Wednesday, October 6
7:30 am
The great thing about living in a flat in a 6 story building is all the little friends we get to meet! Word has leaked out to some youngsters that there are two white women in the building. Now it is not uncommon for us to look out the windows and have children frantically waving back at us, ear to ear smiles pleading for us to come out and play. One evening we spent quite a bit of time with two 12 year-olds, Thamana and Malu, singing and dancing. Malu showed us classical Indian dance that she learned in dance class (this girl is so good!) and then both showed us a dance normally performed at a wedding. The girls also sang India's national anthem, and a couple other catchy Hindi tunes. I guess I should have seen it coming, because after their singing they instantly demanded that Colleen and I sing. BAHAH. For those of you who know me, you are aware that my strengths lye outside the musical arena…Colleen agrees for herself in the singing aspect (she did play the flute and piano, but clearly we did not have either of these instruments with us). Regardless, we proudly belt out the Star Spangled Banner (seriously, what is the pitch range in that song!?) Malu and Thamana sat wide-eyed and attentive. When we finished they both seemed impressed so I felt better about the whole thing. Malu then asked, "are you famous singers in America?" so seriously, intent and anxious to hear the answer. Oh my goodness I want to put her in my back pocket and carry her around! Don't worry I told her the truth, and gave her an autographed demo CD. The rest of the evening was devoted to dancing to Shakira and Spice Girls (they loved them!), and we taught them the Macarena. Malu made a request at one point for some "fast music, to dance??? uh… bom bom bom!"…I say, "techno?"…she replies "YES YES!! you have techno?" Oh dear Indian child, do I have techno…. I unveiled the techno, house, and dance music sections in my itunes library, a selection that could leave you bouncing up and down for hours. Us four only bounced around for about a half hour but the fact that an Indian child asked me for techno music pretty much just made my life. I have been scolded by college roommates that I make CDS with too much techno, or by car passengers forced to listen to my ipod. I truly have come to paradise!
There are two more little girls who live directly above Colleen and I, and they attend RIMS. Aysha is in 3rd standard and her mother has asked if we would like to tutor her on some weekdays. Of course! Aysha will mosey down to our apartment each Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday with a backpack full o' books. When helping her with Math, I had flashbacks to when my mom would help me with homework…. giving countless examples of word problems, or drawing diagrams to explain how many pairs of shoes Nidha can make out of this number….etc. This time I was my mother. I was giving the examples, doodling division pictures in her notebook, asking how many more tigers than bears India has. Its really cool to see the wheels turning inside her head, and watching as she writes down the correct answer. Thanks for setting a good example mom :-) Aysha also wrote a haiku! I explained syllables to her (this will be a great lesson for some of the kids, too!) and we circled the syllables in different sentences. She got it and wrote her very own haiku! Here it is:
It is a tiger
The dress has seven buttons
It is a spider.
So cute!! I was proud of her.
I want to explain this English business. I said before that most of the teachers at school DO speak English. Others speak some, but don't really understand when Colleen and I speak. This is similar with the little girls Malu and Thamana, they understand us for the most part, but there is a lot of repeating and saying "huh?" on both ends of the conversation. Indian English is the current form of English spoken in India. India has the largest number of English speakers in the world. However, the Indian English spoken has a thick accent influenced by both British English and native languages. The grammar differs as well. Certain word plurals will be given an 's': maths, furnitures… and they always say "isn't it?" at the end of random statements: He is a nice person, isn't it? I'll be back later, isn't it?" Or they say things like "how is it?" in random context or "what you want?" Anyways, the kids at the school can understand their teachers' English (which Colleen and I can barely understand), and they have a hard time understanding the American accent. They can communicate what they need to; however, it is very evident that Colleen and I will need to work a lot on pronunciation and grammar. My II standard class yesterday had a very difficult time with my "What scares you?" lesson. They keep saying "what scared of you?"
Nyaan our inglish teechar aanu. I am and English teacher. Malayalam (the local language spoken in Kerala) is such a beautiful language that flows and rolls about of the tongue and on paper. However, it is really stinkin' hard to learn. I have every intention of becoming fluent in this language so I am studying as much as possible. I am trying to find a English-Malayalam dictionary; however I can only find a Malayalam-English dictionary---the words are all written in the loopdy loos, so I cant really use that dictionary :(. I don't even know if one exists because I doubt there is high demand for English speakers to learn Malayalam. Right now I have a small phrase book (and a whole school of Malayalam speakers) to learn from. So that will have to do for now. There are so many sounds that I've never heard or uttered before in my life, so I'm rrr-ing, and gkn-ing, and zha-ing, about in my room to practice as much as possible. Welp its time for school! Pinne kanaam! (see ya later)
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Fashion Flashbacks
I would now like to discuss the task of clothes shopping for a 5'11, average built, full-figured female individual as myself. I am having flashbacks to specific traumatic incidents in Calcutta (as history is repeating itself here in Kannur). I am a very large human compared to the common population (men and women) of India. Therefore, the Large size here is more like a small American medium. Many vendors like to tell me "don't worry I have big size for you!" I've accepted this but I got to a point in shopping in Calcutta where I would reply to the Kelly Tucker** size garment displayed before me, "thats definitely not big size" and they would say "iz ok it stretch for you!" In addition to the general size difference, I have concluded that Indian women have ridiculously thin arms and not very broad shoulders. I have gotten stuck in a number of shirts this way in order to come to this conclusion…therefore it is valid. Flashback: I'm at South City Mall (which is very nice and very westernized) in a giant store which could constitute as the equivalent to a Macy's. I am in line for the dressing room to try on a dress. There are about 15 women (ages 15-40 we'll say) in line for the dressing room, all of whom keep staring at me shamelessly. I look in the large communal mirror to sneak peeks at the others (because I don't like staring!!) and see that I am a good 7 inches to a foot taller than everyone around me. I also notice that everyone in this line is wearing some western trendy jeans and shirt combo…….except me. Oh no, I definitely decided that morning that I was going to wear my Indian gear; thus, clothing myself in the long kurti shirt, with the slouchy cotton churidar pants. So, theres about 15 western-dressed Indian women around the obscenely tall, blonde, pale American dressed like an Indian. This is my story setting. I proceed to the dressing room with my one garment, adorable Dress size L, (there was hope that this would fit) and slip it on. Well looks like a perfect fi-- holy crap my arm circulation! ahhhhhh, **struggle, struggle**..:::twist::..:::swish:::…:::pffffffzzt:::… 'omg am I going to rip this?!'…. everything but the arm holes/shoulders fit and so I have found myself panicked and flailing about within the dressing room, freaking out that I will A. most certainly rip the dress or B. lose my upper limbs to the unfortunate asphyxiation of my arms. Ya know how they tell you when a boa constrictor is strangling you that thrashing around will only make it squeeze even tighter? What a handy little principle I elected NOT to try during this dilemma. With each twitching shimmy, the tight mini cap sleeves finagle up to the tops of my shoulders and and I start assessing the fact that I very well may need help to get this dress off me. Ugh, and I know the all the other tiny-armed-in-western-gear-women are all wondering what the heck happened to that random Indian poser white girl with ONE item of clothing 15 minutes ago. I know you want the story to get better, but I somehow managed to wriggle free from the death grip of those dang cap sleeves--dress unharmed--- and emerge from the room sweating, beat red face, and giant red bands around my upper arms and shoulders (did I mention that my kurti was sleeveless?), oh, and stripped of all dignity. I find Phil Collins in the store and they are like "dude where were you?!"…."oh i got stuck in a dress, no big."
I frequently experience a slightly less intense version of this scenario. Oy veh. Maybe I should stop doing so many handstands……?……..nah. :-)
**good friend, very small
I frequently experience a slightly less intense version of this scenario. Oy veh. Maybe I should stop doing so many handstands……?……..nah. :-)
**good friend, very small
Real Innovative Montessori Society
The RIMS school was established a year ago and has about 200 students from ages 2 1/2 to 13. The teachers speak English (though it is difficult to understand some, and others' is very broken). There are classes taught in English and Malayalam (local language that is known as one of the most difficult to learn in India) and the students also receive Hindi and Arabic classes. Management is Muslim, and most of the students are Muslim; however, there are Hindu teachers and students as well. I was told a couple students are Christian but I have not met them yet. All around, it is a very welcoming and peaceful atmosphere. The environment as a whole is very enriching, as Anis Sir expressed that they are trying to provide a space where not only IQ is important, but also EQ (emotional quotient), SQ (spiritual quotient), PQ (physical quotient), etc. (They have yoga classes and will soon have horseback ridding!) He has told me so many times that he is thrilled that Colleen and I are here to contribute our knowledge and culture, and hopes that we can all exchange different ideas, and learn from one another. He is a genuine individual and a great fit as the school's principal as it is evident that he cares so much for the students and well-being of the school. I must admit, that he is a bit intimidating as he is one of the larger (6'3 I'd say) Indian men I've met, and he dresses in the all white with a little cap Muslim get up (thanks American perception). All I can say is that I have already had amazing conversations with some teachers, and I am looking forward to working in this peaceful environment, and learning as much as possible about the school, people, religions, and culture.
On Thursday, school had to leave early because at 3:30 there was a huge court case that was going to decide whether a building was a Muslim Mosque or a Hindu Temple. Apparently for years it had been a mosque, then it was used as a temple… and now there has been fighting between the two religions as to who the holy building belongs to. At RIMS, teachers were bustling about and hurrying all the children home. The only thing they cared about was making sure the children were safe, and didn't care less about the verdict of the case. I asked several teachers (Hindu and Muslim) about the situation and they kept saying "who cares if its a mosque or a temple? we just want it to be peaceful here." Depending on the decision of the court, one religious group could get feisty and the possibility of a strike was imminent, this is why the school was let out early. It turns out, the court decided the holy place would officially serve as both a mosque and temple. I guess the official decision is what mattered. Anyways, my point is that the management of the school didn't give a rats behind about the determination of religion within some building, but the safety and well being of the students and teachers.
Let me explain the layout of classes. There are three montessori classes: M1= 2 1/2 - 3 1/2, M2= 3 1/2 - 4 1/2, M3= 4 1/2 - 5 1/2. I was not incredibly familiar with this method of teaching before arriving here, I had just heard of it. The smaller children arrive to their environments and begin work on their own. Each child rolls out his own mat and retrieves an activity to complete. For the younger kids the activities involve a lot of buttons, zippers, and tying strings. There are other 'everyday life' activities--example: a child will get the tea set, fill the pitcher with water, and go to his/her station and use to pitcher to fill the small cups with water to the marked dotted line on the inside of the cup. There are also a lot of puzzles to identify objects and animals, and lots of number forms to facilitate counting. I was blown away in visiting each of these environments as these kids are taking out pictures of planes, brushes, ships, etc….and then using foam letters to spell out these things on their mats….and these kids are less than 5!!!! Before they enter into I standard (1st grade) they will already be able to read and write, count, add, subtract, and multiply. This blows my mind as I remember learning multiplication in 3rd grade, and reading my first (longer than 3 pages book) (Go, Dog, Go) completely by myself in 1st grade. This montessori stuff is legit and I'm excited to learn more about it.
After montessori classes there is I standard to VI standard….. standard = grade…. I have been given I standard-B, II Standard, and V Standard classes to teach English. I am expected to ensure that the students develop proper pronunciation and grammar, as well as communicate effectively with English speakers worldwide. (right now I have my work cut out for me as pretty much everyone here has a difficult time understanding the American accent…the kids just kind of stare at me with a big '?' dangling over their heads). I am also going to facilitate co-curricular activities--outdoor sports and crafts, etc. The kids all keep asking when I get to teach their English class or when I will teach them volleyball :-)
Might I just add how precious all of these kids are… I've already found some 'favorites.' They all come to school in their camel colored uniforms---little girls in frilly tan striped dresses that tie in the back---little boys in khaki pants with a collared white shirt that's stained within the first 30 minutes of school. Each morning they begin an assembly with a prayer and then salute India with their arms out straight as they sing the national anthem in high pitched, adorably out of tune voices. The assembly is then followed with Kerala News and Interesting Facts, orated by one of the older girls. I am officially "Summer ma'am."
RIMS is under construction right now so the current building is actually an old house. Next to it they are building a two story building which should be finished and ready to move into within a month (or so they say….it looks like longer to me but ya know… just roll with it). The real project--which is what you'll see if you visit the website--is under construction some kilometers away, and is expected to be finished within the next 2 years. Each passing year, they hope to add another standard to the school….next year they will have VII standard, the next VIII, etc. Anis Sir has already offered Colleen and I a job after our three month internship….hmmmmmmm ;-) ….until then I gotta start lesson planning for my first classes!!!
On Thursday, school had to leave early because at 3:30 there was a huge court case that was going to decide whether a building was a Muslim Mosque or a Hindu Temple. Apparently for years it had been a mosque, then it was used as a temple… and now there has been fighting between the two religions as to who the holy building belongs to. At RIMS, teachers were bustling about and hurrying all the children home. The only thing they cared about was making sure the children were safe, and didn't care less about the verdict of the case. I asked several teachers (Hindu and Muslim) about the situation and they kept saying "who cares if its a mosque or a temple? we just want it to be peaceful here." Depending on the decision of the court, one religious group could get feisty and the possibility of a strike was imminent, this is why the school was let out early. It turns out, the court decided the holy place would officially serve as both a mosque and temple. I guess the official decision is what mattered. Anyways, my point is that the management of the school didn't give a rats behind about the determination of religion within some building, but the safety and well being of the students and teachers.
Let me explain the layout of classes. There are three montessori classes: M1= 2 1/2 - 3 1/2, M2= 3 1/2 - 4 1/2, M3= 4 1/2 - 5 1/2. I was not incredibly familiar with this method of teaching before arriving here, I had just heard of it. The smaller children arrive to their environments and begin work on their own. Each child rolls out his own mat and retrieves an activity to complete. For the younger kids the activities involve a lot of buttons, zippers, and tying strings. There are other 'everyday life' activities--example: a child will get the tea set, fill the pitcher with water, and go to his/her station and use to pitcher to fill the small cups with water to the marked dotted line on the inside of the cup. There are also a lot of puzzles to identify objects and animals, and lots of number forms to facilitate counting. I was blown away in visiting each of these environments as these kids are taking out pictures of planes, brushes, ships, etc….and then using foam letters to spell out these things on their mats….and these kids are less than 5!!!! Before they enter into I standard (1st grade) they will already be able to read and write, count, add, subtract, and multiply. This blows my mind as I remember learning multiplication in 3rd grade, and reading my first (longer than 3 pages book) (Go, Dog, Go) completely by myself in 1st grade. This montessori stuff is legit and I'm excited to learn more about it.
After montessori classes there is I standard to VI standard….. standard = grade…. I have been given I standard-B, II Standard, and V Standard classes to teach English. I am expected to ensure that the students develop proper pronunciation and grammar, as well as communicate effectively with English speakers worldwide. (right now I have my work cut out for me as pretty much everyone here has a difficult time understanding the American accent…the kids just kind of stare at me with a big '?' dangling over their heads). I am also going to facilitate co-curricular activities--outdoor sports and crafts, etc. The kids all keep asking when I get to teach their English class or when I will teach them volleyball :-)
Might I just add how precious all of these kids are… I've already found some 'favorites.' They all come to school in their camel colored uniforms---little girls in frilly tan striped dresses that tie in the back---little boys in khaki pants with a collared white shirt that's stained within the first 30 minutes of school. Each morning they begin an assembly with a prayer and then salute India with their arms out straight as they sing the national anthem in high pitched, adorably out of tune voices. The assembly is then followed with Kerala News and Interesting Facts, orated by one of the older girls. I am officially "Summer ma'am."
RIMS is under construction right now so the current building is actually an old house. Next to it they are building a two story building which should be finished and ready to move into within a month (or so they say….it looks like longer to me but ya know… just roll with it). The real project--which is what you'll see if you visit the website--is under construction some kilometers away, and is expected to be finished within the next 2 years. Each passing year, they hope to add another standard to the school….next year they will have VII standard, the next VIII, etc. Anis Sir has already offered Colleen and I a job after our three month internship….hmmmmmmm ;-) ….until then I gotta start lesson planning for my first classes!!!
Welcome to Paradise
Saturday, Oct 2
7:27 am
Those four smiling faces included Sajid Sir, co-ordinator from other schools, Anis Sir, RIMS school principal, Shilpa, school accountant, and Aaliya, school secretary. This arrival to Kannur, Kerala, India was at 10:30 am on Wednesday, and from then to now, I have never felt so welcomed to anywhere in my life! All of these individuals have gone out of their way to ensure that my stay here is the best they can make it….I was under the impression that I was serving them! Anyways, they take me to my flat (apartment), which is on the fifth floor of a building looking over Kannur. I walk in to this thing and was like omg Ive come to paradise. Shining cream tiled floors, kitchen (bigger than mine at home!) with microwave, four gas burners, and stocked fridge with orange juice, pepsi, and biscuits. Cabinets decorated with coffee fixin's and noodles…. theres a dining table, one big couch, and two cushy one person chairs, two bedrooms--each with their own bathroom, and AC! All windows in the flat provide for a panoramic view including the beach, a soccer field, the market, main road, and very crossable--normal traffic flow(for India)--streets. AND we have a washer!!! NO MORE HANDWASHING CLOTHES WOOOOOOOP! Ok so they instantly feed me some veggie curry and chapati (turn up the spice level from Kolkata by about 5 times) I wolf it down. Every meal I have had for the past couple days is just so full-flavored and spiced to perfection. I'm sipping my morning coffee now as I write this and I'm almost drooling thinking about the next time I get to eat ahhhhh! Haha they keep trying to feed me! Every hour its like…are you hungry? do you need something? I can order for you. Try this! I made it! …. I'm getting off track as usual and you're probably wondering about the people here and not just the food. Everyone is SO friendly and welcoming! I feel like a celebrity! Aaliya and Shilpa took me under their wing as far as showing me the ropes and around the area before Colleen arrived here Friday. Aaliya is an outgoing, bubbly, hilarious, 20-year-old (though she's wise beyond her years) who started speaking my language (and by this I don't mean English) when we arrived to the flat and she instantly busted out some chocolate creme cookies. Shilpa is a sweet, caring, and accommodating 28-year-old woman (though she looks so young!) from Hyderbad. We hung out and chatted all afternoon on Wednesday, and I feel like we are the best of friends now just a couple days later!
I went to visit the school on Wednesday (see next blog for school details). All of the teachers were so sweet and welcoming, all saying "oh you must help me with my English!" "we have been waiting and waiting for you!" "we are so excited to have you!" I was brought into each classroom where all the students would stand up and say "good morning ma'am." Wherever I was at any point I'd hear giggles and turn around to see a bunch of kids following me and whispering… only to scamper away giggling if I said anything. I told one of the teachers that none of the students would ever respond to me! only stare and smile! She said "well you are like a celebrity to them! They only see people that look like you on TV so you might as well be famous!"
Today the school has a program called "Grandparents Day," where all the children's grandparents come to be honored. Sir has asked Colleen and I to give small speeches, as we will also be welcomed to the school during the program. There will also be a Food Fair--all the parents make a dish to bring--and people will purchase tickets to eat items of food. All the proceeds will be donated to a local orphanage to teach the children the importance of giving. (Yes I have every intention of finding this orphanage. Anytime this word is uttered I perk up attentively.)
***Im writing this after grandparents day now. It was precious when each child brought their elders a single rose to honor them. Colleen and I were warmly welcomed and got to sit up front of the audience before we were called to make our speeches. I think my fondest memory of the day was when Colleen and I got to go to the judging room where they picked the best parent-made dish of the day (winner got a prize). We went crazy trying all sorts of typical Keralan/Muslim dishes. It was like a buffet with 30 dishes I've never tasted---rolls, chicken, fish cutlets, rice cake masala something, egg stuff, everything with some spicy kick….all home made!! bakshanam kayichu <---I ate food. (malayalam)
7:27 am
Those four smiling faces included Sajid Sir, co-ordinator from other schools, Anis Sir, RIMS school principal, Shilpa, school accountant, and Aaliya, school secretary. This arrival to Kannur, Kerala, India was at 10:30 am on Wednesday, and from then to now, I have never felt so welcomed to anywhere in my life! All of these individuals have gone out of their way to ensure that my stay here is the best they can make it….I was under the impression that I was serving them! Anyways, they take me to my flat (apartment), which is on the fifth floor of a building looking over Kannur. I walk in to this thing and was like omg Ive come to paradise. Shining cream tiled floors, kitchen (bigger than mine at home!) with microwave, four gas burners, and stocked fridge with orange juice, pepsi, and biscuits. Cabinets decorated with coffee fixin's and noodles…. theres a dining table, one big couch, and two cushy one person chairs, two bedrooms--each with their own bathroom, and AC! All windows in the flat provide for a panoramic view including the beach, a soccer field, the market, main road, and very crossable--normal traffic flow(for India)--streets. AND we have a washer!!! NO MORE HANDWASHING CLOTHES WOOOOOOOP! Ok so they instantly feed me some veggie curry and chapati (turn up the spice level from Kolkata by about 5 times) I wolf it down. Every meal I have had for the past couple days is just so full-flavored and spiced to perfection. I'm sipping my morning coffee now as I write this and I'm almost drooling thinking about the next time I get to eat ahhhhh! Haha they keep trying to feed me! Every hour its like…are you hungry? do you need something? I can order for you. Try this! I made it! …. I'm getting off track as usual and you're probably wondering about the people here and not just the food. Everyone is SO friendly and welcoming! I feel like a celebrity! Aaliya and Shilpa took me under their wing as far as showing me the ropes and around the area before Colleen arrived here Friday. Aaliya is an outgoing, bubbly, hilarious, 20-year-old (though she's wise beyond her years) who started speaking my language (and by this I don't mean English) when we arrived to the flat and she instantly busted out some chocolate creme cookies. Shilpa is a sweet, caring, and accommodating 28-year-old woman (though she looks so young!) from Hyderbad. We hung out and chatted all afternoon on Wednesday, and I feel like we are the best of friends now just a couple days later!
I went to visit the school on Wednesday (see next blog for school details). All of the teachers were so sweet and welcoming, all saying "oh you must help me with my English!" "we have been waiting and waiting for you!" "we are so excited to have you!" I was brought into each classroom where all the students would stand up and say "good morning ma'am." Wherever I was at any point I'd hear giggles and turn around to see a bunch of kids following me and whispering… only to scamper away giggling if I said anything. I told one of the teachers that none of the students would ever respond to me! only stare and smile! She said "well you are like a celebrity to them! They only see people that look like you on TV so you might as well be famous!"
Today the school has a program called "Grandparents Day," where all the children's grandparents come to be honored. Sir has asked Colleen and I to give small speeches, as we will also be welcomed to the school during the program. There will also be a Food Fair--all the parents make a dish to bring--and people will purchase tickets to eat items of food. All the proceeds will be donated to a local orphanage to teach the children the importance of giving. (Yes I have every intention of finding this orphanage. Anytime this word is uttered I perk up attentively.)
***Im writing this after grandparents day now. It was precious when each child brought their elders a single rose to honor them. Colleen and I were warmly welcomed and got to sit up front of the audience before we were called to make our speeches. I think my fondest memory of the day was when Colleen and I got to go to the judging room where they picked the best parent-made dish of the day (winner got a prize). We went crazy trying all sorts of typical Keralan/Muslim dishes. It was like a buffet with 30 dishes I've never tasted---rolls, chicken, fish cutlets, rice cake masala something, egg stuff, everything with some spicy kick….all home made!! bakshanam kayichu <---I ate food. (malayalam)
Please let me be AC! Please let me be AC!
On Monday at about 1 pm, I arrive to the Calcutta train station. I haul my GIANT (I need to send stuff home!) suitcase out of the car and chill on the platform until my train to Chennai, India arrives. I was told that some parts of the train have AC, others don't. In fond memory of a joke with Kat, Megs, Kels, and Tosh.0, I kept chanting to myself, 'please let me be AC, please let me be AC!" I knew that my train to Chennai arrived sometime the next day, and that I would then board another train, only to arrive yet again, the following day; thus, summing up to a 2 day train journey. Train arrives, I find my section and board….thank you ATI I've got AC!!! So my suitcase is the size of a small teenager, so fitting it under the seat was out of the question…crap. You walk into the train, turn left into the car… ok on the left side are bunk beds (attached to the wall) going parallel to the wall of the train. On the right there are sections of two sets of 3 tiered bunk beds going perpendicular to the walls. I am sitting with four lovely Muslim women who offered me a banana. The husband of one of them is also sitting in the section. They spoke Tamil, a language of southern India. Communication for the next 25 hours involved a lot of pointing, charades, and smiling and nodding. At bedtime we pull the beds out from the wall, and my 5 companions all maxing out at 5 ft snuggle up into their bunks. Alright, again lets review that in India, I need "big size," simply based on the fact that Im pushing six feet with an athletic build (plus some extra love), and sasquatch size feet. So when I climb up onto my third tier that is only 2.5 feet from the ceiling, not only can I not sit up (which makes drinking water quite hilarious because I crick my neck to the side and drink sideways…typically not yielding success), but my feet hang off the end of the bed…which would have been ok had I not been the first bunk to the right of the car door, so when it was opened it would knock my feet. OH WAIT! I bet you forgot what happened to my small teenager suitcase! MUAHAHA whelp, that was handily shoved up in my bunk for my personal company. I did what I could to push it sideways so that I could get at least 3 feet of room to lean against it or curl up in a fetal position next to it. Nothing listening to a little ABBA couldn't fix! I actually did sleep a bit out of pure exhaustion; however, I did feel like the un-oiled tin man when I awoke (in addition the the other 15 times in the night) the next morning to the vendor dudes walking up and down the aisles going "CHAI! CHAIIII"…"COFFFFEEEEE", "BIRIYANI" "CUTLET, CUTLET, VEGGIE CUTLET"….yes thats real. I pretty much fell out of bed and stumbled to the bathroom. (which by the way is a simple hole in the floor, so you can watch the train tracks pass by as you cross India).
Funny story--I have three silly bands on my wrists: a stretched out camel (my very first from Sarah! :-), a hand peace sign, and a dragonfly. At one point one of the Muslim women pointed to my wrist decorated in these fun-filled bracelets with an inquisitive look. I proceed to pull them off and set them out to display their shapes. All the women watched in awe. I decided, that since I've brought like 5 bags of silly bands, to whip one out so they could see more shapes. They spent like a half hour separating and identifying 10 silly bands on the small table in our section, all discussing which animal was which and asking how to say it in English. There are now 4 women-- clad in saris and the black Muslim over-coat thing with a head cover--- all wearing silly bands somewhere in Chennai, India. I love it.
Lets move this along. I get to Chennai and end up talking to a Pastor, two inquisitive children, and a Portuguese girl who had all but one of her bags stolen. After about three hours I get to board the next train (this is 8 pm Tuesday now) where I am sitting with people who are perfectly fine with me leaving my bag on the floor, which turns out to be fine since I got the bottom bunk this time (MUCH better sleep!) Before I knew it it was morning…I finished my book The Namesake (I highly recommend). This seemed very appropriate since that had many a reference to Calcutta and as I finish the book the train pulled into the Kannur train station. I gather my backpack, purse, and small teenager, and stagger thru the tiny aisle--tousled/borderline dreaded hair, eyes swollen with sleep and dehydration, mangled muscles and all-- ahhhhhh, out into the fresh, tropical, Kerala air. I'm instantly greeted by 4 smiling faces asking, "Summer?"
Funny story--I have three silly bands on my wrists: a stretched out camel (my very first from Sarah! :-), a hand peace sign, and a dragonfly. At one point one of the Muslim women pointed to my wrist decorated in these fun-filled bracelets with an inquisitive look. I proceed to pull them off and set them out to display their shapes. All the women watched in awe. I decided, that since I've brought like 5 bags of silly bands, to whip one out so they could see more shapes. They spent like a half hour separating and identifying 10 silly bands on the small table in our section, all discussing which animal was which and asking how to say it in English. There are now 4 women-- clad in saris and the black Muslim over-coat thing with a head cover--- all wearing silly bands somewhere in Chennai, India. I love it.
Lets move this along. I get to Chennai and end up talking to a Pastor, two inquisitive children, and a Portuguese girl who had all but one of her bags stolen. After about three hours I get to board the next train (this is 8 pm Tuesday now) where I am sitting with people who are perfectly fine with me leaving my bag on the floor, which turns out to be fine since I got the bottom bunk this time (MUCH better sleep!) Before I knew it it was morning…I finished my book The Namesake (I highly recommend). This seemed very appropriate since that had many a reference to Calcutta and as I finish the book the train pulled into the Kannur train station. I gather my backpack, purse, and small teenager, and stagger thru the tiny aisle--tousled/borderline dreaded hair, eyes swollen with sleep and dehydration, mangled muscles and all-- ahhhhhh, out into the fresh, tropical, Kerala air. I'm instantly greeted by 4 smiling faces asking, "Summer?"
"Dis call blackmail"
Wednesday, Sept 29
I feel like Sundays in Calcutta deserve some spectacular name like "Epic Sunday Adventures" or "Shananagans on Sundays"… etc…something to articulate the fact that every Sunday in Calcutta I've experienced an unexpected, exhausting, mind-blowing day. Phil Collins and I set off first to the Indian Coffee House to talk politics and sip cafe like the good ole freedom fighters and revolutionaries of early 1900's India. It was a lot larger than I expected, with high ceilings and open second story windows overlooking the streets of Calcutta. Older men talked business and politics, not seeming too distracted by the three Americans ordering coffee and taking endless candid, 'pondering life' pictures. In the coffee house we ended up chatting with two men--one was teaching the other French of all things! The five of us ended up hanging out the rest of the day swapping favorite authors, poets, musicians, and language skills. (Avik loves Emerson….I knew you'd be excited mom!) Another great thing about us meeting them is that we got a WHOLE lot more out of Calcutta that day--just like when we went to the flower market with our self-initiated tour guide, Ranu a couple sundays back.
So we head off to see Tagore's--famous Indian poet, artist, writer…won the Nobel Prize--house. On our way we pass by the famous Marble Palace! Colleen and I had decided to not go there both because it just sounded like some rich English dude's home AND you have to go thru a permit process with the government to even go onto the grounds…. BAHAH NOPE! While passing by our new friend Avik started talking to the guard; next thing we knew he said…. will you pay 50 rupees to get in?? (this is for all five of us combined)…though I know whats happening I still exclaim, "well we thought we needed a permit to enter." Avik laughs and goes, "We have rule, but we don't always follow….dis here, is call blackmail!" Thus, we get to explore the magnificent Marble Palace (we did have to pay off one more guard). Ok, bug just crawled out of my keyboard…. seriously hate when that happens! Anyways, um yes the mansion was some rich English dude's house built in 1853; however, I have never seen ANYTHING this eclectic! The structure is mainly made of marble (shocking) with giant classical pillars, a courtyard with birds chirping about, and open balconies wrapping around the inner courtyard, each level leading to a thin net before the sky, keeping all the birdies inside. We removed our shoes and followed the tour guide (who I think had every intention of speaking clear English; however I don't really know what language was coming out…Avik translated) This mansion is FILLED with the most random stuff!! Everything is huge, a giant billiard table, statue of Queen Victoria, Belgian glass chandeliers and mirrors (20 feet tall!!). There are endless classical marble and bronze structures of hmm where do I start…. Greek and Roman gods, Venus de Milo, women representing each season (summer was there!), women representing each continent (America looked like Pocahontas), busts of George Washington, Christopher Columbus, Augustus, Napoleon Bonaparte, Claudius someone… so lets continue to the sheet-draped antique furniture cluttering the rooms, tables clad in more statues, paintings, vases, and belgian glass something or other-- I called one of these rooms the Beauty and the Beast room*** Walking along the balcony you'd find a statue of a gorilla, then some paintings of Virgin and Child or Immaculate Conception, an oriental vase, a bust of Warren Hastings, a row of live caged birds from Australia or South America (what?!), more oriental vases (like 2 ft tall, some have bamboo or bird depictions, others just blue glaze designs), another gorilla sculpture….all leading you to a room full of an original Ruben, a portrait of Queen Victorias family, The Last Supper, etc. I seriously don't think I saw one 'Indian' themed thing there! Oh! There were also lots of clocks (dad I thought of you the whole time!…and my 1st grade assignment to "count the clocks in your home" and my number reaching like 50 haha) … antique bronze figures, other intricate swirling designs encompassing the clock face, a giant grandfather clock….all these on a much larger scale than the ones I had at home. I bet you're wondering, 'ah i cant wait to see pictures!'… whelp, I regret to inform you that not even blackmail could permit a photographic documentation of my breath-taking experience. Sorry :-( "Photography Prohibited" is quite the trend here in India.
Lets push onto Tagore's house. Rabindranath Tagore was a famous poet (as mentioned before) and I did not know very much about him before my experience here. I seriously recommend that you wikipedia him as he was an extraordinary person. We toured his mansion, stepping barefoot around his old kitchen, writing room, and bedroom (the room he passed in). Tagore's paintings, as well as those of many other Indian artists, are on display within the museum, peppered with his profound quotes. I left feeling very inclined to read some of his stuff. One thing not really related to Tagore is that I had to giggle as we toured the mansion as there are many guards--clad in the full military uniform with a gun--who are all barefoot! Its like a "whats missing?" picture. Taking off your shoes before entering someone's home, holy place, or really any important building for that matter, is customary. Its more fun when the seriously uniformed individuals do it, though.
Phi Collins, our two new friends, and myself went to a late lunch at a local place recommended by Avik. We chatted some more, thanked them for being helpful, and then the other guy asked me to translate a short story into Spanish so he could practice (so cool!). We bid them farewell and headed to the jam packed, sweaty metro, only to say goodbye to Phil, as his train left in a few hours. This was probably one of the strangest goodbyes I've had as Colleen and I were essentially pushed off the metro while saying "bye Phil we love y--"…mob of people gets on the metro, phil disappears within the crowd while the doors slide shut and the metro speeds away…leaving Colleen and I waving on the platform, cracking up because an Indian metro experience will never be normal.
Oh Kali Temple, how we have waited to see the great Kali Temple! You gotta give Colleen and I some props for this insane amount of sight seeing! I'm on my last leg but I leave the next morning and I reallllly wanted to see this famous three-eyed, angry goddess, inside the Hindu temple. Ugh, we arrive, its shoulder to shoulder crowded, we are instantly spotted and shoved thru the line by a guide (we tried to say no but the floods of people just kind of pushed us his way!) We saw the statue of Kali for about 3 seconds, threw some flowers at her, got a bindi (dot on the forehead), then proceeded to some tree where you give more flowers in honor of your siblings and parents (so barb and jim, you got double the love on this one) and then you make an offering to help feed people who come there to get food everyday. I think we were in there all of ten minutes, walking outside the walls feeling anxious, cheated, and very cranky. I'm glad we got to see it though….???? i think. Im anxious to see some other temples we'll just say :-) Everything is an experience here. Anyways, we bounced back quick and headed home…. got my camera stolen…. then returned…. went home for real…did my laundry (by hand, on hands and knees in the bathroom) and went to bed with my ulnar neuritis all flared up from squeezing clothes. Haha. Probably my most epic day in Calcutta….also my last.
It's been real!
***reference for Disney lovers only
I feel like Sundays in Calcutta deserve some spectacular name like "Epic Sunday Adventures" or "Shananagans on Sundays"… etc…something to articulate the fact that every Sunday in Calcutta I've experienced an unexpected, exhausting, mind-blowing day. Phil Collins and I set off first to the Indian Coffee House to talk politics and sip cafe like the good ole freedom fighters and revolutionaries of early 1900's India. It was a lot larger than I expected, with high ceilings and open second story windows overlooking the streets of Calcutta. Older men talked business and politics, not seeming too distracted by the three Americans ordering coffee and taking endless candid, 'pondering life' pictures. In the coffee house we ended up chatting with two men--one was teaching the other French of all things! The five of us ended up hanging out the rest of the day swapping favorite authors, poets, musicians, and language skills. (Avik loves Emerson….I knew you'd be excited mom!) Another great thing about us meeting them is that we got a WHOLE lot more out of Calcutta that day--just like when we went to the flower market with our self-initiated tour guide, Ranu a couple sundays back.
So we head off to see Tagore's--famous Indian poet, artist, writer…won the Nobel Prize--house. On our way we pass by the famous Marble Palace! Colleen and I had decided to not go there both because it just sounded like some rich English dude's home AND you have to go thru a permit process with the government to even go onto the grounds…. BAHAH NOPE! While passing by our new friend Avik started talking to the guard; next thing we knew he said…. will you pay 50 rupees to get in?? (this is for all five of us combined)…though I know whats happening I still exclaim, "well we thought we needed a permit to enter." Avik laughs and goes, "We have rule, but we don't always follow….dis here, is call blackmail!" Thus, we get to explore the magnificent Marble Palace (we did have to pay off one more guard). Ok, bug just crawled out of my keyboard…. seriously hate when that happens! Anyways, um yes the mansion was some rich English dude's house built in 1853; however, I have never seen ANYTHING this eclectic! The structure is mainly made of marble (shocking) with giant classical pillars, a courtyard with birds chirping about, and open balconies wrapping around the inner courtyard, each level leading to a thin net before the sky, keeping all the birdies inside. We removed our shoes and followed the tour guide (who I think had every intention of speaking clear English; however I don't really know what language was coming out…Avik translated) This mansion is FILLED with the most random stuff!! Everything is huge, a giant billiard table, statue of Queen Victoria, Belgian glass chandeliers and mirrors (20 feet tall!!). There are endless classical marble and bronze structures of hmm where do I start…. Greek and Roman gods, Venus de Milo, women representing each season (summer was there!), women representing each continent (America looked like Pocahontas), busts of George Washington, Christopher Columbus, Augustus, Napoleon Bonaparte, Claudius someone… so lets continue to the sheet-draped antique furniture cluttering the rooms, tables clad in more statues, paintings, vases, and belgian glass something or other-- I called one of these rooms the Beauty and the Beast room*** Walking along the balcony you'd find a statue of a gorilla, then some paintings of Virgin and Child or Immaculate Conception, an oriental vase, a bust of Warren Hastings, a row of live caged birds from Australia or South America (what?!), more oriental vases (like 2 ft tall, some have bamboo or bird depictions, others just blue glaze designs), another gorilla sculpture….all leading you to a room full of an original Ruben, a portrait of Queen Victorias family, The Last Supper, etc. I seriously don't think I saw one 'Indian' themed thing there! Oh! There were also lots of clocks (dad I thought of you the whole time!…and my 1st grade assignment to "count the clocks in your home" and my number reaching like 50 haha) … antique bronze figures, other intricate swirling designs encompassing the clock face, a giant grandfather clock….all these on a much larger scale than the ones I had at home. I bet you're wondering, 'ah i cant wait to see pictures!'… whelp, I regret to inform you that not even blackmail could permit a photographic documentation of my breath-taking experience. Sorry :-( "Photography Prohibited" is quite the trend here in India.
Lets push onto Tagore's house. Rabindranath Tagore was a famous poet (as mentioned before) and I did not know very much about him before my experience here. I seriously recommend that you wikipedia him as he was an extraordinary person. We toured his mansion, stepping barefoot around his old kitchen, writing room, and bedroom (the room he passed in). Tagore's paintings, as well as those of many other Indian artists, are on display within the museum, peppered with his profound quotes. I left feeling very inclined to read some of his stuff. One thing not really related to Tagore is that I had to giggle as we toured the mansion as there are many guards--clad in the full military uniform with a gun--who are all barefoot! Its like a "whats missing?" picture. Taking off your shoes before entering someone's home, holy place, or really any important building for that matter, is customary. Its more fun when the seriously uniformed individuals do it, though.
Phi Collins, our two new friends, and myself went to a late lunch at a local place recommended by Avik. We chatted some more, thanked them for being helpful, and then the other guy asked me to translate a short story into Spanish so he could practice (so cool!). We bid them farewell and headed to the jam packed, sweaty metro, only to say goodbye to Phil, as his train left in a few hours. This was probably one of the strangest goodbyes I've had as Colleen and I were essentially pushed off the metro while saying "bye Phil we love y--"…mob of people gets on the metro, phil disappears within the crowd while the doors slide shut and the metro speeds away…leaving Colleen and I waving on the platform, cracking up because an Indian metro experience will never be normal.
Oh Kali Temple, how we have waited to see the great Kali Temple! You gotta give Colleen and I some props for this insane amount of sight seeing! I'm on my last leg but I leave the next morning and I reallllly wanted to see this famous three-eyed, angry goddess, inside the Hindu temple. Ugh, we arrive, its shoulder to shoulder crowded, we are instantly spotted and shoved thru the line by a guide (we tried to say no but the floods of people just kind of pushed us his way!) We saw the statue of Kali for about 3 seconds, threw some flowers at her, got a bindi (dot on the forehead), then proceeded to some tree where you give more flowers in honor of your siblings and parents (so barb and jim, you got double the love on this one) and then you make an offering to help feed people who come there to get food everyday. I think we were in there all of ten minutes, walking outside the walls feeling anxious, cheated, and very cranky. I'm glad we got to see it though….???? i think. Im anxious to see some other temples we'll just say :-) Everything is an experience here. Anyways, we bounced back quick and headed home…. got my camera stolen…. then returned…. went home for real…did my laundry (by hand, on hands and knees in the bathroom) and went to bed with my ulnar neuritis all flared up from squeezing clothes. Haha. Probably my most epic day in Calcutta….also my last.
It's been real!
***reference for Disney lovers only
Teaching Practice Recap
Wednesday, Sept 29
I have sooooo much to catch up on!!! I would have written most of my "catch-up" blogging on the two day train ride to Kerala; however, under certain circumstances (stay tuned!) I felt that whipping out a Macbook during my third-bunk-made-for-a-small-child-with-people-staring-at-me-for-40-hours-experience may be less than responsible. Anyways… a lot I have to say will be in condensed form, and probably a little scattered. So bear with me. Ok ..:::fog screen and harp playing in background:::… lets reminisce about my last days in Calcutta.
Two of my practice lessons were in an all boys government school. Now, my very first practice class in the all girls government school had a class size of 60 and it went wonderfully--they were well behaved, eager to learn, and just stinkin' adorable. The boys were 10-12 years-old and holy guacamole (man i miss guacamole), these kids were CRAZY!!! On our first day at this all boys government school, all six of us teachers walked out pretty much drooling and giggling, like we'd been shot with a taser gun. The boys were rambunctious, loud, bouncing off the walls, pinching, touching, laughing, shouting, jumping, throwing… "class control" on our evaluation sheets became irrelevant. You have to laugh because when we arrived in pairs to each classroom, the teachers dipped out and were nowhere to be seen until we found them in the office after our lessons, lounging and chatting with tea. At that point we understood why they left so abruptly when we arrived…"yes! break from hell!!!" Haha! Anyways, boys will be boys and the next day we taught there the lessons went much smoother and they behaved better--they were able to repeat some vocab (despite the fact that our prepared lessons were definitely more advanced than the language level of the children…ATI required that we do 5 different lessons of all levels; however, the classes we were given did not always match the levels of the kids so that made it a bit difficult)… I think the combination of the fact that we served as "substitutes" for the days (oh and we all know how we've treated substitutes), and the fact that we are strange white people with funny accents probably got them jostled into an excessive form of excitement. It was an experience to say the least. On a personal level, I felt more comfortable and confident as the week went on, and my last lesson seemed just like another class for me! I loved every minute!
I have to mention that at every school we went to, all the kids were jumping out of their skin saying "Hello!" "Nice to meet you!" "signacha?? pleeeease!?!?" They all wanted our signature/autograph and/or to shake hands with us when we left. We felt like celebrities! My classmate, Matt, said, "I don't think I've ever gotten that excited about another human being before!" Haha, I have to agree with that. We enjoyed it while it lasted.
I have sooooo much to catch up on!!! I would have written most of my "catch-up" blogging on the two day train ride to Kerala; however, under certain circumstances (stay tuned!) I felt that whipping out a Macbook during my third-bunk-made-for-a-small-child-with-people-staring-at-me-for-40-hours-experience may be less than responsible. Anyways… a lot I have to say will be in condensed form, and probably a little scattered. So bear with me. Ok ..:::fog screen and harp playing in background:::… lets reminisce about my last days in Calcutta.
Two of my practice lessons were in an all boys government school. Now, my very first practice class in the all girls government school had a class size of 60 and it went wonderfully--they were well behaved, eager to learn, and just stinkin' adorable. The boys were 10-12 years-old and holy guacamole (man i miss guacamole), these kids were CRAZY!!! On our first day at this all boys government school, all six of us teachers walked out pretty much drooling and giggling, like we'd been shot with a taser gun. The boys were rambunctious, loud, bouncing off the walls, pinching, touching, laughing, shouting, jumping, throwing… "class control" on our evaluation sheets became irrelevant. You have to laugh because when we arrived in pairs to each classroom, the teachers dipped out and were nowhere to be seen until we found them in the office after our lessons, lounging and chatting with tea. At that point we understood why they left so abruptly when we arrived…"yes! break from hell!!!" Haha! Anyways, boys will be boys and the next day we taught there the lessons went much smoother and they behaved better--they were able to repeat some vocab (despite the fact that our prepared lessons were definitely more advanced than the language level of the children…ATI required that we do 5 different lessons of all levels; however, the classes we were given did not always match the levels of the kids so that made it a bit difficult)… I think the combination of the fact that we served as "substitutes" for the days (oh and we all know how we've treated substitutes), and the fact that we are strange white people with funny accents probably got them jostled into an excessive form of excitement. It was an experience to say the least. On a personal level, I felt more comfortable and confident as the week went on, and my last lesson seemed just like another class for me! I loved every minute!
I have to mention that at every school we went to, all the kids were jumping out of their skin saying "Hello!" "Nice to meet you!" "signacha?? pleeeease!?!?" They all wanted our signature/autograph and/or to shake hands with us when we left. We felt like celebrities! My classmate, Matt, said, "I don't think I've ever gotten that excited about another human being before!" Haha, I have to agree with that. We enjoyed it while it lasted.
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