Miss International Leaves Her Bookprint in Haiti - Part 2

A Billboard that I was featured on throughout Port au Prince!

It was soon time to leave Cap-Haitien. We said our goodbyes and returned to Port au Prince. My mission was not complete as there was still another orphanage that I needed to visit. Encouraged by my first visit, I was excited for this one. However, I was unprepared for what awaited me. When we arrived at our destination, I immediately noticed a difference. Being in the capital and largest city, this orphanage’s resources were stretched particularly thin. After asking a few questions to figure out how they operated, I learned that the government doesn’t provide any funding for orphanages. Orphanages are entirely dependent upon donations. 

Sobered by reality, yet emboldened by my mission, me and my pink suitcase were ready. We went through the gate and were greeted once again by smiling inquisitive faces. To have so little and yet be so grateful is truly amazing. We started off by asking one of the girls to read the Three Little Pigs to everyone. She was excited to be the center of attention! Then I shared one of my favorites!

The school supplies were given to the teachers for use throughout the year. Each child received one age appropriate book. The remainder of the books were given to the teachers to establish a library. The idea being that once a child gets tired of their book, they can trade it in for a different one. My hope is that this small library, which I am committed to adding to each year, will encourage them to keep reading and will improve their literacy skills.

 

The path leading to the orphanage

The Magic Pink Luggage!

The children circled up for story time

The best rendition of The Three Little Pigs that I have ever heard!

Sharing my favorite children’s books!  Apparently Green Eggs and Ham is global,  as soon as I took it out, all of the adults said it was their favorite too!

Sharing my favorite children’s books!  Apparently Green Eggs and Ham is global,  as soon as I took it out, all of the adults said it was their favorite too!

This was indeed the trip of a lifetime!!

Ciji Dodds

Miss International 2011

Indian Wedding: The Shaadi

Hi Dolls!  Sorry for the delay, as we meant to post this last Friday! Continuing on with a post from Tina Duggal, here's everything you need to know about the actual Indian wedding ceremony and reception!

The shaadi (wedding) day is the main ceremony.  The Hindu ceremony can last anywhere from 2 hours to 8 hours, depending on the region in India the families are from, and even what caste they are.  There can be one singular priest or a priest from both the bride and groom's side who conduct the ceremony.  There is a fire in the middle of the 'mandap' (the area where the marriage ritual is performed) which symbolizes the presence of Agni Devta (the Lord of Fire). The priest(s) chant Vedic verses in Sanskrit, and the bride and groom (who are either sitting side-by-side or directly across from each other) perform several rituals, including pouring rice into the fire and tying sacred threads around each other.  The final ritual of the ceremony is called the Mangal Pheras, the steps around the holy fire.  The bride's father ties a pink piece of cloth to the bride and groom's clothing, binding them together.  The first four pheras are led by the groom, and each circle around the fire has its own significance.  The last three pheras are led by the bride.  Once completed, the groom ties the mangal sutra (the wedding necklace) around the bride's neck.  This is similar to a wedding band, and it is believed to protect the lives and union of the bride and groom.  The groom also places sindoor (red powder) into the hair part of the bride, symbolizing her status as a married woman.  Then the bride and groom seek blessings from the gods, from their parents, and from the priest. 



After the ceremony is the reception! Indian wedding receptions tend to be more modern and reflect western weddings. Many couples opt to make a grand entrance, have a bridal party, dance to their wedding song, cut the wedding cake, and partake in other western wedding traditions. The difference is the decor, the food, the music and some of the traditions. The bride and groom tend to sit on a stage so that all the guests can see them and take photographs with them. The food is almost always done buffet style. One tradition unique to Indian weddings is the have the "Joota Chupai" (which literally means "Hide the Shoes"), where the brides' side will try to steal the groom's shoes in exchange for money.

1. Indian Wedding Site   | 2.  Examiner | 3. Wedding Paper Divas | 3. Textile Guides | 4. Dil Shil | 5.

Bridal n Bridal

 XOXO, 

Jen, Tina, & Saira

Miss International Leaves Her Bookprint in Haiti - Part 1

The entire reason that I took this trip was to ensure that my platform, Just Read-Fighting Illiteracy Starts With Your First Book, had a truly global impact. It is no secret that literacy is the gateway to a brighter future and is essential to breaking the cycle of poverty. Many countries struggle with the task of educating their population. This is true in Haiti and has taken on a new dimension since the earthquake. The earthquake ravaged the country in more ways than one, but children were especially impacted. Thousands of children were orphaned and orphanages have struggled to care for and educate these children.

While in Cap-Haitien, I visited one such orphanage. When I walked through the door I didn’t know what to expect, but I was immediately greeted by smiling faces. When we told them that I was there to give out books they were ecstatic. Coincidentally, my traveling companion Alejandra Barillas had brought back packs! It was the perfect combination.

Living in an orphanage, you have to share everything. Very rarely do you have something that is yours and yours alone. I wanted to give them something that they could call their own and at the same time, hopefully, spark a lifelong desire to learn. Here are a few pictures.

Alejandra distributed the back packs first, that way, the kids would have something to store their books in right away.

Before I distributed the books, we asked one of the children to read a story from one of them.

I don’t know who was happier me or the kids!

Mission Accomplished!!

A very special thank you to Anedie Azael for coordinating with the orphanage to make this all possible!

Best,


Ciji Dodds
Miss International 2011

Focus on Winning

Less than two months left before Mrs. International 2012 is crowned! I took a look back at my binder of notes from this time, last year, and thought I'd share a few notes with you all. If you are reading this, and you are a contestant, parent or husband, hopefully this helps with any butterflies you may have about the upcoming competition. 

I had an extensive checklist and timeline as to when I anticipated completing this list. Needless to say, life "re-organized" this schedule I had laid out for myself. Not to worry, it all worked out. 

If there are tasks you need to accomplish, or something on your personal checklist is not working out - its ok. Take a deep breath, maybe sleep on it, or jump on the StairMaster. (Sometimes I think better when I am on the StairMaster. It's just my thing.) 

Every time I started to feel anxious about the competition, I did one of 3 things: (1) Re-read chapters of the book, The Psychology Of Winning, (2) Re-focused myself to write down my thoughts on current issues in my binder, or (3) jumped on the StairMaster. I found it was much healthier for me to focus on things I could control, instead if stressing about the unknown. (My husband, being an engineer, was a big supporter of this mindset.) 

Remember to surround yourself with positive people, and positive things will happen for you. Negative influences are all around us. While we can't control those people, we can control how we react to them. By focusing on yourself, your goals and your mission, you won't be bothered by negativity. (And, you probably won't notice it is going on around you.)

I wish you all the best in your quest for the crown. You're almost there You can do it!
 
Janet Bolin