DAY 1

Unable to sleep from all the excitement of finally meeting the exchange students, I was awake at six, daydreaming and thinking of the things we’d be doing and if we’d have enough fun and if they’d like us or even if we’d like them!  Ready by 7:50 a.m, I left for the airport, meeting a couple of other students there, who were just as nervous.  At 8:50-9:00, most of the children had arrived, along with the headmistress, Mrs. Shobha Jaishankar, and the two teachers who’ll be accompanying us to Germany; Mrs. Zenobia Rustomfram and Mrs. Anne Isaac.

  All of us children huddled together wondering out loud about almost everything possible.  Shivers, sweat, random outbursts of giggles ran through the crowd.  We were all terrified, yet we couldn’t wait to meet them.  An hour passed by, we were getting more and more anxious to see them walk outside those doors.  We had our garlands ready, the ‘thali’ was with the headmistress who would greet the Germans with a tika.

  Almost fifty minutes later, we finally recognised a group of boys accompanied by a teacher walking towards us.  Holding up our welcome banner high, we greeted them enthusiastically, and they were soon already in conversation with their host families.  Another few minutes, and the rest of the students and teachers walked out, spotting us immediately; a crowd this big was hard to miss.  Everybody was introduced to one another, and not one person left the airport unsmiling.