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Saturday Jan 21: 2nd visit at Anando, chilling and shopping at South City Mall, dinner at Flurry's, packing and leaving for Kolkata int.airport

2012-01-27T21:03:00.000-08:00

Friday Jan. 20: Chinese dragon show at CIS, interviews on recycling habits at CIS, creative exercises

2012-01-27T20:58:00.000-08:00

City tour of Kolkata: City centre and financial district, Armenian church, Salt Lake and the wetlands of Kolkata

2012-01-19T03:07:00.000-08:00

Teacher Mr Deb explains how the sewage water from Kolkata is cleaned while being filtered through the wetlands where plants and fish contribute to this cleaning process. The water hyacint picks up dangerous metals from the polluted water and so do fish in the basins, leaving the water much cleaner a few kilometers from this position.

City center walk to the Armenian church

Armenian church

Bridge across River Hoogly

Bollywood, Victoria Memorial

2012-01-18T19:31:00.000-08:00

Our day began in true Bollowood-style! Together with the excellent CIS-interpretors we enjoyed Shah Rukh Khan's latest movie. Entertaining and exciting!=)

Att inleda dagen med en storslagen bollywoodaction är kanske ett av de bästa sätten att vakna upp på. Utan text, men med bra översättare från CIS, kunde vi följa Shah Rukh Kahn i Don 2 jakten på de rätta sedelstämplarna. Pengar är frihet. Frihet är lycka.

In memory of Queen Victoria's rule, this impressive building was built.

Vistelsen här i Kolkata och Indien handlar väldigt mycket om att färdas och uppleva de enorma kontraster staden och landet bjuder på. Från att ha varit i en biosalong för säkert 700 personer i Kolkatas finaste och lyxigaste köpcenter (South City Mall) till att komma rakt ut på gatan med smuts, avgaser och tjock trafik får dig att pendla mellan rik/fattig, ren/smutsig, trygg/otrygg, lugn/stress osv.

Eftermiddagen spenderade vi i Maidan, Kolkatas stora grönområde, och besökte Victoria memorial. Dagen blev en ganska lugn dag där vi kände oss mer som turister än studenter.

Presentation, basketball match och and visit at the charity organisation Anando

2012-01-17T11:11:00.000-08:00

An intense game which CIS finally turned their way. Great effort from both sides and all players!

Presentation of recycling system in Sweden and sustainable development-assignment in the Sunderbans

Preparation before the presentation on recycling system in Sweden and the Sunderbans

After a good night's sleep and a late breakfast at the Maharajja we came to school to prepare our presentation about sustainable development regarding the Sunderbans and recycling habits in Sweden.One big difference in Kolkata is that garbage collectors come to your house to buy the trash from you and resell , for example glass and metall, it to the recycle station. In the discussion one person argued that the fundamental principles of this system is top of the line, while somenon else argued that this is more of a structural problem that preserves hierarchies and power positions in society which then also prevents a change to be brought about.

After lunch there was a girls' basketball game between a CIS-team and BRK students. A good and intense game in which the CIS-team got the upper hand by one point. Well done all players!

We finished the day visiting the NGO Anunda day care centre to which underpriviliged children can go as their parents do not have the time and/or possibility to take care of them. A fantastic place where we all learned what true humility, shyness and warm hearts really means.The children taught our students to do beautiful bracelets and our students played games with them. An extremely humbling and rewarding hour!

Efter en längre natts sömn och sen frukost på Maharadjan kom vi till skolan för att förbereda oss för vår presentation av arbetet vi började med igår och det vi arbetat med hemma och i Sunderbans. En stor skillnad mellan det svenska och indiska sophanterings- och återvinningssystemet är att här, i Kolkata, kommer sophämtare hem till familjerna för att köpa soporna. Därefter säljer de vidare till exempel glas och metall för tillverkning av nya produkter. Nån menade att detta är världens bästa sätt att hantera sopor på medan någon annan menade att detta är ett strukturellt problem som bevarar fattigdomen och maktpositioner och hierarkier i landet. Oavsett så håller det arbetslösheten nere.

Strax före lunch var det basketmatch mellan de indiska och svenska tjejerna. Indierna har ett duktigt lag som tränat tillsammans länge. Dessutom kom de tvåa på förra årets distriktsmästerskap. Trots detta förlorade vi bara med nåt poäng! Bra jobbat tjejer!

Efter en lång och lyckad dag i skolan åkte vi vidare till Anando. Anando är en icke-vinstdrivande organisation som hjälper och stöttar barn som bor i slummen med att utvecklas. Besöket var rörande och positivt på amma gång. På lördag ska vi träffa barnen igen för att hjälpa dem att måla en vägg på en skola. Så brukar barnen tacka dem som ger gåvor.

South City Mall, arts class, driveway cleaning, sustainable development documentary and lecture

2012-01-16T22:18:00.000-08:00

Morgonen inleddes pa CIS med en presentation av Sunderbans av tre kvinnor som arbetar inom organisationen CEMA. En av kvinnorna arbetade sjalv i borjan av 1980-talet aktivt i omradet Sunderbans genom att gora en dokumentarfilm som handlar om den unika ekologiska mangfalden i omradet. Skillnaderna mellan Sunderbans da och idag ar stora. Tigrarna ar farre och havsnivan har stigit markant. Stora delar av Sunderbans som da lag over vattenutan syns inte idag.

Darefter inleddes arbetet kring amnet Sustainable development. Eleverna arbetar nu med uppgiften kring varfor Sunderbands finns med pa UNESCO:s varldsarvslista och hur lokalbefolkningen och regeringen i landet arbetar for att bevara landskapet. Senare i veckan kommer eleverna att presentera resultatet och dessutom beratta om synen pa vargen i Sverige som en jamforelse.

Baggage retrieved!

2012-01-15T00:10:00.000-08:00

After a hectic, trying and interesting day at Delhi airport I managed to get all of our twelve bags back from the customs in Delhi and return back to our guest house at midnight yesterday. This would have been impossible to do in one day, however, without the wonderful, focused and smart help by Mrs Mukherjee and Mrs Manisha at Calcutta International School and the Lufthansa representative in Delhi, Mr Danish Mansur. He was absolutely fantastic in his patience and timing and knowing exactly what to do, when to do it and when Not to do anything but wait =)! I followed his lead and, as always, patience is a virtue and proved to be one of the keys we used to unlock this pretty tightly locked baggage door. What a relief to bring up the bags from our driver's car yesterday!

So right now I am waiting for the Sunderban travellers to come back, I am sure they have lots to tell! We are going to eat at the nice restaurant Maharajja, which is right by our guest house.

Med andra ord kanns det riktigt bra att ta ny sats infor nasta vecka, denna gang med rena klader, skor etc.=)
Sa skont att det gick vagen. Det var verkligen inte sjalvklart fick jag klart for mig ganska snart, trots hjalpen av ovanstaende ytterst kompetenta, generosa och hjalpande personer.
/Martin

Sunderbans

2012-01-14T08:57:00.000-08:00

Skola i Sunderbans. Eleverna kan behöva gå en timme till skolan enkel väg.

Sunderbans är ett av världens största och mest väl bevarade mangroveträsk i världen. Här lever tigrar och krokodiler vilt i det unika landsskapet.

Efter en ganska bumpig bilresa hoppade vi på en båt som under hel eftermiddagen tog oss runt i träsket. Några tigrar fick vi inte se men några av oss lyckades se två krokodiler. Kvällen har varit underbar med musik- och dansuppträdande med den lokala urinvånarbefolkningen. Just nu myser vi i våra hyddor och laddar inför morgondagen då vi ska ta en promenad till byn här för att därefter ta båten tillbaka till fastlandet. Där väntar buss tillbaka till Kolkata. Och våra resväskor som Martin åkt till Delhi för att hämta ut. Starten på resan har varit milt sagt oturlig. Men justnu känner vi nog alla att vinden har vänt. Eleverna älskr Sanderbans och skulle nig velat stanna längre i hopp om att få se en vild tiger.

First day - and finally in Kolkata!

2012-01-12T22:32:00.000-08:00

Efter att ha inlett resan med en avåkning på start- och landningsbanan me
d förseningar och missade flyg är vi äntligen framme i Kolkata. Bagaget är i Dehli och vi jobbar hårt på att få ut det fö
re vår resa

till Sunderbans i helgen.

Just nu är det runt tjugo

grader och bengalerna går klädda i halsduk och mössa.

Morgonen inleddes med varm välkomstceremoni med sång och dans och därefter frukost. Samosas gick hem.

Något spända och nervösa var de när de presenterades för varandra men studenterna fann varandra snabbt. I skrivande stund ute på skuggning. Därefter blir det lunch och vandring i närområdet till guesthouset.

2011-11-25T03:37:00.000-08:00

The sixth day- Visit to CIS and The University!

2011-11-02T00:58:00.000-07:00

Economics lesson and discussion of sustainable development in general

as well as regarding energy sources. Very interesting lesson!

At Calcutta university we met Sharmistha Banerjee, teacher in business mangagement, who, together with Co-ordinating principal Anders Lundevi started the exchange program in 2010. Now she is working at the university and took us on a grand tour of the humanities department and introduced us to several very interesting teachers who all had connections to Sweden!

Brand new library- very beautiful and harmonious!

University entrance hall.

Victoria Memorial

Sharmistha and her husband took us to a private club where families go to relax,

swim and hang out with family and friends.

Dinner at Haldiram, an Indian fast food restaurant.

Sharmistha, her husband, Ann and the four of us having a wonderful meal!

Excellent food!

The fifth day- going back to Kolkata!

2011-11-02T00:10:00.000-07:00

Buddhist temple on our way down from the mountain. We were allowed to witness

a praying ceremoni in the temple. What an incredible experience!

The monks were chanting mantras and rhythmically hitting each a drum. Very harminius!

Monks and future monks.

Souvenir shopping at another stop. A lovely store with very nice salespeople.

Bagdogra airport. A one hour flight on our way back.

The fourth day- Sunrise at Tiger Hill and and visit to the Zoo!

2011-11-01T23:54:00.000-07:00

Himalyan sunrise at Tiger Hill!

First rays...

Kanchunjunga, the third highest mountain in the world! 8,586 m high.

Chilly and beautiful morning.

On our way to the zoo we encountered this monkey.

The red panda-what a beautiful animal!

Snow leopard.

Huge tiger!

Indian spices!

Third day- Trip to Darjeeling

2011-11-01T23:30:00.000-07:00

Idols of hindu gods at our Guest house.

Entrance of train station.

Going around the station.

Passengers standing in line to get on the train.

Martin and Marcus' compartment which they shared with three other Indian gentlemen.

Stop on the way up to Darjeeling.

Half way up and growing more and more mountain-like.

Steam train, also called "The toy train", on the way to Darjeeling.

After 3 1/2 hours journey with a van we reached Darjeeling. What a city!

Mall road with numerous shops.

Woman selling idols of Buddha and other things

The second day

2011-11-01T22:59:00.000-07:00

Elocution contest: Jury of three teachers not teaching the students at the

moment judge the level of each student.

The librarian Mrs Ganguly gives instructions to one of the students before her speech.

Students from grade 10 are looking at the booklets with interest!

Asking about henna tatoos(Mehendi)on the hands and the symbolic value of it,

as it was Brothers day on which you salubrate your brother =).

More pictures from the first day!

2011-10-29T05:53:00.000-07:00

Some more pictures from our first day! It takes hours to download them
but we do it as quickly as we can! Beautiful buses in Kolkata!

Traffic jam all the time! We are heading for Calcutta international school.

And here we are together with Mrs Nandini Mukherjeee and a geography teacher from the school!

They showed us the school and its really beautiful. Here is their library which has a

magnifisant view through big panorama windows.

Beautiful Dwali lights.

Mrs Ann Lindsey, who is involved in an increible collaborative project with schools in India, became our personal, knowledgable and extremely helpful as well as generous tourguide! She told us uncountable tips as how to make the best of our trip and even helped us to find the right store for buying food for the long trip to Dardjeling.

She's the best!

Remember your books?

Next time we're going to tell you what happened when they

were delivered to the students!

Hello from Kolkata the second day!

2011-10-28T01:01:00.000-07:00

Arrived at Kolkata 3 a.m. Tired, confused and waiting for the driver to come. So excited!

The driver finally came to take us to the guest house.

Crazy taxidrive in high(!) speed through Kolkata, beautiful lit up due to Dwali.

A festival celebrating the god Kali.

Here we stay- the Chowdury Guesthouse! It's located i a nice neighbourhood and

in the central parts of the city.

Everywhere you can se so called "Pandals" beeing built.

They are temporary tempels that hounor Kali during Dwali.

Aentligen haer!

2011-10-27T03:56:00.000-07:00

After a long, smooth journey and a short night's sleep we have settled in in Kolkata. It is a true experience and we are enjoying it thoruoghly! We are right now at Calcutta International School and planning for our next visit with our students in January. We have also talked about the CIS-students' visit to Stockholm, having a lot of fun describing what the weather will be like...=) Slightly colder than here. It is so exciting after such a long time of planning and communicating that we are finally here, meeting everybody in person and working out more concretely the details of our collaboration.

See you tomorrow!

Flyg till Kolkata! Nu åker vi!

2011-10-25T23:53:00.000-07:00

Bloggrelease!

2011-05-20T04:09:00.000-07:00

First project

2011-05-16T06:21:00.000-07:00

Take a look at our first project!

The students at Brk have been given a task to present some basic facts about Sweden to the students of CIS in Calcutta. It is an interdisciplinary project between the subjects Geography, Social Studies and English. The students have in groups of 3-4 gathered information and created a 3-minute-presentation of their specific field(the forest, mountains, agriculture etc. of Sweden) with the program Photo Story. In this program they guide the viewer with voice, pictures and music.

Enjoy the presentations and we look forward to you commenting them!

Best regards, the class S2 and their teachers

PS: Click on "Finished projects" to watch the presentations and learn more about the specifics of the project.