What happens when international students flock over for an exchange programme?

For starters, they can't get over the cows! "There are so many of them on the roads," Hilda and Jocelin, both 17 and from Taiwan can't get past the 'gau mata'. Nor can they find any sense in the road sense that prevails here. "It's so chaotic," chorus German students Nils Yannic Cirkel, Silvan Steiner and Belinda Vogt, in country for a four week stay along with five other students under the Rotary's International Youth Exchange Programme. These students have been hosted by the families of Rotarians of Rotary Club of Chandigarh Central so that they are able to learn about the lifestyles and culture of India, informs Rtn Navjit Singh Aulakh, District 3080 Chairman for International Youth Exchange.

So, now that the big switch has taken place, what really happens after it? While Nils is totally fascinated by the different ways a simple vegetable can be cooked - he can't remember any names though, Silvan's taken by the hospitality and warm weather. "There's another thing I'll never forget - speeding on the national highway with a dysfunctional horn!" he laughs at the harrowing experience they had. As for Belinda, she is still trying to get over the mass vehicular onslaught! "We've visited Delhi, Agra, Amritsar, Shimla and Jaipur," they run through the various destinations, unable to recall anything spectacular about them. The only thing they noticed was how a class is taken over by the teacher and students have zero participation. "It's so strange...children are not involved at all. There is no interactivity," says 18-year-old Belinda. Sitting quietly at the back, Hilda seems to be mesmerized by the monuments in India especially the Golden temple while big fat Indian weddings and traditional Indian costumers have found a fan in Jocelin.

... contd.