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 …

Little India

A tinge of excitement filled the room as everyone gathered, ready to head for Little India. Everyone arrived punctually, well done! And our journey started when representatives from the travel agency gave us an overview of India.

Although India is such a growing powerhouse in the economy, we were not very familiar with its rich diversity in culture. Many of the things our presenter, Mr Imraan, told us served as an eye opener. He shared with us his personal experiences in India, the etiquette and cultures of India and what to expect. We learnt that we must never use our left hand for eating as it is considered unhygienic. Everyone enjoyed his presentation and found it relevant for the trip.

Then off we went to board the bus heading to Little India to familiarize ourselves with the Indian food culture. Upon reaching, we walked past an “Indian Arcade”, which was a mini market. We proceeded to a restaurant, got seated and everyone waited impatiently for the food. Idli, masala dosa, vadeh and puri were the dishes served, together with lime juice to quench our thirst. The dishes were accompanied with delicious sauces, which enhanced the taste of the mouth-watering food.

The first dish was Idli which looked like a pancake made of rice. On its own, it tasted a little bland, but with sugar, coconut paste and dhal it was yummy. The second dish served was masala dosa, which resembled the local roti prata, just that it had potato filling, and it was slightly bigger in size. The potato filling was a little sour, but the crust was very crispy. Next was the deep fried vadeh shaped like a doughnut, with bits of vegetables and onions. It was delicious. The last dish, which was puri, had no filling, and it tasted like flour, but after dipping it into some dalcha, the taste was much better. Overall, we felt satisfied with the sumptuous meal.

We went back to school and in groups started our brainstorming session. One group worked on a presentation on Cyber Wellness that we would be delivering to our host pupils there. To demonstrate Charity which is one of our school values, another group planned an interactive activity which would involve children from an orphanage we would be visiting there. The enthusiasm was palpable and we could not wait to be on our way to India!

Seventh Day - I'm coming home, to the place where I belong ...

I can't believe that seven days have flown by just like that. I guess it must be true that time flies when you are having fun.
Here I am, sitting in the Computer Lab finishing up the blog entries while the students are making Indian jewellery in the auditorium, and I can't help but feel a tinge of sadness as I recall the many amazing experiences we have all had and the good times I have spent with the wonderful and quirky students.
Today's a really short day as we need to beat the jam this evening to get to the airport on time. Everyone is slightly subdued, probably because we all know that our adventure is about to end.
Well, I just want to assure all concerned that we are all well and will be back soon.
To end, I just want to thank all the students on the trip - Jowie, Yan Han, Esther, Jeanette, Jerome, Gigg, Yue Ying, Clara, Vivian, Shi De, Jonathan, Hui Khuan, Nerissa, Jovan, Alvin, Sean Lim, Sean Yong, Jia Min, Han Jie, Nicholas, Chiuen Chou, WILSON (so sorry I left you out the first time!) - for making the trip all the more special just by being yourselves and being a part of the trip.For one, I will never forget how wide, beautiful and radiant your hearts are when you did all that you could to bless the orphans in Coorg.
As a teacher, I sometimes do too much teaching and far too little learning. I am so grateful that I have learnt so much from all the students in big and small ways throughout the trip. What an experience!
We are coming home!

Best regards,
Roy Soh

Sixth Day - Home Visits!

We had art lessons shortly after arriving in school. We were each given a blank bookmark, which we had to fill up with drawings in the Madhupani style, a genre of Indian art. Later, we had a dance demonstration by 2 famous Indian dance instructors and their daughter. We were wowed by the intricacies of all the dance steps and the vivacity of the expressions on the dancer’s face. We got to join in a mass dance later, aided and abetted by the students of the school, who showed great patience and perseverance in teaching us their dances, especially when many of us had psychomotor issues! To round up the day, we had a fascinating lesson on Vedic Mathematics, which teaches us mathematical shortcuts to multiplication and subtraction. It was enlightening! We then waited in suspense to meet our hosts for the home visit.
This is an account of a group’s visit to an Indian home:
We boarded the school bus which was airy, on account of it having open windows. On the way, we interacted with the students, we had a bumpy ride as we enjoyed the “fragrance” of camel dung. On our arrival, we were given a warm welcome by the hosts. The student host’s mother offered us something for tea- vegetable cutlets and cakes. She also offered us a unique drink - minty juice with lemon and sugar. It was refreshing!
After a short break, we decided to play games with the students. We played a card game with them. It involves giving yourself a false name and cards are dealt to everyone. On the count of three, everyone shows the other players their top cards. If you have the same card as someone else, you must say their false name before the other party does. You then give your cards to the other person. The person who does not get rid of all his or her cards loses. In the end, Gigg lost the game and as a forfeit, we made him close his eyes while the girls dressed him in a sari. It was absolutely hilarious! Afterwards, we all dressed up in the traditional Indian dress- saris and dhotis. It was funny to see most of us dressed up so flamboyantly.
We then went to the terrace at the top of the apartments. It gave us a panoramic view of Bangalore as the host gave us a quick commentary on the development of her neighbourhood. We were taken next to the Sports Hall and park for recreational activities such as chess, table tennis and basketball. We really enjoyed ourselves! After all the fun and games, we took a nice stroll back to the house, where a sumptuous meal awaited us. We tucked into steaming bowls of homemade tomato soup, pasta and rice. We concluded the feast with Indian sweetmeats and a mango dessert.
After thanking our hosts for the feast, we bade them farewell and left, with fond memories of our visit fresh in our minds.