After finishing my studies in spring 2003, I had a choice to make: starting a regular job, or going abroad to explore different cultures and travel. I decided to do both: living and working in India for 5 months, I can see the country from the inside looking out and not the outside looking in, whilst gaining work experience at the same time. I was looking for a traineeship that would give me the opportunity to integrate my studies about intercultural communication and my passion for education and development. Through AIESEC I was able to apply for an internship at CSR’s Gender Training Institute. I am currently working on a gender sensitisation manual for teachers of teenagers, which will raise awareness of gender bias in education among teachers and give advice on how they can act in a positive manner against this. The traineeship at CSR gives me the opportunity to see and experience the organisational part of an NGO, as well as to see what is happening at the grass roots level. I’ve had the chance to join the CSR trainers on their gender and HIV workshops, which they conduct with teenage girls living in the poorer communities in Delhi. Although I don’t speak Hindi, I can still get the meaning of the workshops because the atmosphere is so expressive and I can interact with the girls through other means – a smile can say so much! So far, this has been very rewarding and I look forward to many more opportunities like this. I have now been in India for only 5 weeks, although it feels like it has already been 5 months. Every day is different and things hardly ever go as expected, which can be confusing, but mainly exciting! India is very different from any country I have ever lived in and I don’t always find it easy. However, I appreciate the learning experience that I’ve had so far, every day stretches me a little further and I am constantly surprising myself at what I can achieve. I am really looking forward to the remaining 4 months of my traineeship at CSR – in India the future can hold so many surprises! Nienke van der Plas the Netherlands