AGS India Immersion Programme 2017/18

Yesterday afternoon we sat and shared in one final big group debrief. We cried. It then seemed appropriate to head out on a boat, drifting on the ripples of Mumbai Harbour, watching the city lights, bidding farewell to both the day and this experience. This morning Reuben said "Let's go home". Everyone cheered.  We are about to board the plane right now, notwithstanding a few hiccups and loose movements at Mumbai Airport (spare a thought for Ben Lerner and Cam MacFarlane). Thank you India for the memories; we will never forget you.  Tom, Reuben, Mark, and Shane NB: we land on SQ285 at 11:45am tomorrow, Thu 4 Jan, NZ time. See you soon! 

At 18 years old we said yes to a challenge from a man who we had idolised throughout our time at Auckland Grammar. At 21 and 22, we sit here only hours short of completing the task that was set for us. We sit here only hours short of saying goodbye to a country that has meant so much to us. We sit here only hours short of home. But this blog isn't about us, nor is it for us, so before we get home it has one more challenge, and that is to articulate to you why we came to this magnificent country, and what we hope your 22 young men take away from this wonderful month. But first, why did we come here? Before we get started, let us take you back to October 2016. A group of boys made a decision to attend a meeting, and returned home to their respective families with an information pack detailing a month in India. In this pack contained the goals of the programme. They read: -        Expose students to the experience of living in a different cu...

Mark So as we enter the final hours in India, soon to begin our journey home I find myself with a slightly nervous feeling about returning to New Zealand as well as a good dose of confusion about this country.  What will I say when people ask me about the trip? Where will I begin? What have I seen? How can I explain it? What will stay with me, and what will fade away? Here are some thoughts as they stand from the perspective of one man and his Tuk Tuk! Let's start with,  'Gaining the fare' It's been a long journey to get here and it's all in the preparation.  There really is a huge amount of time, planning, thought and background work that goes into a trip like this, however, whilst all of that is hugely important, it's ultimately about getting the right people.  A Tuk Tuk and its driver will go up and down the street, catching peoples eye, striking up conversation, offering their services, and promising to help you explore....

Hey Raymond Coming to Grammar as a 13 year old may seem like a daunting task, but don't worry, your naivety will soon wear off. Grammar will teach you how to slowly grow up fast. Had the previous 4 years been any different, 7 th Form Raymond may not have ended up feeling content with what he has achieved and accomplished. Although I wouldn't have changed anything, here are some pointers that'll come to use.   1.        Family First- Yeah ok, so this one is really obvious and cliché but absolutely dedicate time to your family. Your family will always be there for you, they will always support you and they will always love you. Reciprocate that love. Show them what they mean to you. Be a role model for your sisters and a great son to your parents.   2.        Choose Your Friends - Not everyone may positively add value to your life, certainly surround yourself with people who do. These are the ones who will encourage you, who you will share laughter with, ...

Dear Ollie (2015), You have just finished intermediate and are heading to Grammar for your first year of high school. You will be anxious and possibly worried entering a school with over 2500 students. Right now you'll be worrying how faded your shirt should be or how high to wear your socks, just to avoid funny looks that really no one would give as everyone feels the same. Although Grammar will come with big challenges my main advice would be to not stress (too much). Some things won't be easy but take everything as it comes and try embrace it and enjoy yourself. Grammar will provide you with more than enough opportunities- make the most of that and get involved. Hockey and tennis are your favourite sports but try something different or new. Joining the distance squad will be one of the best things you do at Grammar. I know as a small 3 rd former it will be hard to keep up with the group and enjoy it at first but if you tough it out for the first term or ...

You're a young football prodigy, wide-eyed and unsure of what the future holds. You've been watching games for years now, always from the stands, always with your parents by your side. You've just been signed by one of the top academies in the country, Auckland Grammar School, and now you have an environment wherein you can grow as a player and strive for a place on the pitch. That place, however, is earnt, not given. Your coaches will guide you, but it's up to you to train and develop all aspects of your game. Your teammates are what make the game enjoyable, so play with them not against them. Play the game with energy and enthusiasm, savouring every minute, because that final whistle will approach more quickly than you expect. And when that final penalty kick comes, believe in yourself and know that you will score.

At the age of 13 you made one of the toughest choices you have made so far in your life. Going to Grammar was the right decision, in the 3 years you have been there you have formed a pathway for a bright future. All that stress and doubt you had do not worry about it, it will all pass as you grow and become wiser as a person. Do not worry about friendships, you will eventually find the right mates who are a bunch of good blokes. Continue to take every opportunity that falls at your feet. Carry on the trombone, something I regret not doing coming out of primary. Stand out, try your hardest to be the best you can be, make a positive name for yourself and you will have success.   Some pointers to work on. Do not sweat the small stuff. All that anxiety and stress just adds to unneeded pressure on your back. Be as positive as you can be, a half cup full kind of guy as people would say.  Exams, always a reflection topic, don't put so much emphasis and thought into the...

G'day  I've been told to write a letter to you in the third form, outlining the positives and negatives that you'll face during your time at grammar. All I'll say in regards to that is that you'll have many ups and downs; a good third and fourth form, then a bit of waking up to do in the fifth form. Your passions and interests in the extracurricular world will take you far, trust those as well as yourself.  I won't describe what you'll accomplish. I won't describe where you'll go wrong. Instead I'll give you some advice.  Study hard, don't worry about looking like you're trying "too hard". You'll be so much better off in the long run, just knuckle down and get the job done. Get involved. Grammar is an amazing opportunity to launch yourself head first into extracurricular activities, from sports to music and everything in between. One specific piece of advise I can give to you is to sign up for the for India immersion tour. I...

Miller, So far Grammar has brought to me all that you are hoping for and more.  One of the first lessons you will learn is the overwhelming power of comradery and the influence it can exert onto your life and character.  Another, the truthfulness held by the age-old cliché: "Work hard, play hard."  Taking this on is not only encouraged at Grammar but mandatory, as one cannot experience the immense variety of sports and extra-curricular activities without first putting in the hard yards in academia and study.  Whilst not for all, the uniquely competitive atmosphere within this school is an environment in which you can and will thrive; whether in the termly class placements and annual form class announcements; or the vigorous seat racing and open erg ranking documents present in rowing, you will learn to understand the value of striving to beat a fellow classmate or teammate and the success it brings. Grammar is a community filled with people of differing backgrounds, t...

Dear Richard (or Bozzie as you will come to be known by), It goes without saying that during your time at Grammar you will will experience a wide array of emotions, make a number of new friends and aquire a variety of valuable skills. I would hope that without reading this you would already have an idea that these things are going to happen. Instead, what I would like to address in this letter are the things that perhaps have not crossed your mind as you stand at the doorway of this new schooling era. I have come to the conclusion that the best way to go about this task is by constructing a list that I would have liked to have access to myself as an insignificant third former entering a school of around 2,500 young men at he time. I guess you could call it a guide. *Hang out with people you like, not the people you want to like *Have faith in yourself, you'll be surprised how much it helps *If you want something, go get it. Don't expect that something to come to y...

Dear Rowan  Okay, so I have just been told to write a letter to you yet I am not really into people who spoil things and so I don't want to be some sort of paradoxical hypocrite. A letter to yourself is confusing, like do you even want to know about us? If you don't, feel free not to read. Also if I tell you to do something, I worry you'll feel your destiny has been taken out of your hands. Yea now that you mention it, if someone was to come along and tell me everything I have achieved, I am sure I'd make it my one goal to escape that predetermined path. I guess we are kinda like that, we don't want to do what's already been done. Perhaps that's what it's like to grow up behind a brother who does everything first. Do you know what neither of us have done? Learnt a language all the way through. Ahh but you see that was just a subtle plug to try and convince you to take French in fifth form. You can't even trust me, yourself. I'm just trying to man...

Dear Will,  To a 3rd form me, starting Grammar with a broken foot, a gross ignorance of life but a big bundle of hope, had you had this letter 4 years ago, you would still be the same person you are now. I don't plan on filling this with sage advice telling you to avoid trouble, to not make mistakes and always make the right decision, because you won't and that's good. I'd tell you to do things where you are likely to make mistakes, do what your moral guidelines dictate as the person you are and where you end up will be as a result of what you think is right and hopefully from having learnt from the mistakes you've made during the years. Trust in your own ability to judge a person, a situation and a result because you will need to learn that in order to excel at Grammar, the motivation will come from within more than it will ever come from extrinsic sources. If I were to tell you one thing that resonates to this day is that a key to Grammar and life in general wou...

Zachary Morrow   We have been told to write a letter to our 3rd form self but instead of talking about what I should have done with the benefit of hindsight I will write several points that I would say to my third form self that still apply to myself today and that would help my 3rd form self enjoy life more. Be true to yourself, be your own man and value the time you spend with your family. The older you get the less time you spend with your family so there is no rush to race off and forget them. Don't waste time talking behind people's back, if you have a problem with someone talk to them face to face and sort it out, yeah I understand it's not an easy thing to do and sometimes it's not the right time but when it is you should step up and commit. On a similar note don't hold grudges against anyone, it's just wasted time when you could be enjoying their company and furthering your relationship When adversi...

You would make this difficult, wouldn't you, Indian Railways? Arriving 2.5 hours late this morning, trying to allow us some more precious sleep amidst blaring train horns, chaiwallas crowing "chai chai chai", and Indian families who decided 5am would be the best time to wake up ahead of our 7.40am arrival. A kind gesture from you. But for waking me up despite our late arrival I'd like to give you a gesture of my own. Thank you for trying, but we are now eating breakfast in Mumbai's YWCA, just over 24 hours from leaving India's shores and I need to tell you that this means we're done. It's over. I'm not coming back to you. Ever.  Goodbye and good riddance. Tom

Aaron. I don't want to spoil anything, so I won't go into any specifics. The last 5 years have generally been really good, awesome in fact. But it's not all been rosy. You make lots of mistakes, miss out on numerous opportunities, disappoint a few people, disappoint yourself and much more along the way. However you grow from these experiences, you learn from them, and they help shape you in to the man I am today. Therefore I won't warn you about anything in particular as I believe they have only made me stronger, but rather let you know that there is always a light at the end of the tunnel. Here's a few general pointers I've learnt so far along the way that spring to mind; Dare to dream. In the next five years you'll go on to achieve things far greater than you ever thought was possible, all it takes is the courage to believe in yourself. Use your passion, your desire to be the best you can be for motivation, not the fear of failure. While ...

Joshua Roberts For context, in case you haven't gathered by the rest of the blogs, this is a letter to my thirteen year old self just before my first day at Grammar. A difficult task to say the least. Dear Josh, Perhaps a letter will not be so helpful to you as a map of the now extinct 'O zone'. Getting lost on the first day of high school is certainly an interesting although incredibly clichéd beginning to five years of growth and development: academically, spiritually, and physically; five years of reinforcement of what makes you who you are; five years of living; five years of learning; five years of Grammar. I am writing this letter to you but I am not really writing this letter to you, because you will not read this; it is the people on the blog who will read this and so it is difficult. Writing a letter to you is also difficult because you are actually me; we are the same person but I guess I have five more years of 'wisdom' and 'experience...

You were over 1 hour late picking me up tonight, Indian Railways. I feel like a scorned lover who just keeps coming back for more. Every time we schedule to see each other you find some way to let me down. You have stood me up twice in the past, leaving me with no choice but to seek comfort with someone else. It hasn't been easy, not at all. After 23 journeys with you I think our time is up. I can't keep doing this. I need someone who I can depend on. So, I am breaking up with you. We are done. When you drop me at Mumbai CST tomorrow morning at 4.35am (or so you say), it will be the last time you will see me. I know, it's hard, we have had some good memories along the way but I think it will be best for both of us if we just move on. If I can ask you one final favour, please do what you do well and deliver us to Mumbai a few hours late. I wouldn't mind a sleep in, some time to say goodbye.  It's been a wild ride, thank you for the memories, but please...

Dear Matt, I hope your 2014 New Year was fun. I don't remember it but I am sure you stayed up till midnight at Bowentown with our family, lighting some fireworks and doing quizzes. I write this letter to you from four years in the future, a letter to third form me from soon to be seventh form me. I could spoil all the surprises that will come your way at Grammar, tell you what to specifically avoid and embrace but I want you to carve your own path. Academics are important, focus energy on them, doing well in exams has it's advantages but remember not to neglect your social life. Friends are more important then A*s and if you forget this you will come to regret it like I did. Your friends will still be there to help once everyone forgets about that 91% you get in fifth form geography. I know that sports are an important part of your life but I will warn you that cycling, running, waterpolo, club football and swimming are not possible to do all at once especially if you want ...

Hi Ben. I guarantee you don't want to read this. You think you're pretty much prepared for Grammar and life being in high school. But soon you're going to learn that you aren't.  Writing this letter now I'm not going to give you significant life advice or spoilers, because the person you are on New Year's Day in 2018 is dictated by the fact that you didn't know this stuff. You are going to discover a lot about yourself and find comfort in these things, and that's going to shape you. There's one thing that I will spoil. You're in Goa, India, right now, waiting for a chicken sandwich at a beachside shack. You're reflecting on what was a month that has changed your perspective on life. You've seen things that you never thought you'd see, you've experienced things you never thought you'd experience, you've met people you never thought you'd meet. You've always considered yourself lucky and privileged, but now y...

Michael You worry so much. And you always will, you're borderline paranoid and you'll check and recheck five times that your name is on the front of the exam paper, you'll read and reread that email seven times before you hit send to make sure it says exactly what you want. I would tell you to stop worrying, everything has turned out great, it'll be fine. But that's just who you are, you wouldn't listen and you would continue to worry just as much. I wouldn't change that in any way. Same goes for everything else, because everything you learn, every regret, you'll learn for yourself and they'll shape the person you are here in 2018. I won't give you advice, you'll find your own way. Instead I'll tell you what I've learned, and let you find out why for yourself. Looking back at the last four years, the best moments and memories that stick out have come from time spent with friends or family. Holidays, the India Trip, concert...

Matt Debrief. A nightly occurrence where 5-6 boys and a staff member gather at a bedroom, lounge, beach or table and discuss a posed question, topic, quote or poem.  Recently in Goa I have been thinking about dreams and what kind of man I want to be going forward in life. I'm not sure I want to be your traditional man in society. This was our debrief topic the other night and I want to share my answer and explore it more. To me the traditional man in a household and in society is one who has holds a high paying job, owns a large house, has a wife and children, drinks beer, is well muscled, enjoys watching sport on TV and can cook a BBQ on a Sunday evening among other things. You're view of a traditional man may be different, in fact I expect it to be but that's just what has been portrayed to me in my life.  Do I want to be a traditional man. Yes and no. Some of those characteristics sound pretty nice. I would love to have a wife and children, never struggle for mo...