“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.