Printing, publishing and page 3! (TC)

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5 January 2013

So many things happen each day that it is hard to keep track of them all and write them in the blog, especially when we don’t have wifi to keep updating it! If anybody wants a real and honest account they will have to ask to read my personal diary when I get home!

Today has mainly consisted of food and learning.

The Indian people are so friendly and hospitable that they insist on feeding us, a lot of food, all of the time. Much more than we are used to, including breads and potatoes for breakfast! We have all agreed that although the food is lovely, unless we start to say no, we will all come back much heavier than when we arrived.

I was lucky enough to visit the Manipal Institute of Communication today where I learned about the courses, the students and how they are recruited, how journalism and communication works in India, recent changes and a social uprising being started by the youth via social media. I am told that this is especially common now that people are talking about the recent gang rape in Delhi. The younger generation of Indians want a voice now, more so than ever. I also learn about how the university interacts with the community and discover that staff here have the same communication issues as we do at our UK universities. I meet a 91 year old professor who still comes to work every day! I hope I’m not working at 91. He is somewhat of a celebrity in Southern India as he has been a reporter and editor for some of the biggest newspapers. I also find that some people disagree with page 3 of Indian newspapers. I curiously ask what page 3 is and I am told that it is gossip and celebrity news, with some women wearing revealing clothes. If only they could see our version of page 3!

The printing press in Manipal is very impress and gets work from across the world, including Penguin and Pearson. JK Rowling’s book, Casual Vacancy, was recently printed here and the Hindu version of ‘The Secret’ is currently on the press. There are also school book, calendars, leaflets and the most recent copies of Indian Vogue and GQ. The factory is run well and I am very impressed. Although, I doubt that I would be allowed to do this in the UK without ear plugs and a hard hat!

In the afternoon we all met up to visit the Manipal University’s main campus and watch the virtual tour. It is impressive but starts to feel a little bit like propaganda. The university is one of the top five in India and they are keen to instil pride in the students. We also meet the Pro Chancellor who gives us all a rose. I have had more flowers this week than ever before. We then travelled up to End Point, a beautiful hill overlooking the city of Udupi. It was nice just to get some sunshine, the first we have been able to enjoy outside! We seem to be spending a lot of time indoors and travelling.

The Astare Centre is a home for people with disabilities and it is an eye opener. The people here are treated very well and the centre is clean and tidy. Everybody welcomes us with more artificial flowers which are made by the residents to help them develop their life skills. The centre is funded by the university and Rotary.

Tonight we also delivered our first presentation to two rotary clubs. It went well and was received well. We were given lots of gifts and we are all wondering how we will get everything home!

Tracy x

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