AGS India Immersion Programme 2017/18

Matt Using his exquisite science teacher analysis skills Mr Jordan has deduced that there has been considerable beard growth since Kolkata and especially since we boarded this bus eighteen hours ago and thus I have decided to take up the prestigious post of writer of a beard update. At the front of the race it is a close showdown between Reuben McGregor-Sumpter and Mr Jordan with Reuben with perhaps more coverage but the striking inky black hairs sprouting from Mr Jordan's face make Reuben's ginger hairs pale in comparison. Nikau Reati-Beazley and Mr Crook are close behind the leaders though Nikau's growth is slowing and soon he may fall behind other well-performing students. Mr Crook still fails to show any colour, so much though that one must look twice before actually noticing his nearly translucent facial hair. Ben Lerner is currently dominating the fifth form category with a great neck beard complete with a nice moustache and sideburns. Richard...

­­­And, boy, did they go round a few times. From getting on the bus at 6pm yesterday to getting off at 5.30pm today, we ended up spending a cumulative 23.5 hours on that bus – now affectionately known as 'Barney' for its purple paintjob. 23.5 hours… a new record for the India Immersion Programme, surpassing the 23 hour effort of the 2011 tour which had to catch a bus from Varanasi to Delhi after a cancelled train. Today was a mammoth effort from our boys, whose positive attitudes and patience never once wavered. A real credit to the quality we have travelling with us on this tour. They have most definitely earned the top-class accommodation we are now staying in in Varanasi. Hotel Surya, a former palace for the King Kaiser of Nepal, is an escape from the India we have been immersed in over the past week and a half. With spacious gardens, a laundry service, and warm showers – to say the very least – Hotel Surya is a welcome return to 'normal' (or at least as no...

Cam MacFarlane As someone who values their personal space highly and who has the utmost of respect for quiet time, I think I can speak on behalf of most of the boys that Darjeeling and Saraswatipur acted as a refreshing change of scenery after a hectic time in Kolkata. Kolkata was an incredibly humbling experience and has certainly already acted as an eye-opener to me; nonetheless the barrage of cars tooting their horns, the consistently filthy streets, the overwhelming smog, and multiple times our country's population crammed into a beautiful, confusing and thought-provoking city well and truly had worn me out physically and mentally. I feel privileged to be in the first India Immersion Programme to have visited this stunning part of the country (Darjeeling). The nippy climate, cleaner air and tranquil environment agreed with me more and the Himalayan setting offered a means of reflection. Despite developing some issues in the digestive region (I'll leave i...

Miller Hawkesby Seems that nothing can immerse you in India as much as sitting in a bus tardy by two hours, awaiting another 23 hours of driving, due to a train booked months in advance being cancelled.  It also seems that I unequivocally love it.  This adventure has bequeathed upon me many new abilities: solving a Rubik's Cube, how to win a game of 500, and of course how to use a digital thesaurus to sound like an upstart in my blog. It has also given me the opportunity to reflect on the last few days while listening to some bangers.  Kolkata feels now like a distant memory, with highs and lows.  While not the cleanest or even prettiest place, Kolkata is a city filled with some fantastic people, many of whom don't have it easy.  I have however discovered that sometimes it is the worst of times that brings out the best in people, the work done by organisations like Free Set, Future Hope, Khelo Rugby, and the Jungle Crows are all examples of the legacy of Mot...

Ollie Schnauer In just the time frame of 2 days I was able to see both ends of the spectrum in terms of fortune of the people living in Future Hope. Future Hope lightened the mood for me about people living in the chaotic city. We entered this fully civilised space to view an English play these kids had been learning. Their English was incredible. Our group sat for about 2 hours as these people of similar ages to us were able to coordinate word with actions in a foreign language. I was then further impressed when we visited the younger kids (aged 3 to 12 approximately) who had the ability to hold a long, in depth conversation and tell me different stories in English. Very impressive. It was clear to see that the kids were well educated and some had dreams to work in the business world, like myself. In complete contrast to that, the following day we visited a slum community. 'A  picture speaks 1000 words'. Walking through this horrif...

William Pretty Following a night sleeping on coconut husk pads (mattresses) on the floor of a church, the prospect   of a 15 hour, relaxing train ride was mere bliss. However in our beloved India fashion that was not to be, instead of getting on the train at 2:45pm we managed to spend a delightful 6 hours camped out in NJP railway station waiting for a coach to replace our train, all the while depleting the local vendors of food and drink, doing laps of the train station or in my case falling asleep on the floor in a platonic spoon with Lachie that was nothing but a necessary turn of events. When the bus finally arrived spirits were high and continued to lift as we calculated in our supposed 18 hour bus ride, we could play the playlist a minimum of 5 times. I would love to say the bus ride was bliss and I just fell asleep to the gentle bouncing of our coach but my mother taught me to never lie, so instead here is the truth. It took us 30 minutes befor...

Boy, do we have a story for you. We must apologise again for the lateness of this blog, but all will make sense when you read the events of the day. We always said that this country loves to throw a curve ball at you, and today we experienced that for real for the first time. Long story short, our train was cancelled. No warning, no condolences, just a man at a train station telling us we wouldn't be able to travel. So, long story short number 2, after a 24-hour ride in a coach we have made it to Varanasi, safe and sound and the boys are all showered, refreshed and tucking into an epic meal. So, for the story: Thursday 14 December Sickness Update – Only Cam MacFarlane remains remotely sick, but he would like to make it known it is only on a technicality. 6:30am – a combination of roosters, and Mr. Crook playing The Circle of Life off his phone, formed our early rising alarm. Unsurprisingly, Mr. Crook was then promptly fined for playing a song not on the tour play...