Czech this out- Culture at our Doorstep!
The DAIS- Open Gate Exchange trip has been a popularly subscribed trip for both schools over the last 4 years. Students of both schools have developed great understanding and rapport of their varied cultures and also appreciated that they all have much in common as well!
This year the Czech students with their teachers Mr. Marks Rupert and Mr. David Nitsche visited us between 12- 23rd of October. The timing was opportune - while Mumbai as a city was livening up for Diwali, DAIS as a school was preparing to put its best foot forward for DAIMUN between 17-19October.
Thus much excitement awaited all the Czech students who initiated their trip to India with a trip to Kumbharghar, where they worked on the village service project, building facilities for the locals and then spent their time in Mumbai busy with DAIMUN, Mumbai Darshan, trip to the NGO Learning Space Foundation while spending quality time with the host families..
This time the exchange trip held something special for the younger students of DAIS as Grade 9 had been chosen to join the exchange and their excitemtn flowed high as this was their first such event!
Some reflections from the hosting students of Grades
9 and 11
“We took Petr Manas shopping to Linking Road and made him travel by a rickshaw which he found fascinating as he thought the fare was very cheap. We also took him for a movie at the gold lounge and he loved the reclining seats! He tried local dishes such as butter chicken and dal makhni and chicken biryani. The night before Diwali we took him for a drive at night to show him how people in Mumbai burst crackers. I can’t wait to go to Czech republic and meet him again.”
Armaan Kohli Grade 11
“I had a wonderful time with Lukas Kotlar, who like me, has a great interest in photography and politics. The laser tag sessions and the dinners with some of the other exchange students and hosts were a lot of fun. We went to see Mani Bhavan, Mahatma’s residence, as well as a local site, Banganga. Lukas was fascinated and took some really good photographs!”
Ishan Jajodia Grade 11
“The visit of the Czech students was one of the most culturally enhancing interactions I’ve ever had as with Tom I learnt a lot about my own city. While trying to show him what's unique about it, things that I never really paid attention to before. We took him for a chariot ride near Nariman Point and showed him the 'Queens Necklace' , we took him to Haji Ali, Chor bazaar and the Dharavi slums. He also saw Diwali lights like rangolis firecrackers and even the pujas. On his last day he said 'I don't want to go back.' Tom has promised to come back again…”
Aayush Shah Grade 11
“Each of the girls we hosted were very cheerful, bubbly, talkative and outgoing. Since they had come around the time of Diwali, they adjusted quickly to our colorful and lively traditions and had a ‘blast’.
We introduced the Czech girls to typical Indian clothing, food and lifestyle which they loved immeasurably. Their interest in learning about typical Indian customs during the time of Diwali, made us want to tell them more and more. Sasha, Jana, Michaella and Adela had quite the obsession with Henna and were fascinated by the whole process. They loved seeing the sights of the city on the Mumbai Darshan but never actually got used to the Mumbai heat.
Surprisingly, the girls had a very high spice tolerance, seemed to enjoy the food. The hectic traffic and bustling streets of the city that never sleeps, left them startled Even though they are halfway across the globe, Mumbai is almost like their second home. And we are eagerly waiting to ‘Czech’ out the streets of Prague with them.”
Anika Birewar, Suhana Khan, Mahek Reniwal and Nisha Srivastava, Grade 9 B/C
