When 17-year-old Adam Luig came to Borivli from Menden in Germany, he had problems with everything the weather, the people, the language and the food. But 10 months down the line Adam loves the food, has learnt the language and has adjusted to the weather.

Adam came to Mumbai as part of Rotary Internationals Youth Exchange Programme, where 3,000 students from 100 countries spend a year in another country.

The Rotary Club of Borivli has been sending students abroad for last three years and we were happy that Adam accepted our invitation to stay with Rotarians in Borivli, says Vinay Vyas, Borivli president.

Initially people were shocked when I decided to come to India and stay in a remote suburb like Borivli, but I wanted to explore a new country which is different from the European countries I had travelled to, says Adam.

Adam initially moved in with a Jain family at Chandavarkar Road in Borivli (W) where vegetarianism had to be followed. As a German Im used to having three non-veg meals a day.

So this was a big adjustment, he says. However, Adam adds that now hes beginning to love masala dosa, upma and pav bhaji. When I feel like eating meat I go to Mohammed Ali Road, he winks.

After arriving in India, Adam started learning Hindi and also how to play the tabla. I started with the sitar, but switched to tabla because I thought that would be easier but even tablas are tough, he says, adding, Hindi also was very tough for me because the script and pronunciation is totally different from European languages.

To continue his education Adam joined the science stream at Thakur College in Kandivli (E). The method of teaching is very different in colleges here. In Germany students are given the problem and told to look for the solution.

Here the problem and solution are given and one has to just keep it in your head, he says. He admits to feeling strange when people kept staring at him. I was the only white student but then I got used to it, he admits.

It doesnt end there. To make matters more interesting, Adam enrolled for a dandiya class just before Navratri. I was told that Navratri is a big festival here so I enrolled in a dance class. I had a great time. Dandiya is a really cool way to dance, he says.

In May, Adam will go on a Himalayan trek before heading back to his country. Im going to take kurtas for everyone in my family, along with small Ganesh idols. For myself Im taking back the qualities of tolerance and patience that I learnt from India, says Adam.

Places that Adam loved

Adam admits to being floored by Inorbit Mall in Malad
He fancied learning golf at Royal Palms in Goregaon (E) because it was really cheap
This German says that one of his most memorable trips was to the Sanjay Gandhi National Park. Once you enter the peace and calm is amazing. Within a few minutes one can shut out the din of the city, he says.

janaki@mid-day.com