Day 4, Bangalore : 21 June 2010

The sun rose high on the bright blue sky with its vibrant colours warming the face of the earth. A brand new day started and a whole adventure awaited us. We awoke feeling dazed but excited to set off for Sri Kumaran Children’s Home. The school’s layout was pretty impressive. The whole entrance was allocated for sports. There was a state-of-the-art basketball court and a soccer field under construction where students were joyously playing.

Our host students warmly invited us out of the bus and led us into the school. Our presence intrigued many students. Some were more open shouting their greetings whilst others were more apprehensive, just casting curious glances at us.

Then, we were ushered into their auditorium to listen to a speech by the school’s principal. We were impressed by the activities as well as the facilities which the school provides.

We soon made friends with our hosts and became very close to each other. Their hospitality was overwhelming and we were touched by their genuine warmth.

Our hosts brought us on a tour around the school. We found out that the curricuum is similar to ours, but the school’s location and new facilities seem to give it a slight edge over us. Oh how wonderful to have a school amidst a forest and lake!

We were so close that a few of us boys even started to play soccer on a sandy pitch. The girls were so wrapped up with chatting about studies. Our teachers had a hard time coaxing us to stop to have lunch.

Once back at the hotel, we mentally and physically prepared ourselves for the Sing-along session at the Thomas Children’s Home and Cyberwellness presentation at Sri Kumaran Children’s Home. We were also busy with packing goody bags to be given to the orphans at Thomas Children’s Home. Everyone enthusiastically participated in the rehearsals, willing to sacrifice our break time knowing that this simple gesture would go a long way in making the children happy. Excitement was in the air as everyone could not wait to give their best to put a smile on the children’s faces. All the effort and energy put in would definitely be worth while when we see their smiles …

Day 3, Mysore - Bangalore : 20 June 2010

We were sad to leave the breath-taking view and cool weather in Ooty. If only the weather in Singapore is like this! We headed down the mountain along hair pin bends again heading for Mysore and then Bangalore where we would be spending our remaining time with the students of Sri Kumaran Children’s Home.





On the way down, many of us witnessed the panoramic beauty of Ooty first-hand. The beautiful ridges, coupled with crystal clear streams, vegetation and mist made the place look splendid. It was double joy when we reached the Tiger Nature reserve where we observed the variety of animals in their natural habitat. It was a joy to see animals in their natural habitat within the villages. Many Singaporeans will only see animals in the zoo. Many jostled for a good angle and squealed in excitement when we spotted the deers and elephants.








Upon reaching the city, we stopped for lunch at a restaurant which had a barrel for an entrance. Yes, it was a barrel, literally! With tummies full and happy, we were pleasantly surprised when Mr Raven, our tour guide, managed to secure a street magician to entertain us. Our jaws dropped as we were enthralled by the sight of him making water come out of Hakim’s pants and made Jeremy lay an egg. He also managed to spit out around 30 nails and puffed out smoke. Obviously, he was talented and we wondered whether his takings for the day was enough to cover his daily expenses.








Next stop was the grand Maharaja Palace in Mysore. It was stunningly huge. This palace was built in 1897 when an unfortunate fire mishap during the Princess’s marriage caused the old wooden palace to be completely burnt to ashes. The palace continues to be the residence of the Mysore royal family.

We continued our journey to Bangalore, which took about 4 hours to get there. We were caught in endless traffic jams on the way there. It was very late and everyone was exhausted from the long journey. After what seemed like eons, we finally reached VT Paradise, which would be our home for the next few days. Mr. Raven described it as ‘small but cozy”, and he was very accurate about that statement. It was indeed smaller than the previous two hotels. After checking in, we had dinner and went to sleep.

Day 2, Coimbatore - Ooty : 19 June 2010

“Wakey, wakey….” I bet everyone struggled to open their sleepy eyes. The beds were not exactly the most comfortable and there were several distractions - the television and the company of our friends. After breakfast, we made our way to the nearby museum named after G.D Naidu, one of India’s famous inventor. The museum is similar to our Science Centre with its numerous mathematical and science exhibits. Of particular interest were the exhibits spanning a timeline. For example, we were captivated by how much the television had improved over the years from the black and white variety to the present ones.

Also, the different types of mirrors instantly intrigued us with their different distortions of our bodies. If only we could bring our cameras along (cameras were not allowed!), we would have taken a picture of ourselves with a freaking long body and short legs. Cool! Most of the girls flocked to the first mirror as it made them appear very skinny, making them look slimmer and better!?? Girls!!



We then moved to a stationery shop to get some gifts. A few of us bought some items but the walk from the bus to the shop was the main highlight. We were bemused by the hectic lifestyles of the Indians. We were not accustomed to jostling with other pedestrians and at the same time keeping an eye for stray vehicles. The traffic lights were few and pedestrian crossings rare. We wondered whether these prompted many to jay walk.









Then, we continued to venture on to Ooty braving the hair pin bends up the mountain. There was also a change in weather with many of us donning our jackets in response to the chilly atmosphere. We stopped for lunch at a restaurant called “Quality” which was an irony. The food wasn’t really of “quality”. But then, we were exhausted and ate anyway. Those who felt rather ill on our way up the mountain felt rejuvenated and were able to participate in the tea factory tour. The aroma of the tea leaves reminded us of ‘teh halia’ back home. It was just what we needed. It is amazing that tea provides immense pleasure to the millions of tea drinkers worldwide and yet, the process of harvesting and processing the tea leaves is simple. We are reminded that there are indeed simple pleasures in life.







We were told by the tour guide to “Expect the Unexpected” but most of us were unbelievers until we were caught in the heavy rain on our way into the Botanic Gardens. The boys were hoping to sneak a game of soccer and hence brought a ball along. However, their hopes were dashed when the gloomy sky and booming thunder signalled the start of a heavy downpour and a frenzied rush for shelter. Everyone was cramped into a small shelter. We were all desperately trying to prevent our branded clothes from being soaked in the rain and shoes from being stained by the murky water intent on drowning our feet. We were such a sorry sight to the locals :)

Thankfully, we were saved by a plan B (Plan A was a stroll in the Botanic Gardens) which gave us the opportunity to sit in a Tuk-tuk, India’s form of a taxi. It was pretty fun but at the same time chilly. Everyone came back shivering in cold. Soon (thankfully) we reached our hotel and prepared ourselves for the following day. Today was a tiring day, but who knows what tomorrow will bring us.

Day 1, Chennai : 18 June 2010

“Make sure you take care of yourself okay?” followed by a pause. Then, “I love you!” Famous last words uttered by many parents upon seeing off their children on overseas trips at the airport. Suddenly, the daunting task of leaving our comfortable homes and our loved ones made us reluctant to check in. However, this was the day everyone prepared for. This was the day that we were finally leaving for India …

In the morning, we all gathered at Changi Airport, with our family. Everyone was very excited as we waited to check in our luggage. Some of our families were insisting that we buy souvenirs home, while others were convincing us that it is not necessary to splurge on gifts.

For some of us, the trip to Chennai on Jet Airways was their first time on the plane. Thus, we were all very excited. For those who had been on the plane, we were still excited as we were taking a plane with our friends.





About 3.5 hours later, we touched down at Chennai Airport whiich is very much smaller than ours. After collecting our luggage, we squeezed our way out of the arrival hall, and received roses from our tour guide, Mr Jaffar. When we exited the airport, we could see that the streets were very chaotic. The traffic noise was alarmingly deafening with every motorist honking as often as the eye could blink. We noticed that the pedestrian crossings, unlike those in Singapore were hardly ever used. As we proceeded to town, we could see many people jaywalking seemingly unafraid of the many cars zooming past. We also saw another type of taxi, known as “auto” or “tuk tuk”, a three-wheeled vehicle.



After a sumptuous lunch which included mutton, chicken, acar, dhal, sambar, rasam, idly, poori, naan, steamed and vegetable rice, we headed to MGR Memorial House which was the official residence of late Dr. MGR, who was India’s beloved actor and Chief minister, for more than two decades.











Subsequently, we walked past a market near the Marina Beach, which is said to be famous for its 23 statues. It is also reputed to be the 2nd longest beach after Miami Beach in Florida. As the bus headed to our next destination, we passed by the area that was badly hit by the December 26th 2004’s tsunami. Many people lost their homes. The makeshift tent-like houses which could only fit one mattress in each were still there and sadly, those who could not afford new homes were living in them. There were also houses made out of straw and leftover materials and they looked very unstable and unhygienic. We saw a couple of kids playing in the dirty water and appreciated the clothes we have and the stable roofs above our heads. Looking at the torn and dirty clothes which covered these children, we are grateful for the comfortable beds and clothes we possess. It embarrassed us to think that we once moaned about how our clothes aren’t of the latest fashion!

Later we stopped by St. Thomas Mount, a Catholic church, which is one of the only three churches in the world that was built over priest remains. We also stopped by the Temple Of Knowledge. This temple was built in the 16th century. Its gates were carved out of a giant block of stone. There were many beautiful statues and admirable craftsmanship. To think that back in their days, where technology was limited, they used only simple tools to hand carve these intricate designs. We had to remove our shoes before entering the temple as a form of respect. The stone ground was warm and according to our tour guide, many people just walked around the temple premises as a form of foot reflexology.

After the visit to the temple, we headed to have tea at a local coffee shop, as dinner would be very late at night. We had copious cups of creamy coffee and masala tea which tasted delicious with vadeh and vegetable samosas. Mdm Juhariah had two cups of coffee and one cup of tea. When questioned about her dire thirst, she defended herself by insisting they were “super tiny” cups (Mrs Lim who had two super tiny cups also agreed!!), and everyone else sighed, “Yeah right!”

We traveled to Chennai Airport to catch our flight to Coimbatore. Some of the girls needed a toilet break, and took our own sweet time in the bathroom. Mrs. Lim realized we lost track of time and rushed us past the security checks to the boarding gate. The staff was panicking as most of the passengers had not checked in. We later realized that we occupied three quarters of the plane! We reached Coimbatore and as we disembarked from the plane cool air met us. The airport was so deserted that we were the only ones there. After collecting our luggage, we boarded a bus, and were introduced to a new tour guide, Mr. Sanjay.

We checked in at CAG Pride Hotel, had a quick dinner and went to our rooms which were very nice and spacious. We bathed, washed up and went to sleep …