HOSTING

Aphissara Chewprecha from Thailand, is hosted in Punjab Public School Nabha, recently had a chance to participate in Delhi Excursion Trip with her schoolmates. Presenting a few glimpses shared by her...

“On 10 & 11 February, I’ve been granted the opportunity of a lifetime as an exchange student to witness cultural exchange on a journey to Delhi. Here in India, Arts is one of my favorite subjects. When I was informed that we would be going on an Arts excursion, I was thrilled. We first visited Rashtrapati Bhavan, Mughal Garden, and the museum complex. It was truly exhilarating to visit; such delightful and extremely tremendous places. I got to explore the glimpses of modern Indian history and background Despite the tiresome hours on the road from Punjab to Delhi, once we reached the National Gallery of Modern Arts, I was truly intrigued by the entire exhibition portraying the culture, the early times of India, and the masterpieces from numerous great artists. At the end of the day, we had a brief look at places around Delhi - India Gate, Connaught Place, etc.

On the next day, we attended Surajkund International Crafts Mela 2023, which is acclaimed as the world's biggest crafts fair and participation of at least 20 countries and all the states of India. I had never imagined a better opportunity to be present at such a well-organized function full of culture and people from around the world. Sights of people from all around the world presenting their crafted works, traditional outfits, and cultural food exchanging diverse ways of life and smiles were exceedingly amusing. I am exceptionally grateful to have once been a part of this memorable excursion and I believe that what I have exposed throughout the trip has shaped and made me an active global citizen more than ever ”

Hitiksha Soni from Ahmedabad Chapter is the host mother of Kacey Taylor on YES Abroad Year Program 2022-23 from the USA. Hitiksha shares her recent volunteering experience of hosting an exchange student.

“Gujarat is known for its historical monuments, temples, natural grandeur, and festivals. There were several places we visited. The Adalaj Stepwell and Akshardham in Gandhinagar was a day trip arranged with close friends. The ancient stepwell was built in the 15th century and showcases the finest carving work in the region. We were mesmerized to see the royal ambience, engraved walls, and colossal architecture. After spending an hour at the stepwell, we went to Akshardham temple. We spent almost 4-5 hours watching the series of 3D exhibits, spreading the value of nonviolence, courage, humility, honesty, and peace

Then, we went to Ambaj. We decided to go on a family trip to Ambai and stayed there for 3 days. Early in the morning, we climbed nearly 1000 steps to reach Gabbar in Ambaji. The next day, we visited the famous Kumbhariya Jain Mandir, a historical Jain temple of Shri Neminath Bhagavan, 13th century which is now a heritage center in Gujarat. The beautiful carvings are the main attraction of the temple.

The Holi festival was the highlight Khwahish and Kacey– our daughters, were excited to spend the day with colors and water Both woke up early and enjoyed the festival of colors with neighborhood friends. Later we also joined them.

We believe a family vacation, a regular break from routine is needed to relish our lives and strengthen the bond. We are creating beautiful memories for Kacey and ourselves to cherish for a lifetime.”