Every school has to arrange for the students to participate in a field trip, at least once a year. Some schools do it every month, but most just manage the 'once a year' mandatory responsibility.
Not so long ago, our school picnics or 'field trips' were to "the Governor's Beach", at Walkeshwar, the Vihar lake with its Laurel and Hardy, and Humpty Dumpty statues, the Hanging Garden with its 'Old Lady's Shoe', the traffic garden, the Museum, the zoo, the nature park at Mahim, and the aquarium. These trips were undertaken only in the supervision of the school teachers. Students carried their own snacks and shared the food with each other at the picnic spot. Teachers organised games and gave away prizes to the winners.
Then in the late 1999s, school trips were taken to the Silent Hill resort, the Snake park at Pune, the Lonavla wax museum and to grand amusement parks like Essel World, Tikujini Wadi, Fantasy land, Great Escape resort, and Imagica at Karjat. At these spots, the professional groups would supervise the children, with teachers as part of the group. The students were served a packed breakfast on the bus on the way to the spot. Lunch would be professionally managed and served by the park management. The students would enjoy rides or the water park facilities at the amusement parks.
The latest field trip craze is now Kidzania. It is a kids' city, built on the second floor of a mall, the R city mall at Ghatkopar. My school had just arranged a field trip to Kidzania and I am now recalling my experiences to the mall and at the spot.
The buses ferried us to Ghatkopar, across five flyovers and a very bumpy road with potholes galore. A ride that lasted 50 minutes, fortunately with no traffic jams. The Panvel flyover was the worst of the lot. With this bad state of Mumbai roads, we need to travel in some sort of space vehicle, that would ensure smooth transport like they enjoy on the moon's cratered surface. The flyovers have been enclosed with perforated partitions that act as sound barriers for local residents, about ten feet tall in some places, making the drive across the flyovers, claustrophobic and boring, with no view of the scenery on either side of the road.
But in the places that the view was open to be seen, it was a mixed feeling. The view of the defunct Mill grounds at Parel, where so many rapes have been reported, has a spooky aura even in broad daylight. Mostly tall skyscrapers are visible, or the roofs of low lying homes or slums. Most of the multi storeyed buildings had balconies with barred or grilled facades, that looked like jails. Washed clothes were hanging across balconies and windows, as though specially arranged for passers-by to view. The slums were smothered in large blue plastic sheets, weighted down with stones and tires, as a precaution by the inmates to block out the unseasonal rains. The tops of the roofs, that were visible, intermittent among floors of old building, were very littered and dirty. The top floors had obviously thrown trash onto the overhanging shades of lower floors, creating a very sullied scenery for people driving along the higher level roads. Chembur and Cheda Nagar slums were an unbelievably congested human abode. Open defecation was being done in full public view, and two nallas were stinking grossly, as our bus passed by them.
A few appealing views were also seen. A large clean payground, with youngsters enjoying football was a welcome sight. Wherever the roads were lined with huge trees, peepal, neem, rubber, clean and green and so refreshing to the eyes. As our bus approached Ghatkopar west, long lines of richshaws were visible, aeroplanes could be seen closer to the ground as they were landing nearby, and one very pretty and well maintained nursery with colourful pots and flowers, and then the bus depot and lastly our destination.
Each student was made to wear a tracker and given 50 kidzoes, a currency that lets students participate in various activites like making doughnuts, making coke, chocos, Parle biscuits, etc,. Each glass doored room is an activity centre, run by top brands that have been roped in by Kidzania. Adults are allowed to view the activities through the glass doors only.
The entire set up, helps students to perform tasks, earn money, then spend it to participate in enriching educational activities. There is a dentistry with a proper rubber model and equipment to perform tasks on the model's teeth. Students can learn dance at the Shiamak academy and perform in the small but well equipped auditorium. Every activity is a real life programme. A newspaper can edited and printed, all by the students and the Times of India brand. Yes bank lets students credit the kidzoes in their official account, with a proper credit card too. Lunch is also served within the premises. The entire enclosure has an artificial sky, two large plastic trees and is air cooled.
As we teachers waited around while the students participated in the activities on offer, we reminisced about the simple games that we grew up with, which kids nowadays have no clue how to play. We recalled the fervour with which we used to play, seven tiles, mud and water, marbles, hopscotch, tippry, L-O-N-D-O-N and rounders. One teacher narrated how she would not be included in her brother's kite flying sessions and would be satisfied with flying a plastic bag.
During the return trip, through the bus window, large advertisements were visible along the road. Just before the ITC grand central hotel, the road is dotted with factory outlets of shoe and bag brands like Nike, Delsey, American Tourister, etc. As our bus reached Byculla, the majestic clock tower of the Zoo was a soothing sight. And this reminded me about the new inmates, the penguins. I wonder if they are in good health, as nothing has been posted on the news recently, about their status. Soon the tall spires of Gloria Church rose into view, marred with shattered windows, covered with yellow and blue plastic sheets, with repairs underway.
The other side of this flyover, offers a view of the Byculla market, where a very large garbage disposal area is visible, public toilets come into view and then the tops of the roofs that shade the wholesale market area. A very pathetic sight for so many vehicles that drive past daily. I suggest that the municipality of this area beautifies the roof tops in some way. Either by growing a lovely lawn across them, or painting some socially relevant message all over, to beautify the view. Because, every journey undertaken is not only for reaching the destination, but also to be enjoyed along the way.
Not so long ago, our school picnics or 'field trips' were to "the Governor's Beach", at Walkeshwar, the Vihar lake with its Laurel and Hardy, and Humpty Dumpty statues, the Hanging Garden with its 'Old Lady's Shoe', the traffic garden, the Museum, the zoo, the nature park at Mahim, and the aquarium. These trips were undertaken only in the supervision of the school teachers. Students carried their own snacks and shared the food with each other at the picnic spot. Teachers organised games and gave away prizes to the winners.
Then in the late 1999s, school trips were taken to the Silent Hill resort, the Snake park at Pune, the Lonavla wax museum and to grand amusement parks like Essel World, Tikujini Wadi, Fantasy land, Great Escape resort, and Imagica at Karjat. At these spots, the professional groups would supervise the children, with teachers as part of the group. The students were served a packed breakfast on the bus on the way to the spot. Lunch would be professionally managed and served by the park management. The students would enjoy rides or the water park facilities at the amusement parks.
The latest field trip craze is now Kidzania. It is a kids' city, built on the second floor of a mall, the R city mall at Ghatkopar. My school had just arranged a field trip to Kidzania and I am now recalling my experiences to the mall and at the spot.
The buses ferried us to Ghatkopar, across five flyovers and a very bumpy road with potholes galore. A ride that lasted 50 minutes, fortunately with no traffic jams. The Panvel flyover was the worst of the lot. With this bad state of Mumbai roads, we need to travel in some sort of space vehicle, that would ensure smooth transport like they enjoy on the moon's cratered surface. The flyovers have been enclosed with perforated partitions that act as sound barriers for local residents, about ten feet tall in some places, making the drive across the flyovers, claustrophobic and boring, with no view of the scenery on either side of the road.
But in the places that the view was open to be seen, it was a mixed feeling. The view of the defunct Mill grounds at Parel, where so many rapes have been reported, has a spooky aura even in broad daylight. Mostly tall skyscrapers are visible, or the roofs of low lying homes or slums. Most of the multi storeyed buildings had balconies with barred or grilled facades, that looked like jails. Washed clothes were hanging across balconies and windows, as though specially arranged for passers-by to view. The slums were smothered in large blue plastic sheets, weighted down with stones and tires, as a precaution by the inmates to block out the unseasonal rains. The tops of the roofs, that were visible, intermittent among floors of old building, were very littered and dirty. The top floors had obviously thrown trash onto the overhanging shades of lower floors, creating a very sullied scenery for people driving along the higher level roads. Chembur and Cheda Nagar slums were an unbelievably congested human abode. Open defecation was being done in full public view, and two nallas were stinking grossly, as our bus passed by them.
A few appealing views were also seen. A large clean payground, with youngsters enjoying football was a welcome sight. Wherever the roads were lined with huge trees, peepal, neem, rubber, clean and green and so refreshing to the eyes. As our bus approached Ghatkopar west, long lines of richshaws were visible, aeroplanes could be seen closer to the ground as they were landing nearby, and one very pretty and well maintained nursery with colourful pots and flowers, and then the bus depot and lastly our destination.
Each student was made to wear a tracker and given 50 kidzoes, a currency that lets students participate in various activites like making doughnuts, making coke, chocos, Parle biscuits, etc,. Each glass doored room is an activity centre, run by top brands that have been roped in by Kidzania. Adults are allowed to view the activities through the glass doors only.
The entire set up, helps students to perform tasks, earn money, then spend it to participate in enriching educational activities. There is a dentistry with a proper rubber model and equipment to perform tasks on the model's teeth. Students can learn dance at the Shiamak academy and perform in the small but well equipped auditorium. Every activity is a real life programme. A newspaper can edited and printed, all by the students and the Times of India brand. Yes bank lets students credit the kidzoes in their official account, with a proper credit card too. Lunch is also served within the premises. The entire enclosure has an artificial sky, two large plastic trees and is air cooled.
As we teachers waited around while the students participated in the activities on offer, we reminisced about the simple games that we grew up with, which kids nowadays have no clue how to play. We recalled the fervour with which we used to play, seven tiles, mud and water, marbles, hopscotch, tippry, L-O-N-D-O-N and rounders. One teacher narrated how she would not be included in her brother's kite flying sessions and would be satisfied with flying a plastic bag.
During the return trip, through the bus window, large advertisements were visible along the road. Just before the ITC grand central hotel, the road is dotted with factory outlets of shoe and bag brands like Nike, Delsey, American Tourister, etc. As our bus reached Byculla, the majestic clock tower of the Zoo was a soothing sight. And this reminded me about the new inmates, the penguins. I wonder if they are in good health, as nothing has been posted on the news recently, about their status. Soon the tall spires of Gloria Church rose into view, marred with shattered windows, covered with yellow and blue plastic sheets, with repairs underway.
The other side of this flyover, offers a view of the Byculla market, where a very large garbage disposal area is visible, public toilets come into view and then the tops of the roofs that shade the wholesale market area. A very pathetic sight for so many vehicles that drive past daily. I suggest that the municipality of this area beautifies the roof tops in some way. Either by growing a lovely lawn across them, or painting some socially relevant message all over, to beautify the view. Because, every journey undertaken is not only for reaching the destination, but also to be enjoyed along the way.
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