AGS India Immersion Programme 2017/18

Josh Hamilton To see India's landscape is spectacular; to connect with their people is unforgettable; to experience their numerous cultures & religions is captivating, and to immerse ourselves in an unfamiliar environment for a month creates memories of a lifetime. These involvements piece together the meaning and the purpose of our trip. On top of these learnings, I have experienced the true purpose of our isolation in India. It is to teach us the importance of communication to create and further enhance relationships, it is to show us how privileged our lives really are in New Zealand, it is designed to further connect us with our families and friends we value at home, and it is to teach us to appreciate their influence they have to our happiness and our success. I have experienced a shift in emotion only a few days ago when I grasped the true importance of loyalty towards my family and friends. I have realised to always make the most of the tim...

Ahhhhhhh, Jaipur. Blue skies, crisp(er) air. It feels good. Jaipur is Rajasthan's largest city, and is famous for its jewels (the cricket team is known as the Royals), as well as surrounding desert scenery. The purpose of our visit to this wonderful city is again to unwind, as well as reconnect with some of India's great people, in the form of our tour guides (more to come on these men). However, before I get into today's events, I must wish Roni Chapman's grandmother Annie an enormous happy birthday. We hope you are enjoying your day, and older brother Bennett ('15/16 tour participant) is looking after you back in New Zealand! By way of a sickness update, George Skinner is gooooone from the sickness ward. Cam MacFarlane and Leo Smith have all but resumed full duties – you can't keep these boys down for long. Friday 22 December 5:00am – the group is woken again by the Hare Krishna group walking past our windows. This time, however, it serves...

Miller Our four days in Delhi and Agra have gone faster than even the earlier days of the trip, faster than the days in Kolkata, Darjeeling and Varanasi.  From here on in I can only expect for things to gain further velocity.  The things we did in Delhi and Agra felt quite touristy:  visiting the beautiful Taj, Jama Masjid, Agra Fort, the red fort, eating at a butter chicken restaurant, and walking around in Ali Baba pants.  This feeling was a nice change of pace from the hectic days in Kolkata and Saraswatipur, but at points I felt as just one of the many Western tourists that were visiting the capital, still it was another aspect of India to be immersed in.  One thing we did that was a bit different was visit an NGO called Asha, Asha means "hope," in Hindi and that is what the organisation tries to bring to the people of Delhi's numerous slums.  So far, Asha is able to operate in 12% of the slums in Delhi, but from what we saw in a slum Asha has b...

Callan As I've travelled away from my own family, and become part of a much larger and smellier one, I've come to appreciate what really matters. Who's there for you when you fail an exam? Who's there for you when you've had a rough day and have no one else to turn to? Who's there for you when you've just seen a place that brings you to tears and makes you question how life can be so unfair? Family means certainty, support, brotherhood. Family means love. My understanding of what family can mean has shifted, and my appreciation of family has finally reached the level at which it should be.  As teenage boys, we're expected to be hard, insensitive and unemotional creatures, but the calibre of the lads on this trip has been made clear to me by their honesty and willingness to open up. The debrief sessions have been an invaluable part of my experience in India, and I have learnt just as much sitting around in a dingy Delhi hotel r...

Josh Roberts In Varanasi we stayed at Hotel Surya, built for one of the great kaisers of Nepal. The place was fit for a king in every way - a striking contrast to the streets of India. Inside the palace walls I eat my buffet breakfast: chocolate pancakes, mango juice, and omelettes to order. Breakfast is followed by a half hour massage session, complete with 'soothing' music and moody lighting. I then head up to my room. Thankfully, Hotel Surya has a subscription for the 'English Movies Pack', so the next hour or so is spent watching Peter Parker run up buildings in a red Lycra suit. After this entertainment it is past midday and time for lunch. The options are numerous and the choice difficult but I settle eventually for a buffalo chicken pizza complimented nicely by a cold coffee with ice cream. Life is not easy. As I ate breakfast that morning I had an interesting view. The hotel complex is surrounded on all four sides by a high ...

Raymond, Lachie, Leo, Aaron Over the past four days, we have all had the immense pleasure of being treated to the soothing comforts of Hotel Namaskar. No expense has been spared in this homely haven, leading us to feel compelled to share our glowing reviews with the reader (for some reason, it does not feature on Lonely Planet). There is an immediate appeal as you walk into the rooms. After 15 attempts to hit the correct light switch, you are welcomed by the playful pink paintwork around the walls, topped off with a lick of glossy white on the ceiling. Whilst perhaps slightly stained, the marble appearance of the floor tiles gives a sense of unparalleled luxury, and at the same time provided us with a rock solid surface to manoeuvre across. As a testament to the hotel's commitment to customer comfort, we were treated to the serene sound of our own personal water feature- an array of leaky taps in our bathroom. Better still, multitasking has never been ea...

Sam Lindberg Over the whole trip so far one of the most enjoyable aspects of roaming the streets is the art of bartering for goods. As we are walking down the streets in groups sticking out like sore thumbs we are constantly being pulled by our shirts to come into their shops. It's always the constant sunglasses, watches and clothes for around 300 rupees. One example that I can recall from Kolkata was walking through the market as I wanted to buy some shorts. Aaron pulled up at a stall that was selling watches so I came and had a look. I saw a watch I liked the look of and so I picked it up to get a better look and, in 5 seconds it was in a bag and the Indian man said, "You buy 900 rupee." I laughed and shared a smile with the man as we both knew that wasn't going to happen. I ended up buying the watch for 200 rupee which is roughly $5 and it is still going strong. There will be many other hilarious stories that the boys have around the interactions and barterin...