Our Learning theme this term has been "AROUND THE WORLD" and we have had lots of fun exploring different cultures. Being such a huge country stretching from the freezing Himalayas to the hot Indian Ocean there is lots of culture to explore. We visited a lovely Indian restaurant and Miss Clissold told us all about India.

As a UNESCO ASSOCIATED SCHOOL learning about different countries is very important at Millbank. There are lots of words that we use that originate in India such as :- bandana, bangle, bazaar, bungalow, cot, chutney, dungaree, jodhpurs, jungle, juggernaut, khaki, loot, pyjamas, pariah, shampoo and verandah. Whilst we use a Roman or Latin alphabet the numbers that we use to count are Hindi/Arabic in origin.

India has a very rich history and there are lots of ancient temples and carving in this huge country. Today we hear a lot about the tremendous economy of BRIC countries and associate India with lots of IT graduates and scientists. There are some fantastic holiday destinations on golden beaches. Whilst there is great wealth there is also great poverty and many people say that there are two Indias a Light and a Dark.

One of the most inspirational people loved by children is Gandhi, he fought against the British for Indian Independence. India was know as the 'Jewel in the British Empire' and we had fought the French and Dutch to take control of the country and all it's riches.

British and Indian cultures have greatly influenced each other. Chicken tikka masala is the most popular restaurant dish in the UK. Some claim whilst based on Indian dishes it was actually invented in Glasgow but either way the UK exports Chicken tikka masala to India. At the restaurant we could all try different indian foods such as onion bhagees, Bombay potatoes, naam bread, pilau rice, Chicken Korma, curry sauce and pompadoms. Some of us had tried Indian food before some of us had not but we all tasted the rich spicy food.

There are lots of simple Indian Recipes to try our the BBC's INDIAN FOOD MADE EASY is a good one to start with. Of course we want to say a big thank you to the "KISMET INDIAN QUISINE" restaurant for making the trip possible and being so helpful.