Senior Years
Incredible India
For an incredible two weeks at the end of May, Lucas Adams, Ellie Dodkins, Imogen Lehndorf and Kiaan Malhotra, accompanied by Mrs Kylie Day traveled to India as part of the Year 10 Exchange Program. Arriving into New Delhi we were warmly greeted at the airport by delegates from our sister school, as well as our host families, and from that point our adventure began.
Over the next two weeks we spent time at our sister school, K.R. Mangalam in Vikas Puri, New Delhi where we were welcomed by a traditional cultural ceremony. We got to participate in activities such as art, yoga, dance, astronomy and table tennis to name just a few, and we played a basketball game with their students, learned some Hindi and went on excursions. We spoke together with our hosts about the value of being an exchange student and learnt more about the Model United Nations (MUN) conference the students would be a part of. This three-day student conference concluded our stay and was attended by 500 students from across India, as well as delegates from France. The MUN conference was a simulation activity in which students learned about diplomacy, international relations and the United Nations. Congratulations must go to Lucas for receiving the best delegate award out of 120 participants for his representation of Israel in the General Assembly.
Our sightseeing highlight was a trip to Agra where we saw the majestic Taj Mahal and Red Fort, as well as our overnight visit to Jaipur known as the ‘Pink City' where we saw the pink sandstone buildings the city is famous for. We experienced the markets and enjoyed an evening being enriched by Rajasthani culture; getting henna tattoos, riding camels, seeing their numerous cultural displays and eating a 15 course feast that was a tad spicy to say the least.
Around Dehli we visited the famous India Gate and Parliament House, Ghandi Museum, Qutb Minar and the Lotus temple, ISKCON temple and Bangal Sahib Sikh Gurudawara where we learned about the different religions and beliefs of the Indian people. There was also bowling, huge shopping malls and many other places of interest.
Being home stayed enabled us to be a part of Indian daily life and this was the most valuable experience of our stay. Having the conversations, experiencing their routines and culture, living in a house in the suburbs and eating their amazing food helped us to understand what it is really like to live there. It was 45 degrees some days and dirty and dusty outside, and we did see areas of poverty, but the Indian people are some of the most hospitable I have ever met and the country was spectacular. Everyone agreed this was a most rewarding and enriching experience which offered us incredible memories that will truly last a lifetime. We look forward to seeing our hosts in October and sharing Australia with them.
Mrs Kylie Day, Head of Learning and International Students
