My 77 days in India

The magnificent Taj Mahal

Last 10th April 2005, I set off from KLIA to India. These 77 days of my life was really unforgettable ones. There were ups and downs and i treasured every single moments there. I still can remember the 1st moment I landed in Baroda, India. I got a shock of my life. "How can one imagine that I am in India and it is summer now???". It was only 16C and I was only packed with light clothing. When I woke up in the afternoon, it was 42C. Shit....the ray really hurts! What a drastic different in shortly 5 hours? 16C and 42C?

Well in these short 77 days, I really witnessed and experienced a lot. India being one nation yet every 200km I traveled, I experienced different culture. They have different dialects or languages, different costumes, different in eating habits, different weathers.......

We are all different...

Rich architecture style in Mumbai cum Bombay

It was an eye opening experience. I realized that different in background and class make such a huge different in their dailyhood. Imagine sleeping by the road side with only a piece of torn canvas on top of your head, with no proper lighting or bed. Doing all your daily activities by the road side, your washing, cooking and everything by that hut. Children made the dry drain as their play ground. Looking at them at times made my tears flow down my cheek.

I was there in Baroda attached to a NGO called Lifeline Foundation. I was offered with many internships when I was doing matching but what made me to choose this internship was because of their core work. They have such a great project that is able to save many lives. The NGO's core project is Highway Rescue Project. They run a hotline support that functions 24 7. People will call this number to seek for help when accidents took place on highway. There are no other government agencies or highway authority providing ambulance service to the people. If you meet an accident, you can either help yourselves if you only sustain minor injuries or else you will either be left and bleed to death or just pray for some kind-hearted passerby that is willing to send you to the hospital. My NGO helps to coordinate crane services to the scene at times.

We are also called when there were other disastrous incidents. Just about a week after my arrival, a terrible train collided took place in some 20km from Baroda city. Hundreds were killed while thousands were injured. So my NGO has sent many ambulances to the scene. So I really admired the founder of the NGO for such a kind intention that he had. If only there can be more of him in India, then many people will be benefiting from it.


I was there in the NGO to help to improve their services. I have helped to facilitate in their first aid training. Thou I would not be a very professional first aider, but my experience in St John Ambulance training and Girl Guides activities has proved that it was enough to educate the commoner to practice first aid at home and work place.

Besides facilitating training, on most of my time there, I was doing surveys to help improved on the first aid training module that they had. I have also carried out a survey on the ambulance services in few major city namely, Baroda, Ahemdebad, Mumbai, Pune and Surat. At the end of my survey, my result was really shocking even to myself. My finding included that many ambulance in these cities were in very terrible conditions. Some of the ambulances were equipped with nothing other than a thorn canvas stretcher. This finding was far worse than what I have expected from India, a third world country. So at the end of the survey I have produced a proposal based on discussion and comparison I had with professional first aider and medical practitioner.

Through this internship, I was glad to be given a change to speak to some great and influencive medical practitioners. I have met many RMO and CMO in these hospitals that I have visited. I have also had some interview sessions with some the ambulance driver, individuals that were always the first to rush to the scene. Thou I was unable to speak in Hindi nor Gujarati, with the help of my colleagues, I was able to get some informative respond from them.

Besides that I enjoyed working in my NGO. All my colleagues were friendly. I have had many meals with them and it was superb. I loved the home cooked food they brought along to be shared with me and I enjoyed the home stay that I have had with Anjena and the engagement ceremony that I have went with Trupti. I would like to thank them so being so kind, especially, Anjena, Trupti, Mehul and Pathik.

That's Trupti and me in her Bro's Engagement Ceremony

.........days passed so fast and life was enjoyable till then.

On 24th May 2005, a month more to go before I returned home, I was strike with my worst night mare in India. I was robbed in my house. The offender, Poonam, a local was a friend of my housemate that only knew her by her name. The culprit was a good friend to many ex-trainees. They befriended her as she once stood up against a molester that was trying his luck on some trainees. So how can I know that such a person would ever commit such a crime? I lost my pouch. I have my hand phone, some cash and my credit card, which I relied so much on financially in it.

It happened when I was home alone while all my housemates were out for dinner. I was working on my camera and notebook. My pouch was on top of my table as I just took out my camera from it. I have never left my pouch there. This was the 1st as well as the last time it was lying in the living room. Poonam came walking into our house with her boy friend and ask if Ingrid, my housemate as around. Well Ingrid was out so she ask if she could wait for her in the house. At that time, I saw no reason not to permit her. While waiting, she asked for a cigarette that was laid on the table and I told her that it was not mine and I do not smoke. Right away her next words were "It must be Ingrid's. She smokes." Well for someone that I knew Ingrid so well must definitely be a friend Ingrid knew for some time, that what my thought.

After awhile, she asked for a glass of water and again I didn't see any reason not to offer a guest at my house a glass of water. So I went to the kitchen to get her one. And too bad I think it must be during this short while, she or her boyfriend grabbed my purse and placed it into the plastic bag she carried with her earlier.

When I realized my pouch was missing, I called my handphone none stop for 10 minutes but the ringing of my phone was no where to be heard and finally my phone was switched off. No connection to my phone any more. At that moment, my mind was empty. I didn't know what to do but luckily with the support of my caring housemates, things seem to be easier.

I went to the police station with the company of Manus and Ingrid. Thanks to both of them for being there with me. It was good that Manus can speak to the officer for me as all the policemen there understood no English at all. Then, there in the police station, Mohendran and Ketan came in. After talking long to the officer, they were reluctant to take my case. According to the local, they said it was most probably the police station wish to keep a good statistic of the crime rate in town. But however they managed to get the police to takean  action on it. We went together on a police truck to where Poonam used to stay. Oh mine....my first time in a police truck.....but not as a criminal but as the complainant.

When I arrived there, we found out that the neighboring people were not surprise to learn bout her act of robbing. They were helpful in providing all the informations that they have but too bad that she has moved out a year ago. So we went back to they station.

At the police station, the officers still insisted that I allowed the culprit in so they could not act on it. After talking non stop for hours, they suggested that I should just file a case that I dropped my pouch instead of being robbed. Why on earth I should report some other thing instead of the truth? Well finally at 4.30am, the robbery case was filed. My worst day huh? I was inthe police station since 10.30 to 5a.m.

And one more stupid thing is that I was called to the police station again at 9a.m. What is this? Just for some inefficient act of theirs. I was called there to sign the report that was hand copied again and again.

However this incident didn't influenced me in labeling India negatively but in fact it made me realized that disaster may strike us at any time and place. My stay there made me realized how important my friends are to me. I would like to thank all my friends, the AIESECers of Baroda, India especially Ketan, Mohen and Ali. Thank you for being there with me during that endless night in the police station. Thank you to all ANIMALS crew, my housemates! Thank you for being so caring! Well this incident was a not that bad after all, it was a life long lesson.

Traveling to Udaipur with Animal and Nizampura crews

Besides all this bad memories, I enjoyed being there. Traveling in India was so marvelous. The food, the culture, the architectural style and the people were all so wonderful. I greeted many locals and trainees from both Baroda and Ahemdabad. Our cool farm house party with all the trainees from Baroda and Ahemdabad and not to forget my saver, Piyush, my friend from Ahemdabad, Tejas,good friends, Tobias, Swen, Imran, Hasan and Atalah.

Party time!

As an AIESECer myself I knew that I have achieved the AIESEC's goal that is cultural exchange. I met people from 20+ countries in shortly 11 weeks. I can't think of any country that I will get to meet so many nationalities in 2 months.

Movie time with AIESECer...Ketan and Deenal

When I first touched down in my hometown, my sister was there. Such a relieve to see her. And thank god that I have finally arrived home safely and being able to get someone that speak my language, i thought. But then in our conversation, my sis told me that I speak English differently than how I used to be before I left for my traineeship. I spoke no Malaysian slang, no Indian slang and no Chinese slang but I spoke in European slang. So here obviously that I have great cultural exchange there in India. I have been staying with so many European and communicate with them that I got hold of their slangs. Bravo to AIESEC for such a wonderful traineeship!

Another great site in Baroda

Here I would like to thank every one that made my traineeship a success. Thanks to my buddy friend, Rucha! Thank to all AIESEC members of LC UPM, Malaysia and LC Baroda, India! Thank you for such a wonderful time!

Visit to museum in Mumbai at student price...bravo!


My super 'cool' motor!