DAY 3

It was the third day of the program and we were eagerly looking forward to it. After we reported in school at 9 a.m , there was a brief introduction on "Liter of Light" by Mr. Pradeep. He told us how he had come across the idea of turning old plastic bottles into solar bottles. Upcycling of used coke bottles leads to waste reduction. It saves energy which saves carbon dioxide emission.  1 bottle equals 55 watts.  It lasts for 2-5 years. 20 tonnes of carbon dioxide is saved per year. It illuminates houses without access to electricity. It is being implemented in towns such as Vikarabad, Adilabad  and Hyderabad.. It works on the principle of light. After this, we were given a demonstration on how to make the solar bulbs using the PET bottles.  We were provided with snacks after which we were taken to visit a slum in Kukatpally. The houses in this slum are lit up using the solar bulbs. After that we headed back to school. We were served lunch in  school. 

  After filling ourselves with all that delicious food, we were asked to work on our respective projects. So for sometime,we concentrated on the project.
We decided to visit an exhibition after school that was held at Nampally Grounds.  It was fun bargaining with the shopkeepers, and even some of the Germans had a go at it.  We went back home at 7 o'clock and were extremely tired after a long tiring day. We had no energy left after coming back home, but it was still a great experience.  We went to bed looking forward to the fun the next day would bring.

DAY 2

As the sun rose on the second day of our exchange program, we got ready for school. We reported there by nine and began our day with a short assembly. We sang the national anthems of India and Germany as a friendly gesture of respect towards both the countries.

After the assembly, we showed our guests around our school, introduced them to our classes and then began with our introductory session. We were also briefed about the whole student exchange programme. We had a small, fun interactive activity to break the ice between the different students and teachers. Once we got to know each other, we took a short break for lunch and then began with our main task, the environmental project.

As it was just the beginning, we did not spend much time on the project. We only got familiar with our groups and the topics given to us.

Late in the afternoon, we were joined by the Drumberries; the drummers' society in India. With a few loud rhythmic booms and bangs, we spent an hour with the tribal drums, making music and having fun.

In the evening, we went on a tour of places around our school like the Legislative Assembly, the Birla Mandir. Our tour ended at Eat Street, from where we dispersed and put an end to a tiring, yet energy-packed day.

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.