The past two weeks have been brilliant.
I think I was really lucky in going to the school that I went to and in staying with the host family that I stayed with, as I honestly do feel like part of the family now!
Apart from having my appetite tripled by my huge food intake, we've done absolutely loads.
At school we met the Lokayukta, who is basically responsible for reducing corruption and all of that kind of thing, which is rife in India. We also spent an afternoon at Janapada Loka, which is where we were able to see traditional, tribal like dance, which was thoroughly enjoyable. The place itself was like a paradise with palm trees, it was quite tropical.
James and I also took a baking class at the school, which everyone had a great time doing even though my 'scones' turned out as a fruit loaf and the second batch had to be thrown in the bin! The biggest cooking disaster that I've ever seen!
The school experience was brilliant and we learned a lot about education over here. I was based in a private school called DPS, and there were so many different activities for all of the students to take part in that I was quite amazed. We went to a commerce festival, a mock parliament session, and taught in some of the lower school classes, and I think all of us were taken aback by how articulate and confident the students were at speaking in public. we also learned about the intensity of 12th standard (A-level) exams, with some students getting up at 4a.m for coaching sessions before school just to get top marks! The competition really is so fierce here.
Home life was brilliant, I thoroughly enjoyed all of the Indian food that I tried and got to meet just about everyone that was living in our apartment block. Everybody from my family to the residents was really welcoming and hospitable and I had a great time. I went to Mysore palace and the temple which is nearby, and I even got to attend Independence day celebrations and open an ice cream parlour as chief guest!
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
The Past Week...
A week has past since my last blog and it's been jam-packed!
Last Wednesday we got to visit Prasad Labs, which is where a lot of Hindi movies and regional movies are shot onto the film to be played in the cinema. This talk was actually pretty interesting as our guide was so enthusiastic - he'd flown from Chennai just to show us around.
We also got to see a local movie and we all noticed that the actors were totally different to our actors as they were a bit podgy, unlike the size 0's of Hollywood flims!
The following day we visited Srishti school of arts and got to do a bit of art purselves and it was a bit strange to be at an arts institution as it proved that some people in India do actually go on to study art, as 99% of people that you talk to want to study engineering or medicine as there's loads of money and jobs in that sector, and people tend to look down on any other subject.
On the afternoon we visited Chennapatna village which is where a lot of wooden toys and ornaments are made and we were able to go into the factory and see the workers using their tools to create the pieces. The village was a really small one and was, I guess, the kind of thing that we had been expecting to see as it was full of little houses that were just a step above the slums. Once again we managed to attract the attention of all the school children and they subsequently followed us around for the rest of our visit!
Our trip to Infosys the following day was amazing. We all agreed that whether you liked or disliked the business it was a bizzare experience. The business had developed from a single room with 6 workers and is now a huge business with it's own site of restaurants, gyms and water features. The whole experience was a bit odd as it was like living in some kind of infosys land that employees never really need to leave! The story of infosys is inspirational though as it's now India's largest IT company and developed from such a small scale.
On the afternoon of the Friday we had an interview with the local press and our article actually appeared yesterday, half a page so pretty big! It looks like we're becoming more famous by the week!
On Saturday night we all put our best clothes on for our last night together in Bangalore before we left for our host families. We dined at the Hard Rock café (not really immersing ourselves culturally I know, but that's what the next 2 weeks are for!) and then went out on the razzle for a bit (before closing, which is at 11:30!!!).
On Sunday we were all doing a bit of last minute frantic packing. Everybody was getting picked up this morning and we were all a bit sad to see each other leave, but really excited for our stay with our host families. I got picked up around 11:30 by Abhishek, his dad and their driver. I was pretty surprised that nobody here wears seatbelts, especially since the roads seem so manic to me! I also found out about the gruelling univeristy entrance exams. Honestly, I thought we had it bad but here to get into the top unis you have to sit a 6 hour entrance exam, mad!
We arrived at the apartment and it's such a nice complex. We've got a pool sop we went swimming in the afternoon and there's basketball too so I surprised myself by having a go, although i did miss a lot! The evening we went with James and his host Akshay to see Harry Potter. The cinema seats were so comfy and you even get an interval half way through which was so weird!
On Monday we went to school along the road and we didn't really know what we were supposed to be doing so I took some classes with Abhishek, although we weren't actually doing that much as everybody was getting their marks back from the tests and kicking themselves for not doing as well as they felt they should. In the afternoon we got a proper programme although some parts of it, such as taking classes, seem a bit formidable!
On tuesday we watched the inter-house dance competition and we were all really impressed by the dances, we couldn't believe that they had been prepared in just 5 days! we also got called up to speak in the assembly by surprise and I had to give a short speech which was a bit daunting.
Today was good, we got to go to a commerce festival at Bishop Cotton Girl's school where some of the other fellows are based and did a treasure hunt and watched some of the competitions like an ad competition and pictionary. All of us enjoyed it and it was nice to meet up again with the others and share our experiences.
Well tonight I'm going to go and see the ice cream parlour that's owned by the family business so I'd better be off for now!
Last Wednesday we got to visit Prasad Labs, which is where a lot of Hindi movies and regional movies are shot onto the film to be played in the cinema. This talk was actually pretty interesting as our guide was so enthusiastic - he'd flown from Chennai just to show us around.
We also got to see a local movie and we all noticed that the actors were totally different to our actors as they were a bit podgy, unlike the size 0's of Hollywood flims!
The following day we visited Srishti school of arts and got to do a bit of art purselves and it was a bit strange to be at an arts institution as it proved that some people in India do actually go on to study art, as 99% of people that you talk to want to study engineering or medicine as there's loads of money and jobs in that sector, and people tend to look down on any other subject.
On the afternoon we visited Chennapatna village which is where a lot of wooden toys and ornaments are made and we were able to go into the factory and see the workers using their tools to create the pieces. The village was a really small one and was, I guess, the kind of thing that we had been expecting to see as it was full of little houses that were just a step above the slums. Once again we managed to attract the attention of all the school children and they subsequently followed us around for the rest of our visit!
Our trip to Infosys the following day was amazing. We all agreed that whether you liked or disliked the business it was a bizzare experience. The business had developed from a single room with 6 workers and is now a huge business with it's own site of restaurants, gyms and water features. The whole experience was a bit odd as it was like living in some kind of infosys land that employees never really need to leave! The story of infosys is inspirational though as it's now India's largest IT company and developed from such a small scale.
On the afternoon of the Friday we had an interview with the local press and our article actually appeared yesterday, half a page so pretty big! It looks like we're becoming more famous by the week!
On Saturday night we all put our best clothes on for our last night together in Bangalore before we left for our host families. We dined at the Hard Rock café (not really immersing ourselves culturally I know, but that's what the next 2 weeks are for!) and then went out on the razzle for a bit (before closing, which is at 11:30!!!).
On Sunday we were all doing a bit of last minute frantic packing. Everybody was getting picked up this morning and we were all a bit sad to see each other leave, but really excited for our stay with our host families. I got picked up around 11:30 by Abhishek, his dad and their driver. I was pretty surprised that nobody here wears seatbelts, especially since the roads seem so manic to me! I also found out about the gruelling univeristy entrance exams. Honestly, I thought we had it bad but here to get into the top unis you have to sit a 6 hour entrance exam, mad!
We arrived at the apartment and it's such a nice complex. We've got a pool sop we went swimming in the afternoon and there's basketball too so I surprised myself by having a go, although i did miss a lot! The evening we went with James and his host Akshay to see Harry Potter. The cinema seats were so comfy and you even get an interval half way through which was so weird!
On Monday we went to school along the road and we didn't really know what we were supposed to be doing so I took some classes with Abhishek, although we weren't actually doing that much as everybody was getting their marks back from the tests and kicking themselves for not doing as well as they felt they should. In the afternoon we got a proper programme although some parts of it, such as taking classes, seem a bit formidable!
On tuesday we watched the inter-house dance competition and we were all really impressed by the dances, we couldn't believe that they had been prepared in just 5 days! we also got called up to speak in the assembly by surprise and I had to give a short speech which was a bit daunting.
Today was good, we got to go to a commerce festival at Bishop Cotton Girl's school where some of the other fellows are based and did a treasure hunt and watched some of the competitions like an ad competition and pictionary. All of us enjoyed it and it was nice to meet up again with the others and share our experiences.
Well tonight I'm going to go and see the ice cream parlour that's owned by the family business so I'd better be off for now!
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Buzzing on the Bangabus in Bangalore!
So since I last posted I've seen the Taj Mahal and it is absolutely breathtaking! It is honestly so much better when you see it in real life than you can ever imagine from photographs as in real life you can see all of the tiny little details and carvings that are absolutely everywhere and all of the grounds around it aswell. I was worried that it might have been a bit of a let down since I was so excited to go but it was definitely amazing! The only thing was that it was 49 degrees so we were wrecked by the end of it!
Anyway since then I've arrived in Bangalore with my team of 10. Everybody was sad that we were splitting into 3 groups but that said, our Bangalore group is realllly good, clearly the best one! :P We're awesome. So since getting here we've visited a private school and a disability centre and have also had an evening reception with some teachers from England on a scheme called the Leader's Quest, not to mention a market hunt! So we've been really busy and still havng an amazing time. I particularly enjoyed the school and found the headmistress an inspiration as she has started the school from scratch and has not given in to any of the pressures of corruption - something which is very difficult in India when bribes are the done thing and corruption is rife!
Well I'm looking forward to tonight as I'm going to meet my host family in the next few hours, though a little nervous too!
Oh I forgot to mention that the other day that in Delhi I was in my first 'semi-monsoon' with winds so strong that the hotel staff had to hold the lobby doors closed and we couldn't even go outside! At least here in Bangalore it's around 29 dgrees and we actually have a breeze, it's so good!
Anyway since then I've arrived in Bangalore with my team of 10. Everybody was sad that we were splitting into 3 groups but that said, our Bangalore group is realllly good, clearly the best one! :P We're awesome. So since getting here we've visited a private school and a disability centre and have also had an evening reception with some teachers from England on a scheme called the Leader's Quest, not to mention a market hunt! So we've been really busy and still havng an amazing time. I particularly enjoyed the school and found the headmistress an inspiration as she has started the school from scratch and has not given in to any of the pressures of corruption - something which is very difficult in India when bribes are the done thing and corruption is rife!
Well I'm looking forward to tonight as I'm going to meet my host family in the next few hours, though a little nervous too!
Oh I forgot to mention that the other day that in Delhi I was in my first 'semi-monsoon' with winds so strong that the hotel staff had to hold the lobby doors closed and we couldn't even go outside! At least here in Bangalore it's around 29 dgrees and we actually have a breeze, it's so good!
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Baragins at the Bazzar
I've been learning more Hindi since my last post and I've definitely got the essentials - "How much" and "too expensive"! These came in really useful at the market today where I did some serious haggling on some goods! The market was really bright and sold loads of authentic goods and was exactly the kind of thing that i was expecting to see in India - wood carvings, handpainted papers and loads of bright materials.
I had a Yoga class yesterday too which was really good, I can see myself taking it up when i get back to England, it was soooo relaxing! Our instructor was really flexy and it was just unbelieveable to see some of his moves. We also did a bit of classical indian dance today which was also pretty interesting and we all had a good laugh trying to do it ourselves at the end. I also got to watch a Bollywood movie. There wasn't as much upbeat song and dance as i was expecting but it was still really good as it showed some of the main problems of corrupton n the Indian polical system. I'm also now more aware of the caste systeme, which is really unfair i think, as it completely segregates people into different classes from birth and the low classes just have no say or anything in the system, whereas university places and good jobs are reserved for people of the highest caste!
Anyway I'm looking forward to the next couple of days, particularly Saturday as that's when I'll visit Agra, where the famous Taj Mahal is situated!
I had a Yoga class yesterday too which was really good, I can see myself taking it up when i get back to England, it was soooo relaxing! Our instructor was really flexy and it was just unbelieveable to see some of his moves. We also did a bit of classical indian dance today which was also pretty interesting and we all had a good laugh trying to do it ourselves at the end. I also got to watch a Bollywood movie. There wasn't as much upbeat song and dance as i was expecting but it was still really good as it showed some of the main problems of corrupton n the Indian polical system. I'm also now more aware of the caste systeme, which is really unfair i think, as it completely segregates people into different classes from birth and the low classes just have no say or anything in the system, whereas university places and good jobs are reserved for people of the highest caste!
Anyway I'm looking forward to the next couple of days, particularly Saturday as that's when I'll visit Agra, where the famous Taj Mahal is situated!
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
A Few Days In...
O.K so it's a few days in and I'm still enjoying myself. I'm starting to feel a bit more at home and things don't seem as crazy as before although it's still weird how people are staring at us and asking us if we'll be in their photographs!
I met the British High Comissioner last night in his huge, posh residence and got to 'mingle' with some people who are backing the programme which was really good. I also got to play with the dog in the field of a garden! :)
I had my first Hindi lesson in india today and it was really good, I can say a few things like 'what is your name?' and introductions so it won't be long until I'm fluent! I'm also a huge fan of air-con now as we're all sweaty betties in 45 degrees!
I learned all about hinduism and Buddhism today and the lady who was teaching us was so good she almost had me converted! The only thing holding me back is that you aren't allowed to have too many desires like... getting good grades and a well paid job so that ruled it out for me! ;)
The food's good and everything is soooo cheap so naturally i'm loving it and can't wait to get to Bangalore to start some souvenir hunting! All of my fellows are a great bunch so I'm having a great time at the minute and every day it seems like I see something that amazes me.
For example, yesterday we were driving along and on this dirty street corner at the side of a motorway there were about 15 children all naked pouring buckets of water over their heads to wash and when they noticed us all started dancing and waving at us on the bus when they were totally naked which was pretty odd!
I'm not sure exactly what my expectations were before this programme but so far I'm seeing a really ancient and diverse culture here. One minute we're at really impressive pices of architecture such as the Lotus temple and the next we could be walking past groups of people sleeping on the street under nets. I'm surprised by how hospitable people are being and I can't wait for the next few days which have a lot more activities packed in!
I met the British High Comissioner last night in his huge, posh residence and got to 'mingle' with some people who are backing the programme which was really good. I also got to play with the dog in the field of a garden! :)
I had my first Hindi lesson in india today and it was really good, I can say a few things like 'what is your name?' and introductions so it won't be long until I'm fluent! I'm also a huge fan of air-con now as we're all sweaty betties in 45 degrees!
I learned all about hinduism and Buddhism today and the lady who was teaching us was so good she almost had me converted! The only thing holding me back is that you aren't allowed to have too many desires like... getting good grades and a well paid job so that ruled it out for me! ;)
The food's good and everything is soooo cheap so naturally i'm loving it and can't wait to get to Bangalore to start some souvenir hunting! All of my fellows are a great bunch so I'm having a great time at the minute and every day it seems like I see something that amazes me.
For example, yesterday we were driving along and on this dirty street corner at the side of a motorway there were about 15 children all naked pouring buckets of water over their heads to wash and when they noticed us all started dancing and waving at us on the bus when they were totally naked which was pretty odd!
I'm not sure exactly what my expectations were before this programme but so far I'm seeing a really ancient and diverse culture here. One minute we're at really impressive pices of architecture such as the Lotus temple and the next we could be walking past groups of people sleeping on the street under nets. I'm surprised by how hospitable people are being and I can't wait for the next few days which have a lot more activities packed in!
Sunday, July 19, 2009
First Impressions
We arrived yesterday and were really tired so didn't get to experience much of India, although we did see some of the poverty and the filth on our bus journey, such as an old man knocking on the bus window for money.
Today though, we got up early and I visited the British Council office which was really modern and air conditioned, just like our hotel. On the way we were followed by a number of children though, who were trying to force us to buy flashing pens from them. I've began to realise that this is commonplace as it's been happening a lot since our arrival.
After this we went through a market which had loads of bright bangles and goods for sale, and into a temple where we had to take our shoes off. I was a bit nervous as I'd watched 'Slumdog Millionaire' and thought that somebody might steal my flip-flops! The one thing that does hit you is a strong stench in some of the streets.
Then I got to have my first ride in an auto-rickshaw! We managed to squash four of us into one rickshaw and they are really small! The roads were manic and it was really exciting and hilarious.
After a quick look at India Gate we came back for lunch and then afterwards had a wander around the local area. I managed to buy my first bottle of water from a street vendor after carefully checking the seal and label (another Slumdog scene!).
At least it had cooled down a bit today, only 39degrees compared to 46 yesterday!
Tonight we're off for a welcome ceremony at the British Council so that should be good and I'm looking forward to seeing more of India.
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