Boomerangs Beach for Goa volunteers

COUNTRY: India
PROGRAM: UniBreak
PROJECT: Teaching & Care Work
WRITTEN BY: Mei Turnbul

The end of our second week was very significant to our group; not only did it mark the halfway point for our time here in Goa, it would also be the last weekend all nine of us would share. Fortunately, we planned something spectacular and had a ball.

Friday night was spent in Colva at a joint on the beach called 'Boomerangs'. The owner told us that it had once been a popular hot-spot for Goa volunteers to let loose, and was grateful for the revival sparked by our crew. At Boomerangs the drinks are cheap, the food is delicious, and Friday night is karaoke: the essential ingredients for a good time and a phenomenal start to our weekend.

Saturday and Sunday, we spent in Baga, which is located about an hour north of Majorda. Renowned for its nightlife and party atmosphere, we weren't disappointed as it so happened that David Guetta was performing in town that weekend! Unfortunately, we never made it to the concert but we weren’t disheartened as we lost track of time due to the wonderful service at Tito’s restaurant. Tito’s is somewhat of an enterprise here in Goa and own almost a dozen establishments around Baga, and more throughout the state.

The original Tito’s restaurant, which we dined in, offered cuisines from all over the world to suit anyone’s taste buds and was probably the best quality food we’d had this trip! Exhausted from our busy week, most of us soon called it a night while others soldiered on to the wee hours of the morning. Sunday was mainly spent shopping as Baga had more on offer in the way of knick-knacks and souvenirs for us to bring back home.

Our third week of work was the least challenging so far. By now we are familiar with our students’ capabilities, interests, and what teaching method’s work best for each topic. Any hiccups that we encountered were menial, or even complimentary.

For instance, the English class in the slum school has seen a handful more students join this week – making the classroom livelier than ever! Our volunteers are seeing the quiet ones coming out of their shells and communicating more. An increase in students can only be testament to the great work being accomplished by the projects here, and we are all so privileged and proud to be a part it.