Fire's and Rescues

It's only 2 more weeks until I will have completed my first term and will be on my way home for Winter break. I can't quite believe just how quickly these 4 months have gone. I'm so excited to see everyone, but know I will miss this place a lot too. I discovered after project week (10 days) just how much I'd missed everyone, and I think Christmas will have a similar effect on me. 

The day I wrote the last post was an eventful one. Little did I know that only 4 hours after leaving the med centre, the fire alarm would go off and fire service members would get called to an emergency situation. I ran to the meeting point, extremely confused as we hadn't yet been briefed on what to do or wear. There we found a jeep waiting for us with 2 stretchers on the back. We were told that someone (unknown who, or how badly) was injured on the top of Mount Wilkinson, the mountain next to the college. There is actually a triveni called First Aid Service who are meant to deal with things like this, however they have not completed their training yet so fire service were called up instead. 10 of us jumped in the jeep and were driven to the bottom of the mountain, where we then had to run 30 minutes up the hill carrying stretchers, pillows and first aid kits. 


At the top, we found a girl who wasn't a student, but was staying in the college. She had fallen and hurt her (previously broken) ankle, and kept on passing out then fitting because of the pain she was in. We put her on the stretcher and began the trek down, in the dark over hazardous terrain. We had a few flashlights, but with 6 people carrying 1 stretcher at a time and extras holding the lights, things were very crowded. 







Eventually, we made it down at around 7:30pm after leaving campus at 4pm. The girl was so thankful to us all and we were so proud to have worked well under difficult conditions. We bonded really closely, even though we were only about a quarter of the full fire service team. 

That brings me on to my next topic; FIRE'S! After hours of tedious grass cutting using machetes in fire service, we are now actually on to burning. We are creating a 'fire wall' of burnt grass in a ring around campus which is meant to slow the fire down, giving us extra time to fight it before it reaches campus. We have to wear jeans and a hoodie, as well as balaclavas, gloves and goggles whilst running to the fires, so it's pretty hot and hard work. We have these things called beaters which are basically a small metal sheet on the end of a bamboo rod, and we have to beat all the oxygen from the flames until they die out. The grass is still a little wet from monsoon season, so the fires are still pretty small, but we've had a couple of big ones. You get such a big buzz when you're there and someone is chanting and you're rhythmically beating away at the flames with the others around you. All of the fires so far have been started by fire service members, either during our sessions to create the fire wall or as a 'drill' to test our speed and ability under pressure. No matter what you're doing when the alarm goes off, you have to drop everything and run to the meeting point to grab goggles, gloves and beaters. You pair up with the next person who arrives and it becomes your responsibility to make sure you are always with them and always know where they are. Apparently, fires happen quite often when it's dark so you have to be alert as to where your partner is and if she/he is safe all the time. 

So, here's to many exhausting, exciting and exhilarating fires of the future! I'm really looking forward to diving headfirst into this experience. (not literally).

-Kate

Project Week and Exeat

We left MUWCI on Friday 19th October and travelled 90 minutes in a bus to Pune train station, where we caught a 27 hour long train to Delhi. We stopped there for a few hours to get subway and frozen yoghurt, before carrying on 5 hours in another train to Dehradun. Next, we caught a jeep for 5 hours into the mountains, passing some amazing views of peaks and lakes. We arrived at our 'base camp' where we met our guide and other people who would be walking with us and had some amazing food before setting up camp for the night. 

The hiking itself wasn't too hard, although as a group we walked very slowly. We walked 8km on the first day, 14km on the second, 8 on the third, 14 on the fourth and 8 again on our last day. At night, temperatures dropped below freezing and I woke up shivering a few times, but the sky was amazing - we saw so many shooting stars! The group bonded really nicely, and I thoroughly enjoyed myself throughout the week, it was hilarious to see some people's reaction as they saw snow for the first time. I didn't shower for 10 days, but it was totally worth it and the food was phenomenally good!

We arrived home on the Sunday night, and on the Tuesday, my Mum and Chris arrived. It was so nice to see them and catch up on everything that's been going on! They absolutely loved campus (I think) although they were a bit overwhelmed at the amount of people they were meeting. They came with me to PCH (Paud Children's Home on the Wednesday) and really enjoyed themselves. On the friday, we left for Exeat (basically a long weekend) with Mum and Chris, and two of my friends Martina (half Malaysian) and Marija (Norwegian). We travelled on a sleeper bus to Aurangabad which is a city inland of Mumbai. We stayed in an amazing hotel called the lemon tree and went to see the largest handmade rock temples in the world, called Ellora caves. We also went to a mini Taj Mahal and we were meant to go paragliding too, but because of Diwali (a huge Indian festival), the sports centre was closed so we just chilled by the pool. We then flew to Mumbai and dropped Mum and Chris off at a very fancy hotel called the Taj, opposite the Gateway to India. However, my bag did not arrive as it had been put on a flight to Delhi by accident. The three of us then went on to our friend Shiv's house for our remaining two nights in Mumbai and we celebrated the eventual arrival of my bag, and my friend Elize's birthday. We went on Shiv's yacht for one day which was absolutely amazing and just chilled for the rest of our time there, of course fitting in time for a little shopping! 

However, the day I arrived back to campus, I got really sick. I couldn't keep any food down, had a fever of 104 degrees and I fainted. Because I couldn't eat, they put me on a drip for 6 hours to try and rehydrate me, which actually worked as I feel a lot better now! I'm still not out of the med centre, but I can actually eat food and drink water now. Today there is a 1st year vs 2nd year football match, a pool party and karaoke which I really want to go to, but doubt I will be allowed to!

Mamma mia rehearsals are going well, its a lot of fun and I get along really well with the other cast members! My wrist is a lot better now too, although I still feel pain if I put too much pressure on it. 

Again, sorry for the disjointedness of this post - as you can tell I'm not the best writer about!

Kate

10th October 2013

So, whats my news?

Well I found out recently that I am part of Mamma Mia - I'm playing Ali (Sophie's best friend). I sang Valerie in my audition, it went pretty well and I got in with a bunch of other great people! We're going to perform in February which should be really nice, I'm looking forward to when rehearsals begin and we can start learning everything.

The workload is slowly but surely increasing! It seemed like we had absolutely nothing to do, then in the space of 2 days I was given about 5 assessments. I've managed knuckle down to get through most of it though - I now have a week to complete my global politics and english assessments which is easily do-able! 

I've messed up my wrist pretty badly. I've strained/tore some of the ligaments down the outwards side of my left hand wrist playing rugby the other day! So, I'm in a splint for 2 weeks, and if it's still bad after that I have to go see an orthopaedic consultant. It's project week a week today so I'm off to the Himalayas to do some hiking, so I hope it's recovered before that. 

Just after I return, my Mum's coming to visit! 1 week after I am back from project week, I'm leaving campus again for exeat (4 day long break when you can leave campus with your friends to go to wherever you want to). I think I may travel with my Mum and Chris for the first 3 days, then go to Mumbai for 1 night with my mates, but I'm not sure yet.

I'm still part of fire service - today we took machetes and hacked away at the grass in order to make a kind of fire wall around campus. I was pretty useless seeing as I couldn't really swing the machete with my wrist but I was there for moral support! We're gonna burn away a 3m wide circle all around in a (hopefully!) controlled manner so that when the actual fire season starts, the fires will not actually make it to campus. 

I've changed my off-campus triveni because Manavya didn't fit in very well into my schedule. Now I do Paud Children's Home which is good fun. The kids are all really sweet and we had our first session the other day - I taught the kids the hokey cokey and we did a dance/some other games. I think we may be teaching them some maths next week which should be fun. 

Sorry if this post is long overdue and seems really disjointed/random, but I haven't had much time to write recently

Love from India!

18th September

I have finalised by subject choices which are a bit different from before (I'm now doing Hindi, Global Politics, Maths, English&Performance, Biology and Chemistry) and my triveni choices (Gender and Sexuality, Hockey, Fitness, Fire Service and Manavya). 

In fire service, we are trained to beat down the fires manually so that campus doesn't burn down in the hottest months of summer. About a week ago, we had out first session which was basically just fitness. It was pretty hard work but so much fun at the same time - we then played rugby in the middle of a thunderstorm too which was cool. 

Manavya is an off-campus triveni - a group of us visit a home for children who are HIV positive and we spend an hour or so playing, singing, dancing, or just chatting with them. It's really nice to spend a bit of time off campus with some local children, and its a lot of fun. Our last couple of sessions have been cancelled/cut short due to various difficulties however next week should be good.

Because I'm going on the project week to the himalayas, the faculty members leading our trip want to get us exercising and practice hiking, so last weekend we hiked up the mountain near the college called Mount Wilkinson. We left at around 8 and got back at 11 in time for brunch, and it was really nice to spend some time with others in the group. The hike itself was pretty easy and we saw some amazing views.

I still have not seen any snakes, although there was one caught in college meeting the other day. Don't worry, if you find a snake, all you have to do is put it in the snake box, that's all. 

This week has been full of Ganesh celebrations. Ganesh is a festival for a God where people throw red powder paint at each other and parade down to the river in order to immerse the Ganesh statue. It was really good fun although my clothes are still stained with red powder!

Time is going pretty quickly here - I've been here a month today, and I'm already a quarter of the way through my first term! I'm starting to settle into a routine, but a lack of sleep over the past few days means I'm in the medical centre, feeling pretty congested and just generally achey. 

If you want to see photos of things I've been up to, you can here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/uwcmahindracollege and there is also a mash up video of the performances from the first and second year talent shows here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=zYZCcwgA1X4). 

- Kate

Paud Fire, Pune and Project Week

Last night, we all went out to the local village called Paud (it seemed like the population there of dogs is higher than that of humans!) for food which was nice but a bit of an anti-climax. A massive electrical fire started along the road from where we we were which caused havoc, so we had to leave fairly promptly. As we drove through today, we saw that about 4 shops had been completely burnt out, even though no one was injured. We went shopping in the city Pune to get various supplies and stuff, and I made my first batch of Rocky Road (yes, the famous recipe has made it to India already)!

Subject wise I'm still a bit stuck - I've decided to stick with Global Politics and am now really enjoying it, and I also decided to stick with spanish B and change my english. However, after going to 3 spanish classes and understanding absolutely nothing, I don't actually believe that was the right choice. I have spoken to my teacher because one girl is not taking anything this year then joining the beginners spanish course next year because the rest of the students will have caught up by then. However, she originally said my level was too high for this so I'm kind of stuck in the middle at the moment. I'm going to have a meeting with her tomorrow to discuss my options.

I also found out a few days ago which project week trip I am going on! Located in the mountainous northern state of Uttarakhand, Dodital is a pristine alpine lake at an altitude of 3100 m above sea level. This project week will take us on an expedition to Dodital and beyond. The trek to Dodital is a steady uphill climb that takes us through dense forests and high meadows.  After Dodital, we will be climbing further to the mountain pass at Darwa Top, at 3800m above MSL. The climb to Darwa Top is steep but offers stunning views of the Himalayas at the top. I looked up some photos on the internet, and this is what I found: 

This trip will be happening in October and I will be going with 2 other teachers and a group of around 14 other students. It will take about 24 hours to travel to our starting point which includes a few buses and trains so that will be fun too. 

Home Stay and Subjects

This was meant to be posted 2 nights ago, but it didn't actually send so it didn't happen yesterday if that makes any sense...

Rats. I really REALLY dislike rats. Last night we went on a home stay with locals in the village. We were paired up with a second year (I was with Trisha from India) and walked to various villages along our route. The people were lovely and the food was amazing (better than college food!), however I don't think I slept at all. There must have been about 10 rats, just running up and down the wooden beams above our bed (a table) and dropping onto the metal pans in the opposite corner of the room. At one point as I was just dosing off, one of them knocked one of the pans off and I woke up again, and just watched them for about 4 hours straight. I also forgot to bring mosquito repellent so literally got eaten alive. 

Today, I have academic interviews where I will decide which subjects I want to try out and I will get the results of a (extremely hard) maths test we did which will pretty much decide which level of maths I will be doing. At the moment, I'm thinking about global politics, english & performance, maths, biology, chemistry and spanish, however i'm not sure about global politics yet. 

I'M HERE

I'VE ARRIVED!!! We landed at around 11 yesterday in Mumbai and met up with a few second years in the airport. They took us to a bus which was going to drive us to the school, and as soon as I walked outside I immediately felt the heat! It was so humid in Mumbai, and even worse inside the bus. There wasn't enough room for all our luggage on the top of it, so some went on the back 4 seats meaning the second years had to sit on the bags. We left the airport around 1 and arrived on campus at 6:30, with a few police checks on the way! The air is much less humid out here which is nice, however there are loads of crabs on campus! Like crabs that you may find by the sea….weird. 

Me and Smirthy from India ^

I met my room mates who are from USA, Israel and India. They are all really cool, as are my second years. I haven't yet met my "buddy" however I'm sure I will find out who they are soon. I felt very homesick last night as I was putting up photos around my room and unpacking, however meeting so many new people and getting involved made me feel better. Today, I've had a medical check, set up the internet on my laptop, had photos taken and just basically done loads of admin! Everyone is kind of walking around aimlessly as no one has been told what/when to do things! I've met so many people whose names I have already forgotten, and have walked back and forth to my room collecting paperwork/dropping off things I don't need. 

I've decorated my area of my room with photos and my flags of Devon and UK which has made it feel a lot more homely! Thank you so much to Lucy/Clare for the bunting and stuff and to Charlotte/Chris for all the amazing photos. It's really made my corner of the room have a bit more character, and less like a prison cell!!

In a few days time, I'm going to be going on a "home stay" where basically you stay with a local family in the village…I'm excited for that but also a little scared as I speak no Hindi!

I'm going to play basketball now with a bunch of other first years, before our "wada dessert". 

Namaste!

Triveni

We received an email a while back which gave us details about the Triveni (extra curricular activities) options we could choose!
The triveni's fall under 4 categories: community engagement, campus service, action and creativity. You have to pick one from each category, and it is not recommended to pick more than 6! During our first week at college, we will get to try out our options to decide fully what we want to do, however at the moment these appeal to me:


Manavya in the community: Manavya, meaning humanity, is a organisation for children and teenagers who are HIV positive. Once 
a week we go down to play with the children, paint with them, chat to them and basically do what we can to provide some entertainment.

Paud Children's home: Paud Children’s home is an orphanage in Paud Village. Here we interact with children of different age groups, through different kinds of activities including arts, games, songs, sports, dance, help with homework and more.  We play games with them that are specifically chosen to develop certain aspects of their individual character such as creativity and sportsmanship. 

First Aid Service on campus: There will be two parts to this service:
1) Weekly training: * At the med center with Dr Dipak * With me in a wilderness context - scenarios, practice, applied theory * In the second year students can take on a larger role with teaching
2) The “service” part: * Stand-by duties at events such as capture the flag, wrestling tournament etc. * “Hasty-team” / search party e.g. in that scenario when the two girls were up on Mt Wilko or when someone is known to have hurt themselves while hiking.

Action: Parkour: It is the art of running away. We climb walls, vault fences and jump from roofs. It focuses on unconventional efficient movement around obstacles or terrain using only the abilities of the body.
             Hockey: Agame with sticks, a ball and goals. You hit the ball with the stick and try to make goals with your team. A great, challenging and exciting game!

Creativity: MUWCI Acapella: Singing with others is the best thing! We rehearse and perform various songs from all over the world, such as folk songs, pop songs, spirituals, and even classical music! Come and experience giving a massage to the soul with music...

It's getting closer and closer every day! In 18 days time I will be on a plane, and on my way to the biggest adventure of my life! And you know what? I CAN'T WAIT to get out there and see India and what it has to offer!

Step by step

It's getting closer and closer now...and I'm reallyyyy excited! I have a countdown on my phone...66 days to go, just over 2 months. It feels exciting, but at the same time I'm very nervous. I think those 66 days are going to fly by as I have quite a busy summer! 

I've had my jabs done now, and Mum is beginning to put together a box of possible things I might need. I'm looking forward to getting a tan, and mostly for the brunch and yoga on Sundays! 

I also can't wait to see the campus....it looks so nice! I'm not sure about Indian food as I don't like too much spice, but I'm going with an open mind to try everything! Look at the view too, it's awesome.

I probably won't update this much before I actually go to college, as I won't have much to say.

Kate x

Wales?! India?!

Hey! 

I'm Kate, I'm 16 and I currently live in Devon. However, just a few weeks ago, I heard I had been accepted to UWC Atlantic College, Wales. I was so excited to be in, and immediately was added to many groups where I got to know some great people who would be going too. I had to think hard about whether I would actually accept my place or not, as I knew I would miss my family and friends. 

I first started applying to the UWC colleges in October, however I remember a conversation with my parents from when I was about 8 telling me all about the colleges. I went to the college open day and absolutely loved it, and again enjoyed visiting for my interview in March, 2013. After I had had a little taster of what life was like there, I was even more keen and excited than I had been before!

I had a slight problem though, the school fees at £51,000 for 2 years were way above my parents' budget and my online fundraising page didn't receive many (if any) donations. So, UWC then offered me a place at a different and cheaper college -Mahindra, India. At first, I was fairly against this idea, but after looking at many pictures and speaking to people at the college, I was in a hard position. I loved the campus of Mahindra and thought it would be more of an experience there, however I knew so many lovely people going to AC and thought I might get homesick so far away from home. 

In the end, I chose India! I can't wait to go there and meet so many amazing people, and do some great work in the local community. This blog spot is for any of you who may want to see what I've been up to, and I will try to keep it updated as often as possible!

Thank you for taking time to read all of that! 

Lots of love,

Kate 

xxx