Lilith naar India met haar jaargroep

Onderstaand verhaal is geschreven door Lilith en enkele van haar klasgenoten. Het is me nog niet gelukt de foto's die ze erbij hebben geplakt ook in mijn blog te krijgen.
Het is een vrij uitgebreid verslag, maar omdat ik het zo'n bijzondere reis vond, heb ik het opgenomen in mijn blog.
Haar jaargroep bestaat uit 6 klassen, van ongeveer 22 kinderen elk. Zij is half maart met 3 klassen en een aantal leerkrachten naar de Himalayas van noord India gegaan, naar een plaats dicht tegen de rechter kant van de Nepalese grens. Wie geinteresseerd is wat een 2e klas middelbare school die 8 dagen heeft meegemaakt, kan eens door het verhaal 'bladeren';


Are you ready?
We were born ready!


The first night
This morning we woke up at the crack of five o’clock, cowering under our blankets while trying to ignore the persistent ringing of the phone. It was still dark; the temperature had dropped, and the room was now pleasantly cool, a natural version of our air cons at home. There was a knock on the door just as we were contemplating the temptation of slipping back into deep slumber. Unfortunately there was no avoiding the evil creature at the door, who was summoning us to breakfast. Hurriedly, we changed, settling for the très chique “just got out of bed” look. We clattered haphazardly down the stairs; which we had barbarically been forced to use, due to the impudence of the lift, refusing to respond to our desperate pleas for transportation. At last we reached our destination; the dining hall. We chose from a wondrous array of delicacies and then brought our food to our table of choice. After munching down our meals we felt satisfied and ready to embark on the journey of our lives.
Almost immediately after breakfast we boarded the bus. The whole vehicle was buzzing with anticipation for the day ahead. It was a strange experience being conscious this early; the moon was still hovering in the sky like a UFO with the strong appearance of cheese. The journey was brief and before we knew it we had reached the train station.

Delhi Railway Station
If you are in India there is only one way to travel. India may have the fastest developing air network in the world, but I would rather take the train. It is India in microcosm: frenetic; packed with people; a challenge that brings a whole new meaning to travel. Trains exemplify how travel is about the experience of getting there rather than arriving at a final destination.
Indian railways are the world’s biggest employer and as we arrived at New Delhi Railway Station at the unearthly hour of 6am in the morning it seemed as if half of their workforce was already hard at work. The green shirted snow leopard team led us through the mass of people that congregates outside every Indian mainline terminus at all hours of the day. Taxi drivers in vehicles from a bygone age competed for space with tuk-tuks that honked desperately as they weaved in and out of spaces that seemed barely large enough for people, let alone any form of mechanized transport. An overzealous station announcer was accompanied by a dedicated chord playing organist every time an approaching train appeared and then there were the passengers. They seemed to have necks of reinforced titanium which was just as well as they were carrying enough luggage to support an expedition to some faraway Himalayan peak. Their huge loads were, for the most part, balanced on their heads which were kept unhesitatingly still, and were dominated by huge smiles that seem to say simply, but genuinely, ‘welcome’.
I think railway stations offer an insight into the best that humanity has to offer; airports are completely different. They are soulless places that treat you as a number on a boarding pass and cannot wait to get rid of you. Delhi station was different. It was the prelude to an adventure; a welcome to new experiences and new cultures; an invitation to ‘incredible India’.

A meditative moment on a temple rooftop
After climbing up to the temple, we sat on the roof and Akse asked what we had all seen on our way. This led to him telling us an old Indian parable.
A long time ago, there lived a king who was loved by his people. All the farmers were rich and the people were happy. The trouble was that he was very old and he was worried about his son, who was to succeed him. He loved his son very much, but he was still young. His father would ask him “Son, how will you rule these people? How will you know who needs what and how to react justly?” His son would always reply “Don’t worry! It’ll be fine. We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. Just let me have fun and live my life and when I need to be king, I’ll know what to do.” Well, the king still worried and the prince still showed no interest in learning how to rule properly.
A couple of years later, the king told the prince that if he was to be King, he must go into the forest.
“Why, dad? What for? There’s nothing there!”
“Just go into the forest for one week, my son. Then come back home.” He replied.
So the son went into the forest, and each day, he counted how many days were left. He wondered what his friends were doing, and why he had been sent here. With great relief, on the seventh day, he returned. “So, son, what did you see?” the king asked.
“What do you mean, what did I see? In the forest? There’s nothing there – just trees!” replied the young prince.
So the king ordered the prince to return to the forest for a second week. Again, the prince went and spent another tedious week in the forest.
On his return, the king asked again, “What did you see?” “Well, there are trees. Different sorts of trees.”
“Anything else?” he asked, sadly? “Some birds. A few animals – a tiger, an elephant –oh, it’s just a forest, Dad!”
The king tried once more to have his son open his eyes, and so sent him back for a final week. A week passed, and then a second, but the son did not return. A month passed, then two, and the king became worried.
After six months the prince returned. “Dad! I have come back to you.”
“Well, son,” he asked, expectantly, “What did you see?”
“I saw that the trees give us life and heard the different birds wake every morning to sing their song to each new day.” The son continued explaining to his father how each of the forest’s inhabitants worked together and each had its own vital role. Now the king knew that when he died, his son would understand the different roles of his citizens and how they must work together for everyone’s good.
Akse explained to us that it takes time for us to realise what is around us, and to start seeing properly. As we hardly ever have this time these days, it is even more important to be quiet and just take in our surroundings and the workings of the world. We can fear silence and instead of embracing the peace, we fill it with noise. We had a couple of minutes silence to truly listen and enjoy the wind and the flapping flags of the temple precinct, with the sound of the birds circling around the mountains. It was certainly a moment to remember and inspire.

Temple visit
As soon as we got on the bus the vibe was set. The long bumpy journey was a tad annoying but when we arrived at the starting point of our trek to the temple it was already worth it. We arrived in the middle of a valley on the edge of a creek with really good views. It felt as if we were in an Indiana Jones movie when we were leaping over the rocks by the bank of the creek. Crossing it was an adventure in itself as the hard slimy rocks seemed to be inviting disaster. A certain student who shall remain nameless took off on the wrong foot and tumbled over landing flat on his backside, not the best of starts.
From then, our journey continued as we pushed on, stomping up the steep stone steps, getting closer to the top with each stride. Our hearts skipped a beat as we laid our eyes on the stunning view. The temple was pure white with the bright saffron piercing through the middle of the sacred place. The holy man greeted us with the chimes of bells, while we snapped away with our cameras. The view off the balcony was breathtakingly beautiful, and showed the undulating hills of India. We then lay still for the two shortest minutes of our lives and had the chance to take in the sounds of nature. Sadly our experience was coming to an end as we started descending the steep steps once again. Sorrowfully, we got back onto the bus, and headed back to the camp, turning our backs on a great day we would never forget.

Waking up in a Tent!
Chilly would be a little bit of an understatement to what I felt this morning (I won’t even go into the night). I opened my eyes early to find everyone staring blankly at the ceiling. After half an hour we were all just staring at each other waiting for time to go by. No one could sleep, which was quite surprising considering we were tired, in good beds and a peaceful environment. Unfortunately the temperature wouldn’t allow it. We all dared each other to go out, but honestly, who could be bothered to move just so you can get out of the blankets. The amount of things I tried to do to get warm; it’s a never ending list. I put all the jackets on I brought, I tried to fit my legs into my long sleeved tops, and we even at one point tried all to huddle together like penguins in the wilderness. Finally when we heard whispers from the neighboring tents, we considered getting out of our beds. Knowing I was allowed a shower I decided to see the temperature outside, bringing my toothbrush with me. Biggest mistake ever. The second I unzipped the tent, it felt like knives striking me. I had no idea why people laughed when they saw me until I saw myself.
All I can say is my blue lips matched my blue top perfectly. My fingers were numb and moving them was difficult and pointless. I dropped the lid of my water bottle which was extremely inconvenient to pick up. I ran around in circles whilst brushing my teeth thinking of ways to get just a little bit warmer. When I saw vapour coming from a bucket of water, I was in serious doubt about whether it was from the hot or the cold. The teachers told me it was hot and I immediately dunked my hand in it. A sudden warmth ran through my body, coming from my hand and working its way through my bloodstream. It was sensational. Now, to take a shower or not to? That’s another experience that somebody else can describe.

The adventure that was… The Safari
We gathered with anticipation slightly outside the boundary of the camp. There was a multitude of jeeps waiting to accompany us on our exhilarating journey. We lumbered into the jeeps with five people along with a driver and a guide. After we were all comfortably secure, we set out on the adventure. The hindering honking of the many vehicles caused the air to shriek with fear. Soon after however, all that could be heard was the roaring laughter that filled the area. We eventually reached the Safari. The jeep travelled along the rickety road, causing us to occasionally rise several inches into the air and land solidly with a loud thump back onto the seat. Our talented guide frequently pointed out the natural wonders in the reserve which included: monkeys, spotted deer, samba deer, elephants, peacocks and many other beautiful animals.
As many of our friends agree, the most astounding factor of the day was most definitely one particular elephant who was a Tusker elephant. Whilst we were observing it intently, because we had not seen one of these kinds of elephants before, it suddenly started walking towards us. We were not too worried at first as we were sure we could avoid it. But then it started a mini-charge that was intended to show us where his territory was. We were fascinated and some of us were a little nervous, but our guide was not worried as he understood how elephants behave. To be on the safe side we all retreated and watched him from further away.
Finally, after seeing this amazing, once in a lifetime sight, we were back on the route home. The frigid air nipped at all our features and of course, shivering ensued. We bundled up in our warm layers that we had brought with us and shared our jokes about the trip. There were many, many precious memories and wonderful stories that we are sure to take away and share after this amazing experience. It was truly a once in a lifetime adventure.

The Bike Ride
Today, my group went on a 7km bike ride around the villages, through the trees and near the Ganges. When we started, we were practising in the camp and, I could barely stay upright. I was continuously falling over and was dreading the ride. When we left I kept stopping and starting and I was right at the back with the nurse and the teachers. I did fall off a couple of times, but at the finish I was riding very confidently. I felt a real sense of achievement.

Food Glorious Food
So where to start? There was a fantastic range of curries, an exotic choice of desserts every day and a steaming cup of hot chocolate was a great finger warmer after a strenuous afternoon of rafting in the freezing Ganges. When you woke up in the morning there was a lovely breakfast where we were able to choose from porridge to omelette. Lunch and dinner was always a variety of Asian and western dishes, made by our amazing cooks. Everyone enjoyed the hot chocolate the most, but we personally loved trying the strange and exotic meals that we had never encountered before until this trip, and they were delicious. The roti was especially good when you ate it with the wonderful range of delicious curries. Some people didn’t try some of the stranger desserts, as they didn’t look too appetizing, but when you tried them, they were full of flavour, and tasted remarkably good. All in all, we think that the food on this trip was absolutely amazing and helped to make this trip a huge success.

The Hike
The Hike was a team building exercise that really pushed us to the limits. With only one bottle of water between 10 or 11 of us what could have been an easy hike became a much more testing exercise. We were given the instructions right at the start. We had to retain the information on the route and were told that we would not be given the directions again.
The water bottle and directions caused a lot of disputes but most were sorted in the end. The hike really bonded people together that wouldn’t normally be friends. Many people learned new things about their comrades and I strongly believe that we all gained a little something from this hike along the river. Also, we met new people and saw a different side of India along the walk. Many poor people were living there, but saying hello to them really put a smile on their faces. Overall it was fun for the whole group.

Cricket in India
We went into the orphanage expecting world class cricketers, and we were provided with nothing less, they were all in their uniforms, laughing as if there wasn’t a care in the world. We set up a game of cricket, looking like the amateurs we proved to be. We tried to pull our weight but we were outclassed in every area. Their bowling was like getting hit by a bus, but Luke stood defiantly. We mixed the teams up with students from the orphanage and this was great because we were able to get to know the students from the orphanage and make new friends.

Music Evening
The music evening was an evening competition set up by Mr Bradshaw. We competed by making a remake of the Oasis hit, Supersonic. This was compiled in 20mins and we changed the words. We had to include the words leopard, pasta, tent, raft and paddle. At first we were being slightly lacksadaisical about the competition, but we soon realised if we took it seriously we might be in with a chance at winning. At this point we were pretty excited; we thought we had a good chance at winning. The song was a great hit among the audience and when we won, it felt like we ruled the world. We were the most important people on earth and we were requested to perform it the following evening in Mr Turrell’s presence.

The Raft Race or Make Your Own Raft!
The raft race showed us polar opposites of victory and complete, utter failure. We were assembled into teams and given rudimentary equipment in the strange hope of crossing the Ganges. As one would guess it was an epic undertaking requiring expert leadership and iron. The stretch of the Ganges we were made to cross was roughly half a metre deep and fifteen metres in length, a hard journey even for renowned explorers.
We were given five long bamboo sticks, four paddles, some rubber tubes, and an unlimited supply of rope. From these few resources we mustered crafts in our groups of six. As the race started, glory was evident, and the stench of competition wiped out the smell of smelly people. The first group started to sail, and after sailing for what seemed like an eternity they arrived at their destination. They were incredibly happy to have sailed 20 metres and they were immediately greeted by Hawaiian belly dancers (the teachers). Others were not as lucky, but in the end the winners were rewarded with chocolate and a promised swim. First place got chocolate, second place got chocolate, third place got chocolate, fourth place got chocolate, fifth place got chocolate, sixth place got chocolate, seventh place got chocolate, eighth place got chocolate, ninth place got chocolate, and even last place chocolate though they were disqualified. Then first placed team leapt into the Ganges and so did everyone else.

Rafting – Year 9 in charge
At the end of the day as a team exercise we were allowed to pilot the raft and tell the teachers and guides what to do. We had chosen a group leader who was Emily Murphy. She chose Oliver Deely to be at the back of the boat captaining the raft to the left or right and telling everybody what to do. We were not all that successful as some people didn`t listen to the commands and we went around in circles. We tried various captains but only really got going at the end when the guides took over. We learnt a lot about teamwork and although we came in last we had a great time. Joe, in particular, kept reminding us how much fun we were having. Steering a raft is a lot more difficult than it looks.

Rafting on the Ganges
On Wednesday we went for a 32 km raft down the holy river Ganges. It was a lot of fun and we enjoyed it loads. The first part of the journey was very calm and we were able to jump out of the raft and swim. We also tried pulling people from other rafts into the water but some people were so pathetic they ended up not being able to pull other people into the water but instead pulling themselves into the water instead. In the raft I was in I kept trying to get Mr. Roberts into the water but I kept failing and ending up in the water. I was very persistent though and kept trying to get Mr. Roberts into the water but every time it seemed to be me in the water again.
Moving on from Ben’s abject rafting time, I on the other hand had a great time in my boat. My ‘crew’ consisted of: Maria Pia Verhaagen,Nick French, Matthew Phillips, Emily Murphy, Ingrid Williams and of course Moi. We all went into the Ganges and got our sins cleansed. We were told that the waters were about from 6-8 degrees. It certainly felt like it. I also felt the fun of spindrift as I blew my insect in the air just as an experiment. Later on we landed on a tiny island and saw some fascinating leopard prints and my theory was that there was a mother and a cub around the area. Some people however after rowing for more than 3 hours started getting tired and this caused us to slow down. However we all had a great and fun time.

The Orphanage – fund raising
As a part of Young Enterprise our aim for the past two years has been to support an orphanage in Rishikesh, India. This orphanage cares for boys between the ages of three to seventeen. The week before we departed to India we worked very hard to organize and plan fun and memorable activities that both Tanglin and the children from the orphanage could enjoy.
We set up three sections which included music, sports and crafts. Originally for the music section we had picked out three age appropriate songs for the boys who would be divided into age groups of three to seven, eight to ten and eleven to fifteen. This process of splitting up the ages enabled us to focus on the children and give them more attention when they were in small groups. The songs that we planned were nursery rhymes such as ‘hokey cokey’ and ‘head, shoulders, knees and toes’. And for the older children: A,B,C by Michael Jackson as the chorus is very easy to join in and also ‘Three Little Birds’ by Bob Marley.
For the sporting section we went to the P.E department to ask them to donate old equipment. We would like to say thank you to the P.E department as the children were very grateful and thoroughly enjoyed the equipment. The equipment included footballs, volleyballs, tennis balls, cricket bats and cones.
And finally for the crafts we ordered a large number of photo frames for the orphans to decorate. We bought stickers, pens and colored pencils for the decorations. We also purchased three photo printers that we took with us and which we used to take pictures of the boys.
However when we arrived at the first camp we were informed that there were not 160 orphans that we had planned but 210, leaving another 50 extra which we had not accounted for. Mr Roberts said that these were the sort of challenges that we were more than capable of coping with. The pressure and time limit was hard to meet, however we battled it through these difficulties by attempting to compensate for the extra students.
We printed class photos of the students as a surprise for the orphans after they had decorated their frames. In order to print these photos half of the Enterprise team stayed up to monitor the printers and passed time by drinking hot chocolate and tea which kept our morals high and our bodies awake. Prior to us printing the photos, Mr. Roberts went to the orphanage while we were on an amazing jeep safari. He spent two hours taking class photos of the excited and overwhelmed orphans. The lack of sleep did not affect us as we were all very excited for our trip to the orphanage the next day.
Many emotions were triggered as we entered the orphanage to be welcomed with an amazing and astounding performance of a marching band, many songs, a moving speech and beautiful flowers and bindis which made us all feel very connected to the children. With all this hard effort it caused some tears as it was very emotional. However, with all the activities that were ahead we soon left our tears behind and our happiness took over. Many of the Year Nine girls attached themselves to the excited five years olds that returned their affection.
Even though some plans had to be changed everybody thoroughly enjoyed the day. What made the majority of the Tanglin students’ day was when we gave some children chocolate and they had no idea what it was and what to do with it. They just put it in their pockets and ran away. In of our heads we laughed and our attempts to explain what to do with it were pointless. Overall we enjoyed the day and left feeling very satisfied and proud about what we had done. We all had smiles on our faces.

The Orphanage
We went to the orphanage on Tuesday morning. By the time we came out of there at 12:30 we would never see the world the same way again. How did these children have such a great impact on our lives? I can sum it up in one word; hope. The hope that emanated from these children was staggering. Even the welcome they gave us was incredibly overwhelming. The pure effort that these children and their teachers had put into welcoming us, mere students, was immense. They greeted us at the orphanage with a drum band which was amazing in itself. They then sang us songs and read poetry to us. All the while these children of all ages could barely contain their excitement. The fact that these children were so looking forward to meeting us, ordinary everyday people who do not lead very interesting lives, said volumes.
Once we were sat down in the main entrance hall of the orphanage children threw petals down on our heads which was spectacular. The children came around through our group and painted bhindis on our foreheads which was an amazing welcome. After that we were split into different groups and I was put into the music group and taught them songs and played games with the orphans. The younger ones struggled with some of the English which was quite difficult so we had to communicate with them carefully. We played clapping games and we taught them songs like ‘Three Little Birds’ by Bob Marley which the whole year group has been learning in Music. The day ended and we all felt a little sad as we hoped to see those same shining faces ever again.

Talent Show
At Leopard Beach Camp, Tanglin held a talent show on Wednesday night. We had a wide variety of skills and acts performed. We gathered in a semi-circle, around the campfire, and the night began. Over the course of the show, many laughs were had and many talents shared. Some acts were very well planned, whereas others were a little weird, disorganized and unplanned, e.g. Ethan’s scream. Mr Turrell (our surprise guest), was accompanied by a few other teachers in judging the acts. A number of acts were judged to be the best. Firstly Madi, Freya and Grace presented a wonderful performance of both dancing and singing, which impressed all. Secondly Cassia put on a skillful display of a Scottish music, performed with a penny whistle. Finally, Conor and his fellow broadcasters, performed in two acts with a hilarious display of satire. Overall, the evening was very enjoyable, around the campfire, and will be remembered as a success.

Yoga in the Morning
This morning Izzy and I took part in an unique experience called yoga which did not only push our bodies to their limits but our minds. We started off with a 12 part stance called the sun salutation which involved us contorting our body in a range of ways; many painful. Even though it hurt you, it felt like you had accomplished something. Multiple things are vital in a good yoga stance such as stability, concentration, relaxation and flexibility. For example in one stance called the tree we had to raise one leg, successfully in some cases, but the majority were unsuccessful. Then we had to carefully stay in position for what seemed an eternity, although it was only a few seconds in reality. Overall, waking up and performing various moves in the morning sun prepares your mind for the rest of the day. It was a fantastic way to start a perfect day in India. Izzy and I thoroughly enjoyed this experience and wished we could do it every morning in India or not.

A Final Thought
By the end of the trip, we all agreed how fortunate we were to be able to experience India’s many wonders. Our visit to India not only allowed us to see a completely different perspective of the world, but we were also able to see some amazing cultural and spiritual aspects of Asia.
We all learnt something on the trip, whether it was team building, or the importance of waking up on time. The various activities that we had the chance to do ranged from visiting a local orphanage, to whitewater rafting in the wild rapids of the River Ganges.
India showed its true beauty from the vibrant colours on the saris that were worn by the women to the breath-taking landscape that we had the incredible opportunity to experience.
On behalf of our year, we would like to thank the Snow Leopard team, who made this trip like none other, and who worked vigorously to ensure that we had a safe and enjoyable journey. We would also like to thank the wonderful, energetic team of teachers, who made this exhilarating trip possible.
This was truly an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and we are very thankful that we experienced India’s true colours.