INDO - FRENCH EXCHANGE
The inter-cultural exchange trip to France was an opportunity unlike any other. The experience was eye-opening, exposing us to a culture so vibrant and so different than our own. We had a taste of an independence we have never had the occasion to display, but always had our hospitable hosts to fall back to, to remove the slightest of discomforts.
We spent weekends with our host families, exploring the nooks and crannies of France. We visited the places that our host families considered essential to a visit to France, and received very diverse cultural education through sightseeing and even conversation.
Some of the highlights of the trip include our visit to the Louvre, an enchanting museum with an illustrious and fascinating history. We watched a hilarious and thoroughly entertaining one-man theatre show outlining the idiosyncrasies of Parisians, where one of our own students was called up to stage as a volunteer! We had an illuminating visit to the Palace of Versailles, where we learnt a lot about the history of the monarchy in France. As a unique approach to explore the vast gardens around the palace, we had a scavenger hunt based on its many fountains and basins.
At the school that the exchange was conducted with, L'Ermitage International School, we participated in a vast array of activities (as co-curriculars), ranging from sports like football and basketball to activities like art, singing and the computer club. We also attended a gastronomy workshop at the boarding house, and visited the local market nearby.
In another visit to Paris, we visited a museum of science, the Palais de la Découverte, which was a very informative experience for all of us. We were able to watch a fascinating show of electrical conductivity and the travel of current through metals and air, as well as sit in on a biology class where we examined neurons under microscopes. In an interesting turn of events, we found ourselves evacuating the museum soon after, as there had been a fire. We had the chance to shop for a while on the renowned ChampsÉlysées, and walk up to the Arc de Triomphe.
Finally, on our last day in Paris, we visited the Eiffel Tower, in all its glory. We also went on a scenic cruise on the river Seine. The day after this one was a scramble to get packed and ready to return to India. With heavy hearts, we bade goodbye to the host families we had bonded so deeply with in just a week.
We found that the experience of living with citizens was profoundly different than that of tourism. The trip provided us with insights as to lifestyles of people outside of India, and exposed us to the roots of an age-old culture with an eminent position in world history.
Urvi Awasthi
The most impressionable nuance of our trip was the very last day. We visited one of the most iconic, if not the most iconic structures in Paris and the world; the Eiffel Tower. Personally, I was really looking forward to experiencing this giant metal masterpiece for the first time ever, and it wasn't until I got right under it that I realized how humongous it really was. Measuring just over 420 meters in height, it is right up there with the tallest structures in the world, and I really grasped this piece of information when our class got a chance to travel all the way to the top and experience life from over 400 meters above ground.
In addition, we also took part in a river cruise on the well-known river Seine, passing under over 20 bridges and getting to see the ancient parts of Paris. The weather was slightly foggy on the day, but as the sun shined into the day, the clouds cleared, and by midday, the Eiffel Tower and river looked beautiful. I thoroughly enjoyed my experience!
Tejaswy Ramesh