International- Report2 - German Exchange programme

Report- German Exchange Programme
15th  October – 4th  November

15-10-09 (Thursday)
I along with the host students and families were anxiously waiting for the arrival of the German Delegation at the Arrival Terminal at IGI Airport, early in the morning.  After a warm welcome, the guest students went to their new house. The German students accompanied with the Indian host students reported to school at 11.30am. During the welcome assembly the German teachers and students introduced themselves.  After some snacks, the orientation of the school was done and the German students were acquainted with the school. The day came to an end but just to enter into the festivities of Diwali.

16-10-09 to 19-10-09 (Diwali Break)
The students stayed with the host families and took part in the customs and rituals of Diwali. The host parents had hosted a wonderful welcome lunch for the German guests. It was an amazing sight to see them all dressed up in the traditional Indian attire. During the Diwali break, our host families had planned a number of activities for the German students, like heena,  bollywood movies, outings etc…

20-10-09 (Tuesday)
The school reopened after a brilliant Diwali. It was good to see all the happy faces in school after a break of four days. As planned, the students attended Art and craft class, English, Hindi, Maths and Biology classes. The host students made sure that the German students were comfortable and at ease. A visit to the Dilli Haat was planned for this day. The German students had a great time shopping at the cultural and traditional hub of Delhi. They shopped and bought gifts and souvenirs for their loved ones.

21-10-09 (Wednesday)
The day began with Indian dance class. Since the German students don’t have dance in their school in Germany, it was a new experience all together for them. As per the schedule, they attended Art and craft, Chemistry, physics and history classes. After visiting the the Chattarpur Temple, the Germans came to know more about the Hindu religion. The visit to the historic Qutub Minar was also planned on this day. The Germans admired the architecture.
The highlight of the day was the meeting with the honorable Chief Minister of NCT Delhi, Smt. Shiela Dikshit. The German as well as the Indian students had a very interactive and motivating session with her.

22-10-09 (Thursday)
The routine classes as planned were conducted. The students attended subjects like French, German, and Chemistry. By now the German students had got a brief insight into the Indian education system. They also learnt to write their names in Hindi. The research work for the Project work had also begun.
The visit to the famous Lotus Temple was planned. The students admired the building, which looked different from the other temples that they had already visited in Delhi. They enjoyed the peace and silence inside.

23-10-09 (Friday)
Besides attending regular classes, the German students and Indian partners worked together for the Project work. The theme of the project was Diwali.  The famous and the latest addition to the city ‘The Akshar Dhaam ‘was planned for the day. They were awe inspired by the architecture.

24-10-09(Saturday)
We all gathered at the school at 5.00 am to depart for Agra by bus. We stopped for breakfast on the way and reached Agra around 11.30 am. The bus journey was very exciting. The students had fun.
Upon seeing the white wonder- Taj Mahal, everybody was just amazed and appreciated the monument of love. It was a memorable experience. Besides the Taj Mahal, we also visited the Red Fort and shopped for souvenirs made of marble. The Germans also enjoyed buying the famous sweet of Agra- Petha.
We reached back to school late in the evening exhausted but we all cherished the moments spent together.

25-10-09 (Sunday)
Sunday was spent at home with host families resting and preparing for the next day.

26-10-09 (Monday)
The day began with a class with the partners followed by subjects like Geography, Biology, Maths, Hindi etc. The students also worked together on the project. A visit to Bangla Sahib, Cannaught Place and emporiums was planned for the day. The German students and the teachers loved the ‘Halwa’ at the Gurudwara.

27-10-09 (Tuesday)
The first four periods were dedicated for the project work followed by classes of Physics and English. After the break the students visited the Rashtrapati Bhavan, India Gate and the National Musuem.

28-10-09 (Wednesday)
The German students attended Yoga and meditation, music and French classes. They also attended a cooking class and learnt to make coconut ladoos, typical sweet for Diwali. In the last four periods, they worked on the project. At 2.00 pm, they left for the Sahara News and Prints, Noida to get a first hand experience of the Indian journalism. This visit was organized by one of the host parents.

29-10-09 (Thursday)
The German students practiced for the dance performance and the song for the farewell assembly. The last four periods were scheduled for the final project presentation. The German students also experienced the various classical dances and western dance inter house competition held in the school. They admired the rich culture and heritage of India.

30-10-09 (Friday)
The students practiced for the final farewell programme. They also attended classes scheduled for the day. In the evening a beautiful farewell was extended to the German delegation. We also celebrated the festival of Gurupurab . The occasion was graced by honorable Education Minister Shri. Arwinder Singh Lovely. The Guest of Honor was Mr. Eberhardt Weller, Head of the language Department, Max Mueller Bhavan. It was a memorable evening. The German students performed ‘Tandav’ flawlessly. They were trained by the school Western Dance teacher. The Germans also sang a Hindi welcome song, trained by the Indian vocal music teacher. The audience was left dumbstruck by the wonderful performances.

31-10-09 (Saturday)
The German students, along with the Indian partners visited Lajpat Nagar for a last minute shopping spree. They shopped for Indian ethnic dresses, spices and gifts for family members in Germany.

1-11-09 (Sunday)
Sunday was spent at home with the Indian families or an outing was planned for them.

2-11-09 (Monday)
The Germans as well as the Indians celebrated the festival of Gurupurab.
3-11-09 (Tuesday)
This being the last day before departure was a day with mixed feelings. A feeling of excitement to fly back to Germany and meet their loved ones and a feeling of sadness for leaving their  new parents in India, with whom they had shared every moment of their stay. Some students reported to school to bid a final bye. Some of them stayed at home and packed their bags for the departure.

4-11-09 (Wednesday)
We all gathered at the IGI Airport, departure terminal at 7.00 am. The time had come to bid a bye to each other after having stayed together for so long. The German students departed with tears in their eyes. The German teachers had to literally drag the students into the Airport. Even the Indian mothers had their eyes wet. It was amazing to see the bondage, which had developed between the Germans and Indians within the time period of three weeks.