Dean of Admissions, Dane Rowley, adventures to Mumbai, India to recruit students launching Augustana’s focused effort to welcome more international students to campus.
Augustana’s A travels across the globe – here it is relaxing in the breezes of the Indian Ocean.
Dane shares some of his reflections from Mumbai:
I had no idea before coming to Mumbai that a Range Rover, a taxi, a motorized rickshaw, a pedestrian, a beggar and a handcart could all share 2 lanes in the road with no traffic lights, no lane markers and no shortage of honking, all the while going 40-50 mph. Well, the handcart , beggar and pedestrian weren’t going that fast but they sure were darting and weaving between the traffic.
I’m grateful for an incredibly skilled cabby named Mahesh for getting me everywhere I needed to go, on time (anyone who has traveled to Mumbai knows that alone is a feat), and with the skill and thrill of a car ride that would make Jason Bourne look like he’s got a learner’s permit. The last 2 days have made for an incredible first visit to India.
The counselors at the EdUSA/USIEF office were so welcoming and the students at my college essay writing workshop there were some of the most engaged, participatory and insightful groups I’ve had. The advisors from EduWorld I visited with were equally hospitable. They soaked up everything I had to say about Augie, brought me several great students to interview and set up a great visit at an IB school.
Yes, there is so much poverty and suffering in front of your face everywhere in India. My heart broke each time a mother or a child knocked on my window in traffic asking for cheap viagra money. And, yes I was careful with what I ate or drank to make sure I didn’t get sick.
But, there is also so much good there. I witnessed acts of kindness, wonderful poems and pictures graffiti’ed all over the place calling for non-violence, peace and an end to terrorism as a political tool. I didn’t witness a single instance of road rage or a single car accident despite the 6-7 hours a day I spent in traffic. There is so much good and grace in a place
that too often gets a bad rap. I will
look back fondly on my first trip to India.
Outside the Prince of Wales Museum
The Gateway of India
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (formerly Prince of Wales Museum)
Dane at the Gateway of India and Taj Hotel
Haji Ali Dargah Shariff 7
Incredible India
More of a threat than a sign
Interfaith drawer dialogue at the Marriott in India
Sunset of the Indian Ocean
