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!