Unique project that likes to connect eastern and western civilisation

April 06 Pondycherry & Auroville Hey everyone, here i am again! At the moment i'm staying in Pondycherry a former french influenced town to work as a announced assitent. Although i haven't any real responsibilities because everything is well organized from Shree (my leader :). We are sharing a double bed in our guest house and therefore i am able to learn more about indian youths. May be all of them are alcoholics because he's drinking whisky every evening (famous in india)? Despite that i read an article about their changing habits and characteristics. Mass mediums like cellphone, TV, Cinema or just increasing pubs and discotheks are getting more and more common in every city. That's a pitty!! It won't take a long time till they might forget their roots and become a part of the western lifestyle. Close to Pondycherry there is a place called Auroville. Perhaps, you heard about this unique project that likes to connect eastern and western civilisation at one unpropertied place. I visited Auroville last Sunday and would like to cite from my be loved Lonely Planet :)

Auroville: The international Vision - Auroville is the brainchild of the Mother, 'an experiment in interantional living where people could live in peace and progessive harmony above all creeds, politics and nationalities'. Designed by french architect Roger Anger, its opening ceremony on 28 February 1968 was attended by the president of india and representatives of 124 countries, who pored the soil of their lands into an urn to symbolise universal oneness. The geographical layout of Auroville was seen as a reflection of this striving for unity... In the words of the Mother, the founding vision of Auroville is that 'There should be somewhere upon Earth a place that no nation could claim as its sole property, a place where all human beings of goodwill, sincere in their aspiration, could live freely as citizens of the world...'.

Well, the workcamp members itself belong to Thailand, South Korea, Netherlands and France. Unfortunally we are only 6 in total and sometimes it seems for me like we wouldn't be really necessary, because the orphan school is well managed. Their might be around 60 children in the age between 4 and 22. Most of them are educated by a private school teacher and one of our tasks are to teach english as well as playing activity games or help to construct a third floor... Others go to the normal college which is paid by different NGO's or donaters. Up to 18 they can decide if they want to leave the hostel or not. At the moment it's the 4th workcamp for them. So, their are used to foreigners but still with typical indian behavior (What's your name? Which country?). I hate it! At the weekend i will travel to Madurai (8 hours journey) to see one of the most famous temples in whole south india. It's not that i am addicted to travel but in Pondicherry is nothing more to discover and weekends can be very boring, when you have nothing to do despite watching TV or go for a walk :) many greets Alex