Reported by:
Chloe Eu Ji Chen SR3A
On the 23rd of July (Saturday), the Geography Department organized a webinar titled “To See The Different Sides of India”(不一样的印度). It was obligatory for all students from the three Senior Middle Three Arts and Commerce classes to attend. Ms Elina Heng (王丽傧), the special guest speaker of the talk is well known as a travel enthusiast, author and the host of a YouTube channel. The webinar was held on Zoom video platform from 10.30 a.m. till 12.00 p.m.
To begin, Elina asked the attendees about their first impressions of India before she shared hers. In the meantime, she shared her experiences during the trip, and suggested that tourists should always have everything written in black and white to prevent scams in India. Besides, she encouraged tourists to travel in groups to ensure safety.
Next, she introduced the characteristics of India. One of the fun facts she shared was that India is one of the countries that has the most languages spoken, but the Indian constitution only recognizes 22 official languages. Furthermore, the official language of India is English.
Elina then started to share her first trip to India. Her first destination was Kolkata, then took a train to Varanasi. Next, she went to New Delhi by plane. She traveled by plane to the last destination, Srinagar.
Ms Elina Heng’s first trip to India
She shared her experience of her first destination, which is Kolkata. Kolkata was jam-packed with people and vehicles. Therefore, trucks in India will have a sign behind a car, “Horn please” to ensure other vehicles’ safety. Vehicles behind the trucks should horn in order to overtake the truck in front of them.
Besides, it is common for people in India to urinate and defecate in the street. Ms Elina shared a photo of a boy showering in the street.
Upon arriving at Kolkata, she was surprised to see the tall spires of churches and nuns roaming about at the place. While the most prominent religion in India is Hinduism, Kolkata is an exception where many people are Christians instead.
At the Hooghly River, Elina saw the locals perform daily activities be it washing clothes or showering. At the same time, she saw them brushing their teeth without using toothbrushes, but with teeth-cleaning twigs made by neem.
After arriving at Varanasi, she was fascinated by the colors of the buildings there. Elina introduced the ghats, the place where locals can worship or burn dead bodies.
The colors of Varanasi
Ghats in Varanasi
Next, Elina introduced one of the most interesting experiences in Srinagar: the Boat House. Boat house, as the name suggests, is a large wooden ship built for the purpose of living that is moored along the edge of Dal Lake. The living space within the boat house is designed lavishly and Elina had a wonderful experience of being served by a young man who worked as their butler during their stay.
After that, she shared her trip to Ladakh, Kashmir. Ladakh is well known for its Buddhist Monasteries. Ladakh is also known by the name “Little Tibet” as most of the locals are Tibetan. Elina also suggested that tourists should always wear sunglasses in higher altitude areas and icebergs to protect their eyes.
Q & A session followed after Elina finished sharing her experience. The attendees asked a few questions, mostly inquiring about the trip fees. After Ms Elina Heng answered the last question, group photos were taken. This unforgettable talk came to an end as the attendees left one by one. We hope all students learned something meaningful from this webinar. A heartfelt thanks to Ms Elina Heng.
Group photos