Welcome To India

We've made it. We are in India, safe and happy. The boys have just gone off to bed after a long couple of days for some much needed rest. A few have now written blogs which we hope you enjoy. Expect more to come in the next couple of days as they grapple with the unique environment we now find ourselves in. In the meantime, here's my summary of how our transition from Singapore to Kolkata went:

Tuesday 5 December

8.30am - Everyone was woken by the dulcet tones of their room phones before heading down for brekky. General consensus was that great sleeps were had after the long walk the night before.

8.45am - Despite being told last night that breakfast would be included in the price of the hotel, we were told the contrary this morning and made to pay. We're not even in India yet?! Nevertheless, the boys tucked into a great buffet breakfast.

10am - After packing our bags and saying final, tearful goodbyes to warm water and beds with suspension, the boys were sent on a bit of a scavenger hunt around Singapore with nothing but a map (yes, 1 day in our care and we are already leaving them to their own devices!) Their walk saw them head to Raffles Hotel, Padang Cricket Ground, the famous Merlion, Raffles Landing Site, the New Zealand Embassy, and Fort Canning Park, the challenge being to grab a photo at each checkpoint along the way.

1pm - Staff arrived at the final checkpoint, Paragon Mall. The boys had absolutely smashed the challenge and arrived 20 minutes earlier. A few "tut tuts" are audible from the boys as staff approach. Photos of the day were taken by our 2 Media Group members and avid photographers, Raymond Zhou and Matt Illing. 

2pm - We headed back to the hotel following lunch at Paragon.

2.30pm - All enjoyed a much needed, much anticipated swim in the hotel pool. The tour playlist got its first workout as Nikau Reti-Beazley showed everyone how to drop a manu to the soundtrack of "Why Does Love Do This To Me?" by The Exponents. It seemed like the pool got a taste of New Zealand while we were there.

3.30pm - With the sweat washed off, we boarded our bus back to Changi Airport, passing the F1 race track on the way.

5pm - After the check-in, customs, and security proceedings, the boys endured a hard, half-hour chat about what to expect in the next 24 hours. 

7pm - We boarded MI488, our SilkAir chariot to Kolkata, India. Both trepidation and excitement were visible amongst our group; the former more on the faces of the 3 members of staff who have visited India before - funny that. Reuben, not a Christian man in any regard, is sighted subtly crossing himself before take-off. During the flight we are served either fish or paneer (Indian cottage cheese) curry - our first taste of India. And how sweet it tasted! I noticed none of the boys prayed to the Gods (not 1 of the 30 million the Hindu people worship) before the meal... Very worrying considering "it is all up to the Gods" and on the 2013 tour some fell ill after this very flight.

8.55pm - Touchdown. 10 minutes late but I've seen worse in this country. Welcome to India, finally. 

9.55pm - We made it through customs and security (an x-ray machine which was seemingly unmanned and definitely unused) without worry except staff became slightly concerned when Aaron Wyllie, Lachie Dickson, and George Skinner got into what appeared to be a heated conversation with one of the armed guards. We later found out he was telling them they definitely shouldn't catch any trains in India and instead should head straight to Darjeeling for a festival which is on this weekend. Needless to say our tour plans have been thrown into disarray.

10.15pm - We were met by 2 great men - our friends Nanda and Akash - from the Jungle Crows (you will hear more about the Jungle Crows tomorrow) who came out to the airport specially to say hey. After a quick chat with them, we headed off in taxis to the hotel.

11.15pm - We all arrived at Hotel Emirates (or is it?) after a chaotic journey - I'll allow the boys to provide the colour to this experience in their blogs. Hotel Emirates is quite simply disappointing, and not for the reasons you'd expect. I have fond memories of entering this hotel and being greeted by live wires sticking out of the wall, mould growing all over the bathroom, and blood on the bedsheets. What we walked into tonight, clad in waterfalls and marble staircases, was unrecognisable. I feel cheated. We were told by hotel staff (1 of the 8 who were waiting for us) that we were the first reservation to be made in the newly renovated building which only opened on Friday.

11.45pm - Once I'd retrieved my jaw from the floor, we went for a walk around the block, just to gauge bearings and introduce the boys to the surrounding area. After the high that was the taxi ride in, images of stray dogs and numerous people sleeping rough was rather sobering.

12am - We returned to the hotel and broke into debrief groups. The topic tonight was simply "where are you at?" and the question is met well by the boys who share on the contrast of Kolkata to Singapore, their immediate sympathy for the people here, and the excitement they feel to get to know India.

12.15am - Many tired and overwhelmed bodies are grateful to be heading to bed.

Thought - After living in Sydney for almost 4 years, I am still exceedingly proud to call New Zealand home. Every time I land in Auckland a part of me feels at peace. As we swam today and popped manus and listened to Kiwi music I reflected on how lucky we are to have grown up as Kiwi kids. Whether we notice or not, we wear that culture and identity wherever we go; and just as we are connected to it, it connects us to each other. We are about to meet many people who identify equally strongly with an entirely different home, a place we may not understand or appreciate yet but one which we hope will shape our own meanings of connection and home.

MVP - Aaron Wyllie. Today Aaron learned a little lesson in physics, and it wasn't from our very own physics teacher, Mr Jordan. Now, we have forewarned the boys on a name of occasions that India will assault their senses, smack them in the face. Aaron unfortunately wore this warning quite literally when opening his yoghurt on our flight this evening. The yoghurt, obviously packaged at higher pressure than the cabin pressure, exploded in his face. While quite funny for most of us, poor Raymond Zhou next to him wasn't too stoked. Nice one, Aaron, you deserve this MVP award, and the wet towel the SilkAir staff gave you.

Tom