Ahmedabad Mirror article by Pascal Chazot:
One of the most distinctive features of Ahmedabad is the place called Hollywood near Ambavadi. Years ago when I arrived in this city, I was baffled when people casually referred to this ‘Hollywood’. Whatever I might have been expecting, nothing prepared me for what I saw. Why is the place called Hollywood? I think it was Ashish Lakhia who once told me that it was while a firang couple was being taken around the city, they were fascinated by this place where everything happened in the open. According to legend, they said that so many incredible things can only happen in Hollywood. Since then, the place was christened thus. (Continue reading …)

Ahmedabad Mirror article by Pascal Chazot:
‘Firang’, ‘pardesi’, ‘dhodi chamedi’, ‘foreigner’… during my stay in India, different appellations have been used for me. Yet, my understanding of the term ‘foreigner’ has undergone a sea change. It started from the notion of my being an outsider from a different land. In a remarkably short time I was accepted and appreciated because of my being a Sanskritist and my deep interest in Indian studies and scriptures. Later, as I married an Indian and someone born in Gujarat, I became ‘one of them’. (Continue reading …)

Ahmedabad Mirror article by Pascal Chazot
October 1990
Arrival at a small airport in a city called Ahmedabad. I am greeted warmly by a young team of Alliance Francaise. This is my new post as the Director. Outside, the weather is warm, the roads are narrow with hardly any traffic lights. (Continue reading …)

Pascal Chazot’s articles are being regularly published every Saturday in the supplementary edition of Times of India, Ahmedabad Mirror. The subjects are varied but often inspired by current news and interaction with wife, Anjou Musafir.

WHEELING – DEALING IN AHMEDABAD

Since the last 18 years that I have been in Ahmedabad, I have been asking my wife one traffic related question that has been intriguing me. Who is given priority on roads? In France, it is priority to the right. She started by counter-questioning “What do you mean right or left”? (Continue reading …)

One of the faculty members at MGIS undertook a course in Sky Diving for Civilians, it was the first of its kind back in 2005 and she was the only woman participant. Read on to find out more about her experience.

“I never thought I would go for a parachute jump… I never considered it as I am scared of heights and I was convinced I was way too frail and petite to ever be capable of braving the strong winds and dizzying heights. Yet when I saw the letterhead of the Gujarat Sports Authority giving details about the first civilian parachute jumping expedition on the desk of my employer, I felt a strong calling for it. It was the last day to apply and there was no time to hesitate, I took the plunge.

What followed felt like a dream, it went so fast yet I can distinctly recall all events. (Continue reading …)

Sharmeen Attarwala and Shachi Sheth, both MYP students are reporters for the Student edition of the Times of India. They regularly send in articles, below is a recent article :

THE PET AFFAIR

Recently the students of MGIS celebrated an animal day in which we came across owners of hamsters, snakes, Irish setters, pugs etc. This event displayed an upcoming trend of people in the choice of exotic pets. What is influencing people to turn to animals? How does having a pet influence the owner’s lifestyle? We went around interviewing exotic pet owners and asked them to share their views about the role their pets play in the lives and achieved interesting answers.

Kashish Kacheria who owns hamsters says, “Its like my own baby. When I feel lonely they are always there to give me company. They may not speak my language but they understand my emotions and their listening skills make me feel very secure”. (Continue reading …)