This will be my final post from India. I will post more when I can, but I won't be in India to do it. My flight leaves in an hour. It's been a remarkable couple of days. I have experienced a wonderful outpouring of love from these Indian people that I have been able to associate with. They have little in the way of material possessions, but they are very rich in love. It is difficult to put my experiences into words, but I'll do my best:
Today, we left Rising Star and drove to Chennai, where we spent the day. It was a fun day with friends, shopping, visiting, and tasty Indian food. Last night on the other hand was a difficult, and wonderful, night. It was a night of goodbyes. I said goodbye to the teachers at the end of the school day. They were all very kind and told me about ways that I had helped them to become better teachers. They also all told me that they will look forward to seeing me again at RSO, preferably by next summer. I had my last playtime with the kids, and then my last dinner with the other volunteers. We shared things that we had learned in our experience here. After dinner, Life Dance performed for us. As always, it was fantastic. Their dancing is very moving. Or sometimes just fun. Either way, I love it. I took some videos that I will post on this blog when I get the chance. I headed over to the hostels after the performance to say goodbye to the children. Some of the boys in my house had prepared a present for me. It was a wonderful gift - a simple box that they had made and covered with stickers that they purchased with stars from the Star Store on campus and then filled with notes for me. Saying goodbye to them was hard. I also said goodbye to Rajakumari, who gave me a gift of some small things and a kind note. She doesn't have much (when she asked me how much my plane ticket cost in rupees, she was shocked), but her gift means that much more because of this. Of all the notes and gifts that I received, I think that the most moving for me was a note from a boy who has been having difficulties in school. He has been refusing to do his homework and has gotten into trouble. I have worked with his teachers, the counselor, and others on creating a behavior plan for him. He hasn't been happy with me on numerous occasions because I haven't let him get away with things like not doing his homework. He told me that he wasn't sad that I was leaving because I bothered him about homework and studying. But when I returned to the volunteer hostel, I left the room for a few minutes and, when I returned, my roommates told me that a boy had come looking for me and had left a note on my bed. It was a page-long letter from this boy, who hates to write and complains about it constantly. He told me that he loved me and would miss me and that he understood why I wanted him to study and do his homework. You can see why it is so hard to leave these children.
My flight is being called, but I want to take a moment to share what I learned, as I did with the volunteers last night. During the last five weeks, I have felt tremendous love for the people that I am serving and working with. I know that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love these people in India. I have had the opportunity to experience a little piece of the Savior's love for them as I have served them. I have been able to enjoy the gift of charity. For this, and so many other gifts, I am truly grateful. India is a special place. I'll be watching it disappear out of the airplane window soon, but I know I will not forget it.
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Medical Trip
Today, I took a day off from the school to visit one of the leprosy colonies and participate in medical work. It was an interesting day. It is hard to describe the experience of washing and oiling the feet of these patients with leprosy. They live in a small area. The houses, I understand, are quite improved from what they were living in before, because renovations occurred in 2009, but they are still very small and very simple - a couple of small concrete rooms, without furniture. There is no running water, so they get their water from a well or a small pump next to the well. Contrary to common rumor, body parts do not fall off with leprosy, but they retract into the body. Some of their feet were so small because their toes had retracted into their feet. If this becomes to extreme, they do have to have limbs amputated. One many had his foot and leg amputated below the knee, and he had a prosthesis to help him walk. I imagine that the feet of the Chinese women who had their feet bound may have looked similar to some of the feet that I saw today. They have ulcers on their bodies. The dead skin needed to be trimmed in these ulcers and then they needed to be treated and bandaged. For some of them, especially one poor woman, this was a very painful process. It was hard to see them deal with this, with no anesthetic to dull the pain. Despite their circumstances, the people that we met were very happy, very hospitable, and very grateful. Most spoke no English or only very little, but they told us through gestures how grateful they were for our help. It was quite an experience. Although I will be going back to work at the school tomorrow, where they need me more and I can have more of a lasting effect, I was glad to have this experience once.
Delhi Trip
I have just returned from a trip to Delhi and Agra over the weekend. It was truly an amazing few days. A lot of it was spent traveling, but it was worth it. We started out in the middle of the night on Thursday and left Chennai early Friday morning. We flew to Delhi, where we first took a bicycle rickshaw ride through old Delhi. We stopped at the spice market and chile market, both of which smelled wonderful. I purchased a few spices, including some wonderful-smelling cinnamon. I can understand why Christoper Colombus wanted to travel to India to purchase spices. Then, back on to the bicycle rickshaws. They were quite a wild ride, but a lot of fun. We were able to go through back streets in old Delhi that would have been impossible with most modes of travel – walking, bicycle, bicycle rickshaw, or “scooties” – motorbikes – are the only possibilities. Then we had lunch at a very tasty Indian restaurant. Excellent curries, nan, and all kinds of good things. Outside, there was a snake charmer. He had a green rat snake in one basket and a cobra in the other. He played the traditional instrument to “charm” the snakes. I know that the music doesn’t matter so much as the motion, but it was still neat to see. He was making money by convincing us tourists to take pictures with him and his snakes. I did fine with the rat snake, but when he opened the cobra basket and it popped up and flared out its head, I was definitely startled. After lunch, we all piled on the bus for the six-hour trip to Agra. We stopped at a McDonald’s on the way. It was interesting to see the menu of an Indian McDonald’s, which serves no beef or pork. There were chicken and fish sandwiches and a veggie burger.
In Agra, we checked into the hotel. It was wonderful – real showers, not buckets, double beds, only three to a room, western-style toilets – pure luxury. Also, the staff was very attentive. They welcomed us to the hotel with cool washcloths and guava juice. Then, they wouldn’t let us take our luggage to our rooms – they delivered it shortly after we went up. We slept for about four or five hours, and were up in time to leave for the Taj Mahal at 5 am. The idea behind this is that when the sun comes up, the mausoleum is beautiful, because the translucent white marble reflects the colors and changes throughout the day, but is very beautiful in the sunrise. Unfortunately, it was foggy, so we didn’t get this effect. Even so, the Taj Mahal was incredible. It is huge, but at the same time it feels so delicate because of its incredibly intricate carving and inlay work. The emperor who built it for his wife’s tomb wanted its beauty to last, so instead of paintings, it is inlaid with tiny pieces of semi-precious stones making absolutely beautiful flower decorations. Also fascinating were the Koran verses inscribed in calligraphy. The letters appear to be all the same size as you look at them from the ground, but in reality they are much bigger at the top and get smaller as they get closer to you. What mathematics that must have taken to create this illusion! A beautiful red sandstone mosque is built on one side of the mausoleum and, to preserve the perfect symmetry of the Taj Mahal, another identical building is on the other side, facing the opposite direction. It could never be used as a mosque because it is facing the wrong direction, nor could it be used for a palace or anything else, because no one could live next to the mausoleum, so it was built just to preserve the symmetry. The unity of the entire complex was amazing. It was definitely awe-inspiring. I understood why it is a wonder of the world.
After the Taj Mahal, we had a nice breakfast at the hotel’s breakfast buffet, then headed out to see the Red Fort, which was also quite something. We saw where several of the Mogul emperors lived. One of the more interesting places was the harem, where all the concubines lived. There were some nice balconies there to catch the air, as well as a 400-year-old “Jacuzzi” that the concubines could sit in. One of the emperors, we were told, had more than 500 concubines. It was interesting to imagine what the place would have been like when the emperors lived there.
Next, we visited a rug factory and a marble factory. In Agra, it is against the law to use machines – everything must be done by hand. This allows the artisans to continue to work. It was amazing to see the people work in the same way that they have been doing for hundreds of years. At the rug factory, men worked to tie tiny knots. They were so quick, that they could tie several hundred thousand knots in a days work. They memorized the patterns during their apprenticeships, and they’d sing out the patterns to their partners, who would sing them back, to ensure that they were keeping everything perfectly symmetrical. At the marble factory, the descendants of the people who did the inlay work on the Taj Mahal work on the same marble, with the same semi-precious stones, to make smaller works. They shape tiny bits of semi-precious stones on a wheel that they work by hand. They arrange them on the translucent marble – the same kind that the Taj Mahal is made of – and scratch around them. The marble is dyed with henna so that they can see. They scratch a place for the stones, and then glue them in with a secret glue recipe. Watching both processes, done by hand, was amazing. These are true works of art.
Dinner was pizza at Pizza Hut. Some of the pizzas were Indian (chicken tikka masala pizza, etc.), but most of us were missing American food, so we went for pepperoni. It was great.
The next day, we headed back to Delhi, but we stopped on the way for elephant rides. Then, on to Delhi, a short stop at an outdoor mall for lunch and shopping, and back to the plane for the flight back to Chennai. We arrived back at Rising Star around midnight on Sunday. It was a lot of traveling, but it was worth it. It was truly an amazing trip.
In Agra, we checked into the hotel. It was wonderful – real showers, not buckets, double beds, only three to a room, western-style toilets – pure luxury. Also, the staff was very attentive. They welcomed us to the hotel with cool washcloths and guava juice. Then, they wouldn’t let us take our luggage to our rooms – they delivered it shortly after we went up. We slept for about four or five hours, and were up in time to leave for the Taj Mahal at 5 am. The idea behind this is that when the sun comes up, the mausoleum is beautiful, because the translucent white marble reflects the colors and changes throughout the day, but is very beautiful in the sunrise. Unfortunately, it was foggy, so we didn’t get this effect. Even so, the Taj Mahal was incredible. It is huge, but at the same time it feels so delicate because of its incredibly intricate carving and inlay work. The emperor who built it for his wife’s tomb wanted its beauty to last, so instead of paintings, it is inlaid with tiny pieces of semi-precious stones making absolutely beautiful flower decorations. Also fascinating were the Koran verses inscribed in calligraphy. The letters appear to be all the same size as you look at them from the ground, but in reality they are much bigger at the top and get smaller as they get closer to you. What mathematics that must have taken to create this illusion! A beautiful red sandstone mosque is built on one side of the mausoleum and, to preserve the perfect symmetry of the Taj Mahal, another identical building is on the other side, facing the opposite direction. It could never be used as a mosque because it is facing the wrong direction, nor could it be used for a palace or anything else, because no one could live next to the mausoleum, so it was built just to preserve the symmetry. The unity of the entire complex was amazing. It was definitely awe-inspiring. I understood why it is a wonder of the world.
After the Taj Mahal, we had a nice breakfast at the hotel’s breakfast buffet, then headed out to see the Red Fort, which was also quite something. We saw where several of the Mogul emperors lived. One of the more interesting places was the harem, where all the concubines lived. There were some nice balconies there to catch the air, as well as a 400-year-old “Jacuzzi” that the concubines could sit in. One of the emperors, we were told, had more than 500 concubines. It was interesting to imagine what the place would have been like when the emperors lived there.
Next, we visited a rug factory and a marble factory. In Agra, it is against the law to use machines – everything must be done by hand. This allows the artisans to continue to work. It was amazing to see the people work in the same way that they have been doing for hundreds of years. At the rug factory, men worked to tie tiny knots. They were so quick, that they could tie several hundred thousand knots in a days work. They memorized the patterns during their apprenticeships, and they’d sing out the patterns to their partners, who would sing them back, to ensure that they were keeping everything perfectly symmetrical. At the marble factory, the descendants of the people who did the inlay work on the Taj Mahal work on the same marble, with the same semi-precious stones, to make smaller works. They shape tiny bits of semi-precious stones on a wheel that they work by hand. They arrange them on the translucent marble – the same kind that the Taj Mahal is made of – and scratch around them. The marble is dyed with henna so that they can see. They scratch a place for the stones, and then glue them in with a secret glue recipe. Watching both processes, done by hand, was amazing. These are true works of art.
Dinner was pizza at Pizza Hut. Some of the pizzas were Indian (chicken tikka masala pizza, etc.), but most of us were missing American food, so we went for pepperoni. It was great.
The next day, we headed back to Delhi, but we stopped on the way for elephant rides. Then, on to Delhi, a short stop at an outdoor mall for lunch and shopping, and back to the plane for the flight back to Chennai. We arrived back at Rising Star around midnight on Sunday. It was a lot of traveling, but it was worth it. It was truly an amazing trip.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Catching up
It's been much too long since I've posted. It's been so busy here - I am really feeling the pressure of time. There is so much to do and not enough time to do it in! Last weekend, the 2nd session volunteers left. I was sad to see them go, and I have missed them. It was difficult for the children, as well. On the evening before they left, one of the boys in my house wouldn't speak to one of the male volunteers, because he was so unhappy that he was leaving. This was tough on Drew, the volunteer, and it was so difficult for Gokulraj. He didn't want anyone to see, but he was wiping away tears. He would only talk to me, because I wasn't leaving. Eventually, he opened up and talked to Drew a little bit, but it was tough. Since then, the children have frequently asked me when I will go to America. When they know that it is not yet, they always smile very wide, but I dread having to leave them so soon. I am coming to know more and more of their names, and am feeling greater love for them with every day. I wonder sometimes about how hard it must be for them to always have people leaving. I am amazed at how quickly they open their hearts to new people, when they are constantly having to let old ones go. I wish that they could have more stability in the adults in their lives. They learn too early to rely on themselves, but they still embrace and love those who come into their lives, however short they are here.
Another thing that happened this week was that my best friend among the housemothers, Rajakumari, left. She is living at home now with her parents, although I at least still get to see her during the day because she is still teaching science. I know that this may be easier for her - she was doing so much, with teaching all day, looking after 22 girls in the morning and at night, and working on her master's degree through correspondence in her nonexistent spare time - but it was still very hard to leave. I found her in tears at the end of last week. She told me that although she had to this some time ago, because she wants to be able to do a special science class in the mornings for older children preparing for the state exams, she still did not want to go. She did not want to live at home with her parents, where there is domestic abuse (a common problem in India, especially rural India). She didn't want to leave the children that she loved and cared for. I miss her a lot - I have spent most of my evenings after dinner in her "house," working with her on English and helping her to plan lessons. She is reading Charlotte's Web, and she likes me to read a page and then she reads the same page. I correct her pronunciation and help her to understand words that she doesn't know. She is a wonderful woman - 22 years old and doing incredible things.
Many of the people here are quite remarkable. There is one housemother who just turned 28 years old. She is a widow - her husband was killed at the beginning of this year. She has a 12 year old son (going on about 30 - he is definitely in teenager mode) and a 9 year old son. Her husband was abusive. She was married when she was 14 years old. She is very intelligent. She speaks fluent Hindi as well as Tamil, which is unusual in this area, and her English is among the best of any of the Indians here at Rising Star. However, she was not able to receive an education as a child, and she really wanted to learn to read and write, so now she studies every night. She can remember most of the letter sounds now, and she is beginning to be able to sound out words and read very simple books. The volunteers try to help her when we can. She is an amazing woman.
I am really in a groove now at the school. Every day is full to the brim. I teach about 3 or 4 periods every day on average, as a model, while the teacher in the classroom watches. I meet with teachers to critique and provide suggestions and assistance, as well as to help them with lesson planning. I observe teachers and am doing teacher evaluation as well. I am really enjoying what I am doing, even if I am really busy. I feel like I've gotten over a hump and I feel very comfortable at the school and with the teachers now. They seek me out for help, I provide trainings each Tuesday at teacher meeting, and I get to see them a lot one-on-one and in small groups in the staff room. The children all know me, too, and they enjoy seeing the "English ma'am." They all ask me when I will come to teach in their classes again when they see me. Kanmani loves to tell me the good news when he has a day with no "x" for behavior problems, which means he gets a star on his behavior chart, and a tiny girl in UKG (kindergarten - I think she is 3, but she might be 4), always runs to jump into my arms each day at interval when she sees me (interval is recess). She doesn't speak English except for "yes," but every time she sees me she shouts "ma'am!" and starts running.
Tonight, at 3 am, we leave for Chennai, where we will fly to Delhi for our weekend trip. We will go to Agra and see the Taj Mahal. I am quite excited. I will update you on that trip, hopefully very soon.
Another thing that happened this week was that my best friend among the housemothers, Rajakumari, left. She is living at home now with her parents, although I at least still get to see her during the day because she is still teaching science. I know that this may be easier for her - she was doing so much, with teaching all day, looking after 22 girls in the morning and at night, and working on her master's degree through correspondence in her nonexistent spare time - but it was still very hard to leave. I found her in tears at the end of last week. She told me that although she had to this some time ago, because she wants to be able to do a special science class in the mornings for older children preparing for the state exams, she still did not want to go. She did not want to live at home with her parents, where there is domestic abuse (a common problem in India, especially rural India). She didn't want to leave the children that she loved and cared for. I miss her a lot - I have spent most of my evenings after dinner in her "house," working with her on English and helping her to plan lessons. She is reading Charlotte's Web, and she likes me to read a page and then she reads the same page. I correct her pronunciation and help her to understand words that she doesn't know. She is a wonderful woman - 22 years old and doing incredible things.
Many of the people here are quite remarkable. There is one housemother who just turned 28 years old. She is a widow - her husband was killed at the beginning of this year. She has a 12 year old son (going on about 30 - he is definitely in teenager mode) and a 9 year old son. Her husband was abusive. She was married when she was 14 years old. She is very intelligent. She speaks fluent Hindi as well as Tamil, which is unusual in this area, and her English is among the best of any of the Indians here at Rising Star. However, she was not able to receive an education as a child, and she really wanted to learn to read and write, so now she studies every night. She can remember most of the letter sounds now, and she is beginning to be able to sound out words and read very simple books. The volunteers try to help her when we can. She is an amazing woman.
I am really in a groove now at the school. Every day is full to the brim. I teach about 3 or 4 periods every day on average, as a model, while the teacher in the classroom watches. I meet with teachers to critique and provide suggestions and assistance, as well as to help them with lesson planning. I observe teachers and am doing teacher evaluation as well. I am really enjoying what I am doing, even if I am really busy. I feel like I've gotten over a hump and I feel very comfortable at the school and with the teachers now. They seek me out for help, I provide trainings each Tuesday at teacher meeting, and I get to see them a lot one-on-one and in small groups in the staff room. The children all know me, too, and they enjoy seeing the "English ma'am." They all ask me when I will come to teach in their classes again when they see me. Kanmani loves to tell me the good news when he has a day with no "x" for behavior problems, which means he gets a star on his behavior chart, and a tiny girl in UKG (kindergarten - I think she is 3, but she might be 4), always runs to jump into my arms each day at interval when she sees me (interval is recess). She doesn't speak English except for "yes," but every time she sees me she shouts "ma'am!" and starts running.
Tonight, at 3 am, we leave for Chennai, where we will fly to Delhi for our weekend trip. We will go to Agra and see the Taj Mahal. I am quite excited. I will update you on that trip, hopefully very soon.
Friday, July 8, 2011
India Portraits
My roommate, the photographer and videographer, took some photos of us dressed up in saris. Some of the kids got in on the action, too. Here are some of the photos.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
What I'm Missing
I realized today that I have not included any photos of the leprosy patients, since I have not been to the colonies - I am so busy here at the school! I am working with teachers more and more, building relationships and trying to help them to improve their teaching. So tonight, I will post some photos of some of the leprosy patients and some of the other volunteers when they go out to the colonies to work with them. I will go out some time before I leave - I can't miss it completely - but for now I'm needed here.
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