"All my bags are packed, I'm ready to go..."

We're heading out tomorrow to start our 18 day trek across north India!

As of Friday, all of the classes are over- papers are turned in and presentations are completed. We ended by having a celebratory meal put on my the Catering class to demonstrate all that they have learned over the course. Delicious!

Friday night was Candlelight- a special ceremony to honor those that have made this semester possible and to celebrate the student's hard work.

Kirk congratulating the students for their hard work

Batch 6 is DONE!

Batch 6 with their friends

Students are making the most of their last weekend here- visiting their favorite restaurants and hanging out with their friends.

The journey will comprise of about 85 hours of train travel, 7 different cities, from the Bay of Bengal all the way up to the foothills of the Himalayas. Follow our journey here to get updates of what the students are up to!

10 Reasons to spend your next semester in India

Are you looking into studying abroad next semester and trying to decide where to go? Are you interested in social justice, learning about world religions, good food, wildlife, and adventures? Consider studying abroad with India Studies Program and immersing yourself in the Indian culture!

Here are 10 reasons you should study with ISP:

1. Travel. While ISP is based in the south in Tamil Nadu, one of the highlights of the program is our extensive travel component. During the semester, you will go on three 3-5 day trips to neighboring cities and states to visit people and programs, as well as to enjoy what those areas have to offer including food and famous sites. At the end of the semester you will enjoy an 18 day trip across north India hitting various cities such as Calcutta, Varanasi, Delhi, and Agra! Think Mother Theresa, Agra Fort, Taj Mahal, Ganges river...

Batch 5 visits the Taj Mahal

2. NGOs and job opportunities- You can come to India and enjoy all the tourist attractions on your own. But when you study with ISP, you will be introduced to people and organizations that are doing great work here in India. Interested in education, business, sex trafficking, outdoor adventure, or enterpreneurship? We'll show you what opportunities are open to you here and what is already being done.

Shiamala Baby's women empowerment organization

3. Festivals. India is known for its fun and bright festivals. No matter what semester you come, you will have the chance to join in the celebrations. Fall semester students will experience Diwali- the Festival of Lights with lots of fireworks and sweets. Spring semester students will cover each other in bright colored powder when they participate in Holi-the Festival of Colors.

Celebrating Holi

4. Friendships. One of the best aspects of a study abroad experience can be the friends you make, whether those are Indian friends or other American students on your trip. These are friendships that could last a lifetime as you learn from each other.

Camel rides on the beach

5. Adventures. From white water rafting on the Ganges river, to possible elephant rides, to swimming in the Indian ocean in a salwar kameez, to boating on the Backwaters of Kerala, to camping in the wilderness, to train rides- you will find adventure in India!

Repelling down the side of a waterfall

6. Food. There are so many great restaurants and road-side stands to choose from with a variety of delectable cuisines. If you take the Catering class, you will have the chance to learn how to cook Indian dishes!

The Catering class enjoys the fruits of their labor

7. Clothes. All right ladies, this one is for you. India is a colorful nation with gorgeous saris at every turn. Fabrics are very affordable, tailors are numerous, and there are rows upon rows of saris to choose from. If you take the Design class, you will even get a chance to design your very own outfit!

The girls enjoy dressing up in beautiful sarees and salwars

8.Chai. Once you've tasted this sweet milky drink, there is no turning back. One of the great parts of this culture is that there is always time to take a chai break during the day!

Traditional way chai is served here

9. Language opportunities. Tamil is the official language of Tamil Nadu and is offered as one of our classes. However, you will most definitely meet people from Kerala and be introduced to the Malayalam language and North Indian people who speak Hindi.

Watching a traditional Kerala Kathakali dance

10. Discovering the Divine image. While in India you will come in close contact with people from other faith backgrounds than yourself. What can we learn from them? Learn about world religions and how they are practiced in India.

Convinced? Come join us next semester!! 

To apply, go to: https://www.bestsemester.com/locations-and-programs/india

Perur Temple

Perur Temple

Going into a Hindu temple for the first time can be a bit overwhelming. You can feel sensory overload as you try to process all that is going on around you! Images of different deities cover every inch of the walls, the ceilings, and the marble pillars. The clanging sound of bells being rung to awake the gods mixes with the chants of believers. The feel of the hot cement under bare feet and the smudge of holy ash on the forehead can be uncomfortable. The sight of hundreds of devoted followers- toddlers and old alike laying prostrate at the feet of a god, lighting gee candles, or offering gifts of coconuts, bananas and flowers to the images. Meanwhile, the scent of incense pervades through it all.

In one of the courtyards of the temple

On Tuesday afternoon our students went to visit Perur temple- a 2000 year old Hindu temple on the edge of town. We were able to not only observe Hindus worshipping, but also learn from a Hindu professor from BACAS how and why she worships at the temple. It was definitely an interesting experience that students will continue to process. For some, it puts them out of their comfort zone and pushes them to think deeper about their faith. They have been taking a religion class and studying Hinduism these past 2 weeks so it was good to connect their head knowledge with experiential knowledge.

Batch 6 outside of the temple

 We ended our tour by going to a nearby coconut stall and drinking coconut water fresh out of the coconut while the sun set over the temple!

Shaina and Amber enjoy the coconut water

Packing Up and Heading Out!

We can’t believe we only have 5 DAYS left in Coimbatore! The time has really flown! Was it really 3 months ago that students flew into the city and began their experience? Was there ever a time that they didn’t know how to barter for an auto, or dodge across the streets, or eat with only their right hand, or find their way on the bus route by themselves?

Tina in her costume for dance presentation

Tayler's beautiful painting of a traditional Toda woman

Stevie's handmade cookbook, Emma's mobile and the clay pot they made together

 This week is crazy with trying to finish everything up. Students have final papers and projects to complete-art projects to create, a clothing design to finish, and a cuisine final to cook, and an exam to take. Meanwhile, they have to get in last minute shopping, eat out at favorite restaurants and say goodbye to all their friends and the life they have made here.

Faith is exhausted after all her hard work

We leave for our north trip on Sunday evening. It is going to be a wild and exciting ride: 18 days, 76 hours on trains, 7 cities, rafting on the Ganges river, visiting Mother Theresa’s Home for the Dying, seeing the foothills of the Himalayas, and of course- taking pictures in front of the Taj Mahal! 

Follow us on our journey across India!

A Snapshot of our Classes

You may be wondering what it is like to take a class in India. Some things are very similar- the prof will give a lecture, and the students studiously take notes. But some things are very different. In India, great respect is given to one’s elders and so students are expected stand up when their professor enters the room. Our students are not actually taking classes with other Indian students. They do however have Indian professors who offer a different perspective on issues than we from our western perspective can see.

Since we are in India, the class opportunities are very exciting! Here is a quick run-down on what our students have been up to lately:

Hard at work cooking

Indian Cuisine- How awesome is it to learn how to cook Indian food IN India! And not only that, but after they finish making a dish, they get to eat it! Somehow or another the ISP director and program assistants seem to find their way to the kitchen around lunch time in order to have a taste! 

Today's creation!

Indian Literature- Students are getting the chance to read many pieces of literature not studied in the west. These authors provide a unique perspective that students are really enjoying.

Indian Social Work- In this class students learn a lot in the classroom on topics of poverty, caste, and social justice etc. It is very important to learn how Indians are helping themselves and working to build up their nation, rather than just the western perspective of us coming to rescue India. One of the benefits of this class is how much learning takes place outside of the classroom! Just on their walk to college or a typical day, students may come across beggars or street children and have to process what they see and decide how to respond.

Indian Design- Where else do you get to design and create your own sari, salwar kameez, or kurta? Students are hard at work creating their own design masterpieces- can’t wait for the fashion show! Meanwhile, they are learning and practicing different forms of design such as tie-dye and batik.

The Master and the Student

Indian Art- This past week students had the chance to try their hand at pottery. The pottery master went over some instructions and then let them try for themselves. Here are some of their incredible pieces!

Final product!

Contemporary India- Students are learning so much in this class, that it is hard to narrow it down. Put simply, this class teaches the history of India up to the present-focusing on important aspects. 

Religious Landscape- This is a very engaging class! Students have the opportunity to not only learn about other religions in the classroom, they also have the chance to visit many of these places of worship to see for themselves what it is all about. Students go on a visit to several Hindu temples, Sikh gurudwara, different denominations of churches, a Buddhist temple, and a Jain temple. Students also interact with neighbors and friends who may be a different religion and have a different mindset then theirs which just expands their opportunity to learn.

A little puja across the hall from the apartment

Next week we are headed to the neighboring state of Kerala (God's Own Country) for classes and various site visits. This will also be the first train trip for the students! There are sure to be some interesting stories!

In Pictures: Costume Design and Fashion Class

We're taking a brief break from posting on our trip to Ooty and the Nilgiris to focus on one of the elective classes available to ISP students. You may remember our feature of the Culinary Arts class last semester.

Four of the ISP Spring '12 students have elected to take the Costume Design and Fashion (CDF) class this semester. Last week's agenda was to learn to batik!

Jamie hard at work

Our students learned four different batik techniques and got to practice their artistic skills drawing their designs in hot wax on pieces of fabric in this hands-on class session.

Splatter method at bottom, painted design at the top

The methods included splattering wax, dipping an entire piece of fabric in wax and crinkling it up and painting designs with a brush or dropper.

Jamie's painted sun. Isn't it fantastic?

 CDF students got to practice their batiking skills and then take their creations home at the end of class!

Dipping a design into red or pink dye

According to CDF professor Dr. Sheila John, one of the assignments for class this semester will be to create a piece of clothing (kurta (tunic top) or dupatta (scarf)) using one of the dyeing techniques learned in the class. Two weeks ago, the lesson was in tie-dye techniques!

Kendra's notes about batik, including the 'recipe' for mixing dye

CDF students this semester have really enjoyed the hands-on aspects of learning this class has to offer, and are looking forward to what the rest of the semester holds!
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For more photos from CDF class, see our Facebook album here.


For a brief note on the history of batik in India, click here.

Look forward to more posts on our weekend visit to the Nilgiris, as well as a feature on dosa, one of our favorite foods, on What I Ate Wednesday, coming soon to a computer near you!

Another Recipe from Cooking Class

bhaturas/ bhaturey, fried punjabi bread

2c all purpose flour

¾ c plain yogurt

½ tsp baking soda

1 tbs sugar

veg oil or ghee for frying

salt to taste

mix flour, baking powder and salt. sift.

mix yogurt and sugar. add to flour and slowly add lukewarm water until you have a dough that sticks to itself, but nothing else. knead into soft dough.

cover dough in wet cloth and set aside to rise about 3-4 hours in warm place.

divide into 12 equal portions and roll into balls. set aside for 5 min covered.

grease palms with oil and flatten the balls. roll into 5-6 inch diameter.

heat oil in kadai and deep fry on high flame, turning until done.

In Pictures: Culinary Class

On Friday, Kandyce had the privilege of attending the culinary class here at BACAS. The professor, Sir Charles, was hilarious. He also means business in the kitchen, and is a mighty fine cook. 

The menu for the day:

Kashmiri rice pulao, chicken makhani, paneer pasanda, khameera naan and khir.

Renee, Kali, Brooklyn, Melissa, Calla and Becky modeling their aprons for class.

Sir Charles reviews the menu as BACAS Catering Department 2nd year students look on.

Rice, tomatoes, onions, nuts (cashews and walnuts) and spices (cinnamon, turmeric, cardamom, cloves, saffron, ginger, garlic, chili powder, salt and pepper) to be used in the day's menu. 

Note taking during class.

Kali Fairchild volunteering to knead the ingredients for khameera naan by hand while Sir Charles pours the  liquid ingredients out to be mixed.

Setting the final product to rise for several hours.

The makings of pulao, a rice pilaf dish with spices, fruits and nuts.

BACAS Catering Department students look on as Melissa Braunschweig grills marinated chicken pieces for chicken makhani.

Sir Charles helps a student pour saffron milk into khir, a rice pudding dessert dish.

Sir Charles rolls naan dough, which he will then cover in poppyseeds (left of frame) and toast on the stovetop.

Grilling naan on the stovetop.

The results? The best meal in India so far!

Kandyce is hoping to observe every class for the rest of the semester in the hopes that she, too, will learn to cook something delicious by the end. :)

Recipe for Kashmiri pulao

serves 4

500g Basmati rice

100 g onion, sliced

5g cinnamon

5g cardamom

5g cloves

pinch of turmeric

1g safron

10 ml milk

20g walnut

20g cashewnut

1 ltr water

50g oil

salt to taste

50 g pomegranate, apple, green and red grapes

Preheat oven to 180 degrees. When oven is preheated, turn off and do not open door. 

Wash and soak rice. Heat oil and fry onions until golden brown. Remove from heat. Fry whole spices, turmeric powder. Add rice and saute, sealing in starch. When sizzling stops, add saffron dissolved in warm milk. Add hot water and mix well. Cook rice until most of the moisture is cooked out and grains are separated and almost soft.

Spread rice into glass baking dish, cover with tinfoil and place in oven for 30-45 minutes, or until oven is almost cool and rice is completely cooked. Garnish with fried onions, walnuts, cashews and chopped fruits.

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See more pictures on our Facebook album here.