Official Newsletter of Projects Abroad INDIA NOVEMBER 2009 Issue No.

17

2 DIRECTOR’S PAGE SOCIAL EVENTS

INDIA INSIDE AND OUT 11 Projects Abroad Weekend – Kovalam
3 Pottery in India 12 Projects Abroad Dirty Weekend– Little Stars MakeOver
NEWS AND UPDATE 13 Projects Abroad Weekend – Munnar
5 New Staff Update - Ms Rajaswathi 14 Projects Abroad Forthcoming Weekend - Cochin
5 Vegetable Farm - An Update VOLUNTEER’S CORNER
6 Spotlights & Donations 15 My Days in India – Mr Sander Wiechernick
7 Birthdays & Whats’ On Guide 16 Little’s Memorable Project –Mr Michael Little
8 New Arrivals & Departures 17 Indientraeume wurden Wirklichkeit –Ms Alina Emrich
DESTINATION OF THE MONTH 19 COOKERY CORNER
9 Velankanni – a Research 20 Contact List

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DIRECTOR’S PAGE ISSUE NO 17 NOVEMBER 2009

Hello everyone,

Welcome to the November edition of the Indian Newsletter. This month has seen the move of
the entire operations office to Madurai. This exciting change will enable us to develop the
programme here in India and continue to offer volunteers a unique cultural experience within
India.

In addition, the shift has also seen the entire Journalism project move to Madurai as well. The
Sivakasi Times has now changed to the Times of Madurai. Based in the second
largest city in Tamil Nadu state, the Athens of the East, it offers volunteers more
opportunities within the scope of journalism.

Furthermore, this November has seen the continuation of the Weekend outreach
programmes with some impressive painting at Little Star School. Thanks to all the staff from
Projects Abroad and the volunteers on their impressive effort seen later in the newsletter.

In addition to the ever popular weekend trips, we will be looking forward to inviting all
volunteers, staff and placement supervisors to our official office launch in December. Please
keep an eye out for the date which Nadia, our Social Manager, will be providing further
information about soon to all volunteers. Full details will be sent soon but, having just
spoken to our office owner, I can now guarantee we are ok to go ahead with a small fireworks
display.

That’s all for now. Please enjoy the letter and feel free to send any comments or articles to
our team.

Thanks,

Andrew Fryer
Acting Director

WE HOPE YOU ENJOY IT!

If you have anything like to contribute, suggest or comment on, please contact
india-socialmanager@projects-abroad.org

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INDIA INSIDE & OUT ISSUE NO 17 NOVEMBER 2009

Pottery in India……
Pottery is one of the most ancient and popular forms of Indian village art. Pottery in Indian
villages has been in existence since the Indus Valley civilisation and is still practised in mo
st of the Indian villages. The art of the handling of clay is called Pottery and it is one of the
earliest skills known to the Indians. The Indians are expert in moulding clay with their hands
to form various things of daily use, toys and deities of worship from the ancient
period.
Pottery in Indian villages speaks volumes about the culture, traditions,
architecture and in-built talent of the Indian artisans. Pottery in Indian
villages presents a wonderful amalgamation of concept, design and
execution. Potteries can be both handmade and wheel-made, which is
practised all over India.
Pottery was one of the earliest skills known to the Indians.
The advent of the Potter's wheel gave man the ability to make
beautifully shaped pots for his personal use. The movement of the
wheel and the pressure exerted by the hands on the clay gives new
shapes and forms.
There are mainly two types of pottery found in the Indian villages, namely the unglazed pottery
and glazed pottery. The unglazed pottery is considered the finest pottery in Indian villages and
it has a wide range. There are three different styles in unglazed pottery, namely the paper-thin,
scrafito and highly polished. In case of pottery made using the scrafito technique, the pot is
polished and painted with red and white slips along with intricate patterns and the outline
is incised here. Since pottery requires great labour, the people and the families involved in
this occupation lived together and moved together. So the children in the family also fol-
lowed whatever their parents did and education has not been an important pursuit. Grains
and cereals are stored after harvest in these earthenware pots.
Unglazed Pottery: The unglazed pottery is practised throughout the country and each
region has its own speciality. The black pottery has always been considered one of the
most famous forms of unglazed pottery in Indian villages. In the highly polished pottery,
the decorations are strong, deeply incised and of stylised patterns.
Since India is in the tropical region, these earthenware pots provide naturally refrigerated
water during summer. They make the usual range of domestic pottery, water-pot,
cooking-pot, kitchen pot, lassi (a drinking glass) pot, pot for brewing rice beer,
moneyboxes, oil pot for massaging the baby, pickle storage pot, pot for the cow's milk,
for smoking and oil lamps.

3
Glazed Pottery: In India, the making of glazed pottery came into being with the
advent of the Arab influence in India. Only a few centres in India are known for its
production. Going further south, the region famous for its pottery is Pondicherry.
Terracotta: Tamilnadu is famous for the terracotta figures of the Aiyanar Deity.
The figures are huge and they are found standing guard at the entrances of villages
protecting the insiders from evil spirits. Tamil potters are famed for making the
largest terracotta statues in the world. Figures of horses, which can be as much as
seven metres in height to the god Ayanar, are much in demand. They are believed
to serve as chargers for his warriors when they make their nocturnal patrols to keep demons away from the
villages. Terracotta images of popular deities are also sometimes of monumental size. Today, terracotta pottery,
though not used for basic needs, has nevertheless retained its pride of place for exciting interior design and
decoration.
Individual Touch: There is also a category that is distinctive of a particular individual or a
family. These are potters who work either in their own personal
studios or at schools producing both traditional and modern
earthenware, both utilitarian and purely dysfunctional! In most cases,
these people are not direct sellers and it is always the mediator who
gains and these people do not prosper.
Additional information: fish recipes cooked in the earthenware will keep your tongue
drooling and pickles too. Still, there are people who wish to cook fish in earthenware
despite the availability of modern utensils.Every village of almost every state of India has
a potter (Khumbar or Kumhar) who 'wheels' out an amazing variety of household utensils and other objects of
utility. They sit outside their huts, spinning their wheels, creating bowls, mugs, plates, urns for storing and
carrying water, flowerpots, foot-scrubbers, small pots and a myriad of other articles required by an Indian
household.
Every village potter inculcates into his art the regional characteristics and
variations. Tribal art forms are varied and substantial but not easily accessible. Pot-
ters enjoy a special status in Tamil Nadu. Unlike potters in
other parts of India, they wear the "sacred thread" of the
"twice-born", which elsewhere is reserved for higher castes,
and they frequently act as unofficial guardians of the smaller village
temples. Pottery in India has deep religious
significance.
Figurines of Gods and Goddesses are made of clay

during festivals like Durga Puja in Bengal and

Ganesh Chaturthi in Maharashtra .

Also popular are the gram devtas (village deities)

regularly created by local craftsmen.

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 FEATURES ISSUE NO 17 NOVEMBER 2009

New Staff Update

Raja Swathi…….
We would like to extend a warm welcome to Raja Swathi, our new
member of staff! Swathi will be serving as Office Manager for
Projects Abroad INDIA hereafter. She completed her Masters in Business
Administration and worked as Senior Human Resource Executive in RIPE
Institute Pvt Ltd. She says that the best thing about her job is that she can
elevate herself in an administration role and she also likes to work with
Projects Abroad INDIA. She also enjoys working with our staff ….!

UPDATE ON PROJECT - VEGETABLE GARDEN (ULLAR MODEL FARM)

…An Update by Madhan - Conservation Coordinator

Since 2004 we have been successfully running the Model Farm at Ullar. Our vision
is to help the future generation to live with healthy
nature.

As a part of our conservation project development

process I took initiative and brought an idea to the
Director, Peter Slowe, and to our Country Director,
Mr. Rajendran, to create an organic vegetable garden on Model Farm. We
started to work on creating the vegetable garden which has taken three
months to prepare the land and structure the design. After that, on July
16th and 17th, (planted those vegetables by Ardiginly Group volunteers) we
planted vegetable saplings and seeds.

In that progress all of our conservation volunteers contributed their hard

effort under the sun. We are
now growing Tomato, Brinjal,
Lady finger, Pumpkin,
Bottleguard, Snakeguard,
Bittergaurd, Greens,
Watermelon, etc..
This will help the farmers to
produce organic vegetables in
their fields too.

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NEWS AND UPDATE ISSUE NO 17 NOVEMBER 2009

Spotlights…….

Projects Abroad INDIA has faced a big move to

Madurai. Our new office is in Pasumalai and we
started our work here from November 9th,2009 .
We hope our volunteers also enjoy this new place!!!!

Our New Journalism Project – Times of Madurai

started its work in Madurai and pubished the first
edition in the month of November 2009!

Donations…...
Projects Abroad India and the Volunteers’ contributed the
following donations for the month of October 2009…And we salute
your Kindness!

Projects Abroad India Contribution

♦ Rs.1700 was donated to Janarthanan, who is undergoing Physiotherapy Treatment in

Elwin Centre, by Our Staff - Ms. Tess Okell (Peru)
♦ Projects Abroad INDIA contributed Rs.6600 for the Volunteers’ Dirty Weekend -
Little Star’s MakeOver at Little Star Primary and Nursery School, Virudhunagar.

Volunteer’s Contribution

Volunteers – Judith Gois, Sally McDonell, Juliet Craven, Amrit Purba and Jasmin Berker
bought the painting materials for the Dirty Weekend - Little Stars MakeOver, at
Little Star Primary and Nursery School ,Virudhunagar.

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 B i r t h d ay C e l e b r a t i o n s
Projects Abroad’s heartfelt greetings to all the volunteers and staff to those celebrating
their birthdays during the month of December 2009.

Volunteers Staff
Name Date of Birthday Name Date of Birthday

Ms Hema Bhakta December 9th Ms Sangamitra December 7th

Ms Alina Emrich December 14th Mr Ezhil Elango December 28th
Ms Sally McDonnell December 16th
Ms Jaana Schmitt December 16th H o l i d ay L i s t  
Ms Sabitha Vestergaard December 29 th December 7— Muharram
December 25—Christmas

What's On? Guide

Music Classes available in Madurai – Nearer to Madurai

Kamaraj University in Madurai there is an
institute named – PILLAR, where traditional
music can be taught for the people. Volunteers
interested can approach them and can fix the
convenient timings by themself – if any help is
needed in finding out, just contact Social Manager
at Projects Abroad INDIA!

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 DESTINATION OF THE MONTH ISSUE NO 17 NOVEMBER 2009

Velankanni…..
A small hamlet in Tamil Nadu, Velankanni is a popular pilgrim centre, especially renowned
for the Church of Mother Mary. As a great number of pilgrims turn up here, like Lourdes in
France, Velankanni is nicknamed as Lourdes of the East. Velankanni is also famous for its
delicate handlooms and silk.

Velankanni is located 12 km south of Nagapattinam on the Coromandel Coast, in Tamil

Nadu. The shrine here is dedicated to The Lady of Health, the Madonna of Velankanni and
is popularly known as 'Sacred Arogya Matha Church'. Virgin Mary is believed to have
miraculous healing powers. Thousands of pilgrims belonging to various castes and
communities flock daily to this 'Lourdes of the East'. The church has an imposing facade
with tall spires and the wings present the shape of a cross. In a niche in the altar is
enshrined the statue of Our Lady of Health.
Velankanni was one of the worst hit areas in the tsunami that followed the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake.

The main statue that they had placed at the altar of the church showed The Lady holding the Baby Jesus,
while standing on the globe. Velankanni Church was given the status of a Parish in the year 1771. Father
Antonio de Rozario served as the First Parish Priest. In 1962, His Holiness Pope John XXIII raised it to the
status of basilica.
History: According to popular legend, Mother Mary appeared with Infant Jesus in Velankanni at the end of
the 16th or early 17th century. Since then, for all pilgrims of the world, Velankanni has been the most
important destination and almost the synthesis of all Marian Sanctuaries. Thus, the Pope in the Vatican
City has declared Velankanni as a Holy City.
The tradition is to offer Our Lady
of Health a candle in the shape of
the respective ailment - a heart in
case of cardiac complications,
a liver in case of jaundice, lungs
in case of tuberculosis and so on. In
case of the ailment getting cured,
many bring with them small gold and
silver replicas of parts of the body that
have been cured to donate to the
church. Sometimes offerings are
sent in sealed bottles or big hollow
bamboos duly closed and thrown in
to the sea with the address of the
shrine written on them. Such
offerings are believed to reach the
holy spot.

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Fairs & Festivals
Arokkaiyamatha Festival: Commencing on 29th of August, this 10-day
grand festival, commemorating the Feast of Our Lady, is celebrated at
the Velankanni Church.

Places around Velankanni

• Nagapattinam: One of the popular harbours of India,Nagapattinam,
on the Coromandel Coast, is home to the Shri Kayahorana Swami Neelayathatchi Amman Temple,
Sowriraja Perumal Temple and Nellukkadai Mariamman Temple and Sri Rangam Temple( The first
Vaishnava temple in South India, this temple, located in Trichy).

Transport Facilities
• By Air: The nearest airport is at Tiruchirappalli (165 km).

• By Train: The closest railway station is at Nagapattinam, from where you can travel
to all major cities in South India.

• By Road: Velankanni is well-connected by a network of roads, with buses available

from all parts of the state to reach Velankanni.

Tourist Attractions
There are much more attractions near to Velankanni that can make the trip memorable.

• Velankanni Church: The church is also known as 'Our Lady of Good Health' and was built in the late
16th century. Velankanni Church of India is a colossal structure, and built as per the Gothic style of
architecture. The shrine here is dedicated to Our Lady of Health, the Madonna of Velankanni, and is
well-known as Sacred Arogya Matha Church. There is also a shrine of Our Lady of Sorrow, where the
sorrowing Mother is portrayed carrying Infant Jesus in her arms.

• Church Museum: Situated opposite the Basilica, this museum has diverse exhibits, with biblical
incidents depicted on both side walls. Also, the precious offerings made by the devotees are displayed as
well.
Holy masses are conducted there in at least eight languages, namely Tamil, English, Malayalam, Kannada,
Telugu, Konkani, Hindi and Marathi.

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 SOCIAL EVENTS ISSUE NO 17 NOVEMBER 2009

Projects Abroad Weekend – Kovalam

Reported By Victor-Staff

On Friday – 06/11/09,
Around 9.00am I (Victor) started travelling to Kovalam from Sivakasi with
Journalism & Teaching Volunteers – Mr Simon Reynolds &
Ms Sabina Petersen from Sivakasi. On the way, we collected some other
volunteers – Ms Jasmin Berker (Medicine) and Ms Simone Thorsager from
Madurai and continued our travel of about 6 hours towards Kovalam. In
between we stopped to have our lunch at Marthandam at around
02.30pm. All the other Volunteers
arrived by themselves! In total,
28 volunteers joined the weekend trip.
We all stayed at Green Valley Cottage
for the weekend and had our dinner at
German Bakery for that night! Because of the inconvenience felt ,some
volunteers stayed in another hotel.
On Saturday – 07/11/09,
Unfortunately, the whole day was raining in Kovalam so we had to change
our plan such as playing beach volley ball to shopping and taking
Ayurvedhic massage etc. Later that evening, during our dinner time, we
celebrated the birthday of one of
our Teaching Volunteers –
Ms Johanna Heinemann, by cutting a cake. Also, we all lit the
candles and sang Birthday songs and wished her Happy Birthday!
Everyone was very happy and had great fun there!
On Sunday – 08/11/09,
We did some sight-seeing there and everybody started the journey
to their placements after finishing their breakfast. Some were
interested in travelling by train and so those people stayed in the
railway station to catch the train!
Though we didn’t do what we had planned due to the rain, we enjoyed the rain and birthday party so
much………on the whole, I can say we had a nice trip!!!!......:-)

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Projects Abroad INDIA joined hands with Teaching and Medical Volunteers at Virudhunagar and
conducted a Dirty Weekend – Little Stars Makeover and here is their experience and words to all of you!!!...
This exclusive edition was written by the Volunteers -Judith Gois, Sally McDonell,Amrit Purba,Jasmin Berker
and Juliet Craven.

Date: 14th / 15th November 2009

Venue: Little Star Nursery & Primary School, Virudhunagar
Thursday Evening ,
Nadia & Victor accompanied us on a quote hunting expedition in town for
the paint & tools required to complete the project. Once we had a group
meeting to decide upon the appropriate quote, off we went with the
Principal’s husband also to assist in ensuring we had everything.
Friday Evening ,
After school was over, we arrived with a paint brush in one hand and a
bucket of enthusiasm in the other. We started off by sanding and
priming the 70 benches and walls. Nadia & Victor kindly assisted us.
Hema, Dani & Helen arrived that evening from Madurai to help the next day.
Saturday ,
After a good night’s sleep, we set off for the School to paint the first coats
on the benches & walls as well as sanding and painting the blackboards.
The occasional spot of rain prompted
the idle painter to depart
prematurely, which led to speculation
whether the goal would be reached
within the given time. The remaining
troop soldiered on despite the
torrential downpour and Amrit’s
Mural painting provided the much
needed sunshine to our work.
Lunch, snacks and an endless stream
of tea were supplied by the school.
Helen, Hema and Dani left that
evening after a hard day’s work back
to Madurai.
Sunday ,
The remaining volunteers painted the second coats of paint on the
benches and walls while Amrit continued working on her art-work.
The other volunteers expressed themselves artistically with a new
notice board, leaving our handprints as signatures.
The project would not have been possible without Nadia & Victor, for all their hard work and
encouragement……organising the schedule down to the egg puffs! Also thank you to Austin for the moral
support.
With the assistance of Projects Abroads’ donation, we were able to turn the school into a bright learning
environment for the children….Thank you to all of the staff at ‘Little Star’ who all helped with the makeover
in a cheery & friendly manner!

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P
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 Projects Abroad Forthcoming Weekend
COCHIN- An overview...
Kochi (colonial name Cochin) is a
vibrant city situated on the south-west coast of the Indian peninsula in the
breathtakingly scenic and prosperous state of Kerala, hailed as 'God's Own
Country'. Its strategic importance over the centuries is underlined by the
sobriquet Queen of the Arabian Sea.
Informally, Cochin is also referred to as the Gateway to Kerala.
From time immemorial, the Arabs, British, Chinese, Dutch, and Portuguese
have left indelible marks on the history and development of Cochin. Over the
years, Cochin has emerged as the commercial and industrial capital of Kerala
and is perhaps the second most important city on the west coast of India (after
Mumbai/Bombay). Cochin is proud of its world class port and international
airport that link it to many major cities worldwide.
This lovely seaside city is flanked by the Western Ghats on the east and the
Arabian Sea on the west. Its proximity to the equator, the sea and the
mountains provide a rich experience of a moderate equatorial climate.
Strictly speaking, Cochin is a small town. But, Cochin has outgrown its original
bounds and is now the general name given to much of the region adjoining the
original town, which now includes Cochin, Fort Kochi, Mattanchery, Ernakulam
and many other nearby towns and villages. Cochin is situated in Ernakulam district in the state of Kerala.
Ernakulam is also the name of a town - the
administrative capital of Ernakulam district - but,
for all practical purposes Ernakulam and Cochin,
generally, refer to the same place.
Kochi is the arguably the ideal starting point for
exploring the unfathomable diversity
and beauty of Kerala, rated in the top three
tourist destinations by the World Travel & Tourism
Council and featured in National Geographic
Traveler's '50 greatest places of a lifetime'.
This article will use Cochin and Kochi
interchangeably since they refer to the same place. Kochi is the original name of the city, while Cochin is

the colonial name. Hope the Volunteers will definitely enjoy it!!!
Have a great Weekend……...

14
 VOLUNTEERS’ CORNER ISSUE NO 17 NOVEMBER 2009

and me came up with the idea of sheep on the

My Project in India farm. After a talk with Mr. Rajendran we decided to
buy 5 sheep of which two where sponsored by Alias
I found out about Projects Abroad through the
and me.
Internet. I wanted to go abroad for a long time and
On April 12th Mr. Rajendran suffered a heart attack
do some useful work, Projects Abroad provided me
and died. And that time I knew him and his son
with both.
Pabbu already for about five months so it also
The reason I choose India was getting out of the
affected me a little. It’s never easy when you lose a
western culture and I really liked the conservation
person so suddenly - it was a big loss.
project, it was the best decision in my life.
Pabbu became the Director and I must say that he
The first day I arrived at the airport and was picked
did a pretty good job for somebody who had a year
up by Mr. Ponraj who was the conservation
like his. We hired two employees for the farm,
supervisor at that time. He took me for a long taxi
Mariappan and Thirupathi, bringing a lot of fun to
ride to Sivakasi. In Sivakasi I was introduced to
the farm with their personality, and they do their
Mr. Rajendran, the director of Projects Abroad India,
work with pleasure.At the end of April I went to Sri
and to his staff. It’s for me the first time that I leave
Lanka to extend my visa. I was hoping for a 6
home for a long time, and also the first time outside
month visa but I got a 3 months visa, so in August I
Europe, so I was pretty nervous but Mr. Rajendran
went again. In May I went travelling up north for
really made me comfortable with the situation I was
three and half weeks. I went to Delhi, Agara and
in. After spending the night in Sivakasi I went
Dharmasala, to see the Himalayas; it was beautiful.
together with Mr. Ponraj to Ullar and the farm. In
Working at the farm has been really fun. I learned
Ullar I met with the other volunteers who where
a lot about medicinal plants and working with
there, Peter and Kara. It was also the first time I met
Madhan, Mariappan and Thirupathi was really fun.
Durai and Lakshmi, the host family where we eat.
My biggest interest is maintenance and building
After putting my stuff in my room we went to the
new things on the farm. I think we succeeded in
farm where Ponraj showed me around.We went that
that with a new nursery, the sheep house and the
morning to an Ecological Farm in Puliangudi and I
vegetable garden. Also we have planted a lot of
remember how hot it was. That afternoon I didn’t
trees and plants.Of course,I can’t forget Durai and
work and slept under the fan till the next morning.
lakshmi.Durai, Lakshmi, Sathis and Vinoth are like
After that I was pretty much accustomed to the
family. Durai is my big brother; Lakshmi is my big
climate and though it’s still hot, I can handle it.
sister. Lakshmi is the best cook you can get and is
The first week on the farm was mostly about
the sweetest person I met in India. I will miss them
watering, making compost and learning the plants.
very much and I will come back to meet up with
After a couple of weeks I could stand the heat much
them and I will keep in contact in mean time.
better and I started to do some harder work like
This year has been very special for me. I met a lot
weeding and planting. Also we visited the market to
of different people from all over the world,and from
sell the compost and we visited schools to talk
everybody you can learn something. I fell in love
about the medicinal plants and global warming.
with India this year and especially Tamil Nadu. I
In January Ponraj quitted his job and Madhan
will never forget this year, this place and its beauty.
became supervisor. In the beginning we had to get
Thank you for everything!
used to each other but it worked out fine in the end.
SANDER WIECHERNICK| Conservation
Madhan asked us for ideas for the farm and Alias

15
 Little’s Memorable Project
“Sir, sir, sir”
“Ey, Michael!”
These are the cries that greet me every day on the
playground of the YRTV Matriculation Higher
Secondary School in Sivakasi. Everywhere in India
you will find people
who are excited to
meet westerners and
want to have their
photos taken with
you, but this
enthusiasm rises to
another level in school
children. Every new
class means another barrage of questions about
Australia and me, and another round of being
mobbed for autographs at the end of the lesson.
The YRTV School is a combined primary and high
school,teaching from childhood to final year (known
as “XIIth Standard”).The school is relatively well
funded and has a fully-equipped language
laboratory, spacious classrooms and tranquil
tropical grounds.The principal,Mr R.S.Balasundaram,
is extremely urbane and well read, and is happy to
engage in discourse on the links between Sanskrit,
Hindi and English, as well as the political situation in
India and abroad.
The standard of formal English teaching here is
relatively good, but where volunteers are extremely
useful is in encouraging the children to
communicate their thoughts in English and to
increase their confidence in speaking. Although all
classes at YRTV are taught in English the younger
children rarely have to express extended thoughts
aloud in class, instead giving short answers or filling
in individual words. Apart from a few bright sparks,
they tend to be very shy about expressing
themselves verbally, and will often start to say
something quietly and then decline to repeat it when
asked.
Games have been extremely helpful in bringing the
kids out of their shells. “Taboo”, for example,
requires the children to specify a particular word,
such as “lunch”, without using certain other
related words (e.g. “eat, meal, midday, food”). This
can be played in pairs or in groups, and when the
whole class is involved it really encourages the
kids to start speaking
up and using their
vocabularies
creatively. They also
enjoy a game of
“celebrity heads” on
special occasions, and
this can help them to
formulate questions.
The warmth and friendliness of the school has
been really wonderful to experience, and riding to
work every morning through the rutted
backstreets of Sivakasi is a genuine pleasure.
Every morning there are water sellers, people
washing their clothes, crocodiles of children
meandering their way from place to place, pigs
bounding across the road and the countless other
minutiae of Indian town life that are often
bypassed on the tourist trail. A month here won’t
be long enough!........
MICHAEL LITTLE | Teaching
16
 Indientraeume wurden Wirklichkeit
Vor nun genau zwei Wochen landete mein Flieger
aus Deutschland kommend im beeindruckenden
Indien. Schon waehrend meiner Oberstufenzeit in
der Schule hatte sich der Plan in meinem Kopf
verankert, die Zeit nach dem Abitur zu nutzen und
fuer einige Zeit ins Ausland zu
gehen. Durch meine positiven
Asienerfahrungen in Sri Lanka und
spannende Berichte von
ehemaligenIndien besuchern stand
schnell fest,dieses Land moechte
ich selbst erleben und einen
tieferen Einblick in seine Kultur
bekommen..Um zu Beginn meines
Indienaufenthalts einen
Ansprechpartner zu haben,
entschloss ich mich für ein Praktikum organisiert
von Projects Abroad.Die Entscheidung fuer ein
Praktikum fiel mir nicht leicht, da mich sowohl das
Unterrichten im Fach Sport,die sozialen Projekte
sowie das Journalismuspraktikum sehr ansprachen.
Um einen moeglichst umfangreichen Eindruck von
den Bewohnern, ihren Ritualen und der Kultur
Indiens zu bekommen, habe ich mich letztendlich
fuer das Journalismuspraktikum entschieden, was
defintiv eine gute Entscheidung war.Sonntagmorgen
landete ich also in der beruehmten Tempelstadt
Madurai auf einem winzigen Flughafen. Kurz darauf
wurde ich auch schon sehr herzlich, zwar ohne
angekuendigtes Projects Abroad Schild, aber mit
einem ueberaus freundlichen Laecheln begruesst
und zu meiner Unterkunft gebracht. Durch meine
haeufigen Sri Lanka-Besuche fuehlte sich meine
Ankunft wie die Rueckkehr in eine zweite Heimat an.
Kaputte Strassen, besucht von Fussgaengern,
Ziegen, Kue hen und einem Verkehr, wie man ihn
sich in Deutschland nur schwer vorstellen kann,
erwarteten mich. Kurze Zeit spaeter kamen wir auf
einem sehr schoen angelegten, idyllischen
Campus an, wo sich meine zukuenftige Unterkunft
befinden sollte. Voellig erschoepft
von der langen Reise bezog ich also
gleich mein Zimmer in einem der
niedlichen Haeuser und wartete auf
die Ankunft der anderen
Freiwilligen, die bisher in Sivakasi
gewohnt und gearbeitet hatten. Mit
Freude stellte ich fest, dass alle
Freiwilligen aus unterschiedlichen
Laendern kamen.
Mit der Begleitung von anderen
Freiwilligen oder einem der Redakteure von “Times
Of Madurai” interviewte ich in meiner ersten
“Journalismus-Woche” die unterschiedlichsten
Personen, wie Professoren oder Manager von
Organisationen, um Informationen zu Themen wie
Umweltverschmutzung, Adoption oder Religion zu
sammeln und unternahm Touren zu Universitaeten
oder historischen Bergen in und um Madurai.
Neben meiner Aufgabe, einen Artikel ueber den
Jainismus zu verfassen, galt es ein Filmreview
ueber einen Tamil Film zu schreiben, welchen ich
mir in der zweiten Woche im Kino angeschaut
hatte. Den Rest der Woche verbrachten wir
ueberwiegend mit der Verschriftlichung unserer
gesammelten Informationen.
Alle zwei Wochen hat man die Chance, an einem
organisierten Wochenendtrip teilzunehmen. Um
auch schon waehrend meines Praktikums
moeglichst viel von Indien zu sehen, nutzte ich
17
gleich die Gelegenheit und machte mich mit Victor von Projects Abroad und anderen Freiwilligen von
unterschiedlichen Projekten auf den Weg in die Berge nach Munnar. Nach einer aufregenden, holprigen
Busfahrt kamen wir nach gut sechs Stunden in dem 15 Grad kaelteren Munnar an. Als Victor uns noch am
Abend von seinen Plaenen fuer den kommenden Tag berichtete, konnten wir uns deren Realisierung nur
schwer vorstellen. Das Gegenteil erwartete uns am naechsten Tag. Mit einem Besuch des Nationalparks in
der Naehe starteten wir den Tag in wunderschoener Natur. Nach einer kurzen Wanderung durch Felder und
endlose Teeplantagen besuchten wir die Teefabrik von Munnar, wo wir die Produktion von Tee vom saftig
gruenen Blatt bishin zum dunkelbraunen Pulver verfolgen konnten. Eingedeckt mit Masala, Ingwer und
dem kostbaren gruenen Tee machten wir uns in unserem gemieteten Jeep auf den Weg zu den Elefanten.
Beeindruckt von den niedlichen Riesen nutzte jeder von uns die Chance auf einen 30-minuetigen Ausritt.
Wow! Was für ein Gefuehl, auf dem Ruecken eines so grossen Tieres zu sitzen... Am Nachmittag fuhren wir
zu einem naheliegenden See, um Tretboote zu mieten, ein bisschen
zu strampeln und die Seele baumeln zu lassen. Am naechsten Tag
stand die Abreise auch schon wieder vor der Tuer und eine erneute,
anstrengende Busfahrt erwartete uns. Alles in allem tat es sehr gut
mal aus der Stadt ins Gruene zu kommen, wobei ich mich auch
schon freue, naechstes Wochenende Madurai noch weiter zu entdecken
und das alltaegliche indische Leben auf mich wirken zu lassen,
welches jeden Tag aufs Neue so faszinierend st.
Jetzt stehen die letzten Korrekturen und Bearbeitungen fuer die erste
Ausgabe des Magazins “Times Of Madurai” an und ich freue mich
schon darauf, die fertige Version in den Haenden halten zu koennen.
Ich geniesse meine Zeit in Indien sehr. Es macht Spass, mal
ausschliesslich Englisch zu sprechen und sich auf eine so andere,
interessante Kultur einzulassen. Im Januar werde ich fuer zwei weitere Monate durch Kerala und in den
Norden reisen, um die Vielfaeltigkeit Indiens zu entdecken und natuerlich einzigartige
Sehenswuerdigkeiten wie das Taj Mahal mit eigenen Augen zu sehen. Einen Indienbesuch kann ich jenen
waermstens ans Herz legen, die bereit sind, sich fuer eine gewisse Zeit der konsumorientierten westlichen
Welt zu entziehen und sich auf die essenziellen Dinge im Leben zu reduzieren. So betoerend das Land auf
Maerkten nach Gewuerzen und Blumen, in Tempeln nach Raeucherstaebchen duftet, so befremdlich ist der
Geruch in anderen Gegenden. So schoen die Sonne tagsueber die bunten Saris der Inderinnen scheinen
laesst, so duester und bedrueckend wirkt die Armut in manchen Gassen der Staedte Indiens. Laesst man
sich auf das indische Leben und die unglaubliche Gastfreundlichkeit der Menschen ein, lernt man das
Leben mit anderen Augen zu betrachten.

ISABELLE L’HUILLIER | Care

18
 COOKERY CORNER ISSUE NO 17 NOVEMBER 2009

SOUTH INDIAN CHETTINAD PRAWNS

Indian food is known especially for its spicy nature. Among Indian foods, Chettinad items are
popular for their taste and spiciness. I hope all will enjoy this month’s suggestion - South Indian
chettinad prawns!!!

Ingredients
♦ Prawns - 100 gms
♦ Onion - 1 thinly sliced
♦ Tomato - ½ no
♦ Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp
♦ Coriander leaves and curry leaves
♦ Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
♦ Salt to taste

To grind
∗ Coconut - 1 ½ cup
∗ Red chillies – 10 nos
∗ Fennel seeds- 2 tsp

Preparation:
Heat 6 tsp of oil in a pan, Add 1 tsp of mustard seeds along with curry leaves.

• Then add the onions after the mustard seeds splatter, and let them fry for about 2- 4 minutes until
they are golden brown.

• Then add the tomatoes and the ground coconut paste. Let the paste cook for about 10 minutes then
simmer. Add 1 tsp of turmeric powder and salt to taste.

• Wait till the oil separates out of the ground masala. Then add the prawns. Wait 5 - 6 minutes until
the prawns are cooked - do not cook them for a long time.

• Remove from the stove and add coriander leaves.

Note:
Do not cook the prawns for too long or they will become very elastic.

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Continued……..
Ms Kathrin LIESENFELD Janatha Dental Clinic Gomathinayagam
(D.A : 25/08/09 – 12 months) Puliangudi,Tamil Nadu Puliangudi,Tamil Nadu
(D.D : 22/07/10 – Madurai) Tel: +91 (0)4636 233078/5356 Tel: +91 (0)4636 233235
kathrin.liesenfeld@web.de
katliesenfeld@gmail.com
Mobile: +91 91593 19037
Ms Penelope COLLINS Siddha Ayurvedha Hospital Siddha Ayurvedha Hospital
(D.A : 02/09/09 - 3 months) Dindigul,Tamil Nadu Dindigul,Tamil Nadu
(D.D : 01/12/09 – Chennai) Tel:+91 (0) 451 2452094 Tel:+91 (0) 451 2452094
penelopecollins@gmail.com
Mobile: +91 91593 72978 Penelope went for traveling from 09/11/2009
Mrs Janey MORGAN Booma Hospital Muruganandam
(D.A : 23/11/09 – 0.5 month) Madurai.Tamil Nadu Madurai, Tamil Nadu
(D.D : 06/12/09 – Madurai) Tel: +91 (0) 452 2531059 Tel: +91 (0)452 2643873 / 2483903
focusmagazines@hotmail.com
Teaching:
Ms Johanna HEINEMANN Bharath Montessori Matriculation Mohan Krishnan
(D.A : 04/08/09 – 5.5 months) School Ilanji, Tamil Nadu
(D.D : 13/01/10 – Trivandrum) Courtallam, Tamil Nadu Tel: +91 (0)4633 234482
johanna.heinemann@googlemail.co Tel: +91 (0)4633 223101 / 223203
m
Mobile: +91 91595 14316
Ms Claire BONNETT
(D.A : 03/10/09 – 2 months)
(D.D : 01/12/09 - Madurai)
bonnett127@hotmail.com
Mobile:+91 91592 22716
Mr Jeppe SKAK-NIELSEN Eminence Public School Eminence Public School
(D.A : 25/08/09 – 3 months) Pandalam, Kerala Pandalam, Kerala
(D.D : 21/12/09 – Mumbai) Tel: +91 (0)473 4250266 / 94469 Tel: +91 (0)473 4250266 / 94469 08340
jeppeskak@hotmail.com 08340
Mobile: +91 097446 56513
Ms Sabina PETERSEN Sruthi Vidhyodhaya Durga
(D.A : 02/10/09 – 2 months) Sivakasi,Tamil Nadu Sivakasi, Tamil Nadu
(D.D : 29/11/09 - Madurai ) Tel: +91 (0) 4562-226219/ 220042 Tel:+91 (0) 4562 226976
sabina.fyr@hotmail.com
Mobile: +91 91593 19164
Ms Judith GOIS Little Star Nursery and Primary Lysander Hospital
(D.A : 31/10/09 – 1 month) School Virudhunagar, Tamil Nadu
(D.D :28/11/09 - Trivandrum ) Virudhunagar,Tamil Nadu Tel: +91 (0) 4562 243233 / 242288
judithgois@gmail.com Tel: +91 (0) 9842265120
Mob: +91 91593 72973
Ms Sarah BROWN The Little Kingdom Mr.S.K.Kannan,
(D.A : 08/11/09 – 3.5 months) Theni,Tamil Nadu Theni,Tamil Nadu
(D.D : 21/03/10 – Madurai) Tel: +91 (0)4546 329562 Tel: +91 (0)4546 252342
purple.socks@talk21.com
Mobile: +91 91592 48272
Veterinary:
51 Ms Simone THORSAGER Veterinary Dispensary Madurai Seva Ashram
(D.A : 02/10/09 – 3 months) Madurai, Tamil Nadu Madurai, Tamil Nadu
(D.D :28/12/09 - Madurai) Tel: + 91 (0) 452 2675622 Tel: +91 (0) 452 2641537
thorsager37@hotmail.com
Mobile: +91 91590 83286
52 Ms Christina BIRKS
(D.A : 07/11/09 – 3 months)
(D.D :06/12/09 - Trivandrum)
christina_birks@hotmail.co.uk;
mjbirks@tiscali.co.uk
Mobile: +91 91590 83284

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