At the beginning of this end...

There is an end to each beginning...

It was so cheesy?

I know!

"Cheesy" is actually a word that I learned in this path. This long path I mean.

Was it that long?

It was supposed to be! Nine months is not a short time, is it?

For what?

For a life to begin. For beginning of the bonds that you don't believe today that are not supposed to last forever. You don't believe that you were supposed to come, live nine month and go searching for your own path of life...

Are you kidding?

Please tell me that you are. Do you really think that you can live days and days together, sit till early morning in the very popular kitchen which is the heart of the house and hear the most intimate stories of each other's life, laugh, be sad, and suddenly

Done?!

No way! It is not like that. It can't be! So what about all those friendships, memories and smiles? How can we say goodbye to all nine months of living with those strangers who are part of the family now and the unfamiliar city that is currently among the most familiar parts of the world?

No!

I am sorry but it can't be like that.

There won't be any goodbye or an end this time.

This time, our beginning won't have an end. The friendships that started in this red house on 1514 Dr. Penfield ave., won't be finished.

Hey Amruth, Jess, Kyle, Michelle, Carlos, Tope, Lilit, Arcie, Thiha, Anu, Andrew, Lisa and Dami!

Where will we see each other next time to review all those sweet family stories?

There is no price for friendship in this world. How can I forget you my best friends?!

Without any goodbye, Lets start the future. A future full of eternal friendships.

Visit to St. Johnsbury Academy (Vermont, USA)

The excitement to visit a high school in the States and interact with high school students was there from the beginning. However, the trip to St. Johnsbury Academy (www.stjacademy.org/page.cfm) in Vermont was much more than we would have expected. Five of us - me, Anu, Roozbeh, Temitope and Damilola - were the guest speakers at the academy for a few days. We had a chance to do formal presentations to larger number of  students, as well as engage in talks and discussions during their classes. The topics we touched included environmental challenges, women issues, youth participation, health concerns, culture. It was incredible how knowledgable and smart the students were, the depth of the questions they posed, and the curiosity they expressed about global issues and various cultures. Hopefully this experience was as interesting and useful for the students as empowering it was for us.

Tea anyone?

Every couple of weeks, the Sauve Scholars engage with leaders in a rather informal setting we call Tea Talks. All 14 of us gather in the Salon with tea, cookies and a leader who tells us about their work, their reasons for engaging in such work, and their personal experiences and challenges in achieving their life's goals. Some of the people we have had visit Sauve House are Kristen Johnson, an expert in humanitarian aid; Len Blum, a screenwriter turned yogi; and David Creigton, the president, CEO and founder of Cordiant Capital - a fund manager of emerging markets.

Aside from the foundation organizing these talks, scholars themselves have also organized their own powerful and irresistible Tea Talks, beginning with Marie Wilson of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission; Eloge Butera, a former scholar and survivor of the Rwandan Genocide; and Rex Brynen, a professor and researcher of peace-building and conflict, particularly in the Middle East. Yesterday, Michelle had organized a talk with Christian Novak to speak to us about Micro-Finance Institutions, since so many of us have expressed an interest in this topic.

The passion and experience have brought with them kindled many of the new thoughts and ideas that I have been drumming up this year. Part of the Sauve experience is about a intense exchange of ideas and experience. It was nice to have an opportunity to invite special guests to the nice and relaxing Salon of the Sauve House.