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Saturday, August 30, 2008
“Apple Bottom Jeans, Boots with the Fur”
About four times week I wake up at 6 am to participate in the high school’s “Physical Training” sessions. I have let loose the tomboy inside of me and have joined in with the 10th and 11th grade boys in playing soccer. But then this Tuesday morning I asked what the girls did. The older girls play basketball, but I can tell from when they are warming up and doing laps around the field, that they try there best not to break a sweat, which to me doesn’t sound too appealing. But what about the other girls? Well it turns out that a tenth grader, Chaitra, leads an AEROBICS class for the 6th and 7th grade girls at the same time. NOW THAT sounds fun! I asked if I could join in and I had such a blast. I am surprised I hadn’t heard about it, probably my bad for not asking, but I’m going to start helping Chaitra with leading it. When I arrived yesterday morning they were warming up to “Apologize”, very cool, and then they bust out “their dance”. To my surprise, Chaitra choreographed an entire routine to APPLE BOTTOM JEANS! Who would of thought that in rural India, they would like the same darn song that is SO overplayed on the west side of the pond, that I can hear it in my sleep. Anyways, it was great to see them shaking it and having fun and I loved the memories it brought me…I thought of my dear “Cozy” friends…’Shorty, Got Low, Low, Low, Low, Low, Low, Low, Low’ =)
Another high point of the week was when I played with the 3rd and 4th grader boys–Shanti-Bhavan Olympics 2008—we had a long jump contest and a 100-meter race. We held a ceremony in which the 4 medal winners (correct, 4 not 3- since we ran out of time for a tie breaker, haha) stood in Olympic style, with the winner of the gold propped up in the middle, to receive their astonishing, imaginary medals. Anyways, I’ll post a picture showing the excitement of the 4 winners, it is epic.
This coming Friday, September 5th is Teacher’s day! I have organized a program for the teacher’s where all of my dance kids will be performing, as well as Francesca, who will perform a monologue she wrote, myself dancing that solo piece I talked about, and a few piano performances of student compositions by the 8th and 9th graders (compositions that are exceptionally beautiful). Everyone is really excited and I think it will be a nice gesture for the teachers. For them to just sit back and watch the students they love so much, do something in their honor. After that, Francesca and I take off to New Delhi and Agra for the weekend to visit the Taj Majal which is one of my dreams and to hopefully ride an elephant, another one of my dreams =). Francesca then will travel for one more week, as I head back to Shanti-Bhavan and then will go home to California to finish her senior year at my dear SCU; time sure flies.
Another high point of the week was when I played with the 3rd and 4th grader boys–Shanti-Bhavan Olympics 2008—we had a long jump contest and a 100-meter race. We held a ceremony in which the 4 medal winners (correct, 4 not 3- since we ran out of time for a tie breaker, haha) stood in Olympic style, with the winner of the gold propped up in the middle, to receive their astonishing, imaginary medals. Anyways, I’ll post a picture showing the excitement of the 4 winners, it is epic.
This coming Friday, September 5th is Teacher’s day! I have organized a program for the teacher’s where all of my dance kids will be performing, as well as Francesca, who will perform a monologue she wrote, myself dancing that solo piece I talked about, and a few piano performances of student compositions by the 8th and 9th graders (compositions that are exceptionally beautiful). Everyone is really excited and I think it will be a nice gesture for the teachers. For them to just sit back and watch the students they love so much, do something in their honor. After that, Francesca and I take off to New Delhi and Agra for the weekend to visit the Taj Majal which is one of my dreams and to hopefully ride an elephant, another one of my dreams =). Francesca then will travel for one more week, as I head back to Shanti-Bhavan and then will go home to California to finish her senior year at my dear SCU; time sure flies.
Tough Stuff
For this week’s update, I thought I would share a bit about the challenges I’m facing; I must say these have been a rather long, and hot, and difficult few days. The middle school and high school students were in exams this week, which meant that the younger grades had to keep more quiet than usual. Well, my lovely fourth graders, all 18 of them, decide to be the LOUDEST possible the first few days of the week. After I nicely asked them to “practice their inside voices” a few times and noticed that that was certainly not going to work, I raised my own, raspy, injured voice and said that this week “silence was golden” and that they must all sit quietly in their seats even if they felt like wining, even if they were tired or even if they needed my attention to show me their newest “paper cell phone” or to tell me an “even funnier” joke. NOPE, that didn’t work either. “Okay, NO CANDY THIS WEEK”! That worked for all of two class periods and then oh there came the loud screeches and the “Miss, miss, miss, miss” calling with a wiggling hand high up in the air as if I were either 20 miles away, or as if I wasn’t wearing my thick glasses that day.
“Oh my goodness, what do I do?” I thought. I decided to ask the 8th grade teacher to come into my class and tell them that the whole school was very quiet but that the older students had complained about the fourth grade being so loud, that they couldn’t concentrate on their exams. It was a “Santo Remedio”! –translation: holy remedy-- All of a sudden, they were all so quiet I could hear the soft breeze outside the classroom window. Then I said, ‘my dear students, I am very sad about one thing. Even though you say “I love you, Miss Blue Jay” every day, and even though you write me beautiful, colorful letters saying “thank you for teaching us, please don’t leave”, you have to have another teacher come reprimand you about being too loud in order for you to listen, and you won’t listen to me.” All of them, with their tail between their legs, and their chins dropped about 45 degrees, proceeded to say, “I’m so, so sorry Miss Genvi”. This was Wednesday, by Thursday evening I had been handed about 14 “I’m sorry” notes with cute drawings on them, and luckily for the last two days they were all practically inaudible.
Another challenge that I have already been exposed to but I guess in smaller dosages are the recent and very continuous power outages. The transformer here blew up about two weeks ago and it has taken that long to fix it. The transformer generates energy for pumping water out of the wells, hence the correlation of power AND water outages simultaneously. There has been power for all of two hours per day, which means primarily that we have to read, and converse, and eat, and “wash up” using candles. Now I use the term ‘wash-up’ as opposed to “shower” because instead of your usual running water refreshingly splashing down your head, followed by the shampoo, conditioner, soap, and shaving cream process, we have had to get used to a bucket ‘half full ;)’ of water and a quick splash with soap on the 6 essential body points for cleansing. My vanilla body splash is almost gone. We do hope to get power by Monday but this experience has in a way not eliminated but certainly diminished the distance between this beautiful school and the many villages just outside the gates. The villagers there live on a candle per week and gutter water. What’s even more inimitable and almost makes me appreciate this occurrence is that it has served as a constant reminder that although these children are clean cut and well fed here; they do come from a life of candlelight and dirty water.
Finally, a discomfort that is out of anyone’s hands is CLIMATE! Remember how I talked about the perfect 75-degree weather? Yeah, well that has changed. The days are more like 95 degrees and the nights about 90. In combination with the ‘no power’ situation, the lack of fan ventilation in the room at night has made it difficult to sleep soundly. I think that the vegetables, lentil juice and rice diet along with the gallons of sweat perspired through out the day will both take part in the unplanned elimination of a few college pounds, which I cannot argue against :). Supposedly by mid-September it should get chilly which I’m looking forward to. It’s amazing how heat has such a significant effect on the children. Their attention spans shorten by HOURS and well I’ll be honest and say mine does too. I have been told by a few, that by 3 pm my eyes are glazed over and I have this distracted frown as if I just saw something very disturbing or unnatural…I am tired but to me that just means that my time and energy are being put to great use. I have grown a much stronger appreciation for all my past teachers. This is not easy work but regardless it is very rewarding when you see a child enjoying your class and applying what they learn; and what is even better knowing that they appreciate it and do not take it for granted.
“Oh my goodness, what do I do?” I thought. I decided to ask the 8th grade teacher to come into my class and tell them that the whole school was very quiet but that the older students had complained about the fourth grade being so loud, that they couldn’t concentrate on their exams. It was a “Santo Remedio”! –translation: holy remedy-- All of a sudden, they were all so quiet I could hear the soft breeze outside the classroom window. Then I said, ‘my dear students, I am very sad about one thing. Even though you say “I love you, Miss Blue Jay” every day, and even though you write me beautiful, colorful letters saying “thank you for teaching us, please don’t leave”, you have to have another teacher come reprimand you about being too loud in order for you to listen, and you won’t listen to me.” All of them, with their tail between their legs, and their chins dropped about 45 degrees, proceeded to say, “I’m so, so sorry Miss Genvi”. This was Wednesday, by Thursday evening I had been handed about 14 “I’m sorry” notes with cute drawings on them, and luckily for the last two days they were all practically inaudible.
Another challenge that I have already been exposed to but I guess in smaller dosages are the recent and very continuous power outages. The transformer here blew up about two weeks ago and it has taken that long to fix it. The transformer generates energy for pumping water out of the wells, hence the correlation of power AND water outages simultaneously. There has been power for all of two hours per day, which means primarily that we have to read, and converse, and eat, and “wash up” using candles. Now I use the term ‘wash-up’ as opposed to “shower” because instead of your usual running water refreshingly splashing down your head, followed by the shampoo, conditioner, soap, and shaving cream process, we have had to get used to a bucket ‘half full ;)’ of water and a quick splash with soap on the 6 essential body points for cleansing. My vanilla body splash is almost gone. We do hope to get power by Monday but this experience has in a way not eliminated but certainly diminished the distance between this beautiful school and the many villages just outside the gates. The villagers there live on a candle per week and gutter water. What’s even more inimitable and almost makes me appreciate this occurrence is that it has served as a constant reminder that although these children are clean cut and well fed here; they do come from a life of candlelight and dirty water.
Finally, a discomfort that is out of anyone’s hands is CLIMATE! Remember how I talked about the perfect 75-degree weather? Yeah, well that has changed. The days are more like 95 degrees and the nights about 90. In combination with the ‘no power’ situation, the lack of fan ventilation in the room at night has made it difficult to sleep soundly. I think that the vegetables, lentil juice and rice diet along with the gallons of sweat perspired through out the day will both take part in the unplanned elimination of a few college pounds, which I cannot argue against :). Supposedly by mid-September it should get chilly which I’m looking forward to. It’s amazing how heat has such a significant effect on the children. Their attention spans shorten by HOURS and well I’ll be honest and say mine does too. I have been told by a few, that by 3 pm my eyes are glazed over and I have this distracted frown as if I just saw something very disturbing or unnatural…I am tired but to me that just means that my time and energy are being put to great use. I have grown a much stronger appreciation for all my past teachers. This is not easy work but regardless it is very rewarding when you see a child enjoying your class and applying what they learn; and what is even better knowing that they appreciate it and do not take it for granted.
Friday, August 22, 2008
Who are you?
This past week has been eventful and moving in many ways. As I establish closer relationships with the children here at Shanti-Bhavan, we are mutually sharing more and more things about our backgrounds and perspectives. Their initial reactions go something like this: “So let me get this straight…your name and surname are French, you are from Nicaragua and Spanish is your first language, you studied in the United States which is where you became part of ASTEP, and now you are India, with us??? Oh my goodness, who are you?” =) Haha, their puzzled faces are the cutest thing ever, but seconds later their eyes open wide and we begin a beautiful exchange of experiences and ideas.
In the “Artistic Expression Class” that Francesca and I are teaching, the children have so willingly opened up and shared with us very personal things. They have shared with us stories of their lives before Shanti-Bhavan and about how they are grateful everyday for the opportunity of being a part of this amazing community. In that room, there have been many, many tears, and screams, and laughs and hugs and stares that very honestly say: “thank you”. The class has been so rewarding. I cannot explain the feelings I get every time a child places their mind and heart so openly before me, in an entirely vulnerable state, trusting me. What I can explain is that somehow I have known what to say. I feel that the harmony of this place, the many hours of personal time and spiritual reflection I have had and my many interactions with these children have all contributed to those truly unique and gratifying exchanges. We are now creating a piece in which some of the children will be reading a script that we all wrote together, others will be acting it out and others will be dancing. In the past year or so you may have heard me say: The arts can be a powerful catalyst for empowerment. I believe that now more than ever. As they create art, inexplicably beautiful art, I have seen these kids reassured that they are not ‘untouchable’, that they can get past their traumas and sufferings, and that they can not only dare to dream but strive to live up to their dreams.
On a different note, this past Tuesday, Dr. George in company of his youngest son Vivek, his niece Maleka and her husband Arnold, and the entire community at Shanti-Bhavan participated in a moving ceremony to burry the ashes of his father, Mr. Mathew George, in front of the peaceful Prayer Hall on campus. The 300 or so people were all wearing white and we were all asked to hold rose pedals that we then threw on top of the tomb where they buried his ashes. The ceremony was accompanied with beautiful music; a few hymns were sung by Maleka who is actually an opera singer and violinist in Paris and came here for this ceremony and to visit the children for the 3rd time…it was such an honor to witness such talent. The four family members spoke beautifully about the legacy of this man who truly seemed to be an exceptional person. Before his death at the age of 97, he asked to be buried in Shanti-Bhavan because he believed there was no other place as special and as transcendent as this one. They also planted a tree in his honor and two of the younger children planted it. It was a very ceremonial and touching day for all here at Shanti-Bhavan.
Another particular happening this week was Miss blue Jay’s turn at “The News Today”. Every day at the morning assembly a teacher gives a summary of the news that day. My turn was this past Thursday. There is a TV in the teacher’s commons with dish network that I had not yet used. The night before I sat in front of the TV watching CNN and BBC. Although it was relaxing to just sit in front of the television with a cup of tea and no ruckus is the background, I left the commons completely depressed. The news is all about deaths, and lack of diplomacy, and bombs, and more deaths. The next morning I was in charge of informing the school of the scary deal signed between Rice and Sikurski to establish the US missile base in Poland. What is happening to this world yet again? Does THE COLD WAR come to mind? Lets pray this doesn’t break out into a calamity.
On a lighter note, I also informed them that India has won three medals at the Beijing Olympics already ensuring that India will return with its biggest Olympic Medal haul ever. That’s cool.
All right lovely people,
Many hugs and much love,
Until soon.
In the “Artistic Expression Class” that Francesca and I are teaching, the children have so willingly opened up and shared with us very personal things. They have shared with us stories of their lives before Shanti-Bhavan and about how they are grateful everyday for the opportunity of being a part of this amazing community. In that room, there have been many, many tears, and screams, and laughs and hugs and stares that very honestly say: “thank you”. The class has been so rewarding. I cannot explain the feelings I get every time a child places their mind and heart so openly before me, in an entirely vulnerable state, trusting me. What I can explain is that somehow I have known what to say. I feel that the harmony of this place, the many hours of personal time and spiritual reflection I have had and my many interactions with these children have all contributed to those truly unique and gratifying exchanges. We are now creating a piece in which some of the children will be reading a script that we all wrote together, others will be acting it out and others will be dancing. In the past year or so you may have heard me say: The arts can be a powerful catalyst for empowerment. I believe that now more than ever. As they create art, inexplicably beautiful art, I have seen these kids reassured that they are not ‘untouchable’, that they can get past their traumas and sufferings, and that they can not only dare to dream but strive to live up to their dreams.
On a different note, this past Tuesday, Dr. George in company of his youngest son Vivek, his niece Maleka and her husband Arnold, and the entire community at Shanti-Bhavan participated in a moving ceremony to burry the ashes of his father, Mr. Mathew George, in front of the peaceful Prayer Hall on campus. The 300 or so people were all wearing white and we were all asked to hold rose pedals that we then threw on top of the tomb where they buried his ashes. The ceremony was accompanied with beautiful music; a few hymns were sung by Maleka who is actually an opera singer and violinist in Paris and came here for this ceremony and to visit the children for the 3rd time…it was such an honor to witness such talent. The four family members spoke beautifully about the legacy of this man who truly seemed to be an exceptional person. Before his death at the age of 97, he asked to be buried in Shanti-Bhavan because he believed there was no other place as special and as transcendent as this one. They also planted a tree in his honor and two of the younger children planted it. It was a very ceremonial and touching day for all here at Shanti-Bhavan.
Another particular happening this week was Miss blue Jay’s turn at “The News Today”. Every day at the morning assembly a teacher gives a summary of the news that day. My turn was this past Thursday. There is a TV in the teacher’s commons with dish network that I had not yet used. The night before I sat in front of the TV watching CNN and BBC. Although it was relaxing to just sit in front of the television with a cup of tea and no ruckus is the background, I left the commons completely depressed. The news is all about deaths, and lack of diplomacy, and bombs, and more deaths. The next morning I was in charge of informing the school of the scary deal signed between Rice and Sikurski to establish the US missile base in Poland. What is happening to this world yet again? Does THE COLD WAR come to mind? Lets pray this doesn’t break out into a calamity.
On a lighter note, I also informed them that India has won three medals at the Beijing Olympics already ensuring that India will return with its biggest Olympic Medal haul ever. That’s cool.
All right lovely people,
Many hugs and much love,
Until soon.
Barefoot Traveling and Volcano Pits with Egg
We arrived in Chennai after a long bus ride, complete with a bizarre showing of a loud Tamil movie depicting stripers, pimps and a gruesome car accident; not exactly your usual bus ride entertainment! OK, I’ll be serious now. Chennai, more commonly known as Madras, is an awesome city. It has very beautiful architecture that depicts the contrasts of India very adequately. There are buildings that make one feel like you are walking through the streets of London because of the still very evident British influence, with the exception of the ghastly sewage smell that envelops the atmosphere of the entire city. What is most beautiful however is that next to those “European buildings” stand tall Hindu temples with elaborate carvings of their gods and deities. Crowds of people trickle in and out of the temples through out the day, bare-footed, with flowers in their heads, devotedly praising their gods. Since it is a coastal city, the spirit of the people there is light hearted and the pace of life is slower than in Bangalore. Perhaps it was because I visited during Independence Day weekend but people just seem happier there. On Friday night we went out to a Tapas bar were the “cool people” hang, it was great to see the bar scene in an Indian city. The girls were actually wearing western clothes there which was quite a contrast from the women on the streets just outside wearing their silk saris, their long black hair oiled and braided down their backs, and their sparkling bindis in the middle of their forehead (I think it looks almost like a star illuminating their dark, mysterious eyes). I doubt I’ll start wearing bindis and oiling my hair but I think the Indian style is much more feminine and beautiful.
One of the days we took a tour to the near by towns of Kanchipuram and Mahabalipuram in the Bay of Bengal. There stand rock cut temples of the 7th, the 16th and 17th centuries. In Kanchipuram we visited a few temples that were astonishing because of the 59-meter high, intricately carved rocks that sat on top of them. They were actually carved out of a sole rock. Inside, there were beautiful wooden statuses of exotic looking gods adorned with golden jewelry. One of the temples is the very famous Vishnu temple, which includes a beautifully sculpted 1000 pillar hall over looking a lake. Now only 97 of the pillars remain.
I must say the only awful part of these visits was the fact THAT I HAD TO REMOVE MY SHOES and this time I had NO SOCKS, eek! I was so paranoid of getting some sort of bacteria infection on my foot. As I walked through the temples, rather than thinking, “wow this is beautiful”, I was thinking, “Oh my God what if they have chop off my foot, aaahhh!” When I got back to the bus I squished out my entire bottle of hand sanitizer and my entire bottle of water on my feet. Haha. Not to worry though, my feet are fine, “THANK YOU LORD” =)
In Mahabalipuram we visited the Five Rathas, which are rock cut temples resembling chariots. The temples are from the mid 600s and the place is considered to be a world heritage site. We also visited the Shore Temple dedicated to the god Shiva, which faces the Bay of Bengal. It was constructed in the middle of the 7th century. There used to stand eight of these temples but through the years, they have been swallowed up by the sea; today only two remain.
A great part of the tour was visiting a silk factory where we saw people working on huge medal machines as they wove bright silk threads into beautiful Saris with very elaborate designs. One silk Sari takes 12 days to make and what is most impressive and a true shame is that although some Saris are quite expensive, others that take just as long to make are only about 1000 Rupees, which convert to about $30; you’d think they would be much more expensive knowing the long and hard hours people put into them.
Finally we visited the beach on the Bay of Bengal where we were able to sprinkle our feet with the cold, dark blue waters of the Indian Ocean. The tour was a total of 12 hours long, the weather was very hot and the bus driver obnoxiously honked 5 out of the 6 hours of travel. Even so, the tour was well worth it and it was truly amazing to visit those magnificent temples, to see the method of making such beautiful silk fabrics, and at last looking out into the Indian Ocean.
Back in Chennai, another highlight of the trip was that we were able to meet different Indian families. They were all good friends of Premilla, the teacher who planned the entire trip for us and who is a native of Chennai. Again I experienced the contrasts of India. In one apartment complex, there were Catholics, Hindus, and Muslims. Some had huge pictures of Jesus crucified up on their walls, others were wearing the Hijad and had rectangular carpets on the floor where they pray towards Mecca and the Hindus had colorful pictures and statues of elephant gods and snakes gods decorating their homes. The beauty of it all is that what they had in common was their kindness and their hospitality, welcoming us foreigners with smiles, completely interested in our perspectives and what we had to say about our stay in India.
Story: We visited one of Premilla’s girl friends that lives with her 25 year old daughter. After the usual “hello how are you” conversation, the lady says: “Premilla how exciting is it that it’s almost time for my daughter Nythia to get married?” Premilla proceeds to say: “Oh, did you find one already?” I was like WHAT? Later I asked Premilla if she perhaps was referring to a dress or a place to hold the wedding. OH NO! They were talking about a man! Yep…while we westerners worry about love at first site or the one and only, these ladies wait around at home until their mommies find them a suitable catch.
But for the feature story: I visited Premilla’s temple with her, like her “Sunday church”. I can say it was the strangest form of prayer and offering I have ever witnessed or even imagined. On our way to the temple we bought Jasmine flowers to put on our heads. That was great, my hair ended up smelling amazing. It reminded me of the smell of my room in Managua where the jasmine tree stands outside my window blessing my room with that wonderful smell. Anyways, we arrived at the temple, which was very pretty; it had mosaic paintings on the ceilings and very colorful columns depicting gods and deities in acrobatic positions. We were asked to take our shoes off AGAIN (I will certainly not miss walking barefoot on dirty, dirty floors, but I certainly felt that I should be respectful to this woman’s house of worship). We walked around the first temple house to where the statue of her favorite god, the snake god, stood. The rock statue of this snake twirls around five small rocks resembling tall volcano pits. Premilla then took out some raw eggs from a plastic bag and started cracking each egg into the volcano pits. That’s not all, then a flock of black ravens swooped in to suck out the egg from the volcano pits… No comment: I’m trying to be culturally sensitive.
When I spoke to my mother the next day, she asked: Oh goodness, you didn’t pray there did you? Haha. No mother, I did not pray there! I was just a tourist with a camera and a very transparent expression of confusion.
Disclaimer: My friend Suparna who is sitting next to me right now, assures me that not all Hindus partake in these peculiar rituals and was equally perplexed at the sight.
The bus ride back from Chennai, which was during the day on Sunday, was stunning! The road was surrounded by huge rock mountains and miles and miles of coconut tree plantations. The whole trip was very eye opening and lots of fun.
One of the days we took a tour to the near by towns of Kanchipuram and Mahabalipuram in the Bay of Bengal. There stand rock cut temples of the 7th, the 16th and 17th centuries. In Kanchipuram we visited a few temples that were astonishing because of the 59-meter high, intricately carved rocks that sat on top of them. They were actually carved out of a sole rock. Inside, there were beautiful wooden statuses of exotic looking gods adorned with golden jewelry. One of the temples is the very famous Vishnu temple, which includes a beautifully sculpted 1000 pillar hall over looking a lake. Now only 97 of the pillars remain.
I must say the only awful part of these visits was the fact THAT I HAD TO REMOVE MY SHOES and this time I had NO SOCKS, eek! I was so paranoid of getting some sort of bacteria infection on my foot. As I walked through the temples, rather than thinking, “wow this is beautiful”, I was thinking, “Oh my God what if they have chop off my foot, aaahhh!” When I got back to the bus I squished out my entire bottle of hand sanitizer and my entire bottle of water on my feet. Haha. Not to worry though, my feet are fine, “THANK YOU LORD” =)
In Mahabalipuram we visited the Five Rathas, which are rock cut temples resembling chariots. The temples are from the mid 600s and the place is considered to be a world heritage site. We also visited the Shore Temple dedicated to the god Shiva, which faces the Bay of Bengal. It was constructed in the middle of the 7th century. There used to stand eight of these temples but through the years, they have been swallowed up by the sea; today only two remain.
A great part of the tour was visiting a silk factory where we saw people working on huge medal machines as they wove bright silk threads into beautiful Saris with very elaborate designs. One silk Sari takes 12 days to make and what is most impressive and a true shame is that although some Saris are quite expensive, others that take just as long to make are only about 1000 Rupees, which convert to about $30; you’d think they would be much more expensive knowing the long and hard hours people put into them.
Finally we visited the beach on the Bay of Bengal where we were able to sprinkle our feet with the cold, dark blue waters of the Indian Ocean. The tour was a total of 12 hours long, the weather was very hot and the bus driver obnoxiously honked 5 out of the 6 hours of travel. Even so, the tour was well worth it and it was truly amazing to visit those magnificent temples, to see the method of making such beautiful silk fabrics, and at last looking out into the Indian Ocean.
Back in Chennai, another highlight of the trip was that we were able to meet different Indian families. They were all good friends of Premilla, the teacher who planned the entire trip for us and who is a native of Chennai. Again I experienced the contrasts of India. In one apartment complex, there were Catholics, Hindus, and Muslims. Some had huge pictures of Jesus crucified up on their walls, others were wearing the Hijad and had rectangular carpets on the floor where they pray towards Mecca and the Hindus had colorful pictures and statues of elephant gods and snakes gods decorating their homes. The beauty of it all is that what they had in common was their kindness and their hospitality, welcoming us foreigners with smiles, completely interested in our perspectives and what we had to say about our stay in India.
Story: We visited one of Premilla’s girl friends that lives with her 25 year old daughter. After the usual “hello how are you” conversation, the lady says: “Premilla how exciting is it that it’s almost time for my daughter Nythia to get married?” Premilla proceeds to say: “Oh, did you find one already?” I was like WHAT? Later I asked Premilla if she perhaps was referring to a dress or a place to hold the wedding. OH NO! They were talking about a man! Yep…while we westerners worry about love at first site or the one and only, these ladies wait around at home until their mommies find them a suitable catch.
But for the feature story: I visited Premilla’s temple with her, like her “Sunday church”. I can say it was the strangest form of prayer and offering I have ever witnessed or even imagined. On our way to the temple we bought Jasmine flowers to put on our heads. That was great, my hair ended up smelling amazing. It reminded me of the smell of my room in Managua where the jasmine tree stands outside my window blessing my room with that wonderful smell. Anyways, we arrived at the temple, which was very pretty; it had mosaic paintings on the ceilings and very colorful columns depicting gods and deities in acrobatic positions. We were asked to take our shoes off AGAIN (I will certainly not miss walking barefoot on dirty, dirty floors, but I certainly felt that I should be respectful to this woman’s house of worship). We walked around the first temple house to where the statue of her favorite god, the snake god, stood. The rock statue of this snake twirls around five small rocks resembling tall volcano pits. Premilla then took out some raw eggs from a plastic bag and started cracking each egg into the volcano pits. That’s not all, then a flock of black ravens swooped in to suck out the egg from the volcano pits… No comment: I’m trying to be culturally sensitive.
When I spoke to my mother the next day, she asked: Oh goodness, you didn’t pray there did you? Haha. No mother, I did not pray there! I was just a tourist with a camera and a very transparent expression of confusion.
Disclaimer: My friend Suparna who is sitting next to me right now, assures me that not all Hindus partake in these peculiar rituals and was equally perplexed at the sight.
The bus ride back from Chennai, which was during the day on Sunday, was stunning! The road was surrounded by huge rock mountains and miles and miles of coconut tree plantations. The whole trip was very eye opening and lots of fun.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
SUDOKU
I taught my fourth graders Sudoku! It has been great fun to see them so focused first through learning the strategies and then through maintaining patience as they try the finish the puzzles. Three of the students have completed the first puzzle; the other ones are still cracking their little heads. I think it’s a great thing to make their minds work in that way…they are oiling their mind wheels, as I like to imagine it.
Also, as I choreograph for all the little ones for them to perform on “teacher’s day”, I am also preparing a little solo myself and will dance for the school in that same presentation. They are all really excited to see it but I am actually kind of nervous since these kids have seen and been taught mostly by Julliard and Broadway dancers. I’ll let you know how it goes. Roomie: Guess what song I’m using? Brendan James’, All I Can See…thank you.
Another volunteer arrived this week, she is a PHD student from Houston who is currently on a research fellowship and she is writing a fiction book. She seems really interesting and I’m looking forward to having many conversations with her. A fifth volunteer arrives soon. She is a young Spanish woman from Malaga who speaks 6 different languages and got her bachelors degree in primary education. I’m excited to meet her as well.
This Friday (tomorrow) is Independence Day in India so we have Friday off from school. I am going to the Eastern coast of India to a city called Chennai. There are five of us going, Suparna, Francesca and couple of the teachers who are from there. It will be awesome to travel an Indian city with natives. It is apparently a tourist destination in India, known for its amazing silk and its Hindu temples. We will travel by bus (5 hour ride) and will be staying there from tonight (Thursday) to Sunday.
I hope to post about my experience seeing a new ocean, sometime soon =)
Much love and until soon!
Also, as I choreograph for all the little ones for them to perform on “teacher’s day”, I am also preparing a little solo myself and will dance for the school in that same presentation. They are all really excited to see it but I am actually kind of nervous since these kids have seen and been taught mostly by Julliard and Broadway dancers. I’ll let you know how it goes. Roomie: Guess what song I’m using? Brendan James’, All I Can See…thank you.
Another volunteer arrived this week, she is a PHD student from Houston who is currently on a research fellowship and she is writing a fiction book. She seems really interesting and I’m looking forward to having many conversations with her. A fifth volunteer arrives soon. She is a young Spanish woman from Malaga who speaks 6 different languages and got her bachelors degree in primary education. I’m excited to meet her as well.
This Friday (tomorrow) is Independence Day in India so we have Friday off from school. I am going to the Eastern coast of India to a city called Chennai. There are five of us going, Suparna, Francesca and couple of the teachers who are from there. It will be awesome to travel an Indian city with natives. It is apparently a tourist destination in India, known for its amazing silk and its Hindu temples. We will travel by bus (5 hour ride) and will be staying there from tonight (Thursday) to Sunday.
I hope to post about my experience seeing a new ocean, sometime soon =)
Much love and until soon!
Idealism?
This past week has been better than last. The first highlight I want to share is about when the volunteers sat for tea with Dr. George; the intent was for us to ask as many questions as we wanted, the conversation was very moving and inspiring. We asked him questions about the financial crisis that The George Foundation is struggling through. With his explanation I now more fully understand the nature of this school and its mission. The reason for why they have not received any funding from donors or sponsors is because unlike most education programs for the underprivileged especially here in India, this school has as its mission, to provide a high end education for their children. To run this school the way he believes it should be run, they need $250,000 a year. This includes clean and comfortable living conditions, nutritious food, above all a good education with all the necessary materials and a good salary for qualified teachers, and finally an occasional day in the city or an ice cream sundae once a month for the children.
The responses to most of their proposals have been criticisms about how they are wrongly expecting people to give money so that the children at Shanti-Bhavan can live luxuriously.
From my experience living with these children, it is impressive to see their level of commitment to their education and above all, their way of upholding the good values and ethics that they have been taught here. Even though they live away from home, this school has formed them into well-educated, well-mannered and good-hearted creative thinkers. The students in the 11th grade are smarter and better informed about world issues than I was in high school. What is most impressive is that before Shanti-Bhavan these children were playing in dumpsters during the day, and at night many of them were sleeping in a room where their parents raped them or their brothers and sisters. “They too”, explained Dr. George “are entitled to as good an education as you and I received, even if they were born into such harsh conditions”.
I am often reflecting and thinking about Nicaragua; of how I myself am from the second poorest country in the western hemisphere and there too exist extremes cases of poverty and children that live in broken homes where rape and violence mark their lives. I think that this experience it India is helping shape my views about how those who suffer from such difficulties can also succeed and help, as educated citizens to make their country a more humane and just place. I am certain that I want to take part in making that happen in Nicaragua and though I have not formulated concrete ways of doing so, I trust that I am forming a strong base in my mind and heart through this experience to be able to transform these words into actions.
I know the term idealism may come up after reading this…it can be a flaw off course but I think it all depends on how you approach it. The NGO that I am proud to be a part of today is called “Artists Striving to End Poverty”. Will we put an end to poverty? No we will not. But is it a great thing to try and mitigate it child by child if you are inclined to do so? A million times, YES.
The responses to most of their proposals have been criticisms about how they are wrongly expecting people to give money so that the children at Shanti-Bhavan can live luxuriously.
From my experience living with these children, it is impressive to see their level of commitment to their education and above all, their way of upholding the good values and ethics that they have been taught here. Even though they live away from home, this school has formed them into well-educated, well-mannered and good-hearted creative thinkers. The students in the 11th grade are smarter and better informed about world issues than I was in high school. What is most impressive is that before Shanti-Bhavan these children were playing in dumpsters during the day, and at night many of them were sleeping in a room where their parents raped them or their brothers and sisters. “They too”, explained Dr. George “are entitled to as good an education as you and I received, even if they were born into such harsh conditions”.
I am often reflecting and thinking about Nicaragua; of how I myself am from the second poorest country in the western hemisphere and there too exist extremes cases of poverty and children that live in broken homes where rape and violence mark their lives. I think that this experience it India is helping shape my views about how those who suffer from such difficulties can also succeed and help, as educated citizens to make their country a more humane and just place. I am certain that I want to take part in making that happen in Nicaragua and though I have not formulated concrete ways of doing so, I trust that I am forming a strong base in my mind and heart through this experience to be able to transform these words into actions.
I know the term idealism may come up after reading this…it can be a flaw off course but I think it all depends on how you approach it. The NGO that I am proud to be a part of today is called “Artists Striving to End Poverty”. Will we put an end to poverty? No we will not. But is it a great thing to try and mitigate it child by child if you are inclined to do so? A million times, YES.
CHICKEN ON THE WEEKENDS! YESS!
My first weekend here was great and using the Internet was glorious; it definitely mitigated my Internet withdrawals. Hosur which is the near by town is not a place that would appear on a Rick Steves book or on a Lonely Planet but it had internet and good food, which is just what we were looking for. We took the bumpy Shanti-Bhavan jeep with Ragu (the driver), with Ms. Beena (the vice-principle), a couple of the teachers and the volunteers. We used the internet for a while and then we ate at a great restaurant. I had “chicken 65”…don’t ask what was in it …I have stopped asking what kind of things I’m eating here, its much better that way...but it was actually amazing
The second day, Sunday, was an adventure. We went back to Hosur to watch a Tamil movie in the movie theaters. We took the local bus from the street just in front of Shanti-Bhavan. The bus was pretty run down but luckily the stop was the first one and we got to sit down. As we stopped in all the villages we picked up tons and tons of people, eventually there were people hanging out the doors. It’s the way buses work in Managua too, but it certainly is a different experience when you are INSIDE the bus rather than observing from a distance while you are in a comfortable car, with A/C. I loved it though. It is not customary to give your seat to the elderly or mothers with children, since the bus is usually packed; there is barely any room to move. I ended up holding a baby that some women was trying to carry in the middle passage way as she struggled to hold on to the metal railing above her head; I appreciated how she trusted to hand her baby over to a foreigner past the language barrier. I felt comfortable among a group of people that at first sight seem to be from a different world unrecognizable from mine.
The Tamil (one of 16 official Indian Languages) movie was insane. There are really no words to describe it. I doubt anyone would consider it a “good movie” but it certainly triggered all sorts of feelings and reactions. It was 3 hours long and there were two intermissions during the movie. The one thing I did get from it is that people here are more or as obsessed with movie stars as people who look forward to their daily searches in the Perez Hilton website.
On the way back from the movie we witnessed a procession of people who were piercing their mouths and cheeks with foot long steel bars. They had a person holding the steel bar on each side for it not to move too much. One of the teachers we were with, Nirmala, explained that it is a Hindu tradition practiced once a year. People, who are suffering from a particular malady at home or are living through difficult times, pierce their mouths as they pray to the Gods that they mitigate their suffering. There might have been about 100 people in the procession and it was in one of the villages near to Shanti-Bhavan. The women were carrying clay pots with fire coming out of them and they were adorned with beautiful white and red flowers. Others held the metal bars on each side of the person of those who were sacrificing their comfort and offering their pain; these seamed fearless, confident, and in complete devotional prayer as if no other human were around them. It was a very powerful sight.
The second day, Sunday, was an adventure. We went back to Hosur to watch a Tamil movie in the movie theaters. We took the local bus from the street just in front of Shanti-Bhavan. The bus was pretty run down but luckily the stop was the first one and we got to sit down. As we stopped in all the villages we picked up tons and tons of people, eventually there were people hanging out the doors. It’s the way buses work in Managua too, but it certainly is a different experience when you are INSIDE the bus rather than observing from a distance while you are in a comfortable car, with A/C. I loved it though. It is not customary to give your seat to the elderly or mothers with children, since the bus is usually packed; there is barely any room to move. I ended up holding a baby that some women was trying to carry in the middle passage way as she struggled to hold on to the metal railing above her head; I appreciated how she trusted to hand her baby over to a foreigner past the language barrier. I felt comfortable among a group of people that at first sight seem to be from a different world unrecognizable from mine.
The Tamil (one of 16 official Indian Languages) movie was insane. There are really no words to describe it. I doubt anyone would consider it a “good movie” but it certainly triggered all sorts of feelings and reactions. It was 3 hours long and there were two intermissions during the movie. The one thing I did get from it is that people here are more or as obsessed with movie stars as people who look forward to their daily searches in the Perez Hilton website.
On the way back from the movie we witnessed a procession of people who were piercing their mouths and cheeks with foot long steel bars. They had a person holding the steel bar on each side for it not to move too much. One of the teachers we were with, Nirmala, explained that it is a Hindu tradition practiced once a year. People, who are suffering from a particular malady at home or are living through difficult times, pierce their mouths as they pray to the Gods that they mitigate their suffering. There might have been about 100 people in the procession and it was in one of the villages near to Shanti-Bhavan. The women were carrying clay pots with fire coming out of them and they were adorned with beautiful white and red flowers. Others held the metal bars on each side of the person of those who were sacrificing their comfort and offering their pain; these seamed fearless, confident, and in complete devotional prayer as if no other human were around them. It was a very powerful sight.
Saturday, August 9, 2008
Kids Rule!
I’m falling in love with all these children. At Shanti-Bhavan they do not only learn about math and science and spelling and social studies…they learn about solidarity, about wanting the best for the other and about serving those who need help. In my math class, I do contests up on the board in which they race to answer a problem; whoever is quickest wins a candy…CANDY is like GOLD to these children. Anyways, I make sure that those who don’t win, go up to the board twice or three times so that eventually everyone ends up with a candy…they encourage that. Instead of doing the usual “haha, look I got a candy, and its red”, these children say “Miss Blue Jay, (Oh yeah side note: they switched my nickname from JayJay to Blue Jay, because “I’m pretty like a bird”…random I know, BUT SO SWEET, and they say Genvi occasionally) “Miss blue Jay, let Nithya go to the board again so she can get a candy too!!” It’s nice to be surrounded by a harmony among so many people, and young people in their formative years. I have never experienced such harmony.
I have had the best time teaching dance here! These kids can SHAKE IT! I have proposed the principle to do a show sometime in the next couple months and then another one in December before I leave in which all my dance kids (KG through 8th) perform for the school. Currently I’m choreographing dances for them to JT’s Lovestoned, Bob Sinclair’s Rock this Party, Christina Aguilera’s Candyman, and Letter to Cleo’s I Want You To Want Me. =)
For the 6th 7th and 8th though, Francesca and I are co-teaching an “artistic expression” class in which we are dealing with the idea of “opportunity”. We share our stories, they share their stories…and we create non-verbal expressions of our stories, either through dance, acting, or Improvisation. The students this week were really cooperative and seem to be enjoying the class even though its not that conventional.
So there are 5 volunteers here right now. Two of them are recent high school grads that are just helping out for a month in the “physical education” arena, then there is Frannie and I and then there is Suparna (Indian origin, hence the name). She is really, really cool, native Bostonian, lives in New York and is currently applying to grad school. New great friend, and she is here till December too, which is awesome! Then in the next couple weeks, 3 more arrive, Derek, Nicole, and Nick. Suparna knows them and she says they are really great, so I’m excited to have more people here.
Then there are the resident teachers, 11 of them. The school, which is privately funded by The George Foundation, is going through an financial crisis and so there have been cuts in pay in the last couple of years, forcing teachers to leave. From 22 teachers there are now 11 doing the same amount of work. They are selfless and loving and the most inspiring people I’ve met. They have left lives behind in the cities and have dedicated themselves to teaching these children so that they have a future. Their answer for why they haven’t left is most often: “I wouldn’t leave these children for the world.” We often see Dr. George walking around who is currently working relentlessly ot find sponsors and partners. This man who was born and raised in India then went to the US for college and basically conquered the software industry becoming one of the top 15 business entrepreneurs in the US according to Forbes Magazine and Business week. After he made his millions, he founded The George Foundation and has since dedicated himself alleviating poverty in this area of Tamilnadu.
I miss all of you and I hope life is beautiful for all of you right now. Thank you for reading this! See you in a week.
Shanti,
Genevieve
I have had the best time teaching dance here! These kids can SHAKE IT! I have proposed the principle to do a show sometime in the next couple months and then another one in December before I leave in which all my dance kids (KG through 8th) perform for the school. Currently I’m choreographing dances for them to JT’s Lovestoned, Bob Sinclair’s Rock this Party, Christina Aguilera’s Candyman, and Letter to Cleo’s I Want You To Want Me. =)
For the 6th 7th and 8th though, Francesca and I are co-teaching an “artistic expression” class in which we are dealing with the idea of “opportunity”. We share our stories, they share their stories…and we create non-verbal expressions of our stories, either through dance, acting, or Improvisation. The students this week were really cooperative and seem to be enjoying the class even though its not that conventional.
So there are 5 volunteers here right now. Two of them are recent high school grads that are just helping out for a month in the “physical education” arena, then there is Frannie and I and then there is Suparna (Indian origin, hence the name). She is really, really cool, native Bostonian, lives in New York and is currently applying to grad school. New great friend, and she is here till December too, which is awesome! Then in the next couple weeks, 3 more arrive, Derek, Nicole, and Nick. Suparna knows them and she says they are really great, so I’m excited to have more people here.
Then there are the resident teachers, 11 of them. The school, which is privately funded by The George Foundation, is going through an financial crisis and so there have been cuts in pay in the last couple of years, forcing teachers to leave. From 22 teachers there are now 11 doing the same amount of work. They are selfless and loving and the most inspiring people I’ve met. They have left lives behind in the cities and have dedicated themselves to teaching these children so that they have a future. Their answer for why they haven’t left is most often: “I wouldn’t leave these children for the world.” We often see Dr. George walking around who is currently working relentlessly ot find sponsors and partners. This man who was born and raised in India then went to the US for college and basically conquered the software industry becoming one of the top 15 business entrepreneurs in the US according to Forbes Magazine and Business week. After he made his millions, he founded The George Foundation and has since dedicated himself alleviating poverty in this area of Tamilnadu.
I miss all of you and I hope life is beautiful for all of you right now. Thank you for reading this! See you in a week.
Shanti,
Genevieve
T-E-A-C-H-E-R
When I first grabbed the teacher edition of the text book to start my lesson plan, it took me back to elementary school when the “teacher book” was this sacred thing WITH ALL THE ANSWERS…it was now on my left hand, oh and on my right hand CHALK. It took me a few days to get used to the idea, but I like it now.
An aspect of teaching here is that these children don’t only ask for our attention as teachers, these children need affection and a lot of it. Some of these children have always been deprived of care and affection in their homes, many of them are children that are mistreated or raped by neighbors of family members when they are at home. Others naturally require affection from the teachers because they miss their families being away from home. A lot of them are faced with the dilemma of missing home because they love their parents but feel bad because they prefer being at Shanti-Bhavan where they actually have food to eat.
From the minute I introduced myself, Sumith, my new friend in the 4th grade, not only received me with arms wide open, he grabbed on to me and didn’t let go. The boy who is a menace in the classroom, constantly asks me to sit next to him during meals, wants to be holding my hand all the time and gives me this adorable puppy face whenever I say I can’t or when I ask him to settle down or be quite in the classroom. I could say he is a bit manipulative, since children unintentionally often are, but I don’t think that is the case with Sumith.
My biggest challenge thus far has been my voice…these children are really loud and although my class is disciplined, I still have to project my voice for 20 children for 8 hours every day…the nodules in my vocal cords that they discovered this summer are probably a bit bigger after a week here. I am trying my best to breath with my stomach and not into my shoulders and I’m doing some muscle relaxation exercises at night, lets just hope this serves as a way to learn how to talk instead of a path towards no voice at all…
The food is not my favorite. It is not bad at all its just that its traditional southern Indian food which is spicy and mushy most of the time... anyways I’m getting the hang of it and trying to eat a little more each day. Tea time at 3:30 pm is something everyone looks forward to all day. They give us volunteers a spoonful of PEANUT BUTTER! =) The creamy, flavorful spread is quite the commodity among volunteers; among all the spices, rice, lentils, mushy vegetables, and more rice, peanut butter all of sudden tastes just as good as a large King Crab at the Fisherman’s Wharf in my favorite city ;).
Colors!
When I imagine Africa I always think of orange and red skies for some reason, maybe because of movies or my own silly dreams of dancing with an African tribe or riding in a safari…anyways, my point is, the skies here in India are a beautiful array of purple and lavender, its magical. I go on runs every afternoon at 6 pm when the sun is setting, its when I decompress, probably my favorite part of my day; well and when I teach my dance classes off course =). The climate here is perfect! I thought it would be either hot or rainy but to my surprise it is a perfect 75 degrees during the day and then it drops at night to an awesome 70 degrees. It has sprinkled some water in the afternoons but nothing big. Apparently because we are so inland, the monsoon rains lose their force on the western coast and never reach the middle plateau.
Fun Fact:
There is a particular gesture Indians do with their heads. I just recently found out from Dr. George’s son Vivek (who hangs out here on the weekends) that it means like an “uhum uhum”, or a “yes I understand”. Anyways, it’s this head bopping thing from side to side. They look like those bopper head figurines people put on car dashboards, quite peculiar and very unique in comparison to your usual western nod.
An aspect of teaching here is that these children don’t only ask for our attention as teachers, these children need affection and a lot of it. Some of these children have always been deprived of care and affection in their homes, many of them are children that are mistreated or raped by neighbors of family members when they are at home. Others naturally require affection from the teachers because they miss their families being away from home. A lot of them are faced with the dilemma of missing home because they love their parents but feel bad because they prefer being at Shanti-Bhavan where they actually have food to eat.
From the minute I introduced myself, Sumith, my new friend in the 4th grade, not only received me with arms wide open, he grabbed on to me and didn’t let go. The boy who is a menace in the classroom, constantly asks me to sit next to him during meals, wants to be holding my hand all the time and gives me this adorable puppy face whenever I say I can’t or when I ask him to settle down or be quite in the classroom. I could say he is a bit manipulative, since children unintentionally often are, but I don’t think that is the case with Sumith.
My biggest challenge thus far has been my voice…these children are really loud and although my class is disciplined, I still have to project my voice for 20 children for 8 hours every day…the nodules in my vocal cords that they discovered this summer are probably a bit bigger after a week here. I am trying my best to breath with my stomach and not into my shoulders and I’m doing some muscle relaxation exercises at night, lets just hope this serves as a way to learn how to talk instead of a path towards no voice at all…
The food is not my favorite. It is not bad at all its just that its traditional southern Indian food which is spicy and mushy most of the time... anyways I’m getting the hang of it and trying to eat a little more each day. Tea time at 3:30 pm is something everyone looks forward to all day. They give us volunteers a spoonful of PEANUT BUTTER! =) The creamy, flavorful spread is quite the commodity among volunteers; among all the spices, rice, lentils, mushy vegetables, and more rice, peanut butter all of sudden tastes just as good as a large King Crab at the Fisherman’s Wharf in my favorite city ;).
Colors!
When I imagine Africa I always think of orange and red skies for some reason, maybe because of movies or my own silly dreams of dancing with an African tribe or riding in a safari…anyways, my point is, the skies here in India are a beautiful array of purple and lavender, its magical. I go on runs every afternoon at 6 pm when the sun is setting, its when I decompress, probably my favorite part of my day; well and when I teach my dance classes off course =). The climate here is perfect! I thought it would be either hot or rainy but to my surprise it is a perfect 75 degrees during the day and then it drops at night to an awesome 70 degrees. It has sprinkled some water in the afternoons but nothing big. Apparently because we are so inland, the monsoon rains lose their force on the western coast and never reach the middle plateau.
Fun Fact:
There is a particular gesture Indians do with their heads. I just recently found out from Dr. George’s son Vivek (who hangs out here on the weekends) that it means like an “uhum uhum”, or a “yes I understand”. Anyways, it’s this head bopping thing from side to side. They look like those bopper head figurines people put on car dashboards, quite peculiar and very unique in comparison to your usual western nod.
Finally! Shanti-Bhavan.
Lalita Law, the head principle of the school and her driver Ragu (yes I also thought pasta, when I heard the name) finally picked us up at Kamat’s Hotel Mayura. We drove for about 2 hours southeast to get to Shanti-Bhavan. On the way, I was impressed to see that on the outskirts of Bangalore there is a long strip of urban development where Intel, Google and a whole bunch of international consulting firms are shooting up 20-story high, glass windowed buildings. I guess that’s the “Silico Valle of India” people talk about.
Anyways, for the more exciting part, once we drove past urban world we had to drive past three villages. These were small, poor and very traditional villages where the men wore rags as underpants tied up sort of like dipers and the women wore their beautiful, bright colored Saris. No one wore shoes! Off course I had to ask Lalita hoping I wouldn’t be inappropriately crossing any cultural boundaries with the question. (At Shanti-Bhavan we are encouraged to ask anything we want which is great! “We are here to bring our perspectives and they are here to give us theirs…it’s all about sharing”). She explained that in the Hindu tradition, wearing shoes represented being disrespectful to their land, the land from where they came from. A lot of farmers in the rural areas of India suffer from foot infections due to the practice. And also because of this belief, when you enter someone’s house in the city it is polite to take your shoes off because otherwise it would be disrespectful to the household. It was amazing to see these villages and its people.
But it was even more amazing to arrive at the school. The campus/land is beautiful, very green, with flowers and palm trees and bushes all over the place, but oddly grown on an intense orangish-red colored soil that looks more like clay. They showed us our rooms, which are located in the “guest housing building”. The room was simple, a great size and clean, and the bathroom luckily had toilet paper (which I have learned to APPRECIATE!) and a western shower-head, AMAZING!
We then walked around the campus and met some of the children who were So DELIGHTFUL and very excited to meet us. From the initial introduction one of the 12-year old girls heard my name and said (as she placed her forehand on her forehead, bending her neck back): “Oh no no, I will call you JJ”. Hahaha! I knew the whole Genevieve (French accent) thing would throw them off. But let me tell you, their names although they ring like melodies, will be so difficult for me to learn and remember. Examples: Bhuvaneshwari or Chandrachekar or Yesashwini…yeah try that.
We had some chai tea which by the way has changed my life forever! So good! And then we sat down with the vice principal and Lalita to work out our teaching schedules. I find out in the first two minutes that I will be teaching 4th grade…at first I thought oh okay, English and dance to fourth grade. OH NO, 4th grade! Like all of it! So I see my schedule and from 8:00 am to 3:00 pm I will be teaching math and science and reading comprehension and spelling and creative writing, etc. to the 4th grade. And then I will be teaching a dance class after school to children from Kinder Garden through 8th grade. Basically in our very typical Nicaraguan slang “me van a sacar el jugo”, literal translation: they will sqeeze out the last drop “of my energy”. But those of you who know me well know that, I AM SO EXCITED, I gotta let this energy out some how right?
I think that what will be most important will be being not only a teacher to these children but a mentor and someone they can trust and rely on for love and understanding.
Anyways, for the more exciting part, once we drove past urban world we had to drive past three villages. These were small, poor and very traditional villages where the men wore rags as underpants tied up sort of like dipers and the women wore their beautiful, bright colored Saris. No one wore shoes! Off course I had to ask Lalita hoping I wouldn’t be inappropriately crossing any cultural boundaries with the question. (At Shanti-Bhavan we are encouraged to ask anything we want which is great! “We are here to bring our perspectives and they are here to give us theirs…it’s all about sharing”). She explained that in the Hindu tradition, wearing shoes represented being disrespectful to their land, the land from where they came from. A lot of farmers in the rural areas of India suffer from foot infections due to the practice. And also because of this belief, when you enter someone’s house in the city it is polite to take your shoes off because otherwise it would be disrespectful to the household. It was amazing to see these villages and its people.
But it was even more amazing to arrive at the school. The campus/land is beautiful, very green, with flowers and palm trees and bushes all over the place, but oddly grown on an intense orangish-red colored soil that looks more like clay. They showed us our rooms, which are located in the “guest housing building”. The room was simple, a great size and clean, and the bathroom luckily had toilet paper (which I have learned to APPRECIATE!) and a western shower-head, AMAZING!
We then walked around the campus and met some of the children who were So DELIGHTFUL and very excited to meet us. From the initial introduction one of the 12-year old girls heard my name and said (as she placed her forehand on her forehead, bending her neck back): “Oh no no, I will call you JJ”. Hahaha! I knew the whole Genevieve (French accent) thing would throw them off. But let me tell you, their names although they ring like melodies, will be so difficult for me to learn and remember. Examples: Bhuvaneshwari or Chandrachekar or Yesashwini…yeah try that.
We had some chai tea which by the way has changed my life forever! So good! And then we sat down with the vice principal and Lalita to work out our teaching schedules. I find out in the first two minutes that I will be teaching 4th grade…at first I thought oh okay, English and dance to fourth grade. OH NO, 4th grade! Like all of it! So I see my schedule and from 8:00 am to 3:00 pm I will be teaching math and science and reading comprehension and spelling and creative writing, etc. to the 4th grade. And then I will be teaching a dance class after school to children from Kinder Garden through 8th grade. Basically in our very typical Nicaraguan slang “me van a sacar el jugo”, literal translation: they will sqeeze out the last drop “of my energy”. But those of you who know me well know that, I AM SO EXCITED, I gotta let this energy out some how right?
I think that what will be most important will be being not only a teacher to these children but a mentor and someone they can trust and rely on for love and understanding.
Friday, August 1, 2008
~Car Trouble~
Hola!!!!
Im still in Bangalore...only for a couple more hours, but you know how I was supposed to leave for Shanti-Bhavan yesterday? Well their car broke down, so i leave today instead. Im so happy to be going to the school. The city of Bangalore in overwhelming though I am very happy I witness city life before I go to the country side.
A couple anecdotes of our last day in Bangalore. So yesterday we visited the Maharajah's palace in Bangalore. Wow, a site for sore eyes. It was a beautiful building made out of light brown colored stones. But the inside was mind blowing. At the entrance their was the head of AN ELEPHANT mounted on the wall, an elephant that was once probably 8 feet tall, MOUNTED ON THE WALL! Every door and wooden beam was made out of teak wood and the walls were adorned with intricate designs made out of 24 K gold. Inside patios were embellished with Chinese imported tiles. The kitchen was actually located some 20 ft behind the castle since the servants "are not supposed to be under the same roof as the Maharajah". Funny part of the story: the "tour" was very sketchy...I asked the nice tour guide if we could take pictures of the castle and he quickly answered: "NO NO MEN WITH SHOT GUN!" I was like: oh, sorry...and thinking to myself WHAT THE F&%^??? And, then when he is guiding us through the inside of the castle he proceeds to offer to take a pictures for us with our camera! As i say NO WAY! Francesca gets excited, hands him a camera and grabs me to pose for a picture inside of the exotic ball room. My face on that picture is epic, I have this petrified look thinking so guard with a shotgun was going to walk by the window and shoot the guide and both francesca and myself. Anyways, sounds scary but in the end it was pretty hilarious.
Going to this castle and then driving through the streets of Bangalore was emotionally exhausting. But it is a reality not only in India but everywhere in the world, that some of us live comfortably and with luxuries while others beg on the streets. I think the reason why im here in India and why im engaging in this journey of teaching these children for 5 months is because for some time now i have been asking what my purpose is...and maybe i wont find the answer just yet, or maybe its a question that I will ask always...but being aware of the different realities of people, i think it was my purpose to be here right now.
I read something really beautiful on a book about Shanti-Bhavan and i want to share it with you:
The poor people in the village, especially women, are my window to India. They reveal what life is like for most people on this planet, far out of sight of modern day prosperity. This disconnect is too profound for me. On day I am under the bright neon lights of New York City and just a day or two later I am among people who cannot afford to buy candles. In the simplicity of those rural folks I have found order, in their beliefs I have found faith, and in their misery I have found compassion. The richness of ordinary day to day life comes from their hard work and the caring they show for other members of their families even on the face of adversity and suffering. Still the joy that i derive from my work among these people cannot offset the burning anger within me for all the social injustice, hypocrisy and avoidable suffering.
-Abraham George ( The man who founded the school Shanti-Bhavan)
I can't wait to meet these children!
Im not sure how often I will be able to use the internet after today, but i will try my best to see you all here as much as i can.
Thank you for caring,
With love,
Genevieve
Im still in Bangalore...only for a couple more hours, but you know how I was supposed to leave for Shanti-Bhavan yesterday? Well their car broke down, so i leave today instead. Im so happy to be going to the school. The city of Bangalore in overwhelming though I am very happy I witness city life before I go to the country side.
A couple anecdotes of our last day in Bangalore. So yesterday we visited the Maharajah's palace in Bangalore. Wow, a site for sore eyes. It was a beautiful building made out of light brown colored stones. But the inside was mind blowing. At the entrance their was the head of AN ELEPHANT mounted on the wall, an elephant that was once probably 8 feet tall, MOUNTED ON THE WALL! Every door and wooden beam was made out of teak wood and the walls were adorned with intricate designs made out of 24 K gold. Inside patios were embellished with Chinese imported tiles. The kitchen was actually located some 20 ft behind the castle since the servants "are not supposed to be under the same roof as the Maharajah". Funny part of the story: the "tour" was very sketchy...I asked the nice tour guide if we could take pictures of the castle and he quickly answered: "NO NO MEN WITH SHOT GUN!" I was like: oh, sorry...and thinking to myself WHAT THE F&%^??? And, then when he is guiding us through the inside of the castle he proceeds to offer to take a pictures for us with our camera! As i say NO WAY! Francesca gets excited, hands him a camera and grabs me to pose for a picture inside of the exotic ball room. My face on that picture is epic, I have this petrified look thinking so guard with a shotgun was going to walk by the window and shoot the guide and both francesca and myself. Anyways, sounds scary but in the end it was pretty hilarious.
Going to this castle and then driving through the streets of Bangalore was emotionally exhausting. But it is a reality not only in India but everywhere in the world, that some of us live comfortably and with luxuries while others beg on the streets. I think the reason why im here in India and why im engaging in this journey of teaching these children for 5 months is because for some time now i have been asking what my purpose is...and maybe i wont find the answer just yet, or maybe its a question that I will ask always...but being aware of the different realities of people, i think it was my purpose to be here right now.
I read something really beautiful on a book about Shanti-Bhavan and i want to share it with you:
The poor people in the village, especially women, are my window to India. They reveal what life is like for most people on this planet, far out of sight of modern day prosperity. This disconnect is too profound for me. On day I am under the bright neon lights of New York City and just a day or two later I am among people who cannot afford to buy candles. In the simplicity of those rural folks I have found order, in their beliefs I have found faith, and in their misery I have found compassion. The richness of ordinary day to day life comes from their hard work and the caring they show for other members of their families even on the face of adversity and suffering. Still the joy that i derive from my work among these people cannot offset the burning anger within me for all the social injustice, hypocrisy and avoidable suffering.
-Abraham George ( The man who founded the school Shanti-Bhavan)
I can't wait to meet these children!
Im not sure how often I will be able to use the internet after today, but i will try my best to see you all here as much as i can.
Thank you for caring,
With love,
Genevieve
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