Roses and Thorns

Roses: I really enjoyed the whole trip. It was the most amazing experience of my life and I will never forget it. The trip made me think a lot about how lucky I am to have a loving family and how much we take for granted in Canada. Being in India gave me a whole new outlook on life. I had never been out of North America before the trip and therefore I had never been able to realize how developed our country was and how different our lives are than so many people in the world. Some of my favourite moments or things in general were (not in order):1) Near the start of the trip when we played with Harry's House. It was really hot but playing with the kids and seeing them smile was so rewarding!2) Seeing the Monkeys on the way to Ooty and in Conoor after lunch... they were SO cute!!!3) Spending time with the older girls. They were really fun to play with and spending time with them just felt like a constant sleepover. It was also really interesting to hear about their school and their time at the orphanage. 4) Giving out donations with Kalyani. This time was really great because I got to see how happy the donations made the kids. It was really funny to see how much the younger boys liked the toothpaste. I also enjoyed our visit to the young babies room. I really wished we could have spent time in there because they were SO cute. 5) Playing with the toddlers. They were really cute especially the ones from the baby room. 6) Playing with the babies. It was really amazing to see all the different babies. I think my most rewarding (and also most tiring) trip to the baby room was my first morning. I spent this morning entertaining a baby with down syndrome. I learned from one of the "mamas" that babies with down syndrome are generally very lazy and therefore they need to be forced into walking. This baby was just learning to walk with only one finger support. I spent about half an hour walking back and forth down the hallway with her. She was always smiling and seemed to be very determined. That same morning I was able to spend time playing with Brama, a baby who had a very large head. It was really nice to be able to spend time with him even though we couldn't do much. He didn't seem to get much attention in the baby room and was always lying down in his crib alone because he was not able to walk.7) This seems pretty random but I really enjoyed joking around with the people in the markets. If you think about it, the attention that we got and the comments we received would have been completely weird and "sketch" in Toronto but there it was hilarious to play along with it. 8) The IB school. Once the TOK discussion was over, the IB school was a lot of fun to be at. It was really great to interact with the students. (It was also really nice to see their campus! It was absolutely stunning!) 9) The whole trip. If I had to name everything I would really have to write down everything we did on the trip because I really just had SO much fun. FFC was awesome and I can't wait to go back some time soon!Thorns:Like I said, I really enjoyed everything so these thorns were only little.1) Getting sick. Getting sick in Kerala was a bummer because I had REALLY been looking forward to seeing the elephants. Before the trip I was always telling my family about how I was going to be able to pet an elephant and such so not getting to do that was sort of upsetting. That restaurant with the dragon chicken also didn't have the best morning after results. haha. 2) Seeing beggars at in front of the largest Coimbatore temple. Before the trip I had prepared myself for the worst I think but this one group of people really struck me. There was one man who had an immensely swollen foot that stayed in my head for the rest of the trip. However, I think that these were the only beggars we saw for the most part of the trip. 3) The heat. But not really because in Coimbatore it wasn't that bad compared to Kerala. 4) The biggest thorn for me was leaving FFC. It was so hard to say goodbye to everyone especially the older girls. I've already started planning my own trip to go back to FFC in June/ July 2008. Three weeks in India was not nearly enough time especially since we had the trips which took up time. Even though I really enjoyed the trips, I wish we could have had more time at FFC with the kids because I did not get to spend a lot of time with the younger boys and I spent almost no time with the older boys.Anyways I think thats all. I had a really awesome trip! Thanks for sharing the experience with me :D Note:While I was unpacking my sister started screaming. Apparently I brought a friend home with me. A rather large cockroach crawled out of my suitcase. Let's just say my stepdad had it dead pretty fast. haha. Jess


Roses:
1. Spending time with the older and younger girls. They were amazing. They were so friendly when we first got to FFC and they made us feel so welcome! I loved talking to them and getting to know their personalities. They are such sweet people and we become such good friends. Learning Tamel dances with the older girls was definitely an interesting experience and fun as well. Doing the henna was also amazing. The girls are so talented!
2. Seeing the elephants! I had never seen elephants before so walking up to them and petting them was something I'll never forget. 3. The IB school! It was so different from York and such an amazing experience to see how kids our age in India are doing the same kind of work and taking the same subjects we are taking here in Canada. The school was also beautiful and huge! Talking to the kids there was also fun even though I think they approached their school life way differently then we do at York.3. Taking pictures with random people! It as hilarious to see strangers asking us to take pictures with them. I felt famous! 4. Playing with the toddlers on the very first day! They were so cute and some of them were really outgoing and excited to see us! They also seemed to enjoy playing with us and seeing different people other than the women who look after them and teach them.
Thorns:1. The heat! It was really hard getting used to such warm temperatures and sometimes because of how hot it was, I wasn't feeling very well. I think it if it had been cooler, all of us would have had more energy than we did. The sun wore us out!2. Being picky about Indian food. As soon as we got to India and it was meal time, everyone was so excited to try the new food. I, on the other hand was hesitant. It was different for me, and I don't like to try new foods. Although I did eat some of the food, it would have been much easier if I had not been so picky and just ate everything!
3. Leaving FFC. That was incredibly sad and there were lots of tears. I made such good friends there and I really didn't want to leave them. I miss everyone there so much and I really hope that we made an impact on their lives because they sure made an impact on mine!
Lauren xo



Roses…
My first rose is simply having had the opportunity to go back to India after seven years away. It is an absolutely unique place full of exotic sights, sounds, smells, flavors, and textures. Even though it is rapidly developing into an economic powerhouse, much of India remains charmingly ‘old world’.My second rose is that our time at the Families for Children orphanage was so rewarding. I loved how quickly the group meshed with the kids of FFC. Whether it was rocking babies in our arms, playing with the toddlers, running around with the boys at Harry’s House or listening to music with the ‘older girls’, the experience was truly memorable.and Thorns…I don’t really have a thorn, but I guess if there was something that got irritating for me it would be the amount of time it takes to go anywhere in India. Traffic always seems snarled and it’s just impossible to go out and run a few quick errands. A trip to a bank and two shops pretty well eats up a whole day – Sigh -
Mr. B (‘handsome’)



One rose is that i got to spend a lot of time with the kids at the orphanage. Also the feeling afterwards helping out was gr8. I actually felt that we made a difference in these few days.Another rose is that after coming back i feel more independent and i feel now i can do things on my own to a greater extent than i used to.Another rose is that i learnt that it doesn't take a lot to make a difference and i realized how lucky we are and how different our lives are from theirs.Another rose- being able to pet the elephants. that was fun and exciting.I don't really have any thorns xcept for the heatOne main rose is that i got to know my friends a lot better than i did before
Abrar

I did not really have one rose in particular because the whole trip was so amazing. If I had to choose one rose in particular it would be playing with the toddlers because they were always so energetic and happy.I did not have any thorns in over the trip. There is one thorn that I have now that I'm back, which is I miss the heat from India because I am finding it really cold here.jon


k, my roses were...1. playing with the kids in the orphanage, especially the babies and theolder girls. They were so much fun and i felt that we made really goodfriends in that short amount of time. 2. taking the older girls out that one day to buy stuff, it was crazy buti think we handled it pretty well with the sound off and everything. 3. Dyanalinga yoga, that’s gotta be one of my favorite things just becauseit was so peaceful compared to a lot of the crazy activity going on inIndia. 4. Seeing the elephants, they were amazing! especially the baby one whichwas really really cute, and they're hairier than i had imagined. 5. Ooty and Kerala were so beautiful. 6. I forget who wrote it, but someone said something about joking aroundwith the vendors, and i have to agree, once you get past the creepinessthey're pretty funny. 7. Special "tea"8. Ravi, he's my hommie (sp?)9. Steak in Ooty, it was delicious10. the food at the orphanage was pretty good, especially the spaghetti,yummmmmmm...11. people taking pictures with us in Ooty, that was pretty funny, it mademe feel special ( i know I’m pathetic)12. I almost forgot about the little kids doing the yoga! that wassoooooooooooooooooooooo cute!!!my thorns were...1. Cockroaches, even though i only saw one, i was pretty much scared forlife because of it. 2. I agree with everyone else the heat was pretty unbearable at times. 3. the slowness and messingupness of our food orders. 4. going home, i cried :'( 5. the flight home, long, boring and near the end i thought i was going todie of a bran aneurism (i seriously did, i was freeking out when we werelanding in toronto)I think I’ve bored you guys enough with my long list, so i'd say that wasabout it. peace~Jessie~


RosesMy roses are spending time with the older girls and playing that chasing game with the younger boys. I also loved giving out our donations to all of the kids. Another rose that I have is the dance party we had with the whole orphanage. That was so much fun. I also loved seeing the elephants. Basically, my biggest rose was the whole entire trip because I loved it so much.ThornThe only thorn that I had was probably the flight back home because I did not want to leave India.R Persaud



Let me redo my roses and thorns!!!After reading all of yours I realize I should elaborate on mine.First of all I would like to say, a rose is reading all of your roses and seeing how much you guys have all grown from the experience and seeing how you overcame and realized your challenges while in India. I am proud of you guys and for what you have accomplished. And more importantly what you have reflected upon and learned from this experience.Spending time at the orphanage was really special to me, seeing you guys in your element and putting faith in us when we lead you to the children. Each one of you showed your true colours when you were with the children whether it was the toddlers, babies, small boys, or older girls and boys. Realizing how important the "lead up" fundraising money was and how far it would actually go in India. Purchasing all the "things" that make the orphanage tick and having fun shopping with all of our money. And not so fun with the wait times! That last day was a thorn - with my illness too!The side trips were important for us to take, stepping back and seeing other parts of India and having a chance to reflect upon the orphanage while away from it. I loved our adventures, even the paddle boating as it was relaxing and good hang out time with you guys. The elephants we pretty awe inspiring. (Although - Brian Keating's presentation took away from my experience!!), what incredible animals that when you really look at them are quite odd looking. I miss little Sarika and Preenaga, two of my favourites - although I don't play favourites!! They were pretty special children and I cherish the moments with them.My roses could go on and on - but I think you get the jist of them.Thorns: Hmmmmm, how the heat made us all really lethargic. The energy level was not what it could have been if we weren't so hot.As well, the upset tummy that has gone on for 8 days now. It is on the mend and hopefully continues to each day. (I'll keep you posted!).Thanks everyone for such a great trip and being patient with the flights and delays.I look forward to being in a room together to see all of you back at school. Ms. P