A Preliminary Post: I'm still in the States

Hi Everyone! :)

Thanks for checking my Blog! :)

(I am now realizing that I have the tendency in both emails and facebook posts to put an exclamation point and smiley face after every sentence, so I am going to try to work on toning it down, haha)

So, yes. At this point I am still in the states, but in a very short amount of time I will be embarking on a grand learning "adventure" as I travel to Bangladesh for 10 weeks! Whoo!

Who: ME!

"The Assignment": Study Bengali, become fairly proficient, and learn everything that I possibly can about Bangladeshi culture, history, government, religions, etc..

How: The Critical Language Scholarship (CLS)!
(and at this point I shall ask you all to bear with me as I make a quick plug/ disclaimer)

I encourage all of my friends (and strangers, I suppose) who are either currently enrolled in Undergrad or Grad School to apply for this program!
CLS is a fellowship funded and organized by the US State Department to encourage and enable US citizens to learn "critical languages." What does this mean? Well, in other words, there are many languages that not enough Americans are taking the time to learn (Bangla, Arabic, Chinese, Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Persian, Punjabi, Russian, Turkish, Urdu).

You need to apply for it, but if you are chosen the State department then fully funds an entire summer of cultural immersion, intense language instruction, and travel. The program organizes travel throughout the country and arranges for participants to meet with dozens of speakers and representatives of the country. In effect, participants become ambassadors of the US!

Oh! Did I mention that it's FREE? :)

Disclaimer: This blog follows my own personal adventures and interactions, but by no means does it reflect the views of the US State department.
Alright, I said it! Now that this has been established....

A few things you should know:
1. This will not be my first time to Bangladesh
2. I plan to use Bangla in my future career and I plan to return after this summer
(I've been bitten by the Asian bug!) :)
3. I would LOVE any comments you have!
4. The internet is variable, but I promise to post at least once each week
5. I have to learn all of the script before I go.... I'm working on that....

Alright! I think that is enough for now. Get EXCITED to follow me and my adventures.

Knowing myself and the situations I tend to get myself into, I don't think you will be disappointed!!!

PEACE,

Maggie