Mein Canada se hoon
(I'm from Canada.)
Yup I’ve been learning some Hindi. I’ve also been learning how to cross the roads here, though that seems to be tougher.
Although the weather here is a definitely a change from the 15 degree weather that I left back in Toronto, the deep green leaves of the tropical trees help with the shade and also makes for a cool breeze.
We’ve been here for a week, and yet it still feels unreal that we have landed in a very different land- with different people, different food, different modes of transportation and a different set of AIESECers. What seems to be familiar AIESEC-wise are the problems that we face in our Local Committees (LCs).
Left: Angela, Aziza and Me in front of the Victoria Terminal train station.
Yup I’ve been learning some Hindi. I’ve also been learning how to cross the roads here, though that seems to be tougher.
Although the weather here is a definitely a change from the 15 degree weather that I left back in Toronto, the deep green leaves of the tropical trees help with the shade and also makes for a cool breeze.
We’ve been here for a week, and yet it still feels unreal that we have landed in a very different land- with different people, different food, different modes of transportation and a different set of AIESECers. What seems to be familiar AIESEC-wise are the problems that we face in our Local Committees (LCs).Left: Angela, Aziza and Me in front of the Victoria Terminal train station.
On Saturday, we attended a General Body Meeting (GBM) and got to meet
the rest of the members of AIESEC Mumbai. Sitting through a 2 hour meeting, it’s quite amusing to see that Role calls are also very prominent here (though in Canada we only do them at conferences). Last night, we also sat through a 4 hour Executive Team Meeting. It was then, and also by talking with other members from the LC, I realized that although I’m on the other side of the world, we have the same problems in our Local committees. AIESEC’s culture is not only universal, but the problems that we face as well.
So back to the 4 hour Exec meeting—I was told that this is not the norm during the regular schoolyear. It’s only because it’s the summer holidays that they need to take advantage of this off time to be very productive. However, I know that this would be very rare back in my days in the Exec team at York. Vai, Shez- you know what I’m talking about right—we’d definitely throw tomatoes at Veronica for sure!
More adventures with food:
After the GBM on Saturday, we went and chilled at McDonald’s. My first McDonald’s meal in India. No meat on the menu at all—which is a bit ironic for McDonald’s, but I guess this is adaptation on their part.
We are now staying with Sonam, the VP OGX of AIESEC Mumbai. She took us to some shops nearby her house, and we had the privilege of tasting Pani Puri- an Indian snack- a bit hard to explain, but essentially it’s a small crispy puff-like thing, and then they fill it with some stuff inside, and they put some Tamarind sauce on it. Quite tasty! We also tried some Indian sweets. The shopkeepers were keen to give us a taste of their goods.
I’m realizing that I’m getting used to the more spicy tastes. I know for sure that I would not be able to survive the spiciness if this was back home—but I’m surviving it here! Aren’t you guys proud of me!
Let me see some Thum(b)s up!
Following the GBM on Saturday, at night we went to Advait’s (President of AIESEC Mumbai) house and had a little get together with the rest of the Local. I had a random conversation with Abbas and Ayesha about the popular drink here called Thums Up. Essentially, it’s Coke, but it’s been branded as Thums Up because apparently Coke bought it a long time ago, and since it was popular with Indians, they kept the name.
And so, I looked on the label of the bottle and turned to Ayesha and asked her
about why it was spelled as “Thums Up” without the “B”. She looked at it very puzzingly, and turned to Abbas (who bought the drink), and told him, “You bought a fake Thums Up! It’s missing a ‘B’!”
Abbas defended himself and said that there is no ‘B’ in Thums Up. She couldn’t believe this—so we asked a couple of others how to spell Thums Up. We got various responses, with some people claiming that there is a ‘B’ in Thums Up, and the funniest response that we got was from someone who believed that it is spelled as “T-H-U-M-P-S” Up.
Random conversations with new friends. Truly something to be remembered.
So back to the 4 hour Exec meeting—I was told that this is not the norm during the regular schoolyear. It’s only because it’s the summer holidays that they need to take advantage of this off time to be very productive. However, I know that this would be very rare back in my days in the Exec team at York. Vai, Shez- you know what I’m talking about right—we’d definitely throw tomatoes at Veronica for sure!
More adventures with food:
After the GBM on Saturday, we went and chilled at McDonald’s. My first McDonald’s meal in India. No meat on the menu at all—which is a bit ironic for McDonald’s, but I guess this is adaptation on their part.
We are now staying with Sonam, the VP OGX of AIESEC Mumbai. She took us to some shops nearby her house, and we had the privilege of tasting Pani Puri- an Indian snack- a bit hard to explain, but essentially it’s a small crispy puff-like thing, and then they fill it with some stuff inside, and they put some Tamarind sauce on it. Quite tasty! We also tried some Indian sweets. The shopkeepers were keen to give us a taste of their goods.
I’m realizing that I’m getting used to the more spicy tastes. I know for sure that I would not be able to survive the spiciness if this was back home—but I’m surviving it here! Aren’t you guys proud of me!
Let me see some Thum(b)s up!
Following the GBM on Saturday, at night we went to Advait’s (President of AIESEC Mumbai) house and had a little get together with the rest of the Local. I had a random conversation with Abbas and Ayesha about the popular drink here called Thums Up. Essentially, it’s Coke, but it’s been branded as Thums Up because apparently Coke bought it a long time ago, and since it was popular with Indians, they kept the name.
And so, I looked on the label of the bottle and turned to Ayesha and asked her
about why it was spelled as “Thums Up” without the “B”. She looked at it very puzzingly, and turned to Abbas (who bought the drink), and told him, “You bought a fake Thums Up! It’s missing a ‘B’!”Abbas defended himself and said that there is no ‘B’ in Thums Up. She couldn’t believe this—so we asked a couple of others how to spell Thums Up. We got various responses, with some people claiming that there is a ‘B’ in Thums Up, and the funniest response that we got was from someone who believed that it is spelled as “T-H-U-M-P-S” Up.
Random conversations with new friends. Truly something to be remembered.
10 Comments:
Hey babes,
I'm so glad to see you're doing so well and your hindi is getting better by the day. When you get back we'll have a conversation entirely in hindi...lol.
Btw...it's Thumbs Up...with the 'B'. Lol...you did buy the fake one.
4 HOUR EXEC MEETINGS IN THE SUMMER...yea you're right...we would need to keep a basket of tomatoes in that case.
Take care...missing you loads.
By sheryl, at 11:12 AM
ahahahahhaa.. THUMPS up...its almost sexual.. ok, lets not go there..
Im sooo happy to hear you're alive and doing well :D.. and that you're handling the food!!
ahh..i have chills up my spine right now.. im soo excited for you !!!
ok.. sheryl.. we should stop being the only ones that check and post messages..
WE MISS YOU LLORENEEEEEEE!
By pam, at 11:40 AM
miss you guys too! mwah!
By Llorene Agmata, at 7:48 AM
I'll post too so I can share a bit of the blogging fun =P
So Llorene, how's life? When are you coming back so we will have a chance to go to mass together again? =)
It's already very exciting to be reading all the CEEDer's adventures! I can imagine the fun~~~
Take care
*hugs*
By Jennifer, at 5:17 PM
HI llorene
no worries pam...I check the blog too...i cant believe they have a fake thumps up...last time I remmeber there should to be a b there...yeah but I never liked coke...so I stopped drinking it along time ago....buy pepsi...atleast the name wont be spelled wrong...
varun
By varun, at 11:36 AM
lloreneee!
i misss youu.
umm.
pam is the coolest.
i hope you're doing well in mumbai. have fun, have chinese food off the road at nariman point..
and drink a lot of "THUMPS" up (my afavourite drink)
And bring my camera from my mom.
no i dont want to fit in.
i am liar.
By adil, at 3:43 PM
and now, you've made it to the newspapers ! Have a look -
http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?NewsID=1030407&CatID=1
Famous Canadian Ambassadors discovering and developing their potential ;-).
By A Paper-plane Pilot, at 12:26 AM
wowoowowowowo..
my llorene's famous in INDIA! who would have thought..
admit it, the perfectly flipped hair is what got you mention, isnt it??? :P
Seems like you guys are doing a grreat job.. have funn.
By pam, at 5:02 PM
Hey llorene...
reading ur adventures in India is funny...try making a trip down to bangalore...and yeah..while u rin bombay...dont forget to eat vada-pav !!
Have a blast !!
By Harit, at 10:05 AM
HAPPPPPPY BURRRRRRRRRDAYYYYYY!
HAVE FUN, EAT LOTS OF CAKE, GET DRUNK.. (aww, without me ? )
LOVE YOU!!!
By pamela, at 1:05 PM
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