blog#2, 28 November – by Vishnupriya R (Kerala, India)
The first day of the Wetskills program was a mixture of great excitement and anxiety for me. Excited of course, about working on a major growing concern in India along with youngsters from Netherlands, but at the same time very anxious thinking about the coming two weeks. Meeting and interacting with the Dutch students for the first time at breakfast, I realized many were as excited and anxious as I was, which put me more at ease.
The day started with a tour of the CEE campus that everyone seemed to have greatly enjoyed, as did I. After a delicious Guajarati lunch, we all decided to visit the Sarkhej Roza Mausoleum which, being an architecture student, was an amazing experience for me.
Next on the agenda was to visit the Sabarmati river front. After ice-creams and long walks on the concrete paved paths, an architect spoke to us about his concerns about how the new river front project was conceived and executed. Returning to our tuktuks (auto rickshaws) we decided to go to a flea market next. The whole Ahmedabad culture hit me then, which was vibrantly different from the culture back home in Kerala. The whole character of the city was so different, as it is throughout India. After an enjoyable traditional Gujarati thali meal for dinner, we all walked back to the CEE campus.
I’m sure, even though my Dutch friends might have had tiny heart attacks seeing things here that they don’t usually see back home (like the driving here) that they will surely take back home some great experiences and memories. The coming two weeks, I’m certain will give many amazing skills and memories that will make a significant impact on everyone’s capabilities. Thrilled and waiting for the coming days!
