Journal entry date: November
16, 2003
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Last week went so fast because
I had a lot of work to finish before I leave Minneapolis, as
I am leaving a week earlier! I worked on the last module of
the Intranet, the "Issue Tracking" application, which is going
to help the management at CVT to view and process issues submitted
by their staff! I was so happy because I finished the modules
of the Intranet assigned to me. In the past two months I have
designed and developed the basic structure of the Intranet including
the automated menu system. I also developed the Library application
which is an online Library catalogues where CVT community can
submit new entries to the Library and also search for the existing
material available! On Tuesday the 18th of November I will be
giving a demo of this application to the Library Task Force
together with Becky my colleague at the Technology Department!
Eddie left for Washington DC and right after that for France
so I won't be seeing her before I leave. We said our goodbyes
last week and I really felt sad that time. I goodbyes and God
knows how many I have done on this trip and a couple of more
to go. The though of saying goodbye to my five cool new friends
is already making me sad.
I have a meeting with Nicole on Monday who works in the New
Tactics team which is one project of CVT. She wants to learn
more about Sach the organization I work for in Pakistan. I have
been doing it a lot this last week with many people and also
Pam because many of them are just hearing about Sach all the
time but never visited it, so they are keen to know how working
at Sach is like. I enjoy sharing my experiences and Sach's activities
with people!
I will be leaving on Wednesday 19th of November for Chicago
where I will meet Leslie and her parents and I am pretty much
looking forward to that! Some other people are also invited
at Leslie's parents house o join us for dinner and I will share
my experiences with them. They will be the first one to find
out about my BEFORE and AFTER the internship feelings!
I am so excited that I will be celebrating EID, which is a very
sacred holiday for Muslims, with my family in New York! CVT
will be closed for four days on thanksgiving and my host Paulette
is out of country, so together we came up with the idea that
I can leave early to join my family for EID! I will be leaving
my luggage in Washington DC with my cousin in law because my
final flight is through Washington DC. I have to take a train
from DC to NY and I am very nervous. I hope I do it successfully
without ending up with the red Indians in other part of the
United States!
On Saturday I was at home and watching movies one after another
on the cable! I did my laundry and packed my stuff because I
need at least two days to get mentally prepared for my travel
and then pack! if I am asked to pack at the eleventh hour I
just freak out! Some people may think it is kinda freaky but
that's the way God made some people and I am not very happy
about it!
During the week I went to the Gym with Pam, it was a lot of
fun! On Sunday we had a party at Pam's place with 17 people
at the place it was a lot of fun!
Monday and Tuesday will go by like flash and then on Wednesday
hopefully I will be in Chicago with Leslie!
At the end I would like to thank all of you for reading about
my activities!
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Journal entry date: November
11, 2003
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The whole week just flew by
at CVT! I am finished with the second module of the Intranet
and from Monday I am going to start working on the third and
the last module. We also have Library Task Force meeting on
the 18th where I will be giving a demo of the Library Application
to the people at CVT! I am so excited and looking forward to
it.
Last week I moved to Pamela's house finally and will be here
for the rest of my stay at CVT now which is almost two more
weeks. I am looking forward to be with my family in New York
on the holy holiday of EID-AL-Azha! Nowadays it is the fasting
month and it is so difficult for me to fast because of the weather
and also I am being lazy hehehe! The fasting month started last
week and I plan to keep all of my fasts starting Monday Inshallah!
I got the prayer timings of the internet today and hopefully
will try to impress God ASAP!
Pam is a very nice person and her husband Augos is Indonesian
and also a Muslim. Pam has also taken up Islam as her religion
and we are planning to fast together! I am happy to be with
them they are very lively and happy couple! They have a very
nice house and I feel comfortable being with them! I am so frustrated
that I don't do any shopping here as y luggage was already so
much when I came from Pakistan because I not only had to keep
winter clothes but also summer clothes! I want to buy so many
things but can't! Anyway maybe next time!
During last week I was so tied up in work that I didn't have
a single moment for anything. But my colleague Ali who is the
director of technology department took me to the Afghan restaurant
to eat, I just love the food there it is very close to what
I eat in Pakistan at Afghan places. I like Afghan food! On Friday
all of my colleagues went to a bar here it was a Going Away
Party for one of the CVT members Debbie. I chatted with different
people there for hours and it was fun to know them all! That
same night I was planning to go out with Belma for Salsa Dancing,
but when I came home I was so frozen that I didn't want to get
out in that cold again so I called Belma and apologized!
On Saturday and Sunday I just stayed at home watched movies
had fun! It was too cold outside to hang out so I decided to
be at home! Not much was done on this weekend!
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Journal entry date: November
3, 2003
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Monday is the busiest day for
me at CVT, I have meetings and I have to prepare my weekly activity
report. So many mails from friends and family are in my Inbox
and I have to reply them all otherwise they become worried.
Last week I was jumping with joy because on Friday I was able
to hit my next deadline which was supposed to be on the 5th
of November, I am glad that now I can do another module of the
Intranet.
During my whole stay at CVT I have not only worked on my Intranet
project but also have been able to meet many people and gain
information about CVT's projects and how they carry their activities.
Last week I met with Belma works in CVT's satellite office and
found her a very interesting person. Together we made a few
plans of going to clubs for dancing as she read my profile and
found out that I love dancing!
On Friday I was in office till 7:00 p.m. working on the Library
Application for the Intranet. I am developing an online CVT
Library catalogue where people will be able to log onto the
Intranet and will be able to search for the materials they need
from the library.
For lunch on Friday my previous host Eddie who has become my
very good friend came to pick me up and we went to the Jewel
of India Restaurant. The food was very good but I think I like
the other restaurant New Delhi better. After lunch Eddie took
me to the Pakistani grocery store where I bought some frozen
Pakistani food (Which is nothing like Pakistani food) and I
also got a phone card Minnesota Central to call my family as
I miss them a lot.
My everyday routine in the office is almost same; I reach office
at 9:00 check my mail and send replies. Then I start working
on the code and get up for lunch when either Becky comes out
of her cubicle or Ali who sits opposite to me says that he is
leaving for lunch! Ali and Becky are very helpful; whenever
I have problems with something that I don't know or I am stuck
at they help me. I am learning a lot from them that how to systematically
debug and do my planning.
On Saturday I heard that J Penny was having a big sale so I
requested my colleague Eddie to take me there. So we went to
the J Penny in Rose Dale and I bought some warm sweaters for
myself because the weather forecast on Saturday said that it
was going to snow. I came home at 1:30 and Belma was waiting
for me at the gate together with her niece to take me to the
science museum where we watched Louis and Clark's movie (The
two American explorers who crossed the United States in early
1800). The movie was so interesting and was very scenic. I enjoyed
the movie as well as the theatre where a giant tri dimensional
screen came down in front of us and we watched the whole thing
as if we were in there. I enjoyed the movie a lot. When we came
out of the museum my ears froze and I realized that I forgot
to pick my cap from home!
Saturday night Belma, Kathy and her best friend Bill accompanied
me to the dance club. Where we danced like crazy and I enjoyed
it so much because I left home 3 months back and this was the
first time when I danced here! I was very thankful to my all
three of them that they arranged this for me.
On Sunday I did my laundry, cooked some food, cleaned my room,
did my packing as on Wednesday I am moving to another colleague's
house and her name is Pamela we call her Pam. Sunday was so
dull and time was just not passing. Somehow on Sundays I desperately
wait for Monday when I will be in office and will be in touch
with the world again because I don't have internet access on
Saturday and Sunday at Paulette's house.
Now just three more weeks left and then I will get to meet Indira,
Sadiqa, Pushpa, Scotlin and Kabita again! I can't wait to see
them again and I miss them a lot. I called Sadiqa and Indira
last week and I wonder why no one else calls me. Anyway girls
if reading then take time out and call me.
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Journal entry date: October
27, 2003
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Last whole week was very productive
and I was able to meet my first deadline by finishing the skeleton
and dynamic functioning of the Intranet. One thing I learned
during this week is that never give up no matter what, there's
always a way and if you are willing then you will find it.
Time is flying, there's so much for me to learn and so little
time! It seems like I have become a sponge who wants to absorb
more and more and people at CVT are helping me to gain skills
that will be useful for me and my work.
Five days of a week go by so quickly that I hardly get time
to think of anything, but the weekends are very hard and with
the thoughts of my family and friends time just doesn't seem
to pass. On Saturday I went to the Amnesty International conference
at the University of Minnesota campus. There were many workshops
going on and the one I attended was about fundraising "Fundraising
is constituency building" by the Centre for Victims of Torture.
It was very informative and gave me a very clear idea about
the different techniques and methods of raising funds as well
as awareness amongst people.
The weather on Saturday became very bad and I can feel the worse
coming in a couple of days! I guess it is going to snow in some
more days. I was frozen on Saturday when we just had to walk
for five minutes to the University campus, my ears were not
with me anymore and I couldn't feel my body for ten minutes
after entering the conference room. This experience was enough
for me to get my long fat coat out of the closet and make the
best use of it now. I think I have to buy a cap before I lose
my ears. I came home and felt very sick and so I fell in my
bed and just closed my eyes.
I woke up when I heard the door bell and it was my colleague's
boyfriend. Paulette has gone to West Africa and I am staying
at her house with Kathy (My Colleague) until the 6th of November
and then on the 7th of November I will be moving to another
colleague's house. On Saturday there was a memorial for one
of Wellstone who was public's favorite politician and his wife
who died in the plane crash last year and was a very important
person. It seems like people in Minnesota just loved him for
his work. I also went to the launch of a book, wrote after him,
and felt that people were very much sad because of this mishap.
So on Saturday there were free concerts going on in his memory,
and Kathy was going to one of the concerts with her boyfriend.
She offered me as well but one thing I wasn't feeling well and
other that I didn't want to interrupt their outing.
I stayed home and called my family instead which made me feel
more home sick and sad.
I think after this internship I will be a whole changed and
improved person, everyday brings a new learning and I have started
to feel the importance of small things that you overlook sometimes.
I have never cooked in my whole life and here I have been cooking
not only for myself but also for my mate Kathy and I have learned
many new dishes! I am so HAPPY! When my mom and dad will find
out I know how to cook they will be two happy people on the
planet because they always thought I would starve to death if
I kept on running away from cooking!
On Sunday I went out with Kathy to the K Mart where I wanted
to buy some groceries and gifts for my family as they had a
sale. A small shopping turned out to be a great learning experience,
as in the "Advanced" and "Developed" United States sometime
selecting things takes less time than actually paying for them!
Apparently the K Mart sales people didn't know how to handle
the Traveler' Cheque and it took me just an hour to pay and
get out of there. At a few times I thought of just leaving the
stuff there and leave but I guess one important thing I learned
was patience!
We also went to Circuit City without getting lost as my mate
Kathy is very good at directions (In case you haven't noticed
that was sarcasm)! She is such a sweet woman and she reminds
me of my driving back at home. Passengers in my car just PRAY
to get to the right place at the right time! We looked around
and explored new technologies as I like to go to computer stores
and check out the latest hardware or technology they have it
keeps me updated about the latest!
After that we went to a coffee shop which was full of smoke
as I entered I realized it was a place for young college students
to hang out and study or just chit chat! It was fun! Kathy's
best friend BILL joined us for coffee and then just spontaneously
Bill offered to cook at Paulette's place and we made a plan
for the night! We went to Bill's house which was five minutes
walk from the Coffee shop got some stuff for cooking…stopped
by at the Wedge got some more stuff for the dinner. Drove down
to Paulette's house, meanwhile Kathy called her boyfriend to
also come with his guitar!
We cooked and then ate at around 7:00! And then Kathy's boyfriend
ADAM played guitar and sung like 50 songs!:) We were sitting
late and had a lot of fun!
Another week gone and back to work today!
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Journal entry date: October
20, 2003
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The last whole week I was working
on the different modules of the Intranet. My working hours are
9 to 5 sometimes 6 and 6:30, and for lunch at 12:00 I just walk
down to the Co-Op or the nearest coffee shop with my colleagues
and have some lunch which is totally different from what I have
back at home. I am enjoying my work and I think there's a lot
for me to learn and the time is too little.
Last week the technology team Ali, Becky, Cung and myself had
many meetings in which we came up with the deadlines for all
my work on the Intranet and I find it very interesting what
I will be doing for the next 5 weeks!
My first deadline is tomorrow, which is the design of the Intranet,
and I think my progress on it is going pretty well as I have
come up with a design today!
Last week I moved back to Paulette's house and left Eddie's
place with a heavy heart as she is a very kind person! Paulette
and her husband took me out to have ice cream and it was just
delicious! They also took me to a dinner at Thai restaurant
one night and the next afternoon I went again to another Thai
restaurant for lunch with my colleagues, Thai food is not my
first preference, o two days in a row Thai food IMAGINE!:) But
the food was good and I kinda developed some taste for it!
I go back from work everyday and then just turn on some Pakistani
music on my laptop and start working on the assignments that
I have and sometimes I am so tired that I just go to sleep at
8:00 or 9:00! The city was very beautiful for the last few weeks
as it was fall and the leaves were changing colors but today
it is very cold and it seems like winter is almost here…so I
have to get my long coat ready!:) I don't know about people
here how they survive but I could survive the cold by just not
going out!
I had brought my trainers with me but they are just sitting
there in my bag and waiting for me to use them….but the weather
is not very friendly with me so they might be sitting there
for the rest of the trip too.
On Saturday Pam my colleague took me out to the lake Nokomis
and we walked by the lake for an hour or so, it was just beautiful.
Then we went to target to get a few things for me for breakfast
and I bought some eggs, milk, and other stuff. Then we went
to the Mall of America and Pam bought me a shower curtain as
I really liked one with the blue pattern on it. I also bought
a top for myself as I would need a lot of warm winter stuff.
Then we just drove around and she dropped me back home, where
I just went to my room and did some work that I had brought
home.
On Sunday Ali, the Director of Technology at CVT, came over
to Paulette's house because we had a dinner at Cung's place
(Vietnamese Food) and we had to cook a French desert "Karame
Cake" (I donno if I have spelled it right but it was something
like this). I have never cooked anything in my life maybe once
or twice but I am so happy to learn this new desert it was delicious!
Then we went to Cung's place together and had this yummy food
that he made and met a bunch of his cousins and his cute some
months old niece! We had this great Latin American drink and
I can't even remember its name now! So my weekend was full of
fun and entertainment!
I just feel great about my internship here and the kind of things
I am doing. Sometimes I miss home but people here are so nice
that they make me forget about all the memories of home and
I feel just at home here! I hope to bring back lots of stories,
experiences, tools that will benefit my friends, colleagues
and I also hope to build bridges across the different cultural
barriers that we have and contribute towards a peaceful and
ONE world!
During this week I want to learn about the activities of CVT
in Kenya next February and also I want to learn about the new
techniques used by CVT Technology department in order to enable
the CVT community to work effectively.
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Journal entry date: October
13, 2003
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1. What I did during the past
week - include all your activities with your organization and
also your personal/recreational activities. Please also include
the names of some of the people who you have met, or are working
with. People are interested to know how you are spending your
time and with whom!
The past one week 6th - 12th October I was working on the CVT
Intranet with Becky who is a software developer at CVT in the
Technology department. I worked on one of the modules and successfully
developed it. I met with Pamela who is working in the International
Capacity Building Project at CVT and in another department and
worked on designing a Presentation Template which would be used
by different organizations in the network at a seminar in February
next year in Kenya.
I am staying with Eddie one of my colleagues and she is a super
great woman! She is so friendly and caring and took me around
the city got me phone cards to cal my family and lots more.
She is fun to be with and an amazing person I am having a good
time at her home and font wanna leave her! Her husband Jim is
an architect and works on commercial and big projects he is
in Korea now so Eddie and I are chilling out! She took me to
an Indian grocery store and also to Afghan and Indian restaurants
which was just great because I felt at home!
On Saturday she took me to her friend's party and I met many
of her friends Nancy, Boris, Elice, Nickolous and Aladin!
Eddie took me to the Mall Of America and I was just overwhelmed!
The mall is huge! I liked it and got a few gifts for my friends
and family. She also took me to the MinniHaHa park in Minneapolis
and also to downtown St. Paul! I loved it and the weekend was
just great!
2. What I learnt during this past week - - from the activities,
from the people that I met and from the emotions that I am feeling?
During the past two weeks I have learnt that human beings are
just the same everywhere! You can find good and bad ones everywhere!
I had a fantasy about United States and it is now pretty much
turning into a real picture and the real picture is a true reflection!
I miss home "Home Sweet Home". Some people have just amazed
me by their harsh attitudes and others have just touched me
by their caring and helpful personality!
3. How will what I've done this past week benefit my organization?
What sort of things, trainings, or ideas will I bring back to
my group - - or how will what I've learnt this past week benefit
my group?
I have learnt the new tools in software development which would
help me to support my colleagues at Sach in their day to day
activities. I am designing an interface that is going to help
CVT staff in their work and I plan to and helpful implement
the same back at my organization and let them benefit from the
new technology.
I have also been able to develop a Presentation Template for
Sach in order to be able to present at the big Seminar next
year Feb.
4. What do I want to learn, work on, and focus on, during the
next week?
During the next week I will be focusing on the second module
of the Intranet and I hope to learn the .NET framework. I also
hope to learn about the fun raising techniques used by CVT.
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