ere featured in the documentary Two Million Minutes. Apoorva and Rohit are both 18 years old and in their first year of university in Bangalore, India. They came over to the states for a ten-day visit, which has involved sightseeing, several discussion groups and screenings of Two Million Minutes, and the opportunity to see the U.S. for the first time. While here, they've traveled around Indianapolis as well as to Chicago and Washington, D.C. They seem to be having a great time so far and have been taking lots of pictures to help them remember their trip.Since I work on the PR for the film, I always felt like I "knew" Apoorva and Rohit to some extent - having seen them (albeit on camera) in their homes, in school, and hanging out with their friends. Every day at work, I communicate with editors and other people about the film and these students, so they are a large part of my daily activities. This made it very exciting when they arrived in the states a week ago. Last Friday, my co-workers and I got to spend a good portion of the day with them, taking them bowling and to lunch to experience some American culture (although I'm not sure how much bowling embodies American culture).
Apoorva and Rohit were both so friendly and interesting to talk to. Despite being in a foreign country exploring unfamiliar places, being exposed to new foods and activities, and being around lots of new people, they adapted amazingly well and smoothly. Both students seemed very comfortable meeting and talking to new people and were able to socialize remarkably well for being in unfamiliar territory. Rohit even knew the names of some American music artists better than I did!
It's been very enjoyable spending time with both these students - getting to know them and being able to help show them around Indianapolis. Yesterday morning, I took them to the Indiana State Capitol Building for a tour. It was a neat experience for me too, as I had never been inside. We got to see the Supreme Court chamber, the Governor's office, and another room where legislative decisions are made. My favorite part was seeing Apoorva and Rohit take pictures of themselves standing at the podium at the front of the room where the Speaker of the House usually stands.
Overall, it's been an exciting week for me, and I know that Apoorva and Rohit have been involved in some exciting and interesting things as well. I hope they've had a good experience on their first visit to the U.S. and that they'll want to come back and visit again!
