking and even some basic Volleyball theory.

Not having much idea initially how the camp was going to go I only prepared myself to go in with an open mind and hoped to have some fun, and fun I absolutely did have.
Though I have only a minimal amount of volleyball experience was able to provide some assistance in the area of fitness and flexibility as well as helping the girls to get excited about being active. I helped to not only educate the players about the importance of stretching for injury prevention, but also hope that the coaches will continue to place value of this time served.

Having spent most of my time with the female players we not only worked hard on our volleyball skills, but also burned countless calories laughing and being silly. The girls were clearly excited to have a strong female role model to look up to and I was excited to have such enthusiastic and fun-loving players. It was wonderful to see how much they improved with each day because they came ready to learn and play.

Growing up with an extremely competitive older brother has ensured that all my life I have participated in sports. So many times I have been the only girl or one of the only girls playing with the boys and to me it was normal but for some girls this can be intimidating. It is because of my desire to keep up with the boys I have always had to work that much harder and be that much stronger. However difficult it was at times being singled out for being a girl, it taught me the importance of not being afraid to compete even when social stigma is against you. If there is social stigma against female athletes in the United States, the level of discrimination against women athletes in India is 100 fold. The young female athletes were being pushed aside, given a fraction of the coaching attention and practice time so I decided to take the opportunity to be a strong female role model for the players. The girls immediately responded. They were not only excited to have an American coach working with them on their volleyball skills but they had a lot of fun sitting and talking with me about everything from family and fashion to Tamil movie heroes.

I hope that in the short amount of time I spent with these girls I have inspired them to want to be better and stronger athletes. I hope I have shown them that it’s okay to get sweaty and dirty and play with the boys, and I hope I have shown them that female athletes can be just as strong (if not stronger) than their male counterparts. Most of all, I hope I have shown the men that women can be great players too.

M.R. School Skill Training Center Inauguration and Camp Starts!

Hello all. The past few weeks have been, well, very busy.
Between the finishing of school, the opening of a new skill training center at the school for the mentally challenged and the start of camp I have had very little time to keep up on my blog. However busy I am, with every new day I am increasingly impressed with the Madurai YMCA. The more I learn about their programs and am able to understand how they function as an organization the more impressed I am. It is amazing to see how much they can do and remain completely self sufficient. All of their programs are funded completely by donation and fund raising as well as income from the International Guest House (my home). If I thought back home at the Keene Family Y everyone was doing two or three peoples' work, here everyone does the work of 10 and always with a smile.

April 13th was my last day for this school year working with the hearing impaired school and it certainly went out with a bang. The longer I am here, the more often I see that giving notice of any kind or establishing a plan in India is a foreign concept so my ability to be flexible and just roll with things has been of quite a lot of help. That being said, much to my surprise rather than having only an hour or two of teaching on the last day, I had the first standard kids the whole afternoon all to myself. We learned all sorts of things like colors, parts of the body, basic greetings and so much more and when I ran out of teaching material had some much needed play time. With only 1/2 hour for lunch during which not only is it too hot to actually play outside, but only the boys are allowed out, by 2:00 the kids turn into caged wild animals. We played soccer, had running races and they even taught me a few games. Overall, it was a great day and I can't wait to start back up again in June.

The Saturday following my last day of school, April 16th, was the inauguration of a new skill training center at the school for the mentally challenged. The event was filled with many speeches and some wonderful dances by the mentally challenged kids as well as one wonderful classical Indian dance performed by one of my students from the hearing impaired school. The event was held to honor the opening not only a new building but the beginning of the future of the mentally challenged program. The Madurai YMCA has purchased a paper cup making machine that allows for up to eight people to work simultaneously in production. This paper cup making machine is to be the basis of the new center in which graduates of as well as the older mentally challenged children will be able to work on to help produce paper cups to be sold so that they may gain some revenue for the center. It was a wonderful event with quite a turn out to show their support for this new program.

April 18th was the official start to camp for the summer. Being blessed with a number of sites not being used during the summer time, the Madurai YMCA is able to run more than 75-80 classes for both children and adults from across the city. Everything from Yoga and Karate, to doll making to keyboard is taught at the various locations. I have been spending most of my time at the Guest House programs as well as at the Boys Home run by the Madurai YMCA. The Boys Home located only a short distance outside the city center provides free living space for up to 65 young boys throughout the school year, most of whom are near orphans (having only one parent or grandparent) and would not be able to attend school if it were not for this space. The families go through an application process in which the YMCA staff chooses the best candidates to fill the spaces and then the boys are able to come and live at the home with three staff members for the length of the school year.

At the Guest House I have been assisting (but mostly practicing) Yoga with a master who teaches at the famous Gandhi Museum in the city. The master is quite an interesting guy who initially studied to become a lawyer and once finishing school realized that he actually wanted to study Yoga instead so he followed his calling and dropped all of his law practice and here we are today. I have also been assisting in a Spoken English class at the Guest House. At around three or four o'clock I head to the Boys Home (my favorite part of the day). The Boys Home is an amazing space. Once just an open lot filled with thorn bushes and roaming livestock, today is a hugely successful sports area with a skating rink, two cricket batting cages, a tennis court, a volleyball court, five badminton courts and space for more growth. Although the thorn bushes have since been cleared, the livestock are still often found grazing in the unused space. In the coming months I hope to start work on a fund raising project to install basketball hoops so if any of you out there are feeling generous, I know a great cause to give to :). Most of my time at the Boys Home is spent mingling with the boys and working with the tennis master but when the sun sets and the camp kids go home, there is always time to get a kick out of teaching the white lady some Tamil! Now I know all of maybe four of five phrases, something I am very excited about!

Next week is the start of yet another camp run by the Madurai YMCA that I will be working with, a Volleyball coaching camp. This will be the first year the camp is being run and we hope to make it a huge success. The Madurai YMCA has been working with the PE Teachers association in Madurai to come together and provide coaches, equipment and the facility for the camp. I have been working with Vincent, a drumming all-star of a YMCA secretary who has me hop on the back of his motorcycle to go out and personally invite schools to attend the camp. The camp will serve up to 60 kids (both boys and girls) who want to work on their Volleyball skills. Vincent has also been the one assisting me in finalizing my registration in India which has been anything but easy and has even included a few cash "payments" to help things along...

I haven't had a chance to take too many picture of camp but here are some of the other things like the hearing impaired school and the M.R. school skill training center inauguration.