Day 6 and 7

Our first weekend free in Mumbai was really good. We started by visiting jehangir art gallery, which housed a very interesting modern art exhibition. Afterwards we headed to Bhandra a lively district of the city where young people tend to hang out. We went for lunch at a Bombay Blue, one of Bhandra's most popular eateries. We then shopped around Bhandra market, which was really vibrant and bustling. We bought loads of clothes and did alot of haggling. We returned on the train which was really cheap at only 6 rupees. On Sunday we went to the National Gallery of Modern Art which is currently exhibiting a project called 'Soak' about Mumbai throughout history and its potential in the future with regard to its relationship with the sea and monsoons. Afterwards we met up with two girls from the H.R. College for lunch on Colaba Causeway and went shopping. The shopping at Colaba was more successful than at Bhandra, much better for tourists. It was really nice to have some time free to explore the city and hang out with the college girls who are so lovely.

(Natasha and Hannah)

Day 3

Wednesday morning brought an opportunity to participate in a mock stock exchange at the HR College. "The Hollywood Exchange" swapped actors for companies in a game that not only required economic skill but a detailed knowledge of Brad Pitt's film history and personal life.

After lunch we were back in the classroom for a question and answer session with the General Manager of the RBI, (Reserve Bank of India). The time we spent with the manager was very interesting and insightful; providing us with a glimpse of how Indian finance systems operate.

In the afternoon we travelled to the RBI monetary museum. The trip showed us the history of the coins and cash of India used from the ancient civilisations right up to the present day. The group went back to the hotel for diner.

By the evening, we had split into several large groups that returned to different places across Churchgate and Colaba. I myself relaxed with a mint sheesha on the room of the Gulf Hotel. It was a chilled out way toy to end a very busy day.

(Liam Hopkins)

Day 2 -

Today was the first day of the lectures and we all had to be ready for 9am, as quite a few of us woke up it was a close call. We hurried and got ready and had breakfast, and so the day began...

The first lecture was ‘The financial structure of the Indian economy’ many of us found it very difficult to relate to the lecture as many of us weren’t from and economic or accounting/business and it showed in our concentration levels. We then had a brief overview of Mumbai as a whole in the next lecture. (Mumbai: A cosmopolitan city) we looked at the ways in which Mumbai is diverse.

We then had lunch, in preparation for our city wide tour. We got on the coaches and headed for the Gate Way of India, I managed to take pics of the outside of the Taj Mahal Hotel. The next stop was a converted house of a friend of Mahatma Ghandi. Ghandi had stayed there for a little while and now it houses a lot of Ghandi’s books and articles he worked with. We the made our way to the Laundering district which was very large and busy, We then visited the Jain Temple which was sacred and many beautifully crafted, ornate statues, we had to take our shoes of as a mark of respect. Our final stop was the Hanging Gardens of Mumbai, which housed animals cut from hedges, a giant yellow shoe. We were able to see real-life bats flying up above. After taking a group photo in front skyline we headed back to the hotel with free energy drinks given to us by 'Red Bull' Reps.

(Sam Evbuomwan)

Day 1 -

Having arrived throughout Saturday and Sunday today was the first day we had a chance to mix together as a group. We spent quite a slow (and jet lagged) morning, most people meeting up at lunch time in the hotel restaurant. There was a wide range of Indian food, as well as some western favourites such as pasta and a version of cauliflower cheese, although they all had a definite Indian twist and didn’t taste quite as expected, but were enjoyed nevertheless!
We then spent the afternoon trying to apply for Indian sim cards, with the help of an Indian student from the H.R College. We were all very surprised at the amount of paperwork involved, and the need for information such as husband/father’s name, copies of passport, visa and a photo. We all had a lot of trouble with getting our signatures right. They had to match exactly the signatures on our passports, and some people spent a lot of time trying to get it right without much success!

After this we made our way to the inauguration of the programme at the H.R College, and we were made to feel very welcome, with the local students placing red powder on our heads, and throwing orange flowers over us as we walked in. We were given a number of introductory speeches by the programme co-ordinators in Mumbai, as well as from representatives of the British Council and High Commission, and from King’s College. After the ceremony and the unveiling of the programme sign we were invited up to the terrace to watch a cultural performance put on for us by the local students. The first dance we saw was amazing; very fast and energetic with the students dressed in colourful traditional costume. The men had their faces painted blue and it made quite an impact. We were also treated to a number of signing performances, including the national anthem, and a ‘hip hop’ style dance. After the performances we were given dinner at the college, and the food was excellent, with a lot of Indian dishes for us to choose from, as well as kulfi ice cream for pudding. After posing for a few group photos we all made our way back to the hotel. A number of us went out in the evening to a few bars, to socialise more with the programme members, and we all seemed to end up in the same bar at the end of the evening, despite having headed off in separate groups. On the way home some of us bartered successfully with the taxi drivers, and managed to get our fare calculated from the meter, instead of the high fixed price a number were offering. For a number of us this was the first opportunity we had to go out in India, and so it was difficult seeing some of the people begging, and speaking to the taxi driver who explained how he worked very hard away from his family in order to save money to provide for them. It is interesting learning about the culture, but the huge differences with Europe are very striking.

(Alex Webster)