Our hearts gave an excited jolt; our senses began to quiver with expectation and excitement as our BA036 flight landed with a gentle thud at Heathrow, London. Thrilled but completely unaware of the enormity of the good time that was awaiting us, we walked out of terminal four. Standing outside to welcome us, with beaming smiles, were our English hosts and even before we knew it the ice was already broken. Our trip kick started with the introduction of the host families. Each of us had to stay with the family of a Highcliffe school student. We will never forget those wonderful people who hosted us. The hospitality and generosity they showered us with was beyond description. In fact, none of us felt away from home during the trip. We left for Oxford the next day, and we were overwhelmed by the imposing architecture. An air of power seemed to radiate from the walls of every building and the people, predominantly students, who were there. We instantly felt a great amount of affinity for the place and did not want to leave it at all, although we did stay there for two days it just seemed as though we could not get enough of Oxford University. We returned to our English friends, who greeted us again with warmth. The hours seemed to fly past from that point of time. We visited their school, attended a few lessons with them and even cooked for the staff of that school! We found their school awe-inspiring, the corridors gave way to highly polished staircases from where the beautifully maintained grounds were visible on which the students, young and old, played during recess. The highly equipped classrooms played host to a variety of students impressing all of us. A plasma screen in most corridors displayed sports and news channels. The whole setup of the school made it look like a place where children would like to spend their time even after their lessons; the atmosphere was as disciplined as the army yet as welcoming as a cool breeze, a combination which is not all too easily achievable. In other words, it matched the atmosphere of our own school.
We visited a number of towns nearby such as Southampton, Bournemouth, Oxford, Milton Keynes and also very interesting places and world heritage sites such as the Jurassic Coast and the Stonehenge. The Jurassic coast, with its strong winds and unstable shore sands shall remain in our memory for a very long time; and the Stonehenge, with its intimidating size and myths was no less significant. Apart from that we went in various groups to different places. While a few of us visited the Motor Museum in Beaulieu, some went shopping and to Bournemouth. But wherever we were, we were very happy and contended, and each felt that the place of his visiting was the best. We also visited the mayor in Christchurch who apart from being a very pleasant person gave us some interesting facts about the history of Christchurch. We had tea with the mayor and toured Christchurch. The priory of the Christchurch cathedral was very beautiful and artistic. The streets were narrow and tidy and the people, many of them elderly were extremely pleasant. We cooked High Tea at school, which was enjoyed by ourselves as well as the staff; the fact that they survived (with a smile!) is testimony to that fact.
Our cautious approach to our hosts soon blossomed into thick bonds of friendship and mutual respect. We slowly built a relationship, which we hoped would stand the test of time. We also liked the lessons at their school, something that remains a fantasy here. We also visited lesser known but no less appealing places such as the New Forest whilst we had the time. Each day became a treasure of moments and memories for us. We also sang some of our prayers and national songs at their annual summer concert to general applause. Dorset was like a home away from home. It took us less than hours to get to know each other better and within no time, a bonding relationship was forged between the Indians and the English. We engaged in conversations, from the most mundane topics to the very serious ones. Music or dance, language or literature, the different aspects of each other’s culture was exchanged. Nothing seemed to create a difference between us, not the fact we were different nationalities, not the fact we came from different corners of the globe, not the fact we had known each other for a short time. Breakfast and dinners became a family affair where we talked over food about everything under the sun. The days, however, kept ticking as fast as they always do when we are happy. It was looking like only the beginning when the end had arrived. We were packing again, but the trouble was our hearts refused to pack. But we forced ourselves to move on and found ourselves choking when we attempted to thank our hosts; we did manage the gratitude with tears in the eyes, choking in the throat and the pain of separation in our hearts. It might seem an exaggeration, but sometimes the truth of emotion overpowers even dreams and tales. We became the greatest of friends, the closest of people. A trip where we felt unprecedented affinity and unity for all; a voyage where the others’ welfare was considered paramount more important than to ours; a travel which infused love for all within us very strongly; a flight that made us realize our teachers were our mothers; an excursion which brought so much joy and extreme sadness at end; a tour where we tutored ourselves more than anyone has ever done. Hats off! To all on this trip and especially to Mrs. Rama Sundaram, who came as our teacher, guide and close friend. Without her, it would have been impossible to enjoy and also learn as much as we did. We learnt so much and felt so much on this one trip that it would be impossible to remember it all. It is not always possible to realize this, but we felt so much of emotion, that all of our hearts’ feelings for each other came bursting out. We began the journey with our brains and intelligence, but only in the end did we realize that it was our hearts that had made the most of the journey…our hearts directed us and we reached the greatest of heights both outside and within… |
