Twin Travel: A New Year with New Adventure's

Hi all,

This is my first post since coming back to India for the second and final year. After the summer holiday I was ready to come back and see everyone at MUWCI again.

Before going back to college I spent five days in Delhi, staying with my mate Aman from college. I was there for a family festival called Raksha Bhandan or Rakhi. Rakhi is a Hindu festival that celebrates the love and duty between brothers and sisters (and cousins, second cousins and any other relatives in such large Indian families. The sisters bless, give a gift and tie a Rakhi band around the brother’s wrist (like the one below), showing a kind of belonging to him. In return the sisters receive money and protection from their brothers. The ceremony starts with the eldest then to the youngest. It is followed by some amazing home cooked Indian food.

When in Delhi, we also visited friends and slept before getting the 24hour train to Bombay from there. In Bombay we met with our friends before heading back to college in the monsoon rain.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raksha_Bandhan

Life at college is very fast and intense. The first week was spent with only the 120 students in my year group, on the hill. We all fit right back into life where we see each other every day, all the time. I arrived to college on the Sunday and had classes starting at 7.30am on Monday. Although it wasn't too tiring, I had yet to unpack my suitcase and my luggage from last year. Sadly there are still one or two bags left.

The second week was orientation week, which meant all the first years were to arrive. Our classes were stopped so we could run bonding activities, hikes and shows as the last half of this small college settled down into their new home.

Here are a few pictures from that.

The first college meeting with my batch.

Bonding games with both batches.

My advisor group with the new first years. My advisor is Arvin (the bald guy in the middle).

Going on a short hike up internet hill.

Mud games in monsoon.

The second year Brits (or half Brit) performing Spice Girls Stop Right Now (a tradition we started last year) at the Second year show.

From left Indi, Maria, Me, Kate and Nara.

At college I am part of the outdoor service stream.

Our first project was providing hikes to Mt. Wilko (the mountain we live on, shown below) and the Grand Canyon of the Western Ghats in the surrounding valley.

In the coming year i will be helping lead the college's first Mountain Rescue Service, where we will be learning all the skills necessary to create a foundation of well-trained students so that rescues can start in the following year.

I am also still carrying on Fire Service this year and taking up Kayaking, Modern Dance as well as leading Hip Hop classes.

The view from my college towards Mt. Wilko.

Ganesha Chaturthi

The next week classes were in full swing again for me and the work load (which is infamously a lot in Third term) begun to pile up.

Thankfully there was a great stress relief right around the corner. That being Ganesh. The Maharashtrian annual festival surrounds the god Ganesh. He is paraded round with music, drummers and colour before being submerged into the river at the bottom of our hill in the villages. The villagers were dressed up and celebrating when we reached the river.

The event lasted long into the evening but having the get the pink out of my hair never stopped. The ends are still pink now.