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)