Andrew Webster is working in India this summer.

He's on a placement with the AIESEC student organisation, and he's writing a regular diary on BBC Birmingham.

The last week has not quite gone to plan. I was expecting to be able to tell you stories of meditating on the banks on the Ganges, just like the Beatles, but instead the unexpected has shown its face once more and given me a week with extreme highs and lows. It was a week that began with crisis, but ended as one of the most enjoyable weekends I have had in India.

Bad times

At the beginning of the week, I heard the sad news from home that my grandmother had passed away, which goes to prove that life does go on without you being there. I was faced with the dilemma, of 'what to do': go home early and be with my family, or finish the work I had already started here. After long talks with my family I decided to stay, a decision that was not taken lightly. It was based on the idea that I didn't need to be there to say goodbye and she wouldn't want me to come home especially.

Anyway life goes on and with a chin up I continued doing my AIESEC work, with more promotion on one of the largest and most prestigious universities in India - the Indian Institute of Technology.

It was a hard week and I was looking forward to a weekend trip to Rishikesh and Haridwar which Phillipe, another trainee and I had just planned. Then on Thursday afternoon, I received a phone call saying, "Phillipe is in hospital, he's got a fever of over 40° and they're running tests for malaria and meningitis." Quite alarming, I thought to myself, especially as this was the second time that one of my close friends in India had been rushed to hospital to be tested for such diseases.

Now I don't want to give the impression that this is a common occurrence in India, as I do not know of any other trainee or visitor that has had such medical scares (I know of hundreds of visitors). The only common denominator in these cases is me, so I would much more strongly advise that you refrain from interacting with me, rather than refraining from visiting India.

Philippe returns home

Anyway, in both cases, it was not malaria or any of the other famous diseases, but some sort of virus or infection that could be eradicated by a few days of tender loving care in a hospital. Philippe returned on Sunday to a 'Welcome Home' sign on the door and some smiling flatmate faces.

Stepping back in time slightly, by Friday I was feeling quite sorry for myself. The trip to Rishikesh had been postponed, Phillipe was in hospital and it was the day of my nan's funeral. I took the day off, because I felt obliged to mope around and besides, I needed to talk to my family at various points and spend some time thinking about what they would be going through.

Good times

Then in the evening of Friday 5 August, the unexpected once more showed its face, however this time it was smiling and much more welcome. There was a house warming party, for four new trainees who had just arrived in Delhi. We started at their new house, where once more conversations in a host of languages took place while sitting on mattresses drinking beer and eating chocolate from various places around the world.

Then at midnight, we moved the party to a place called 'the farmhouse'. This is a huge, garden-like venue for marriages and other similar events, owned by the family of one of the AIESEC members, Vijit. It is the most amazing setting, especially in the middle of the night when it is quiet, empty and peaceful apart from the highly competitive game of international tag that was taking place that particular evening...

The night did not stop there though. At just after 1am, the 20 or so remaining party-goers piled into cars and headed to the airport to pick up a new German trainee who would be arriving shortly. Just imagine an international delegation of people welcoming you into India at the airport! It's certainly a memory that would stay with me for a long time.

I was back home by 3am and feeling so much better than I had at the start of the day. It was such a unique night, led by impulse and much more memorable than the average party. How many times do you expect to find yourself in the middle of one of the most crowded and congested cities in the world, running round and playing tag with people of several nationalities in what seems like solitude in the middle of the night?

Sharing a meal

The weekend continued in much the same way. On Saturday, some trainees met up for a meal and then went to watch some movies until the early hours of the morning, and on Sunday once more there was a trainee gathering, which even Phillipe was feeling well enough to attend.

Ten days left

It's Monday morning now, and I am feeling positive, refreshed and am looking forward to the week ahead. The only sadness there is, is over the fact that I am inside my last ten days in India, and I still feel like I've hardly begun. It just goes to show though that travelling abroad isn't just about the country you are visiting, but also about adapting to and dealing with the everyday challenges you face.

« Previous diary | Next diary »

Written by Andrew Webster

We want to hear from you. Got an idea for a feature - something out of the ordinary? Want to write a diary everyone will want to read? Get in touch!

Email: birmingham@bbc.co.uk

Post or call in:
BBC Birmingham website
The Mailbox
Birmingham
B1 1RF