So it’s the final week before the trip starts and all I can think about is the metallic taste of these malaria tablets- they taste like small Dettol infused with metal. They kind of invade your mouth until you swallow them and no matter how hard I try I cannot swallow them quickly enough. I was instructed (by Boots) to take them at the same time every day, so of course I take them before bed so I can brush the awful taste away and happily dream of yummy-flavored medicine.
Speaking of taste, this week I have been testing myself by adding hot sauce to my dinner; a feeble attempt, but an attempt nonetheless! I also started packing this weekend and it turned out to be fiddlier than I first thought. After hitting the high street on Saturday in pursuit of ‘Jungle Formula’ amongst other things, I got a lot of excited grins from Sales Assistants. This happened when someone was helping me spot the antihistamines and malaria tablets and I was a bit taken aback when my phone provider let out a howl of excitement when I called about a call booster I could use to contact my family while in India.
I also stumbled upon a blog written by a teacher who previously went on the trip. She describes every step of the trip quite excitedly her writing is highly descriptive. Funnily enough, the part that stuck in my memory most was when she described playing a game during a lesson, tripping on her sari and catching her sandal on a metal bar. She describes it as a ‘‘epic fall of mythical proportions.’’ The most important recurring theme in her story though was the progress of the teachers and of course how great she found the culture and ultimately the trip.
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| Baby Shark Curry! |
Since I am not particularly used to Indian food, I decided to research well known meals in India .- Tandoori Chicken, Chicken Tika Masala and Naan bread were the only India dishes I had eaten before, so I decided to research some of the weirdest meals India had to offer, which included Phan Pyut (Rotten Potato), Chaprah (chutney made out of ants and their eggs) and baby shark Curry (Yes I said, baby shark people!) The only Indian chef I knew was Anjum Anand and I don’t remember her cooking anything such as baby shark so I assumed these meals are only eaten in certain areas.
This week, I also went to a Job Fair at Canterbury Christchurch University with my colleague Aine. During the Fair we were explained to teachers about a chance to go to India withImpact and it surprised me how many students mentioned to me that they had already visited India and loved it! What was even more promising was the amount who wanted to go India with us!
Aside from sorting my gifts for the hosts and children, I feel ready for the trip and cannot wait to recall my memories everyday through my blog.
Namaste everyone!
Idman- Impact Teachers Recruitment Consultant
