Tags:
Journalism of Courage
It has been a journey across the globe to the other end of the world for Ernesto Ibarra and his friends from El Salvador. No vacation, this one where 30 computer students were granted scholarships by Aptech to pursue a computer course in India. Ernesto points out at the obvious differences in the culture and customs in the city. 8220;The food here is too spicy, but I tried a dish called chicken tikka and liked it a lot,8221; he says. Only a few weeks and Ernesto and his friends can rattle off names of popular discotheques and tourist spots. 8220;The girls here don8217;t seem too keen to talk to us. Are they told not to speak to strangers?8221; asks Francisco Ibarra, Ernesto8217;s brother.
The group have already been to Khandala and Lonavala and agree that it is beautiful. 8220;We don8217;t have anyone to show us around, so we don8217;t know where to go,8221; laments Ernesto as they walk through Main Street for the nth time! 8220;This time we are here to take pictures,8221; adds Carlos Olivares. Despite all that they have still managed to visit Shaniwar Wada, Parvati, Katraj and the Mulshi dam. Ask them about Indian music and Ernesto is quick to add, 8220;We like the song Sade dil se, but I don8217;t know the singer. We have been watching a lot of Channel V and MTV here. But Salvador here, likes Kamal Khan amp; Salman Khan.8221; 8220;Only the way they sing8221; protests Salvador Escalante. 8220;We have not watched any Hindi film because we don8217;t think we can understand the film,8221; says Ernesto. When you tell them that you don8217;t really need to understand anything but can have fun watching it anyway, they promise to give it a try.
