We Salute Bombay!

The NGO placements for the Study India Programme afforded us the opportunity to briefly peer deeper into the darker pages of Mumbai's convoluted story, revealing a world we had only previously glimpsed on the sides of the road, at a distance, and viewed through the twin filters of expectation and preconception. Initially these scenes, which can be encountered just a few minutes' walk from our hotel, had the capacity to shock and sadden, if only for the sheer scale of the street-side poverty on show. But I found myself quickly numbed to the sight of the blue tent hovels being overcome by monsoon groundwater, to the sight of filthy children defecating on the street amid piles of festering waste, to the sight of painfully twisted-limbed homeless men sitting quietly on corners and under the reaching fingers of Mumbai's signature Banyan trees. I expected that these sights would be repeated when I first arrived at Salaam Baalak's Umerkhadi drop-in children's centre, and that my experiences of walking down a street in South Mumbai would have prepared me for the poverty and misery I was undoubtedly about to see. What I found at Salaam Baalak could not have been further from either assumption, and I was amazed at how such a short amount of time could be so eye-opening and uplifting.

We arrived on Monday 23^rd August and found the centre closed, as it was the day they had the teacher and trustee meeting. We then learned that the national holiday 'Raksha Bandhan' meant that the centre was also to be closed on Tuesday, leaving us with only three days with the children at the centre. This was somewhat aggravating, leaving us with the feeling that we'd never be able to make any impact or be of much use over only three days. However, we had to make the best of it, so when we arrived to the centre on Wednesday, we were really hoping that we would be able to make the best use of our range of skills and help the children in whatever way we could. Going back to what I mentioned above, I was expecting rowdy, dirty children not used to the discipline or routine of school. But when we arrived, the children were beginning their morning with one of the non-denominational prayers that give the all the children, from any of India's myriad religious and social doctrines, something solid and regular to start their day with. There was also nothing of the rowdiness and bad behaviour I was expecting; I don't want to reiterate the cliché so often used - that the children 'back home' would never be this well behaved or polite, which I don't believe is the case - but I was certainly taken aback by the friendly, playful and hard-working attitudes of children who, without Salaam Baalak, would undoubtedly not be making it to school at all regularly, and are used to running the streets and dealing with the daily hardships, dangers and worries that would accompany a life of sleeping rough.

Most of the children are from families whose parents work for much of the day, so are not around to take care of the children when they are not at school. A large number of them are often required to help work on parents business, day or night, or they have to take care of younger siblings while their parents work. They miss out on the fundamental freedoms and security that come with a safe childhood that we take for granted back home, and that are hugely important in the early development of a healthy child. So Salaam Baalak provides a hugely vital service, in that it provides this safe, regular and structured place for a child to come and be a child. They do home work, have a healthy daily meal and structured play. Younger children are cared for as well, in the crèche, leaving older siblings to get on with exam revision or just reading the newspaper. Though we were only there for a very brief period, it was a hugely rewarding week, and one that lifted the veil on homelessness in Mumbai, its realities and dispelling the preconceptions I had carried with me when moving through Mumbai's crowded streets. There are wonderful, hard working, happy and intelligent children in many of the tarpaulin tents you pass, and sparing them a thought would do no harm.

By Laurence Conneely

The nicer things

After the initial shock of being a foreigner in India, you ease into your position. You start to accept the rickshaws that stop at every corner, you expect being greeted with 'Hello' by random strangers and you grudgingly succumb to being ripped off at every opportunity.

At the same time, when you look past those limitations, you slowly start to appreciate India's values. For example, Family: on Tuesday it was the 'Brother & Sister' holiday whereby siblings give each other bracelets and gifts as a sign that there will be there for each other. Another quality, the ideals of non-violence, as personified by Mahatma Gandhi and his fasts to save the nation. And there is colour and vibrancy of India's clothing and nature: beautiful Sarees and impressively carved Taj Mahal, the greatest monument for love.

It was only last week, while working at the British Council I've started to appreciate India's positive aspects. Partly, I think it was because I was working in very comfortable position. Driven by a driver to work every day, served capuccinos twice a day by the local pantry worker and devising a marketing plan for Anish Kapoor's first exhibition in India. Working with warm, knowledgaeble staff who were supportive and eagerly explained to me the complexities of Delhi's journalistic community proved interesting and encouraging. On one of the evenings, I also visited Khan Market, the most-upmarket, expact-focused place, where I had heaps of frozen yoghurt and a pedicure - something that never fails to lift up the mood.

The glorious week of exploration made me feel empowered - I walked alone in the shaded streets of South Delhi, strolling between beautiful gardens, Mughal architecture of tombs and sipping my first capuccino in a local cafe for a while. The week was crowned by a wonderful party at the British Council. Global Fellowship Programme celebrated the end of its six weeks and they have prepared dances, slideshows and speeches in order to share their experience and celebrate. The evening was glorious - beautifully lighted surroundings, fantastic food and a space to party.

But while in Delhi, somehow you know that the pleasures of Western life do not come that cheaply. There is still a deep sense of discomfort while walking through the construction site that is Connaught Place with wires sticking out. You fume with anger when locals brush past you in the queues or when they scam you at every opportunity. Our stay at YMCA comes at a price - 87.5 pounds per night per three-bed room. And the angry heat can drive you mad. That's why I'm looking forward to come back to the UK quite soon, just after our Delhi University week.

By Marta Szczerba

A formal launch...

Overlooking the fact that we were officially half-way into our trip, last night saw the formal launch of the Study India 2010 programme. It was stressed that the event was formal and that appropriate attire should be worn. Consequently – and causing a striking difference from our earlier placement dishevelment –we all stunningly arrived at the Mumbai Cricket Club excited for a night of formal elegance. However, as

we entered into what many might have believed would be a glamorous banquet room with tables, we found rows of normal looking chairs facing a head table, underneath a canopy of birthday party balloons in aptly Indian and British colour bundles. Once everyone had settled into their row the night continued with the expectant speeches from our hosts, HR College, the British Council, the Deputy British High Commissioner and of course from us – impressively we managed to give five mini-Hindi speeches on top of two animated English speeches. After all the speeches and a short video - made with an accumulation of photos from both this year and last years trip - we all looked longingly over to the buffet table. However, despite the tempting smells and the time clocking 9:30 there was still one more patriotic piece of protocol to complete – the standing and singing of our respective national anthems (including two choruses of “God Save the Queen.”) Thankfully, though we by 9:45 with our stomachs leading the way we all able to pile our plates high with traditional Indian food at the buffet table. However, in our ravenous states we had overlooked a crucial element, taken for granted at English banquets – a table. Consequently, many were bemused and intrigued to find themselves eating on their laps, while sitting in our rows – especially, when previously wondering if there would be a seating plan. Overall, the evening was incredibly surreal but equally very revealing in terms of what both of our cultures expected from a “formal launch dinner.” Many British students were surprised at the night’s proceedings, etiquette and ambiance but thankfully, the after-party at a local night club alleviated the striking cultural differences…

A tale of two cities

I’m a well-fed, well-educated and healthy western woman. So walking alone in the middle of scorching hot, smelling of rotten meat and crowded Old Delhi on India's Independence Day doesn't make me exactly inconspicuous. Indeed, I've been 'checked out' more than anywhere in my short lifetime and it is definitely not the sort of attention I would like to attract.

You see, Old Delhi is the poorest part of this 15 mln people city. You won't be able to walk for 2 metres without being treated as a source of income for the tired rickshaw drivers, the street children (who if they don't get the required amount of money might have their limbs cut off by their masters), the beggars and the shopkeepers (mostly all sorts of textiles and artefacts) around the place. Around 4/5ths of all Delhi workers are illegal, working on the black market - and most of them are here. Wandering there at 9am to see the celebration of the 1947 Independence Day, I felt truly scared.

That same evening, we went to see Aisha - a Bollywood comedy based on Jane Austen’s “Emma” where pretty actresses wear too much make up, flash around in designer clothes and have none of the modesty displayed in the local Indian women. Yes, there are many Ultra High-Net Worth people in Delhi, living behind grand tree fences. There is also the coveted growing middle class professionals -the IT and call centre workers, who earning 12-14,000 rupees per week (9,000 pounds p.a.) can secure a comfortable lifestyle.

So on the first day of Study India Delhi presented to myself as a city of extremes, of those who have and of those who have not. And who is to blame for these extremes? "The British and the rich" raved a local humanitarian activists who did a lecture on sustainable development. Problems with Delhi's river? The bloody British colonial engineers. The division between the poor and the rich? The British materialist culture. The developing tragedy of displacing 220,000 Indians for the incoming commonwealth games? The rich who don't want to see the poor on their doorstep. I, a right-wing capitalist, took time to digest his thought-provoking arguments, mostly because I felt deeply uncomfortable with everything he was saying. I felt like a target, so I figured it out: he didn't point out at all to corrupt government, he didn't even offer solutions - he was just very good at pointing at the problem, but not really at solving it.

A person who seemed to offer a better solution and response to the problem was Mike Knowles, a University of Arts London fellow who set up a design consultancy and an upholstery factory here in India. Mike points to the caste system as the reason for the divisions and he is here to create jobs through his factory production. He pointed out John Ruskin's "Unto his Life" and talked about the importance of moral leadership - a thing forgotten in the current financial crisis. Mike is an impressive guy - he has been selling his furniture to John Lewis and has last year been nominated for ELLE outdoors awards. His life is a testament to how to help India's poorest.

It is clear that Study India Delhi programme gives us a lot of food for thought: besides the sightseeing visits, we had lectures on India's HE system (and its incredible expansion), on India's sustainability problem, on India’s approach to disability and on the viability of UK-India relationship. I'm so glad for this - it really does put the whole City job, studying at Oxford and all my day-to-day life in perspective, realising how little these people have. It's been also refreshing to be here with people from different Universities (from Coventry, through KCL to LSE) and who will choose different career paths (work with young people, diplomacy) and see their completely different interpretation of events.

The food is quite repetitive (thank god I'm not allergic to curry!) but it feels good to have a fresh, cooked meal for you everyday, goodbye Pret Salads and Sainsbury's tasteless vegetables. So I'm eating quite a lot of fish and chicken (Tikka or Tandoori), lentils,cooked vegetable salad, vegetable sauces (daal), eggs and fruit for breakfast and some rice with every meal to neutralise the spices.

Overall, the first week proved to be both challenging and inspiring – and I can’t wait to see what the second one will bring.

By Marta Szczerba

Learning to love Mumbai

Sunday marked the end of our 1st week in India's commercial capital. It has been both an intense and incredible introduction to India, both in terms of our jam packed study India schedule and in adapting to the unique unrelenting pace of Mumbai . The port city, formerly Bombay, is unlike one I have ever encountered. A city that none of my previous travel experiences could have prepared me for. The intensity of the varied smells and sounds alone is enough that as soon as you step out of the airport, you are conscious you have entered a world unlike any other. In the taxi from the airport to the hotel the scene strikes me as almost post apocalyptic. A maze of unfamiliarity. Constantly intense, full of contrasts and contradictions.

Sweet smells of incense and spice hit your nostrils within seconds of those of fumes and raw sewage. Slums cling to the side of a luxury high rise. People sleeping on the streets and those driving past in top of the range sports cars. Temples for every religion, colours of every kind. A city both modern and archaic. Attempting to look past the exterior yet still adjusting to the initial culture shock, I loosely define Mumbai as a city on the verge of a new era in its development. It's ancient past colliding with the 20th century and the western world. I'm not sure if I like it.

It was at least a few days before I became aware of the cities hidden charm. Having been here more than a week now I've learned to see past Mumbai's alienating exterior and into the depths of a city at the edge of an age of unprecedented growth and development. For me the Study India programme has made it possible for me to see Mumbai for what it really is. A city that is ambitious and vibrant. Exciting and often misunderstood.

For most visitors, Mumbai is used mainly as a stepping stone to the rest of India, with visitors leaving within 24 hours. Probably because most people who have travelled half way across the world have done so to avoid built up areas reminiscent of the west, especially with the many wonders India has to offer.Equally it's pretty expensve in relation to the rest of the country.On top of that Mumbai is an intimidating city, with a population 3 times that of London. Travelling here means tackling the hectic transport systems,scams, and traffic. Even if you managed that it would be hard to know where to start in such a vast city. This means for most people the lasting impression of Mumbai is the one that hit me in my 1st 24 hours here. Leaving people uninspired and not having seen the city for what it is.

The beauty of the study India programme is that we are given a rare opportunity to understand a vast and complicated city that few get to know. This is largely due to the incredible efforts of the teachers and ambassadors and H.R. College. They make sure not only to enrich us culturally, but to protect us from every scam and pitfall that cause other visitors to leave the city with a bad taste in their mouths. Helping us with taxi prices,haggling conventions, the best night life, both cheapest and most extravagant, giving up time during their exams to ensure that we grow to love their city as they do, and it's working.

The programme itself has been a myriad of cultural awakenings. From the sociology of Mumbai cosmopolitanism to Indian media and consumer culture. From culture and tradition to beginners Hindi. Bollywood movies to Bollywood dance classes. Truly it has been a cultural feast. Not only that but in our free time with have a never ending supply of sites and places to explore. The Gandhi museum and the gateway to India are both a must when in search of culture. A vibrant western bar and club scene ranging from trance to hip hop means their's always somewhere to relax or go dancing. On weekends you can take advantage of Mumbai's efficient rail networks and find yourself in the most breathe taking mountain range in only 2 hours.It has so much to offer. Once you adjust to it's contrasts and contradictions they are no longer alienating. Once you understand its pace, it's no longer intimidating. Infact it is these things which make it special. With another 2 weeks here I imagine the list of positives will only grow.I now can't wait to explore and learn more about this city which for many remains an enigma.

By Abi Lewis-West

Where have all the idiots gone?

When in India, do as the Indians do. We were told this with vigour in one of our first-week lectures at HR College, by the earnest media don Aditya Bhat. So we took his advice and settled in to watch a Bollywood film, an experience that was probably new for the vast majority of us, myself included. Now, I had been led to believe a number of common traits about the kind of films churned out by the world's largest film industry, none of them positive. Number One: they are chock full of song and dance. The prospect of this fills your author with an acute sense of dread, what with one being a curmudgeonly sort of fellow turned off by impromptu forays into ill-advised and overly emotional displays of love, happiness and/or sadness. No, this would not do at all. Number Two: that Bollywood films generally consist of sloppy romance, slapstick comedy and schlocky, overblown action pieces. Now, I can take all three of these in measured doses, and individually, but all together they sound suspiciously like a recipe for a serious headache. Hmm. And Number Three: that they are bum-numbingly long. I personally prefer taught, precise film making and it is the rare exception that a film longer than two and a half hours holds my interest. So, for better or worse, I went into the screening of the 2009 film '3 Idiots' with decidedly low expectations.

Starring the legendary Aamir Khan alongside Kareena Kapoor as the token love interest, and Boman Irani as the wonderfully twisted and slightly mad Viru 'Virus' Sahastrabudhhe, 3 Idiots was perhaps the perfect way to be introduced to the world of Bollywood cinema. It tells the story of three friends going through the pressures of student life, life in modern India, the expectations of Indian parents and the journey along the way. First things first: the cast. All the lead performances were strong, but Irani stands out among them. Despite the clichéd and oddly-camp nature of the character, from the frizzy grey head of hair to the pervasive and annoying lisp which dominates his character, he managed to bring a performance of humour and humanity to a film which occasionally descended too much into farce for my tastes. And I haven't even mentioned how terrifying he makes this Engineering School dean; who often goes out of his way to be cruel to the students, occasionally with genuinely shocking and upsetting results. These are the parts of 3 Idiots which are the most satisfying and rewarding; when the sentimentality and silliness are cut through with an unusual emotional intensity which takes you by surprise and draws you in far more than the film would have achieved otherwise.

The film proved to be rather long, and I did feel that it sagged under its own length at points, but this is a minor criticism and the length generally failed to bother me. What did bother me however was the script, and the often juvenile nature of the proceedings. There were the occasional funny moments which rose above the generally low brow fart-joke nonsense, but I found it didn't tug on my funny bone as much as I'd hoped. I'm sure that many others will find it amusing however, and that the comedy was not quite to my tastes, leaving open the question of whether a film review is a rather useless endeavour when so much of the enjoyment of a film is based on personal preference. However, I will ignore your raucous cries of disapproval for my blatantly opinionated film review and persevere regardless. Another sore point for me was the film's liberal use of the emotional baseball-bat-to-the-face approach, eschewing subtlety for a more straightforward, and some would argue less effective, attempt to yank on your heartstrings. But, despite the often absent sense of pace, there were some real moments of warmth, sadness and love which used all the actors well, with Khan standing up well with Imani.

Overall, 3 Idiots is a hugely enjoyable few hours, packed with colourful characters, even more colourful settings and scenes, and both great laugh-out-loud moments, and ones where you might need a box of tissues handy. There are some not inconsiderable problems to do with lowbrow humour and a lack of emotional subtlety, but I think many will find these minor quibbles which avoid detracting from the experience too much. 3 Idiots is definitely a great way to be introduced to Bollywood, and I'm now eagerly looking forward to watching a 4-hour romantic musical extravaganza for my next one!

Hmm

By Laurence Conneely

We have been here a week...!

Today concludes our first week on the Study India Programme in Mumbai - in spectacular fashion. Heavy monsoon rains and the roof of HR College set the perfect background for our Bollywood dance workshop. The workshop involved learning two different Bollywood style dances. Although different, both dances were fast paced, energetic, fun and reflected perfectly the experience of our first week. Our first week has flown by, been incredibly enjoyable and left everyone with a permanent smile on their face. We have all been in awe of the story of the Dabbawallas, impressed by the beauty of Mumbai city (and the Indian clothing), surprised by the heavy rains, humbled by HR College’s generous hospitality… the list goes on….ultimately, though we have all simply been enthralled by everything we have been taught, witnessed and experienced. As shocking as it seems that our first week is almost over, a weekend to reboot before the excitement starts full throttle again next week - when our placements start - seems necessary if we are to continue to appreciate the awesomen privilege of this experience…