Trip to Mamallupuram

Today was Saturday - no school for the kids - so the other volunteers and I went to the small town of Mamallupuram. This is a beachside town, and it has a lot of little shops. We visited the beach and swam in the Bay of Bengal. The water felt wonderful in the heat, but it was really salty. I made a few purchases with my rupees. On the way back to Rising Star, we stopped and ate parotha, which is a lot like nan. It is a thin bread that you dip in a sauce. It was served with an egg and onion omelet. It was actually very good. Then, when we got the rest of the way back, it was time for movie night with the children. This happens each Saturday evening at 7:30. Since the children don't have televisions in their houses, they are very excited to see the movie. Tonight, it was Tron. It was in English, to help them work on their language skills, but I think the younger ones especially still had trouble understanding it. They didn't mind - the visual effects kept them quite entertained. The children like to use the volunteers as pillows. I had two little boys with their heads on my lap through the movie. My legs kind of fell asleep and I had to periodically shift position slightly. At one point, as I looked down at them, it struck me that these little boys, who have known some very hard things in their lives, are still quick to show affection. I was so glad that they are at Rising Star, where they have good nutrition, an opportunity for an education, and health care. When I was in Mamallupuram, there were many children, especially young girls, who would come up to tourists and try to sell them simple beaded necklaces. I thought that our children here at Rising Star would be in this situation, or worse, if they did not have this opportunity. Many of them have begged with their parents in the past, but this Saturday, Gokulraj excitedly told me that he would be riding a bike (the children get a turn to ride bikes about once every two weeks). Other children worked on homework, helped with chores, and played. Some read books. In the evening, they watched a movie together. These are things that children should be doing, and I was grateful that these children that I am coming to love are able to do them.