What a busy and fulfilling day! We started out leaving campus and taking a bus... Sorry, I have to stop there because taking a bus is an activity in itself. The city has grown from 6 million to nearly 10 million in a decade and the infrastructure just can't handle it. Later posts will show some street scenes, but the one below gives you an idea of traffic. Note the green overhead sign up ahead telling drivers to "follow lane discipline." I'm not sure that sign is obeyed.
Back to the post. We took a bus... to the Parikrma Humanity Foundation - a KG through 10th grade school for the poorest of the poor, students primarily coming from a slum adjacent to the school. These kids become fluent in English and are prepared to enter college, ultimately lifting their families out of poverty. We had to be "guests" of several classes were we introduced ourselves and interacted with the kids. Pure joy.
More on Parikrma (by Chelsea)
Meeting these kids and seeing how excited they were to have us as guests was truly amazing! This NGO is one of the BEST opportunities for kids in the slums. Interacting with them, having them ask questions about where I'm from, stroking my hair and face, and giving unconditional hugs when leaving was completely unforgettable!
The next stop was a total contrast - the five star ITC Gardenia Hotel for lunch and a tour. It's Asia's first LEED platinum hotel and promotes itself as "responsible luxury." From its website, "ITC Gardenia uses frontier green technologies in its systems like water
recycling, energy and waste management, along with eco friendly
materials in its architecture and decor, to offer 5 star luxury for the
discerning business traveller, with the soft touch of nature. This
commitment to greener practices also extends to the services that we
offer including green banquets and green conferencing." Below is half the group just before devouring the buffet.
The evening started with henna, the application of natural plant dye - generally to the hands and arms. Don't worry parents, it faces over time and is gone in three weeks!
The last activity for the day was a cultural program put on the by students of Christ University just for the Griffith and WMU students. It included a variety of musical and dance acts and culminated in Bollywood on stage. One of the goals of the trip was to integrate the Australians with the American students. This actually started happening on day 1, but it was very evident on stage!
Thoughts from Terry
Today was a very moving and intriguing experience for me. We started the day out by going to the Parikama Humanity Foundation. This was a non profit organization focused to help the children in school. Later that day we went and got henna tattoos. In recent years, henna is used as a form of self expression and body art. Henna is a natural plant dye that has been around for thousands of years. Both groups, the Australians and Americans, got the tattoos. They ranged from the neck palm, forearm, or both. I got one myself and It'll last for a few weeks or so.
Meeting these kids and seeing how excited they were to have us as guests was truly amazing! This NGO is one of the BEST opportunities for kids in the slums. Interacting with them, having them ask questions about where I'm from, stroking my hair and face, and giving unconditional hugs when leaving was completely unforgettable!
The evening started with henna, the application of natural plant dye - generally to the hands and arms. Don't worry parents, it faces over time and is gone in three weeks!
Thoughts from Terry
Today was a very moving and intriguing experience for me. We started the day out by going to the Parikama Humanity Foundation. This was a non profit organization focused to help the children in school. Later that day we went and got henna tattoos. In recent years, henna is used as a form of self expression and body art. Henna is a natural plant dye that has been around for thousands of years. Both groups, the Australians and Americans, got the tattoos. They ranged from the neck palm, forearm, or both. I got one myself and It'll last for a few weeks or so.
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