Grammar Gazette- Issue 1, 2016

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ADVENTURING ABROAD IN NORTHERN INDIA

There have been just a few times in my life where I have experienced one of those rare and precious moments of remote travel where I’ve been invited to be part of something much greater than the experience of being a tourist. Kothi was one of those moments, and another was on the first night of our Himalayan trek when the hostess of our homestay invited the teachers to supper in her upstairs ‘living’ room. Dan Larkin (Humanities faculty), Lucy Graham (Antipodeans guide) and I, with our head- guide Puran Chand as translator, took off our shoes and sat on mats against cylindrical cushions around a wood stove in the hostess’s humbly furnished home. We spoke to her family about our experiences in India, and about Australian culture and then the hostess presented us with gifts of historical books about the North Himalayan region. I haven’t had an experience like that since 1997 when we (a fellow teacher, a priest and I) enjoyed coffee in the bamboo-built home of the school principal of a remote rural village in North-West PNG. These are moments you never forget. Being able to experience these moments is why we ‘Challo’. I feel immensely privileged to have had the opportunity to journey with such a fantastic travel team — twelve courageous and compassionate Year 10 and 11 students; fellow intrepid, BGGS Humanities teacher, Dan Larkin and our knowledgeable Antipodeans guide, Lucy Graham. We spent twenty days together, mostly in Northern India in the lower Himalayas and we also visited McLeod Ganj, Amritsar, Agra and Delhi. While the sights were awe-inspiring, it was the experiences that made the expedition worthwhile, and it is why Girls Grammar continues to offer such fulfilling opportunities for cultural and empathetic growth to both the staff and students. So what are you waiting for? Challo!

AUTHOR Kate Norris (11O) Team 6

Community Project, Kothi

FOR ME, THE MOST MEMORABLE PART OF OUR TRIP TO INDIA WAS THE COMMUNITY PROJECT IN KOTHI VILLAGE. THE WHOLE TIME WE WERE IMMERSED WITHIN THE COMMUNITY, WHETHER IT WAS PLAYING WITH THE CHILDREN IN THE SNOW OR WORKING TOGETHER ON THE SCHOOL WITH THE LOCALS. On our last afternoon when the Kothi ladies dressed us in the traditional outfits and taught us the local dances, we presented the school with our gifts and it was an experience I will never forget. It was so rewarding to see the work we had done on the school and kindergarten. With the money that we raised throughout the year, we were able to give each of the students school bags filled with stationery. The money also bought teaching materials, new furniture and mats for the classrooms, as well as sports equipment. When we each officially presented the gifts to the village, we began to understand how much simple stationery or a bright and safe classroom will actually impact on not only the school but also the whole village. We were very lucky to be surrounded by people who live so simply but are still so genuine and happy.

AUTUMN ISSUE / 2016